The [Heavenly] Sanctuary (Part 4, Final)

The Restorer Vol. 1 | No. 5 • December 26, 2025

PREFACE

Today’s post is the final article of a series that JN Andrews wrote regarding The Sanctuary. A link to parts 1-3 can be found at the end of this article. The original publication took place on February 3, 1853 in the Review and Herald.

This writing carries a great deal of importance with it as it addresses the sanctuary in heaven and Christ’s ministration being carried out there.

I hope this series has been a blessing to all that have read it. This last article is definitely worth reading.

God Bless,

Charles

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ORIGINAL WRITING

(Any bolding of text has been added by me and is not part of the original writing)

THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY

BY J. N. ANDREWS

Concluded

“Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: we have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” Hebrews 8:1-2.

“A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.” Jeremiah 17:12; Revelation 16:17; Psalm 11:4.

“For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth.” Psalm 102:19.

THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY HAS TWO HOLY PLACES. - The following testimony on this point is conclusive. We gather it from the Old and New Testaments, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

1. The tabernacle erected by Moses, after a forty days inspection of the one showed to him in the mount, consisted of two holy places,¹ and is declared to be a correct pattern or model of that building. Exodus 25:8-9, 40; compared with Exodus 39:32-43. But if the earthly sanctuary consisted of two holy places, and the great original from which it was copied, consisted of only one, instead of likeness, there would be perfect dissimilarity.

2. The temple was built in every respect according to the pattern which God gave to David by the Spirit.² And Solomon in addressing God says, “Thou hast commanded me to build a temple upon thy holy mount, and an altar in the city wherein thou dwellest, a resemblance of the holy tabernacle which thou hast prepared from the beginning.”³ - The temple was built on a larger and grander scale than the tabernacle; but its distinguishing feature, like the tabernacle, consisted in the fact that it was composed of two holy places.⁴ This is clear proof that the heavenly tabernacle contains the same.

3. Paul plainly states that “the holy places [plural] made with hands” “are the figures [plural] of the true.” And that the tabernacle, and its vessels, are “patterns of things in the heavens.”⁵ This is direct evidence that, in the greater and more perfect tabernacle, there are two holy places, even as in the “figure,” “example” or “pattern.”

4. The Apostle actually uses the word holies, [plural] in speaking of the heavenly sanctuary. The expression “holiest of all,” in Hebrews 9:8; 10:19, has been supposed by some to prove that Christ began to minister in the most holy place at his ascension. But the expression is not “hagia hagion,” holy of holies, as in chapter 9:3; but is simply “hagion” holies. It is the same word that is rendered sanctuary in Hebrews 8:2. In each of these three texts,⁶ Macknight renders the word, “holy places.” The Doway Bible renders it “the holies.” And thus we learn that the heavenly sanctuary consists of two “holy places.”

VESSELS OF THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY. - We have noticed particularly the vessels of the earthly sanctuary, and have cited divine testimony to show that they were patterns of the true in heaven. This is strikingly confirmed by the fact that in the heavenly sanctuary we find the like vessels.

1. The ark of God’s testament, and the cherubim.⁷

2. The golden altar of incense.⁸

3. The candlestick with the seven lamps.⁹

4. The golden censer.¹⁰

This heavenly sanctuary is called by Jesus “my Father’s house;”¹¹ by David, Habakkuk and John, “the temple of God in heaven;”¹² God’s “holy habitation;”¹³ “greater and more perfect tabernacle;”¹⁴ “the sanctuary and true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man.”¹⁵

THE TREADING DOWN OF THE SANCTUARY

The agents by which the sanctuary is trodden under foot are the daily, or continual desolation, and the transgression, or abomination of desolation.¹⁶ These two desolations, as we have already seen, are Paganism and Papacy. It is often urged as a sufficient argument against the view of the sanctuary of God in heaven, that such a sanctuary is not susceptible of being trodden under foot. But we answer, this is not impossible, when the New Testament shows us that wicked men (apostates) tread under foot the minister of the heavenly sanctuary, our Lord Jesus Christ.¹⁷ If they can tread under foot the minister of that sanctuary, then they can tread under foot the sanctuary itself. It is not impossible that the Pagan and Papal desolations should be represented as treading under foot the heavenly sanctuary, when the same vision represents the little horn as stamping upon the stars.¹⁸ And when it is expressly predicted that the Papal power should war against the tabernacle of God in heaven.¹⁹ The language of this vision, that these blasphemous powers should cast down the truth to the ground, stamp upon the stars, and tread under foot the sanctuary and the host, is certainly figurative, as it would otherwise involve complete absurdities.

Let us now briefly trace the manner in which Satan has, by Paganism and Papacy, trod under foot the sanctuary of the Lord. We have already seen that he has done this by erecting rival sanctuaries, where in the place of the only living and true God, he has established “new gods that came newly up.”²⁰ In the days of the Judges and of Samuel, Satan’s rival sanctuary was the temple of Dagon, where the Philistines worshiped.²¹ And when they had taken the ark of God from Israel, the Philistines deposited it in this temple.²² After Solomon erected a glorious sanctuary upon Mount Moriah, Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin, erected a rival sanctuary at Bethel, and thus drew away ten of the twelve tribes from the worship of the living God, to that of the golden calves.²³ In the days of Nebuchadnezzar, the rival to the sanctuary of God was the temple of Nebuchadnezzar’s god at Babylon. - And into this temple he carried the vessels of the Lord’s sanctuary, when he laid it desolate.²⁴ At a still later period, Satan established at Rome a temple, or sanctuary of “all the gods.”²⁵

After the typical sanctuary of the first covenant had given place to the true sanctuary of God, Satan baptized his Pagan sanctuary and heathen rites and ceremonies, calling them Christianity. Thenceforward he had at Rome a “temple of God,” and in that temple, a being exalted above all that is called God or that is worshiped.²⁶ And this Papal abomination has trod under foot the holy city,²⁷ by persuading a large portion of the human family that Rome, the place of this counterfeit temple of God, was “the holy city,” or “the eternal city.” And it has trod under foot, and blasphemed God’s sanctuary or tabernacle²⁸ by calling its own sanctuary the temple of God, and by turning away the worship of them that dwell on the earth, from “the temple of God in heaven,” to the sanctuary of Satan at Rome. It has trod under foot the Son of God, the minister of the heavenly sanctuary,²⁹ by making the Pope the head of the church, instead of Jesus Christ,³⁰ and by leading men to the worship of that “son of perdition,” as one able to forgive past sins, and confer the right to commit them in the future, and thus turning men from him who alone has power on earth to forgive sins, and to pardon iniquity and transgression. Such has been the nature of the warfare which Satan has maintained against the sanctuary and the cause of God, in his vain attempts to defeat the great plan of redemption which God has been carrying forward in his sanctuary. In order to present the cleansing of the sanctuary of God in heaven, it is necessary to notice briefly

THE MINISTRATION AND CLEANSING OF THE EARTHLY SANCTUARY

We have before shown that the earthly sanctuary consisted of two holy places, and that it was a pattern of the true tabernacle of God in heaven. - We shall now present, in a brief manner, the work of ministration in both those holy places, and also the work of cleansing that sanctuary, at the end of that ministration, every year, and shall prove that that ministration was the example and shadow of Christ’s more excellent ministry in the true tabernacle.

The ministration in the earthly sanctuary was performed by the Levitical order of priesthood.³¹ The act, preparatory to the commencement of the ministration in that earthly tabernacle, was the anointing of its two holy places, and of all its sacred vessels.³² The entire work of the priests in the two holy places is summed up by Paul as follows: “Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God; but into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people.”³³ The ministration in the earthly sanctuary is thus presented before us in two grand divisions. First, the daily service in the holy place, which consisted of the regular morning and evening burnt-offering,³⁴ the burning of sweet incense upon the golden altar, when the high priest lighted the lamps every morning and evening,³⁵ the special work upon the Lord’s Sabbaths, and also upon the annual sabbaths, new moons and feasts,³⁶ and beside all this, the special work for individuals as they should present their particular offerings through the year.³⁷ And second, the yearly work, in the most holy place, for the sins of the people, and for the cleansing of the sanctuary.³⁸ Thus each of the two holy places had its appropriate work assigned. The glory of the God of Israel was manifested in both apartments. When he entered the tabernacle at the first, his glory filled both the holy places.³⁹ See also 1 Kings 8:10-11; 2 Chronicles 5:13-14; 7:1-2. In the door of the first apartment, the Lord stood and talked with Moses.⁴⁰ In this place, God promised to meet with the children of Israel, and to sanctify the tabernacle with his glory.⁴¹ In the holiest, also, God manifested his glory in a special manner.⁴²

In the first apartment, stood the priests in a continual course of ministration for the people. He that had sinned, brought his victim to the door of this apartment to be offered up for himself. He laid his hand upon the head of the victim to denote that his sin was transferred to it.⁴³ - Then the victim was slain on account of that transgression, and his blood, bearing that sin and guilt, was carried into the sanctuary, and sprinkled upon it.⁴⁴ Thus, through the year, this ministration went forward. The sins of the people being transferred from themselves to the victims offered in sacrifice, and through the blood of the sacrifices, transferred to the sanctuary itself.

On the tenth day of the seventh month, the ministration was changed from the holy place, where it had been continued through the year, to the most holy place.⁴⁵ The high priest entered the holiest with the blood of a bullock, as a sin-offering for himself.⁴⁶ He then received of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin-offering. Upon these goats he cast lots; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scape-goat.⁴⁷ He next proceeded to offer the goat, upon which the Lord’s lot fell, as a sin-offering for the people.

We shall now show that he offered this blood for two purposes:

1. “To make an atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins.”

2. To cleanse, or “make an atonement for the holy sanctuary.”

Let us read a portion of the chapter.

“Then shall he kill the goat of the sin-offering that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy-seat, and before the mercy-seat; and he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins; and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness. And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel. And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the Lord, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about. And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel. And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat; and Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness; and the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited; and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.”

“And this shall be a statute for ever unto you; that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country or a stranger that sojourneth among you; for on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.”

“And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar; and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year.” Leviticus16:15-22, 29-30, 33-34.

We have here read several important facts.

1. On the tenth day of the seventh month the ministration was changed from the holy place to the holiest of all.⁴⁸

2. That in the most holy place, blood was offered for the sins of the people to make an atonement for them.⁴⁹

3. That the two holy places of the sanctuary, and also the altar of incense were on this day cleansed from the sins of the people, which, as we have seen, had through the year been borne into the sanctuary and sprinkled upon it.⁵⁰

4. That the high priest, having by blood removed the sins of the people from the sanctuary, bears them to the door of the tabernacle⁵¹ where the scape-goat stands, and putting both his hands upon the head of the goat, and confessing over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel in all their sins, he puts them upon the head of the goat, and sends him away, with all their iniquities, into a land not inhabited.⁵² The sanctuary was then cleansed from the sins of the people, and those sins were borne by the scape-goat from the sanctuary.

The foregoing presents to our view a general outline of the ministration in the worldly sanctuary. The following scriptures show that that ministration was the example and shadow of Christ’s ministry in the tabernacle in heaven:

“Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens: a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices; wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law; who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle; for, See (saith he) that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.” Hebrews 8:1-6; Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 10:1; 9:11-12.

The facts stated in these texts are worthy of careful attention.

1. We have a High Priest in the heavens.

2. This High Priest is a minister of the sanctuary or true tabernacle.

3. As the earthly high priests were ordained to offer sacrifice for sins, so it is of necessity that our High Priest should have something to offer for us in the heavenly sanctuary.

4. When upon earth he was not a priest.

5. The ministry of the priests in that tabernacle, made after the pattern of the true, was the example and shadow of Christ’s more excellent ministry in the true tabernacle itself.

6. The entire typical service was a shadow of good things to come.

7. In the greater and more perfect tabernacle, Christ is a minister of these good things, thus shadowed forth. With these facts before us let us now consider that more excellent ministry in the temple of God in heaven.

THE MINISTRATION AND CLEANSING OF THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY

At the close of the typical services, He of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, came and laid down his life for us. - The death of the Lord Jesus is the dividing point between the two dispensations, as it put an end to the typical services, and was the great foundation of his work as a priest in the heavenly tabernacle. On Jesus was laid the iniquity of us all, and he bare our sins in his own body on the tree.⁵³ He was raised from the dead for our justification, and ascended into heaven to become a great High Priest in the presence of God for us.⁵⁴

The ministration in the heavenly sanctuary is performed by the Melchizedek order of priesthood, in the person of our Lord.⁵⁵ We have already proved that the temple of God in heaven consists of two holy places, as did the earthly tabernacle; and that the ministration in the two holy places of the worldly sanctuary was the example and shadow of Christ’s ministry in the true tabernacle. But it is contended by some that Christ ministers only in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. Let us examine this point.

1. His anointing the most holy place of the true tabernacle, at the commencement of his ministration, may be urged as proof that he ministers only in the second apartment of the heavenly sanctuary.⁵⁶ But this objection vanishes at once if we consider that before the Levitical priesthood began to minister in the earthly sanctuary, that entire building, the holiest as well as the holy place and all the sacred vessels, were anointed.⁵⁷ - And when this anointing was accomplished, that ministration began in the first apartment.⁵⁸ And this order, let it be remembered, was “the example and shadow of heavenly things.”

2. It has been urged by some that the text, “this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever sat down on the right hand of God,”⁵⁹ forbids the idea of his ministering in the two holy places. But we answer, that so far as the idea of sitting down is concerned, it would be equally proper to represent him as standing on the Father’s right hand.⁶⁰ And if the Saviour is at “the right hand of the power of God” when descending from heaven, as he testifies respecting himself,⁶¹ then he certainly can be at the Father’s right hand, in both the holy places. But we have direct testimony here. Paul says that Christ is a “minister of the sanctuary.”⁶² That the word “hagion,” here rendered sanctuary, is plural, no one can deny. It is literally rendered by the Doway Bible, “the holies.” As translated by Macknight,⁶³ it reads thus: “Now of the things spoken the chief is, we have such a High Priest as became us, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister of the holy places, namely, of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched and not man.” We draw two conclusions from the foregoing. - (1.) Our Lord can be a minister of the two holy places, and yet be at the Father’s right hand. (2.) He must minister in both the holy places, or Paul’s language that he is a minister of the holies or holy places, [plural,] is not true. An high priest that should minister simply in the holiest of all, is not a minister of the holy places.

3. But another argument to prove that Christ ministers only in the most holy place, has been urged by some, from the following texts: “The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing.”⁶⁴ “Having, therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.”⁶⁵ But as has been before remarked, the word rendered “holiest of all,” is the same that is rendered “sanctuary” in chapter 8:2, and is not “hagia hagion,” holy of holies, as in chapter 9:3, but is simply “hagion,” holies, plural. The rendering of Macknight, which correctly translates the word in the plural, removes all difficulty. He translates these two texts as follows: “The Holy Ghost signifying this, that the way of the holy places was not yet laid open, while the first tabernacle still standeth.” “Well then, brethren, having boldness in the entrance of the holy places, by the blood of Jesus.” These texts, therefore, do not favor the doctrine that Christ is a minister of only one of the holy places. With a literal rendering of the word, giving it in the plural in our language, just as it was written by Paul, the objection to Christ’s ministration in the two holy places of the heavenly sanctuary is entirely removed. The way into the holy places of the heavenly sanctuary was not laid open, while the ministration in the earthly tabernacle continued; but when that ministration was abolished, the way of the heavenly holy places was laid open, and we have boldness to enter by faith, where our High Priest is ministering for us.

It may be proper to add, that the phrase rendered, “into the holy place,” in Hebrews 9:12, 25, and “into the sanctuary,” in chapter 13:11, is the same that in chapter 9:24 is literally rendered in the plural, “into the holy places.” Macknight renders them all in the plural. Then the heavenly tabernacle, where our Lord Jesus Christ ministers, is composed of holy places, as really as was its pattern or image, the earthly tabernacle; and our great High Priest is a minister of those holy places while at the Father’s right hand.

Let us now examine those scriptures which present our Lord’s position and ministry in the tabernacle in heaven. In vision at Patmos, the beloved disciple has a view of the temple of God, the heavenly sanctuary. A door was opened in heaven. - This must be the door of the heavenly tabernacle, for it disclosed to John’s view the throne of God, which was in that temple.⁶⁶ It must be the door of the first apartment, for that of the second apartment (which discloses the ark containing the commandments) is not opened until the sounding of the seventh angel.⁶⁷ And the view, that John was looking into the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary, when he saw the Lord Jesus take the book from the hand of him that sat upon the throne, is strikingly confirmed by what he saw before the throne. He testifies that “there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.”⁶⁸ He also saw the golden altar of incense before the throne, and witnessed the ministration at that altar with the golden censer.⁶⁹ In the earthly tabernacle, which was the pattern of things in the heavens, the golden candlestick with its seven lamps, and the golden altar of incense, were both represented, and, by God’s express direction, placed in the first apartment.⁷⁰ The scene of this vision is the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary. Here it was that John saw the Lord Jesus.⁷¹

Let us read Isaiah’s description of this place.

“In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw, also, the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Wo is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar.” Isaiah 6:1-6.

That this was a view of the heavenly tabernacle, and not of the temple at Jerusalem, may be proved by comparing John 12:39-41, with Isaiah 6:8-10. Words written by Isaiah, while looking into the temple of God, are quoted by John with the declaration that Isaiah spake them while beholding Christ’s glory. That John and Isaiah both beheld the same place is evident;

• both beheld the throne of God, and him that sits upon it;⁷²

• both beheld the living beings with six wings;⁷³

• each heard from these beings a like song;⁷⁴ and

• both beheld the golden altar before the throne.⁷⁵

That John and Isaiah both saw our Lord Jesus Christ we have already proved. And the scene of their visions was in the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary, the place of the golden candlestick with its seven lamps, and the golden altar of incense. And in this apartment our High Priest commenced his ministration, like the priests in the example and shadow of heavenly things. In the shadow, each part of the work was many times repeated; but in the substance, each part is fulfilled once for all. Once for all, our Sacrifice is slain;⁷⁶ and once for all, our High Priest appears in each of the holy places.⁷⁷ Hence, our Lord must continue his ministration in the first apartment until the period arrives for his ministration within the second vail, before the ark of God’s testament.

The sins of the world were laid upon the Lord Jesus, and he died for those sins according to the Scriptures. The blood of the Lamb of God, which was shed for our transgressions of God’s law, is that by which our High Priest enters the heavenly sanctuary,⁷⁸ and which, as our advocate, he offers for us in that sanctuary.⁷⁹ His great work, which began with the act of bearing the sins of the world at his death, he here carries forward by pleading the cause of penitent sinners, and presenting for them his blood which had been shed as the great sacrifice for the sins of the world. The work in the earthly sanctuary was essentially the same thing. The sins were there laid upon the victim, which was then slain. The blood of that sacrifice, bearing that guilt, was sprinkled, in the sanctuary to make reconciliation for the sinner.⁸⁰ And thus in the shadow of heavenly things, we see the guilt of the people transferred to the sanctuary itself. This can be easily understood. And it is a plain fact that its great design was to give an example of heavenly things. As the sin of him who came to God, through the offering of blood by the high priest, was, through that blood, transferred to the sanctuary itself, so it is in the substance. He who bore our sins at his death, offers for us his blood in the heavenly sanctuary. But when he comes again, he is “without sin;”⁸¹ his great work for the removal of sin is fully completed before he comes again.

We now inquire respecting the removal of the sins of the church, or host, from the sanctuary. - We have seen that only 490 of the 2300 years belonged to the earthly sanctuary, and that the remaining 1810 years, belong to the true sanctuary, which Gabriel introduces to Daniel in his explanation in chapter 9; consequently, the sanctuary to be cleansed from the sins of the church, or host, at the end of the 2300 years, is the heavenly sanctuary. We have also examined those portions of the Bible that explain how and why the earthly sanctuary was cleansed, and have seen that that cleansing was accomplished, not by fire, but by blood. - We have seen that that work was ordained for the express purpose of shadowing forth the work in the heavenly sanctuary. And we have also seen that the sins of those who come to God through our great High Priest are communicated to the sanctuary as was the case in the type. But we are not left without direct testimony on this important point. The Apostle Paul states the fact of the cleansing of the earthly and the heavenly sanctuaries, and plainly affirms that the latter must be cleansed for the same reason that the former had been. - He speaks as follows:

“And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” Hebrews 9:22-24.

Two important facts are stated in this portion of scripture.

1. The earthly sanctuary was cleansed by blood.

2. The heavenly sanctuary must be cleansed by better sacrifice, that is, by the blood of Christ. It is plain, then, that the idea of cleansing the sanctuary by fire has no support in the Bible.

These words, as rendered by Macknight are very clear: “And almost all things according to the law, are cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood, there is no remission. There was a necessity, therefore, that the representations indeed of the holy places in the heavens, should be cleansed by these sacrifices; but the heavenly holy places themselves, by sacrifices better than these. Therefore Christ hath not entered into the holy places made with hands; the images of the true holy places; but into heaven itself, now to appear before the face of God, on our account.”⁸² Then the fact of the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary is plainly taught by the Apostle Paul in his commentary on the typical system. And this great truth, plainly stated, is worthy of lasting remembrance.

By many, the idea of the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, will be treated with scorn, “because,” say they, “there is nothing in heaven to be cleansed.” Such overlook the fact that the holy of holies, where God manifested his glory, and which no one but the high priest could enter, was, according to the law, to be cleansed, because the sins of the people were borne into it by the blood of sin-offering.⁸³ And they overlook the fact that Paul plainly testifies that the heavenly sanctuary must be cleansed for the same reason.⁸⁴ See also Colossians 1:20. It was unclean in this sense only: the sins of men had been borne into it through the blood of sin-offering, and they must be removed. This fact can be grasped by every mind.

The work of cleansing the sanctuary, changes the ministration from the holy place to the holiest of all.⁸⁵ As the ministration in the holy place of the temple in heaven began immediately after the end of the typical system, at the close of the sixty-nine and a half weeks,⁸⁶ so the ministration in the holiest of all, in the heavenly sanctuary, begins with the termination of the 2300 days. Then our High Priest enters the holiest to cleanse the sanctuary. The termination of this great period, marks the commencement of the ministration of the Lord Jesus in the holiest of all. This work, as presented in the type, we have already seen was for a twofold purpose, viz: the forgiveness of iniquity, and the cleansing of the sanctuary. And this great work our Lord accomplishes with his own blood; whether by the actual presentation of it, or by virtue of its merits, we need not stop to inquire.

No one can fail to perceive that this event, the cleansing of the sanctuary, is one of infinite importance. This accomplishes the great work of the Messiah in the tabernacle in heaven, and renders it complete. The work of cleansing the sanctuary is succeeded by the act of placing the sins, thus removed, upon the head of the scape-goat, to be borne away for ever from the sanctuary. The work of our High Priest for the sins of the world, will then be completed, and he be ready to appear “without sin unto salvation.” The act of placing the sins upon the head of the scape-goat, in the type, has already been noticed.⁸⁷ The following valuable remarks on this important point are from the pen of O. R. L. Crozier, written in 1846.

“THE SCAPE-GOAT. - The next event of that day, after the sanctuary was cleansed, was the putting of all the iniquities and transgressions of the children of Israel upon the scape-goat, and sending him away into a land not inhabited, or of separation. It is supposed by almost every one that this goat typified Christ in some of his offices, and that the type was fulfilled at the first Advent. From this opinion I must differ, because,

1. That goat was not sent away till after the high priest had made an end of cleansing the sanctuary.⁸⁸ Hence that event cannot meet its antitype till after the end of the 2300 days.

2. It was sent away from Israel into the wilderness, a land not inhabited, to receive them. If our blessed Saviour is its antitype, he also must be sent away, not his body alone, but soul and body, for the goat was sent away alive, from, not to, nor into, his people; neither into heaven, for that is not a wilderness, or land not inhabited.

3. It received and retained all the iniquities of Israel; but when Christ appears the second time he will be ‘without sin.’

4. The goat received the iniquities from the hands of the priest, and he sent it away. As Christ is the priest, the goat must be something else besides himself which he can send away.

5. This was one of two goats, chosen for that day, of which one was the Lord’s, and was offered for a sin-offering; but the other was not called the Lord’s, neither offered as a sacrifice. Its only office was to receive the iniquities from the priest, after he had cleansed the sanctuary from them, and bear them into a land not inhabited, leaving the sanctuary, priest and people, behind, and free from their iniquities.⁸⁹

6. The Hebrew name of the scape-goat, as will be seen from the margin of verse 8,⁹⁰ is Azazel. On this verse, Wm. Jenks, in his Comp. Com. has the following remarks: ‘Scape-goat. See diff. opin. in Bochart. Spencer, after the oldest opinion of the Hebrews and Christians, thinks Azazel is the name of the devil; and so Rosenmire, whom see. The Syriac has Azazel the angel (strong one) who revolted.’

7. At the appearing of Christ, as taught in Revelation 20, Satan is to be bound and cast into the bottomless pit, which act and place are significantly symbolized by the ancient high priest sending the scape-goat into a separate and uninhabited wilderness. –

8. Thus we have the scripture, the definition of the name in two ancient languages both spoken at the same time, and the oldest opinion of the Christians in favor of regarding the scape-goat as a type of Satan. In the common use of the term, men always associate it with something mean, calling refugees from Justice, scape-goats. Ignorance of the law and its meaning is the only possible origin that can be assigned for the opinion that the scape-goat was a type of Christ.

Because it is said, ‘The goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities into a land not inhabited,’⁹¹ and John said, ‘behold the Lamb of God, that taketh [margin, beareth] away the sin of the world,’ it is concluded without further thought that the former was the type of the latter. But a little attention to the law will show that the sins were borne from the people by the priest, and from the priest by the goat.

1. They are imparted to the victim.

2. The priest bore them in its blood to the sanctuary.

3. After cleansing it from them on the tenth day of the seventh month, he bore them to the scape-goat.

4. The goat finally bore them away beyond the camp of Israel to the wilderness.

This was the legal process, and when fulfilled, the author of sins will have received them back again, (but the ungodly will bear their own sins,) and his head will have been bruised by the seed of the woman; ‘the strong man armed’ will have been bound by a stronger than he, and his house (the grave) spoiled of its goods, the saints.”⁹²

The great work of atonement is now complete, and the work of our Lord as priest, accomplished. The sins of those who have obtained pardon through the great sin-offering, are, at the close of our Lord’s work in the holy places, blotted out,⁹³ and being then transferred to the scape-goat, are borne away from the sanctuary and host for ever, and rest upon the head of their author, the devil. The Azazel, or antitypical scape-goat, will then have received the sins of those who have been pardoned in the sanctuary, and in the lake of fire, will suffer for the sins which he has instigated. God’s people, the host, will then be free for ever from their iniquity.

“He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Revelation 22:11-12.

“And to you, who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8)

CAUSE OF OUR DISAPPOINTMENT

Why were those disappointed, who looked for Jesus in 1844? This important question, we believe, can be answered in the most satisfactory manner. Our disappointment did not arise from mistaking the commencement of the 70 weeks. The argument by which the original date is sustained, is, as we have seen, invulnerable. Nor did our disappointment arise from a mistake in believing that the 70 weeks form a part of the 2300 days; for every fraction of that argument, as we have shown, still stands good. These two points being susceptible of the clearest proof, we were not mistaken in believing that the 2300 days would terminate in the seventh Jewish month, 1844. Neither did our disappointment arise from believing that at the end of the 2300 days the work of cleansing the sanctuary would take place. For it is plainly stated, “Unto 2300 days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.”

But when we said that this earth, or a part of this earth, was the sanctuary, and that Christ must descend from heaven at the end of the 2300 days, to purify the earth by fire, we looked for that which the Bible did not warrant us to expect. Here was the cause of our disappointment. For we have seen that there is no scriptural authority to support the view that any part of the earth is the sanctuary, or that the burning of the earth, and the melting of the elements,⁹⁴ is the cleansing of the sanctuary. By a multitude of witnesses, we have proved that the tabernacle of God is the sanctuary to be cleansed, and that its cleansing is a work performed in the holiest of all, with blood, and not with fire. Our disappointment, then, arose from a misunderstanding of the work to transpire at the end of the days.

Our evidence established two points:

1. The fact that the sanctuary should be cleansed at the end of the 2300 days, and that they would terminate at the seventh month, 1844.

2. The types in the example and shadow of heavenly things, set before us the work of the high priest in the seventh month, viz: his act of passing from the holy place to the holiest of all, to cleanse the sanctuary. We reasoned, that as the paschal lamb, which was slain on the fourteenth day of the first month, met its antitype in the death of the Lamb of God, on that day;⁹⁵ and the offering of the first fruits on the sixteenth day of that month, met its antitype in the resurrection of Christ, on that day, the first fruits of them that slept;⁹⁶ and the feast of Pentecost met its antitype on the day of its occurrence;⁹⁷ so the cleansing of the sanctuary in the seventh month,⁹⁸ at that time in the year when the 2300 days would end, we believed would meet its antitype at the end of that period.

Could we then have understood the subject of the heavenly sanctuary, our disappointment would have been avoided. Our evidence did not prove that our High Priest would descend from the holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, in flaming fire to burn the earth, at the end of the 2300 days; but so far from this, it did prove that he must, at that time, enter within the second vail, to minister for us before the ark of God’s testament, and to cleanse the sanctuary.⁹⁹ Such has been the position of our High Priest since the end of the days, and this is the reason that we did not behold our King in 1844. He had then ministered in only one of the holy places, and the termination of the 2300 days marked the commencement of his ministration in the other. For believing in a literal sanctuary in heaven, consisting of two real holy places, and that our High Priest, while at the Father’s right hand, is a minister of both these holy places, we are ranked as spiritualizes, by our enemies. From this unjust charge we appeal to the Judge of all the earth, who will do right.

When John, who saw the door of the first apartment of the heavenly tabernacle opened at the commencement of Christ’s ministry, was carried in vision down the stream of time to “the days of the voice of the seventh angel,” he saw the most holy place of God’s temple opened. “And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament; and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.”¹⁰⁰ Here, by the ark of God’s testament, is where our High Priest ministers, since the close of the 2300 days. To this open door in the heavenly sanctuary,¹⁰¹ we invite those to come for pardon and salvation, who have not sinned away the day of grace. Our High Priest stands by the MERCY-SEAT (the top of the ark,) and here he offers his blood, not merely for the cleansing of the sanctuary, but also for the pardon of iniquity and transgression. But while we call men to this open door, and point them to the blood of Christ, offered for us at the mercy-seat, we would remind them of the LAW OF GOD beneath that mercy-seat, which made the death of God’s beloved Son necessary in order that guilty man might be pardoned. That ark contains God’s commandments, and he that would receive the blessing of God, at the hand of our High Priest, must keep the commandments contained in the ark, before which he ministers. Many affirm that God has abolished his law; but this is so far from the truth, that that law occupies the choicest place in heaven. It is that “justice and judgment,” which are the habitation of God’s throne.¹⁰²

Two of the three messages of Revelation 14, had been given prior to the end of the days in 1844, as nearly all Advent believers once admitted. The third angel, with the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, gives this last message of mercy, while our High Priest ministers for us before the ark containing the commandments. While he is thus ministering, the host, or church, are waiting the completion of the great work, the putting away of their sins. They are “in the last end of the indignation,“ which occupies a space of time, as is evident from Daniel 8:19.

The close of the third angel’s message is marked by the Son of man taking his position upon the white cloud.¹⁰³ The last message of mercy will then have closed, and there will be no intercessor between an offended God and guilty, offending man. The angels with the vials of God’s wrath, who are now stayed by the ministration of our great High Priest, will then come out of the temple of God, and pour out the vials of unmixed wrath upon the heads of all the wicked. - The plagues, the earthquake, and the great hail, “every stone about the weight of a talent,” will follow; the enemies of God will be destroyed, and the little horn will be broken without hand.¹⁰⁴ The sanctuary and the host will then be vindicated, and all opposing power overwhelmed in irretrievable ruin.

Beyond this time of trouble, such as never was, the scenes of the earth made new, rise before us. - In the midst of that Paradise of God, where his saints will ever remain, we behold his glorious sanctuary;¹⁰⁵ and here we leave it, content, if we may be of the number who shall serve God in that temple, for ever and ever.¹⁰⁶ The prophetic views of Moses, and of Nathan, respecting God’s sanctuary, will then be fully realized; the Lord will reign for ever and ever, and Israel will be planted to be removed no more.¹⁰⁷

Reader, would you escape the things that are coming on the earth? The warning voice of the third angel points out the way. Know for yourself that you have a personal interest in that work which our High Priest is consummating before the ark of God’s testament, and when he shall come again, it will be without sin unto your salvation. We entreat you, heed not the voice of those who break the commandments, and teach men so, for they will soon receive their reward; but rather unite with those who teach and keep them, and you will have life eternal, and free admittance through the gates into the Holy City.

Rochester, N. Y., February, 1853.

OTHER PARTS IN THIS SERIES

• Part 1

• Part 2

• Part 3

SCRIPTURE INDEX

1. Exodus 26:30-33

2. 1 Chronicles 28:10-19

3. Wis. Sol.9:8

4. 1 Kings 6; 2 Chronicles 3

5. Hebrews 9:23-24

6. Hebrews 8:2; 9:8; 10:19

7. Revelation 11:19; Psalm 99:1

8. Revelation 8:3; 9:13

9. Revelation 4:5; Zechariah 4:2

10. Revelation 8:3

11. John 14:2

12. Psalm 11:4; Habakkuk 2:20; Revelation 11:19

13. Zechariah 2:13; Jeremiah 25:30; Revelation 16:17

14. Hebrews 9:11

15. Hebrews 8:2

16. Daniel 8:13; 11:31; 12:11

17. Hebrews 10:29; 8:1-2

18. Daniel 8:10

19. Revelation 13:5-7

20. Deuteronomy 32:16-17

21. Judges 16:23-24

22. 1 Samuel 5

23. 1 Kings 12:26-33; Amos 7:13, margin

24. Daniel 1:2; Ezra 1:7; 5:14; 2 Chronicles 36:7

25. Daniel 8:11; 11:31

26. 2 Thessalonians 2:4

27. Revelation 11:2; 21:2

28. Revelation 13:6; Hebrews 8:2

29. Hebrews 10:29; 8:2

30. Ephesians 5:23

31. Exodus 28; 29; Leviticus 8; 9; Hebrews 7

32. Exodus 40:9; 30:26-29; Leviticus 8:10

33. Hebrews 9:6-7

34. Exodus 29:38-43; Numbers 28:3-8

35. Exodus 30:7, 8, 34-36; 31:11

36. Numbers 28:11-31; 29; Leviticus 23

37. Leviticus 1-7

38. Leviticus 16

39. Exodus 40:34-35

40. Exodus 33:9-11

41. Exodus 29:42-44; 30:36

42. Exodus 25:21, 22; Leviticus 16:2

43. Leviticus 1, 3

44. Leviticus 4

45. Leviticus 16:2, 29-34

46. Leviticus 16:3, 6, 11-14

47. Leviticus 16:5, 7-8

48. Leviticus 16:2, 29-34

49. Leviticus 16:5, 9, 15, 17, 30, 33-34; Hebrews 9:7

50. Leviticus 16:16, 18-20, 33; Exodus 30:10

51. Numbers 18:1; Exodus 28:38

52. Leviticus 16:5, 7-10, 20-22

53. Isaiah 53:6; 1 Peter 2:24; Hebrews 9:28

54. Romans 4:25; Hebrews 9:11-12, 24

55. Psalm 110; Hebrews 5-8

56. Daniel 9:24

57. Exodus 40:9-11; 30:23-29; Leviticus 8:10; Numbers 7:1

58. Leviticus 8-10; Hebrews 9:6-7

59. Hebrews 10:12

60. Acts 7:56

61. Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62; Luke 22:69

62. Hebrews 8:2

63. Hebrews 8:1-2

64. Hebrews 9:8

65. Hebrews 10:19

66. Revelation 4:1-2; 16:17; Jeremiah 17:12

67. Revelation 11:19

68. Revelation 4:5; Zechariah 4:2

69. Revelation 8:3

70. Numbers 8:2-4; Hebrews 9:2; Leviticus 24:2-4; Exodus 40:24-27

71. Revelation 5:6-8

72. Isaiah 6:1; Revelation 4:2

73. Isaiah 6:2; Revelation 4:6-8

74. Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8

75. Isaiah 6:6; Revelation 8:3; 9:13

76. Romans 6:9, 10; Hebrews 9:25-28

77. Hebrews 9:11-12, 24-25

78. Hebrews 9:12

79. Hebrews 12:24; 1 Peter 1:2; 1 John 2:1-2

80. Leviticus 4:4-6

81. Hebrews 9:28

82. Hebrews 9:22-24

83. Leviticus 16

84. Hebrews 9:23-24

85. Leviticus 16; Hebrews 9:6-7; Revelation 11:19

86. Daniel 9:27

87. Leviticus 16:5, 7-10, 20-22

88. Leviticus 16:20-21

89. Leviticus 16:7-10, 22

90. Leviticus 16:8

91. Leviticus 16:22

92. Matthew 12:29; Luke 11:21-22

93. Acts 3:19

94. 2 Peter 3

95. Exodus 12:3-6, 46; 1 Corinthians 5:7; John 18:28; 19:36

96. Leviticus 23:10-15; 1 Corinthians 15:20, 23; Matthew 28:1, 2

97. Leviticus 23:15-21; Acts 2:1, 2

98. Leviticus 16

99. Daniel 8:14; Hebrews 9:23-24

100. Revelation 11:19

101. Revelation 3:7-8; Isaiah 22:22-25

102. Psalm 89:14; 17:2; Revelation 11:19

103. Revelation 14:9-14

104. Revelation 15; 16; 11:19; Daniel 12:1; 8:25

105. Ezekiel 37; Revelation 21:1-4

106. Revelation 7:13-15

107. Exodus 15; 2 Samuel 7