Third Quarter 2003 Adult Sabbath School Lessons:
"Sanctuary Themes"

Insights to Lesson 8:
Jesus and the Sanctuary
August 16-22, 2003

(Produced by the Editorial Board of the 1888 Message Study Committee)

This lesson is, in some respects, the most pivotal in the entire series
of 13 weeks studies on the book of Hebrews.

What it demonstrates is that when Christ ascended to heaven after His resurrection, He did not enter into the Most Holy Apartment ministry at that time. This is stated several times throughout the lesson.

In case anyone should misunderstand, this concern exists because of the too prevalent belief in the Seventh-day Adventist church today that 1844 is meaningless, that the 2300-year prophecy is a relic for our denominational attic, that the unique idea of the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary is meaningless. All this permeates the so-called “new theology” which has become so widespread. (Well, how long has it been since you heard a firm Sabbath sermon about the cleansing of the sanctuary?)

But, in seeking to prove that Christ did not enter into His Most Holy Apartment ministry 2000 years ago, our lesson gives the impression that Paul was unconcerned about it. It is abundantly true that the main emphasis of Hebrews is that Christ entered “ta hagia” (“the holies,” the Greek term meaning the entire sanctuary as a whole) at His ascension. Yet we must not get the idea that the author of Hebrews knew and cared nothing about Daniel’s prophecy of the 2300 years (“then shall the sanctuary be cleansed,” Daniel 8:14).

The truth is that the Book of Hebrews is not silent about the unique Seventh-day Adventist teaching of the sanctuary--that Christ began His final ministry of reconciliation in this cosmic Day of Atonement which began in 1844 A. D.

Paul’s mind was guided by the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit was not unmindful of the Day of Atonement ministry of Christ which Daniel predicted would begin at the end of the 2300-year prophecy. He had inspired Daniel to write of it! It’s entirely proper that an unmistakable allusion to 1844 should be evident in the book of Hebrews, even if that 1844 ministry was not practical-godliness “present truth” in Paul’s lifetime. The faith of the Hebrew Christians of his time was not centered in the second apartment ministry of Christ; it hadn’t begun at that time. It was a big enough leap of faith for them to realize that their true High Priest is in the heavenly sanctuary, not in the temple in Jerusalem.

Let’s consider what comes through in Hebrews, for the truth revealed there strengthens our confidence in “the third angel’s message in verity”:

(a) Even though the term “ta hagia” in Hebrews generally means the heavenly sanctuary as a whole, Paul takes the time and goes to the trouble to designate the two apartments in distinction, and the respective furniture in each: “There was a tabernacle made; the first [apartment], wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the presentation [prothesis] of the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary [hagia]; but after the second veil a tabernacle [or sanctuary] which is called holy of holies [hagia hagion]” (Heb. 9:2, 3, with literal Greek).

(b) He designates the furniture in the second apartment as follows: “The golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant [the ten commandments written on stone]; and over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly” (vss. 4, 5). Why did he say that he couldn’t “now” explain the ministry involved in this second apartment? The only answer is, he knew that the time had not come for Christ’s closing High Priestly ministry! He knew he was living in the time for Christ’s opening high priestly ministry. (Don’t get upset by Paul’s apparently mistaken siting of the “altar of incense” in the second apartment; he recognized that while it was physically in the first apartment, it was placed right before the veil so that its incense pertained to the second apartment).

(c) The Greek becomes fascinating as we proceed. Paul’s inspired mind recognized the need for a second apartment ministry of Christ as High Priest if His people were to become “perfect”--the basic idea permeating this book of Hebrews. Yes, Paul does have some idea of the sweep of history that brings the great controversy between Christ and Satan to a final end. We know from 2 Thessalonians that Paul taught his new converts the prophecy of Daniel 7 and 8 regarding the “little horn”: “He as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was with you, I told you these things?” (2:4, 5). He told the elders at Miletus, “I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).

Now in Hebrews he lets us glimpse his knowledge of Daniel 8: “Into the second [apartment] went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: the Holy Spirit thus signifying, that the way into the holiest [hagion] of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle [apartment ministry] still had a standing [stasis, Greek; or validity]: which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience” (Heb. 9:8, 9). Again he seems to harp on his favorite peeve—all the elaborate earthly sanctuary ministry was totally useless so far as changing human hearts, making people “perfect,” that is, ready for Christ’s coming.

But now Paul says why: “Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances [all useless!], until the time of reformation [Greek, the time of making things right, di-orthosis] (vs. 10). What is Paul saying? All the paraphernalia of the daily ministry in the sanctuary was useless until the day of atonement which was the day of di-orthosis, of making things right, or making things straight—the Greek word that was synonymous with the Hebrew term in Daniel 8:14 for the “cleansing of the sanctuary” (sadaq).

Paul had an idea (not totally mature of course) of the sweep of history that was yet to come before the great controversy could be finished: the time of trouble foretold in Daniel 7-12, the rise of the papacy, the dark ages of persecutions, the time of the end to come, and the great cosmic “time of reformations,” that is, the time for the grand di-orthosis that shall be the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary. He knew the earthly sanctuary was a type, and therefore its day of atonement must also have a cosmic antitype, a Day of Atonement—a di-orthosis.

Yes, the book of Hebrews is in full accord with Revelation 14 and the message of the three angels which has built up from nothing what is the world Seventh-day Adventist Church. Here are a people who are to follow Christ by faith in His closing work of atonement.

As Paul said of himself, “the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gal. 6:14), so the supreme interest aroused by Christ’s ministry in the Most Holy Apartment has weaned His people away from the silly pleasures of this world. The message of Pentecost was, “Save yourselves from this present untoward generation” (Acts 2:40). A thousand-fold more serious is the call today, “Come out of her [Babylon], My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Revelation 18:4). Still not convinced? Read your newspapers for this week.

Our Sabbath School lesson beginning August 23 is a call to holy living through the faith of Jesus.

Read the study notes for lesson 9