If I Were Told the Future - Lesson 12

The Sanctuary

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The Sanctuary

Welcome to this Bible lesson! Let's pray together:

O Lord, our God,

Please continue to guide us, as we now probe a fourth element to add to our toolbox: the sanctuary.

Please show us how this subject can be useful to our understanding of Bible prophecy.

In Jesus Christ we pray.

Amen.

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The Sanctuary

Psalm 73:16,17	Comments
When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me, until I went into the sanctuary of God.	During our lesson ŤHow to Study Prophecyť, we saw that prophetic symbolism often refers to the sanctuary, its furnishings, and the services that were taking place in it. This lesson and the following two aim at helping us to familiarize ourselves with these three subjects that must find a place in our toolbox, in order to guarantee the best possible understanding of Bible prophecy.

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The Sanctuary

Genesis 3:21	Comments
Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.	At the beginning of the history of mankind, as a result of the disobedience of Adam and Eve, God made a symbolic gesture in sacrificing an animal, to replace their handsewn clothes of fig leaves with skin clothes. In this way, God introduced them to the sacrificial system they had to practice, foreshadowing the Savior to come, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

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The Sanctuary

Exodus 25:8	Comments
And let [the children of Israel] make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.	As time passed, the meaning of this sacrificial system was lost. Paganism transformed it into idolatry, even adding human sacrifices to it... So God wanted to restore the original meaning of this system, through which men could demonstrate their faith in the Savior to come. So He instructed Moses to build a sanctuary so that He might dwell among His people.

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The Sanctuary

Hebrews 9:1-5 : Description of the earthly sanctuary

Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary.

For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary.

And behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, which had the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were (...) the tablets of the covenant.

And above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat.

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The Sanctuary

Here is a plan of the earthly sanctuary:

Most Holy Place   Holy Place    Courtyard   Entry 1. Cherubim of gold
+--------|-------------|-----------------|-------+| 2. Mercy seat
| +------|-----+-------|--------+ First |   N   || 3. Ark of the cove-
| | ///@1.@\\\ ) Second #@#@#5. (<--veil   W-+-E ||    nant containing
| |// #    # \\(<--veil         )            S    |    tables of the Law
| |2.######## ) ##    ||||||| ( # #   /   \ -+ 4. Altar of incense
| |   # nn #   ( ##    |+-|-+| ) ####   #####     5. Table of showbread
| | 3.######   ) 4. 6.+--|--+ (   7.      8.   | 6. 7-branch lampstand
| +------------+----------------+<--Tabernacle   | 7. Laver of bronze
+------------------------------------------------+ 8. Altar of offering

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The Sanctuary

Numbers 1:51	Comments
And when the tabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up.	The first sanctuary, or tabernacle, was portable. Later, a permanent Temple in Jerusalem replaced it. The sanctuary was made up of three parts: 1. the courtyard; 2. the first part of the tabernacle, called the Holy Place; 3. the second part of the tabernacle, called the Most Holy Place.

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The Sanctuary

First, let's see the courtyard:

It was an enclosure approximately 50 metres (164 feet) long and 25 metres (82 feet) wide, surrounded by a fence 3 metres (10 feet) high.

Within the courtyard were placed:

- the altar of burnt offering, where sacrifices were offered for the sins of the people;

- the laver of bronze, where priests washed their feet and hands before entering the tabernacle to officiate.

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The Sanctuary

Then, the Holy Place:

It was the first part of the tabernacle, whose entry was made up of a linen veil. A second veil separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

Within the Holy Place were placed:

    - the table of showbread, on which were placed the twelve showbread which were replaced each Sabbath;

    - the seven-branch lampstand, which supplied with oil seven lamps burning day and night, thus continually lighting up the tabernacle;

    - the altar of incense, where incense was burned every morning and evening. Once a year, a ceremony was performed to purify it.

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The Sanctuary

And finally, the Most Holy Place (also called the Holiest of All):

It was the second part of the tabernacle where only the High Priest, once a year, on the Day of Atonement, was allowed to enter, to perform the annual service.

Within the Most Holy Place were placed:

- the ark of the covenant, a chest of acacia wood, overlaid with pure gold inside and out, containing the two tablets of stone on which God had written the Ten Commandments;

- the mercy seat, serving as a lid to the ark of the covenant, surmounted by two cherubs of solid gold, facing each other and each spreading one wing over the mercy seat, with the other pointing at the ground.

We will come back to each one of these items in the lesson ŤThe Sanctuary's Furnishingsť.

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The Sanctuary

Hebrews 9:6,7	Comments
The priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle [Holy Place], performing the services. But into the second part [Most Holy Place] the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins.	Two services took place in the sanctuary: - the daily service, performed by the priests in the Holy Place; - the annual service, performed by the high priest alone in the Most Holy Place, on the Day of Atonement (also called Day of cleansing of the sanctuary). We will come back to these services in the lesson ŤThe Sanctuary's Servicesť.

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The Sanctuary

Hebrews 9:8-10	Comments
The Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. It was symbolic for the present time (...) until the time of reformation.	The Bible teaches us that the sanctuary's services were given until the time of reformation: what would replace them thereafter? First, let's note that these verses describe the Hebrew sanctuary as Ťthe first tabernacleť. We must then conclude that a second one exists. Where is that second sanctuary, according to the Word of God?

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Exodus 25:9	Comments
According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.	To instruct Moses in how to build the sanctuary, God showed him a pattern already existing. What was that pattern?
Acts 7:44
Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as [God] appointed, instructing Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen.

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The Sanctuary

Hebrews 8:4,5	Comments
For if [Jesus] were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, ŤSee that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.ť	The earthly sanctuary was thus the copy and shadow of a sanctuary situated in heaven: the heavenly sanctuary.

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The Sanctuary

Revelation 15:5	Comments
After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.	In our next two lessons, we will see the correlation between the furnishings and services of the two sanctuaries, earthly and heavenly.
Hebrews 8:1,2
We have such a High Priest, who is seated at 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 erected, and not man.

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The Sanctuary

Ephesians 2:21,22	Comments
In [Jesus Christ] the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.	Just before ending, here is a last interesting point: besides the heavenly sanctuary, there are also many little temples where the Holy Spirit dwells! In fact, these temples are the body of each Christian. We are called to watch over the holiness of our bodies, just as the priests had to watch over the holiness of the earthly sanctuary.

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The Sanctuary

Let's watch over the holiness of our bodies, the temples of the Spirit:

ŤDo you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.ť (1 CORINTHIANS 3:16,17)

ŤOr do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.ť (1 CORINTHIANS 6:19,20)

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The Sanctuary

Let's thank God for His presence among us:

Our good Father,

Now we see that the subject of the sanctuary is not only useful in understanding Bible prophecy, but also in helping us to grasp the meaning of the plan of salvation You offer us through the sacrifice of Your only begotten Son.

We humbly ask You to allow us to go on with this study of the sanctuary, and to help us to watch over the holiness of our body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit here on earth.

In the precious name of Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Amen.

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