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The Sanctuary 

There are a lot of Biblical references in this study. If you like, You can look them up here.

Brief overview:  There is a sanctuary in heaven, the true tabernacle which the Lord set up and not man. In it Christ ministers on our behalf, making available to believers the benefits of His atoning sacrifice offered once for all on the cross. He was inaugurated as our great High Priest and began His intercessory ministry at the time of His ascension. In 1844, at the end of the prophetic period of 2300 days, He entered the second and last phase of His atoning ministry. It is a work of investigative judgment which is part of the ultimate disposition of all sin, typified by the cleansing of the ancient Hebrew sanctuary on the Day of Atonement. In that typical service the sanctuary was cleansed with the blood of animal sacrifices, but the heavenly things are purified with the perfect sacrifice of the blood of Jesus. The investigative judgment reveals to heavenly intelligences who among the dead are asleep in Christ and therefore, in Him, are deemed worthy to have part in the first resurrection. It also makes manifest who among the living are abiding in Christ, keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and in Him, therefore, are ready for translation into His everlasting kingdom. This judgment vindicates the justice of God in saving those who believe in Jesus. It declares that those who have remained loyal to God shall receive the kingdom. The completion of this ministry of Christ will mark the close of human probation before the Second Advent. (Heb. 8:1-5; 4:14-16; 9:11-28; 10:19-22; 1:3; 2:16, 17; Dan. 7:9-27; 8:13, 14; 9:24-27; Num. 14:34; Eze. 4:6; Lev. 16; Rev. 14:6, 7; 20:12; 14:12; 22:12.)

Why it is important to understand the truth about the sanctuary: 

The Sanctuary gives us a model of the complete plan of salvation and redemption. The Sanctuary helps us see how the cross Justifies, sanctifies and glorifies us.

Justification took place when I lived a perfect life in Jesus. Jesus counts His perfect life as my prefect life, thus saving me from the penalty of sin which is death and not eternal torment in hell. Justification is my title to heaven. We do no work on the Sabbath as a sign that we are justified by the faith of Jesus and not by our works. John 3:16, Romans 6:23 Galatians 2:16-20 Hebrews 4:1-9

Sanctification takes place as Jesus lives His victorious life in us. Thus we are being saved by the power of sin as God Himself writes His law of love in our hearts. By living in us, God is transforming us and preparing us for heaven. We rest on the Sabbath as a sign that it is God who sanctifies us and not our works. Exodus 31:13 Hebrews 8:10

Glorification is when Jesus returns and saves us from the presence of sin. Those who love God and life will live in paradise never again seeing the results or consequences of sin, while those who love sin and death will be forever put out of their misery and will be no more. We will continue celebrating the Sabbath in heaven as a sign that it is God who justified, sanctified and glorified us and not our works. Proverbs 8:36, Revelation 20&21, Psalms 100:3, Isaiah 66:23

Why it is important to understand the sanctuary in light of the cross:

Everything in the Sanctuary Pointed to Christ

• Christ is the Lamb of God that took away the sins of the world [John 1:29].
• Christ is the light of the world that lightens every man [John 1:9-12; 8:12].
• Christ is the living bread who came down from heaven to give us eternal life [John 6:32-51].
• Christ is the mercy seat (propitiation), through whose redemption we have salvation full and complete [Romans 3:24, 25].
• Christ is our intercessor against the accusations of Satan [Hebrews 7:25].
• Christ is the veil that bore our sins in His flesh [Hebrews 10:19,20].

The Sanctuary Revealed the Fall and Restoration of Man

• In Adam, humanity sinned, was defiled, and condemned to death.
• In Christ, the same humanity was reconciled to God, cleansed from all defilement, and justified to life [read Romans 5:18].
• Through faith in Christ, sinners experience salvation.

This is the good news of the gospel and the truth of righteousness by faith. All this was revealed in the Sanctuary model given to Moses:

• The Sanctuary was where God met sinners [read Ex. 25:22; 29:42, 43].
  Today He meets us in Christ [read 2 Cor. 5:19].
• The Sanctuary was where God revealed Himself to sinners [read Ex. 29:46].
  Today He reveals Himself to us in Christ [read John 14:7-9].
• The Sanctuary was where God dwelt with sinners [read Ex. 25:8; 29:45, 46].
  Today He dwells with us in Christ [read Matthew 1:23; John 14:23].
• The Sanctuary was where God spoke to sinners [read Ex. 29:42; Lev. 1:1].
  Today He speaks to us in Christ [read Hebrews 1:2; John 8:43, 47].
• The Sanctuary was where God accepted sinners [read Lev. 1:4].
  Today He accepts us in Christ [read Ephesians 1:6].
• The Sanctuary was where God forgave sinners [read Lev. 4:20, 26, 31, 35].Today He forgives us in Christ [read Ephesians 1:7].

Bible Study on the Cleansing of the Sanctuary

Daniel 8:14 ——– What was to happen at the end of the 2300 days?

NOTE: The Bible only refers to two sanctuaries, one on earth and the

other in heaven.

Exodus 25:8, 9 ———— After what, was he to build the sanctuary?

Hebrews 8:1, 2, 5 —————- Where is the location of the original?

Exodus 26:33 ———————– How many apartments did it have?

Hebrews 9:6 ————– How frequent was the ministry in the first?

Hebrews 9:7 ———- How frequent was it in the second apartment?

Leviticus 16:29 ———————– When did the high priest do this?

Leviticus 16:30 —————————————- What was he doing?

Leviticus 16:7-9 —————————————– How did he do it?

Leviticus 16:15, 16 ———————- What did he do with the blood?

Leviticus 16:20-22 ———————— What did he do with the sins?

Leviticus 23:27, 28 —————– What were the people to be doing?

Leviticus 23:29, 30 ————- What happened to those living in sin?

NOTE: Jesus has begun the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary or the

blotting out of the record of confessed sins there, as well as from our

lives here.

Revelation 22:11, 12——- What pronouncement will He soon make?

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 ———— What happens to those still sinning?

1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17 ————– What happens to the righteous?

Matthew 7:21-27 ——————– Which group will you be found in?

Revelation 14:7 – What should we be doing in this time of judgment?

Hebrews 4:14-16 ————————— What assurance do we have?