Tuesday, November 20
In the Old Testament, God instructed Moses to build a tabernacle, or sanctuary, to serve as His “dwelling” here on earth (Exodus 25:8). Through its services, the sanctuary is where the people of Israel were taught the plan of salvation. Later, in the time of King Solomon, the portable tabernacle was replaced by a magnificent temple (1 Kings 5-8). Both the tabernacle and temple were patterned after the heavenly sanctuary, “the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man” (Hebrews 8:2, NKJV; see also Exodus 25:9, 40).
Throughout the Bible, it is assumed that there is a heavenly sanctuary, serving as the primary dwelling place of God. The earthly sanctuary services were “miniprophecies” of the plan of salvation and of Jesus’ priestly ministry in heaven.
Read Hebrews 8:6; 9:11, 12, 23-28; and 1 John 1:9-2:2. What do these passages teach concerning Jesus’ priestly ministry in heaven?
Since His ascension, the heavenly sanctuary is the place where Christ conducts His priestly ministry for our salvation (see Hebrews 7:25). Therefore, we are encouraged to “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16, NKJV).
As the earthly tabernacle had two phases of priestly ministry-first, on a daily basis in the Holy Place and then once a year in the Most Holy Place-the Scriptures also describe these two phases of Jesus’ ministry in heaven. His ministry in the Holy Place in heaven is characterized by intercession, forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration. Repentant sinners have immediate access to the Father through Jesus the Mediator (1 John 2:1). Since 1844, Jesus’ ministry in the Most Holy Place deals with the aspects of judgment and cleansing that were done once a year on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). The ministry of cleansing the sanctuary is also based on Jesus’ shed blood. The atonement performed on this day foreshadowed the final application of the merits of Christ to remove the presence of sin and to accomplish the complete reconciliation of the universe into one harmonious government under God. The doctrine of this two-phase ministry is a unique Adventist contribution to the understanding of the entire plan of salvation.
