"Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary..." Ps. 77:13
" The subject of the sanctuary was the key which unlocked the mystery of the disappointment, showing that God had led his people in the great Advent movement. It opened to view a complete system of truth, connected and harmonious, and revealed present duty as it brought to light the position and work of God's people." 4SP 268
"But clearer light came with the investigation of the sanctuary question. Now was seen the application of those words of Christ in the Revelation, addressed to the church at this very time: 'These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth; I know thy works; behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it.' Revelation 3:7, 8." 4SP 269
"Many of the ministers will not hear and be convinced. They will not enter the sanctuary of truth to receive the knowledge of truth from the Word, but will take away the key of knowledge from the people by perversion of the Scriptures, wresting the Word of God from its true meaning." TDG 179
The Sanctuary is the "Key" to the whole Bible!! All of scripture is written in sanctuary language!
The following studies are by no means exhaustive. They represent only the "tip of the iceberg". They are simply given to share some of the many things we have learned in our own study, and to inspire you to start studying the sanctuary yourself.
Here are some links to even more Sanctuary studies
The Human Sanctuary Lessons from the Wilderness Tabernacle
The Sanctuary Scales Godhead in the Sanctuary
Bible Study from the Sanctuary Sanctuary Articles from the Morning Star Herald
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A Narrated DVD copy of many of these sanctuary studies and more is available at our Bible Pathways Store
It is also viewable here Sanctuary Pathways
The Shadow of the Cross
The layout of the sanctuary forms the "Cross of Christ". The foot of the cross rests at the Altar of Burnt Offering. In the Bible "feet" represent "the actions" (Ps. 119:101). Christ's feet are placed at the Altar of Burnt Offering. His actions were the sacrifice He paid for our sins.
Next, is the laver. At the level of where His side would be. Just as the priest washed the blood from his body in the water of the laver, so Christ washed us with the blood and water that flowed from His pierced side.
Then you have the Table of Shewbread and the Candlestick, where His hands would be. Hands = work (Eccl. 9:10 ) Just as the Table provided the Bread so Christ came to provide the Bread of Life to us; and just as the Candlestick provided the Light, so Christ came to the world to be the Light of the world.
Next you come to the Altar of Incense which is placed where His heart would be. Just as the Altar of Incense represents the prayers ascending to God, so the intercession of Christ as our mediator is what is on His heart.
At the top where His head would be, is the Ark of the Covenant (the Law of God). The head represents the mind. The Law of God was what guided His mind.
OK, Now lets look at another lesson from the sanctuary.
There are 3 stages to the sanctuary. Perfection, the 3rd stage, is the position that Adam and Eve were created in (before sin). Perfection for Christ was "Divine Nature", for Humanity it is "sinlessness", back to the condition of Adam and Eve before sin.
Jesus Christ left His home in heaven, came down to earth, and took on human nature. Then He grew up into adulthood, was baptized and then He was crucified.
When we come to the cross of Calvary [Altar of Burnt Offering] and Repent - we die to self. Then we are baptized by the water [Laver] and the Spirit and by faith claim the Justification that He gives. By faith, we enter into the truth [veil] and begin the Sanctification [growing up in Christ] process, the daily Christian walk with the Lord.
The Table of Shewbread = Bread of Life = Word of God = Personal Bible Study (receiving nourishment from the spiritual "Bread".
The Altar of Incense = Prayer Life = Communion with God.
The Candlestick = Light = Giving the Light to the World = Sharing your Witness.
The more we study like Christ, and commune with God like Christ, and share our witness like Christ; the closer we draw to Christ. The more we walk with God, the closer we draw to Him. Then when Christ returns, we will continue our walk with God - right on into heaven!
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Christ said that He is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father but by Me." John 14:6
If you look at the sanctuary, the only Way into it is through the door. In John 10:7-9 Jesus says, "I am the door."
There are 3 doors in the sanctuary. The Bible refers to the inner veil at Christ's crucifixion - "the veil of the temple was rent in twain..." Mark 15:38 And what does this veil represent? - His [Life] Flesh (see Hebrews 10:20)
Christ is the "Word of God" - John 1:1 & 14. In John 17:17 the "Word is Truth".
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The Lord's Prayer
(as revealed in the Sanctuary)
"Our Father, Which art in Heaven" - This is the One whom this prayer is addressed to. Our heavenly Father, represented by the shekinah glory that rested over the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant.
"Hallowed be Thy Name" - The Name of God, His character, is graven into the tables of stone that are kept inside the Ark of the Covenant.
"Thy kingdom come" - The Holy Place, representing the sanctification process (the daily walking with God), represents what God's kingdom is all about. This is the experience of every true Christian.
"Thy will be done" - The will of God is for His people to be totally surrendered to Him. We are to guard our 5 senses and surrender them to God alone. They are half way in the tabernacle and half way in the courtyard.
"In Earth" - The courtyard represents the earth where Jesus was crucified.
"As it is in Heaven" - The tabernacle represents heaven, the abode of God.
"Give us this day our daily bread" - The Table of Shewbread represents Christ, the Bread of Life and our study of the Word of God. ... man doth not live by bread only, but by every [word] that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. Deut. 8:3
"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" - The Altar of Incense is where the prayer ascends to the throne of God. Our prayers for forgiveness & our prayers for others. And the smoke of the incense, [which came] with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God... Rev. 8:4
Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Matthew 5:23, 24
"And lead us not into temptation" - The candlestick filled with oil represents the guiding influence of the Holy Spirit. The flame and the pure gold represents our faith. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Matt. 4:1
But he knoweth the way that I take: [when] he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. Job 23:10
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous [sins]; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Ps. 19:13
"But deliver us from evil" - The veil represents Christ, our sacrifice. By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; Heb. 10:20
Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: Gal. 1:4
"For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen" Matt. 6:9-13
In the courtyard there is light from the fire on the Altar of Burnt Offering - (A little light)
In the Holy Place there is light from the candlesticks that reflects off of all
the gold walls, pillars, and furniture - (more light)
In the Most Holy Place there is the Shekinah Glory = The presence of God! - (most light)
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In Bible times the houses often had a summer house and a winter house.
Jdg 3:20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.
Jer 36:22 Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him.
In small homes this was often accomadated with a downstairs-the winter house and and upper room- the summer house. " A similiar change is effected in large houses by occupying the eastern side in winter and the western side in summer." (Bible Manners and Customs pg. 93)
You will notice that the court is on the eastern side of the sanctuary. The most holy place is on the west. Here we have a picture of the winter and the summer house.
If we had perpetual summer, we should not value as we do now its bright days and beautiful flowers. Through the winter months we look forward to the time when summer with its beauty will once more gladden the earth. So it is with the Christian life. We are pilgrims and strangers on the earth. Our sojourn here is as it were the Christian's winter. But our faith and hope reach forward and upward to the better life, to the home that Christ has gone to prepare for those that love Him. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." {18MR 138}
This earth is the place of preparation for heaven. The time spent here is the Christian's winter. Here the chilly winds of affliction blow upon us, and the waves of trouble roll against us. But in the near future, when Christ comes, sorrow and sighing will be forever ended. Then will be the Christian's summer. All trials will be over, and there will be no more sickness or death. "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 21:4).--Manuscript 28, Oct. 24, 1886, "The Hope Set Before Us," a sermon preached at Nimes, France. { The Upward Look 311}
Amos 3:13 Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord GOD, the God of hosts...
Amos 3:15 And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the LORD.
The holy place is a place of rest and refreshing that comes to those who follow God and become "priests unto God"
Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Hosea 6:3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
Why is this important to us?
Matt 24:32-33 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Deuteronomy 11:14 That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.
Because we should be gathering in corn and wine and oil. Here is a brief study on what this means to us.
Corn is manna, bread from heaven. We need to be eating daily from the word of God.
Psa 78:24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.
Deu 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
Wine is doctrine and also the blood of Christ. We need to have our robes, our characters washed in the blood of the Lamb. We need to be changing daily into the image of Christ.
John 6:54-56 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
Rev 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Oil represents the Holy Spirit, it represents being ready for Jesus to come.(1 Samuel 16:13, Isaiah 61:3) Though this verse is speaking specifically of Christ it shows us that to receive the oil we must learn to love righteousness and hate iniquity.
Heb 1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
We must be hungry for the corn (bread from heaven) and thirsty for the wine (true doctine and the blood of Christ).
Mat 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
We must have that Elijah message. There is no gray area left.
1Ki 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him...
We must live like we believe in the 3 angels messages AND the 4th angel.
Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Are the kinds of music you listen to, the food you eat, the books you read, the places you go, the clothes you wear, the TV and movies you watch, the way you act and how you spend your time, the things you think about of God, or of iniquity?
Joshua 24:15 ...Choose you this day whom ye will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.