El Monte Vietnamese SDA Church

The Sanctuary

Why study the sanctuary? Isn't it just an obscure artifact from the time of Moses? Is it even relevant in our lives? Read on and find out!

God's plan of salvation is illustrated by the sanctuary

Psalm 77:13 - Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; who is so great a God as our God?

The purpose of the sanctuary

Exodus 25:8-9 - And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. 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.
Exodus 29:46 - And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.
2 Corinthians 6:16-17 - And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people." Therefore "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you."
Galatians 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

1. Separation experience - desire to be separated from sin

Isaiah 1:16-18 - "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. "Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
John 1:29 - The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Matthew 11:28 - Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

2. Dwelling experience - desire for God to dwell in us

Isaiah 1:19 - If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land
John 1:14 - And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Matthew 11:29 - Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Genesis 3:1-6

Genesis 3:7

Adam and Eve knew that they were naked and sewed fig leaves together - man's idea of covering their shame

Genesis 3:8

Genesis 3:9

Genesis 3:10

Adam said that they were naked and hid from God (even though they covered themselves) - they felt naked in the presence of God
It doesn't matter how much we try to hide our sins - when we come to the presence of God, we feel that we have nothing to hide behind
Are you spiritually naked? Do you try to hide things from God?

Genesis 3:11

Genesis 3:14-15

Genesis 3:21

God demonstrated the Gospel to Adam and Eve
In the sanctuary, sinners killed sacrifice
First time Adam and Eve experienced death
We are the ones that killed our Savior - our sins killed Jesus
Sinners naturally love sin and hate righteousness
In order for God to change our heart, we had to see the consequences of our sin - true repentance is to hate sin and turn away from it
Something had to die to cover our guilt and shame

Exodus 25:8

Man's part in making the sanctuary - man builds willingly (Exodus 25:1-7; Exodus 35:21)
People rejoiced in giving offerings to build Solomon's Temple (1 Chronicles 29:9)
Willing offers to build temple (Ezra 1:6)
God's desire for the sanctuary - God does not force us to build the sanctuary

The true sanctuary exists in heaven

Hebrews 8:5 - 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, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
Hebrews 9:11 - But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.

Whatever Jesus did on earth for the salvation of man, that was the beginning

1 Corinthians 15:12-14 - Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.
If only Jesus' death was needed, the sanctuary would look different - would only need courtyard and altar for sacrifice

What is Jesus' role in heaven now?

Hebrews 4:14-16 - Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The study of the sanctuary is relevant in our lives!

The knowledge of the sanctuary is not necessary to our salvation, but knowledge of the sanctuary will enhance our relationship with God