4.) Perfecting Holiness in the Sanctuary
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The word "holiness" embraces a concept that very few people, even Christians, attempt to understand in its fullest measure. And yet, the Scriptures are full of injunctions to be holy, even as God is holy. So, in this study we will examine the meaning, the necessity, and the way, of holiness.
In the beginning, God created all beings in a state of perfect holiness. They were representatives of Himself and of His character. As such, they could reflect Him perfectly, and be in perfect agreement and communion with Him at all times. But He also created them with a free will and the power of choice by which they could choose to think differently than God, and ultimately to reason themselves out of harmony with Him.
And this is exactly what Lucifer, the highest angel in Heaven, chose to do. As a result, one-third of the angels of Heaven were deceived by his specious reasoning and chose to join him and follow him into rebellion against God and His government. They were then out of harmony with God and could no longer hear His voice speaking to them in their hearts or respond to His loving calls to repentance. Therefore, they were unreachable by His Spirit, and their hearts were fully set in them to do evil.
This is the condition of the lost throughout the ages and will be the state of those who are lost at the end of time. On the contrary, God will have a people who have responded completely to the wooing of His Holy Spirit and will have come back into full harmony with Him and holiness of character. Therefore, in this study, a succinct definition of both "holiness," and "character," will help us to understand the pathway to reinstatement into the family of God.
"The thoughts and feelings combined make up the moral character." 5T 310.
"Holiness is agreement with God." 5T 743.
When Lucifer began his journey away from God, he allowed himself to question Christ's equality with God the Father, but at the same time restricting Lucifer from attending the secret councils of the Godhead. His pride and exalted thoughts and feelings concerning himself eventually led him to question the basic premise of God's government and the fairness of His laws for the beings He had created. Our first parents also, by listening to Satan's insinuations about God's goodness, fell upon the same point of questioning God's character of love, and His wisdom in knowing what is best for His children.
So here we can see the virulent character of thoughts and feelings which are out of harmony with God's mind, for they will just as surely lead us into rebellion against God and shut out the voice of His Holy Spirit in our minds, as they did with Lucifer who dwelt in the very presence of God, and Adam and Eve, who were created with minds that were in perfect harmony with God's mind before they fell.
Since the problem of sin began, -- both in heaven and upon earth -- with doubt about God's character and the laws of His kingdom and His requirements of His children, it is at this very place that we must begin the journey back into holiness and agreement with God.
First, we must recognize our fallen condition. We must, like David, recognize that we have inherited tendencies to evil that without Jesus we have no power to save ourselves, or to cleanse ourselves from sin.
"Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou hast made me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.... Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me." Ps. 51:5-11.
Of ourselves, we have no power to free ourselves from sin, or to cleanse ourselves from the iniquity of our hearts. But we do have the power that Jesus bought for us on the cross of Calvary, to call out to God as David did, and receive His power to be freed from the control of Satan and sin.
And what is it that we are to be freed from? It is from sinful thoughts and feelings, and even impulses. As David said, these sinful traits are our inheritance from birth. In another study, I went into great detail to explain how the Bible teaches that unless we are cleansed from sinful roots from our heredity and our own choices, we are bound to follow the same pathway in our own lives. But God has provided for us a way of escape from sin and sinning, back to the holiness of character which God gave to Adam and Eve at their creation. This pathway is called, "The Way of Holiness."
"And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that way; wicked fools will not go about on it. But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away." Isa. 35:8-10.
Of course, this is talking about heaven and the New Jerusalem which is the inheritance of the saints. But in order to get there, we must first walk "that way" here on earth. Fortunately, God has not left us in the dark about how to attain to this pathway of holiness. It is found in the Sanctuary.
The major purpose of God in delivering the Israelites from Egypt, was that they were to be a holy people, set apart from all nations, with a holy purpose to exemplify the true character of God and how to be transformed back into His image and character. And central to this holy purpose was to be the Sanctuary, where God would again dwell with men.
"Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you -- majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?... In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. The nations will hear and tremble... You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance -- the place, O Lord, you made for your dwelling, the Sanctuary, O Lord, your hands established. The Lord will reign forever and ever." Ex. 15:11-18.
"Then have them make a Sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them." Ex. 25:8.
"For the generations to come this burnt offering is to be made regularly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the Lord. There I will meet you and speak to you; there also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory. So, I will consecrate the Tent of Meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God." Ex. 29:42-46.
This tent of meeting was the place where God met with His people and brought them close to Him, teaching them how to cleanse their hearts so that they could communicate once more with God. The more common word for this place of meeting is "Sanctuary". Explicit instructions were given so that everything about the Sanctuary would be in complete harmony with God. But more importantly, the earthly Sanctuary was a copy of the greater Sanctuary in Heaven which is the dwelling place of God. It is here that Jesus went after His resurrection and ascension back into heaven to complete the work of salvation which His life and death and the shedding of His blood made possible.
But what does the Old Testament Sanctuary have to do with us in the 21st century? First of all, it was a place of communication and cleansing from sin for the people of God. And I believe that God wants us to study the pattern of the Sanctuary to learn how to communicate with God even today. Jesus is in the heavenly Sanctuary, and we are on earth. But the principles of the earthly Sanctuary can teach us how to come into harmony with God once again and communicate with God so that we can be in complete harmony with His mind, which is holiness, or agreement with Him.
In Isaiah 2:2-5, God makes a promise to us that in the last days the Sanctuary will again be an important part of our connection with God and our cleansing from sin, in preparation for His coming:
"In the last days, the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.' The law of the Lord will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Come, O House of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord."
"Soon God is to rise out of His place to shake terribly the earth, and to punish the wicked for their iniquity. Then He will stand up in behalf of His people and will give them His protecting care. He will throw His everlasting arms about them, to shield them from all harm." GW 265.
Do you want to be in the sheltering arms of God when probation closes? This means that we will be in the Sanctuary, a hiding place of intimacy with God, so that He can protect us.
"Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee; hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." Isa. 26:20, 21, KJV.
"What are the chambers in which they are to hide? They are the protection of Christ and holy angels." 4BC 1143.
"Four mighty angels hold back the powers of this earth till the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. The nations of the world are eager for conflict; but they are held in check by the angels. When this restraining power is removed, there will come a time of trouble and anguish. Deadly instruments of warfare will be invented.... All who have not the spirit of truth will be united under the leadership of satanic agencies. But they are to be kept under control until the time shall come for the great battle of Armageddon. Angels are belting the world, refusing Satan his claims to supremacy.... keeping the armies of Satan at bay till the sealing of God's people shall be accomplished.... The Lord is a refuge for all who put their trust in Him. He bids them hide in Him for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. He is soon to come out of His place to punish the world for its iniquity." 7BC 967.
But how do we get into this hiding place? God has already provided the way through the Sanctuary! This is why the Bible predicts that the mountain of the Lord's house, or the Sanctuary, will be lifted up at the end of time, for it specifies the walk with Jesus that is necessary to be prepared for the time of trouble, and to go through alive after the close of probation without a Mediator, and be translated without seeing death.
When Solomon built the magnificent temple for the glory of God, at his prayer of dedication he said repeatedly that God's Name would be there. Psalms 74:7 says, "They defiled the dwelling place of your Name." What does it mean that God's name dwells in the Sanctuary? In his prayer of dedication, Solomon said in 1 Kings 8:29-36:
"May your eyes be open toward the temple night and day, this place of which you said, 'My Name shall be there,' so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place.... When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and confess your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple, then hear from Heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their fathers.
“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and confess your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, then hear from Heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance."
NIV Concordance - #9005 -- Name: a proper designation of a person, place, or thing; by extension: renowned; to call on the name of the Lord means to proclaim or praise the excellence of Yahweh, to worship Yahweh, or to summon Yahweh by name for help.
"Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you." Ps. 9:10.
"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." Prov. 18:10.
Psalms 77:13, KJV, says:
"Thy way, O God, is in the Sanctuary."
In the NIV concordance we see the meaning of the word, "way:" path, route, road, journey; conduct, way of life; behavior, highway, mission, passageway, how to live; in the way you should go.
In Isaiah, chapter 35, Isaiah describes the joy and home of the redeemed; and in verse 8-10, he says:
"And a highway will be there; and it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it.... But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away."
David says in Psalms 86:11:
"Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name."
And in Genesis 3:24, the word “way” refers to the way to the tree of life: “ So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”
Now can you see the significance of the Sanctuary? It is not only the way to live in this world, but it is the revelation of God of how to get back to the tree of life, and the way of holiness that is described in Isaiah, as the way back to Heaven for the redeemed. But walking in this pathway of holiness is a choice each person must make for himself. No one else, even God, can make this choice for us. But throughout the Bible, God makes the appeal to each one of us to choose to follow His way and not the way of the world.
Jeremiah 10:2 says:
"Do not learn the ways of the nations."
Do you see how Satan is using the media today to heavily infiltrate into the minds of this generation the ways of the nations around us? From childhood, children are set before the television for entertainment and babysitting. It is no wonder then, that the majority of people today will not be interested in God's way of salvation. It will be meaningless to them, for they have learned the ways of the nations around them, just as Israel apostatized from God because of the nations around them, worshipped their gods, and allowed the Sanctuary to be desecrated and lie in ruins for years at a time.
David also observed the nations around him, and when he tried to understand the prosperity of the wicked, he became discouraged. He says in Psalms 73:16, 17:
"When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the Sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny."
In other words, David understood when he saw the reward of the righteous in the kingdom of Heaven, and also the reward of having a walk with God even here on this earth, that nothing this world has to offer could hold any weight to the glories of knowing God in His Sanctuary and the privilege of having a personal relationship with Him, even here on this earth.
In the New Testament, the new doctrine of Christianity was called, "The Way." [Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22.] The same word is used in Acts 14:16: "He let all nations go their own way."
Now we can see that the purpose of the Sanctuary is to reconnect us with Heaven. When mankind sinned and had to leave their garden home, they longed for the day when they could return and be as they were, when they had perfect and open communion with Jesus. The Sanctuary on earth and the Sanctuary message that we have received in the Scriptures and in the Spirit of Prophecy is literally the way back to the tree of life, by aligning ourselves with the principles of holiness and perfection of character that will reunite us with the holiness that we received from the hand of Jesus when he created Adam and Eve in the beginning and put them in their Garden home.
So how can we avail ourselves of this wonderful privilege where we can be safe again in the arms of Jesus, communicating with Him, receiving His joy, peace, and love and the smile of His approbation, and being protected by Him from the evil one?
Let us go, then, to the Sanctuary on earth and find in Scripture the keys that will lead us back to holiness and full communion with our Savior and our Lord. Remember that everything we need is found in the Scriptures, for the whole Bible is written in Sanctuary language. Gems of light and truth are found scattered throughout the Bible, and as we search for them, we will find all that we need for complete restoration back to perfect holiness and communion with God at the tree of life.
"The Scriptures is the key that unlocks all mysteries and solves all difficulties." Southern Watchman, 4/11/05.
Our first step on this journey to the tree of life is found in Psalms 100:
"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations."
"The melody of praise is the atmosphere of Heaven." HP 94.
"Empty the soul temple of evil thinking. Let not one unhappy thought remain within." TDG 347.
"They who seek the Lord will praise Him." Ps. 22:26.
"Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord. They rejoice in Your name all day long; they exult in Your righteousness." Ps. 89:15.
"The gratitude which flows from our lips is a result of the Spirit striking the chords of the soul in holy memories, awakening the music of the heart." 6BC 1077, 8.
"He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God." Ps. 50:23.
"Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, His holy mountain.... Within your temple, O God, we meditate on Your unfailing love. Like Your name, O God, Your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is filled with righteousness." Ps. 48:1; 9, 10.
"Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter. I will give thanks, for You answered me; You have become my salvation." Ps. 118:19-21.
"You will call your walls salvation and your gates praise." Isa. 60:18.
So, we see that throughout the Bible the key to the beginning of a relationship with God, communion with Him, and restoration to being able to live in His presence, is to begin with praise. Why is this so important? Because we have an enemy who wants to come into our lives just as he did in the Garden of Eden and take us away from our allegiance to God and bring us down to perdition. Our only hope is to keep close to Jesus and to stay in the safety of His protection, which is in the Sanctuary.
What is the meaning of the word Sanctuary? It is a place of hiding from predators and enemies. And that is what it means for those who follow the way of the Sanctuary.
"Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." Jsa. 4:8.
"Draw nigh to God. How? By secret, earnest examination of your own heart, by childlike, heartfelt, humble dependence upon God, making known all your weakness to Jesus, and by confessing your sins.... the closer we are to God, the safer we are, for Satan hates and fears the presence of God. … Draw nigh to Him by prayer, by contemplation, by reading His Word. When He draws nigh to you, He lifts up for you a standard against the enemy. Let us take courage; for the enemy cannot pass this standard. ... The soul that loves God, loves to draw strength from Him by constant communion with Him. When it becomes a habit of the soul to converse with God, the power of the evil one is broken; for Satan cannot abide near the soul that draws nigh unto God." OHC 96.
Oh, glorious thought, that we can escape from the presence and power of the evil one in our lives, even in this world, where we must live until we are brought back to God's heavenly kingdom! And God has made these steps in the Sanctuary so simple that even a child can learn them! God promises to do this especially for His people at the end of time:
"In that day the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious. In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people.... He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; He will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four corners of the earth.... The Lord will... sweep his hand over the Euphrates River. He will break it up into seven streams so that men can cross over in sandals. There will be a highway* for the remnant of his people... as there was for Israel when they came up from Egypt." Isa. 11:10-16.
*[NIV Conc. #5019: main road; raised highway, ramp, stairs; lifestyle, conduct in life; straight ahead.]
Here again we find in Scripture a prophecy that God will raise up the Sanctuary at the end of time for His remnant people. In the past, the Sanctuary was not understood as clearly as it needs to be now for us, for it is the way of salvation and the finished work of Jesus in the heavenly Sanctuary to prepare His people to be translated without seeing death. No sin must be found in those who are waiting for Jesus to come after probation closes. All the work of cleansing must be done before that time. God has made it easy for us by "breaking up" the way of salvation into seven parts. The analogy of this being done to the Euphrates River is very appropriate, because the Euphrates River was one of the four rivers which flowed from the Garden of Eden. [Gen. 2:10-14] Again, we see the analogy in Scripture of God providing the seven steps of the Sanctuary, as the way back to the Garden of Eden for God's people at the end of time. Thus, through the Sanctuary, God has provided the way back, to both the tree of life and the water of life that were placed by God for mankind in the Garden of Eden.
"In principle, this promise is to be fulfilled to spiritual Israel, the church.... These words point to the great work of deliverance from sin now going on in every part of the world.... guiding men and women into the way of light and truth. The work now being witnessed is in fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy, and is an earnest of greater things yet to come.... The Euphrates would be dried up to prepare the way for deliverance from Babylon.... It was after his capture of the city of Babylon that Cyrus issued his decree permitting the Jews to... return to Judea and rebuild the temple. As God delivered the Hebrews from the Egyptians, and later from the Babylonians, so will He deliver all His faithful people at the close of time." 4BC 160 [not EGW].
In my next article, I will go into more detail concerning the application of these seven steps of the Sanctuary in our daily lives. But here is a brief outline to whet your appetite for deeper study.
Step 1: Praise.
Step 2: Repentance and confession of sin at the brazen altar of sacrifice.
Step 3: Study and application of the Word of God at the laver.
Step 4: Reception and full infilling of the Holy Spirit at the seven-branched candlestick.
Step 5: Walking with Jesus and receiving His righteous character imputed and imparted to us at the table of Shewbread.
Step 6: Requests and intercessions for ourselves and others at the golden altar, in cooperation with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Step 7: Living constantly in the presence of, and communion with, Jesus. Receiving His righteousness on a moment by moment basis. Receiving complete cleansing and blotting out of sin through Christ's work in the Most Holy Place. Receiving the latter rain and the final sealing of God's people, in preparation for the close of probation and the time of trouble.
Do you see how beautiful, perfect, and complete is the display of God's Sanctuary for the restoration of God's people and the eradication of sin and sinners from the universe? May God bless us as we learn to walk this pathway of holiness back to the tree of life and the water of life that flows from the throne of God in His eternal kingdom.
