8.) The Sanctuary is the Hiding Place from the Power of Satan
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In the previous studies I have dealt with the necessity of understanding the Sanctuary as the way to eternal life and a walk with Jesus that cleanses us from sin. Now I want to address the Sanctuary as the way to be delivered from the temptations of the evil one and have freedom and protection from his presence and power in our lives.
In the beginning when Satan fell from his high position in Heaven and made war against the Law of God and His throne, he was cast down to earth and there he continued his plans to discredit the character of God and His government. In the bright new world that God created for His honor and glory, Satan set up his kingdom and lured our first parents to agree with him and join the ranks of the rebellion that he had started in Heaven.
But God had a plan, conceived in the misty eons of eternity, that should a defection ever occur, He would implement His plan to bring back harmony, and destroy the roots of sin forever from the universe.
"God had a knowledge of the events of the future, even before the creation of the world. He did not make His purposes to fit circumstances, but He allowed matters to develop and work out. He did not work to bring about a certain condition of things, but He knew that such a condition would exist. The plan that should be carried out upon the defection of any of the high intelligences of Heaven -- this is the secret, the mystery which has been hid from ages. And an offering was prepared in the eternal purposes to do the very work which God has done for fallen humanity." 6BC 1082.
"The incarnation of Christ is a mystery. The union of divinity and humanity is a mystery indeed, hidden with God, 'even the mystery which has been hid from ages.' It was kept in eternal silence by Jehovah, and was first revealed in Eden, by the prophecy that the Seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, and that he should bruise His heel.
"To present to the world this mystery that God kept in silence for eternal ages before the world was created, before man was created, was the part that Christ was to act in the work He entered upon when He came to this earth. And this wonderful mystery, the incarnation of Christ and the atonement that He made, must be declared to every son and daughter of Adam.... His sufferings perfectly fulfilled the claims of the Law of God....
"The incarnation of Christ is the mystery of all mysteries." 6BC 1082.
What unutterable love is displayed to us in the plan of salvation! But this is not all that God purposed in the creation of this world. His plan included the restoration of the vacancies that were made in Heaven by the fall of Satan and his angels.
"God created man for His glory. It was His purpose to repopulate Heaven with the human race, when after a period of test and trial they had proved to be loyal to Him. Adam was to be tested to see whether he would be obedient. Had he stood the test, his thoughts would have been as the thoughts of God, his character would have been molded after the similitude of the Divine character." ST 5/29/01.
"The vacancies made in Heaven by the fall of Satan and his angels will be filled by the redeemed of the Lord." 7BC 949.
"Jesus came to our world to dispute the authority of Satan. He came to restore in man the debased image of God, to raise him, to elevate him, fit him for companionship with the angels of Heaven, to take the position in the courts of God which Satan forfeited through rebellion." R & H 5/08/1894.
Do you see now why Satan has such anger toward everyone who loves Jesus and allows Him to live in their hearts and reproduce His character in them? It is only in the Sanctuary experience that Jesus is able to do this! When we really understand the Sanctuary as a model of the courts of Heaven, and cooperate with Jesus as He molds our characters after the similitude of His own, we give Him permission to complete the work of salvation that He came here and gave His life to accomplish.
The Sanctuary has been created by God to contain all the elements necessary for our complete restoration back into the image of God and the perfection of character which man had before the fall. Here are some texts which exemplify this truth:
#1 - Praise: True Heavenly-inspired praise connects our minds and hearts with God and shuts out the voice of the evil one.
"Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs... Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise." Ps. 100:2, 4.
#2 - The Brazen Altar of Sacrifice: Heartfelt confession and sorrow for sin enables us to die with Jesus to the sins and lusts of the carnal nature.
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1Jn 1:9.
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the Law of the Spirit of life set me free from the Law of sin and death. For what the Law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so, he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the Law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit." Rom. 8:1-4.
#3 - The Laver: Reading the Word of God cleanses our brains from worldly thoughts, feelings and ambitions and replaces these with the thoughts and feelings of God.
"And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times." Ps. 12:6.
"O Lord, You are our Father. We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hands." Isa. 64:8.
"… Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." Eph. 5:25-27.
#4 - The Seven-branched Candlestick: After having our minds washed and cleansed from sinful thoughts and feelings, we are now ready to be filled by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit:
"For what the Law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so, he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the Law might be fully met in us who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
"Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's Law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
"You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.... If Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you....
"For if you live according to the sinful nature you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God." Rom. 8:3-14.
#5 - The Table of Showbread: In order to have a continuing, growing walk with God, we must have a personal communion and relationship with Jesus at all times, obeying His voice, and assimilating His life into our own.
"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The watchman opens the gate for Him, and the sheep listen to His voice. He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all His own, he goes on ahead of them, and His sheep follow Him because they know His voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice....
"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand." Jn 10:1-5; 27, 28.
"I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from Heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from Heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from Heaven and gives life to the world.... I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.... All that the Father gives me will come to me and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from Heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me. And this is the will of Him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all He has given me but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." Jn 6:32-40.
"This bread is to be set out before the Lord regularly, Sabbath after Sabbath, on behalf of the Israelites, as a lasting covenant." Lev. 24:8.
Note: As the twelve loaves of bread, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, were set out new upon the table of showbread every Sabbath, so should we have a new and deeper experience with Jesus every Sabbath; and those who serve God's people upon the Sabbath should have a fresh new word from the Lord to present by the power of the Holy Spirit, received directly from the courts of Heaven.
Although the first Sabbath came at the end of the week of creation when God rested from His works and enjoyed the fruit of His labors, it was also the first full day of life for Adam and Eve and they spent that day in fellowship with their Creator. For us the Sabbath falls at the end of a week of work and service for God; but it is also the spiritual refreshment and re-creation that we need to begin anew for the next week. Blessed Sabbath day!
#6 - The Golden Altar of Incense: Now, cleansed from selfishness and filled by the Holy Spirit, we are ready to bring our intercessions to the throne of God and receive answers to our requests and prayers for our own needs, the needs of others, and for the church.
"Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'?" Mk 11:17.
"May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice." Ps. 141:1, 2.
"Is anyone of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is anyone of you sick? You should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." Js 5:13-16.
#7 - The Most Holy Place: Here the plan of salvation is finished by the Father and His Son as they sit in judgment, and decide the destiny of every person who has ever lived, ending with the cleansing and blotting out of sin in the lives of the righteous who will be alive when Jesus comes.
"As I looked, thrones were set in place and the Ancient of Days took His seat.... His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before Him. Thousands upon thousands attended Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened....
"I looked, and there before me was one like [the] Son of man, coming with the clouds of Heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed." Dan. 7:9-14.
"Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth -- to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship Him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the springs of waters." Rev. 14:6, 7.
"'See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to His temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,' says the Lord Almighty.
"'But who can endure the day of His coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.
"So, I will come near to you for judgment.'" Mal. 3:1-5.
"In that day the branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire. Then the Lord will create over all [every dwelling place - KJV] of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain." Isa. 4:2-6.
Can you see the beauty of the Sanctuary plan of salvation? Every part of the restoration of mankind is covered completely so that there is no excuse for continuing in sin.
"I will remove from this city those who rejoice in their pride. Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill. But I will leave within you the meek and humble, who trust in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will speak no lies, nor will deceit be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down and no one will make them afraid....
"At that time, I will gather you; at that time, I will bring you home." Zeph. 3:11-13, 20.
Can you now see how the whole Bible is written in Sanctuary language? Over the centuries men of God were inspired to write what is now the 66 books of the Bible. But, in spite of their differences in personality, time, and position, there is one thread that runs throughout the whole Bible, and that is the plan of salvation through the sacrifice and ministry of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Jesus was present in both the Old and New Testaments, and there are profound truths about Him that are found on every page and in every verse of the Bible. But until we understand the true meaning of the Sanctuary, we will pick and choose from the Bible what seems interesting, relevant or appropriate for us. But without a full understanding of the purpose of the Sanctuary, the scattered leaves from the tree of life that are in the entire Bible will not be put together in a way that will enable us to be among the one hundred and forty four thousand who are cleansed from all sin and restored to the original perfection of our first parents before they fell.
"Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His name and His Father's name written on their foreheads.... These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless." Rev. 14:1; 4, 5.
The word "women" as used here refers to other churches and their beliefs. All of these churches have varying degrees of truth as they have gathered it from the Bible over the years of their existence. But in all these churches there is also error mixed with the truth. This makes their beliefs deadly, for it is the same as the tree of knowledge of good and evil, where Satan has access to lead people astray by this mixture of truth and error. Only God's remnant people have been given a complete understanding of the meaning and purpose of the entire Sanctuary, including the cleansing and blotting out of sin at the end of Jesus' ministry in the Most Holy Place of the heavenly Sanctuary.
This is why the subject of the Sanctuary is to be lifted up at the end of time. [Isa. 2:2-4]. Those who died in the Lord through the centuries did not need to understand the finishing work of Christ when He blots out all the sins of His people through the ages and prepares a people to stand through the time of trouble. But the remnant of God's people must comprehend and cooperate with all the light that is shining upon those who receive the latter rain and are sealed for eternity. This requires an intelligent understanding of what Jesus is doing in the heavenly Sanctuary. Otherwise they will not be able to receive all the light that is necessary to cooperate with Jesus as He removes all sin from their lives.
Just now, as Jesus is about to close His work in the Most Holy Place, let us bend every effort and make every sacrifice to know Him and to follow Him intelligently so that our lives may be completely cleansed from the effects of sin, restored to the Divine image in which we were created, and enabled to glorify Him throughout eternity.
"They [the beast in his followers] will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings -- and with Him will be His called, chosen, and faithful followers." Rev. 17:14.
May we be among those who follow the Lamb wherever He goes [Rev. 14:4], both in His finishing work now in the heavenly Sanctuary, then through the time of trouble such as never was, and finally forever in the courts of Heaven.
Article by Carol Zarska, MAR, author
