“But I thought the Sanctuary was just an Old Testament Tabernacle tent with furniture and priests doing all kinds of rituals. How can we have an experience in the Sanctuary?” How many of us really understand why the Sanctuary is so important to us?

From the very beginning, Jesus always meant for it to be for a relationship with Him! After the Israelites had heard God’s voice speaking the 10 Commandments from Mount Sinai, the people were so afraid they “said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.’” Exodus 20:19 NIV I am sure this hurt God’s heart, but He did not give up. He tried again to reach the people, but this time He brought the Sanctuary to them to be a place where they could meet with Him for relationship! Listen to what He said, “Let them make me a Sanctuary that I may dwell among them.” Exodus 25:8 NIV Dwelling, that means living together! That means having a relationship with each other!

But just as the Jews of old had a hard time seeing beyond the furniture and rituals, we still have a hard time today understanding what these precious symbols of Jesus mean to our personal lives today. Now more than ever we need to understand how important the Sanctuary is to prepare us to go through the end times safe with Jesus, and to prepare to live, or dwell with Him forever! Unlocking the code to the meaning of the Sanctuary is our first step to finding that deep experience with Jesus in His Sanctuary.

What do all those symbols mean anyway? Let’s look at the word, “sanctuary” first. If we look at the dictionary definition, look what we find. It says, “1. a place of refuge or safety. ‘People automatically sought a sanctuary in time of trouble.’ 2. A nature reserve. ‘a bird sanctuary’” Safety? Now that sounds like an experience to me! Yes, Jesus is wanting to provide a safe place for His people now, and in the near future, as world events show the nearness of Jesus return.

Don’t you want to find a safe haven in Jesus’ dwelling place? But where is this special dwelling place? There is no longer an earthly Tabernacle, or even Solomon’s Sanctuary temple, or Zerubbabel’s temple that was where Jesus walked, so where will we find the place of safety that we long for? We can look in Hebrews 8:1,2 for the hidden clue we need. It says, “The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven.” Now that’s encouraging! Who is this special High Priest, that sits down with God the Father in His throne room – the Sanctuary – that is not made by man on earth but made by the Lord, the great Architect and Builder of the heavenly Sanctuary? It is none other than our Savior, Jesus Christ!

If you continue to read in Hebrews, you will see clearly that Jesus is in the heavenly Sanctuary, where He is not only ministering for us, but is calling us to connect and dwell with Him there. “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16. So Jesus is inviting us to come into His presence, through the power of the Holy Spirit and through Jesus’ intercession for us, we can enter into His Sanctuary even now, with confidence, and receive all the help we need. What good news!

But let’s unlock more of these symbols that will teach us the “way” in! “Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God.” Psalm 77: 13 KJV. “’Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 14:5, 6 NIV So Jesus is the Way! Every part and piece of this Sanctuary is about Jesus our Savior and what He is doing for us to help us connect with Him and to hear His voice speaking to us more clearly. That way, is the relationship way. Are you ready to find out what all this Sanctuary furniture and symbols really mean in personal communication with Jesus? Let’s start our walk at the beginning. How do we get in? The way in is through the gate.

Lets walk through the Steps

STEP 1.  Gates- PRAISE

Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Heavenly Father, I come before you this morning thanking you for your watchcare over me through the night and your mercies which are new every morning. Praise God in whatever song, Scripture, or words of personal gratitude which is appropriate for the day.

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; ...” Psalm 100:4

STEP 2. - Altar of Sacrifice-CONFESSION  

Confess your sins to Jesus. “I humbly come before you, knowing the great sacrifice you have given us in the death of your son Jesus. I also want to die with Him as I give myself to you completely.” Rom 12:1.2 ;6:6-14; Cor 15:31; Luke 9:23,24; Psalms 51

“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” John 1:29

STEP 3. Laver - BAPTISM 

Wash your mind with the Water of the WORD. Look up texts in your bible that deal with what God is bringing to your mind. Use your concordance and look up words, such as: honesty, strife, faith, love, anger, et., Confess anything that is brought to your mind (attitudes, words, acts, etc.,) that is contrary to the word of God. Ask to be forgiven and cleansed by the blood of Jesus

“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.” Ephesians 5:25,26

STEP 4. Seven Branch Candlestick - The Holy Spirit

Receive His Spirit to partake of His power and life. Ask for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit- the seven aspects, fruit, gifts etc., as seems appropriate for your needs for the day. Isaiah 11:1-3

“...Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven Spirits of God.” (In the margin, - or the sevenfold Spirit.) Revelation 4:5

STEP 5.   TABLE OF SHEWBREAD- Strength and sustenance from Jesus

Eat the Bread of Life. Ask for strength for the day (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually) and sustenance for all your needs~ financially, socially, etc., in accordance with God’s omniscient will. Claim promises that God gives to you His word. Live, as Jesus did, on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Ask for the fruits of the Spirit Gal 5:22-23

“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.’” John 6:35

STEP 6.   ALTAR OF INCENSE - Intercessory prayer for others

Pray without ceasing. Special prayer for those whom the Lord lays upon your heart. You can follow the sanctuary steps in their behalf if you desire. This seems to be a very effective and powerful way to bring a person before the Lord. Or, you can simply place your requests before the Lord, and claim the promises of the word of God for that person.

 “...He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand.” Revelation 8:3,4

STEP 7.  Ark of the Covenant- MOST HOLY PLACE -ARK OF THE COVENANT- THE SHEKINAH GLORY

Jesus will write His Law on the tablets of your Mind and Heart. The Mercy Seat  where the 10 Commandments Law of God and the place of Judgment - Cleansing work of Christ in the heavenly Sanctuary .

“Father, I ask you to take me into your intimate presence through the blood of Jesus. Seal me in with you for the day. Cover me with the shadow of your wings. Never leave me or forsake me, just as you have promised. Uphold and strengthen me with your righteous right arm. Place upon me your armor and protect me from the evil one. I abandon myself into your loving arms. Counsel, correct, teach, discipline and lead me into all truth. Remind me of all that you have told me, so that I will remember to obey you. Whatever you see that is necessary to take me through day for your glory and in service for others, or for my purification, please do it, but cover me with your mercy and protection, and give me your wisdom and strength to go through it. May I hear your voice every moment of the day, Use me according to your will and for your glory. In the name of Jesus Christ my Lord, Amen”

“...We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man. ... They (earthly high priests) serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. ... But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.” Hebrews 8:1, 2, 5, 6

“The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand . . . This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

The Most Holy Place experience with Jesus can go beyond anything we have before! He wants to write His law, which is His thoughts and His character, into our hearts and minds, so that we be holy and pure as He is. In 5T page 743, Ellen White says that “holiness is agreement with God,” and we know that “without holiness, know one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14. So this special work Jesus is doing in the Second Apartment will bring us into “agreement with Him” in a new way as He writes this law in us. As we cooperate with Jesus, it will be a deep healing experience that will change us forever into His image! Do you want this new experience with Jesus too? You can! Surrender your whole heart to Jesus today ask Him to write His law in your heart and in your mind as He has never done before. Author: Karen Styer, BA