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The Story of Redemption
Biblical research. With earnest prayer they reviewed their position,
and studied the Scriptures to discover their mistake. As they could
see no error in their explanation of the prophetic periods, they were
led to examine more closely the subject of the sanctuary.
The Earthly and Heavenly Sanctuaries
In their investigation they learned that the earthly sanctuary, built
by Moses at the command of God according to the pattern shown
him in the mount, was “a figure for the time then present, in which
were offered both gifts and sacrifices”; that its two holy places were
“patterns of things in the heavens”; that Christ, our great High Priest,
is “a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the
Lord pitched, and not man”; that “Christ is not entered into the holy
places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into
heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”
Hebrews
[377]
9:9, 23
;
8:2
;
Hebrews 9:24
.
The sanctuary in heaven, in which Jesus ministers in our behalf,
is the great original, of which the sanctuary built by Moses was
a copy. As the sanctuary on earth had two apartments, the holy
and the most holy, so there are two holy places in the sanctuary in
heaven. And the ark containing the law of God, the altar of incense,
and other instruments of service found in the sanctuary below, have
also their counterpart in the sanctuary above. In holy vision the
apostle John was permitted to enter heaven, and he there beheld the
candlestick and the altar of incense, and as “the temple of God was
opened,” he beheld also “the ark of His testament.”
Revelation 4:5
;
8:3
;
Revelation 11:19
.
Those who were seeking for the truth found indisputable proof
of the existence of a sanctuary in heaven. Moses made the earthly
sanctuary after a pattern which was shown him. Paul declared that
that pattern was the true sanctuary which is in heaven. (
Hebrews
8:2, 5
.) John testified that he saw it in heaven.
At the termination of the 2300 days, in 1844, no sanctuary had
existed on earth for many centuries; therefore the sanctuary in heaven
must be the one brought to view in the declaration, “Unto two thou-
sand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.”
But how could the sanctuary in heaven need cleansing? Turning