Chapter 12—The Heavenly Sanctuary
At a meeting held on Sabbath day, April 3, 1847, at the home of
Brother Stockbridge Howland, we felt an unusual spirit of prayer. And
as we prayed, the Holy Ghost fell upon us. We were very happy. Soon
I was lost to earthly things, and was wrapped in a vision of God’s
glory.
I saw an angel flying swiftly to me. He quickly carried me from
the earth to the holy city. In the city I saw a temple, which I entered.
I passed through a door before I came to the first veil. This veil
was raised, and I passed into the holy place. Here I saw the altar of
incense, the candlestick with seven lamps, and the table on which was
the showbread. After viewing the glory of the holy, Jesus raised the
second veil, and I passed into the holy of holies.
In the holiest I saw an ark; on the top and sides of it was purest
gold. On each end of the ark was a lovely cherub, with its wings
spread out over it. Their faces were turned toward each other, and they
looked downward. Between the angels was a golden censer. Above
the ark, where the angels stood, was an exceeding bright glory, that
appeared like a throne where God dwelt. Jesus stood by the ark, and
as the saints’ prayers came up to Him, the incense in the censer would
smoke, and He would offer up their prayers with the smoke of the
incense to His Father.
In the ark was the golden pot of manna, Aaron’s rod that budded,
and the tables of stone, which folded together like a book. Jesus opened
them, and I saw the ten commandments written on them with the finger
of God. On one table were four, and on the other six. The four on the
first table shone brighter than the other six. But the fourth, the Sabbath
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commandment, shone above them all; for the Sabbath was set apart
to be kept in honor of God’s holy name. The holy Sabbath looked
glorious—a halo of glory was all around it. I saw that the Sabbath
commandment was not nailed to the cross. If it was, the other nine
commandments were; and we are at liberty to break them all, as well
as to break the fourth. I saw that God had not changed the Sabbath,
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