What is the Sanctuary?
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in transgression, and expressed his desire for pardon through faith in
a Redeemer to come; but he was not yet entirely released from the
condemnation of the law. On the Day of Atonement the high priest,
having taken an offering from the congregation, went into the most
holy place with the blood of this offering, and sprinkled it upon the
mercy seat, directly over the law, to make satisfaction for its claims.
Then, in his character of mediator, he took the sins upon himself and
bore them from the sanctuary. Placing his hands upon the head of
the scapegoat, he confessed over him all these sins, thus in figure
transferring them from himself to the goat. The goat then bore them
away, and they were regarded as forever separated from the people.
Such was the service performed “unto the example and shadow of
heavenly things.” And what was done in type in the ministration of the
earthly sanctuary is done in reality in the ministration of the heavenly
sanctuary. After His ascension our Saviour began His work as our high
priest. Says Paul: “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 9:24
.
The ministration of the priest throughout the year in the first apart-
ment of the sanctuary, “within the veil” which formed the door and
separated the holy place from the outer court, represents the work
of ministration upon which Christ entered at His ascension. It was
the work of the priest in the daily ministration to present before God
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the blood of the sin offering, also the incense which ascended with
the prayers of Israel. So did Christ plead His blood before the Father
in behalf of sinners, and present before Him also, with the precious
fragrance of His own righteousness, the prayers of penitent believ-
ers. Such was the work of ministration in the first apartment of the
sanctuary in heaven.
Thither the faith of Christ’s disciples followed Him as He ascended
from their sight. Here their hopes centered, “which hope we have,”
said Paul, “as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and
which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us
entered, even Jesus, made an high priest forever.” “Neither by the blood
of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the
holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”
Hebrews 6:19,
20
;
9:12
.