Hello All,
(Just a general disclaimer that I must insert here at the beginning. I am but a lay person, like most of you. And these weekly “thoughts” are but my own. Not the definitive word on this or any topic. Just my own conclusions derived from my own study and faith in God. The greatest hope I have for these weekly “thoughts” is to have them be a springboard for further study on your part. Not to be a weekly treatise to be blindly accepted. So, please read them with this intent, this motive in mind).
This week’s lesson from “The Adult Sabbath School Guide” is titled “The Hour of His Judgment”. A treatise on the cleansing of the sanctuary. Our Adventist understanding of this “cleansing” has gone through some revisions over our history. Our pre-denominational understanding was almost our demise. When the earthly “sanctuary” was not “cleansed” by the Second Coming of Christ in 1843… and then 1844, William Miller’s understanding was ridiculed and scorned. Only a handful of adherents, those who could not deny the Holy Spirit’s leading in this failed understanding, continued-on digging and searching the scriptures to discover the reason. These persistent searchers discovered in Daniel, the reason for the failed understanding. It had nothing to do with the date, which was correct. It had to do with precisely what happened on that date. And this more accurate understanding is the one we Adventists believe to this day.
But I have a question for us. Is there still more understanding to be discovered in this concept of the “Cleansing of the Sanctuary”? We first maintained that this referred to the earth. The revised version of this maintains that this “cleansing” refers to the Sanctuary in Heaven, of which the tabernacle (or tent) on earth is a representative. But is there another “sanctuary” here referenced, too? In Daniel, the return of the children of Israel to the Promised Land and the restoration of the temple service was of great concern. Daniel petitioned God over this. And God’s answer to Daniel included so much more than was asked. The coming of the Messiah was foretold. The Messiah who could put an end to sin… and the restoring of the Sanctuary to its rightful state. Which “sanctuary”? There was one on earth, made like the one in Heaven. But is there another “sanctuary”? Maybe even a more poignant one? YES THERE IS! AND THAT OTHER MORE MEANINGFUL “SANCTUARY” IS YOU!
If we look carefully at the earthly sanctuary, we see that the symbolic furnishings, the symbolic rituals, even the symbolic blood shedding and blood rituals all have something to do with the heart/ mind of the sinner. Repentance, contrition, confession, dying with Christ (sacrificing the lamb) prayer (incense), feeding on the “Word” (shew-bread), illumination by the Holy Spirit (candlestick), the Law written on the heart (ark of the covenant), the division between the “Holy Place and the “Most Holy” (conscious, sub-conscious mind)… all these refer to the heart and mind. Is it possible that the “Cleansing of the Sanctuary” cannot be fully realized until the Soul Sanctuary is “cleansed”?
In the Book of Hebrews, the Sanctuary and it’s meaning after Christ’s incarnation is expounded upon in great detail. The issue here is that the post-Christ explanation in the Book of Hebrews still carries some symbolic meaning. However, the Book of Hebrews also gives some non-symbolic references that can help lead us to a more complete understanding of this “cleansing”. Here are a few of those texts in Hebrews 9/ 10, and complimentary texts from Isaiah and Leviticus:
- Hebrews 9:5 states after a long treatise on the Sanctuary meaning, “It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which can make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience.” Here, the sanctuary services are referenced to your mind/ heart.
- Hebrews 9:14 carries this thought further with the statement “how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” This ties the Sanctuary service on earth and heaven to the cleansing of your mind and heart. We have so often misapplied and misunderstood the “blood of Christ” (meaning the death of Christ). This links His death to our minds/ hearts. That His death did something to change our minds. Not something that changes the Father but changes us… cleanses our conscience.
- Hebrews 10: 19-20 states “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which He consecrated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh”. Again, the symbolism abounds even as we look to the Heavenly Sanctuary.
- Hebrews 10:22 states “let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water”. This verse links the blood sprinkling with our conscience… our hearts and minds. A reference to the sprinkling of blood at the veil of the Most Holy Place, connected with our mind/ heart
- Isaiah 57:15 states, “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones’.” This shows us that the dwelling place of God is in you. You are His Sanctuary in a very rebellious and foreign land.
- Leviticus 23:27 states, “Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord”. In the earthly “Day of Atonement” when the earthly sanctuary was “cleansed”, the people were a great part of this “cleansing”. And so the heavenly “Day of Atonement” is accompanied by our own mind/heart “cleansing”.
Conclusion: Says EGW, “The Word of God presents special truths for every age. The dealings of God with His people in the past should receive our careful attention. We should learn the lessons which they are designed to teach us. But we are not to rest content with them. God is leading out His people step by step. Truth is progressive. The earnest seeker will be constantly receiving light from heaven. ‘What is truth?’ should ever be our inquiry (Signs of the Times, May 26, 1881).” I believe that this pivotal doctrine peculiar to Seventh-day Adventists has not been widely presented in its fullness. We often present the cleansing of the Sanctuary as some heavenly bookkeeping exercise, having very little to do with you and me. And that when this bookkeeping is completed, He will come. This is such a vacuous explanation. It makes sin into something that can be easily resolved. Not so. It takes your death with Christ… every day… every moment of every day; plus, it takes a real heart conversion and openness to resolve. The connection of the Heavenly sanctuary cleansing to your soul-sanctuary cleansing puts the resolution of sin where it belongs… in you. And it connects that internal cleansing of you with all of heaven and their activity in your behalf. As always, this is just my belief. But one that I believe is more comprehensive and does no insult to our loving God and to the real issues at stake.
With brotherly love,
Jim