The Sanctuary and Its Cleansing by GEORGE I. BUTLER

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 24, 1908

The Sanctuary and Its Cleansing

By GEORGE I. BUTLER

The Disappointment and Its Explanation — No. 2

The Sanctuary and Its Cleansing

GEORGE I. BUTLER

There was once a sanctuary on this earth,—the one great central point of interest in the Jewish worship for some fifteen centuries,—embracing the tabernacle in the wilderness, the temple of Solomon, and the second temple built after the return from Babylon, continuing until Christ came, and finally destroyed by Titus, the Roman emperor, in the year A. D. 70. The apostle Paul speaks of it as follows: “Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the showbread; which is called the sanctuary. And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; and over it the cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy-seat; of which we can not now speak particularly.” Heb. 9:1-5.

This was the earthly sanctuary. A description of this building and all its furniture and vessels is found in Exodus 25, 26, etc. God said, “Let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.” The pattern of it was shown to Moses in Mount Sinai, where he met with God and communed with him. It was built in two apartments, the holy and the most holy place. We have not space to enter into a full description of this worldly sanctuary. Suffice it to say, the tabernacle made in the wilderness, the temple made by Solomon, and also the second temple, in general outline were alike.

All had the two apartments, the holy and most holy places. The same furniture was in each,—in the first, the altar of incense, the golden candlestick, the table of showbread; in the second, up to the time of the captivity, the ark, in which were kept the two tables of stone upon which God had written the ten commandments of his holy law, the two cherubim, and the golden censer, in which incense was offered.

These buildings, with their furniture, are expressly declared to be the worldly sanctuary. Since the destruction of the second temple by Titus, there has been no sanctuary in existence upon earth.

Aaron was appointed by God as the first high priest to minister in this sanctuary. After his death his descendants succeeded him. Careful directions for all their religious services were written out in the Mosaic law.

As a general statement, we may say each year there was a round of services in connection with this earthly sanctuary, terminating with the day of atonement, on the tenth day of the seventh month. During the year the sinner came to the sanctuary with his sin-offering of some clean beast or bird. In the presence of the officiating priest, he made confession of his sin over this victim. It was then slain, and the priest took the victim’s blood and sprinkled it upon the altar and in the sanctuary. The sin was thus in type conveyed from the sinner to the sanctuary, to be finally disposed of on the day of atonement. On that day all Israel were summoned to appear at the sanctuary. These services were called the “cleansing of the sanctuary.” That is the final removing of those sins which had been transferred in figure to it.

In the sixteenth chapter of Leviticus a full account is given of the religious services performed by the high priest in this process of “cleansing the sanctuary.” A brief epitome of what was done is all we have space to present. Preceding the day of atonement all the sanctuary services during the whole year were performed in the holy place, or first apartment of the sanctuary. On the day of atonement, the tenth day of the seventh month, the service was transferred to the most holy place, before “the ark of his testament.” Aaron’s first act was to offer a bullock for a sin-offering for himself and his own family before he could be in a fit condition to officiate in behalf of the removal of sins for all the people. In doing this he “made an atonement” for himself and his household.

Then two kids were selected for a sin-offering. These were presented before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle. Then Aaron “cast lots upon the two kids, one for the Lord and one for the scapegoat” (“Azazel,” margin). Next he took the Lord’s goat and offered it for a sin-offering for the people, taking its blood and sprinkling it within the veil in the most holy place, making an atonement. “And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it [the altar] with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.” Lev. 16:19. After this, Aaron brought the scapegoat (Azazel), laid his hands upon its head, and confessed over it all the sins of the children of Israel; and then this goat was taken by a fit man into the wilderness, and let go. This, in brief, was the ceremony of cleansing the sanctuary, or removing sin from it, in that typical service.

The large congregation outside, in the meantime, were confessing their sins and afflicting their souls, and humbling themselves before God. It was the most solemn service connected with that typical system. Ask any intelligent Jew the meaning of it all, and he will tell

you that it was the day of judgment, the removal of sin, the final disposition of the sins of the year. Those sins could not be removed from the souls of the people until they repented of them.

That whole system was a typical system pointing forward to Christ. The offering of beasts could never remove sin in fact. The first offering of which we have a record was a lamb, offered by righteous Abel. That offering was acceptable to God. It prefigured the final offering of the Lamb of God, whose blood could take away sin. So with all the offerings ever made during the whole typical system; they showed faith in the Redeemer, who came to this world to die for our sins. Paul positively declares, “It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” Heb. 10:4.

The priesthood of Aaron was of the tribe of Levi. Christ was of the tribe of Judah. He could not therefore be a priest in the typical dispensation. But when Christ died upon the cross, he cried, “It is finished.” The great sacrifice had then been offered for the sins of the world, and the type had met its antitype. The veil of the temple was rent from the top to the bottom, signifying that God had withdrawn from that typical temple. That house was left desolate, as Christ declared. The priesthood of Aaron gave place to that of Christ, who the psalmist declared was “a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” Ps. 110:4.

The priests on earth ministered in a typical or worldly sanctuary, which passed away over nineteen centuries ago. Of what was it a type?—Of a sanctuary in heaven. “Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” Heb. 8:1, 2. After describing the earthly sanctuary and its services here, Paul continues: “The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices. . . . But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, . . . he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” Heb. 9:8-11. “It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these [that is, the blood of beasts, etc.]; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For 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.” Heb. 9:23, 24.

These scriptures demonstrate beyond question that Christ is a minister, or great high priest, and that there is a heavenly sanctuary in which he ministers. In vision John the revelator saw those articles of furniture which were in the earthly sanctuary. “And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks. And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man.” Rev. 1:12, 13. “And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne.” Rev. 4:5. “And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer.” Rev. 8:3.

Both the altar and the censer were in the earthly sanctuary, and both are in the heavenly temple where Christ our High Priest ministers.

“And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament.” Rev. 11:19. Surely, then, there can be no doubt that there is a heavenly sanctuary in heaven; for the Bible says so, and that blessed Book will never tell a lie. Christ our Saviour is there ministering for us before the ark, which contains the ten commandments. So those commandments, instead of being abolished at the cross, as multitudes declare, are in the temple of God in heaven.

“Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” As we have seen, that period terminated in 1844 A. D. In our next, we will notice what occurred at the close of that period.

* Bowling Green, Fla.