[This is a very interesting and important subject. And we hope that it will be fully brought out by some one soon, and presented to the readers of the REVIEW AND HERALD. We give the following from the pen of O. R. L. Crozier, written in 1846.]
The Sanctuary was the heart of the typical system. There the Lord placed his name, manifested his glory; and held converse with the high priest relative to the welfare of Israel. While we inquire from the scriptures what the Sanctuary is, let all educational prejudice be dismissed from the mind. For the Bible clearly defines what the Sanctuary is, and answers every reasonable question you may ask concerning it. The name, Sanctuary, is applied to several different things in the Old Testament; neither did the Wonderful Numberer, tell Daniel what Sanctuary was to be cleansed at the end of the 2,300 days, but called it THE SANCTUARY, as though Daniel well understood it, and that he did is evident from the fact that he did not ask what it was. But as it has now become a matter of dispute as to what the Sanctuary is, our only safety lies in seeking from the New Testament, the divine comment upon it. Its decision should place the matter beyond all controversy with Christians. Paul freely discusses this subject in his Epistle to the Hebrews, to whom the typical covenant pertained.
"Then verily the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and a worldly Sanctuary, for there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the tables and the shew-bread, which is called [Hagia] Holy. And after the second vail, the tabernacle which is called the [Hagia Hagion] Holy of Holies, 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 cherubims of glory overshadowing the Mercy-seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly." Heb. ix, 1–5.
A particular description is found in the last four books of the Pentateuch. "Sanctuary" was the first name the Lord gave it, [Ex. xxv, 8.] which name covers not only the tabernacle, with its two apartments, but also the court and all the vessels of the ministry. This, Paul calls the Sanctuary of the first covenant, "which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices." Verse 9. "But Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands." Verse 11. The priests entered the "figures" or "patterns of the true," which "are the heavenly places themselves," into which Christ entered when he entered "heaven itself."—Verses 23, 24. When he ascended, to the right hand of the Father, "in the heavens," he became "A Minister of the Sanctuary [or Hagion Holies] and of the True Tabernacle, which the Lord pitched and not man." Chap. viii, 1, 2. That is the Sanctuary of the "better [the new] covenant." Verse 6.
The Sanctuary to be cleansed at the end of the 2,300 days, is also the Sanctuary of the new covenant, for the vision of the treading down and cleansing is after the crucifixion. We see that the Sanctuary of the new covenant is not on earth, but in heaven. The True Tabernacle which forms a part of the new covenant Sanctuary, was made and pitched by the Lord, in contradistinction to that of the first covenant which was made and pitched by man, in obedience to the command of God. Ex. xxv, 8. Now what does the same Apostle say the Lord has pitched? "A city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God." Heb. xi, 10. What is its name? "The heavenly Jerusalem." Chap. xii, 22; Rev. xxi. "A building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." 2 Cor. v, 1. "My Father's house of many mansions." John xiv, 2.
When our Saviour was at Jerusalem, and had pronounced its house desolate, the disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple. Then he said: "There shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down." Matt. xxiv, 1, 2. That temple was their Sanctuary. 1 Chron. xxii, 17–19; xxviii, 9–13. 2 Chron. xxix, 5, 21; xxxvi, 14, 17. Such an announcement would lead to fill them with sadness and fear, as foretelling the derangement, if not the total prostration of their entire religious system. But to comfort and teach them, he says, "In my Father's house are MANY MANSIONS." John xiv, 1–3. Standing as he was, on the dividing line between the typical covenant and the anti-typical, and having just declared the house of the former no longer valid, and foretold its destruction, how natural that he should point his disciples to the Sanctuary of the latter, about which their affections and interests were to cluster as they had about that of the former.
The Sanctuary of the new covenant is connected with New Jerusalem, like the Sanctuary of the first covenant with Old Jerusalem. As that was the place where the priests of that covenant ministered, so this is in heaven, the place where the Priest of the new covenant ministers. To these places, and these only, the New Testament applies the name "Sanctuary," and it does appear that this should for ever set the question at rest.
But as we have been so long and industriously taught to look to the earth for the Sanctuary, it may be proper to inquire, by what scriptural authority have we been thus taught? I can find none. If others can, let them produce it. Let it be remembered that the definition of Sanctuary is "a holy or sacred place." Is the earth, is Palestine such a place? Their entire contents answer, No! Was Daniel so taught? Look at his vision.
Daniel prayed, "Cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary which is desolate." Chap. ix, 17. This was the typical Sanctuary built by Solomon. "Thou hast commanded me to build a temple upon thy Holy Mount, and an altar in the City wherein thou dwellest, a resemblance of thy Holy Tabernacle, which thou hast prepared from the beginning." Wis. Sol. ix, 8. 1 Chron. xxviii, 10–13. It had shared in the seventy years desolations of Jerusalem. Dan. ix, 2; 2 Chron. xxxvi, 14–21. It was rebuilt after the captivity. Neh. x, 39. Moses received the patterns of the Sanctuary, built at Sinai when he was with the Lord forty days in the cloud on the Mount; and David received the patterns of that built by Solomon, which superseded Moses, with its chambers, porches, courts, the courses of the priests and Levites, and all the vessels of service, &c., "by the Spirit." 1 Chron. xxviii, 10–13. It is manifest that both Moses and David had prophetic visions of the New Jerusalem with its Sanctuary, and Christ, the officiating Priest. When that built by Moses was superseded by Solomon's, the Ark was borne from the former to the latter. 2 Chron. v, 2–8. The Sanctuary comprehended not only the Tabernacle, but also all the vessels of the ministry, enclosed by the court in which the Tabernacle stood. Num. iii, 29–31; x, 17, 21. So the court in which the Temple stood was properly called the Sanctuary.—prideaux. We learn the same from 2 Chron. xxix, 18, 21.
"We have cleansed all the house of the Lord, and the altar of burnt offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the shew-bread table with all the vessels thereof." The altar of burnt-offering with its vessels stood before the Temple in the inner court, the whole of which are in verse 21 called the Sanctuary. Well, says one, is not Palestine called the Sanctuary? I think not. Ex. xv, 17. "Thou shalt bring them in and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in; in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established."
What is it which the Lord "has made to dwell in," which his "hands have established?" Paul says it is "a City," [Heb. xi, 10.] a "Tabernacle," [Chap. viii, 2.] a building in the heavens. 2 Cor. v, 1. And the Lord has chosen Mount Zion in Palestine for the place of its final location. Ps. cxxxii, 13, 14. "For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever; here will I dwell; for I have desired it." He brought them to the border of the Sanctuary, even to this mountain," [Ps. lxxviii, 54.] which was his chosen border or place; but not the Sanctuary itself, any more than Mount Moriah, on which the Temple was built, was the Temple itself. Did they regard that land as the Sanctuary? If they did not, we should not.
A view of the texts in which the word occurs will show. "Let them make me a Sanctuary." Ex. xxv, 9. "The shekel of the Sanctuary," [Ex. xxx, 13.] and above twenty others like it. "Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise-hearted man, in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the Sanctuary." "Before the vail of the Sanctuary." Lev. iv, 6. "Carry your brethren from before the Sanctuary." Lev. x, 4. "Nor come into the Sanctuary." Lev. xii, 4. "He shall make atonement for the holy Sanctuary." Lev. xvi, 33. "Reverence my Sanctuary." Lev. xi, 30; xxvi, 2. "Nor profane the Sanctuary of his God." Lev. xxi, 12.—"Vessels of the Sanctuary." Num. iii, 31. "Charge of the Sanctuary." Num. iii, 32, 38. "They minister in the Sanctuary." Chap. iv, 12. "In the Sanctuary and the vessels thereof." Verse 16. "And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the Sanctuary and all the vessels of the Sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it." Chap. iv, 15; vii, 9; x, 21. "That there be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come nigh unto the Sanctuary." Chap. viii, 19. "Thou and thy sons and thy Father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the Sanctuary." Chap. xviii, 1. "He hath defiled the Sanctuary of his God." Chap. xix, 20. Joshua "took a great stone and set it up there under an oak that was by the Sanctuary of the Lord." Jos. xxiv, 26. "All the instruments of the Sanctuary." 1 Chron. ix, 29. "Build ye the Sanctuary." Chap. xxii, 19. "Governors of the Sanctuary." Chap. xxiv, 5. "The Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the Sanctuary." Chap. xxviii, 10; 2 Chron. xx, 8. "Go out of the Sanctuary." Chap. xxvi, 18;69xxix, 21; xxx, 8. "Purification of the Sanctuary." Chap. xxx, 19; xxxvi, 17.
I have given nearly every text, and I believe every different form of expression in which the word occurs till we come to the Psalms; so that every one can see what they understood the Sanctuary to be. And of the fifty texts quoted, not one applies it to the land of Palestine, nor any land. That Sanctuary, though enclosed with curtains, was called "the house of the Lord," [Judg. xviii, 31; 1 Sam. i, 9—24,] and was pitched at the city of Shiloh at the time of dividing the land; [xviii, 1, 10;] hence, it was called the "Tabernacle of Shiloh." [Safety and happiness.] Ps. lxxviii, 60. The Lord forsook it when the Philistines took the Ark [1 Sam. iv, 2—11] and delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemies' hand. Verse 21.
It was brought back to Kirjath-jearim, [1 Sam. vii, 1, 2] thence to the house of Obededom, thence to the City of David which is Zion. [2 Sam. vi, 1—19; v, 9,] and thence, at the direction of Solomon, the Ark was conveyed into the Holy of Holies of the temple, [1 Kings viii, 1—6,] which was built in Mount Moriah near Mount Zion, 2 Chron. iii, 1. The Lord has chosen Zion to dwell in at rest for ever; [Ps. cxxxii, 13, 14;] but as yet he had dwelt there but a short time, and then in curtains made with hands; but when he shall appear in his glory he will have "mercy on Zion" and build it up; then Jerusalem, upon it, shall be "a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down." Ps. cii; xxxiii, 20.— And then "the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem." Verses 18, 19.
The Song of Moses [Ex. xv] is evidently prophetic, and contemplates the happy scenes of the Eden Zion. And so Ezekiel has it. The Lord will bring the whole house of Israel up out of their graves into the land of Israel; and then set his Sanctuary and tabernacle in the midst of them for evermore. The Sanctuary is not "the land of Israel" nor the people; for it is set in their midst, and is built and forms a part of the City whose name is, "The Lord is there."