WE find a short article on this subject in the World’s Crisis for Dec. 30th, in regard to which we cannot forbear making a few remarks. After quoting Dan. viii, 13, 14, the writer opens his article as follows:
"Three interesting particulars I want you should take for granted. They are points which are already settled. 1. The ‘sanctuary’ is the earth. 2. The ‘cleansing’ is its physical renovation by literal fire. 3. The days are prophetic and denote literal years. These points are beyond successful disputation."
We cannot be called upon to take for granted any propositions except such as have abundant evidence to sustain them, and for which sufficient reason can be readily presented. Let us then inquire why we should adopt the first two of the above "interesting particulars," without further investigation. 1. "The ‘sanctuary’ is the earth." What are some of the reasons why we should take this for granted?
1st. If the earth was the Sanctuary it would be recognized as such by the word of God; but instead of this it is nowhere in that Word thus recognized. 2d. If it was the Sanctuary, we should expect to find the term many times applied to it, pointing it out as such; but the fact is, the term is distinctly applied to another definite object which God calls his Sanctuary. 3d. The term sanctuary is defined, A holy place, A sacred place, A dwelling place of the Most High. Ex. xxv, 8. Is the earth a holy or a sacred place? "Cursed is the ground for thy sake." Gen. iii, 17. Is it the habitation of God? "Thus saith the Lord, the heaven is my throne, the earth is my footstool." Isa. lxvi, 1. "The Lord shall roar from on high and utter his voice from his holy habitation." Jer. xxv, 30. "For he hath looked down from the height of his Sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth." Ps. cii, 19. 4th. Paul thus discourses upon the Sanctuaries of the first and second covenants: "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 of shew-bread; which is called the sanctuary [or holy, margin;] and after the second vail the tabernacle, which is called the Holiest of all." &c. Heb. ix, 1-3. This refers to the building erected by Moses, at the express command of God, and in exact accordance with the pattern shown him on the mount. Ex. xxv, and onward. This Paul plainly declares was the sanctuary of the first covenant. This was the sanctuary, therefore, till the introduction of the new covenant by the Messiah. Now by what process has the earth taken the place of that sanctuary and become the Sanctuary of the new covenant?157With this sanctuary of the first covenant, Paul introduces another, the Sanctuary of the new covenant. He calls it a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands; "the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man;" things in the heavens." The first-covenant sanctuary was a "figure for the time then present," or a pattern of the true tabernacle which should take its place when the new covenant should be established. In it "were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience; which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings and carnal ordinances imposed on them until the time of reformation." But the time of reformation came—Christ came an high priest of good things to come, the way of the heavenly holy places was laid open, and the earthly sanctuary gave place—not to the earth! but to the greater and more perfect tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man, where Christ our great High Priest has entered, not with the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, now to appear in the presence of God for us. Heb. viii, ix.
Here the sanctuaries of the two covenants are plainly set before us: the earthly pitched by man; the heavenly pitched not by man: the earthly, with its mortal priesthood, and its sacrifices of goats and calves; the heavenly with its more excellent ministry, its better mediator, and to be cleansed at last with better sacrifices. Heb. ix, 23.
We know of no reasons of other import than the above, which can be brought forward upon this question; and, we appeal to the reader, are these the reasons why we should take it for granted (!) that the sanctuary is the earth? When the earth is never once called the sanctuary in the word of God; when another definite object is pointed out expressly as such, and is the only thing that God owns as his Sanctuary; when an Apostle plainly teaches us that the Sanctuary of the new covenant is in heaven, the greater and more perfect tabernacle, where Christ our great High Priest now ministers in mercy for fallen man;—when we have such plain, scriptural facts as these before us, we are not so ready to take for granted the absurd position under consideration, as our writer in the Crisis would wish to have us.
The next "interesting particular," is its cleansing. "2. The ‘cleansing’ is its (the earth’s) physical renovation by literal fire." Where in the Bible is the only source from which we derive instruction on the cleansing of the Sanctuary? There is one, and there is but one; and that is the typical ministration of the earthly sanctuary. The services of this ministration are all minutely described, and the particular work which was performed at the end of the year is clearly presented. Lev. xvi. This was called the cleansing of the sanctuary; and to no other work than that which was here performed, and the event which this foreshadowed, is the expression, cleansing of the sanctuary, ever applied. When therefore men are pointed forward, and told that at the end of a certain period the Sanctuary shall be cleansed, why will they not go back to the true fountain for information on this subject? Why will they not derive instruction from those events which God in mercy ordained, and left on record for our learning; for "whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning."
We look back upon the type: we behold the victim of expiation brought up before the door of the tabernacle: we see the transgressor confessing over him his sin, and thus transferring to him his guilt: we see the victim slain on account of that transgression, and the blood bearing that guilt sprinkled within the sanctuary, which henceforth becomes the receptacle of the offender's sin: we see this service carried on throughout the year till the day of atonement comes: we then behold the high priest with the blood of a sin-offering for himself and for the congregation of Israel, entering within the vail into the Most Holy Place, and while the cloud of the incense from his burning censer covers the mercy-seat, we see him sprinkle of that blood before and upon it seven times, to make an atonement for the holy Sanctuary, for the tabernacle of the congregation, for the altar, for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation, because of their uncleanness and because of their transgressions in all their sins. And when he had made an end of reconciling the holy place, all the sins which had been borne into the sanctuary, were transferred to the head of the scape-goat: over him the high priest confessed all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and they were borne away into a land of forgetfulness. Thus was the sanctuary cleansed.
That this work prefigured something none will deny; nor can it be denied that it prefigured the cleansing of the true Sanctuary, the last great work to be accomplished in the plan of man's salvation, when the sins of God's true Israel will be blotted out forever. But who would gather from all this that this earth would one day be purified by fire? We should no more come to such a conclusion, than we should expect by following the shadow of a tree to come to a burning, fiery furnace.
The sanctuary of Dan. viii, 14, is a sanctuary that is to be cleansed. That cleansing, whatever it is, is dependent on, and the result of a ministration; and both the ministration, and the cleansing are performed by means of blood, as we are taught in the types. We have no record of any other, and we have no warrant to look for any other as connected with the Sanctuary. But who supposes that such services ever have been, or ever will be, connected with this earth?
True this earth will be purified by fire. The effects of sin and the curse shall be removed forever, and it shall bloom again in more than its Eden glory; but this event is as independent of, and as foreign to, the cleansing of the Sanctuary, as was the destruction of Sodom, to the ministration at Jerusalem.
"3. The days are prophetic, and denote literal years." With this we are happy to agree. The first two points only we have occasion to call in question. These the writer wishes us to take for granted, assigning as the reason, that they are already settled, and are beyond successful disputation. But we should be happy to learn when these points were settled, and how, and where. We think the true reason for the request that is made, is not presented. If he had said that these points could not be successfully maintained; if he had said, I want you to take these points for granted, because I cannot prove them, and they are necessary to my view of the subject; we apprehend that we should then have had the plain truth in the matter.
Truly this is a novel mode of discussing a subject of such importance: coolly ask your readers to take for granted the fundamental points involved in the question, and then deliberately walk off upon the unqualified assumptions. U. S.