THE SANCTUARY OF THE NEW COVENANT.
THAT the building which we have been contemplating in the "History of the Worldly Sanctuary," did solely constitute the Sanctuary of the first covenant, cannot possibly be doubted by any one who professes faith in the inspiration of the Bible; and if there are any who deny it, we have only to remark that to such we have nothing to say; since it is our design in this article to treat with Bible believers only. That Sanctuary we have followed to its end; we have traced it in its institution and its history; we have had before our mind its various offerings and sacrifices, and the institutions of its priesthood; and we are now prepared to inquire in the language of Bro. J. N. Andrews, "Why did God ordain this extraordinary arrangement? The sacrifices offered in the building could never take away sins. Why then were they instituted? The priests which there ministered were so imperfect that they had to offer for themselves. Why then was such a priesthood ordained? The building itself was but an imperfect, temporary structure, though finished to the perfection of human art. Why then was such a structure erected? Surely God does nothing in vain, and all this is full of meaning. Nor will the student of the Bible be at a loss to answer these questions." When Paul speaks of a first covenant, [Heb. ix.] he necessarily implies a second; and when he connects with that covenant a Sanctuary and ordinances of divine service, he as clearly implies that the second will have a Sanctuary, with divine service also. But more than this, what was shown the prophet Daniel, decides definitely that the new covenant has its Sanctuary, and that with that Sanctuary is connected a priestly ministration. Only 400 years of that period of 2300 which was opened before Daniel belonged to the first covenant, the earthly Sanctuary, and the Jewish church. At the end of that time he was given to understand that the Saviour would have accomplished his ministry on earth, and would have confirmed the new covenant with his people. From that point he is then carried forward eighteen hundred and ten years, and told that then the Sanctuary should be cleansed. Dan. viii, ix. What is the Sanctuary here brought to view is the question we wish to decide; for this of course must be the one to which the earthly Sanctuary gave place when its services were finished—when the old covenant was succeeded by the new. As we enter the field to search for truth on this point, four prominent views rise up before us. It is claimed by some that the land of Canaan is now the Sanctuary. Others of more enlarged views, claim that it comprises the whole earth. Still others there are, who take the word in a more spiritual, but no less unauthenticated, sense, and say that it means the Church. While the fourth view, which draws largest on our imagination and marvelousness, makes out this rolling earth to be only the first apartment of the new covenant Sanctuary, and all heaven the second. In seeking for correct views on this question, there is one thing which we must keep constantly before us, and that is, the relation which the Sanctuaries of the two covenants sustain to each other; namely, that of type and antitype. By keeping our eye steadfastly fixed upon this, it will be almost as hard to arrive at wrong conclusions, as it would be easy, were we to lose sight of it. We notice then, first, the numerous instances in which we are informed that the worldly Sanctuary was erected according to a pattern which God furnished. Mark his instructions to Moses: "Let them make me a Sanctuary . . . according to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it." Ex. xxv, 8, 9. "And look that thou make them after their pattern which was showed thee in the mount." Verse 40. See chap. xxvi, 30; Acts vii, 44. Every one will agree with us in the conclusion, that, wherever we may find this pattern, we shall find in it the antitype of the earthly Sanctuary; or in other words, that the pattern from which was erected the Sanctuary of the old covenant, is itself the Sanctuary of the better covenant under which we now live. To this view, then, we will subject the theories which have been introduced. You who believe that the land of Palestine is now the Sanctuary, can you suppose that that land was shown Moses for a pattern? We should gather from Deut. xxxiv, 1-4 that he never saw the land but once, and that was from the top of Pisgah. But, if this was the case, Moses could not have followed his pattern very accurately; for no one can claim much of a resemblance between the land of Canaan and the building which Moses erected, thirty cubits long and ten broad. And if the land of Canaan is the antitypical Sanctuary, we inquire further, What in the antitype answers to the two apartments of Moses' building? and what to the golden candlestick? and what to the altar of incense? and what to the ark of the covenant? and what to the earthly priesthood, and their continual service? We here see that one of two positions must be immediately surrendered, and we must admit: (1.) that the pattern from which Moses built the typical Sanctuary, has no connection with the antitype; or, (2.) that the land of Canaan is not that antitype. Which shall we yield? We unhesitatingly reply, The latter; for, whereas this has nothing to support it, the former has nothing to oppose it. These remarks will apply equally well to either of the other views mentioned, whether we take the first, that would make out the whole earth to be the Sanctuary, or the second, which would make it the Church, or the third, which would take in both heaven and earth together; and to subject either of these views to the questions above proposed, would lead us to the same result. We will now turn to the Revelation of St. John; and while we continually bear in mind that he is looking, not to any spot on earth, or to the Church, but into heaven, we will mark some of the objects which he there beholds. First, he beholds seven golden candlesticks [Rev. i, 12] or seven lamps of fire burning before the throne; [chap. iv, 5;] second, he sees an angel with a golden censer, offering incense upon the golden altar which was before the throne; [viii, 3, 4;] and third, he witnesses the temple of God opened and beholds therein the ark of his testament; [xi, 19;] but we know nothing concerning the golden candlestick, the golden censer, the altar of incense, and the ark of the testament, only as they are connected with the Sanctuary. What then shall we conclude? that the true Sanctuary is in heaven? that John was here beholding the instruments of that Sanctuary? and that these were the patterns of the earthly vessels? Yes; for so Paul directly tells us, whose testimony we will now notice. After discoursing upon the new covenant and the superiority of Christ's priesthood over that of Aaron, in the first seven chapters of Hebrews, Paul opens in the eighth as follows: "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." He declares plainly in chap. ix, 23, 24, that the holy places made with hands were "figures of the true," and that the earthly tabernacle and its sacred vessels, were "patterns of things in the heavens." He furthermore states concerning the priests on earth, that they served "unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle; for, see, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount." Chap. viii, 5. From this we not only learn that the earthly Sanctuary was a figure, or type, of the Sanctuary in heaven, but also that the service of the priests here, was typical of the ministry of Christ above. And there is another important fact which will be universally conceded; and that is, that all the sacrifices offered in connection with the worldly Sanctuary, pointed to the great sacrifice of Christ when he offered up himself on Calvary. That the heavenly Sanctuary, like the earthly, has two holy places, is very evident, from the fact that the latter was a correct copy of the former; and not only this, but Paul distinctly speaks of it thus. "The holy places made with hands which are the figures (plural) of the true," holy places. And the word rendered "holiest of all," and "holy place," in Heb. ix, 5, 12; x, 19, is plural in the original, and by Macknight is rendered in these texts, "holy places," and by the Douay Bible, "the holies." Thus are we established in the fact, that Christ when he ascended commenced his ministry in the first apartment; for otherwise there would have been no need of that apartment in the heavenly Sanctuary, and his ministry would not have been a correct antitype of the worldly service, which was performed throughout the entire year, except upon the day of atonement, in the holy place. And hence we see how wide of the truth that view comes, which will have it that all heaven is the most holy place, and that Christ has now been employed more than eighteen hundred years upon that short and closing work, the cleansing of the Sanctuary, which, according to the type, was the only service to be performed in this apartment. And as this view includes the earth also as the holy place or first apartment, we would here remark, that the fallacy of any view which would connect the earth with the Sanctuary, is sufficiently shown by the following facts: 1. Christ is the minister of the Sanctuary; but, 2. No part of his ministry is performed on the earth; for "if he were on earth he should not be a priest," as there were priests chosen from among men to perform the services of the Sanctuary as long as they remained on earth. Heb. viii, 4. Therefore it is utterly futile to talk of the earth's being the Sanctuary, as a whole, or in any of its divisions. Thus have we found satisfactory answers to each of those inquiries which led us forth in the commencement of this article. We have found that the earthly tabernacle was but a "figure of the true," a pattern of the Sanctuary in heaven. The priests which there ministered, served unto the "example and shadow of heavenly things;" and the sacrifices there offered continually pointed forward to the great sacrifice that should be made for the sin of man. The way into the heavenly holy places, says Paul, "was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing." Heb. ix, 8. That is, God did not during the typical dispensation, lay open the true tabernacle, but gave to the people a figure or pattern of it. But when the time came that the services of the worldly Sanctuary ended, when the great Sacrifice was offered up on Calvary; when the dying Saviour cried with a loud voice, It is finished, and darkness overspread all the land, and the earth quaked, and the rocks burst, and the vail of the temple was rent in twain from top to bottom, (which was of itself evidence enough that its work had for ever ceased,) then the way of the temple of God in heaven was laid open. The true Church has had since that time neither Sanctuary nor priesthood in ancient Jerusalem but it has had both in heaven.173With this view of the subject there is a divine harmony apparent throughout the entire plan; the means devised for our salvation are laid open before us, as could in no other way be done; and we behold a force and beauty in those forms and ceremonies, which would otherwise appear useless and without meaning. We have not spoken, nor did we in this article design to speak, particularly of the ministrations of the Sanctuary. We have here only aimed to offer a few reasons why we believe that there is a literal Sanctuary in heaven, the antitype of the earthly building. In the work of our great High Priest, as connected with this Sanctuary, is found a rich and ample field for the Bible student or any who feel an interest in the plan of salvation. With the scripture testimony on this point, doubtless our readers are mostly familiar. Let us then remember that as the worldly Sanctuary was the great center of worship in the typical dispensation, so is now the heavenly Sanctuary above; that as the ark with the mercy-seat, was the "root, heart and marrow" of the whole temple, even so is it now. Within the ark were the tables of the covenant, the law of God; and as by faith we behold the ark in the temple in heaven, we are reminded of the same holy law. There it rests securely beneath the eye of Jehovah, and the man of sin may think in vain to change it. Before it Christ pleads his blood for those who seek pardon for its transgression. Let us see to it then that all our sins go beforehand to judgment, [1 Tim. v, 24] realizing that now is the time to do this work, and remembering that the services of the heavenly Sanctuary are accomplished once for all. They are not oft-repeated as was the case in the earthly building, but when its ministration has once closed, the last soul that would avail itself of the means of redemption, will have made its salvation sure.