p. 21 | The Sanctuary by Roswell F. Cottrell

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 15, 1863

The Sanctuary.

By Roswell F. Cottrell

THE sanctuary was the center of the typical system. It was the place where God's name was recorded, and his glory dwelt. It was the place where Israel should meet with God and inquire at his oracle, and toward which they should look when they prayed, even if they were in a foreign land, led captive by their enemies.

Since the typical system was abolished, at the death of the great and only true sacrifice for sin, the apostle Paul has clearly taught us, in his letter to the Hebrews, that the true tabernacle and priesthood are in heaven. "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." Thus our minds are transferred from the earthly to the heavenly—from the typical to the true.

How strange it is that Christians should lose sight of the true sanctuary, the place to which all their worship should be directed, as they have at the present day! But that power has been manifested, spoken of in Rev. xiii, who "opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven;" and, as a consequence, men are looking on earth for the sanctuary, either to Rome or to Jerusalem, or some other place, where they have no warrant from scripture to look for it.

But since knowledge has increased in these last days, in fulfillment of the prophecy of Dan. xii, 4, light has broken upon this subject, as well as many others, and we find, not only that the sanctuary in heaven is the grand center of the Christian system, as the earthly was of the typical, but that this subject is the center and citadel of present truth. And since our temple is in heaven, and in that temple, "the ark of his testament," containing "the commandments of God," and in the very midst of these commandments, the Sabbath of the Lord, fenced around by nine moral precepts, that cannot be overthrown, it is no wonder that the enemies of the Sabbath should, not only strive to abolish the ten commandments, but to demolish the true sanctuary in which they are deposited beneath the mercy-seat—the throne of God in heaven.

It is no wonder that Eld. R. V. Lyon should despair of overthrowing the Sabbath, unless he could overthrow this tower of our strength—the sanctuary. If the sanctuary cannot be demolished, the Sabbath cannot be reached. Hence the necessity of the effort. And nothing but the most absolute and desperate necessity could induce a man of sense and of a sound mind to proclaim a theory so utterly and admirably weak, in the face of the fullness of the beaming light that now shines upon the subject.

It is truly lamentable that men professing loyalty to the King of heaven, should fight against his holy law. But, if they will do it, let them direct their efforts against the true sanctuary, and strive to pluck down the pillars of God's throne; for the law is safely housed in heaven. "The temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament." Rev. xi. 19.

Oh, for a perfect conformity to that law! that law which is perfect, converting the soul.

R. F. COTTERELL.