What does a sanctuary have to do with a covenant?
(Ex. 25:8-23; Lev. 16:20-30; Acts 3:19; 1 Tm. 2:5-6; Heb. 8:1-6, 13; 9:1-12; 1 John 1:9) Blog Jun. 6-12, 2021
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: God’s relationship with his people is based on a covenant. This was true in Eden and after the fall. The covenant God made with Israel at Sinai, like that made with Adam before the fall, was based on human performance. As obligatory covenants humanity was to render perfect obedience to God but humanity failed. In the covenants made with Noah, Abraham, and David, like that made after the fall (Genesis 3:15), God provided the required obedience. They were promissory covenants. The New Covenant is a promissory covenant for in it God himself took on the obligation of rendering perfect obedience to the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. All those immersed into Jesus by faith are partakers of this everlasting covenant.
Why have a sanctuary? (Ex. 25:8-23; Lev. 26:11-12; John 1:10-14; Heb. 8:5)
1. What does a sanctuary have to do with a covenant? The covenant that God makes with his people is a marriage covenant in which God is the husband who provides for, protects, pastors, & procreates with his bride (the church) so he provides her a home, a sanctuary, where they can dwell together.
2. How did God express the idea of dwelling together when he asked Israel to build a sanctuary in the wilderness? He said: “Let them build me a sanctuary that I mat dwell among them.”
3. Who submitted the plans for the covenant dwelling place of God with his people? God himself submitted the plans.
4. What was the first article of furniture that God described in detail for the covenant dwelling place? The ark of the covenant which was to contain the words of the covenant.
5. What important item was to be installed over the ark of the Covenant? The mercy seat was to be installed on top of the ark of the covenant.
6. When giving the plans for the ark of the covenant what did God say he would do there? God said that he would speak to his people in that place above the ark.
7. What added symbol of the sacredness of the covenant did God design for the ark? God instructed Moses to place two gold cherubim over the ark with their faces looking towards the Mercy Seat & their wings covering it.
8. What articles of furniture did God design for the Holy Place? God designed the candlestick, the table of shewbread, & the altar of incense for the Holy Place.
9. What articles of furniture did God design for the outer court of the sanctuary? God designed the lavar & the altar of sacrifice for the outer court of the sanctuary.
Where is the New Covenant Sanctuary? (Isa. 66:1; Matt. 23:38; 26:28; 27:51; Acts 7:48-49; Heb. 8:1-6, 13; 9:1-12)
10. When was the New Covenant ratified? The New Covenant was ratified at the cross.
11. What became of the Old Covenant and its sanctuary when the New Covenant was ratified? The Old Covenant & its sanctuary became obsolete when the New Covenant was ratified for Jesus told the Jews that their “house” was left desolate & at heaven’s command the veil of the temple was rent from top to bottom.
12. Where does the Bible clearly tell us that the New Covenant sanctuary is located? The Book of Hebrews expands on the three main points of Stephen’s defense before the Sanhedrin showing that God’s people are no longer limited to the Jewish nation, that the ceremonial “Law of Moses” is no longer a rule for God’s people, & that God’s dwelling place has passed from earth to heaven where the true sanctuary is located.
13. With what words does Paul make plain that the earthy sanctuary and its service should teach us what the heavenly sanctuary and its service must contain? In Hebrews 8 Paul clearly states that “it is of necessity” that Christ have both an offering & a sacrifice if he desires to minister in the heavenly sanctuary because the earthly was “the example and shadow of heavenly things.” The heavenly sanctuary was “the pattern” given to Moses.
14. When describing the earthly sanctuary and its services in Hebrews 9 what does Paul say that it shows us? Paul reminds us that just as the earthly contained two apartments, so also the heavenly contains two apartments & that the service in the second apartment follows the daily service that was carried on throughout the year. Paul concludes that these apartments & services are symbolic of Christ’s present ministry in heaven.
15. What does the Bible say that the outer court of the earthly sanctuary symbolizes? This earth, where Jesus was baptized (lavar) & gave his life on the cross (altar of burnt offerings) corresponds to the outer court of the heavenly sanctuary.
What happens in the Heavenly Sanctuary (Lev. 1-7; 16:1-34; Psa. 69:35-36; Dan. 8:14; Acts 3:19; 1 Tm. 2:5-6; 1 John 1:9; Jude 1:24)
16. What did the daily services in the earthly sanctuary include? In the earthly sanctuary the priests offered a daily morning & evening sacrifice as an atonement for the entire encampment, the people would bring a sin offering to the sanctuary for forgiveness, & the people would bring thank offerings for God’s blessings.
17. What did the yearly sanctuary service include? The Day of Atonement was the title of the yearly service & it included two goats, one representing the Lord & the other representing Satan. All the confessed and unknow sins of God’s people who gathered by faith on that day were removed from the sanctuary & from the priests who bore them during the year & placed on the head of the Scapegoat & sent away into the wilderness, nevermore to be remembered or come into mind.
18. What does Christ’s daily ministry in heaven include? Christ’s daily (continual) ministry includes the justification of believers (morning & evening sacrifice), the forgiveness of sins, & the cleansing of good deeds (thank offerings).
19. What does Christ’s final (Day of Atonement) ministry in heaven include? Christ’s final ministry includes the final justification of believers, the blotting out of sins, & the permanent cleansing of one’s life record.
20. If the New Covenant sanctuary is in heaven what should that tell us about where we should meet God? Since the New Covenant sanctuary is in heaven our faith should be directed there for the blessings Jesus mediates for us & we should be among those that worship in heaven (Rev. 11:1).