Sanctuary
How did the sanctuary service get started? The first sacrifice we find in the Bible involves two sons of Adam and Eve. Genesis 4:3-7 relates how Cain brought an offering of the “fruit of the ground”, while Abel brought of the “firstborn of the flock”. God accepted Abel’s sacrifice, but not Cain’s. By this story we see that God had instructed them already about a sacrificial system, and the requirements were known. The requirements involved shedding the blood of an animal.
The first “dwelling” we see made for God is the tabernacle made by Moses. It was made according to the pattern God showed him (Exodus 25:9).
A very large portion of the Bible is devoted to explaining the sanctuary service. Everything about the sanctuary service points to Jesus Christ as the “Lamb of God”. Nearly everything involved shedding blood. The sanctuary service showed Jesus what he must do while he was a man on earth and that he must die, and likewise shows us what we must be doing now as we get ready for the final crisis and Jesus’ soon return.
All Christians know that now we do not need to kill animals to have our sins forgiven by Jesus. Because he died on the cross for our sins, we can come boldly to him thru prayer for forgiveness. But does that mean as many Christians assert, that everything to do with the sanctuary is done away? YES, regarding a physical sanctuary on this earth, but NO regarding a sanctuary in heaven.
Hebrews is the great New Testament book tying together the earthly sanctuary and the heavenly sanctuary. Heb. 8:2,5 show clearly that there is a heavenly sanctuary, and what Moses built was just a model of the true one made by God in heaven.
Jesus is our great High Priest. We also will be made priests and kings someday (Rev. 1:6, 20:4-6). He went into the Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary to begin his ministry on the Day of Pentecost nearly 2000 years ago. He continued there until October 22, 1844 when he moved into the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary to start the cleansing process (see Daniel 8:14). Studying all the furniture, layout, services, and even materials used in the earlthly sanctuary helps us to understand the heavenly service, and how we fit in this great plan better.