Thus, we have laid in the foundation of our building the Stone, Who is Christ. In words, this sounds beautiful. But what this actually means in the life of each of us is understood by everyone in his own way, according to the measure of his faith and the information he has received.
But it is also worth knowing where Christ is now and what He is doing there. If I do not understand this, then most likely I will invent for myself whatever I consider right. But in the light of the Bible, my speculations may prove false, and I risk being deceived and confusing the historical prophecies about our time with my own ideas or with generally accepted views.
During the Exodus from Egypt, God commanded that a tabernacle be built so that a specific ministry could be carried out in it. Moses was shown a detailed plan of how and from what it was to be built, and who was to perform each kind of work. The exact dimensions and the location of every object intended for the ministry were specified. The ark of the covenant was built, and the tablets of God’s law, written by the hand of God, were placed in it. All preparation and all work were carried out under God’s absolute control, and there was no place in the sanctuary for anything foreign or unnecessary. Even the fire was taken only from the altar. The Heavenly King set apart the tribe of Levi as His priests. From this tribe the high priest was chosen, who performed the most solemn and significant part of the ministry. Only the clean animals appointed by God were to be offered as sacrifices, symbolically pointing to the coming Messiah, Who became the true Sacrifice for the sins of humanity. All the types and feasts of the earthly sanctuary proclaimed that Christ would come, in Whom everything would be literally fulfilled.
Later, Solomon built the temple for the performance of this ceremonial ministry. All its types were an exact copy of the true Heavenly Sanctuary.
Through the prophet Daniel, the prophecy of the 2,300 evenings and mornings foretold the exact time when Christ would come, when He would die, when the door of grace would be opened to all nations, and when the cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary would take place. And this prediction was fulfilled to the very day. At the appointed time Jesus was baptized; three and a half years later He was crucified; and another three and a half years later the command was given from Heaven to carry the gospel to the Gentiles.
In Mark 16:19 we read: “So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.” And if we stop at this account, it is very difficult to understand what happened next.
But in the Epistle to the Hebrews, we read a more detailed description of where the Lord ascended and what it means that He “sat on the right hand of God.”
Jesus became the true High Priest and began the true ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary, after the pattern of which the earthly sanctuary had been built. Christ entered the Heavenly temple with His Own Blood, and therefore all earthly animal sacrifices lost their meaning and power. The types met their reality.
Daniel’s prophecy points to the cleansing of the Sanctuary. If this is arranged by dates, the following picture emerges.
In 457 BC, King Artaxerxes issued the decree to restore Jerusalem. From that day the prophecy began to be fulfilled. After 490 years, in AD 27, Jesus was baptized and presented to the world as the promised Messiah. Three and a half years later, at the Passover feast, the sacrifice for our sins was offered through the death of Jesus. Another three and a half years later, in AD 34, the people of Israel completely rejected God’s mercy and began the physical destruction of Christ’s followers, and the door of grace was opened to the Gentiles. In 1844, Daniel’s prophecy received its final fulfillment, and the cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary began. In the earthly ministry, blood for sins was brought into the Holy Place throughout the year, while the cleansing took place once a year on the Day of Atonement, when the high priest brought the blood of the goat for the Lord into the Most Holy Place. On this feast, all who had come to worship searched their hearts and waited with trembling for God’s decision. If the Lord forgave the people, the high priest received evidence of it and, upon leaving the Sanctuary, announced God’s will to the people. Everyone joyfully listened to the verdict, and rejoicing before the Lord began.
A corresponding event took place in 1844. Our High Priest entered the Most Holy Place of the Heavenly Sanctuary with His Own Blood. The phase of the Heavenly ministry then moved to the judgment, in which the cases of those who had in one way or another been connected with Christianity began to be examined, so that the records in the Book of Life might reveal how devoted and faithful each person had been to the Lord. And now this judgment is deciding the eternal destiny of those who have ever entered into a covenant with God.
I have heard people say that there is no judgment and that it is unnecessary, because God already knows everything and has no need to review every case. Yes, God knows everything, but there is also the universe and those who desire to understand why one person was justified and another condemned. The judgment answers such questions. Each person’s case is presented very clearly to everyone, and Jesus pronounces either a verdict of justification, showing His wounds and declaring that His Blood was shed for this soul, or a verdict of condemnation through sorrowful silence concerning unconfessed sins.
I did not invent this. God established the judgment, and the Bible teaches how important it is to know and understand this. I believe that there is a Heavenly Sanctuary in which Christ is now performing His mediatorial ministry as the Great High Priest. One day my name will be spoken in that place, and so will your names. And what will the Lord say? When He hears my name, will He exclaim, “My Blood has washed away the sins of this son. Father! I desire that he be with Me!”?
Understanding what is taking place in Heaven gives me an understanding of what should and should not be done on Earth.
But the message of the Sanctuary also points to the fact that one day this ministry will end, and those who did not believe in the necessity of cleansing and examining their hearts, or who treated the time of preparation carelessly, will find themselves without oil in their lamps and will be unable to enter the marriage supper. This means that they will lose their salvation forever.
Understanding what is taking place, I realize that the standard of judgment is the law of the Ten Commandments, by which all the righteous will be judged. But the good news is also that if Christ is our Advocate, then we do not even need to come into judgment; He Himself will decide everything. (John 5:24)
At the end of the ministry in the earthly tabernacle, the confessed sins of the people were placed upon the scapegoat, and it was led into the wilderness, where it died. In the same way, at the end of the Heavenly judgment, Jesus will place all the confessed sins of the righteous upon Satan, so that he may bear the sentence for all his temptations. But wickedness that has not been forsaken will remain upon sinful people, and they themselves will have to bear the decision of the judgment and drink the cup of punishment. This cup of my sins was given to Jesus in Gethsemane, and He drank it in my place in order to give me the cup of blessings to drink, which rightfully belongs to Christ but is given to me through His love in response to my faith. And this is from God.
And the very throne of grace upon which Christ’s ministry is now being performed is promised to all overcomers who choose the path of love, friendship, and happiness.
To be happy is to bear witness to the world about my faith: that I understand Whom I serve, Whose Spirit is in me, Whose law is written in my heart, and Who reigns in the third temple of my soul.
Questions for Reflection
Please read Leviticus 16; Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6; Daniel 7:9–27; 8:13–14; 9:24–27; Hebrews 1:3; 2:16–17; 4:14–16; 8:1–5; 9:11–28; 10:19–22; Revelation 8:3–5; 11:19; 14:6–7; 20:12; 14:12; 22:11–12 in the light of this chapter. Did you learn anything new from this chapter? How do you understand Christ’s intercessory ministry? What does it mean to sit at the right hand of God? Is it important to know where Jesus is now and what He is doing? Why is it important to understand the truth about the Heavenly Sanctuary in this last time? From the example of the earthly types of the tabernacle, can you picture what is now taking place in the Heavenly Sanctuary? How many times does the book of Revelation speak of the Heavenly Temple? What is in the ark of the covenant? What does this chapter have to do with the foundation of happiness? Can you explain in your own words the arrangement of the Sanctuary and what all the objects in it symbolize? Did you understand what this chapter is about?