SECOND QUARTER 2024
SABBATH SCHOOL INSIGHT #8
MAY 25, 2024
“LIGHT FROM THE SANCTUARY”

 

“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6, NKJV).

Sanctuary and Temple, Garden and River

God’s everlasting purpose for humanity has been an intimate relationship based on trust and love. Sin has cast a dark shadow over this relationship, and the purpose of the sanctuary, the one in heaven and its patterned extensions on earth, is to shed glorious light on human understanding and experience to expel that darkness. Rich metaphors and teaching aids are found therein: Bread, oil, incense, veiling curtains, altars of sacrifice and mediation, a throne of mercy and justice, angelic helpers, and places where blood and water are used to represent what alone can accomplish essential transformations of heart and mind.

In ancient times a garden was at times placed as a sanctuary within the royal palace, a integral place where intimate fellowship and restful, meaningful conversations could take place (cf Esther 7:7,8). Perhaps this derived from a wistful recollection, conscious or subconscious, of that original garden where God and man held daily communion as close friends. In The Song of Songs the garden figures prominently in the picture of conjugal love used to point us to the strong desire which Christ and His bride are to share, a “love strong as death” (Song of Songs 8:6).

In the Garden of Eden, a pure river divided into four river heads and watered the land in all directions (Genesis 2:10-14). The translated names of these rivers are Increase, Bursting Forth, Rapid, and Fruitfulness, showing God’s original blessings designed for humanity. In the earth made new, the Garden of Eden is restored, and the river of the water of life flows again, with the tree of life as a practical reminder of how God has fulfilled His bursting desire to rapidly heal the nations and provide once again the sweet increase, the fruit of sweet communion between God and man.

In the New Testament, the sanctuary (agion) refers to the sacred, holy, pure place from where God ministers the plan of salvation for humanity. The word itself is only used in the book of Hebrews, which draws the Jews’ and our attention from the earthly service to the heavenly realities of the plan of salvation, revealed in the person of Christ, in whom God dwelled, showing His love in a perfect life and death to sin, revealing mercy and truth in an intimate restoration. Both perfect divinity and the universal suffering of a fallen humanity are revealed in the experience of Jesus. Christ offered the temple (Gr. naos) of His body as the ultimate consummation of the earthly house or tent (Heb. bayit, ohel) where God made His dwelling among, and in, humanity. It is in the face of Jesus that we see the glory of God’s redeeming love.

In the Old Testament, the first use of the word sanctuary (miqdas) is found in the Song of Moses, sung after the deliverance at the Red Sea, and before God instructed Moses to build the earthly sanctuary. “You will bring them in and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which You have made for Your own dwelling [miqdas]” (Exodus 15:17). God’s purpose was and is to bring His people back home, to eternal intimate fellowship with Him, where He Himself is our dwelling place (Revelation 21:22).

Consider the context of the prophetic book of Daniel. The very first prophecy was God’s response to a pagan king who was wondering about the future, pondering what good his great success in Babylon would accomplish in the future, no doubt in the context of the reality of his eventual death. Existential questions confront humanity. Where are the answers? God, the ultimate Sovereign of the universe, steps down to come close to Nebuchadnezzar in an unassuming but dramatic fashion - a dream. In the course of events, He reveals that Satan’s accusations of a distant, aloof, and nebulous God (Daniel 2:11) are false, and that He has come close to humanity to reveal the “secret” of how good and humble He really is (Daniel 2:28-30).

The teacher’s edition of the quarterly this week exposes the pagan fallacy of dualism expressed in Greek thought (inherited from Babylon), the idea that humanity and divinity are far apart by design. The sanctuary message revealed in the incarnation, life, ministry, death, and priesthood of Christ are the answer to this lie. God has always desired to be close; it is sin that separates.

Cleansing the Sanctuary

Many expositors have pointed out that the prophecies of Daniel repeat and enlarge. We should find that true not only of the timelines, kingdoms, and events, but also of the overarching purpose of God. Thus, the cleansing of the Sanctuary found in Daniel 8:14 is both a prophetic prediction and a personal perspective of what God is doing in the here and now, especially in this time of the end, to prepare a cleansed and purified people, what He has always desired. This will happen only through a clear revelation and heart experience of the Gospel, of righteousness by faith, of trusting in the God who has brought salvation to all mankind:

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works” (Titus 2:11-14).

The light shining from the Sanctuary is to finish the Reformation, to banish the darkness of multitudinous false doctrines arising from dualism, and restore the true integrated understanding — of God’s character, creation and government; of the origin of evil and the great controversy; of the doctrine of Christ and His salvific work at the cross and in His heavenly ministry; of the second coming, the judgment, and restoration; and of the role and function of the church in the end time.

Christ Himself is the both the preparation for and the end of the judgment. He is our Advocate because He became one with us, or as it might be said, He representatively became us. We have boldness because He has given Himself, His eternal life, to us. We judge that all died in Him, and so all live in Him. We live because He lives. We love because He loves. The light is dazzling and beautiful — and purifying.

So how is it with your temple and mine, our mind and body, our soul? Is the Sanctuary being cleansed?

“And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:16, KJV).

“The only defense against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the heart through faith in His righteousness.” —Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 324.

In order for the sanctuary to be cleansed eschatologically, there must be in God’s people the restoration, belief in, and experiential evidence of the true gospel of the completed objective work of Christ as the only way for the soul temple to be cleansed.

Put another way, the cleansing of the sanctuary is impossible without and contingent upon the restoration of the everlasting gospel.

The 1888 message was that cleansing message. It was the fulfillment of Daniel 8:14 which would prepare a people for translation.

It was our unbelief of this Minneapolis message which stalled the cleansing.

Diary Entry of Ellen White, Friday, July 16, 1897

I awakened this morning at three o’clock and lifted my heart in prayer and thanksgiving to God for His watchful care over the household. I pray the Lord to take us all under His guardianship today and make His face to shine upon us. I pray most earnestly that He will honor our humble dwelling with His abiding presence in our home. We may every individual in the family have the converting power of God daily upon heart and character.

The religion of Christ in the heart is the wellspring of life. It is the living water that Christ will give to every thirsting soul that asks Him. There are many who keep religion in practice far from the soul temple, and their faith is not in Jesus Christ. We are trying to do all in our power to help the unconverted professor of religion to see the great loss he is sustaining in keeping his Lord and Saviour in the outer court. The heavenly Guest should be invited to occupy the throne of the soul, to control every impulse of the mind, and to bring even the thoughts into subjection to Jesus Christ. —Ellen G. White, Letters and Manuscripts, Vol. 12, No. 174, par. 53, 54.

This was the essence of what was resisted at Minneapolis - the cleansing of the heart by the indwelling of Christ through the Holy Spirit. The message of the Cross, the plan of salvation, is to restore that experience lost in Eden. It is a promise. It will happen if we desire it enough to let self be crucified with Christ.

Never before have I seen among our people such firm self-complacency and unwillingness to accept and acknowledge light as was manifested at Minneapolis. I have been shown that not one of the company who cherished the spirit manifested at that meeting would again have clear light to discern the preciousness of the truth sent them from heaven until they humbled their pride and confessed that they were not actuated by the Spirit of God, but that their minds and hearts were filled with prejudice. The Lord desired to come near to them, to bless them and heal them of their backslidings, but they would not hearken. They were actuated by the same spirit that inspired Korah, Dathan, and Abiram....

When I purposed to leave Minneapolis, the angel of the Lord stood by me and said: “Not so; God has a work for you to do in this place. The people are acting over the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. I have placed you in your proper position, which those who are not in the light will not acknowledge; they will not heed your testimony; but I will be with you; My grace and power shall sustain you. It is not you they are despising, but the messengers and the message I send to My people. They have shown contempt for the word of the Lord. Satan has blinded their eyes and perverted their judgment; and unless every soul shall repent of this their sin, this unsanctified independence that is doing insult to the Spirit of God, they will walk in darkness. I will remove the candlestick out of his place except they repent and be converted, that I should heal them. They have obscured their spiritual eyesight. They would not that God should manifest His Spirit and His power; for they have a spirit of mockery and disgust at My word. Lightness, trifling, jesting and joking are daily practiced. They have not set their hearts to seek Me. They walk in the sparks of their own kindling, and unless they repent, they shall lie down in sorrow. Thus, saith the Lord: “Stand at your post of duty; for I am with thee, and will not leave thee nor forsake thee.” These words from God I have not dared to disregard. —Ellen G. White, Letter 2a, 1892, pp. 4, 5. (To “Dear Nephew and Niece, Frank (F.E.) and Hattie,” November 5, 1892.)

I have attended the closing meeting of the ministerial Bible school—a school composed of conference delegates and those who have been attending the ministerial institute. At this meeting several were called upon to say something. Remarks appropriate for the occasion were made by Elders Olsen, Waggoner, Prescott, and Smith; also by Elder Haskell, who has been mercifully preserved during his tour around the world.

I spoke in regard to matters that were deeply impressing my mind. I referred to the fear that had been expressed by some who were not members of the ministerial institute, and who had not been present at all the Bible classes of the school—a fear that there was danger of carrying the subject of justification by faith altogether too far, and of not dwelling enough on the law.

Judging from the meetings that I had been privileged to attend, I could see no cause for alarm; and so I felt called upon to say that this fear was cherished by those who had not heard all the precious lessons given, and that therefore they were not warranted in coming to such a conclusion. None of the members of the class who had been studying the Word to learn “What saith the Scriptures?” entertained any such fear. The Bible, and the Bible alone, has been the subject of investigation in this school. Every lesson has been based, not on the ideas and the opinions of men, but on a plain “Thus saith the Lord.”—Ellen G. White, Manuscript 21, 1891, 1, 2. (“Christ Our Righteousness,” February 27, 1891.)

Sabbath, January 3, 1891—I spoke in the Tabernacle to a crowded house. I had not an idea of saying as plain and pointed things as I did say, but the Lord spoke through the human agent. I felt pressed, and could not withhold the message given. I pray the Lord that the words spoken may find access to hearts.

The Tabernacle was crowded to its utmost capacity. Oh, how I yearned in spirit for the men who, by resistance of light which God had given, have for the past two years hedged up the way that the Spirit of God shall not find access to their hearts. I heard a voice say to them, “You still are unbelieving. Stand aside or close up the ranks by coming into line and uniting in the work wholeheartedly.”

Must this burden always rest upon me here in Battle Creek? Must I always carry this heavy load? Must my testimony be of that character to reprove, rebuke? May the Lord have mercy upon me and help me, that I shall be found true and faithful to do God's will, to keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment!

A good work has been begun here, but it is not complete. There are men who do not know or understand. Will it stop short at some of the cruel stumbling blocks, and the church, because they do not make thorough work, wade through another year of darkness? God forbid! Oh, that there may be found righteous ones to plead in behalf of His people, and that their prayers will prevail!

I should rejoice greatly to see the spirit of confession followed up throughout the church. Many are now obtaining a glimpse of their true condition and of their real necessities. If they persevere, make thorough work, and continue to draw nigh to God, He will draw nigh to them and will lift up for them a standard against the enemy. There will certainly be an outpouring of the Spirit of God. The church cannot over-rate their sinful neglect of duty, their unfaithfulness, and their neglect to receive light and practice the truth. Not improving their opportunity has brought defective eyesight, and has weakened their faith and corresponding zeal in earnest effort to walk in the light. Through their unbelief—because of the attitude and position of the church—sinners in our borders have become hardened and have been fearfully established in unbelief.

When Jesus is within the sanctuary above, when we have an Advocate in the courts of heaven, how earnestly should the corresponding work of intercession be going on upon the earth! While we may see and should sense the guilt of sin, we are to appreciate the mercy of God through the atonement. The Lord has promised that because of the propitiatory sacrifice He will, if we repent, certainly forgive our iniquities. Now, while Christ is pleading in our behalf, while the Father accepts the merits of the atoning Sacrifice, let us ask and we shall receive. Let all confess their sins and let them go beforehand to judgment that they may be forgiven for Christ's sake, and that pardon may be written against their names…. —Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases Vol. 3, pp. 196-197.

Notice the connection between the cleansing of the sanctuary and the sin of unbelief manifested in our own history. Those who have ears, let them hear.

 

~ Todd Guthrie