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Daniel Son
Mr. Ritivoiu
English 102
9 April 2014
Salvation in the Sanctuary
After escaping the persecuting powers of Egypt, Moses and
Gods people walked to Mount Sinai. At Mount Sinai, Moses was
given the Ten Commandments and the blueprint of the sanctuary.
The sanctuary was a place for God to dwell with His people (NKJV,
Exodus 25: 8). The sanctuary was also a system for the
intercession of the people who sinned against God. Yet the
sanctuary as a whole, also symbolizes the Christian walk in life.
The sanctuary was composed of two main areas; the outer
court and the Tabernacle. Each area had different types of
sacred articles. The outer court consisted of the Altar of
Sacrifice and a Laver, which was encompassed with fine linen.
Near the Laver, there was the Tabernacle. Inside the Tabernacle,
there was the Holy Place and Most Holy Place, divided by a
curtain. Inside the Holy Place, there was three articles. There
was the lampstand, the table of showbread, and the altar of
incense. Going into the Most Holy Place, there was the ark. The
articles in the sanctuary play a role in the Christian walk.
The Tabernacle is defined as, a dwelling place (Merriam-
Webster). Like in Exodus chapter 25, verse 8 says, God wanted a
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place to dwell with His people. The Sanctuary priests were from
the house of Aaron. The priest would do the daily chores of the
sanctuary and would intercede for those who sinned. The
intercession process began with the Altar of Sacrifice. The
sinner would bring their best animal to the altar and slay it.
The priest would then go to the Laver and wash their hands and
feet as directed in Exodus chapter 30 verse 21. The priest would
then go into the Tabernacle, which enters into the Holy Place.
An online Christian website designed to explain the sanctuary
states that,
The Menorah, also called the golden lampstand or
candlestick stood at the left side of the Holy Place.
[The Table of Showbread] stood on the right side of
the Holy Place across from the lampstand and held 12
loaves of bread. The golden altar of incense, which is
not to be confused with the brazen altar, sat in front
of the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the
Holy of Holies (What is the Tabernacle of Moses?).
The priest would make sure that the lampstand was always running
with oil because it was the only light source in the Holy Place.
Another priests duty is to lift up the prayers of the people at
the Altar of Incense. The next area in the Tabernacle was the
Most Holy Place. It consisted of the ark and in the ark was the
Ten Commandment tablets, Aarons rod, and Manna.
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The outer courts of the Sanctuary showed the beginning
steps of the Christian walk. The outer court contained the Altar
of Sacrifice and the Laver. As the custom was for a Jew to bring
a sacrifice, typically a lamb or bull, they would kill the
animal as a symbol that the animal is dying for the persons sin.
For the Bible says, For the wages of sin is death (KJV, Romans
6: 23). In the same manner, we give our sins to a scapegoat,
which is Jesus Christ. For the next verse of Romans 6: 23 says
that, the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The first step in the Christian walk is to accept Christs death
on the cross. Allowing Him to take our sins as the same way in
the Sanctuary, the animal would take upon the sin and die. The
laver was for the priest to wash his hands and feet as he was
going to enter the Tabernacle. This act of washing the hands and
feet represented baptism. Baptism was the sign of the death of
your old ways and habits and selfish thoughts. You were
symbolically buried under the water to represent death and that
death was the death of your sinful life. Baptism is essential in
the Christian walk for Jesus said, Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the
kingdom of God(NKJV, John 3:3). Being born with water is the
same as saying that youre born-again when you are baptized
because you are dying to self. The Altar of Sacrifice and Laver
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show the first steps of the Christian walk, yet even the
Tabernacle shows the Christian walk.
In the Holy Place of the Tabernacle, the three articles
being the Altar of Incense, Table of Showbread, and the
lampstand, symbolizes the daily life of a Christian. In the
Christian walk there are three foundations which are prayer, the
word of God and sharing the gospel with others. The Altar of
Incense would be the first thing to see when entering the
Tabernacle. The Altar of Incense was for the priest to lift up
the prayers of the people to God. In Psalms chapter 141 verse 2,
it says, Let my prayer be set before you as incense (NKJV).
The Altar of Incense is symbolized with prayer in the Christian
walk. The Table of Showbread is symbolized as the word of God.
Jesus said, I am the living bread (NKJV, John 6: 51). Jesus
also said, Unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink
His blood, you have no life in you (NKJV, John 6: 53). Jesus is
also the Word seen in John chapter 1 verse 1 through 5 and verse
14. It is seen that the word of God is vital for Christian walk.
The next sacred article is the lampstand. The lampstand is see
as sharing the gospel with others. Matthew chapter 5 verse 14
and 16 says, You are the light of the world Let your light so
shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify
your Father in heaven (NKJV). As Christians we should share
the light that God has given us, for God has commanded us to. It
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is seen that the Holy Place in the Tabernacle shows our daily
Christian walk.
Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle also shows the way
Christians should live. In the Most Holy Place there is one
article which is the ark. The ark consists of three times which
are a jar of manna, Aarons rod, and the Ten Commandments. The
ark was designed with two cherubims with their wings spread out.
It was said in the Bible that Gods Shekinah glory was rested in
between the two cherubims on the mercy seat. The jar of manna
came from Exodus. During the time in the wilderness, Gods
people complained for food and God met their request by giving
them manna every day of the week except for the seventh day, the
Sabbath. The manna represents the Word of God. Knowing the
previous Bible text, it is assumed that bread equals the Word of
God. Interestingly enough, manna fell everyday which the people
gathered and ate. In the same manner, the Christian walk should
consist of daily mediation on the Word of God. The daily
devotion in Gods word should not be neglected. Another
significant item in the ark is Aarons rod. Aarons rod was
significant because it was actually budded. This symbol was an
eternal promise and a reminder that trusting in God keeps the
Christian connected but when rejecting the trust, cuts the
Christian off from God. The story is found in Numbers chapter 16.
There were three men who believed that Moses and Aaron were not
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good enough leaders. The men challenged Moses and Aarons
authority. It is sad because God was the one who appointed Moses
and Aaron to be the leaders with 250 other leaders to help them.
Yet the three men brought the whole congregation against Moses
and Aaron. The earth opens up and swallowed all the rebellious
leaders and their family. Yet the children of Israel murmured
against Moses and Aaron saying that they were the one who killed
the people of the Lord. God sent a plague that killed 14,700
more people. The story goes on by Moses and the leaders of the
twelve tribes of Israel taking their rods to the tabernacle of
meeting. And out of the twelve rods, one budded which was Aaron.
In Numbers, chapter 17, verse 10 it said, The Lord said to
Moses, Bring Aarons rod back before the Testimony, to be kept
as a sign against the rebels, that you may put their murmurings
away from Me, lest they die (NKJV). This story showed that
Christians do not have the right to make up their own rules or
even change Gods rules. Christians should have faith and trust
in God. The last article in the ark is the Ten Commandments. The
Ten Commandments were written on stone with Gods own finger.
This shows that the law of God is forever. It cannot be erased
as easily if God was to write it with paper and pencil. The
Bible says in John chapter 14, verse 21, He who has My
commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who
loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and
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manifest Myself to him (NKJV). The Christian lifestyle is to
love God and the Bible clearly shows that if a Christian loves
Him, they will keep Gods commandment. One thing that a famous
Christian writer, Ellen White, says is,
Do not place your influence against God's commandments.
That law is just as Jehovah wrote it in the temple of
heaven. Man may trample upon its copy here below, but
the original is kept in the ark of God in heaven; and
on the cover of this ark, right above that law, is the
mercy seat. (White, The Ark of the Covenant).
It is seen that Gods law is even in heaven and that it is
eternal and is kept even in heaven.
The most important thing is that Christ is the High Priest
who intercedes for Christians. It says in Hebrews chapter 9
verse 34, For Christ is not entered into the holy places made
with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven
itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us (KJV). It
is interesting how Christ is in a sanctuary that is in Heaven.
Ellen White states that, The sanctuary in heaven, in which
Jesus ministers in our behalf, is the great original, of which
the sanctuary built by Moses was a copy (White, What Is the
Sanctuary). It makes sense because the earthly Sanctuary was a
copy of the heavenly one. Even the Bible states this in Exodus
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chapter 25. So wherever someone may be, they can still pray and
Christ will intercede for them.
Christ on earth also followed the steps of the Christian
walk portrayed in the sanctuary. The word Christian is defined
as, a person who believes in the teachings of Jesus Christ
(Merriam-Webster). This shows that the Christian should follow
the example of Jesus. During Jesus life, he went through the
same Christian walk as portrayed in the sanctuary. What is
interesting is that, the Altar of Sacrifice was actually Jesus
himself. He was the sacrifice that took the sins of the world.
He was selfless and made sure that He was doing the will of God.
Jesus in the beginning of His ministry was baptized by John.
Going through His life, Jesus would always be praying. It is
seen that Jesus even models the way a Christian should pray.
Found in Matthew chapter 6, it is written that Jesus gave the
Christian a guideline of what and how to pray. It would make
sense that if Jesus prays, the Christian should too. Jesus then
goes on in John chapter 8, verse 31 saying, If you abide in My
word, you are My disciples indeed (NKJV). It is observed that
Jesus knows the importance of His word for the Christian and
that if the Christian is a true follower or disciple, they must
abide in His word. As for sharing the gospel with others, Jesus
Himself was the one that clearly said in Matthew chapter 5 verse
14 and 16 that, You are the light of the world Let your light
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so shine before men (NKJV). Jesus was constantly sharing the
knowledge God has given to Him to others. Jesus whole ministry
was sharing the gospel to other. For the Ten Commandments, Jesus
was fulfilling every commandment. He says in Matthew chapter 5
verse 17, Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the
Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill (NKJV).
Jesus expounds further saying in Matthew chapter 22 verse 37 to
40 that the greatest commandments are to love God with all your
heart and to love your neighbor as yourself. It is seen that
Jesus was validating the sanctuary symbolism of the Christian
walk.
The Christian walk is portrayed through the sanctuary
system and sacred articles. It is seen that each item in the
sanctuary portrayed the life of a Christian. Not only does the
sanctuary show the Christians life but Jesus even lived His
life the way the sanctuary showed it to be. Jesus is the
Christians priest in heaven interceding for the Christian, just
as a priest back then would have done. The sanctuarys system
and article symbolize the Christian guidelines.


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Works Cited
"Bible Gateway." New King James Version (NKJV Bible). N.p., n.d. Web.
04 May 2014.
Kazen, Yosef Y. "The Tabernacle - Jewish History." The Tabernacle -
Jewish History. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2014.
KJV / King James Version, New King James Version. Nashville: T.
Nelson, 1991. Print.
Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 03 May 2014.
The Remnant Study Bible: With E.G. White Comments. Coldwater, MI:
Remnant Publications, 2009. Print.
"What Is the Tabernacle of Moses?" What Is the Tabernacle of
Moses? N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2014.
White, Ellen. "The Ark of the Covenant,." Will It Be Found? N.p., n.d.
Web. 08 May 2014.
White, Ellen G. "What Is the Sanctuary?" GC: Chap.23. N.p., n.d. Web.
06 May 2014.