93
This subject has confused many.
Places and
Veils
Introduction
Dr Ford’s confidence that Christ
entered the Most Holy place of the
heavenly sanctuary at His ascension1
is derived from the book of Hebrews.
If his view is indeed correct,
the antitypical Day of Atonement
commenced immediately at Christ’s
ascension and the Adventist teaching
that Christ entered the Holy Place at
His ascension is incorrect.
The Adventist idea that He entered
the Most Holy place in 1844 is then
also incorrect.
TABLE 1
Meaning (from the context)
Abraham’s tents
Earthly sanctuary
Holy Place (“first tent”) of the earthly sanctuary
Most Holy Place (“tent called the Holy of Holies”)
of the earthly sanctuary
Heavenly sanctuary
Heavenly Places in Hebrews
The Greek words for the heavenly
sanctuary are hagion or hagia
meaning “sanctuary”, “holy places”,
“holy things” or “holies”. Normally
these words mean the entire
sanctuary although sometimes they
refer to only part of it. The context
determines the correct meaning.
There has been considerable
confusion about nine verses in
My reliance on various Tables and
New Testament Greek exposes a
clarity that is not obvious in various
English translations of the book of
Hebrews.
Earthly Places in Hebrews
The Greek word for the earthly
sanctuary is skene, meaning “tent”
or “tabernacle”.
Table 1 summarises the use of the
word skene in the book of Hebrews;
the meaning listed is derived from the
context in which the word is used.
Whenever skene is applied to the
Holy Place or the Most Holy Place it
is always accompanied by additional
words. If these are not present it
means the entire sanctuary:
Reference in Hebrews
11:9
8:5; 9:8, 21; 13:10
9: 2, 6
9:3
8:2; 9:11
Hebrews and which apartment of the
heavenly sanctuary they refer to. The
confusion does not arise at the whim
of readers but from the disparity
across multiple English translations
of the book of Hebrews2. Table 2
summarises the inconsistent
treatment of these nine verses across
six translations of the Bible for the
Greek word “to hagion” and
 94

“ta hagia”. The disparity and read “Holy Place”, the worst offender
inconsistency carries serious being the NIV3. Please note the
implications where “Most Holy extent of the inconsistencies:
Place” is translated when it should

TABLE 2
Text Message KJV RSV NAB NASB NIV
8:2 sanctuary sanctuary sanctuary sanctuary sanctuary sanctuary
9:1 Place of sanctuary sanctuary sanctuary sanctuary sanctuary
worship
9:2 Holy Place Holy Place Holy Place Holy Place Holy Place Holy Place
9:8 walk in on Holiest sanctuary sanctuary Holy Place Most Holy
God of all Place
9:12 Holy Place Holy Place Holy Place sanctuary Holy Place Most Holy
Place
9:24 Holy Place Holy Place sanctuary sanctuary Holy Place sanctuary
9:25 - Holy Place Holy Place sanctuary Holy Place Most Holy
Place
10:19 Holy Place Holiest sanctuary sanctuary Holy Place Most Holy
Place
13:11 inside sanctuary sanctuary sanctuary Holy Place Most Holy
Place

Fortunately the author of Hebrews “sanctuary” unless the context

left a valuable clue in the book which
serves as the key to remove
confusion. He uses the phrase hagia
hagion only once and that is in
Hebrews 9:3. It means the “holy of
the holy/holies” and is an
unmistakable reference to the Most
Holy Place. Because this special
phrasing is used only once to refer to
the Most Holy Place, it is safe to
translate the simpler terms to hagion
and ta hagia as the entire
requires “Holy Place”. For example
in 8:2 the word ta hagia is linked
with the word skene (tabernacle) so it
must translate as the entire sanctuary.
The author probably followed the
Septuagint’s common practice of
using ta hagia to describe the entire
sanctuary except in 9:3 where the
Most Holy Place is intended by using
the unusual phrasing hagia hagion.
Table 3 summarises the logic:

TABLE 3
Greek phrasing Text Meaning
“hagia hagion” 9:3 Most Holy Place
“to hagion” or 8:2; 9:1, 8, 12, 24, 24; Entire sanctuary (unless context demands
“ta hagia” 10:19; 13:11 “Holy Place” or “Most Holy”)
Chapter 7
Dr Ford translates the simpler terms
to hagion or ta hagia from their
broader meaning of “sanctuary” to
the more restricted meaning of “Most
Holy Place”. Why do this when the
author of Hebrews uses the different
phrasing hagia hagion for Most Holy
Place? For example although there
are two Day of Atonement allusions
in 9:25, the Greek phrase ta hagia is
still used here so it should be
translated “sanctuary”. This is quite
safe as the high priest on the Day of
Atonement ministered in both
apartments. Even on the Day of
Atonement the high priest ministered
blood in the entire sanctuary (See
Lev 16:16-19; compare to Ex 30:10;
Lev 16:30). Dr Salom, a scholar
expert in Biblical languages writes4:
“Because the whole sanctuary
is involved in these services,
‘sanctuary’ is to be preferred
as the translation”.
If the author of Hebrews meant to
teach that Christ at His ascension
entered into the Most Holy Place,
why does the book never again
employ the phrase hagia hagion,
which without ambiguity refers
exclusively to the Most Holy Place5?
Knowing this, we can safely
re-submit the more correct
translations pursuant to Table 4.
Summary of Places
It is most unwise to rely on any
English translation of the Bible to
decipher the correct meaning of
issues to do with sanctuary
apartments. For accuracy one must
rely on the meaning of the original
Greek words and the context.
We can say with 100% certainty that
Hebrews 9:3 indeed applies to the
Most Holy Place of the Heavenly
Sanctuary. However this same level
of certainty cannot be exported to any
other verse in the book of Hebrews.
Whenever skene is employed, we can
be quite certain it refers to the earthly
sanctuary. If it is to also apply to the
Holy Place or the Most Holy Place it
must be accompanied by additional
words. If these are not present it
means the entire sanctuary.
Therefore the words for the heavenly
sanctuary are hagion or hagia
meaning “sanctuary”, “holy places”,
“holy things” or “holies”. Normally
these words mean the entire
sanctuary although sometimes they
refer to only part of it. The context
will determine the correct meaning.
It is beyond dispute that all sacrifices,
including those of the Day of
Atonement had their fulfillment in
Jesus at the Cross. The message of
Hebrews is that through Christ all
barriers between God and mankind
are broken down and that through
Christ’s death and mediation we now
have full access to the Father.
The reader is encouraged to study the
Appendix to this chapter as it
responds to scholarly commentary on
this chapter.
Chapter 7

TABLE 4
Text Greek Most correct Reason
phrasing primary
meaning
8:2 ton hagion Sanctuary Linked to skene (tabernacle).
9:1 to hagion Sanctuary Refers to earthly sanctuary.
9:2 hagia Holy Place Depicts first apartment furniture.
..9:3 hagia hagion Most Holy Place Depicts what is behind “second” curtain.
9:8 ton hagion Sanctuary Author contrasts sanctuaries, not apartments.
9:12 ta hagia Sanctuary Author contrasts sanctuaries, not apartments.
9:24 hagia Sanctuary Emphasis here is on “man-made”.
9:25 ta hagia Sanctuary Context supports “sanctuary”. “Hagia hagion”
not used.
10:19 to hagion Sanctuary “Hagia hagion” not used.
13:11 ta hagia Sanctuary Context supports “sanctuary”. “Hagia hagion”
not used.

Veils in Hebrews that the verse depicts the entire

The author of Hebrews uses the sanctuary to which Christ has given
Greek word translated “veil” only us access and in which our hope is
three times in Hebrews 6:19; 9:3 and anchored. (See Appendix to this
10:19-20. chapter).

Hebrews 6:19 Others point out the phrase resembles

The most disputed text is Hebrews
6:19. Is the “veil” referred to the one
which:
(i) separated the courtyard
from the first apartment?
(ii) separated the first
apartment from the second
apartment?
Those who adopt (ii) believe Christ
entered the Most Holy Place at His
ascension and not in 1844 as taught
by Adventism. G. Rice believes this
is the less compelling view because
the Day of Atonement allusions in
Hebrews 6: 19 are unconvincing6 and
therefore the most likely meaning is
the language used in Exodus 26:33
and Leviticus 16:2, 12, 15 which
always refer to the second apartment.
Others see a parallel between the
verse and 10:19, 20 where Christ’s
flesh is not the veil but points to the
inauguration of the sanctuary. This
view supports the proposition that at
His ascension Christ dedicated the
sanctuary as a whole and not a
specific apartment.
The phrase “within the veil” is not
found elsewhere in Scripture so there
is no support to secure a precise
meaning, however if the author of
Hebrews is talking about the “second
Chapter 7
veil” in 6:19 why did he not use the
specialised phrasing hagia hagion?
It is reasonable to conclude that the
verse does not refer to the second
apartment but the sanctuary as a
whole. The verse of itself and on its
own does not clearly establish that
the Day of Atonement ministry was
fulfilled at the Cross. (See Appendix
to this chapter).
Hebrews 9:3
Hebrews 9:3 is quite clear because it
deals with the earthly sanctuary and
calls the veil separating the first
apartment from the second apartment
“the second veil”.
Hebrews 10:19-20
Opinion is divided as to whether:
(i) Jesus’ flesh is the “new and
living way” or
(ii) Jesus’ flesh is the “veil”.
If (i) is correct then Jesus’ flesh is the
way to God and the veil refers to the
heavenly sanctuary. If (ii) is correct
then the veil is symbolic of Jesus’
incarnation and death and no earthly
or heavenly sanctuary is in view.
Both interpretations agree that it is
through Jesus that we have access to
God.
Summary of Veils
The message of Hebrews is that
through Christ’s death and mediation
all barriers between God and
humanity have been broken down
and all believers now have full access
to the sanctuary through Christ. This
point was amply demonstrated by the
rent veil at Christ’s death. (Luke
23:45).
Answers in Revelation
The Book of Revelation casts
additional light on Christ’s ministry
after His ascension. It is a book
about Christ (Rev 1:1) and the visions
it contains are primarily His and
concern His salvatory activity for
mankind. The book also unlocks the
book of Daniel which was to remain
sealed until the time of the end (Dan
12: 4, 9). Any questions about the
sanctuary in Daniel 8:14 would be
expected to be answered in
Revelation.
Heavenly sanctuary in Revelation
Which ministration does John the
Revelator depict Christ engaging in
when he wrote the book in AD 96?
Does John picture Christ entering His
anti-typical Day of Atonement
ministry immediately after His
ascension or at a later time?
Table 5 analyses each reference to the
heavenly sanctuary in the entire book
of Revelation. Please note from
Table 5 that Christ is depicted in
Holy Place ministration in the
heavenly sanctuary (Rev 1:12, 13,
20) before the messages to the seven
churches went out at the time the
book was written in AD 967. Christ is
described in Chapter 1:12-13 as
among the seven golden candlesticks.
Jesus has in His right hand “seven
stars” (vs 16), a description also
carried forward in 2:1. Reference to
the seven stars carries forward in 3:1.
Chapter 7
Table 5 also shows that Christ is
engaged in Holy Place ministration
during the period of the five seals and
the six trumpets (Rev 8:3, 4). The
scene here of incense mingled with
prayers cannot refer to the incense
used on the Day of Atonement (Lev
16:12) because the scene depicted
here is the backdrop for the blowing
of the seven trumpets, reminiscent of
the Jewish feast of trumpets which
occurred 10 days before the Day of
Atonement (Lev 23:24,27).
The only reference in the Book of
Revelation to a unique Most Holy
Place piece of furniture (Ark of the
Covenant) is in Rev 11:19. The
scene coincides with the blowing of
the seventh trumpet (verse 15).
Preterists cannot offer a tangible
fulfillment for the 7th trumpet in the
time of John. Some historicists apply
the blowing of the 6th trumpet to the
rise of the Ottomon Turks but opinion
of that interpretation is divided. (By
converting the times in verse 15 from
‘day’ to 1, ‘month’ to 30 and ‘year’
to 360, a total of 391 prophetic years
added to 1453 AD terminates in
1844. In that year the ark was
exposed in the Most Holy Place; Rev
11:18).
Judgment
It is significant that nowhere does
John the Revelator depict Day of
Atonement judgment occurring in his
day. He does depict the ‘great white
throne’ in chapter 20:11 but this
scene occurs after the millenium.
God’s throne is located in the
heavenly sanctuary (Psalm 11:4;
99:1; Isaiah 6:1; Ezekiel 1:26; Rev
7:15). Judgment is connected with
the throne but John does not depict
Day of Atonement judgment as
occurring in his day.
Table 5 also reveals that Revelation is
not concerned with the courtyard
which contained the laver and altar of
burnt offering symbolic of the cross
event. The man with the measuring
rod is instructed not to measure the
courtyard (11:2). The focus in
revelation is on the heavenly
sanctuary and not the perimeter
grounds.
From Table 5 we can conclude that
Christ did not enter into anti-typical
Day of Atonement ministration until
the 7th trumpet blows (11:15-19) and
that the book depicts Christ as High
Priest in Holy Place ministration
during the first 6 trumpets (8:3, 4)
and at the beginning of the messages
to the 7 churches (1:12, 13, 20).
Such is entirely consistent with our
findings in the book of Hebrews.
The reader is encouraged to read the
Appendix to this chapter as it
addresses three key issues raised by
scholars to this chapter.
Summary of Revelation
John depicts Christ in Holy Place
ministration after His ascension and
in Most Holy Place ministration
when the 7th trumpet blows. John
does not depict Day of Atonement
judgment as occurring in his day.
Chapter 9 deals in detail with this
subject but John’s depiction is
consistent with both the mediatorial
Chapter 7
work of the typical priest and that of
the high priest on the Day of
Atonement who ministered in both
apartments and who ministered blood
in the entire sanctuary on that Day.
We must not speculate about the
glory and scope of the heavenly
sanctuary. It is outside our
comprehension. We derive but a
faint clue from the mere shadow of
the earthly sanctuary. The heavenly
is about the mediatorial ministration
of Jesus our Advocate and
representative through whom we may
enjoy open fellowship with God.
“Wherefore He is able to save
them to the uttermost who
come unto God by Him,
seeing He ever liveth to make
intercession for them” (Heb
7:25).
SDA Sabbath School Quarterly
An excellent statement in the third
quarter of the 2003 Sabbath School
lesson8 requires recital:
“Perhaps in many ways the
key theme of Hebrews can be
found in the simple phrase
within this text (7:25): that He
can save to the uttermost those
who come unto God by Him”.
The Greek word translated
“by” here means “through” or
“by means of”.
We must again remember the
purpose of the epistle: Paul is
telling these people: 'Don’t go
back to your old ways. The
new way offers something
much better, something that
can accomplish what the old
never could. The new way
offers you the opportunity to
come to God as you never
could before. And that’s
because you can now come to
God through or by means of
Jesus’.
What does it mean to come to
God “by Him”, that is through
Jesus? It is through Christ as
your great High priest that we
can have access to God. But
how? How can we as sinners
have access to a holy God? Of
course we don’t stand in the
physical presence of God, at
least not now. But we don’t
have to. Someone else does it
for us, and that’s Jesus, who
by virtue of His perfect life
stands before the Father – for
us. He stands in our place,
representing us, not because of
our own worth but because of
His. He alone has the perfect
righteousness to stand in the
presence of the Father. Just as
in the daily and the yearly
service in the old covenant the
priests entered into the
presence of God in the
sanctuary, Jesus does so for us
in the heavenly sanctuary. He
is our Representative there,
doing for us what we can
never do for ourselves”.
This gospel message clarifies
Adventism’s understanding of
Hebrews 9 as Bible-based, gospel
focused and Christ-centered.
Chapter 7

TABLE 5
Revelation Scene In In Holy In Most Conclusion
references Court- Place? Holy
Yard? Place?
1:12-13 Christ Christ in Holy Place in
among 7 yes AD 96
Lampstands
2:1, 5 Christ Christ in Holy Place in
among 7 yes AD 96
Lampstands
4:2 onwards God’s God’s Throne is in the Most
Throne yes Holy Place (Ps 99:1; Rev
7:15)
6:9 Souls under yes Refers to altar of incense
the altar
8:3 Incense This occurred on the Feast
mingled with yes of Trumpets.
prayers
8:5 Throwing End of last trumpet (11:19)
down the yes and at close of probation
censer (16:17, 18)
th
9: 13 Four horns Occurs during 6 trumpet
of golden yes
altar
11: 1 Measuring yes yes Does not refer to Jerusalem
temple temple destroyed in AD 70.
11: 4 Two yes Context is the 1260 days
Lampstands
th
11: 19 Ark of God’s yes Not in view until 7 trumpet
covenant is blown
14: 15, 17 Angel End of probation
coming from yes
the temple
14: 18 Angel Refers to Rev 8:5
coming from
the altar
15:5, 6; 16:1 Temple of Close of probation
covenant yes
opened
16: 7 Altar crying Compare Rev 6:9
20: 11 Great white yes Throne of judgment (see
throne Dan 7:9)
22: 1 The Throne yes Throne of God’s
of God government
Chapter 7

1
Ford, D Dan 8:14 The Day of Atonement & The Investigative Judgment (1980) Pp 181-
195; 228-229. Euangelion press.
2
Mueller, E Come Boldly To The Throne (2003). Page 80. Pacific Press Publishing
Association
3
Johnsson, W Hebrews (1994) Pacific Press Pub Assoc pp 149.
4
Salom, A.P Issues In The Book of Hebrews (1989) page 227. Silver Springs, Md. SDA
Biblical Research Institute.
5
SDA Sabbath School Lesson for the quarter July-September 2003 page 71.
6 Rice, G Hebrews 6:19; Analysis Of Some Assumptions Concerning
Katapatesma. DARCOM Issues In The Book Of Hebrews 9. Pp 229-234
7
Piper, O Johannesapokalpyse (1956-65) RGG Tubingen Col 829.
8
SDA Sabbath School Lesson for the quarter July-September 2003 page 82.