A Better Sanctuary
Book of Hebrews Chapter 9
As we study the Book of Hebrews, we are learning that the New Covenant is far better than the Old Covenant.
The sanctuary in the Old Covenant was the Tabernacle and later on the Temple, which was built similar to the Tabernacle in design.
What was the purpose of the Tabernacle?
1) The Tabernacle provided a way for God to dwell in the midst of the nation of Israel.
Exo 25:8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
This sanctuary was called the Holy of Holies and only the High Priest could enter this place and then, only once a year.
Today upon our own salvation, we become that Holy of Holies as the Holy Spirit moves into our hearts.
2) The Tabernacle provided a way for God to reveal His glory.
Exo 40:34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
Exo 40:35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
3) The Tabernacle provided a way for sinful people to approach God because it was the center of sacrificial worship.
Lev 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
4) The Tabernacle was a reminder of the separation of our Holy God from sinful people.
5) The Tabernacle was built in anticipation of the redemption in the Lord Jesus Christ!
Heb 8:5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.
The entire Tabernacle worship system reminded the nation of Israel that a Mediator was necessary to approach God!
They had a need to learn that no one can approach God without a Mediator!
They found that God is holy, and His holiness demands moral and upright people to serve Him.
This was the reason for the Ten Commandments!
They learned that God cares for His people and would dwell with them under certain conditions.
They learned that "blood" was important to worship this Holy God.
They should have learned that the Levitical priesthood was pointing ahead to a Mediator, who would once and for all reconcile sinful people to a Holy God!
They also should have learned that when God makes covenants, He will keep them!
That when God makes promises, He will not break them.
That when God makes an oath, He will follow through with it.
That God means what He says and also says what He means!
They should also have learned that far greater things lie ahead for those who love God and are obedient to Him!
*****Heb 9:1 Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.
Heb 9:2 For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary.
We should understand that there are rules that must be observed if, we want to be acceptable to God, God being the Lord Jesus Christ!
There are some rules that must be observed if we want to have fellowship with God!
Today we understand that according to the perfect Word of God, it is only by the work of the Lord Jesus Christ that we can gain access to Heaven's Tabernacle!
The tabernacle of Moses was an earthly sanctuary or tabernacle, and it was set aside for the worship of God, but it was only an earthly sanctuary.
Heaven's sanctuary is served by the Lord Jesus Christ who provides all good things.
Jas_1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
The Tabernacle of Moses was of God and was made according to the Tabernacle in Heaven.
Heb 8:5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.
There are many things that we need to understand about that Tabernacle.
The walls of white linen symbolized the righteousness and the holiness of God.
Our Savior, the Lord Jesus, is set apart from this world!
When we look at our Savior, we must see that He dwells in "righteousness" and "holiness" and He cannot change His ways and still be God!
When we attempt to approach God, we must approach Him in "reverence" and "awe" of His "majesty" and His "power".
We must approach Him in "adoration" and in "worship".
We must approach God in thankfulness.
We must approach God with our praise of Him!
We just do not praise God as we should, and it is evident in the modern Church!
It is the Lord Just Christ that fulfilled the symbolism of those white linen walls!''
2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
There was only one entrance to this earthly Tabernacle.
It was made of fined twined linen and was blue, purple, and scarlet representing the robes Jesus wore at His false trial.
That door taught us that there is only one way to enter into God's presence. There are not several ways as the world would have you believe.
God has to be approached even though it is He who will first call you.
No person can live with God unless they approach God!
It is the Lord Jesus Christ who fulfilled the symbolism of this door!
Joh 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Jesus Christ fulfilled the symbolism of the "Brazen Altar"!
Mar 10:45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Jesus Christ fulfilled the symbolism of the "Brazen Laver"!
Joh 13:8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
Then there was the Sanctuary of the Tabernacle.
*****Heb 9:3 And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;
Heb 9:4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;
Heb 9:5 And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.
There were distinct parts of this Sanctuary which symbolized the distinct parts in our approach to God.
**Jesus Christ fulfilled the symbolism of the walls and the roof.
Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
**Jesus Christ fulfilled the symbolism the veil or the curtain.
The outer veil taught us that a person cannot rush into the presence of God.
We are to never disrespect to our Holy God! This is lacking so much in most Churches today!
There is only one way into the "deeper things" of God!
There are deeper things we must know of our God than just making a sacrifice and the forgiveness of our sin.
We must worship in Spirit and Truth with this deeper knowledge of our Savior!
Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Joh 17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
Joh 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
**Jesus Christ fulfilled the symbolism of the candlestick or the lampstand.
We all need light and illumination in order to know and to serve God!
Without the light of Christ we would remain in pitch darkness that comes by this world we live in, and we would be unable to serve the Lord or even to know Him.
2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
**The Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled the symbolism of the Table of Shewbread.
The knowledge of our Savior is the "Bread of Life" in this world!
He is the nourishment upon which we are to feed upon.
Joh 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
**The Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled the symbolism of the Altar of Incense.
The "Altar of Incense" symbolized our prayers that have reached into Heaven.
Prayers are an especially important part of our worship!
We can have no relationship with our Savior without prayer!
Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
**There was also an inner veil to the Holy of Holies and the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled the symbolism of this inner veil.
This inner veil taught that fellowship and communion with God Himself is the supreme act of worship.
Christ and Christ alone is the way to have fellowship with the Almighty God!
It is much more than just a head knowledge!
Our relation to God must be up close and personal!
Do not say you are worshipping God and then, be unable to enter this inner veil!
Heb 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Heb 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
*****Heb 9:7 But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:
Heb 9:8 The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:
Heb 9:9 Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
Heb 9:10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
The "Ark of the Covenant" was built like a trunk out of acacia wood and covered with gold.
The lid on top of the Ark was called the "Mercy Seat".
**It is at the "Seat of Mercy" where we meet with the Lord and not the "seat of God's wrath" whom the world will meet.
Exo 25:22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.
Isa 37:16 O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.
The Ark contained three items.
1) The broken tables of the law.
Deu 9:9 When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water:
Deu 9:10 And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the LORD spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.
Deu 10:5 And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the LORD commanded me.
2) The golden pot of manna.
Exo 16:32 And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.
Exo 16:33 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.
Exo 16:34 As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.
3) Aaron's rod
Num 17:10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.
Num 17:11 And Moses did so: as the LORD commanded him, so did he.
Notice this rod of Aaron could have been no longer than the length of the Ark of testimony which makes it a different rod than the rod of Moses.
**The Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled the symbolism of the "Ark of the Covenant"!
1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
1Jn 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
1Jn 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
When the Lord Jesus Christ returns, we will not need symbolism for we will see the Lord in His perfect truth!
*****Heb 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
Heb 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
We should also understand that even in Heaven, when we are in that Heavenly Tabernacle, we will be expected to worship God our Savior.
If you do not like to worship now, you would not like to worship in Heaven!
There will be many differences:
1) The Heavenly Sanctuary will have a "perfect" High Priest.
The High Priest of Heaven is not a man but is the Son of God!
He is perfect and He is also eternal, and He will always be the High Priest of Heaven!
Heb 8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
Heb 7:26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
Heb 7:27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.
2) The worship in that Heavenly Sanctuary will be "spiritual" and it will be "perfect"!
In it, we will be led by the Lord Jesus, the Son of God in the very presence of God.
On earth we are imperfect beings, but in Heaven we will also be perfect.
3) The Heavenly Sanctuary and worship will have a perfect sacrifice.
There will be no animals sacrificed.
There will be no human sacrificed.
There will be no sacrifices at all!
God has already sacrificed Himself, so no other sacrifice would have any meaning.
There will no more sacrifice because there will be no more sin!
On earth, we could not escape sin, death, and condemnation, but in that Heavenly Sanctuary these things do not exist!
4) The Heavenly Sanctuary and Worship is for saved people only. The Heavenly Sanctuary is a place for those who are pure!
Heb 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
You see these things are the good things to come, because there is nothing good upon this earth but God!
1Jn 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
1Jn 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
1Jn 2:29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
Amen
