11. Where is Jesus ministering? Hebrews 8:2.
NOTE: ‘Christ, our great High Priest, is “a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” Hebrews 9:9, 23; 8:2. As in vision the apostle John was granted a view of the temple of God in heaven, he beheld there “seven lamps of fire burning before the throne.” Here the prophet was permitted to behold the first apartment of the sanctuary in heaven; and he saw there the “seven lamps of fire” and the “golden altar” represented by the golden candlestick and the altar of incense in the sanctuary on earth. Again, “the temple of God was opened,” Revelation 11:19, and he looked within the inner veil upon the holy of holies. Here he beheld “the ark of His testament,” Revelation 11:19, represented by the sacred chest constructed by Moses to contain the law of God. John says that he saw the sanctuary in heaven. That sanctuary, in which Jesus ministers on our behalf, is the great original, of which the sanctuary built by Moses was a copy. The heavenly temple, the abiding place of the King of kings, where “thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him,” Daniel 7:10, that temple filled with the glory of the eternal throne, where seraphim, its shining guardians, veil their faces in adoration, no earthly structure could
represent its vastness and its glory. Yet important truths concerning the heavenly sanctuary and the great work there carried forward for man’s redemption were to be taught by the earthly sanctuary and its services.’ Counsels for the Church, page 347.
12. What is the new covenant into which Jesus has made it possible for us to enter? Hebrews 10:16-17.
NOTE: ‘It is easy enough to say that if we had right thoughts we should act rightly; but that is only putting the difficulty one step farther back; how can we think of what we ought? The promise in the new covenant tells us, “I will put My laws in their mind,” says the Lord. He alone can do it. Give Him the ordering of your ways, and He will give you right thoughts. “Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.” Proverbs 16:3. The Spirit of God can do that which is impossible for man. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5.’ E . J. Waggoner, Present Truth, June 14, 1894.
13. What encouragement are we given by our High Priest, especially in the closing up of the Day of Atonement? Hebrews 10:21-25.
NOTE: ‘That day was to be a holy convocation. The people were to assemble for religious worship. Paul speaks thus of individuals who, in the days when the High Priest should soon come forth from the heavenly sanctuary, would forsake the religious assembly: “Having a High Priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. . . . Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.” The one that takes no pleasure in meeting with those of like faith to worship God has an “evil conscience,” and has lost faith in the near coming of our High Priest from the heavenly sanctuary. There is a special blessing in worshiping with others. God promises that, where even two or three are gathered in His name, He will meet with them. This first requirement is a spiritual thermometer by which every Christian can test his spiritual condition. If he absents himself from the worship of God because he takes no pleasure in it, his spirituality is very low. Each individual was to “afflict” his soul, to search his heart, and put away every sin, to spend much time in prayer.’ Steven Haskell, The Cross and its Shadow, page 222.
LESSON INSIGHT: The Old Testament sanctuary and priesthood was a teaching tool, a parable, to show us the living work of Jesus in the true and heavenly sanctuary. But He could not begin His ministry until after the crucifixion. It was on the cross that He shed His blood as the Lamb of God. And at His ascension He entered upon His priestly ministry, taking His own blood within the Holy Place and in 1844 into the Most Holy place. This blood had bought all the blessings He wishes to bestow on us, repentance, forgiveness, power to keep us from falling, and even the measure of faith that is given to everyone to use to take hold of these precious gifts. The Holy Place ministry, hearing our prayers, bearing the guilt of our confessed sins, placing pardon on all our past sins, confessed, and giving us a new heart and mind will continue until the Close of Probation, just before Jesus returns to take His faithful ones to be with Him.
But in 1844, Jesus began the final phase of His work, which corresponded to the work of the High Priest in the Most Holy Place of the wilderness sanctuary, the work of cleansing the sanctuary, of dealing with the record of sin that has been placed there. Those who are purifying their hearts, while He is removing the record of their sins from the sanctuary, will have their names retained in the Book of Life, and the record of their sins will be blotted out forever. For those who do not take part in this work, their sins will remain, and they will have to bear the penalty they have incurred. The wages of sin is death.
‘Those who are living upon the earth when the intercession of Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above are to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort, they must be conquerors in the battle with evil. While the investigative judgement is going forward in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God’s people upon earth.’ Great Controversy, page 425.
But Jesus has made every possible way for us to escape. He is our anchor and He is sure and steadfast. We can live our lives in confidence and gratitude and especially hope. We can have boldness in the Day of Judgement. ‘Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.’ Hebrews 10:19. ‘We have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgement: because as He is, so are we in this world. 1 John 4:17. When this is the case, Jesus will rejoice. His work will have been successful and He can present us to His Father. This will be the reward for His suffering. ‘Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.’ Jude 1:24-25. Would you like to be one of those who will bring such great pleasure to our Saviour after all His suffering?