sanctuary symbols and meaning

7/23/2019 Sanctuary Symbols and Meaning

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The Hebrew SanctuaryThe Illustrated Plan of Salvation

This article will briefly explore the basic meaning behind the Hebrew Sanctuary, and

how it reveals God's plan of Salvation for all of humanity. More specifically, we will

be looing at the traveling, or portable Sanctuary, that Moses and the !sraelites used

following the giving of the law on mount Sinai. This Sanctuary was carried by the

!sraelites as they wandered in the wilderness for "# years, until a more permanent

structure could be built.

!n $xodus %& Moses is shown the plan for the Tabernacle or Sanctuary. This plan was

a simplified version of the heavenly Sanctuary or Tabernacle, designed to reveal thatesus (hrist is our High )riest, our mediator, in the plan of salvation*

$xo %&+ -nd let them mae me a sanctuary that ! may dwell among them.

$xo %&+/ -ccording to all that ! show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the

pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye mae it.

The Sacrifice to atone for sin.

0nce it was built and functioning, the first step in the Sanctuary

services was the offering of a sacrificial animal. This could be any ofvarious animals, including a bulloc, goat, lamb, or turtle doves

offered for sacrifice by the repentant sinner. The sinner, by

transgressing the law of God, recogni1es that he faces the prospect of death *

2 ohn 3+" 4hosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law+ for sin is the

transgression of the law.

5om 6+%3 7or the wages of sin is death...

The Sanctuary service provided an illustration of the way the sinner was to repent andatone for his sins. To bring home to the sinner the conse8uences of his sin, the sinner

placed his hands on the head of the animal and confessed his sins to God. He was then

re8uired to slay the sacrificial animal by his own hand, as an offering for his sin, and

collect the blood of the animal. This emphasi1ed to the sinner that his transgression of

the law of God was no small matter, and that death was the inevitable result. The

animal that was sacrificed 9usually a lamb: was symbolic for esus (hrist, the ;amb


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of God, offered as a sacrifice in our place, so that we as sinners do not have to die for

our sins.

That was the full extent of the participation on the part of the sinner. 7rom that point

forward, all the rest of the service was conducted by a priest as mediator between the

sinner and God. This was symbolic of esus our High )riest, our mediator between usand God the 7ather*

2 Tim %+& 7or there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man

(hrist esus

The Brazen Altar of Burnt Offerings.

$xo %


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$xo 3#+2*%2, 3+

;ocated between the =ra1en -ltar of =urnt 0fferings and the

Sanctuary, the ;aver was a basin filled with water used for ritual

cleansing. The ;aver was made from the brass >looing glasses>

9mirrors: of the women. =efore handling the animal sacrificesbrought by the people, the priest would have to cleanse his hands and

feet with water from the ;aver. This was symbolic of the act of baptism. =aptism is a

declaration of the repentant sinner that he has been buried with esus (hrist and

resurrected with him as a new creature 95om 6+"*23:. The polished brass of the ;aver

is to be a >looing glass> revealing our sins, and showing us our need for a Savior,

that we might be bapti1ed and receive the righteousness that God offers us though His

Son esus (hrist. !f the priest were to neglect this act of cleansing, he would be struc

dead as a result 9$xo 3#+%2:. 4hy? =ecause to re@ect the cleansing righteousness of

esus (hrist is to die in one's own sin.

ustification

The =ra1en -ltar of =urnt 0ffering and the ;aver were both outside of the Sanctuary

proper, to the immediate east of the entrance. !t was also in this area that the animals

were slain for the services. These activities carried on outside the Sanctuary

represented the process of @ustification and reconciliation of the sinner through the

death of esus (hrist on the cross, and the acceptance of that vicarious sacrifice of the

;amb of God by the repentant sinner.

The !olden "andlestic# $%enorah&.

$xo %&+32*3/, 3


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Sometimes the central candlestic is illustrated as being slightly taller than the others.

The Menorah is also thought to be symbolic of the < days of creation, with the taller

candlestic representing the Seventh * day 9Saturday: Sabbath, the onlywee day that

God sanctified 9dedicated to a Holy purpose: *

Gen %+% -nd on the seventh day God ended his wor which he

had made and he rested on the seventh day from all his wor

which he had made.Gen %+3 -nd God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it+

because that in it he had rested from all his wor which God

created and made.

0n the right is the Menorah as illustrated

on the arch of Titus in 5ome. The

Menorah and other articles from Herod's

Temple were apparently taen as warbooty by Titus in


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-lso ept on the Table of Showbread, were offerings of wine 9Cum %+


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;ue %3+"& -nd the sun was darened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the

midst.

The veil represents the body of esus+

Heb 2#+2/ Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiestby the blood of esus,

Heb 2#+%# =y a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us,

through the veil, that is to say, his flesh

!t is only by this veil 9door: that access is possible to the Most Holy place of

@udgment. The tearing of the veil is symbolic of the death of the ;amb of God, which

now permits the believer in His atonement immediate access to the Most Holy place

of God, the place of @udgment, through the new High )riest esus (hrist, the one

and onlymediator between man and God.

2 Tim %+& 7or there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man

(hrist esus

The faithful have full and complete access to God, without the need of an earthly

mortal priest to represent them.

The Ar# of the Testi(ony of !od.

$xo %&+2#*%%, 3


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!n 5evelation 9which was written about /& -.A.:, the -r is seen in (hapter 22, verse

2/. !t is interesting to note that ohn is seeing the -r of God in the heavenly

Sanctuary, not the earthly Sanctuary 9which was utterly destroyed in


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o The Temple closed to all men, )re*-dvent !nvestigative udgment

ended * 5ev 2&+, %%+22

Second (oming * 5ev 2/+22*26, 5ev %%+2%

o The Millennium* 5ev. %#+2*3, Saints @udge the wiced * 5ev

%#+"

Great 4hite Throne $xecutive udgment of the wiced * 5ev %#+22*23

This shows a progressive se8uence in 5evelation detailing the udgment, the first

phase of which ends in 5evelation +3*& with the throwing down of the golden censer,

illustrating the close of probation, the conclusion of the mediation of the High )riest

9esus (hrist: on the behalf of the people of God.

So, if that is clear to you, then on what basis can anyone claim the ;aw of God, the

Ten (ommandments, the very focus of the Aay of -tonement 9udgment Aay:, has

been done away with? !t is the very standard by which all humanity will be heldaccountable to God. !t was by 8uestioning, doubting, and then breaing God's ;aw

that sin entered into the world in the first place. Those with faith will find mercy and

atonement from God the 7ather through esus, and be restored to the pre*fall nature.

Those without faith will face God's ;aw without an advocate, and the ;aw will

condemn them to death. God's ;aw will stand unchanged and unyielding, the very

character of God 9love: expressed in words. The wiced will pay the price for their

sins, and perish due to their lac of faith in esus, the one and only High )riest or

mediator able to reconcile them with the ;aw of God, the Ten (ommandments.

The entire Hebrew Sanctuary and it's related Sabbaths illustrated God's plan ofsalvation for all of manind in a graphic way to reveal esus (hrist as Savior and

5edeemer.

Mat &+2< Thin not that ! am come to destroy the law, or the prophets+ ! am not come

to destroy, but to fulfill.

Mat &+2 7or verily ! say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one @ot or one tittle
http://biblelight.net/millen.htmhttp://biblelight.net/judgment.htmhttp://biblelight.net/millen.htmhttp://biblelight.net/judgment.htm


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shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Mat &+2/ 4hosoever therefore shall brea one of these least commandments, and

shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the ingdom of heaven+ but

whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the ingdom of

heaven.

ohn 3+26 7or God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that

whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

ohn 3+2< 7or God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the

world through him might be saved.

ohn 3+2 He that believeth on him is not condemned+ but he that believeth not is

condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten

Son of God.

An Overview of the Traveling Hebrew Sanctuary.

The Illustrated Plan of Salvation.


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$+&%nd

-partmentThe Holy of

Holies

$,&The -r

of the

Testimony ofGod

containing

the 2#commandme

nts

$-&The

Table of

Showbread

$&The

Golden -ltar

of !ncense

$/&2st

-partmentThe Holy

place

$0&The

Golden

(andlestic

$1&The

;aver

$2&The

=ra1en -ltar

of =urnt0fferings

$3&The

Sacrifice of

the ;amb

The graphicsof the

sanctuary are

adapted, with

very minorrevision,

from an

illustration

by TomAunbebin.


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http+www.aloha.netmiesch
http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/

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