Heavenly Sanctuary quotes

1) “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it....And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was showed thee in the mount.” Exodus 25:8-9, 40.

The Hebrew word for “pattern” used here is “tabniyth”, which translates and means “structure, resemblance, form, pattern” (Strong’s Exhaustive Hebrew Concordance, word #8403). This means that God showed Moses the structure or form or pattern of things that were already in existence so that Moses could gain a mental picture and correctly guide the Israelites in creating a resemblance to these same sacred items that he had seen.

“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 showed to thee in the mount.” Hebrews 8:5.

3) The earthly Sanctuary was built and arranged by man with God’s direction and help. The heavenly Sanctuary was built and arranged by the Lord God Himself without any direction or help from man (Hebrews 8:2), thus making it perfect without any defect. Since the earthly Sanctuary and its services were patterned after the heavenly Sanctuary, then all that took place within the earthly Sanctuary was to teach the truth in regards to what was to afterward take place in the heavenly Sanctuary. This then meant that while “the first tabernacle was yet standing” the way into the heavenly Sanctuary “was not yet made manifest” (Hebrews 9:8).

This inner veil had separated the two apartments of the earthly Sanctuary from one another. But when it was ripped from top to bottom into two pieces and exposed the most holy place to the gaze of all, it then signified that a great change had occurred in how God was going to be dealing with His people from that time on. At the death of Christ, God’s dealings with His people through the earthly Sanctuary and its services had come to an end, and were finished or fulfilled. All these things were then set aside and removed, and were replaced with the heavenly Sanctuary and its services.

The earthly Sanctuary and Temple where God literally dwelt among His people was declared to be the Sanctuary of “the first covenant” (Hebrews 9:1). After the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross, we were no longer living under the first Covenant, but are now living under the New Covenant! All that was connected with the first Covenant, including the earthly Sanctuary, its services and priesthood, had now been fulfilled or finished, and had been replaced by a New Covenant, which included a heavenly Sanctuary and its services and its priesthood.

The Sanctuary and Temple of God in this New Covenant period is not found on this earth like under the first Covenant, but is now found to be located in heaven. Who would then be the high priest now ministering for God’s people in this heavenly Sanctuary?

“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; 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. Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” Hebrews 9:11-12, 8:1-2.

4) -- The earthly Sanctuary had a first veil or door which needed to open and passed through before one could enter into the first apartment or the holy place of the Sanctuary. Once within this first apartment they would see such sacred furniture as the golden Candlestick of 7 lamps, as well as the golden Altar of Incense.

-- The heavenly Sanctuary also has a first “door” (Revelation 4:1) which one needed to open and pass through before they could enter into the first apartment of the Sanctuary, and once within this first apartment you would also see such sacred furniture as the golden Candlestick of “seven lamps of fire” (Revelation 4:5; Zechariah 4:2) as well as “the golden altar” of “incense” (Revelation 8:3).

-- The earthly Sanctuary had an inner or second veil or door which needed to open and pass through before one could enter into the second apartment or the most holy place of the Sanctuary, and once within this second apartment you would see the ark of the covenant.

-- The heavenly Sanctuary also has an inner or second veil or door which had to be “opened” (Revelation 11:19) and passed through before one could enter in the second apartment or the most holy place, and once within this second apartment you would see “the ark of his testament” (Revelation 11:19).

-- There is no mention in the Bible of an Outer Court existing in heaven at all. Why? Because Christ offered His innocent life as our Substitute and spilled His blood on this earth just one time in order to atone for ever for all of our sins.

“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” Hebrews 10:4-14.

Christ offered His righteous life and body as “one sacrifice for sins for ever” and spilled His precious blood on this earth “once for all”, and thus there is no need of any further sacrifices or the spilling of blood to atone for sin! All sacrifices and spilling of blood occurred in the Outer Court, and Christ was sacrificed and His blood spilled on this earth, showing that this earth itself actually represents the Outer Court that is connected with the heavenly Sanctuary, and that is the reason why there is no Outer Court mentioned as being in heaven itself.

5) The dimensions of the Outer Court connected with the earthly Sanctuary was approximately 150 feet long and 75 feet wide (Exodus 27:9-18 and 38:9-19). The dimensions of the Outer Court connected with the heavenly Sanctuary is the size of this entire earth, which is almost 25,000 miles in circumference along the equator!

The dimensions of the earthly Sanctuary itself was approximately 45 feet long, 18 feet wide and 15 feet high. Since this Tabernacle was divided into two different apartments, this meant that the first apartment was approximately 30 feet long, and the second apartment was approximately 15 feet long (Exodus 26:1-37). But the dimensions of the heavenly Sanctuary itself are almost unimaginable!

“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.” Revelation 4:1-2.

These verses reveal that the throne of God is located within the heavenly Sanctuary or temple itself, and since this was the very first door opened in heaven where God’s throne was seen inside, then this is speaking of the door being opened into the first apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary.

“And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind....The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

“And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.” Revelation 4:3-6, 10, 5:1, 6-11.

This means that the size of the first apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary is huge enough to comfortably contain within it God the Father and His throne; the golden Candlestick of 7 lamps of fire; the golden Altar of Incense; 24 human elders or priests and their 24 thrones; 4 living creatures or beasts; the Lamb of God or Jesus Christ; a crystal sea of glass, as well as an innumerable company of heavenly angels! This makes this first apartment of the Sanctuary in heaven unimaginably immense in size!

The earthly Sanctuary was used as God’s dwelling place until the first Covenant ended at the death of Christ. This means that the timing of these scenes depicted in the first apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary could not occur until after the Lamb of God had been slain, was then resurrected and then ascended to heaven in order to appear before God the Father within this first apartment.

The 24 human elders declared about Jesus Christ: “for thou wast slain, and [then afterward being slain] hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Revelation 5:9). This means that after Jesus had been crucified and shed His precious blood, then these 24 different elders were redeemed from among every different race and culture, and were then taken to heaven and allowed to sit on 24 thrones. This also reveals that these scenes in the first apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary could not take place until after Christ was slain, was then resurrected and ascended to heaven, and since these 24 humans were sitting on 24 thrones at the same time the Lamb of God was there, then they had to be taken off the earth around the same time as Jesus was!

We know when Christ Himself was resurrected, that “the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many” (Matthew 27:52-53). And we also know that when Christ “ascended up on high, he led captivity captive” (Ephesians 4:8), or in other words Christ captured the captives, or liberated those who were once held captive. It then is highly likely that these 24 human elders and priests sitting on these 24 thrones in the first apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary came from among the group of God’s followers who were raised from the dead and liberated from their graves and then ascended up with Christ to heaven. Just like the Wave Sheaf or firstfruits of the grain which the priest waved before the Lord in the earthly Sanctuary and which depicted the greater harvest of grain soon to come (Leviticus 23:10-11), so Christ as the High Priest presented these newly resurrected redeemed elders before God as the antitype of the Wave Sheaf as representatives of the greater harvest soon to come after the resurrection of the righteous dead from all ages.

If we put all these facts of truth together, we see that the time frame of these scenes depicted in Revelation 4 & 5 that were taking place within the first apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary had to be occurring shortly after Christ ascended to heaven. This reveals that since Jesus was crucified on a Friday in the Spring of 31 A.D. (Mark 15:37-47; Luke 23:46-56; John 19:30-42), was then resurrected on that Sunday (Matthew 28:1-2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1), and 40 days later ascended to heaven (Acts 1:3-9), then the beginning of Christ’s ministration as our High Priest before God in the first apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary began very shortly after His ascension in 31 A.D.


	"LET THERE BE LIGHT" Ministries home \| Sermon Quotes THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY quotes 1) “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it....And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was showed thee in the mount.” Exodus 25:8-9, 40. The Hebrew word for “pattern” used here is “tabniyth”, which translates and means “structure, resemblance, form, pattern” (Strong’s Exhaustive Hebrew Concordance, word #8403). This means that God showed Moses the structure or form or pattern of things that were already in existence so that Moses could gain a mental picture and correctly guide the Israelites in creating a resemblance to these same sacred items that he had seen. 2) “For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth.” Psalms 102:19. “The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.” Psalms 11:4. “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 showed to thee in the mount.” Hebrews 8:5. 3) The earthly Sanctuary was built and arranged by man with God’s direction and help. The heavenly Sanctuary was built and arranged by the Lord God Himself without any direction or help from man (Hebrews 8:2), thus making it perfect without any defect. Since the earthly Sanctuary and its services were patterned after the heavenly Sanctuary, then all that took place within the earthly Sanctuary was to teach the truth in regards to what was to afterward take place in the heavenly Sanctuary. This then meant that while “the first tabernacle was yet standing” the way into the heavenly Sanctuary “was not yet made manifest” (Hebrews 9:8). But this all changed when Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross and “cried with a loud voice” “it is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (Mark 15:37; John 19:30). “And the veil of the [earthly] temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.” Mark 15:38. This inner veil had separated the two apartments of the earthly Sanctuary from one another. But when it was ripped from top to bottom into two pieces and exposed the most holy place to the gaze of all, it then signified that a great change had occurred in how God was going to be dealing with His people from that time on. At the death of Christ, God’s dealings with His people through the earthly Sanctuary and its services had come to an end, and were finished or fulfilled. All these things were then set aside and removed, and were replaced with the heavenly Sanctuary and its services. The earthly Sanctuary and Temple where God literally dwelt among His people was declared to be the Sanctuary of “the first covenant” (Hebrews 9:1). After the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross, we were no longer living under the first Covenant, but are now living under the New Covenant! All that was connected with the first Covenant, including the earthly Sanctuary, its services and priesthood, had now been fulfilled or finished, and had been replaced by a New Covenant, which included a heavenly Sanctuary and its services and its priesthood. The Sanctuary and Temple of God in this New Covenant period is not found on this earth like under the first Covenant, but is now found to be located in heaven. Who would then be the high priest now ministering for God’s people in this heavenly Sanctuary? “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; 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. Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” Hebrews 9:11-12, 8:1-2. 4) -- The earthly Sanctuary had a first veil or door which needed to open and passed through before one could enter into the first apartment or the holy place of the Sanctuary. Once within this first apartment they would see such sacred furniture as the golden Candlestick of 7 lamps, as well as the golden Altar of Incense. -- The heavenly Sanctuary also has a first “door” (Revelation 4:1) which one needed to open and pass through before they could enter into the first apartment of the Sanctuary, and once within this first apartment you would also see such sacred furniture as the golden Candlestick of “seven lamps of fire” (Revelation 4:5; Zechariah 4:2) as well as “the golden altar” of “incense” (Revelation 8:3). -- The earthly Sanctuary had a golden censer that was filled with live fiery coals from off the golden Altar of Incense, upon which the priest would then place incense and the sweet smelling incense smoke would ascend up before God. -- The heavenly Sanctuary also has "a golden censer" that is filled with live fiery coals from off the golden Altar of Incense, upon which is placed incense and "the smoke of the incense...ascended up before God" (Revelation 8:3-5). -- The earthly Sanctuary had an inner or second veil or door which needed to open and pass through before one could enter into the second apartment or the most holy place of the Sanctuary, and once within this second apartment you would see the ark of the covenant. -- The heavenly Sanctuary also has an inner or second veil or door which had to be “opened” (Revelation 11:19) and passed through before one could enter in the second apartment or the most holy place, and once within this second apartment you would see “the ark of his testament” (Revelation 11:19). -- The earthly Sanctuary had an Outer Court wherein all the sacrificial offerings and the spilling of blood occurred. -- There is no mention in the Bible of an Outer Court existing in heaven at all. Why? Because Christ offered His innocent life as our Substitute and spilled His blood on this earth just one time in order to atone for ever for all of our sins. “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” Hebrews 10:4-14. Christ offered His righteous life and body as “one sacrifice for sins for ever” and spilled His precious blood on this earth “once for all”, and thus there is no need of any further sacrifices or the spilling of blood to atone for sin! All sacrifices and spilling of blood occurred in the Outer Court, and Christ was sacrificed and His blood spilled on this earth, showing that this earth itself actually represents the Outer Court that is connected with the heavenly Sanctuary, and that is the reason why there is no Outer Court mentioned as being in heaven itself. 5) The dimensions of the Outer Court connected with the earthly Sanctuary was approximately 150 feet long and 75 feet wide (Exodus 27:9-18 and 38:9-19). The dimensions of the Outer Court connected with the heavenly Sanctuary is the size of this entire earth, which is almost 25,000 miles in circumference along the equator! The dimensions of the earthly Sanctuary itself was approximately 45 feet long, 18 feet wide and 15 feet high. Since this Tabernacle was divided into two different apartments, this meant that the first apartment was approximately 30 feet long, and the second apartment was approximately 15 feet long (Exodus 26:1-37). But the dimensions of the heavenly Sanctuary itself are almost unimaginable! 6) How large is this first apartment or the holy place of the Sanctuary in heaven? “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.” Revelation 4:1-2. Exactly where is this throne of God located in heaven? “...there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne.” Revelation 16:17. These verses reveal that the throne of God is located within the heavenly Sanctuary or temple itself, and since this was the very first door opened in heaven where God’s throne was seen inside, then this is speaking of the door being opened into the first apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary. “And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind....The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. “And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.” Revelation 4:3-6, 10, 5:1, 6-11. This means that the size of the first apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary is huge enough to comfortably contain within it God the Father and His throne; the golden Candlestick of 7 lamps of fire; the golden Altar of Incense; 24 human elders or priests and their 24 thrones; 4 living creatures or beasts; the Lamb of God or Jesus Christ; a crystal sea of glass, as well as an innumerable company of heavenly angels! This makes this first apartment of the Sanctuary in heaven unimaginably immense in size! 7) When are these scenes depicted in Revelation 4 & 5 taking place within this first apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary? The earthly Sanctuary was used as God’s dwelling place until the first Covenant ended at the death of Christ. This means that the timing of these scenes depicted in the first apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary could not occur until after the Lamb of God had been slain, was then resurrected and then ascended to heaven in order to appear before God the Father within this first apartment. The 24 human elders declared about Jesus Christ: “for thou wast slain, and [then afterward being slain] hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Revelation 5:9). This means that after Jesus had been crucified and shed His precious blood, then these 24 different elders were redeemed from among every different race and culture, and were then taken to heaven and allowed to sit on 24 thrones. This also reveals that these scenes in the first apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary could not take place until after Christ was slain, was then resurrected and ascended to heaven, and since these 24 humans were sitting on 24 thrones at the same time the Lamb of God was there, then they had to be taken off the earth around the same time as Jesus was! We know when Christ Himself was resurrected, that “the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many” (Matthew 27:52-53). And we also know that when Christ “ascended up on high, he led captivity captive” (Ephesians 4:8), or in other words Christ captured the captives, or liberated those who were once held captive. It then is highly likely that these 24 human elders and priests sitting on these 24 thrones in the first apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary came from among the group of God’s followers who were raised from the dead and liberated from their graves and then ascended up with Christ to heaven. Just like the Wave Sheaf or firstfruits of the grain which the priest waved before the Lord in the earthly Sanctuary and which depicted the greater harvest of grain soon to come (Leviticus 23:10-11), so Christ as the High Priest presented these newly resurrected redeemed elders before God as the antitype of the Wave Sheaf as representatives of the greater harvest soon to come after the resurrection of the righteous dead from all ages. If we put all these facts of truth together, we see that the time frame of these scenes depicted in Revelation 4 & 5 that were taking place within the first apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary had to be occurring shortly after Christ ascended to heaven. This reveals that since Jesus was crucified on a Friday in the Spring of 31 A.D. (Mark 15:37-47; Luke 23:46-56; John 19:30-42), was then resurrected on that Sunday (Matthew 28:1-2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1), and 40 days later ascended to heaven (Acts 1:3-9), then the beginning of Christ’s ministration as our High Priest before God in the first apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary began very shortly after His ascension in 31 A.D.