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Sabbath, December 10, 2005 Newark Seventh-Day Adventist Church
Pastor Tom Hughes

The Sanctuary in Heaven - II

Over the last several weeks, we have been looking at the purpose of Adventism: where we have come from and where we are going. In the last sermon, we talked about the sanctuary and its furniture. We went through what the furniture in the earthly sanctuary was and what that furniture symbolizes.

Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, as we enter into this sermon we pray you will give us reverence, give us an attitude of praise. Give us the attitude of learner so that we might know what the word of God has to teach us today. We pray that this great subject we’ve been studying might be even clearer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

We’ve been talking about earthly sanctuary and today we’re going to talk about the sanctuary in heaven. We will turn from this earth, some of the events that are taking place here, and we will turn our attention to heaven.

Remember we talked last time about the north side of the sanctuary where Jesus’ throne is located. The West Side is where the Father sits, the south side is where the lamp stand is that represents the throne of the Holy Spirit. The altar of incense is in the middle of the throne.

Jesus’ throne is on the north side of the sanctuary, the Holy Spirit’s is on the south side, and the Father’s is on the west side. On the east side is entrance through which the priest comes. God set his sanctuary with the backs of the people to the East so that they would not worship the sun. He’s put his throne in the West so that they would worship him away from the sun. That’s why sun worship and the sun-day concept of sun worship have always been so offensive to God.

That’s why in Ezekiel 14 Lucifer said, “I will ascend to the sides of the north and I will sit as God sits and I will be like the most high.” What Lucifer was saying was “I want Jesus’ throne. I want to take his throne away from him, and I want to sit on the sides of the north on the throne of Christ.” That’s where we get the great controversy between Christ and Satan. Satan wanted Jesus’ throne.

Hebrews 8:2 tells us that “Christ was a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.”

So up in heaven, God made the sanctuary.

Hebrews 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.”

As we now turn our gaze upward to the Sanctuary in Heaven, we need to talk about God’s Throne Room and what is involved in understanding it.

The Sanctuary in Heaven is the Anti-type, or the original Sanctuary, from which all earthy types derived their meaning. If you make a type of something, it’s a model. It’s a replica. It’s a copy.

A type of a car, for instance, is a model car. At home, I have a Franklin Mint copy of my Harley. It doesn’t look as good as my Harley because I made my Harley look better than that. But the Franklin Mint is an exact copy of the original Harley, my year Harley – same color, same everything. It’s very impressive to me that their level of detail is so good. And when I look at that type, that model, of my Harley, I can really see my Harley reflected in that. That is the type, the model. My Harley is the anti-type. It is the real thing. It’s the anti-type of the model.

The Sanctuary in heaven is the anti-type of the sanctuary that was on earth. The Jewish tabernacle in the wilderness was the type or the model of the anti-type in heaven. Now why is that important? Well, it’s important because I want you to understand it. To grasp it.

Now we should always remember that there is no earthly sanctuary. There’s no earthly sanctuary since God’s hand ripped the curtain in the temple in half when Jesus died on the cross.

In Colossians 2:14, it says the earthly priesthood, the sacrifices, and the earthly sanctuary ended. When Jesus died, that was the end of the earthly priesthood.

Many Christians call a church a “Sanctuary” and this is acceptable in a limited sense. But if you really wanted to compare with the earthly tabernacle, you would call this the “Peoples Court” of worship or the outer court because that’s where worship was conducted by the Jewish people. The Jewish people had no part in the holy or most holy place. They did not participate in that. That was done solely by the priest. There was only one way a Jewish person participated in that. They came, offered a sacrifice, and the priest took the blood from that sacrifice into the holy place. That’s the only way they participated. And the only way they could participate was through the priest who would take the blood in to the sanctuary.

Now does that apply in the heavenly sanctuary with Jesus? Can we go there? Not literally, but can we go there by faith? Yes! We’re told to come there boldly by faith. Now the only way we can participate in the priestly ministry in the holy and most holy place is the same way it was in the earthly tabernacle – we go through the blood of the sacrifice and it’s taken there by the priest. In the earthly tabernacle, you’d bring your little lamb, you would kill the lamb, the priest would drain the blood and take it into the holy place, pour it on the curtain, put it on the horns of the altar, and then once a year the blood would be taken into the most holy place put on the mercy seat, poured out on the curtain, and once a year the curtain was taken down on the day of atonement.

So since there is no literal earthly “Sanctuary” today we must look heavenward. Ellen White preferred the title, “the house of God” and I like that, too. She would call this a “sanctuary of refuge” and she would call it a sanctuary in the sense of it being a holy place, but I just want to be very careful in my language so you don’t misunderstand. It is a beautiful sanctuary in that this is where we gather together and we find refuge from the world. It’s a very beautiful holy place so we call it kind of a sanctuary in that way. But there is no earthly sanctuary biblically. The sanctuary now is where? It’s in heaven.

In the bible it says that in the most holy place in heaven, in Revelation 4, there is a throne room and there are three persons in one being, three components of a throne in one huge throne Room. The Ark, The Table, and The Candlestick are all part of the same “throne” in the sense that where one sits the other is. The Altar of Incense is in the “midst of the throne.” And in order to really get a glimpse of this vast, miraculous place, we need to open our bibles and let’s read through Revelation Chapters 4 and 5.

So here we look at this giant throne room. We see seven candlesticks on the south Side, we see God up there on the Ark of the Covenant, we see the throne of Jesus, the table of showbread with the bread that symbolized Christ, and in the middle of the throne we see Jesus standing at the altar of incense ministering his blood before the Father. This is very interesting.
It says he’s in the middle of the throne. And he uses the word throne singular to mean the throne of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They’re all part of one throne with Christ in the middle ministering before his Father. The Shekinah glory over the table of showbread, the Shekinah glory over the candlestick, the Shekinah glory over the Ark of the Covenant and the altar of incense, the Shekinah glory filling the room! The character of God, the brightness of God, the divinity of God, the nature of God, one God all reflected in the Shekinah glory. Three thrones, three persons, one being!

My little brain can hardly take it in! Is God awesome or what!

Let’s look at the throne of God. A massive altar. A massive throne. A massive ark. All components of one huge throne room – all part of the same throne in the sense that where one is, the other is. Look at this miraculous place.

Revelation 4:1-2
1After 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 shew thee things which must be hereafter.
2And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

So here a door opens, and I believe this was in 1844.

What is the door that opened up so that the Day of Atonement could begin?

What was it that made the Day of Atonement or wiping out of the sins of Israel possible in the earthly tabernacle? It was the blood of Christ, the sacrifice of Jesus.

Jesus is the door, is he not? He is the door through which we go into the Day of Atonement. There was the symbolic Day of Atonement, which the Jews carried out once a year. There was the type, the model, of the Day of Atonement, which the Jews carried out every year. And then there was the anti-type of the Day of Atonement, which the Jews carried out – the great anti-typical day of atonement that is going on in heaven today.

And it says they set up a throne. So after the door was opened, they come in and set up a special throne. Is that the altar of incense that was moved closer? In the Old Testament, the altar of incense is described as being in the first apartment with the candlestick and the lampstand. But interestingly in Hebrews 8 and 9, the altar of incense is now listed as part of the most holy place. Isn’t that interesting? Could it be that the throne that was moved was the altar of incense that was brought in before the Ark of the Covenant into the most holy place as the great anti-typical Day of Atonement began? And there were also other thrones that were set up.

Now notice the similarity of Daniel 7:9, and 10 with Revelation 4:1, and 2.

Dan. 7:9 – “I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.”
10A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

There are flames everywhere! There are wheels, and in the middle of all this the judgement was set, the thrones were set up. The phrase where it says, “they were cast down,” means they were set up. The judgment was set up. When the door opened in heaven they brought in thrones, they set them up, and the judgment was set up.

Notice that sometime shortly after the end of the 1260 years predicted in Daniel that began in 538 A.D. and ended in 1798, the bible says that immediately after the antichrist power was wounded; this door would open and the judgment would begin. So sometime in the late 18th century this beast power was wounded. Then sometime in the 19th century the judgment was to begin. That’s Interesting. That fact should be of interest to every person on earth.

Now I confess to you that I’m not very politically correct because I say outwardly, openly, plainly, that the Roman Catholic Church is the antichrist of the Bible. I apologize that I’m not politically correct but I am more concerned about being biblically correct. And to my Roman Catholic friends, I love you, I’m not criticizing you, nor am I even criticizing the priests, and the bishops, and the popes. Many of them don’t even know the bible prophecies I’m talking about. They study what the church counsels say, but they don’t study the bible itself.

So I’m not passing judgment on any person. I love the Roman Catholic people. They’re the best! I’m prejudiced but I think Roman Catholics make the best (Seventh-Day) Adventists. I’m sorry, I just feel that way. But I can’t ignore Daniel 2, 7, 8, 12; and the book of Revelation. I can’t ignore all those prophecies that point to this false religious system that has reigned for 1260 years.

It says in Daniel 7 and 8 that this power has to begin in 538 AD when those three horns were gobbled up and it has to reign for 1260 years, for centuries until the Second Coming of Christ. It should be in force then, today, and when Jesus comes. There is only one religious system on earth that can fulfil that qualification. It is not Antiochus Epiphanes as some have said; it is Rome – Rome in its pagan form and then later Rome in its Christian form.

The Roman Church that claims to be the sole authority in all things religious. The problem with that is that they instituted a creature centered, man centered form of worship. This false religious system claims to be the true Temple of God. And in the Vatican, the pope sits. The true sanctuary on earth, according to them, is the papal system.

The true priesthood is the priesthood that has the power to forgive sins. The true priesthood claims that the pope is God incarnate on earth. This false religious system also claims that they are the only true church and only authority of God on earth.

When my brother-in-law wanted to put his kids in Catholic school, they would not recognize his marriage. They told him he had been living in immorality and that his 10- and 12-year-old sons were not acceptable to God because he wasn’t really married because a priest didn’t marry them. So they had to get remarried to put their kids in Catholic school.

They say that the priest has the right and the power to forgive sins on earth. They claim to create Christ in the form of the Communion, as they teach the Communion, the bread they make is the literal body and blood of Christ. They claim that you have to pray to the saints in order to get through to God, that without the mediation of the saints, you cannot have your prayers heard. Without the mediation of the priest, you cannot have your prayers heard. Without the mediation of the bishop and the cardinal, and the pope, you cannot have your prayers heard. Without the mediation of the Virgin Mary, you cannot have your prayers answered – only through Mary. Mary is called the Great Intercessor and it is only through her that all prayers must go to Jesus.

“These preposterous claims, titles, and divine attributes, speak volumes about the idolatrous veneration of the pope, which has been a historical trademark of the CREATURE-CENTERED worship of Roman Catholicism. By exalting popes, saints, and Mary to a semi-divine place, Catholic worship is CREATURE-CENTERED, rather than GOD-CENTERED.  It obscures the true worship of God. This is an important point to keep in mind when studying the false worship promoted by the false religious system of the the little horn and then again in the Beast of Revelation 13.”

This false religious system, and all the churches that have come out of Roman Catholicism that teach many of the same doctrines is described in Revelation 18. The bible calls this false religious system a harlot, a great whore that sits on many waters and gives her the title, “Babylon the Great.”

Now people will tell me, “Pastor, As long as you love Jesus, it doesn’t matter which church you go to. They’re just different roads leading to the same place.” That is not true. Absolutely Not! That is a lie of the devil from hell!

Let me ask you a question, ladies. If your son comes home and he says that he has a date, does it matter whether he goes out with the girl next door or the town harlot? Does it matter? I’d say it does!

Does it matter whether we go out with the pure woman dressed in white described in Revelation 12 or the harlot church, the false church of Relation 18 – does it matter? I’d say yes! It does matter!

This woman Babylon has daughters, the false churches that came out of the Roman system that teach lies. Falsehoods like the teaching that when you die you go right to heaven or to hell where you burn for all eternity. These are all doctrines that came out of Babylon or Catholicism and the churches that teach those things, whether you call them Baptists or Methodists, or Presbyterian or whatever, these churches also came out this system of falsehood.

The true church in the last days will not direct your attention toward human worship and practices such as Catholicism. The true church will direct your mind toward the Sanctuary system in Heaven. The true church in the last days will not be creature-centered, but Heaven- centered. They will be teaching about what our Great High Priest is doing in heaven. They will be teaching you that there is no earthly Priestly System - that all believers are now priests.

They will teach the Priesthood of all believers and that the false system of worship instituted by Roman Catholicism claims to take the Hebrew priesthood that God specifically discontinued on the cross when he ripped that veil in half and said the earthly priesthood is over and they continue it and they have an earthly system of priesthood: bishops cardinals and pope – that is not ordained of God and is not biblical.

The Bible teaches in the book of Peter that there is a priesthood of all believers. That you and I are now the priests of Christ. We are intercessors between God and this evil world in the sense that we carry Christ to the entire world.
He said, “Go ye therefore into all the world.” Did he say just the women were supposed to go? Did he say just the women were supposed to go out and tell all nations about his Gospel? Did he say just the men? No. He said, “Go ye therefore into all the world.”

Are the men supposed to go? Are the women supposed go? Are the children supposed to go? Do we have a gospel message that’s supposed to go to all the world? Does every man, woman and child in this church need to be preaching that message and sharing the gospel? Amen!

So while the Bible is teaching the priesthood of all believers and that all of us need to read the word and interpret it for ourselves, there is a false religious system saying that only male priests can interpret the bible and that you don’t have the expertise to interpret it and that you need to leave it up to them. And this false religious system has set up a false system of mediation. But the true church is heaven-centered. The true church is cooperating with their great high priest, Jesus Christ. And the true church is teaching there is only one mediator between God and man, Jesus.

1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

Now I have a whole sermon already written called Sanctuary Laws where we’re going to talk about the laws of the Sanctuary and how they apply. I have another one called Sanctuary Priests, where we talk about Christ and his ministry. I have another one called Sanctuary Books where we talk about the judgment and the books in heaven. Where going to get into all this stuff during the winter. Make sure you don’t miss a sermon because we’re going to be in this subject and we’re going to explore it in great depth because this is the message God raised up in Revelation 11. He said, “measure the sanctuary. Open the door, look at the Ark of the Covenant in the most holy place and tell the world all about it because “thou must prophecy again.”

So I’m prophecy-ing again, people. This is the message needs to be proclaimed, and this is the message that these critics on the Internet and all around the world hate about Seventh-Day Adventists. They attack the judgment hour message and they attack Ellen White – those two things. Why? Because God’s enemies hate them because they are doing what God called them to do to get this message of the judgment out to everyone.

So while the false religion deceives people by diverting their minds by teaching them to worship and pray to Saints, worship and pray to Mary, confess their sins to another human being, the true church is saying, “Don’t do that! Look at Christ! Go to your mediator in heaven! Come boldly before the throne of God. Look at Jesus.”

The true church directs you to Christ and teaches men to go to him for forgiveness of sin, and mediation with God. The true church doesn’t drink the wine of Babylon’s false doctrines. The true church does not teach that dead Christians go right to heaven at death to be prayed to, or that the lost are in hell or purgatory when they die. They teach that the dead are in their graves, unless physically resurrected. They reject the false teachings of the church of Confusion. The Bible tells us Babylon is fallen, “be ye not partakers of her sins.” All through the Bible, the false religion of Catholicism and her daughters is contrasted with the pure, primitive, apostolic faith.

Just after the beast power ends its 1260-year oppression of God’s people, the Bible says God judges the world and gives the saints their kingdom, their crowns, and exalts his Son to his rightful place as the ruler of the universe. It says the Judgment is set and the books were open. When this judgment begins, thrones are moved, and set up. There are movable thrones depicted here!

Revelation 4:3-4 – 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.

Sardine is like clay. It’s a brown orange-ish color much like the American Indian’s skin tone. When it says that Adam was made in God’s image and that he looked like clay, he wasn’t kidding. He reflected God’s look and the Jasper and Sardine stone that God looks like is very dramatic. It’s a very dramatic portrayal of a clay-like color.

Now there was a rainbow about the throne. And keep in mind everything in the throne room is translucent. Light passes through it. So the rainbow goes above his head and circles around the throne. You can see through the floor in God’s throne room. The rainbow goes around and it makes a perfect circle. Through the floor, you can see the rainbow.

3And 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.”

So it was round.

4And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting,” Notice that they were sitting in the throne room of God. Who alone is allowed to sit in the presence of the king: another king. Anyone who dares to sit in the king’s presence is immediately killed, usually by beheading. You do not stand before the king unless he grants you permission. And if you are seated, you are a fellow king.

Notice it says they were “clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.”

When Jesus rose from the dead, he resurrected over twenty people that now make up the twenty-four elders in heaven who are taking part in the judgment of the dead.

Matthew 27:52, 53 “And 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.”
Notice it doesn’t say they went in and lived. They simply made and appearance. They ascended with Jesus to heaven in bodily form. There are no disembodied spirits in heaven. Every human there has a resurrected body.

Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, “When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.”

Rev 14:4 – “These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.”

So when he (Jesus) ascended on high, he gave gifts to men. Well how did he do that? There were 21 people besides Moses, Elijah, and Enoch whom we know are already in heaven. He took 21 more with him. And up in heaven there are 24 elders. He led captivity captive! He gave them the gift of eternal life, a new body, a New Kingdom. He gave them a crown of gold, and the right to sit with him upon his throne!

Jesus arrived in heaven with a group of redeemed saints, ambassadors of earth, to participate in the greatest courtroom drama the world has ever seen!

Revelation 4:1-5:14
5And 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.
6And 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.
7And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
8And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
9And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever.”

So here are four “party animals” that constantly praise the Lord, they stay up all night long and they worship God and praise him. I think I’ll be hanging out with those guys when I get up there. I’ll probably be playing some musical instrument and giving them a hand!

10The 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…”

Notice how the elders worship Jesus. Notice how the elders sit on their own thrones around the centerpiece, around the throne of God are 24 thrones in a circle, around God’s throne. Twenty-four elders on thrones! They each have their own throne and have crowns on their heads. They’re kings! Christ has already given them the kingdom.

In 1844, God began to make up his kingdom. He gave them their crowns. He gave Jesus the kingdom that will be an everlasting kingdom. And now as he goes through the judgment in heaven he is making up the kingdom of God. He is placing the names of those people legally forever beyond Satan and he is going to one day get to the names of the living, then close the books, throw the censor down to earth, end the judgment and then he’s going to come back.

Why are Seventh-Day Adventists here? What is their purpose: It is to proclaim the judgment of God. Revelation 14 says there are three angels. The first proclaims that the hour of his judgment is come and we need to worship him on the right day and in the right way! Worship the creator, on the memorial day of his creation.

The second angel says, “Don’t worship that beast. Come out of her my people. Receive not her mark.”

The third angel: “Don’t follow the antichrist. Look to Christ in heaven, whose judgment is going on. Don’t accept the creature-centered worship but rather accept the Christ-centered worship.”

Christ is in the midst of the throne. That means Jesus is right there with the Shekinah glory all around. He’s pleading his blood. His veil represents the flesh, the sacrifice of Christ. There he is in the middle. He’s got the elders all around him. He’s offering his blood. He’s saying, “I’m judging the world. Do you want to be saved or lost? “Do you want your name written in my Lamb’s book of life? Do you want to be saved or do you want to be lost?”

And he rose up a church to preach the judgment hour message. The great high priest is standing at the altar of incense.

Are you standing there beside him? Does he have his arm around you? Is he pleading your case before God? Is he asking God to wash you in the blood and to make up the kingdom with your name?

Do you want to be part of the kingdom?
Do you want a crown?
Do you want a throne?
Do you want a new stone, a white stone, with a new name on it?

Do you want Jesus to put his arm around you and say, “Father, I plead my blood for this person? Write his name down in my book of life. Write his deeds down in my book of remembrance. Judge him not guilty and place him forever beyond the reach of Satan.”?

That’s what the judgment message is, and God says, “Come out of her my people into the church that keeps my commandments and has the testimony of Jesus Christ and the spirit of prophecy.”

I’m proud to be a Seventh-Day Adventist. I’m proud that we have a woman who was a great preacher, a great leader named Ellen G. White who was a messenger of God, who wrote many wonderful things and I’m proud of her. There’s no other church preaching this judgment message I’ve been sharing with you, and I’m going to share it with you for several months.

We need to hear this! We need to know this message. We need to realize there’s a door open in heaven and that up in “Glory-land” Jesus is pleading his blood for us. We need to go boldly into that most holy sanctuary and have our names written down in that book and have God judge us and pronounce us not guilty. We need to be ready so when Jesus comes his coming doesn’t surprise us like a thief. We need to be prepared for the Second Coming of Christ.

If you would like to have your name written down in that book, if you would like to say, “Jesus, I want to be found not guilty – not based upon my good works but on yours.” If you want to Jesus to judge you as righteous because of his life and his sacrifice; if you want him to put you in his kingdom, would you raise your hand this morning?

Father in heaven, we praise you and exalt you! Jesus, you are in the midst of the throne! It is the throne of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost and it’s filled with the Shekinah divine glory, as the three in one being minister for our salvation. Please take our names before the Father, plead our case, write us down in your book, and save us when you come, Lord!

We see the judgment. We’re not looking at the false religious systems of this world. We’re heavenly-minded; we’re Christ-centered, Christ as a lamb slain in the midst of the throne. He’s our only hope. Our eyes are squarely upon him. We are dwelling in the most holy place boldly before the throne. We ask that you would write down in that book everyone’s hand that was raised. Write their name down and save us when you come. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Closing Song: Hymn No. 122, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” Seventh - Day Adventist Hymnal, Review and Herald Publishing Association (1991).

All Scriptural References: New King James Version

Ellen G. White References: www.whiteestate.org

Transcription: Wendy J. Riebel

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