Jesus was a sanctuary

JESUS WAS A SANCTUARY
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
CHRIST A SANCTUARY NO. 3522
A SERMON PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, JULY 27, 1916 DELIVERED
BY C. H. SPURGEON AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE,
NEWINGTON
“And he shall be for a sanctuary.” Isaiah8:14
MANY of the Rabbis, and I think with goodreason, referthis to the Messias.
We refer it to Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth, the Sonof God, who is the
MessiasofGod to our souls. We are, no doubt, justified in referring it to our
Lord Jesus Christ, because Peter, speaking by the Holy Ghost, uses the next
part of the verse in reference to Him. He declares that it was written that
Jesus should be a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense. If, then, the latter
part of the verse is by divine authority interpreted as belonging to Christ, we
may be pretty sure that the former part of the verse requires the same
construction. So then, as a subject for our present meditation, we take the
fact that Jesus Christshall be for a sanctuary. He shall be for a sanctuaryin
three respects, upon eachof which we shall speak with all possible simplicity.
First, Jesus shallbe for a sanctuary— I. IN WHICH WE, AS POOR GUILTY
SINNERS, SHALL FIND A SHELTER. A sanctuary was a place where a
criminal who dared not appear before the tribunals of his country found a
shelter. Such sanctuaries once abounded in England. Certain shrines which
were consideredsacredhad this privilege or this curse—Ido not know which
it was—accordedto them, that whenevera criminal had fled to them he was

beyond the arm of justice. There was such a sanctuaryin Westminster, and
another not far from this Tabernacle, but they were ultimately abolished.
Among the Jews the privilege of the sanctuarywas kept in proper check, yet it
was not forbidden. Certaincities were setapart to which man-slayers, who
had accidentallyslain anyone, might flee for security. We find also that among
the Jews some hopedto find shelter in the precincts of the temple. Joabwent
to the altar, and laid hold upon the horns, and thought himself secure, though
when Solomonsent and bade him come without, he said, “Nay, but I will die
here,” so that the altar in those days was not a sanctuary. It was not till later
times that it was unjustifiable to smite men when they had entered into holy
places, and hence holy places and sanctuaries became places ofrefuge. Our
Lord Jesus Christ is a place of secure refuge for every soul that flies to Him.
The moment a sinner believes in Jesus he is safe, and continuing to believe he
remains safe in life, safe in death, safe in judgment, safe in eternity. The
passing out of self-righteousnessinto confidence in Christ is the act that saves
the soul. When your faith doth lay its hand upon the dear head of the
Redeemer, whatif I say upon the horns of the altar of His sacrifice, thenis thy
soul secure and nothing can destroy it. Let us explain this mystery. Why is it
that believing in Jesus makes the soulsafe? It is because whenGod was angry
with men and must needs smite men for their sins, Jesus interposed. The
blows that ought to have fallen upon men fell upon the Savior. The debt which
was due from the multitude of sinners to the great God, Jesus paid.
“He bore that man might never bear His Father’s righteous ire.”
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It will be manifest to you all that if Jesus Christsuffered thus in our stead, we
shall not be calledon to suffer the penalty He discharged. If Jesus paid our
debts, they are cancelled, and we are in debt no longer. If Jesus Christ became

our substitute and stoodfor us before God, then our warfare is accomplished,
and henceforth the law canexact nothing at our hands. Do you ask for whom
did Jesus Christthus shed His blood as a substitute, a representative? We
answer, for as many as believe on His name. “ForGod so loved the world”—
now, mark, here is the gauge, this is the test. I have heard people dwell on that
word “so” as if it were something boundless and unqualified, without measure
or limitation, but listen to the passage—“ForGodso loved the world”—so
much and no more—“that he gave his only begottenSon, that whosoever
believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The work of
Christ thus begins and ends with “Whosoeverbelievethon him.” If you
believe not, dying as you are, the death of Christ has nothing to do with you,
exceptit be to plunge you into yet deeperdespair. It is only to the man that
believeth that the blood is applied. No other soul under heavenhas any share
in the merit of that glorious sacrifice, orshall be acceptedthereby, but the
man who believeth. But for every soul that believeth in Him, Jesus Christ has
borne all the punishment that soul deservedto have borne. God cannotin
justice punish that man, for He has punished Christ instead of him. For every
soul that believeth, Christ has drunk the cup of wrath to the very dregs. There
is not a drop left in that bowl for anyone that believeth on Christ, for Christ
has drained it. By Jesus the debts have all been discharged, He has not left one
of them in the book of God’s record. Every soulthat believeth is secure before
the courts of heaven because Jesusstoodfor him. My main inquiry here must
be, “Dostthou believe in Jesus?”I will put it in other words. To believe is to
trust. Dostthou trust in Jesus? Dostthou rely upon Him? If so, then Jesus
stoodfor thee. Now do you see how Jesus Christ becomes a sanctuary? Just in
this way. Because Ifear God’s anger for my sin, by faith I put myself beneath
the cross ofChrist. There God’s angerfell upon the innocent victim. Divine
justice was clearwhen it allowedthe Holy One to be condemned and put to
death. But that same justice demands a full release forthose on whose behalf
He mediated. Their faith furnishes the evidence of their freedom. If God has
punished Christ for my sin, He will not also punish me for it. If Christ has
paid my debt, then paid it is, nor will God, the Judge of all, bring the
handwriting of ordinances which was once againstme, to indict me for
charges that have been fully satisfied. Where is common equity if the
Substitute should suffer, and then the man for whom the Substitute suffered

should suffer again? Thus justice itself puts a canopy over the head of the
ransomed sinner. When the fiery sleetof God’s wrath descends he smiles,
because he has found a retreat, a sanctuary. The fury of the storm spent itself
upon the greatSubstitute. He bore it all and the sinner escapes. Oh!what a
blessedtruth! He who has never realized it for himself has never knownthe
Gospel. I care not how high your professions, norhow greatyour boastings,
nor to what church you belong, if you have not come to restin the
substitutionary work of Jesus Christ, you do not know the first letter of the
Gospelalphabet. May the Lord, the Holy Spirit, teachyou, for this is the
Gospelof the grace of God which we declare unto you, knowing that we shall
have to answerfor our preaching at the lastassize!Mark, the Lord Jesus
Christ in this way becomes a sanctuary to us from all our deadly fears. Who
among us is not sometimes disturbed with the recollectionof his past life?
Surely it has not been as it ought to have been with us. What black spots does
our memory conjure up! How much of our time has run to waste? Were you
calledto die now—and oh! how soonthe summons will come, every week
takes some of you away—in the solemn hour of death, would not your past life
bring up dismal fears, deep regrets, and dark forebodings? What, then, would
you do? Why, what should you do but—as you have done before—fallback
upon this greattruth that Jesus died for him that believeth, and trusting in
Him, you would say— “A guilty, weak, andhelpless worm, On Thy kind arms
I fall;
Sermon #3522 Christa Sanctuary3
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Be Thou my strength, my righteousness, MySavior and my All.” So might
you lean your head back upon your pillow, and feelit sweetto die with
confidence in Christ. Thus, beloved, from God’s wrath and from our deadly
fears, the Lord Jesus Christ becomes a sanctuary to those who trust Him. A
sanctuary He is likewise from all our cares. Fromanxiety and disquietude,
who among us is exempt? In the midst of trials and troubles, be they in mind,
body, or estate, from pain, poverty, or pressure of any kind, is it not a blessed
thing to say—

“His way was much rougher and darkerthan mine, Did Christ, my Lord,
suffer, and shall I repine?”
The remembrance of what He endured for you becomes a sanctuary from
dejectionand despair. The Friend you trust will prove true. He will treat you
tenderly, to whatevercause you trace your hardships. Permit me to ask each
and every one of you individually—Have you ever fled to this sanctuary? Can
you answer“Yes.” Thenhappy are you. Do go and tell others about it. Let not
your tongue be silent. Let others know that there is a covert from the tempest,
and a shelterfrom the rough wind, and that you have found and proved it. Be
not afraid to speak. There is more reasonto fear silence than speechwith such
a safeguardfrom sins, and snares, and sorrows. Publishit to the worstand
vilest, if you meet with them, let your kinsfolk and acquaintances know that
there is a safe sanctuary in Christ, and that you have tested its virtues and its
validity. The weight of your personaltestimony may be blessedby God’s
Spirit to their conversion, atany rate, your duty to your fellow creatures and
your devotion to your heavenly benefactordemand this grateful service. Or
haply you may never have resortedto this sanctuary. Then be sure that your
peril is fearful and your doom is imminent. Out of Christ there is no hope. He
that believeth not on Him is condemned already, because he hath not believed
on the Son of God. At this present moment—and who cantell how critical the
present moment may be—the wrath of God abideth on you. It rests on you,
moral though you may be as a citizen, virtuous though you may be as a young
man, or pure and affectionate as a young woman, seeing you have not
believed. The one thing necessaryis wanting. No plea you canoffer is valid.
You have put yourselves out of court. “The wickedshall be castinto hell, with
all the nations that forgetGod.” That is the categoryin which you place
yourselves. You have forgotten God, you have neglectedChrist, you have
never reacheda resting place. Oh! listen. Do you not long for an asylum, a
sanctuary, a safe retreat? Are you anxious to reachit? You may easilyfind it,
as you run eagerly, you will read clearly. If you are really humbled and
brought to know your want of a Savior, He is easyof access.Justgive up all
your doings, and castyourselves into His arms. I have used this illustration
before, but it will answermy purpose again. There is a boy in a burning

house. He is clinging yonder to a window sill. If he falls to the ground, he will
be dashed to pieces. But a strong man standing underneath cries, “Boy, drop,
I will catchyou,” his hands let go and he falls safely into the arms that are
stretchedout to rescue him. That letting go is an actof faith, and he is saved
thereby. Such faith I would have you now exercise, letgo of everything you
have been clinging to, just drop into the Savior’s arms, and on His sacred
bosom you shall find rest. Dependon Him, and on Him alone. ’Tis all that is
askedof you. Will you tell me that you are not fit? Did you everhear of fitness
in connectionwith a sanctuary? Why, the worstof thieves, and even
murderers, were accustomedto fly to the sanctuary. So, howevervile you may
be, Christ sets the sanctuaryof His atonement wide open before you, that you
may go to it and find shelter.
“Let not conscience make youlinger, Nor of fitness fondly dream;
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All the fitness He requireth Is to feel your need of Him; This He gives you,
’Tis His Spirit’s rising beam.”
Right joyful should I be if, by the Holy Spirit’s power, I might persuade some
of you to flee to Jesus, and depend alone upon Him. This would be the
happiest day of your lives, the beginning of a new life. Well do I recollect
when I lookedto my Lord and Masterand found salvation in Him. Never can
I forgetthe happy day when Jesus took my sins away. Mostaffectionatelyand
earnestlydo I entreatyou to look to Him, so shall your eyes be enlightened.
Depend on a crucified Savior, and you shall find peace and comfort to your
souls. Secondly, Jesus Christis a sanctuary in the sense of— II. A PLACE OF
WORSHIP. We often hear people talk nowadays of exclusively holy places.
They will sometimes callsome edifice, be it a parish church or a private
chapel, a sanctuary. I take it that this is a mistakenuse of the word if used

exclusively. No one place is a bit more sacredthan another. Those who would
draw near to the Lord should remember that—
“Where’erwe seek Him, He is found, And every place is hallowedground.”
It is nothing but a relic of Judaism, or a result of Roman Catholic
superstition, to suppose that there are speciallyholy places constructedof
bricks and mortar, or consecratedstones.Your bedroom, where you bow the
knee, may be as near the gate of heaven as the grand cathedralalong whose
vaulted roofs the music of song has resoundedfor centuries. Jesus Christ,
however, is a sanctuary. There is the holy place of His people’s worship.
Treasure that up. You may worship God anywhere if you get with Christ, but
if you forgetChrist, you can worship nowhere. “No man cometh unto the
Father but by me,” saith Christ. You can never have an acceptable worshipof
the MostHigh exceptthrough Jesus Christ. I will take you for a moment into
that which was calledthe holy place under the old Jewishlaw, the holy of
holies. What was there? Only two things which could be seen. The one was the
golden censer, and the other was the mercy seat, and both of these things were
instructive. Now, beloved, when you go to the Lord to worship, the first thing
you want is somebody to render your worship acceptable. See there, in the
person of your Lord Jesus Christ, a golden censor, representing the sweet
merit of His prevalent intercessionby which you are accepted. Whenthe High
Priestwent into the holy place, he filled this goldencenserand wavedit to and
fro till the sweetperfumed smoke went up before the mercy seat. Thatis just
what Jesus does in heavenfor us. We burn the incense here below, and the
sweetperfume of His merit continually ascends before the throne of the Most
High and Holy God, and beneath the cloud of smoke we worship. Jesus
becomes a Sanctuary for us, and you cannever worship God aright till you
feel that Jesu’s merits go with your worship. If your prayers are perfumed
with the incense of your ownmerits, and you think they will be acceptable,
you know not what you are doing, but if you see that goldencenser, and look
to God through the smoke ofJesu’s merits, then do you really worship, and
Christ thus becomes to you a sanctuary. The other article of furniture in the
holy of holies was the mercy seat—a square casketupon which were set

cherubim with outstretched wings. It was before this mercy seat, perhaps, that
all prayer had to be offered. There was only one place where Israel’s gifts
could really come up before God, and that was before the mercy seat. Now,
beloved, when we go to God we cannot go directly to Him, we must go to the
mercy seatfirst.
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“I will have nothing to do with an absolute God,” said Luther, and he was
quite right. We may not come unto God except through Jesus Christ. We look
towards God in the personof His dear Son. God in the son of Mary, God in
the man of Nazareth, God in the bleeding suffererof Calvary—we look there,
and we look through Jesus Christ up to the unseen, but ever-glorious Father,
and with His merits before us, with His precious blood before our mind’s eye,
we come to God through Jesus Christ, and we are acceptedin the Beloved.
But, beloved, I am afraid that many Sundays, and many weekdays too, we try
to worship God without Christ. It will never do, it cannotsucceed. If ever you
come out of your closetwithout the sense ofhaving put the blood before God,
you have had a lostseasonofretirement. If you ever go out of this Tabernacle
feeling that in all the worship there has been no sense ofChrist’s presence, no
thoughts of His precious blood, that worship has been worthless, the time has
been wasted. Without the incense of His merit, without the mercy seatof His
substitutionary sacrifice, there is no sanctuary, there is no worship, there is no
drawing near to God. Inside the mercy seat, if you had been permitted to
open the lid and to look in, you would have seenthree things. First, you would
have seena golden pot of manna. Now communion is one of the sweetest
portions of worship. Communion is set forth in Scripture by eating bread with
one another. So the eating of manna with Godis typical of communion, but we
get no manna unless it comes out of the golden pot of Christ. I find no manna,
exceptit is concealedbeneaththe mercy seat—no eating with God unless we
come through Jesus Christ. Do not, I beseechyou, attempt to commune with
God apart from a precious sense of a crucified Savior. It is at the cross’foot
that Jacob’s ladderstands, the top of whereofis in heaven. If you would see a
covenantGod, you must getthe telescopeoffaith and stand at the foot of the

cross and look, for you shall see Godnowhere but in Jesus. You shall feed
upon heavenly manna nowhere but as you feed upon Christ. Another mode of
worship is that of service, for to work for God is the bestof service. Inside the
ark there was Aaron’s rod that budded. What was that? It was Aaron’s
symbol of work when he was calledto work for God. Do you want to know
whether you are called to work for God? Look for your Aaron’s rod in Christ.
You will never have a rod that buds if you look awayfrom the Lord to the
visible church. The church may call you when you have no divine vocation.
There are thousands of priests who have had bishops’ hands upon their
hands, who are neither God’s ministers nor truly calledto minister among
men. But if you see your calling in Christ, if you get Aaron’s rod that budded,
full of life and vigor, the Spirit of God will maintain you in your work. In your
worship, then, and in your service, Christ must be your sanctuary. One other
thing was in the ark, and that was the tables of stone, the perfect tables of the
unbroken law fairly written out. If you desire to have the law written in your
hearts, if you desire to have perfectrighteousness in keeping the law of God,
you must not try to approach God for yourselves, but you must come through
the Mediator, Jesus Christ. He who would offer to God a perfect obedience
must take the imputed righteousness ofthe immaculate Son of God, and being
arrayed in that, he shall worship God aright, Christ being a sanctuaryfor
him. I am very, very anxious that every believer here should draw a ring, as it
were, around himself, and ask his heavenly Father for help, that he may draw
nigh through the rent veil of the Savior’s pierced body and come spiritually,
with heart, and soul, and strength, near to the throne of God, worshipping the
MostHigh. Our third point is that Jesus is a sanctuary in the sense of— II. A
DWELLING PLACE. This is an unusual sense, perhaps, but it is a Scriptural
one. “He that dwelleth in the secretplace of the MostHigh shall abide under
the shadow of the Almighty. In the secretof his tabernacle shall he hide me;
he shall set me up upon the rock.” The priest under the old law only went into
the holy of holies once in the year, but every priest unto God—andyou are all
such who have believed—everypriest unto
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God goes in and never goes out again—atleast, he never needs to go out. He
may abide always in the holy place—a place where in the morning he sings his
waking song, and a place wherein at night he sups with Christ. The sanctuary
was a place in which only one person ever dwelt, and that was God Himself.
The mysterious light which they calledthe Shekinahshone from betweenthe
wings of the cherubim, there were the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of
fire by night—the symbols of the divine presence. It was God’s house. No man
lived with Him, no man could. The High Priestwent in but once a year, and
out he went againto the solemn assembly. But now, in Christ Jesus, in whom
dwelleth all the fullness of the Godheadbodily, we find a sanctuary to reside
in, for we dwell in Him, we are one with Him. God was in Christ, reconciling
the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and as God was
in Christ, so is it written, “You in me, and I in you.” Such is the union between
Christ and His people. Every believeris in Christ, even as God is in Christ. So
Christ is the sanctuary where God and man may meet togetherand live in
perpetual delight and solace. Mybeloved, do you always dwell in Christ? I
wish I did. I find it comparatively easyto get fellowshipwith Christ, but oh! it
is so difficult to keepit up. When one climbs the mountain, gets one’s
foreheadbathed in the sunlight, talks with God, and feels the world to be far
below in the valley, one feels that it is goodto be there, but ah! we are soon
down again, mixing with the people, marrying and giving in marriage, we are
fighting our battles, and buying and selling again!Oh! that we could have
Peter’s wish and build three tabernacles, forit is goodto be there, where the
transfigured Masterreveals Himself to His delighted people. Oh! that we
could always live in the banqueting house and see that banner of love always
floating over us! And let me tell you, we may do so. There have been some of
the saints who have been helped to do it. They have been as much with God
when they have been trading across the counter as when they have been
bowing the knee, as much with Jesus in their daily toils as in their Sabbath
rest. Why should it not be so with us? I covet, I covetbeyond all luxuries, to
walk with God. If I might have this, I would not ask for anything else beneath
these skies.

“Oh! that I might for ever sit With Mary at the Master’s feetTo hearHis
gracious voice!”
Oh! that I might go into the door of His house and never find my way out. If
we leave the table, it is not because the feastis over or the Masterhas
dismissedthe guests. Oh! never. Ye are not straitenedin Him, but in
yourselves. The deep bottomless sea of His precious love is all before you, if
you thirst, it is because youwill not drink. If you live in the cold Arctic
regions, distant from Christ, it is not because the sunlight of His love could not
warm and cheeryou. If you would come into the equatorialregions of a
simpler faith and a more abundant trustfulness, you might yet have all the
luxuriance of a tropical heat sent into your souls. Come up higher, brethren
and sisters!From the lowestchambers come to the highest ones. From the
Master’s feetcome to His bosom, and from His bosomcome to His lips. From
the outside court or tabernacle come to the court of the priests, and from the
court of the priests come to the holiest of all. Advance! Come boldly! The
Lord help you by His Spirit to come and dwell in the sanctuary! Amen.
EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON
ROMANS 10:1-20
Verse 1. Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israelis, that they
might be saved.
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Now these people had persecutedthe apostle. Whereverhe went they had
followedhim up, they had hindered his work, they had sought his life, and yet
this was the only return that he made to them—to desire and pray that they
might be saved. Let us never be turned aside from this loving desire for those

among whom we dwell. We wish them nothing worse—wecannotwishthem
anything better than that they may be saved. Let us not only desire it, but let
us pray for it. Let us turn our desires into the more practical and holy form of
intercession. 2. ForI bear them recordthat they have a zeal of God, but not
according to knowledge. Always make allowance foranything that is goodin
those who, as yet, are not converted. We must not be unjust with them
because we desire to be faithful to them. 3. For they being ignorant of God’s
righteousness, andgoing about to establishtheir own righteousness, have not
submitted themselves unto the righteousness ofGod. And that is the great
mischief with persons who are not saved. They are very sincere, very earnest,
but they will not submit to the righteousness ofGod, they will not agree to be
made righteous by the grace ofGod through Jesus Christ, but they “go
about”—that is the apostle’s word. It is very expressive of the energymen will
put into it, and the shifts to which they will have recourse, in order to work
out a righteousness oftheir own. They will go about, aye, even to the very
gates ofhell, they will try to climb up by prayers, even to the gates ofheaven.
They will go about to establishtheir own righteousness,but they do not know
the righteousnessofGod, and they refuse to submit themselves to it. 4. For
Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. He
that believes in Christ is as righteous as the law could have made him, if he
had kept it perfectly. The end of the law is righteousness,that is, the fulfilling
of it, and he that hath Christ will see the law fulfilled in Christ, and the
righteousness ofChrist applied to himself. 5-6. ForMoses describeththe
righteousness whichis of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall
live by them. But the righteousness whichis of faith speakethon this wise,—
Ah! that is a very different sort of thing. It does not speak about doing and
living, “but the righteousnesswhich is of faith speakethon this wise.” 6-9. Say
not in thine heart, Who shall ascendinto heaven? (that is, to bring Christ
down from above:) or, Who shall descendinto the deep? (that is, to bring up
Christ againfrom the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in
thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that
if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, andshalt believe in thine
heart that God hath raisedhim from the dead, thou shalt be saved. There is
the Gospelin a nutshell. What a very simple way it is—to believe these great
facts about the Lord Jesus Christ—reallyto believe them so that they became

practicalfactors in your life. This is all the way of salvation. Christ has not to
be fetched down. He has come. He has not to be fetched up. He has risen from
the dead. The work is finished. What thou hast to do is to believe in that
finished work and acceptit as thine own, and thou shalt be saved. 10. Forwith
the heart man believeth unto righteousness;and with the month confessionis
made unto salvation. How different all this from that going about to establish
our own righteousness, this setting up of prayers, and tears, and church
goings, and chapel goings, andgood works, andI know not what besides!
Instead of that, here is Christ set forth, and “ye are complete in him.” If you
take Him to be yours, you are “acceptedin the Beloved,” and “being justified
by faith, you have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Oh! what
a blessing this is! 11. Forthe scripture saith, Whosoeverbelievethon him
shall not be ashamed. Though he did much that he need be ashamed of, yet
when the law so brought him to believe in Jesus Christfor righteousness,he is
righteous, and he is so righteous that he shall never be ashamedof his
righteousness, norashamedof his faith in Christ. Would God that some who
are going about after a righteousness oftheir own would be led to try this
method, and believe in Jesus Christ. 12. Forthere is no difference between
the Jew and the Greek:
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What a blessedword that is—“There is no difference betweenthe Jew and the
Gentile”!There are some that want to keepup that difference. They say that
we are Israel, or something of the kind. I do not care what we are. There is no
difference betweenthe Jew and the Greek. 12. Forthe same Lord overall is
rich unto all that call upon him. Someone saidto me, “I think that the
Romish church cannotbe the church of Christ. I do not think that the Church
of England is the church of Christ. Do you think the Baptists are the church of
Christ?” And my answerwas, “The church of Christ is to be found mixed up
in all churches, and no churches at all.” It is a people that God has chosen
from among men, and they are to be found here and there and everywhere, a

spiritual seedthat God has marked out to be His own, and they are known by
this—that they call upon the Lord, and “the same Lord over all is rich unto all
that call upon him.” 13. For whosoevershallcallupon the name of the Lord
shall be saved. We callupon that name by having confidence in it, by
speaking to God in prayer, using that name, by adoring and reverently
proclaiming the majesty and the name of God. Whosoevershallcall upon or
invoke that great name shall be saved. 14. How then shall they callon him in
whom they have not believed? For at the bottom of the saving invocation or
call there must be real faith. There cannot be any true worship of God unless
it be grounded and bottomed upon faith in God. 14. And how shall they
believe in him of whom they have not heard? There cannotbe such a thing as
believing what has never been spokenin our hearing, and has never been
made known to us. Of course, reading often answers the same end as hearing.
It is a kind of hearing of the Word, but a man must know, or he cannot
believe. 14. And how shall they hear without a preacher? How is that
possible? Do you see the machinery of the Gospel? There is the calling upon
the name. That comes offaith. There is the faith that comes ofhearing, but
there is the hearing that comes ofpreaching. Now a little farther. 15. And
how shall they preach, except they be sent? Poorpreaching. It will not be the
kind of preaching that produces believing hearing, exceptthey be sent. If God
does not send the man, he had better have stopped at home. It is only as God
sends him that God will bless him. He is bound to back up His own messenger
when he delivers God’s own message. “How shallthey preach, except they be
sent?” 15. As it is written, How beautiful are the feetof them that preachthe
gospelof peace, andbring glad tidings of good things! And they are so
beautiful because, you see, Godhas put them at the root of everything. God
makes the preacherwhom He sends to be the source ofso much good, or the
channel of so much good, for by his preaching comes the hearing, and by the
hearing comes the believing, and out of the believing comes the calling upon
the name and the salvation. 16. But they have not all obeyed the gospel.
“But.” A sorrowful “but” is this. Oh! this is the mischief of it. The Gospel,
then, has an authority about it, or else the apostle would not speak of obeying
the Gospel. Menare bound to believe what God declares to them, and their
not believing is a disobedience. “Theyhave not all obeyedthe gospel.” 16.For
Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? As if there were so few that

did believe it, that he had to ask who they were. 17. So then faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God. You are wise, therefore, dear
friend, if you are seeking salvationto be a hearer of the Word, but mind that
it is the Word of God that you hear, because the word of man cannot save you.
It may delude you. It may give you a false peace, but the hearing that saves is
hearing which comes by the Word of God. Oh! take care, then, that you do
not run hither and thither just because ofthe cleverness ofcertainspeakers,
but keepyou to the Word of God whoeverpreaches it, for “faith comethby
hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”
Volume 62 9
18. But I say, Have they not heard? These very people for whom the apostle
prayed—have they not heard? 18. Yes verily, their sound went into all the
earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. The preaching of the
Gospelwent forth amongstthose Israelites, who rejectedit. Whereverthey
went, the Gospelseemedto follow them like their shadows. Theycould not
escape from it, but they did not believe it. 19. But I say, Did not Israelknow?
Assuredly, Israel did know, but did not believe. 19. First Moses saith, I will
provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolishnation I
will angeryou. Moses toldthem that it would be so if they rejectedChrist.
Christ would be preached to the Gentiles, and those whom they thought to be
foolish would come in and acceptwhat they had rejected. 20. But Esaiasis
very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made
manifest unto them that askednot after me. He told them, therefore, that
God would save a people who hitherto had never soughtafter God— that He
would send the Gospelto a people that were dead in sin, and had never asked
to receive the light and life of God.

Isaiah8:14 14He will be a holy place; for both Israel
and Judah he will be a stone that causes people to
stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the
people of Jerusalemhe will be a trap and a snare.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
God's TwofoldRelations With Men
Isaiah8:14
R. Tuck
To some, a "Sanctuary;" to others. a "Rock ofoffense." Forthe Christian
form of the same truth, comp. 2 Corinthians 2:1, 6. "To the one we are the
savorof death unto death, and to the other the savorof life unto life. And who
is sufficient for these things?" God is to men as men are to him (see Psalm
18:25, 26), But is this saying anything strange? Surelyit is the secretofgood
motherhood and fatherhood. They who order their households well are wisely
responsive to the various states of the children, adapting and adjusting
conduct to the dispositions and circumstances ofeachmember of the home.
No skillful parent treats all the children alike, and differing modes of
treatment are no indications of varying degrees oflove. He who loves us all
must deal with eachupon his perfectunderstanding of eachone. He must be,
he had better be, a "Rockofoffense" to some. To the trustful child he canbe a
"Sanctuary;" but to the willful child he must be a Severity. His dealings will,
at first, cause offense. There is a very deep and searching truth indicated here,
which may be illustrated from God's dealings with his people, and with
individuals from among his people, through all the ages. It is that a man may

compel God to be otherwise towards him than he would be. The passage
which clearly states this, and will be a keyto many other passagesand
illustrations, is the following: "Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked
should die? saith the Lord God" (Ezekiel18:23). It is difficult to realize, but it
is not beyond belief, that the same infinite goodnessmakes Godboth a
"Sanctuary" and a "Rock ofoffence." In very grave measures - sometimes we
feel in overwhelming measures - the responsibilities of our life-issues, and
even the characterofDivine relations with us, rests upon ourselves. After the
willful ones, hurrying to their doom, God, hastening, pleads thus: "Why will
ye die? O house of Israel, why will ye die?" - R.T.
Biblical Illustrator
And He shall be for a sanctuary.
Isaiah8:14
Sanctuary in God
W. M. Statham.

I suppose that what all of us mourn over most in a bustling age, is a loss of
sacrednessin life. We have no wish to secure the false-sacred— that which is
merely ascetic;nor that which is merely solemn-sacred— the dull monotony
of darkened church or gloomyretreat. We naturally say, if this is God's
world; if civil and civic duties, socialand relative responsibilities, are all God-
ordained ones, it is likely, at least, that here, we may be able to secure a
heavenly citizenship amid earthly cares and customs. Godwill not callus to
the wearand worry, the strain and temptation, of a life in the world, and leave
our souls without sacredhome and spiritual retreat in Himself. How often this
idea recurs in the sacredwritings. God is our refuge and rest — our hiding
place, our dwelling place.
I. THE SACREDNESSTHAT A REVERENTHEART DESIRES. OurLord
lived and workedamongstmen, dined with the Pharisee, dweltwith the quiet
family at Bethany, consecratedthe marriage feast, and went to the publican's
home. We, too, may secure sacrednessforour lives.
II. THE SACREDNESSTHAT MAKES SANCTUARY IN GOD HIMSELF.
This is so beautiful: He shall be for a sanctuary. He whom wickedmen dread
and flee from — flee from, indeed, because He is a sanctuary; for, as of old,
darkness cannotdwell with light, nor irreverence with reverence, nor
mammon worship with devotion to God. We may carry very bad hearts into
very beautiful places. Place is easilymade unsacred. But the Divine nature
must be spiritual Into fellowship with God there can enter nothing that is false
or worldly or vile.
1. Sanctuaryin a person. Yes; for even here, in this dim sphere of earthly
friendship, our best sanctuaries, apartfrom our Saviour Himself, have been
those who bear His likeness, andwho do His will. If askedwhere the fountains
of our reverence have been best nourished, and where the noble thoughts that
make us men indeed, have been most wondrously fed, we should think of
friends that have receivedus into the sanctuary of their love and friendship,
and helped to diminish the dross of our characterand to brighten the gold of
our faith.

2. We abide in Him who says, "Iam He that liveth, and was dead, and behold
I am alive for evermore." And if by His own Divine nature He is a sanctuary,
He is so by experience too. He has been tempted in all points as we are, yet
without sin. "He suffered, being tempted."
III. THE SACREDNESS OF ALL THE FUTURE DAYS. "He shall be."
Names vary concerning what Godis to suit need and experience. We translate
the want, and then God's name is translatedto meet it. I am hungry, He is
Bread; I am thirsty, He is Water; I am faint, He is Wine; I am heated in the
way, He is a Rock Shadow in the wearyland. We cansuppose, therefore, that
the word "sanctuary" meets specialwants. Life is not always a seeking fora
refuge, but it is so especiallyat certain times and in strange and desolate
experiences. In 1ooking forward, therefore, ourselves to life's future seasons,
we see what the soulwithin us cannot do in itself, and what nature cannever
perfectly be to any of us. Christ, and He alone, will be now and forever — a
sanctuary.
IV. THE SACREDNESS OF PERSONALLIFE IN GOD. We cannotsay, as
mediaevalism said, Enter the Church and be saved. We want to obey God's
sweetwill — to seek more and more for union with Himself through Christ
Jesus.
(W. M. Statham.)
commentaries
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(14) And he shall be for a sanctuary. . .—Literally, he shall become a
hallowedthing, with the implied thought as in Ezekiel11:16, that the
sanctuary is also an asylum (1Kings 1:50; 1Kings 2:28). In that sanctuary, in

the presence ofJehovah, there was a refuge from all terror, the answerto all
misgivings (Psalm73:17).
But for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence . . .—The words have
become so familiar to us through their Christian application (Matthew 21:44;
Romans 9:33; 1Peter2:8) that we find it hard to measure their force and
meaning as they came from Isaiah’s lips. Are the contrastedclauses connected
by any common link of imagery? To enter into fellowship with Jehovah, is to
enter into the sanctuary. He who stands on the stone which forms the
threshold of that sanctuary, has gained an asylum. But to do that requires the
clearvision of faith. He who walks blindly (Isaiah6:10; John 11:10), without
faith, may stumble on that very stone of the threshold, and what was safety
and life for others, might for him bring pain and shame. He might be there
sorelybruised (Matthew 21:44)like the wild animals taken in a trap
(synonyms are heaped one upon another to increase the force of the imagery),
till a helper came to release him. So, Isaiah says, was Jehovah“to both the
houses of Israel” (the phrase is peculiar, and implies a hope of the restored
unity of the nation’s life) in their self-chosenblindness. So St. Petersays, even
the head corner-stone is to those who “stumble at the word, being
disobedient” a “stone of stumbling and a rock of offence” (1Peter2:8). It lies
in the nature of the case that the fall is not necessarilyfinal and irretrievable.
Men may be braised, but not “ground to powder;” may “stumble” so that
they may rise again(Matthew 21:44; Luke 2:34; Romans 11:11).
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
8:9-16 The prophet challenges the enemies of the Jews. Theirefforts would be
vain, and themselves broken to pieces. It concerns us, in time of trouble, to
watchagainstall such fears as put us upon crookedcoursesforour own
security. The believing fearof God preserves againstthe disquieting fear of
man. If we thought rightly of the greatnessand glory of God, we should see all
the powerof our enemies restrained. The Lord, who will be a Sanctuaryto
those who trust in him, will be a Stone of stumbling, and a Rock of offence, to
those who make the creature their fear and their hope. If the things of God be

an offence to us, they will undo us. The apostle quotes this as to all who
persistedin unbelief of the gospelof Christ, 1Pe 2:8. The crucified Emmanuel,
who was and is a Stumbling-stone and Rock ofoffence to unbelieving Jews, is
no less so to thousands who are calledChristians. The preaching of the cross is
foolishness in their esteem;his doctrines and precepts offend them.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
And he shall be for a sanctuary - The word translatedsanctuary means,
literally, a holy place, a consecratedplace, and is usually applied to the
tabernacle, or to the temple; Exodus 25:8; Leviticus 12:4; Leviticus 21:12;
Jeremiah51:51. It also means an asylum, or a refuge, to which one might flee
in case ofdanger, and be safe;see Ezekiel11:16. Among all ancient nations,
temples were regardedas safe places to which people might flee when
pursued, and when in danger. It was deemed sacrilege to teara man away
from a temple or an altar. That the temple was so regarded among the Jews is
manifest; see 1 Kings 1:50; 1 Kings 2:28. In allusion to this, the prophet says,
that Yahweh would be a sanctuary;that is, an asylum, or refuge, to whom
they should flee in times of danger, and be safe;see Psalm46:1 : 'God is our
refuge and strength;' Proverbs 18:10 : 'The name of the Loan is a strong
tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.'It is also wellknown that
temples and altars were regardedas asyla among the Greeks andRomans.
The reference here is rather to an altar, as the asylum, than to a city or
temple; as, in the other member of the sentence, the same objectis saidto be a
stone of stumbling - a figure which would not be applicable to a temple or a
city.
A stone of stumbling - A stone againstwhich one should impinge, or over
which he should fall. The idea is, that none could run againsta hard, rough,
fixed stone, or rock, without injuring himself. So the Jews would oppose the
counsels ofGod; instead of making him their refuge and strength, they would
resisthis claims and appeals, and the consequencewould be their destruction.
It is also to be remembered, that God is often representedin the Scriptures as
a rock, a firm defense, orplace of safety, to those who trust in him. But
instead of their thus taking refuge in him, they would oppose themselves to
this firm rock, and ruin themselves;see Deuteronomy32:4, Deuteronomy

32:15, Deuteronomy32:18, Deuteronomy 32:30-31, Deuteronomy32:37;
Psalm19:14; Psalm28:1; Psalm 31:2, Psalm 31:8; Psalm41:2; Psalm42:9.
Many of the ancient Jewishcommentators applied this to the Messiah. -
Gesenius in loc. It is also applied to Christ in the New Testament, 1 Peter 2:8.
A rock of offence - A rock over which they should fall. The English word
offence, had that meaning formerly, and retains it in our translation of the
Bible.
To both the houses of Israel - To the two kingdoms of Judah and Israel;that
is, to the wickedportion of them, not to those who were truly pious.
For a gin - A net, or snare, to take birds. The idea is the same as in the former
part of the verse. By rejecting the counselof God; by despising his protection,
and by resisting his laws, they would be unexpectedly involved in difficulties,
as birds which are caught in a snare.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
14. sanctuary—inviolable asylum, like the altar of the temple (1Ki 1:50; 2:28;
Eze 11:16;compare Pr 18:10);namely, to those who fear and trust in Him.
but … offence—thatis, a rock over which they should fall to their hurt;
namely those who would not believe.
both … houses—Israeland Judah. Here again the prophecy expands beyond
the temporary application in Ahaz' time. The very stone, Immanuel, which
would have been a sanctuaryon belief, becomes a fatal stumbling-block
through unbelief. Jesus Christrefers to this in Mt 21:44. (Compare De 32:4,
15, 18, 30, 31, 37; Da 2:34; Ro 9:33; 1Pe 2:8).
gin—trap, in which birds are unexpectedly caught (Lu 21:35; 1Th 5:2). So at
the destructionof Jerusalemunder Titus.
Matthew Poole's Commentary
Your sanctuary; a sure refuge to all that truly fear him, and rely upon him.

For a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence;an occasionofsin and ruin,
at whom they will take offence and stumble, so as to fall and be broken, as it is
expressed, Isaiah8:15.
To both the houses of Israel;to the two royal families of Israel, largely so
called; that of Judah, to wit, the house of David; and that of Ephraim: or, to
the two kingdoms, that of the ten tribes, and that of the two tribes.
For a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;which are distinctly
mentioned, as a very observable and wonderful thing, because Jerusalemwas
the seatof the temple, and of God’s solemn worship, where all the means of
knowledge and grace were in greatestpowerand plenty, where the thrones of
civil and ecclesiasticaljudicature were established, where the most wise and
learned doctors had their constant or frequent abode. And that such a place
and people should rejectImmanuel, or their Messiah, whenhe should appear,
was so greatand strange an occurrent, that the prediction of it was highly
necessary, lestotherwise, whenit came to pass, it should shake the faith of all
who did believe on him; whereas now the accomplishmenthereof was a
notable confirmation of their faith, and an evidence that Christ was the true
Messiah.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
And he shall be for a sanctuary,.... Notthe king of Assyria, as Aben Ezra, but
the Lord of hosts:the Targum rightly interprets it of the word of the Lord,
the essentialWord;of the Messiah, who is for a sanctuary, or asylum, a place
of refuge for his people in all times of distress, and who is their dwelling place
in all generations;he dwells in them, and they dwell in him; and where they
dwell safely and securely, peaceablyand quietly, comfortably and pleasantly,
and that always;he is a sanctuaryto worship in, in whom they draw nigh to
the Father, and offer up the sacrificesofprayer and praise, and where the
glory of God is seenby them, and they have communion with him; or "for

sanctification", as the Septuagint version; this Christ is to his people, 1
Corinthians 1:30,
but for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offence, to both the houses of
Israel: which Jarchiinterprets of Pekah, the son of Remaliah, and his
company, and of Shebna and his company; but Aben Ezra much better of the
kingdoms of Israeland of Judah, especiallywhen the twelve tribes were under
one form of government in Christ's time. In the Talmud (u) it is explained of
the two houses of the fathers of Israel;and these are they, the head of the
captivity in Babylon, and the prince in the land of Israel; and the Nazarenes,
as Jerom (w) reports, apply the words to the two houses orfamilies of Hillel
and Shammai, who were two heads of schools in Jerusalem, a little before the
times of Christ, and were of the sectof the Pharisees;and to whom indeed
Christ was a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, as he was to the Jews in
common; who were offended and stumbled at his birth and parentage, he
descending from poor parents; at his educationand place of bringing up; at
the mean appearance ofhimself and his followers;at the obscurity of his
kingdom, it not being of this world, nor coming with observation; at the
company he kept, and the audience that attended on him; at his doctrines and
miracles;and at his death, and the manner of it; see Romans 9:32.
For a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;even the principal
inhabitants of it, such as the elders of the people, priests, Scribes, and
Pharisees,who sought to entangle Christ in his talk, and to ensnare him by
questions they put unto him; but were themselves snaredand taken,
convicted, confounded, and silenced. See Matthew 22:15.
(u) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 38. 1.((w) In loc.
Geneva Study Bible
And he shall be for a {q} sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a
rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a trap and for a snare to the
inhabitants of Jerusalem.

(q) He will defend you who are his elect, and reject all the rest, meaning
Christ againstwhom the Jews would stumble and fall, Lu 2:23, Ro 9:33, 1Pe
2:7,8.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
14. To those who obey this admonition, Jehovahshall be for a sanctuary; to all
others a stumbling-stone. This contrastwould certainly be clearerif (with the
Targ. and Vulg.) we might insert “to you” after “shall be.” But the want of
these words hardly justifies us in changing the text, or even in translating “He
will shew Himself a holy object,” in the sense explained by the remainder of
the verse. Although it is doubtful if the word is ever used for “asylum,” yet the
sanctuary was in factan asylum (Exodus 21:14; 1 Kings 1:50; 1 Kings 2:28; 1
Kings 2:30), and there is no greatimprobability in supposing that that idea is
expressedhere.
Two figures are used to set forth the threatening side of Jehovah’s relationto
both the houses ofIsrael: the stone againstwhich one heedlesslystumbles to
one’s own destruction; and the snare in which a wild animal is caught
unawares. Jehovahis a secretand sudden danger to those who walk in blind
unbelief. Cf. Psalm18:26.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 14. - He shall be for a Sanctuary(comp. Ezekiel11:16, "Yet will I be to
them as a little Sanctuary"). A sanctuary is "a refuge" (Psalm 90:1; Psalm
91:9), and something more. It is a holy refuge, a place which is a refuge
because ofits holiness. Its material counterpart in the Mosaic systemis, not
"the city of refuge," but the altar (1 Kings 1:50; 1 Kings 2:28). Both the
houses of Israel;i.e. "the two reigning houses ofSamaria and Judaea," both
of which were Israelite. Boththe "houses" wouldultimately forsake Jehovah,
and find in him a "Snare" and a "Rockofoffense."
Keil and DelitzschBiblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Not till then would this overflowing reach as far as Judah, but then it would
do so most certainly and incessantly."Andpresses forwardinto Judah,
overflows and pours onward, till it reaches to the neck, and the spreading out
of its wings fill the breadth of thy land, Immanuel." The fate of Judah would
be different from that of Ephraim. Ephraim would be laid completely under
waterby the river, i.e., would be utterly destroyed. And in Judah the stream,
as it rushed forward, would reachthe most dangerous height; but if a
deliverer could be found, there was still a possibility of its being saved. Such a
deliverer was Immanuel, whom the prophet sees in the light of the Spirit
living through all the Assyrian calamities. The prophet appeals complainingly
to him that the land, which is his land, is almostswallowedup by the world-
power: the spreadings out (muttoth, a hophal noun: for similar substantive
forms, see Isaiah14:6; Isaiah 29:3, and more especiallyPsalm66:11)of the
wings of the stream (i.e., of the large bodies of waterpouring out on both sides
from the main stream, as from the trunk, and covering the land like two
broad wings) have filled the whole land. According to Norzi, Immanul is to be
written here as one word, as it is in Isaiah 7:14; but the correctreading is
Immân El, with mercha silluk (see note on Isaiah7:14), though it does not
therefore cease to be a proper name. As Jerome observes, it is nomen
proprium, non interpretatum; and so it is rendered in the Sept., Μεθ ̓ ἡμῶν ὁ
Θεός.
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
Isaiah8:14 Then He shall become a Sanctuary; but to both the houses of
Israel, a Stone to strike and a Rock to stumble over, and a snare and a trap
for the inhabitants of Jerusalem:
shall be: Isa 26:20 Ps 46:1,2 Pr 18:10 Eze 11:16

stone:Isa 28:16 Lk 2:34 Ro 9:32,33 11:9-11,35 1Pe 2:8
snare:Ps 11:6 69:22 Mt 13:57 Lk 21:35
Isaiah8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
THE MESSIAH:
THE SANCTUARY
THE STONE
THE ROCK
Young's Literal - And He hath been for a sanctuary, And for a stone of
stumbling, and for a rock of falling, To the two houses of Israel, Fora gin and
for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Then - In context this seems to function as a term of conclusion. If they fulfill
the charge in Isaiah 8:13, Jehovah would be their sanctuary. Of course it is
still an expressionof time also.
He shall become a Sanctuary - Who is He? Christ Jesus it is He. He will be the
Sanctuary when He returns to dwell among His people. This word emphasizes
God's holiness as well as His protection in the storm (cp Pr 18:10-note).
Ponder the numerous, striking metaphors used to describe Messiah. Is He
your Sanctuary or is He the Stone over which you will stumble into the Lake
of fire? May God grant all who read these solemn, weighty passagesthe grace
to see and receive Messiahas their Sanctuary, the protection from the wrath
to come (1Th 1:10-note). Amen.
The Septuagint (Lxx) translates miqdash with the noun hagiasma which
means a space setaside for devotion.
Sanctuary (04720)(miqdashfrom qadash = set apart from profane or common
use - see preceding verse)refers to a consecrated(setapart) place, especially
the holy place, the tabernacle. In contextmiqdash refers to the place that God
dwells in His holiness.
Miqdash - 71x in OT -

Ex 15:17; 25:8; Lev 12:4; 16:33;19:30; 20:3; 21:12, 23;26:2, 31; Num 3:38;
10:21;18:1, 29; 19:20;Josh24:26; 1Chr 22:19;28:10; 2Chr 20:8; 26:18;
29:21;30:8; 36:17;Neh 10:39;Ps 68:35;73:17; 74:7; 78:69;96:6; Isa 8:14;
16:12;60:13; 63:18;Jer 17:12;51:51; Lam 1:10; 2:7, 20; Ezek 5:11; 8:6; 9:6;
11:16;21:2; 23:38f;24:21; 25:3; 28:18;37:26, 28; 43:21;44:1, 5, 7ff, 11, 15f;
45:3f, 18;47:12; 48:8, 10, 21; Dan 8:11; 9:17; 11:31; Amos 7:9, 13
But (contrast)to both the houses of Israel - Isaiah7 and 8 have been related
primarily to the Southern Kingdom of Judah, but now he expands the
following prophecy to pertain to both Israeland Judah. Why the contrast?
What is being contrasted? Isaiah8:13 has just described treating God as holy
and having a reverential fear of Him, both of which are markers of genuine
faith and in context describe the "effects" ofone who has genuine faith in the
Messiah. In contrastIsaiahnow describes Jews who refuse to believe in
Messiah, the Sanctuary, the Stone, the Rock. So Immanuel, the Messiah,
became to the Jews andstill is a stone of stumbling until the veil is removed
from their heart. (cp 2Cor3:14,15, 16-note).
A Stone to strike (KJV = stone of stumbling, stone of offense) - The "Stone" is
Christ (Lxx = lithos = stone or piece of a rock, used figuratively in NT of
Christ = Mt 21:42). Messiahwill be like a rock of refuge for the people (Isa
8:14; 17:10; 26:4; 28:16).
See relatedresources:
Christ, the Rock, the Stone -- Scripture chain & chart
Isaiah8:14 A Rock ofSalvationand a Stumbling Stone - Wil Pounds
Strike (KJV = stumbling) (05063)(negeph)candescribe a plague (any great
natural evil or calamity) (Ex 12:13;30:12; Nu 8:19; 17:11,12;Jos 22:17)or
much less commonly describes the actionof falling usually causedby an
object, in the present passagereferring figuratively to stumbling over the
Messiah.
The Septuagint translates negephwith the noun proskomma (from prós = to,
against+ kopto = cut, strike)which can describe literal or figurative
stumbling. It is something a person trips over. Thus proskomma canbe an

obstacle in the way which if one strikes his foot againsthe stumbles or falls or
figuratively it can describe that over which a soul stumbles i.e. by which is
causedto sin or which causes anoccasionofapostasy. It is also used
figuratively, to describe a cause offalling or an occasionof sinning (Ro 14:13,
20; 1Cor. 8:9; Septuagint: Ex 23:33;34:12).
Negeph- 7x in the OT - Ex 12:13;30:12; Nu 8:19; 16:46, 47; Josh22:17;Isa
8:14
In summary a Stone that causes Jews fromboth Israel and Judah to stumble
is Jesus Christ Who Paul refers to in Romans 9 as he explains what will
happen to Jews who fail to believe in Messiah(ReadRomans 9, 10, 11 which
describes God's plan for Israel).
Why? (Why did the Jews not attain righteousness like the Gentiles did - Ro
9:30, 31-note)Becausetheydid not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by
works (cp Isa 64:6, Ro 3:20-note). They stumbled over the stumbling stone
(Messiah), just as it is written, (Quoting Isaiah 28:16 and Isaiah8:14)
"BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF
OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES (pisteuo - presenttense = as the
generaldirection of their life) IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED
(ashamed)." (Ro 9:32, 33-note)
Peterquotes from Isaiah8:14, 15 writing that Christ is
(For those who refuse to believe in Messiahfor salvation, He becomes)"A
STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCKOF OFFENSE";for they stumble
because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also
appointed.
Writing to the Corinthians Paul said…
but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block (skandalon), and to
Gentiles foolishness (1Co 1:23)
Comment: Skandalonoriginally referred to a movable part of a trap on which
the bait was laid, and when touched causedthe trap to close onits prey.
Skandalonthus came to mean any entanglement of the foot. Figuratively, as

used most often in Scripture, skandalonrefers to any person or thing by
which one is drawn into error or sin.
Snare (06341)(pach/pah) refers to a literal bird trap to ensnare, confine and
control birds (Amos 3:5, Pr 7:23, Eccl9:12). MostOT uses are figurative and
refer to that which brings sudden danger and/or which entangles in
difficulties. (Jos 23:13; Job22:10; Ps 69:23; 91:3; 119:110;140:6;141:9;
142:4;Pr 22:5; Isa 24:17, 18; Jer 18:22;48:43, 44;Hos 5:1; 9:8) The
implication is that it is able to snare someone because it is deceptively
attractive (eg, a womanwho is not your wife - Pr 7:23).
Pach/pah- 25x in OT -
Ex 39:3; Nu 16:38; Josh23:13;Job 18:9; 22:10;Ps 11:6; 69:22;91:3; 119:110;
124:7;140:5; 141:9;142:3; Pr 7:23; 22:5; Eccl9:12; Isa 8:14; 24:17, 18; Jer
18:22;48:43, 44; Hos 5:1; 9:8; Amos 3:5
Trap (4170)(moqesh)strictly speaking is the lure or bait that is placedin a
fowler's (bird catcher's)net or a hunter's trap. The lure comes then to refer to
the trap itself. Moqeshis sometimes used literally (Amos 3:5 = bait, Job
40:24). Other uses are figurative and describe entrapment that results in one
being captured and/or controlled (this figurative sense composesthe majority
of the OT uses below).
Moqesh- 27x in the OT -
Ex 10:7; 23:33;34:12; Dt 7:16; Josh23:13;Jdg 2:3; 8:27; 1Sa 18:21;2Sa 22:6;
Job 34:30;40:24; Ps 18:5; 64:5; 69:22; 106:36;140:5; 141:9;Pr 12:13;13:14;
14:27;18:7; 20:25;22:25;29:6, 25; Isa 8:14; Amos 3:5
CHRIST
THE ROCK/STONE
cp Ex17:6
(1) To God Jesus = "Smitten Stone"
Ex 17:6; 1Co10:4;cp. Jn 4:13,14;7:37, 38, 39

(2) To IsraelJesus = "Stumbling Stone"
1Pe 2:8-note, Ro 9:32, 33-note;1Co 1:23
(3) To Church Jesus = "Cornerstone"
1Pe 2:6-note, Ep 2:20-note, 1Co 3:10,11,12 (foundation)
(4) To all the Gentile world powers Jesus = "Stone cut without hands"
Da 2:34-note
(5) To Israelat Secondcoming = capstone of the corner
Zec 4:7
(6) Stone that grows and fills the earth
Da 2:35-note
(7) To unbelievers = crushing Stone of judgment
Mt 21:44, cp Luke 2:34
Isaiah8:15 Many will stumble over them. Then they will fall and be broken;
They will even be snared and caught.":
stumble: Mt 11:6 15:14 21:44 Lk 20:17,18 Jn6:66 1Co 1:23
Alexander - This verse completes the threatening by an explicit declaration
that Jehovahwould not only be a stumbling block and snare to the houses of
Israelbut that many should actually fall and be ensnared and broken. (The
Prophecies ofIsaiah)
Many - This refers to Jews who fail to believe in the Rock, the Messiah. They
will stumble over the Stone instead of being safe in His Sanctuary.
Note that five verbs are used to describe their destruction.
Stumble (03782)(kashal)means to stagger, totter, falter - stumbling in and
out of control (Lev 26:37). Literally kashaldescribes physicallyfalling.

Figuratively kashalspeaks offalling in the sense offailing or falling into ruin
(Ps 64:8, 2Chr 25:8, Isa. 3:8; Hos. 14:1)
Swanson- 1. (qal) stumble, falter, stagger, i.e., make a motion of falling or
stumbling in an out of control manner (Lev 26:37), note: often referring to a
weak, wounded, failing person; (nif) stumbled (1Sa 2:4); (hif) cause to fall (Pr
4:16); 2. (nif) be brought down, i.e., be in a state of destruction or ruin (Pr
24:16;Da 11:41); (hif) overthrow, bring to ruin (2Ch 25:8); (hof) be
overthrown (Jer 18:23); 3. (qal) have a downfall, fail, have no success, i.e., a
lack of obtaining a desireable state (Hos 14:2[EB 1]); (hif) cause to stumble
(Jer 18:15); 4. (qal) fail, i.e., to have a condition or state cease, implying a
defeat(Ps 31:10)
Vine - kashal( ,‫ש‬ ַׁ‫ל‬, 3782), “to stumble, stagger, totter, be thrown down.” As in
biblical Hebrew, this word is used in modern Hebrew in the sense of “to
stumble, fail.” It occurs in the text of the Hebrew Old Testament
approximately 60 times, the first time being in Lev. 26:37: “And they shall fall
one upon another…” This use illustrates the basic idea that one “stumbles”
because ofsomething or over something. Heavy physical burdens cause one
“to stagger”:“… The children fell under the [loads of] wood” (Lam. 5:13).
This word is often used figuratively to describe the consequencesofdivine
judgment on sin: “Behold, I will lay stumbling blocks before this people, and
the fathers and the sons togethershall fall upon them …” (Jer. 6:21). Babylon,
too, will know God’s judgment: “And the most proud shall stumble and fall
…” (Jer. 50:32). When the psalmist says:“My knees totter from my fasting”
(Ps. 109:24, NAB), he means: “My knees are weak”(as translatedby KJV,
NASB, RSV, JB, NEB, TEV).
Kashal - 61xin 58v-bring you down(1), bring down(1), brought down(1), cast
down(1), downfall(1), fail(1), failed(1), failing(1), fall(4), fall down(1),
feeble(3), feeble*(1), overthrown(1), stumble(26), stumble badly(1),
stumbled(12), stumbles(2), tottering(1), weak(1).
Lev 26:37;1Sa 2:4; 2 Chr 25:8; 28:15, 23;Neh 4:10; Job 4:4; Ps 9:3; 27:2;
31:10;64:8; 105:37;107:12;109:24;Pr 4:12, 16, 19;24:16f; Isa 3:8; 5:27;
8:15; 28:13; 31:3; 35:3; 40:30;59:10, 14; 63:13;Jer 6:15, 21; 8:12; 18:15, 23;

20:11;31:9; 46:6, 12, 16; 50:32;Lam 1:14; 5:13; Ezek 33:12;36:15;Dan
11:14, 19, 33ff, 41; Hos 4:5; 5:5; 14:1, 9; Nah 2:5; 3:3; Zech 12:8; Mal 2:8.
Some representative uses…
(Pr 4:16) Forthey cannot sleepunless they do evil; And they are robbed of
sleepunless they make someone stumble. (figurative usage)(Charles Bridges
Commentary)
(Pr 4:19) The wayof the wickedis like darkness;They do not know over what
they stumble. (Charles Bridges Commentary)
(Pr 24:16)For a righteous man falls seventimes, and rises again, But the
wickedstumble (sweepthem away - in marked contrastto the security of the
righteous - cf Ps 34:19)in time of calamity. (Charles Bridges Commentary; J
Vernon McGee = Proverbs 24:16 Commentary)
(Jer 18:15)‘For My people have forgotten Me, They burn incense to worthless
gods And they have stumbled (figurative usage)from their ways, From the
ancient paths, To walk in bypaths, Not on a highway,
(Da 11:33)“Those who have insight among the people will give understanding
to the many; yet they will fall (idea of die) by swordand by flame, by captivity
and by plunder for many days.
(Hos 4:5) So you will stumble by day, And the prophet also will stumble with
you by night; And I will destroy your mother.
(Hos 5:5) Moreover, the pride of Israeltestifies againsthim, And Israel and
Ephraim stumble in their iniquity; Judah also has stumbled with them.
(Hos 14:1) Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, Foryou have stumbled
(figurative usage)becauseofyour iniquity.
(Hos 14:9) Whoeveris wise, lethim understand these things; Whoeveris
discerning, let him know them. Forthe ways of the LORD are right, And the
righteous will walk in them, But transgressors willstumble (figurative usage)
in them.
Jesus said- And blessedis he who keeps from stumbling over Me. (Mt 11:6)

Over them - What/who is them? In contextit refers to the metaphors of the
Stone and the Rock.
Be broken (07665)(shabar- see word study) means to break (in pieces, up,
down) shatter, burst.
Snared (03369)(yaqosh)refers to setting a trap for the purpose of catching
prey. It is often used used in a metaphorical sense ofthe entrapment of people,
of catching one in an undesirable situation. (Isa 28:13; Jer50:24) A snare
allures one from the safe path and results in his destruction. Saul tried to ruin
David with his daughter Michal (1Sa 18:21). Moses wasconsidereda snare to
Egypt (Ex 10:7). Gold ensnares, as does the "god" (idol) coveredby the gold!
This warning principle applies to all of us! (Dt 7:25).As the trapper snares the
unwary animal, so souls canbe ensnaredby sin (Ps 124:7-note, Ps 141:9-note
= a greatprayer for all God's saints to pray frequently!) Pride makes one
susceptible to snares (Jer50:24, cf Jer 50:31, 32)
Some of the uses of yaqosh are translates in the Lxx with the word pagis
which describes anything that catches andholds fast, such as a snare, a trap, a
noose, and like the OT uses is used metaphorically in the NT of a false sense of
security that leads to a sudden and unexpected judgment (Ro 11:9) or as a
deceitful method or trick of the devil for gaining control(1Ti 3.7)or generally
of any allurement to wrongdoing, anything that entices, attempts or attracts
us (1Ti 6:9 is a prime example!)
Webstersays a snare is a device for trapping birds or small animals, espa
flexible loop that is drawn tight around the prey. Anything that traps or
entangles someone orsomething unawares. To catchor trap by trickery. 1828
Websteradds "An instrument for catching animals, particularly fowls, by the
leg. It consists ofa cord or string with slip-knots, in which the leg is entangled.
A snare is not a net. Any thing by which one is entangled and brought into
trouble."
Swanson- (qal) control, formally, lay a bird snare, seta trap as a figure for
capture and so control and rule another, or be controlled by another (Ps
124:7;141:9; Jer 50:24);(nif) be ensnared, be trapped (Dt 7:25; Pr 6:2; Isa
8:15; 28:13+);(pual) (Eccl9:12+),

Yaqosh - 8x in 8v in the OT -ensnared(1), set(1), seta snare(1), snared(4),
trapper(1).
Deuteronomy 7:25 "The gravenimages of their gods you are to burn with
fire; you shall not covetthe silver or the gold that is on them, nor take it for
yourselves, or you will be snared by it, for it is an abomination to the LORD
your God.
Psalm124:7 Our soulhas escapedas a bird out of the snare of the trapper;
The snare is broken and we have escaped.
Psalm141:9 Keep me from the jaws of the trap which they have setfor me,
And from the snares ofthose who do iniquity.
Proverbs 6:2-note If you have been snared with the words of your mouth,
Have been caught with the words of your mouth,
Ecclesiastes9:12 Moreover, man does not know his time: like fish caught in a
treacherous net and birds trapped in a snare, so the sons of men are ensnared
at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them.
Isaiah8:15 "Many will stumble over them, Then they will fall and be broken;
They will even be snared and caught."
Isaiah28:13 So the word of the LORD to them will be, "Order on order,
order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there," That
they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and taken captive.
Comment: Israelis snared by their rejectionof God’s word (Isa. 8:15; 28:13).
It follows that letting the Word of Christ dwell in us richly (Col 3:16) is a
greatpreventative againstbeing enticed and carried awayby the lusts of our
fallen flesh (James 1:14).
Jeremiah50:24 "I seta snare for you and you were also caught, O Babylon,
While you yourself were not aware;You have been found and also seized
Becauseyou have engagedin conflict with the LORD."

Comment: Yes, Babylon was God's instrument of punishment or chastisement
for Judah, but because oftheir evil ways they too would receive just
recompense for Jehovah, the Just One.
Caught (captured) (03920)(lakad)means to capture, seize, catch, as in a net,
trap or pit (Ps 9:15). Literally and figuratively, the latter sense poignantly
illustrated in Pr 5:22 where Solomonnotes that the wickedis captured with
the cords of his ownsins (Josh6:20, cf 1Sa 14:41-42). Captured(defeated)
cities (Dt 2:34, 35; 3:4, Jericho = Josh6:20; Jdg 1:8, 12-13, 18). Speaksof
tribes providentially "taken" to discern who committed the sin that caused
Israelto loose the battle at Ai (Josh7:14-16)To be "immoveable, frozen, i.e.,
make a collectionor mass hard and immoveable, as an extension of capturing
or binding up and object (Job 38:30)" (Swanson)Usedin Job41:17 of
Leviathan's strong scalesthat "clasp(lakad;Lxx = sunecho/synecho = held
together)eachother and cannot be separated."
In the present verse lakadserves as a figure of divine judgment. The Messiah,
the Stone of Stumbling (Isa 8:14), will cause many to be captured and suffer
the pangs of eternal torment because they rejectedGod's only Son and the
only solution for man's sin!
Walter Kaiser- Mostof the 121 uses of lākaddeal with men capturing or
seizing towns, men, spoils, and even a kingdom (1Sa 14:47). It is used
figuratively of the entrapment of men who are caught in snares of all sorts
laid by their enemies (Jer 5:26; 18:22; Ps 35:8). In Pr 5:22 the wickedis
captured with the cords of his own sins. Likewise, in Ps 9:15 the heathen are
seizedin the very net which they hid to capture others. They are captured by
their pride, haughtiness, and the words of their lips (Ps 59:12;Pr 6:2; 11:6).
This word also serves as a figure of divine judgment. The Stone of Stumbling
will cause many to stumble, fall, be broken, be ensnared, and be captured (Isa
8:15). When God shakes the foundations of the earth, just prior to the
Millennium (“many days” of Isa 24:22), the ungodly shall be seizedin the trap
(Isa 24:18)as were those who drunkenly mockedthe prophet’s message (Isa
28:13). When Godmoves in judgment, husband and wives (Jer6:11), scribes
and wise men (Jer8:9) along with Moab (Jer 48:7, 44) will be included.

Others are ensnared by a woman (Eccl7:26) or are caughtin the “cords of
affliction” (Job 36:8).
Waltke - Lakadis used more often in warfare for capturing territory from an
enemy (cf. Nu 21:32; 32:39, 41, 42;Pr 16:32) or from a person (Jer. 48:7), but
the paralleland with the cords (ûbehablê) shows that it has its less frequent
use in capturing an animal in a trap (Job 36:8; Ps. 9:6; 35:8; Pr. 6:2; Ec 7:26;
Isa 8:5; Jer. 18:22;48:44;Amos 3:5). (Waltke, B. K. The Book of Proverbs)
In Pr 5:22 Solomonwarns (and sadly failed to heed his own warning - see 1Ki
11:1-11)of the powerof sin ('avon) to capture and the power of sin
(chattat/chattath) to hold - "His own iniquities ('avon) will capture (Heb -
lakad= catchin a net, trap or pit, figuratively of entrapment of men caught in
snares laid by enemies as in Jer 5:26; 18:22;Ps 35:8; Lxx translates lakadin
Pr 5:22 with verb agreuo used in " hunting or fishing = to take, catch;
figuratively of taking advantage of someone in an unguarded moment, seeking
to catchthem in a mistake, try to get them to make a wrong statementas in
Mk 12.13)the wicked, and he will be held (Heb = tamak = basic idea =
"grasping securely"!)with the cords of his sin (chattat/chattath)."
NAS Usage:
Lakad - 120xin 113v- capture(9), captured(57), captures(4), captures at
all(1), catch(2), caught(12), clasp(1), imprisoned(1), seized(1), take(6),
taken(13), takencaptive(2), takes(3),took(8).
Nu 21:32;32:39, 41f; Deut 2:34, 35; 3:4; Josh6:20; 7:14-16;8:19, 21; 10:1, 28,
32, 35, 37, 39, 42; 11:10, 12, 17;15:16f; 19:47;Jdg 1:8, 12-13, 18;3:28; Jdg
7:24-25;8:12, 14;9:45, 50;12:5; 15:4; 1Sa 10:20-21;14:41-42, 47;2Sa 5:7;
8:4; 12:26-28;1Kgs 9:16; 16:18; 2Kgs 12:17;17:6; 18:10;1Chr 11:5; 18:4;
2Chr 12:4; 13:19; 15:8; 17:2; 22:9; 28:18; 32:18;33:11;Neh 9:25; Job 5:13;
36:8; 38:30; 41:17;Ps 9:15; 35:8; 59:12;Pr 5:22; 6:2; 11:6; 16:32; Eccl7:26;
Isa 8:15; 20:1; 24:18;28:13; Jer5:26; 6:11; 8:9; 18:22; 32:3, 24, 28; 34:22;
37:8; 38:3, 28;39:1; 48:1, 7, 41, 44;50:2, 9, 24; 51:31, 41, 56;Lam 4:20; Dan
11:15, 18;Amos 3:4f; Hab 1:10; Zech 14:2.
Here are some representative uses…

(Job 5:13) “He captures the wise by their own shrewdness, andthe advice of
the cunning is quickly thwarted.
(Ps 9:15) The nations have sunk down in the pit which they have made; In the
net which they hid, their own foot has been caught.
(Ps 35:8) Let destruction come upon him unawares, and let the net which he
hid catchhimself; Into that very destruction let him fall.
(Ps 59:12)On accountof the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, Let
them even be caught in their pride, And on accountof curses and lies which
they utter.
(Pr 5:22)-note His own iniquities will capture the wicked, And he will be held
with the cords of his sin.
(Pr 6:2) If you have been snared with the words of your mouth, Have been
caught with the words of your mouth,
(Pr 11:6) The righteousnessofthe upright will deliver them, But the
treacherous will be caught by their own greed.
(Pr 16:32)He who is slow to angeris better than the mighty, And he who rules
his spirit, than he who captures a city.
WIL POUNDS
Isaiah8:14 a Rock of Salvationand a Stumbling Stone
The backgroundfor chaptereight of Isaiahis the Assyrian invasion. It is a
picture of political intrigue and panic. The prophet is trying to encourage
King Ahaz and the people of Judah to trust in the LORD God and not enter
political treaties with the Northern Kingdom of Israel and Syria againstthe
superpowerAssyria. The prophet announces coming judgment if King Ahaz
does not put his trust in Yahweh.

The nation is so low spiritually under Ahaz's leadership that when the
prophet calls for trust in the LORD the politicians and the people accuse him
of a "conspiracy." The king accusedthe prophet of being a troublemaker
because he did not go by the polls and the political programs. Ahaz has opted
to follow the polls and popular opinion instead of the word of God. The
politicians accuse Isaiahofa right wing "conspiracy" becausehe opposes
compromise with the pagannations (8:11–13). The challenge is to fear the
LORD! Put your confidence in Him. If you are going to conspire, conspire
with Him. Don't put your faith in the king of Assyria; put your faith in the
LORD your God. Because Isaiahsidedwith Yahweh they saw him in service
of the enemy and conspiring to overthrow the government. No one was more
loyal to the Lord God and His covenant nation than the prophets. The clarion
call was, "Youare to fear Yahweh!"
If the king and the people had sanctifiedYahweh and feared Him there
would be no conspiracy(v. 13). If you give the LORD His proper place in your
life then you will fear and dread Him. If you put Him first you will sanctify
and honor Him. If you don't regardHim as holy then He will be for you "a
stone to strike and a rock to stumble over, and a snare and a trap for the
inhabitants of Jerusalem" (v. 14).
What is your attitude toward the Lord?
The imagery in verse fourteen is a man fleeing the coming judgment. If the
man is a believer and fleeing in time of trouble the altar will be a sanctuary,
the place where he meets God in salvationand security. However, if he is an
unbeliever who has no time for God, then the altar is only a heap of stones to
strike and stumble over. Look how Isaiahreinforced the thought of salvation
and judgment in verses 13-15.
"It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy.
And He shall be your fear,
And He shall be your dread.
Then He [the LORD of hosts whom you regardas holy] shall become a
sanctuary;

But to both the houses ofIsrael, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over,
And a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
And many will stumble over them,
Then they will fall and be broken;
They will even be snared and caught."
The admonition is clear, sanctify yourselves and the LORD will be to you a
sanctuary. If you sanctify Him, He will be a sanctuary for you. He will be your
salvationand security.
The Old Testamentscholars Keiland Delitzschobserved: "All who sanctified
the Lord of lords He surrounded like temple walls:hid them in Himself,
whilst death and tribulation reigned without, and comforted, fed, and blessed
them in His own gracious fellowship."
However, for those who refuse to trust in Yahweh He will be a stone of
stumbling that will crush them in judgment. Verse fifteen says Godwill set for
the people not only a rock to crush them but a spring loaded bird trap to
snare them. Becauseofthe stone many will stumble, fall and be crushed. They
will be completely destroyed.
Who is this Rock ofSalvation and Stone of Stumbling?
The apostle Petercaptures this idea and reminds his readers, "Youwho
believe the Lord is precious will not be disappointed in Him. But you who are
disobedient and refuse to believe in Him, the stone which the builders
rejected, the same is the head stone and a stone of stumbling and rock of
offense" (Pounds paraphrase). He combines two verses from Isaiah(28:16;
8:14) with Psalm118:22 in 1 Peter2:6–8. The chief corner stone is the stone of
stumbling and rock of offence for those who refuse to believe. However, He is
the solid rock of salvationto those who choose to believe. The purpose of the
"stone, a tried stone, a precious corner–stone"is a foundation that gives
stability and security to the believer.

How can the chief corner stone become the stumbling stone and rock of
offense? "Theystumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this
doom they are also appointed," writes Peter(1 Peter2:8).
Who is this rock of offense? Clearly, it is Jesus ofNazareth, God's chosenand
choice stone.
Simeon was in the Temple of Jerusalemwhen Mary and Josephbrought Jesus
to be dedicated. Simeonwas "righteous and devout, looking for the
consolationofIsrael, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it was revealed
to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see deathbefore he had seenthe
Lord's Christ (Messiah)" (Luke 2:25–26). Simeontook Jesus in his arms and
"blessedGod." He recognizedthat Jesus was the Anointed of God and praised
God that he was allowedto see His Son. SimeonblessedJesus and His parents
and praised God. Then he said to Mary, "Behold, this Child is appointed for
the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposedand a sword
will pierce even your own soul––to the end that thoughts from many hearts
may be revealed" (vv. 34–35). Didyou catchit? This Child will be a stumbling
block "for the fall and rise of many in Israel."
Later in his GospelDr. Luke quotes a parable Jesus gave on the Vine–growers
association(Luke 20:9–18). In making His application Jesus askeda question
while quoting Psalm 118:22. "Whatthen is this that is written, 'The stone
which the builders rejected, this became the chief cornerstone'?" Then He
quickly added, "Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces;but
on whomever it falls, it will scatterhim like dust" (v. 18). Luke observes,
"And the scribes and the chief priests tried to lay hands on Him that very
hour, and they feared the people; for they understood that He spoke this
parable againstthem" (v. 19).
Our attitude toward Him determines our spiritual welfare. He is a sanctuary
to those who sanctify Him. He is a place of refuge, peace and security to those
who believe. However, to those who reject Him He becomes a stone to trip
over. He becomes a crushing stone of judgment to the proud of heart. Many
people collide with Him and trip overHim because they try to live as if He

didn't exist. Jesus Christ will always be a stumbling stone to those who refuse
to trust in Him.
"Forthe word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us
who are being savedit is the powerof God" (1 Corinthians 1:18). The Jewish
people were always asking forsigns and the Greeks were in searchofwisdom.
"But we preachChrist crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles
foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews andGreeks, Christthe
powerof God and the wisdom of God" (vv. 22–24).
Peterused the illustration of the rejectedstone becoming God's chosenstone
in a sermon on the death and resurrectionof Jesus. He concludedhis message
saying, "And there is salvationin no one else;for there is no other name
under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved"
(Acts 4:12). Jesus and the salvationHe offers is a stumbling stone for many.
However, He brings eternal life and inner peace to those who believe on Him.
In his greatchapters on the sovereigntyof God in salvation the apostle Paul
draws the conclusionthat Gentiles, who did not have any interest in the
righteousness ofGod, have "attained righteousness,eventhe righteousness
which is by faith" (Romans 9:30). They were unconcernedand indifferent
pagans. They were not concernedabout a right standing with God. Yet, God
in His rich grace and mercy chose to save them by grace through faith in
Jesus Christ.
On the other hand, Israel, who had been pursuing a law of righteousness,
never arrived at God's righteousness.Gentiles attainedthis righteousness,but
Israelfailed. Why? Paul tells us, "They stumbled over 'the stumbling stone,'
just as it is written, 'Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of
offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed'" (9:32–33
quoting Isaiah8:14; 28:16).
The Gentiles obtained a right standing with God which was a "righteousness
that is by faith." The problem was in the way the Jews pursued righteousness.
They wanted to do it their way, not God's way. They wanted to use the Law as
a means of obtaining righteousness. However, by the works of the law they
could never attain it because they were sinners. They could never perfectly

obey the law. Christ alone has fulfilled the law. Paul saw the law as a means of
leading people to Christ and a right relationship with God. Insteadof seeking
God's righteousness by faith, they stumbled over works righteousness."The
righteousness thatanswers the demands of the law, is the righteousness of
God, which is receivedby faith. The Jews, then, did not attain to it, because
they sought it not by faith, but as of works of law" (Robert Haldane). It is
impossible to attain salvation other than by justification by faith.
Righteousnessis by faith. The Jews refusedto come by faith. They sought the
right goalin the wrong way, and therefore stumbled over Christ. Paul applies
the stone of stumbling and rock that crushes in Isaiah 8:14 to Christ. He had
no hesitation in applying to Christ those Old Testamentpassagesthat refer to
the Lord of hosts.
God's sovereignwill does not eliminate human responsibility. The Jewish
people's lack of faith prevented them from recognizing Jesus as the Messiah.
They had an attitude problem. Instead of begin the cause ofgreatrejoicing in
the rich blessings of Yahweh, He became a "stumbling stone" to them.
Christ is the Stone. Is He a stone of offense or a rock of salvation for you? The
believer will never be ashamedbefore God because Christis his righteousness.
Title: Isaiah8:14 A Rock of Salvationand a Stumbling Stone
Series: Christ in the Old Testament
end of precept austinresources
Isaiah8:14 Context
11Forthe LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that
I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, 12Sayye not, A
confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy;neither
fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. 13Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let

him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14And he shall be for a
sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the
houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be
snared, and be taken. 16Bind up the testimony, sealthe law among my
disciples. 17And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the
house of Jacob, andI will look for him.
Sanctuary Series
Contributed by Jim Erwin on Dec 29, 2010
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Scripture: Isaiah8:11-22
Denomination: Baptist
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Sanctuary
Isaiah8:11-22
Pictures of God This Christmas Part 2
SLIDE 2
There are news accounts ofillegal immigrants trying to use churches and/or
cities as “sanctuaries.”Theystay in these cities or churches in order to avoid
deportation to their native country, or worse, jail. While it is a very hot topic
in politics, there are places in the Old Testamentwhere cities of refuge were
available. Sanctuaries are sacredplaces ofprotection. Sanctuaries are holy
places where God is honored.
SLIDE 3
When someone thinks of a sanctuary, it cangenerally have two meanings:
1. Protectionfrom an enemy because one feels safe.
2. Place where one devotes their life to someone.
SLIDE 4
You are to regardonly the LORD of Hosts as holy. Only He should be feared;
only He should be held in awe. He will be a sanctuary;but for the two houses
of Israel, He will be a stone to stumble over and a rock to trip over, and a trap
and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
(Isaiah 8:13-14 HCSB)
This is the main point in this passageforthe people of Israel. They are at a
crossroads. Isaiahwas toldby God that there would be a sonborn, and that
the Assyrian army would invade Israel. But God promised protection to His
people.
Either God will be a place of protectionfor those who place their trust in Him.
OR

God will be a stone over which people would stumble, falling into destruction.
So the picture we get here is a God who can protect you or destroy you. Either
He is a refuge of protection, a sanctuary, or He is a stone over which you
could hurt yourself. So there are two distinct images orpictures of Jesus in
this passage. To those who trust Him, He will be a sanctuary. To those who do
not trust Him, He is a stone over which you will fall and destroy yourself.
SLIDES 5 and 6
PLACE TWO SLIDES ABOUT SANCTUARIES AND STONES.
SLIDE 7
We know that the Lord of Hosts is Jesus, becausethis verse is quoted by Peter
and Paul.
That is why Scripture says, "I am laying a chosenand precious cornerstone in
Zion, and the person who believes in him will never be ashamed." This honor
belongs to those who believe. But to those who don't believe: "The stone that
the builders rejectedhas become the cornerstone, a stone that people trip
over, a large rock that people find offensive." The people tripped over the
word because they refused to believe it. Therefore, this is how they ended up.
(1 Peter2:6-8 GW)
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SLIDE 8
As Scripture says, "I am placing a rock in Zion that people trip over, a large
rock that people find offensive. Whoeverbelieves in him will not be
ashamed."

(Romans 9:33 GW)
So both Peter and Paul, quoting part of Isaiah8:14, say that Jesus is the
person that people will either find offensive, stumble and fall to their
destruction, or He will be a person in Whom they will put their trust.
SLIDE 9
Simeon the prophet says essentiallythe same thing to the parents of Jesus, just
after His birth.
Then Simeon blessedthem, and he said to Mary, "This child will be rejected
by many in Israel, and it will be their undoing. But he will be the greatestjoy
to many others. Thus, the deepestthoughts of many hearts will be revealed...
(Luke 2:34-35 NLT)
So, Christmas canbe a time in which we find sanctuary, or a time in which we
will be stumbling all over ourselves trying to getthrough it all.
It is all about ATTITUDE:
The imagery in verse fourteen is a man fleeing the coming judgment. If the
man is a believer and fleeing in time of trouble the altar will be a sanctuary,
the place where he meets God in salvationand security. However, if he is an
unbeliever who has no time for God, then the altar is only a heap of stones to
strike and stumble over. Look how Isaiahreinforced the thought of salvation
and judgment in verses 13-15.
It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regardas holy.
And He shall be your fear,
And He shall be your dread.
However, for those who refuse to trust in Yahweh He will be a stone of
stumbling that will crush them in judgment. Verse fifteen says Godwill set for
the people not only a rock to crush them but a spring loaded bird trap to
snare them. Becauseofthe stone many will stumble, fall and be crushed. They
will be completely destroyed.

The purpose of the "stone, a tried stone, a precious corner–stone"is a
foundation that gives stability and securityto the believer. How can the chief
corner stone become the stumbling stone and rock of offense? "Theystumble
because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they are also
appointed," writes Peter(1 Peter 2:8)
The admonition is clear, sanctify yourselves and the LORD will be to you a
sanctuary. If you sanctify Him, He will be a sanctuary for you. He will be your
salvationand security.
Christmas time will test whether Jesus is a sanctuary for you, or a stone that
will cause you to fall. Christmas time canbe such a stressfultime. If we are
not careful, we will start to look to other places for sanctuary – for refuge and
protection.
Some will look for protection in various strange ways. This is what is
describedlater in the chapter. The people in Isaiah's time were searching for
protection in all the wrong places. Isaiah's answerto their searchis a classic
answer, evenfor today:
And when they say to you, "Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who
whisper and mutter," should not a people seek their God? Should they seek
the dead on behalf of the living?
(Isaiah 8:19 NKJV)
So why are you trying to find out the future by consulting mediums and
psychics? Do not listen to their whisperings and mutterings. Can the living
find out the future from the dead? Why not ask your God?
(Isaiah 8:19 NLT)
I find this verse the most compelling reasonto seek oursafety and protection
in Christ. People will go looking for other places to find the answers to many
questions this Christmas:
1. Can I pay the bills this month?

2. Will I be able to handle the relatives that will be coming next week fora
visit?
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3. Can I find the time to spend with my family during this season?
4. Will I be able to have the strength to make it through the restof the year?
5. Is my husband/wife, son/daughter, grandson/granddaughtergoing to come
back from Iraq?
Where am I going to find the peace and contentment that I am looking for?
Who can I trust to help me in times of difficulty?
Some people will want to look for answers in many different places.
They look for safetyin a bottle of beer.
They look for answers ona psychic hotline.
They drown themselves in debt hoping that the “gifts” they buy for
themselves will be enough protectionagainstthe pain that they feel.
But we are calledto share with them the real Personwho canhelp them with
their difficulties. And it isn't going to be easy. Becauseas Christians, we tend
to use the church as a sanctuary only for ourselves. But God calls the
sanctuary a holy place. The sanctuary is not for our protectionawayfrom
other people. The sanctuary is the place where we meet God. So, the
sanctuary should be a place where we can invite people to find God.
And if we believe that Jesus is the one we trust, then we need to do our best to
let Jesus make the message a sanctuaryfor those who are seeking Him. Many
times, we spend so much time “throwing stones” atother people because of

the waythey behave, or the waywe think they should behave and they are not
doing – that we make the Cornerstone an offense.
ACTIVITY – Take a bucket of stones and get ready to throw them at
someone.
Well, we don't make the Cornerstone an offense. We should make Him our
sanctuary. He will be offensive enough for those who have bitter and
hardened hearts. We just need to be looking for those who need a sanctuary.
So, when we look at this image again – the image of the sanctuary, we find
that Christmas is about inviting. Our attitude should be as someone who
wants to invite others to come to the sanctuary. We don't need to spend our
time throwing stones this Christmas. We will see enoughof that around us
already.
While we know that other people will look for other places to find sanctuary,
we can invite them to come to Jesus Christ. It will take an honesty with other
people that says:Look, here I am and I am not perfect. However, I know
someone who is and I find my answers in Him. Will you come join me?
OR
You will see someone who is looking for other places to find answers. You can
invite them to seek answers by looking to the One who is Living.
Pastor, have you claimed your 14 day PRO trial?
We are a living sanctuary, not made of stones, but of precious lives. The
building that God wants us to build is restoredlives and repentant hearts. He
wants us to invite others who need Godto come and enter this sanctuary. The
support of Jesus Christ, along with the church will be a testimony that will
help people who need God to come to His Word. Our lives testify that God's
Word is true and useful in helping everyone live the life that God wants.

The Story of Redemption
Chapter 53
The Sanctuary
THE scripture which above all others had been both the foundation and
central pillar of the advent faith was the declaration, "Unto two thousand and
three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed."Dan. 8:14. These
had been familiar words to all believers in the Lord's sooncoming. By the lips
of thousands was this prophecy joyfully repeatedas the watchwordof their
faith. All felt that upon the events therein brought to view depended their
brightest expectations and most cherished hopes. These prophetic days had
been shown to terminate in the autumn of 1844. In common with the rest of

the Christian world, Adventists then held that the earth, or some portion of it,
was the sanctuary, and that the cleansing ofthe sanctuarywas the purification
of the earth by the fires of the lastgreatday. This they understood would take
place at the secondcoming of Christ. Hence the conclusionthat Christ would
return to the earth in 1844.
But the appointed time came, and the Lord did not appear. The believers
knew that God's Word could not fail; their interpretation of the prophecy
must be at fault; but where was the mistake? Many rashly cut the knot of
difficulty by denying that the 2300 days ended in 1844. No reasoncould be
given
Page 376
for this position, exceptthat Christ had not come at the time of expectation.
They argued that if the prophetic days had ended in 1844, Christwould then
have come to cleanse the sanctuaryby the purification of the earth by fire;
and that since He had not come, the days could not have ended.
Though the majority of Adventists abandoned their former reckoning of the
prophetic periods, and consequentlydenied the correctness ofthe movement
basedthereon, a few were unwilling to renounce points of faith and experience
that were sustainedby the Scriptures and by the specialwitness ofthe Spirit
of God. They believed that they had adopted sound principles of
interpretation in their study of the Scriptures, and that it was their duty to
hold fast the truths already gained, and to still pursue the same course of
Biblical research. With earnestprayer they reviewedtheir position, and
studied the Scriptures to discovertheir mistake. As they could see no error in
their explanation of the prophetic periods, they were led to examine more
closelythe subject of the sanctuary.
The Earthly and Heavenly Sanctuaries
In their investigation they learnedthat the earthly sanctuary, built by Moses
at the command of Godaccording to the pattern shownhim in the mount, was
"a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and
sacrifices";that its two holy places were "patterns of things in the heavens";

that Christ, our greatHigh Priest, is "a minister of the sanctuary, and of the
true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man"; that "Christis not
entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the
true; but into heavenitself, now
Page 377
to appear in the presence ofGod for us." Heb. 9:9, 23;8:2; 9:24.
The sanctuaryin heaven, in which Jesus ministers in our behalf, is the great
original, of which the sanctuarybuilt by Moses wasa copy. As the sanctuary
on earth had two apartments, the holy and the most holy, so there are two
holy places in the sanctuary in heaven. And the ark containing the law of God,
the altar of incense, and other instruments of service found in the sanctuary
below, have also their counterpart in the sanctuaryabove. In holy vision the
apostle John was permitted to enter heaven, and he there beheld the
candlestick and the altar of incense, and as "the temple of God was opened,"
he beheld also "the ark of His testament." Rev. 4:5; 8:3; 11:19.
Those who were seeking for the truth found indisputable proof of the
existence ofa sanctuary in heaven. Mosesmade the earthly sanctuaryafter a
pattern which was shown him. Paul declaredthat that pattern was the true
sanctuary which is in heaven. (Heb. 8:2, 5.) John testified that he saw it in
heaven.
At the termination of the 2300 days, in 1844, no sanctuaryhad existed on
earth for many centuries;therefore the sanctuary in heaven must be the one
brought to view in the declaration, "Unto two thousand and three hundred
days; then shall the sanctuarybe cleansed."But how could the sanctuary in
heaven need cleansing? Turning again to the Scriptures, the students of
prophecy learned that the cleansing was nota removal of physical impurities,
for it was to be accomplishedwith blood, and therefore must be a cleansing
from sin. Thus says the apostle:"It was therefore necessarythat the patterns
of things in the heavens should be purified with these [the blood of animals];
but the heavenly things themselves
Page 378

with better sacrifices than these [even the precious blood of Christ]." Heb.
9:33.
To obtain a further knowledge ofthe cleansing to which the prophecy points,
it was necessaryto understand the ministration of the heavenly sanctuary.
This could be learnedonly from the ministration of the earthly sanctuary;for
Paul declares that the priests who officiatedthere served "unto the example
and shadow of heavenly things." Heb. 8:5.
The Cleansing of the Sanctuary
As the sins of the people were anciently transferred, in figure, to the earthly
sanctuary by the blood of the sin offering, so our sins are, in fact, transferred
to the heavenly sanctuary by the blood of Christ. And as the typical cleansing
of the earthly was accomplishedby the removal of the sins by which it had
been polluted, so the actualcleansing of the heavenly is to be accomplishedby
the removal, or blotting out, of the sins which are there recorded. This
necessitatesanexamination of the books of record to determine who, through
repentance of sin and faith in Christ, are entitled to the benefits of His
atonement. The cleansing of the sanctuary therefore involves a work of
investigative judgment. This work must be performed prior to the coming of
Christ to redeem His people, for when He comes, His reward is with Him to
give to every man according to his works. (Rev. 22:12.)
Thus those who followedin the advancing light of the prophetic word saw that
instead of coming to the earth at the termination of the 2300 days in 1844,
Christ then entered the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, into the
presence ofGod, to perform the closing work of atonement, preparatory to
His coming.
https://www.preparingforeternity.com/sr/sr53.htm
Christ Our Sanctuary

Updated: Sat, 02/21/2015 -00:00 By admin
Part 1
Go to Part 2
CHRIST OUR SANCTUARY - A SANCTUARY is a sacredplace, a place set
apart for a holy purpose, a place to commune with God in intimate fellowship,
a place to worship Him "in spirit and in truth" (Jn 4:24), a place to "find rest
for our souls" (Mt 11:28-29-note), a "place of refuge from the raging wind
and tempest" (Ps 55:6-note), and "a refuge from the storm, a shade from the
heat." (Isa 25:4) In the New Covenant, our Lord Jesus is our Sanctuaryand
place of refuge. To use a modern expression, Christis our "Safe House" now
and forever. "How blessedis the one whom Thou dost choose, andbring near
to Thee, to DWELL IN THY COURTS. We will be satisfiedwith the goodness
of Thy house, Thy holy temple." (Ps 65:4-note) "Thouwilt make known to me
the path of life; In Thy presence is fullness of joy; In Thy right hand there are
pleasures forever." (Ps 16:11-note)"How blessedare those who DWELL IN
THY HOUSE! They are ever praising Thee. Selah(Pause and Ponder)" (Ps
84:4-note) Indeed, "one day in Thy courts is better than a thousand
elsewhere"(Ps 84:10-note)for "the nearness ofGod is our good. We have
made the Lord God our Refuge, that we may tell of all His works." (Ps 73:28-
note) David prayed "ONE THING I have askedfrom the LORD, that I shall
seek:That I may DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD all the days of
my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to meditate in His temple." (Ps
27:4-note) May Godgrant us such a single minded passionfor His presence!
(cp Mary, Lk 10:39, 42-note).
And so Jesus depicted Himself as the true SANCTUARY where men could
meet with God when He declared"Destroythis temple, and in three days I
will raise it up… He was speaking of the temple of His body." (Jn 2:19, 21)
And Paul declaredthat in Christ "allthe fullness of Deity dwells in bodily
form." (Col 2:9-note) And even as the Shekinahglory of old inhabited the
Tabernacle and later the Temple, Jesus the divine Word (Jn 1:1-2) "became
flesh, and dwelt (pitched His tabernacle)among us, and we beheld His glory,
glory as of the only begottenfrom the Father, full of grace and truth." (Jn

1:14) And when "Jesus criedout againwith a loud voice, and yielded up His
spirit, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and
the earth shook;and the rocks were split," (Mt 27:50-51)giving all His
beloved children "confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by
a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is,
His flesh." (Heb 10:19-20-note)And so now we can "draw near with a sincere
heart in full assurance offaith" (Heb 10:22-note), a promise which is an
answerto our GreatHigh Priest's earthly prayer that we "may all be one;
even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that THEY ALSO MAY BE
IN US; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me." (Jn 17:21)And
because Christis our Sanctuary we can be assuredthat "The LORD IS NEAR
TO the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed (bruised, broken,
oppressed)in spirit." (Ps 34:18-note)"Forthus says the One Who is high and
lifted up, Who inhabits eternity, Whose name is Holy: "I DWELL
(tabernacle)in the high and holy place, and ALSO WITH HIM who is of a
contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the
heart of the contrite (crushed, discouraged, broken - do any of these
descriptions apply to your life beloved?)." (Isa 57:15)And when all has been
said and done, John describes a new heavenand new earth (Rev 21:1-note)
which has "no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb,
are its temple." (Rev 21:22-note)O happy day, for in that glorious future day
"In His temple everything says 'Glory!'" (Ps 29:9-note)
Among the Israelites, the Sanctuarywas the most retired part of the Temple,
the Holy of holies (Latin = Sanctum sanctorum), the place where under the
Old CovenantGod had promised He would dwell in their midst (Ex 25:8)
declaring "and there I will meet with you; and from above the Mercy Seat
(Gk translation of Heb = hilasterion [study]), from betweenthe two cherubim
which are upon the Ark of the Testimony (covenant), I will speak to you." (Ex
25:22). Under the New Covenant, Jesus became the fulfillment of the OT
animal's blood sprinkled on the MercySeat, by becoming "a propitiation
(Hilasterion = satisfactorypayment) in His blood" (Lev 16:14-note fulfilled in
Ro 3:25-note, 1Jn2:2). And because ofChrist's finished work on the Cross (Jn
19:30-note), Godthrough His Son's fully atoning work now invites us to make
Him our SANCTUARY, our SANCTUM SANCTORUM, ourPlace, or better

our Person, ofrefuge to which we canflee in times of discouragement, danger
or distress. Indeed, we as believers can sayof Christ our Sanctuary"You have
been our DWELLING PLACE (Heb = "Temple")in all generations."(Ps
90:1-note) for we were "in Him before the foundation of the world." (Eph 1:4-
note) By faith we "have made Jehovah(= Jesus - compare Jn 12:41NLT with
Isa 6:1-5-note), our Refuge, eventhe MostHigh, our DWELLING PLACE."
(Ps 91:9-note)As Spurgeonsaid "My unmoving mansion of rest is my blessed
Lord Jesus. Let prospects be blighted; let hopes be blasted; let joy be
withered; let mildews destroy everything; I have lostnothing of what I have in
Christ. He is “my strong Habitation whereunto I cancontinually resort.” I am
a pilgrim in the world, but at home in my God. In the earth I wander, but in
Christ (my Sanctuary) I dwell in a quiet Habitation." Amen!
Herbert Lockyeradds "How good of God it is to promise Himself as a
SANCTUARY! In the OT He provided a temple for His people; in the NT He
has a redeemedpeople as His temple (1Cor 3:16, Eph 2:20-22-note)!But the
wonder of wonders is that He also is our Temple. How consoling it is to know
that amid all the turmoil of the street, busy cares ofthe home, hurry and
confusionof our modern life, we have a "little sanctuary" (Ezek 11:16KJV-
note) "closerthan breathing, nearer than hands or feet." No sanctuary ever
surpassedthe Temple Solomonbuilt. For its marvel and magnificence it was
incomparable, yet where is it today? But, blessedbe Christ our Sanctuary, He
abides forever(Ps 102:12-note, Heb7:25-note). While it is fitting to gatherin a
house of worship, whether it be a simple or cathedral-like structure, the
sphere makes little difference. Many dear shut-in ones cannot journey to a
sanctuary of stone, yet hidden from earth's eyes they can take advantage of
Christ Who offers Himself as their Sanctuary. Blessed, is it not, to have a
Personas well as a place we candraw nigh to?" "Let us therefore draw near
(thru Christ our Sanctuary) with confidence to the throne of grace, that we
may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need." (Heb 4:16-
note)
Praise Christ our Sanctuaryas you listen to Kari Jobe's spiritual song
DWELLING PLACE…

For in you I find my Dwelling Place
In You I find amazing grace
In You I find security
Jesus, You are all I need.
I am standing and not falling
Cause You're ending what You're starting
You won't leave me or deceive me
Always hide, Lord, You guide me.
CHRIST OUR SANCTUARY
(Part 2)
A SANCTUARY is a consecratedplace, a place of God's "holy habitation" (Ps
68:5-note) setapart for His holy praise, a sacredplace where His "strength
and beauty" dwells (Ps 96:6-note), a "Rock ofhabitation to which we may
continually come," (Ps 71:3-note), a place to be revered(Lev 19:30-note, Lev
26:2), a place for His Name (to be honored)(2Chr 20:8), a quiet place to
commune with Him in intimate fellowship, a place where "the true worshipers
shall worship the Fatherin spirit and truth" (Jn 4:23-24-note), a place to
"find rest for our (weary and heavy laden) souls" (Mt 11:28-29-note),a "place
(a Person)of Refuge from the raging wind and tempest" (Ps 55:8-note), a
"Refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat." (Isa 25:4, 32:2)
In the New Covenant, the Lord Jesus Christis our SANCTUARY and Place
of REFUGE, for our "life is hidden with Christ in God." (Col 3:3-note) To use
a modern expression, Christ is our "Safe House" in Whom "we live, and
move, and have our being" (Acts 17:28) now and forever. "How blessedis the
one whom Thou dost choose, andbring nearto Thee, to dwell in Thy courts.
We will be satisfiedwith the goodness ofThy HOUSE, Thy Holy TEMPLE."
(Ps 65:4-note)Spurgeon writes "Beholdwhat manner of love and blessedness
the Fatherhas bestowedupon us (1Jn 3:1KJV-note) that we may dwell in His
SANCTUARY (in Christ), and go no more out forever and ever. Amen.

Blessedare those who dwell at home in Christ. May both writer and readerbe
such men and women." David affirms “Surelygoodness and mercy will follow
us all the days of our life, and we will dwell in the HOUSE of the LORD (His
SANCTUARY) forever.” (Ps 23:6-note) As Spurgeon says those "twin
guardian angels, goodnessand mercy follow us always, the black days as well
as the bright days, the days of fasting as wellas the days of feasting, the
dreary days of winter as wellas the bright days of summer. Goodnesssupplies
our needs, and mercy blots out our sins." And so let us "Lift up our hearts!"
May our praise come "to His Holy Dwelling" (2Chr 30:27), and may we never
wearyof crying "O God, You are awesome in Your SANCTUARY," (Ps
68:35-note). "O LORD, I love the HABITATION of Your HOUSE (because I
love You Lord) and the place where Your (Shekinah) glory dwells." (Ps 26:8-
note) Spurgeon exhorts us: "Oh, my soul, imitate the psalmist, and let all thy
desires ascendtowards the highest good;longing here to see God, and having
no higher joy evenin eternity." "WhetherHe comes in the secondwatch, or
even in the third," may Christ find us like His disciples, "continually in (His)
TEMPLE, praising God." (Lk 24:53)
Isaiah8:14-note says of the LORD "He shall become a SANCTUARY
(Hebrew = midqash = a holy place)," a description the Rabbis interpret as
Messianic, a premise substantiated by Peter's Spirit inspired quotation of the
secondpart of Isa 8:14 which he uses to describe Messiahas "a Stone of
stumbling and a Rock of offense." (1Pe 2:8-note)Indeed, Christ is to all men
either a SANCTUARY or a STONE ofstumbling! Spurgeonaffirms that
"Our Lord Jesus Christ is our SANCTUARY, the Place ofSECURE
REFUGE for every soul that flies to Him. The moment a sinner believes in
Jesus, he is safe in Christ, and he remains safe in life, safe in death, safe in
judgment, safe in eternity (Ro 5:9-10-note, 1Th1:10-note, Jn 10:29-note)."
Christ is our SANCTUARY into Whom we can flee for refuge in times of
danger or distress (cf Pr 18:10-note). Indeed, "Godis our Refuge and
strength, a very presenthelp in trouble (Heb = a tight place ~ intense inner
turmoil as in Ps 25:17-note)." (Ps 46:1-note)As Spurgeon says "Christalone
is our all in all. All other refuges are refuges of lies, all other strength is
weakness,for powerbelongs to God. And as God is all sufficient, His defense
and might are equal to all our emergencies.He has been tried and proved by

His people and never withdraws Himself from His afflicted. He is our Help,
truly, effectually, constantly; He is presentor near us, close atour side and
ready for our comfort. He is more present than friend or relative can be, yea,
more nearly presentthan even the trouble itself. To all this comforting truth is
added the considerationthat His assistancecomesatthe neededtime. He is
not as the swallows that leave us in the winter. He is a friend in need and a
friend indeed. When it is very dark with us, let brave spirits say, "Come, letus
sing the forty-sixth Psalm." RememberGod never promised us an easytime,
but He does promise a safe arrival! "Should all the hosts of death, And powers
of hell unknown, Put their most dreadful forms Of rage and malice on, I shall
be safe, for Christ displays Superior power and guardian grace."(Isaac
Watts)
Perhaps you find yourself in a condition much like that of the godly remnant
of Judah, exiled in an idol filled land, feeling hopeless and helpless. Indeed, the
faithful remnant were in greatneed of a goodword of encouragementfrom
the "Godof hope." (Ro 15:13-note)While they may have felt forsaken(like all
of us from time to time), they were neither forsakennor forgottenby God,
"for He Himself said, ''I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you."
(Heb 13:5-note) And so in a time of spiritual darkness, the Lord God gave His
people a "precious and magnificent" promise (2Pe 1:4-note) declaring
“Although I have castthem far off among the heathen, and although I have
scatteredthem among the countries, yet will I be to them as a LITTLE
SANCTUARY in the countries where they have come." (Ezekiel11:16KJV-
note) Observe how JehovahWho is the grand Object of worship, promises to
also be the best Place ofworship, Himself the Sanctuary, even in face of the
destruction of the physical sanctuaryin Jerusalem. Beloved, is this promise
not applicable to all believers, for we too are living in an increasinglygodless,
Christ rejecting land, filled with idols, living as "aliens and strangers" (1Pe
1:1-note, 1Pe 2:11-note), longingly "looking for the city which has
foundations" (Heb 11:10-note, Heb 11:16-note), our eternal habitation with
the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, "the place where His glory dwells" (Ps 26:8-
note)? The Lord has "beenour DWELLING PLACE in all generations, for
we have made the LORD, our Refuge, the MostHigh, our Dwelling Place."
(Ps 90:1-note, Ps 91:9-note) Indeed our Jesus is for us a "Little Sanctuary"

whereverwe go, providing "times of refreshing which come from the presence
of the Lord." (Acts 3:19).
Spurgeonadds that God's promise to be a LITTLE SANCTUARYapplies to
all weary and heavy laden sojourners in Christ: "Banishedfrom the public
means of grace, we are not removed from the grace ofthe means. The Lord
Who places His people where they feel as exiles, will Himself be with them,
and be to them all that they could have had at home, in the place of their
solemn assemblies.Take this to yourselves, O ye who are called to wander!
God is to His people a Place of Refuge, David declaring "my Refuge is in
God." (Ps 62:7-note, Ps 73:28-note). We find SANCTUARY in Christ from
every adversary. He is our Place ofWorship too. He is with us as with Jacob
when he slept in the open field, and rising, said, “Surely God was in this
place.” (Ge 28:16)To us also He will be a SANCTUARY of Quiet, like the
Holy of Holies, which was the noiseless abode ofthe Eternal. We shall be at
rest from fear of evil (Ps 23:4-note, Ps 112:7-note). God Himself, in Christ
Jesus, is the SANCTUARYof Mercy. The Ark of the Covenant is the Lord
Jesus, and Aaron’s rod, the pot of manna, the tables of the law, all are in
Christ our Sanctuary. In God we find the shrine of holiness and of
communion. What more do we need? O Lord, fulfill this promise and be ever
to us as a LITTLE SANCTUARY!" Amen
"Jesus, before Thy face we fall—
Our Lord, our Life, our Hope, our all!
For we have nowhere else to flee—
No SANCTUARY, Lord, but Thee!"
—SamuelMedley
Spurgeon- "The Lord has ways of weaning us from the visible and the
tangible, and bringing us to live upon the invisible and the real, in order to
prepare us for that next stage, thatbetter life, that higher place, where we
shall really deal with eternal things only. God blows out our candles, and
makes us find our light in Him, to prepare us for that place in which they need
no candle, for the glory of God is their light; and where, strange to tell, they

have no temple, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the
SANCTUARY thereof (Rev 21:22-note, Rev22:5-note). The holy leads to the
holiest: living upon God here leads to living with God hereafter. Oh, that God
would gradually lift us up above all the outward, above all the visible, and
bring us more and more into the inward and unseen!" ("A Little Sanctuary" -
read the complete sermon at… http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols34-
36/chs2001.pdf)
You are my Refuge
You are my Sanctuary
When I feel afraid
You're my Hiding Place
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRmSILC_tJE
Jesus Revealedin the Sanctuary
The sanctuaryin the desert was God's visual aid to point His people to the
coming Redeemer. Everything in it or connectedto its services was a symbol
of what Jesus would do to save us.
THE COURTYARD [The physical structures of the tabernacle]
The courtyard was 75 feet wide by 150 feetlong (measurements in feet in this
chapter are based on an 18-inchcubit) surrounded by white linen curtains
representing the righteousness ofChrist.
Size: Ex. 27:18; 38:9,11-15, 18.
Hangings: Ex. 27:9, 11, 12, 15-l8; 38:9, 12-18.
Pillars, Sockets, Hooks & Fillets [bands]: Ex. 27:10-12, 15-18;38:10-12, 14, 15,
17, 19, 31; 39:40.
Gate:Ex. 27:14, 16; 38:14, 15, 18.

Chapiters [capitals]:Ex. 38:17, 19.
Pins [pegs]& Cords:Ex. 27:19; 35:18;39:40.
The Altar of Burnt Offering
This was where animals were sacrificed. It representedthe cross ofChrist,
and the animal representedJesus, the ultimate sacrifice. SeeJohn1:29.
Material& Size: Ex. 27:1-4;38:1, 30.
Horns: Ex. 27:2; 29:12;1 Kings 1:50, 51.
Utensils: Ex. 27:3; 38:3, 30; 1 Sam. 2:13.
Grate & Rings:Ex .27:4, 7; 38:4, 5, 7, 30.
Staves [poles]& Boards:Ex. 27:6-8; 38:5-7.
The Laver
This was a large basin of brass where the priests washedtheir hands and feet
before entering the sanctuary or offering sacrifices. The waterrepresented
baptism, cleansing from sin, and the new birth. See John 1:13.
Material:Ex. 30:18; 38:8.
Foot:Ex. 30:18; 38:8; 39:39.
Position& Purpose:Ex. 30:18-21;Ex. 29:4.
The Tabernacle
The tabernacle was a tent 15 feet wide by 45 feet long consisting of two
apartments, rooms, where the presence ofGod was manifested.
Curtains & Coverings:
Material& Size: Ex. 26:1-14, 36:8-19.
Colors:Ex. 26:1, 14, 36:8.

Loops: Ex. 26:5, 10; 36:11, 12.
Taches [clasps]:Ex. 26:6, 11, 33; 36:13, 18.
Cherubim: Ex. 36:8.
Boards:
Material& Size: Ex. 26:15, 16, 29;36:20, 34.
Tenons:Ex. 26:17, 19; 36:22, 24. Sockets:Ex. 26:19, 21, 25;36:24, 26, 30.
Rings & Bars:Ex. 26:24-29;36:29, 31, 34.
First Veil:
Material& Colors:Ex. 26:36; 36:37, 38.
Pillars, Hooks & Sockets:Ex. 26:37; 36:38.
Chapiters [capitals]and Fillets [bands]: Ex. 36:38.
SecondVeil:
Material& Colors:Ex. 26:3l; 36:35, 36.
Pillars, Hooks & Sockets:Ex. 26:32; 36:36.
Cherubim: Ex. 26:31;36:35.
Purpose:Ex. 40:3,21;Num. 4:5.
Oil of Anointing: Ex. 30:22-33;40:9-15.
Click on picture for largerimage (26K). Use your browser's back button to
return.
The Holy Place
The first room of the sanctuary, the holy place, was 15 feet wide by 30 feet
long. It containedthree pieces of furniture.

The Table of Showbread
The bread on the table representedJesus, the living bread. See John 6:51.
Material& Size: Ex. 25:23, 24;37: 10, 11.
Crown [molding] & Border [frame]: Ex. 25:24, 25; 37:11-14.
Rings & Feet:Ex. 25:26;37:13, 14.
Staves [poles]& Utensils: Ex. 25:27-29;37:14-16.
Purpose:Ex. 25:30; 40:23.
Location:Ex. 26:35;40:22.
The SevenBranch Candlestick
This representedJesus, the light of the world. See John 9:5; 1:9. The lamps of
oil symbolized the Holy Spirit. See Zechariah4:1-6; Revelation4:5.
Material:Ex. 25:31, 39; 37:17;Num. 8:4.
Design:Ex. 25:31-37;37:17-22.
Tongs [wick-trimmers] & Snuffdishes [trays]: Ex. 25:38;37:23.
Weight: Ex. 25:39; 37:24.
Purpose:Ex. 25:37; Num. 8:2.
Location:Ex. 26:35;40:24.
Oil for the Lamps: Ex. 27:20, 21;35:8.
The Altar of Incense
The incense burned on this altar representedthe righteousness ofChrist that
mingles with the prayers of God's people as they ascendto the Heavenly
Father. See Hebrews 5:7.
Material& Size: Ex. 30:1-3;37:25, 26.
Crown [molding] & Horns: Ex. 30:2-4, 10; 37:25-27.

Rings & Staves [poles]:Ex. 30:4, 5; 37:27, 28.
Purpose:Ex. 30:1, 7, 8, 10.
Location:Ex. 30:6.
Incense:Ex. 30:34-38, 31:11;37:29.
The MostHoly Place
This room of the sanctuarywas 15 feetwide by 15 feet long. It contained the
ark of the testimony and was only entered once a year by the high priest.
The Ark of the Testimony
This was the only object in the most holy place. It was a chestof acaciawood
overlaid with gold. Inside the chestwere the tables of stone upon which God
wrote His law with His own finger. Above them was the coverof the ark,
calledthe mercy seat(see Exodus 25:17-22)where God's presence dwelt
betweentwo goldenangels. This spot symbolized God's throne in heaven,
which is likewise locatedbetweentwo angels. See Psalm80:1;Isaiah 6:1, 2.
The mercy seatsignified that as long as God's people confessedand forsook
their sins (see Proverbs 28:13), mercy would be extended to them through the
blood that was sprinkled there by the priests. See Leviticus 16:15, 16. That
blood representedthe blood shed by Jesus to bring to all people forgiveness
and cleansing. See Matthew 26:28;Hebrews 9:22.
Material& Size: Ex .25:10, 11;37:1, 2.
Crown [molding]: Ex. 25:11; 37:2.
Rings & Staves [poles]:Ex. 25:12, 14, 15;37:3, 5.
Testimony (Law): 25:16, 21; Ex. 31:18;32:15, 16; 34:1-4.
Purpose:Ex. 25:16,21, 22;Deut. 31:25, 26.
Mercy Seat:Ex. 25:17-22;37:6-9.
Location:Ex. 26:34;Heb. 9:3-5; Lev. 16:2.
Cherubim: Ex. 25:18-20, 22;37:7-9.

THE OFFERINGS& SACRIFICES
The Burnt Offering:
Ceremony & Offering: Lev. 1:2, 4-17.
Location& Purpose: Lev. l:3-5, 7-13, 15, 17.
Law for the Priests:Lev. 6:8-13.
Priest's Portion: Lev. 7:8.
The MeatOffering:
Ceremony & Offering: Lev. 2:1-9, 11-16.
Location:Lev .2:2, 8-9.
Offering: Lev. 6:19-23.
Priest's Portion: Lev. 2:3, 10; 6:16-18;7:9-10.
The PeaceOffering:
Ceremony & Offering: Lev. 3:1-16.
Location:Lev. 3:2, 5, 8, 11, 13, 16.
Law for the Priests:Lev. 7:11-2l.
Priest's Portion: Lev. 7:28-34.
The Sin Offering:
The Whole Congregation:
Location& Purpose: Lev. 4:2,13-21.
A Ruler: Ceremony& Offering:
Lev. 4:23-26.

Location& Purpose: Lev. 4:2, 22-26.
A common Person:
Location& Purpose: Lev. 4:2, 27-31, 33-35.
The Priests:
Location& Purpose: Lev. 4:2-7, 10, 12.
Priest's Portion: Lev. 6:26, 29, 30.
The TrespassOffering:
Ceremony & Offering: Lev. 5:6-12, 15, 18.
Location& Purpose: Lev. 5:1-13, 15-19;6:2.
Needof Restoration:Lev. 6:4-5.
Priest's Portion: Lev. 5:13; 7:6-7.
The Drink Offering:
Offering & Purpose: Ex. 29:40;Lev. 23:13;Num. 15:7, 10; 28:7; l Chron.
11:17-19.
The Offering of the Red Heifer:
Ceremony: Num. 19:3-6, 17-19;Deut. 21:2-8.
Offering: Num. 19:2; Deut. 21:3, 4, 6.
Location:Num. 19:3, 4, 9; Deut. 21:3, 4.
Purpose:Num. 19:9-22;Deut. 21:1, 8, 9.

Law for the Priests:Num. 19:1-10.
The Yearly Routine of Sacrifice:
Daily: Num. 28: 1-8.
Weekly:Num. 28:9-10.
Monthly: Num. 28:11-15.
Yearly: See pp. 14, 15.
Services RevealChrist
The Sanctuaryand Christ:
Christ our Lamb:
John 1:29; Acts 8:32; 1 Pet. 1:19; Rev. 5:6; 7:10, 14; 12:11; 13:8.
Christ our Offering & Sacrifice
Eph. 5:2; Heb. 7:27; 9:26; 10:5-12.
Christ our High Priest & Mediator:
Heb. 2:17; 3:1; 4:14, 15; 5:10; 6:20; 7:26; 8:1, 3; 9:11; 10:21;12:24.
Christ's BetterBlood:
Matt. 26:28;Rom. 3:25; Heb. 9:12, 14; 10:19;12:24; 13:12;1 Pet. 1:19; 1 John
1:7; Rev. 1:5; 5:9; 2:11.
The Hebrew Sanctuary
The 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 looking at the traveling, or portable Sanctuary,
that Moses andthe Israelites usedfollowing the giving of the law on mount
Sinai. This Sanctuarywas carried by the Israelites as they wandered in the
wilderness for 40 years, until a more permanent structure could be built.
In Exodus 25 Mosesis shown the plan for the Tabernacle orSanctuary. This
plan was a simplified version of the heavenly Sanctuary or Tabernacle,
designedto reveal that Jesus Christis our High Priest, our mediator, in the
plan of salvation-
Exo 25:8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
Exo 25:9 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.
The Sacrifice to atone for sin.
Once it was built and functioning, the first step in the Sanctuaryservices was
the offering of a sacrificialanimal. This could be any of various animals,
including a bullock, goat, lamb, or turtle doves offered for sacrifice by the
repentant sinner. The sinner, by transgressing the law of God, recognizes that
he faces the prospectof death -
1 John 3:4 Whosoevercommitteth sin transgressethalso the law: for sin is the
transgressionof the law.
Rom 6:23 For the wages ofsin is death;...
The Sanctuaryservice provided an illustration of the way the sinner was to
repent and atone for his sins. To bring home to the sinner the consequences of
his sin, the sinner placedhis hands on the head of the animal and confessed
his sins to God. He was then required to slay the sacrificialanimal by his own
hand, as an offering for his sin, and collectthe blood of the animal. This
emphasized to the sinner that his transgressionofthe law of God was no small
matter, and that death was the inevitable result. The animal that was

sacrificed(usually a lamb) was symbolic for Jesus Christ, the Lamb 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. From
that point forward, all the restof the service was conductedby a priest as
mediator betweenthe sinner and God. This was symbolic of Jesus our High
Priest, our mediator betweenus and God the Father-
1 Tim 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator betweenGod and men, the
man Christ Jesus;
The Brazen Altar of Burnt Offerings.
Exo 27:1-8, 38:1-7.
After confessing his sins over the animal and slaying it, the sinner let the
priest as mediator take the lamb (or whateveranimal was offered) and place
selectedportions of it (such as the fat, Lev. 4, 9) on the Brazen(Brass)Altar of
Burnt Offerings, to be consumed by the flames. Forthose too poor to offer an
animal, an offering of flour was permitted (Lev 5:11), which was also burned
on the Altar. The Altar was constructedof Acacia wood, coveredwith brass.
The Acacia woodsymbolized the works of humanity, that but for the brass
covering would be consumedby the fire. The brass was a symbol of suffering,
so this Altar representedthe suffering and death of Jesus Christ that covers
and protects the repentant sinner from the divine fire of Judgment. The Altar
had at eachof its corners, a horn, representing the power, strength, honor,
and victory of God. Before being sacrificed, the animal was securedto the
horns of the Altar (Psa 118:27). Bloodfrom the sacrificedanimal was placed
on the horns of the Altar by the priest, and the restwas poured out at the
bottom of the Altar (Exo 29:12, Lev 4:7). The fire for the Brazen Altar of
Burnt Offerings was a specialdivinely lit fire, that was startedby fire coming
down out of heaven (Lev 9:24). This symbolically represents the fire that will
ultimately consume all sinners, knownas the lake of fire in Revelation.

The Laver.
Exo 30:18-21, 38:8
Locatedbetweenthe BrazenAltar of Burnt Offerings and the Sanctuary, the
Laver was a basin filled with water used for ritual cleansing. The Laver was
made from the brass "looking glasses" (mirrors) of the women. Before
handling the animal sacrifices brought by the people, the priest would have to
cleanse his hands and feet with waterfrom the Laver. This was symbolic of
the actof baptism. Baptism is a declarationof the repentant sinner that he has
been buried with Jesus Christand resurrectedwith him as a new creature
(Rom 6:4-13). The polished brass of the Laver is to be a "looking glass"
revealing our sins, and showing us our need for a Savior, that we might be
baptized and receive the righteousness that Godoffers us though His Son
Jesus Christ. If the priest were to neglectthis act of cleansing, he would be
struck dead as a result (Exo 30:21). Why? Becauseto rejectthe cleansing
righteousness ofJesus Christ is to die in one's own sin.
Justification
The Brazen Altar of Burnt Offering and the Laver were both outside of the
Sanctuary proper, to the immediate eastof the entrance. It was also in this
area that the animals were slain for the services. These activities carriedon
outside the Sanctuary representedthe process ofjustification and
reconciliationof the sinner through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, and
the acceptance ofthat vicarious sacrifice ofthe Lamb of God by the repentant
sinner.
The Golden Candlestick (Menorah).
Exo 25:31-39, 37:17-24.
Inside the Sanctuary itself, in what is knownas the first apartment, or Holy
Place, were three pieces of furniture. To the south side of the room was a large
golden candelabra, orMenorah, that had six branches off of a central
candlestick. The Menorahused pure olive oil as fuel. It was the job of the

priests to daily trim the wicks (which were made of old priestly garments) and
refill the bowls of oil, so that the Menorahwould constantlybe a source of
light for first apartment or Holy Place. The MenorahrepresentedJesus
Christ, who is the light of the world, and the olive oil was symbolic of the Holy
Spirit and the wicks were symbolic of the righteousness ofChrist. The
Menorahalso represents the seven churches of Revelation, who are to share
the light of the gospelmessagewith the rest of the world. It can be found in
Revelation1:12 and 4:5.
Sometimes the central candlestick is illustrated as being slightly taller than the
others. The Menorahis also thought to be symbolic of the 7 days of creation,
with the taller candlestick representing the Seventh - day (Saturday) Sabbath,
the only week day that God sanctified (dedicatedto a Holy purpose) -
Gen 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and
he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
Gen 2:3 And God blessedthe seventhday, and sanctifiedit: because that in it
he had rested from all his work which God createdand made.
On the right is the Menorahas illustrated on the arch of Titus in Rome. The
Menorahand other articles from Herod's Temple were apparently takenas
war booty by Titus in 70 A.D. after the siege and destruction of Jerusalemby
Roman armies. The Israeligovernment recently askedthe Vatican to search
its vaults for the Menorah, so that should they have it, it might be returned to
the Jewishnation. This is unlikely, since Rome was completelysackedand
lootedin 410 A.D. by the Visigoths, and againin 455 A.D. by the Vandals.
Anything of value (such as a large solid gold candlestick)was probably taken.
Copyright by Instituto Geographico De AgostiniS.p.A. - Novara - 1962

The Table of Showbread.
Exo 25:23-30, 37:10-16.
On the north side of the Holy Place was a small table known as the table of
Showbread. It was constructedof Acacia wood and coveredwith gold. On it
were kept 12 loaves of unleavened bread (Lev 24:5-9). These loaves were
symbolic of Jesus, who is the bread of life (Jn 6:35), but they also represent
the 12 tribes of Israel. Also kept on the Table of Showbread, were offerings of
wine (Num 28:7), so both the bread and the wine of the Lord's supper were
representedhere. The Table of Showbreadis alluded to in Revelationas a
throne before the Candlestick, in chapter4 verses 2-5.
The Golden Altar of Incense.
Exo 30:1-10, 37:25-29.
On the westside of the Holy Place, immediately before the veil separating the
Holy Place from the MostHoly Place, was a small Golden Altar of Incense. In
it was a brass pot, containing hot coals from the Brazen Altar of Burnt
Offerings, and it was here that a very specialblend of incense was burned by
the priest, which filled the Sanctuarywith a sweetsmelling cloud, and
obscuredthe glory of God over the mercy seatof the ark on the Day of
Atonement, preserving the life of the High Priest (Lev. 16:13). Sacrificial
blood was sometimes put on the horns of the Golden Altar of Incense (Lev.
4:7, 18). The Golden Altar of Incense also figures prominently in the book of
Revelation(Rev 8:3-5) with regard to the end of judgment, or close of
probation on humanity.
Sanctification
The activities in the first apartment, or Holy place, representedthe daily
process ofsanctificationof the repentant sinner in preparation for the final
judgment which occurredon the Day of Atonement, observedtoday as Yom
Kippur.

The Veil of the Sanctuary
Exo. 26:31-33, 36:35, 2 Chron 3:14
This veil or curtain betweenthe two apartments of the Sanctuary, the Holy
and the MostHoly, has greatsignificance. This is because it was this veil that
tore at the very moment Jesus died on the Cross, symbolic of the end of the
need for the human Levitical priesthood as mediator betweenman and God-
Mat 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top
to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
Mark 15:38 And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the
bottom.
Luke 23:45 And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in
the midst.
The veil represents the body of Jesus:
Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by
the blood of Jesus,
Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecratedfor us,
through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
It is only by this veil (door) that accessis possible to the MostHoly place of
judgment. The tearing of the veil is symbolic of the death of the Lamb of God,
which now permits the believer in His atonementimmediate access to the
MostHoly place of God, the place of judgment, through the new High Priest
Jesus Christ, the one and only mediator betweenman and God.
1 Tim 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator betweenGod and men, the
man Christ Jesus;
The faithful have full and complete accessto God, without the need of an
earthly mortal priest to representthem.
The Ark of the Testimony of God.

Exo 25:10-22, 37:1-9.
This was a box constructedof Acacia woodcoveredwith Gold. Inside it was
kept the two tables of stone upon which the Law of God (The 10
Commandments) was written. Later it also containedAaron's rod that
budded, and a pot of manna. The lid of the Ark was calledthe Mercy Seat
(Exo 25:17), and above it was where the glory of the Lord was present,
betweentwo covering cherubs, or angels, oneither end of the Ark. The Mercy
seat, or lid, representedJesus Christ, the mediator for humanity betweenthe
Law of God, that requires the death of the sinner, and a merciful God. The
High Priestwas the only personallowedto enter the MostHoly place where
the Ark was kept, and that was only on one day of the year, the Day of
Atonement (known today as Yom Kippur).
The Ark of the Testimony from Solomon's Temple was secretedawaybefore
the Babylonian capture of Jerusalemby Nebuchadnezzarand was never
present in Herod's Temple. The armies of Titus found the Holy of Holies quite
empty in 70 A.D. The Ark remains unlocatedtoday, although there are
numerous speculations aboutits whereabouts.
In Revelation(which was written about 95 A.D.), the Ark is seenin Chapter
11, verse 19. It is interesting to note that John is seeing the Ark of God in the
heavenly Sanctuary, not the earthly Sanctuary (which was utterly destroyed
in 70 A.D. by the armies of Rome).
Judgment
The activities on the day of Atonement symbolized the people of God, seeking
representationby their High Priest Jesus Christin the judgment, who met all
the demands of the law perfectly and then was sacrificedfor our sins. He paid
the price for our disobedience, though he was perfectly obedient. The Hebrew
Sanctuary illustrates that ultimately all humanity will be judged by the
standards of God's Law. Those with faith will keepthe Law perfectly through
Jesus Christ. Those without faith will not have been able to keepthe Law of
God, and must die as a result. After all, the wages ofsin is death. Since the
Law of God could not be changed, Jesus died for us, in our place, to satisfythe
Law.

By faith, we will take on the righteousness ofChrist and be judged as keepers
of the Law, with a right to the tree of life and eternallife.
Just as all Israelsoughtrepresentationby the High Priest on that day, we
should be fervently seeking our High Priest, Jesus Christ, to represent us in
Judgment.
CONCLUSION
The Hebrew Sanctuaryfigures so prominently in the book of Revelationthat
you MUST understand the symbology of the Sanctuary and the yearly
Sabbaths to really understand what John is trying to relate in Revelation. The
Sanctuary is presentedin Revelationas follows-
The Golden Candlestick - Rev1:12, 4:5
The Table of Showbread - Rev 4:2-5
Pre-Advent Investigative Judgment begins, Rev 4 - 6, see Key of the House of
David
The Brazen Altar of Burnt Offerings - Rev6:9
The Golden Altar of Incense - Rev 8:3-5, 9:13
The Ark of the Testimony of God - Rev 11:19
The Temple closedto all men, Pre-Advent Investigative Judgment ended -
Rev 15:8, 22:11
SecondComing - Rev19:11-16, Rev22:12
The Millennium - Rev. 20:1-3, Saints judge the wicked - Rev 20:4
GreatWhite Throne Executive Judgment of the wicked - Rev 20:11-13
This shows a progressive sequence in Revelationdetailing the Judgment, the
first phase of which ends in Revelation8:3-5 with the throwing down of the
golden censer, illustrating the close ofprobation, the conclusionof the
mediation of the High Priest (Jesus Christ) on the behalf of the people of God.

So, if that is clearto you, then on what basis can anyone claim the Law of
God, the Ten Commandments, the very focus of the Dayof Atonement
(Judgment Day), has been done awaywith? It is the very standard by which
all humanity will be held accountable to God. It was by questioning, doubting,
and then breaking God's Law that sin enteredinto the world in the first place.
Those with faith will find mercy and atonement from God the Father through
Jesus, and be restoredto the pre-fall nature. Those without faith will face
God's Law without an advocate, andthe Law will condemn them to death.
God's Law will stand unchanged and unyielding, the very characterofGod
(love) expressedin words. The wickedwill pay the price for their sins, and
perish due to their lack of faith in Jesus, the one and only High Priestor
mediator able to reconcile them with the Law of God, the Ten
Commandments.
The entire Hebrew Sanctuary and it's related Sabbaths illustrated God's plan
of salvationfor all of mankind in a graphic way to reveal Jesus Christas
Savior and Redeemer.
Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroythe law, or the prophets: I am
not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
Mat 5:18 Forverily I sayunto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one
tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Mat 5:19 Whosoevertherefore shallbreak one of these leastcommandments,
and shall teachmen so, he shall be calledthe leastin the kingdom of heaven:
but whosoevershalldo and teachthem, the same shall be calledgreatin the
kingdom of heaven.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begottenSon, that
whosoeverbelievethin him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:17 For God sentnot his Soninto the world to condemn the world; but
that the world through him might be saved.
John 3:18 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 begottenSon of God.

http://biblelight.net/temple.htm
Christ Our Sanctuary
Being holy is hard; being holy under greatpressure is harder. Where canwe
go for refuge and rest when the world is pressuring us to conform?
Eric C. Redmond
“And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of
stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of
Jerusalem. And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they
shall be snared and taken.” (Isa. 8:14-15 ESV)
It’s easyto stumble over Jesus. He doesn’t fit the generalprofile of the nice-
guy religious leader.
He does not ask you to work for him—to clean up your act, be measurably
good, or bring any sense ofyour own righteousness to him. He simply asks
that you trust him and the work he has done on our behalf for salvation, by
grace through faith (Eph. 2:8).
The simplicity of Jesus’gospelwork is troubling to people because he works
for us, and we cannotadd to what he is doing. Yet we should feeloverjoyed
and relieved to know God does the entire work of salvation through Christ,
and then offers it to us as a gift.
Imagine a philanthropist providing you an all-expenses paid vacationto an
exotic island resort. You would not be expecting for him to ask for something
in return, to look and see what you had done to earn the gift, or hear you
reply, “Wellcan I give you a little something for it?” This would be insulting
to a true philanthropist! You would be stumbling because the offer would be
too good. It is the same with Jesus, both in his offer to save us from wrath, and
to save us from our enemies when we trust in him.

In Isaiah 8, King Ahaz of Judah is in trouble with some enemies. Two nations,
Syria and Ephraim, have joined in coalitionagainsthim because Judah will
not help them fight againstAssyria. In such an overwhelming situation, the
Lord sends Isaiah the prophet with word for Ahaz to live by faith. Isaiah’s son
Shear-jeshub – whose name means, “A remnant shall return” (7:3), acts as a
sign to Ahaz to indicate that a remnant of God’s people will survive the
coming attack. The sign confirms the word of the Lord; God will make of his
enemies two smoldering sticks (Isa. 7:4).
As so many believers do under the threat of losing a battle, Ahaz, makes a
decisionto follow the way of the world for help. He intends to throw his lot in
with the Gentile nation, Assyria, rather than wait on the Lord in holiness, at
whateverthe cost. Ahaz might have been inclined to take a different course if
he remembered that he serveda God of wrath, who, being faithful to his
word, fights on behalf of his people.
The word God sends to Ahaz againcomes with a sign to verify the
truthfulness of God’s word. Isaiahwill have a secondson, “Maher-shalal-
hash-baz,” whose names means, “The spoil speeds, the prey hastens.” His
name indicates the swiftness with which God would bring judgment upon
Syria and Ephraim by the hand of the king of Assyria. It would happen before
the boy is able to callout to his parents with understanding (8:4). The Lord
confirms his word by the witness of Uriah and Zechariah (8:3).
Ahaz and the people of Judah would have no concernabout their enemies if
they would trust God’s word. It is reliable and sure; signs confirm it. But they
chose to reject the Lord, representedin their rejection of Shiloah’s peaceful

waters (8:6)–the place from which the promised Messiahwould come (Gen.
49:10-12 NASB). As a result of rejecting God’s word in fear of their enemies,
God promises judgment upon his people Judah.
The Lord behind the Scriptures is faithful and true. Signs like the
resurrectionof Christ, as Christ promised, confirm the truthfulness God’s
word. We who believe are calledto read the Scriptures, to trust it as true, and
let its truths shape our decisions and feelings—including feelings of
uncertainty, fear, and potential defeat for living in a manner that honors the
Lord.
In the Scriptures, God promises to give grace to the humble (Ja. 4:6). He
promises to exalt his own in due time (1 Pet. 5:6). He will be a refuge for his
people (Ps. 59:16). He will guide the lives of believers in wisdom(Prov. 3:6).
All of this and much more are said in his word and confirmed by all he has
done.
Therefore we should hold to his word in our walk in this world, even when it
seems more like salvationto cave in to a threat to conform to the demands of
the world (8:11). Rather than stumbling over his work and his promises, we
should continue to trust Christ in the face of threats in the same way we
trusted him alone for salvation.
For those who trust him, in contrastto being a stone of stumbling, the Lord
will be a sanctuary (8:14-15). He will be a holy place of security.
Being holy is hard; being holy under greatpressure is harder. Unlike Ahaz,
we do not have to conform to our enemies. We go to Christ our sanctuaryand
rest in him.

Eric C. Redmond is Bible Professorin Residence atNew CanaanBaptist
Church, Washington, DC, and author of Where Are All the Brothers?
Straight Answers to Men’s Questions about the Church. Follow Eric on
Twitter @EricCRedmond.
Jesus and the Sanctuary
(Leviticus 4, Hebrews 9, Isaiah 53)
Print this lesson| Bookmark/Share:
Introduction: Considerone of the main arguments againstJesus being God.
He was born to an obscure couple, raisedin a disreputable village, and at an
early age died the death of a criminal. Forthe uneducated, this is not a resume
that would seemto put you on the fast track to being a hero of history, much
less being God. It is the qualifier "uneducated" that is so important here. For
thousands of years, God had been trying to educate humans that the Messiah
was coming to die. Let's jump into our lessonand learn more about God's
early education plan!
Addressing the Sin Problem: Symbolically.
ReadLeviticus 4:22. Have you heard the expression, "ignoranceofthe law is
no excuse?" How does that apply to God's law? (The text says that leaders are
guilty even of unintentional sins. You do not need to have intent to be guilty of
sin.)
ReadLeviticus 4:23. Does this next verse modify the conclusionwe just
reachedabout being guilty of sin even though we have no intent? (Perhaps

this is just a rule of commonsense.But, it seems to indicate that we have no
obligation to seek forgivenessofsin until we become aware that what we are
doing violates God's law.)
Let's put Leviticus 4:24 togetherwith Leviticus 4:23. What is God's solution
to the problem of those leaders who sin? (Once you became aware ofyour sin,
you had to make a sin offering to God by sacrificing a male goat.)
ReadLeviticus 4:25-26. What else is required for forgiveness?(The
backgroundfor this is in Exodus. In Exodus chapters 25-27, Godgives Moses
the instructions for building a sanctuary (temple) so that God can dwell with
humans. ( Exodus 25:8.) In Exodus chapters 28-30, Godsets up a priesthood
and a systemof sacrificesforthis sanctuary. When Leviticus 4:25-26 refers to
the "horns of the altar of burnt offering" and the "priest," those hearing the
instructions would know it referred to the sanctuarysystem God had setup in
Exodus. Thus, the forgiveness ofsin required not simply the sacrifice of an
animal, but the blood of the sacrifice being applied at the sanctuaryin the
proper wayby the designatedpriest.)
ReadLeviticus 4:27-31. How are the sins of the average personforgiven? (The
same way as the sins of the leaders are forgiven. Only the specifications forthe
animal differed.)

Did you notice that all these texts refer to "unintentional" sin? How does that
make you feel? Is it possible that God only setup a plan for forgiveness of
unintentional sins?
ReadLeviticus 5:1. Is this an unintentional sin?
ReadLeviticus 6:1-3. Are these unintentional sins? (These are clearly
intentional sins.)
ReadLeviticus 6:4-7. What must you do to be forgiven of intentional sins? (It
requires the death of an animal, as with unintentional sins. However, it also
requires restitution when property has been taken, along with a 20% penalty.)
What do you think about the 20% sin penalty?
Why do you think God imposes it? (To deter sin.)
Is restitution and this 20% penalty what separates intentionalfrom
unintentional sins?

ReadLeviticus 17:10-12. What role does blood play in the sanctuary
sacrificialsystem? ( Leviticus 17:11 tells us that the "life" is in the blood, and
it is the blood which atones for our sins. Modern medical science has shown
the importance of the circulation of blood in bringing oxygen, and thus life, to
the cells of our bodies.)
I can logicallyunderstand why Godwould say that the Israelites couldnot eat
the blood of the animal which was being sacrificed. However, these verses
forbid eating the blood of any animal. What logic do you see in this? (This
shows that God is teaching us something that goes beyond the sacrifice of the
animals. Linking the atonement in generalto blood is part of the unfolding of
our educationthat the blood of the Messiahatones forour sins.)
If the blood atones for sin, why is restitution required for intentional sins
involving property? (Like "works,"today, it reveals the attitude of the heart.)
Addressing the Sin Problem: the Reality.
ReadHebrews 9:19-22. What is the writer of Hebrews describing here? (An
aspectof the sanctuary part of the Old Testamentsacrificial systemwe have
been studying.)

What role does Hebrews say that the shedding of blood plays in the
forgiveness ofsin? (Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of
sin.)
ReadHebrews 9:23-26. Whose blood did the blood of animals in the Old
Testamentsystemsymbolize? (Jesus.)
ReadHebrews 9:27-28. How does this text say that Jesus died? (He was
sacrificed. Justlike the animal sacrifice ofthe Old Testament, JesusshedHis
blood for the forgiveness ofour sins.)
Addressing the Sin Problem: the Logic.
Although the nature of Jesus'deathwas foretold thousands of years in
advance, explain logically why Jesus'death was required for the forgiveness
of sin? (Look again at Hebrews 9:26. It says in part, "to do awaywith sin by
the sacrifice ofHimself." Hebrews 9:28 says in part, "Christwas sacrificed
once to take awaythe sins of many people." Jesus'sacrificetakes awayour
sins.)

We cansee the statement that Jesus'sacrificetakes awayour sins. But, tell me
the reasonwhy should that be true? (The logic of this has always beendifficult
for me. We start out with the rule that sin causesdeath. ( Genesis 2:15-17.)
Thus, those who sin, die - that makes logicalsense. The only logic I see to
Jesus'death is a very simple concept. Jesus agreedto suffer the death penalty
in our place. He agreedto die for us.)
Would Satanhave to agree to this substitution - instead of us dying, Jesus
dies? (God is the one who is offended by sin. Thus, it would be God who has
agreedto this.)
Assume you are with me on the logic of Jesus'dying in our place. Why was it
necessaryfor Jesus to live a perfect life? (Two suggestions. First, if Jesus had
sinned, then He would have had to die for His own sin. He could offer to be
our substitute only because He was not under a sentence of death. Second, this
whole "sin results in death" conceptwould not be "fair" if humans had no
choice but to sin. Jesus showsthat Adam and Eve had a choice. Jesusshows
that God's command to the first couple to obey His law was both reasonable
and possible. Thus, in Jesus'life we see both a vindication of the law of God
and the payment of the penalty of sin which humans brought on themselves.)
Although you should read the entire chapterof Isaiah53, let's focus on Isaiah
53:1-5. Who is Isaiah writing about? (This is a prophecy of Jesus.)

As you considerthese verses, do they describe power, beauty or authority?
(No.)
Isaiah53:1 calls the messageofthese verses the "arm of the Lord." To what
does the arm of the Lord refer? (God's power. God's muscle.)
How can this picture which lacks beauty, poweror authority be referred to as
the powerof God? (This is part of God's logic. His "power" comes through
self-sacrifice.He wins againstsin by giving Himself up to benefit others.)
Have you tried to apply this principle to your life?
Friend, when you considerthat the Old Testamentsacrificialsystemrequired
the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sin, the nature of Jesus'death was
perfectly forecast. This is extraordinary evidence that Jesus is the Messiah.
However, the logic of this teaches us an important lessonabout life. Have you
felt the power of self-sacrifice?
Next week:A Body You Have Preparedfor Me.

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Lessons onHis Wondrous Cross - The Story of Our Redemption
Lesson1: The Provocationand Provision
Lesson2: His Glorious Purpose Foreshadowedin Types
Lesson3: Jesus and the Sanctuary
Lesson4: A Body You Have Prepared for Me
Lesson5: In the Shadow of Calvary
Lesson6: The PassionWeek
Lesson7: Passageto Calvary
Lesson8: Darkness atNoon
Lesson9: He is Risen
Lesson10:The Heart of the Cross
Lesson11:The Cross and Justification
Lesson12:The Cross and Sanctification
Lesson13:The Cross and the GreatControversy
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Materials copyright 2019, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D.
THE SANCTUARY MESSAGE
The following sanctuary messagestudy you are about to read is not only a
truly amazing study, but also a journey. A journey through the plan of
salvation, and an attempt by the antichrist to castdown and destroy this
amazing Bible truth. But God is triumphant in all things and He has now
restoredHis sanctuarymessage.
You will not hear the sanctuarymessage in the majority of churches today,
because Satan, through that 'mother of harlots', the PapalChurch of Rome,
has castit down and trampled upon it and turned the masses awayfrom this
amazing Bible truth. But God has now restoredthis messagethrough His
remnant church. This study is of greatimportance and I humbly ask that you
come before God in prayer before reading through this page and ask God to
guide you in His truth.
Psalm77:13 ...'Thy way O God is in the sanctuary.'
The greatbattle betweengoodand evil startedin heavenwith Satan (originaly
known as Lucifer). Lucifer wasn't satisfiedwith his already lofty position in
God's kingdom and wanted to 'be like the most High' (Ezekiel28:13-19). Part
of the origin of this controversywas the factthat Lucifer was Jealous ofGod's
Son Jesus, andwould not acceptthe authority of Christ over him. You can
read more about this on our page THE ORIGIN OF SIN. Becauseofthis
greatsin againstGod, Lucifer (Satan) was castout of the kingdom of God.
(From here we will refer to Lucifer as Satan). Satanthen succeeds in
deceiving Adam and Eve into disobeying God by eating of the tree that God

told them not to eatfrom. So God in His mercy gives man a secondchance
and reveals His greatplan of salvation to lead man back to Him.
That plan of salvation is amazingly revealedthrough the Old Testament
sanctuary, which as Hebrews 8:4-5 and Hebrews 9:24 says, is a copy of the
original sanctuaryin heavenitself, where Goddwells ... "I believe the
Sanctuary, to be cleansedatthe end of the 2300 days, is the New Jerusalem
Temple, of which Christ is a minister." (E.White, A Word to the Little Flock,
p. 13). The purpose of the 'copy', the sanctuary on earth was to teachman
what Christ was to do for the sinner, and through it, lead man back into the
presence ofGod ... Exodus 25:8 ...'And let them make me a sanctuary; that I
may dwell among them.' ... God wants to dwell with us, and the sanctuary
messagereveals the way back to God's presence, through Christ.
God's Plan in the Sanctuary
Exodus chapters 25-30 lays out the earthly sanctuary, which consists ofthe
outer court with the altar of burnt offering and the laver of water. Then the
first room is the holy place with the table of shewbread, the sevenbranch
candlestick and the altar of incense. And the secondroom is the most holy
place with the ark of the covenant, which contains the ten commandments.
Now many Christians just see the sanctuaryand it's furniture as a part of Old
Testamentlaw that is no longerrelevant to us. And yet they are missing the
greatspiritual aspectof the sanctuaryand the great salvationalplan that God
has revealedthrough it. The sanctuary and it's furniture represents much
more than just pieces of furniture used in the Old Testament. God has given
us a message throughit and has revealedHis greatplan to draw man back to
Him.
The outer court around the sanctuaryrepresents this earth where Christ
Jesus came to take the penalty for our sin and be our sacrifice. The altar of
burnt offering (sacrifice)where the animal sacrifice for sin would be slain,
represents Christ on the cross. He is the "Lamb", our sacrifice. The laverof
waterwhere the priest would need to be "washed" represents baptism (by full
emersion- Matt. 3:16). Then we move from the courtyard which represents
the earth, into the sanctuarybuilding which represents God's Kingdom. In the

first room, the holy place, the table of shewbreadrepresents the Word of God,
the true bread of life (Matthew 4:4; John 6:35). The sevenbranch candlestick
represents the light of Christ shining through His people, witnessing (Matthew
5:16), and the altar of incense representing the prayers of believers that are
offered through Christ Jesus (Rev. 8:3-4). Finally, we have the most holy place
with the ark of the covenant, which contains the greatmoral law of God, the
ten commandments.
Note:If you draw a plan of the sanctuary and draw a line connecting the
furniture, you will end up with the shape of a cross!The reasonbeing that
Christ Jesus is at the centerof the sanctuarymessage.As He is the only One
who can leadus back to God the Father.
Can you see the plan of salvationand the Christian walk in the sanctuary? It's
such a beautiful picture! First, as sinners we need to confess oursins over the
'lamb' that was to be slain, which points to Christ and acceptHis sacrifice for
our sins (altar of sacrifice), whichthen leads to baptism by full emersion
(laver of water), as a symbol of being 'washed'clean. Then, as a truly
convertedChristian we will study (eat) the Word of God (bread of life) in the
Bible eachday (table of shewbread). Our prayers will rise everyday to God
(altar of incense), and the light of the gospelof Christ will shine to the world
through our witness (candlestick). This leads us to God and He writes His law
upon our hearts and we become a commandment keeping people (most holy
place with the ark of the covenantcontaining the ten commandments).
These types and symbols in the Old Testamentsanctuaryservice was to teach
the world the seriousness ofsin (sacrifice of the lamb) and the work that our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was to do for us, as our sacrifice and then High
Priestin the 'true tabernacle'that 'the Lord pitched' in heaven (Hebrews 8:2).
Jesus said.. "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comethunto the
Father, but by me." (John 14:6). The types and symbols laid out in the earthly
sanctuary was 'the way' to the Father. But they were types and symbols that
pointed to Christ. He is our sacrifice, ourlife giving water, our bread of life,
our light and our Mediatorwith the Father. This is the amazing plan of
salvationthat the sanctuarymessage reveals. It is God's plan of bringing lost
man back to Him, through His Son.

Psalm77:13 ...'Thy way O God is in the sanctuary.'
God even reveals this plan of salvation through Israel's exodus and journey
through the desert. First, while they were still in Egypt, they were told by God
to sacrifice a lamb and put the blood on the doorposts atthe passoverin
Exodus 12 (Altar of sacrifice - Christ on the cross). Thenafter they came out
of Egypt, they passedthrough the Red Sea in Exodus 14 (Laver of Water -
Baptism). Then in the desertin Exodus 16, God sent down "manna" from
heaven for them to eat(Table of Shewbread - Word of God). Then in Exodus
19, God told the Jews that if they obeyed His commands, they would be a
"holy nation" and would be a light to the restof the world, witnessing for God
to other nations (Seven Branch Candlestick - witnessing). Godalso tells the
Jews in Exodus 19 they must prepare themselves for three days, for He was
about to descendupon the Mount Sinai (Altar of Incense - Prayer). THEN
WHAT HAPPENS? THEY RECEIVE THE LAW OF GOD in Exodus 20
(Ark of the Covenant- Ten Commandments). And the order of events is in
line with the order of the sanctuary furniture. God's greatplan of salvation!
Note:All this happened BEFORE the Jews enteredthe promised land, which
is a lessonfor us today.
Important Lessonfor us Now
So what does the sanctuary messagerevealforus today? It reveals that as
Christians we CANNOT just stop at the altar of sacrifice (the cross of Jesus
Christ). Coming to the cross is just the beginning of the journey for us, which
is why the apostle Paulsaid ... 'Therefore, leaving the principles of the
doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection, not laying againthe
foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith towardGod.'
(Hebrews 6:1) ... In other words, let us leave the basic principle of turning to
the cross andturning awayfrom sin, and move on in our faith. The journey
through the sanctuaryis the journey we MUST take as Christians. From the
altar of sacrifice (Jesus onthe cross), to the laver of water(baptism), to
studying the Word of God (shewbread), to prayer (incense), to witnessing and
shining the light of Jesus to the world (candlestick), to the law of God, the ten
commandments (into God's presence in the most holy place with the Ark of

the Covenant). And yet there are so many Christians who say, "I just need to
believe in Jesus."And they stop right there. So what have they done? They
have stopped at the Altar of Sacrifice and rejectedthe restof God's plan of
salvation. EVEN THE DEMONS BELIEVE AND TREMBLE!! (James 2:19).
Coming to the cross ofJesus is just the beginning of our Christian faith. It is
here that the journey has just begun!
Before the fall, Adam and Eve enjoyed walking with Jesus in the Garden, but
sin causeda separationbetweenman and God ... Isaiah 59:2 ...'Butyour
iniquities have separatedbetweenyou and your God, and your sins have hid
his face from you, that he will not hear.' ... So ultimately God is leading us
back into His presence, andit is through His Son that He leads us back to
Him.
Now can you have Jesus and NOT study the Word of God (if it is available to
you)? No. Can you have Jesus and NOT be a light to the world? No. Can you
have Jesus and NOT communicate to the Father through prayer? No. Can
you have Jesus and not strive to keepALL ten commandments (including the
7th day Sabbath)? No. And this is the point. If you truly believe in Jesus, and
surrender your life to Him, then He will lead you through the sanctuary plan
and reunite you with God.
SatanCasts Downthe SanctuaryMessage
Satanis obviously opposedto this sanctuarymessage andGod's plan of
salvation, and in the New Testamentwe see that Satanhad deceivedthe Jews,
God's own people, into rejecting this plan by rejecting Christ Jesus who is at
the very center of the plan of salvation. Therefore Godraises up a "new
people" calledChristians (spiritual Jews)to take this plan of salvation(the
gospel)to the world. Now, whenJesus died on the cross, the veil in the earthly
temple was torn in two (Matthew 27:51)to show that type had met antitype
and the type (earthly sanctuary) was no longer needed. Hebrews chapters 8
and 9 revealthere is now only the original sanctuaryin heaven, on which the
earthly sanctuarywas based, where Christ Jesus is now our High Priest. But
please note: this does not mean the PLAN is no longerneeded. The plan will
continue until the new heavenand new earth.

After using the various nations to suppress God's plan of salvation, Satannow
uses another even more clevertactic to castdown the truth of the sanctuary
message. Whatdoes Satando? He takes on a 'Christian' guise and raises up
his ownchurch - THE PAPAL CHURCH OF ROME. Through the Papacy,
Satandistorts the truth and mixes it with much error and deceives the world
through it. Daniel7 tells us of a 'little horn' power that was to rise up to
deceive the world. This little horn power of Daniel 7 later becomes the 7
headed beastof Revelation13. That little horn and 7 headed beastis the
Papacy, which arose from the Old Roman Empire, which takes us into the
"dark ages" ofPapalrule.
As we continue with this amazing study of the sanctuarymessage,we will see
how the antichrist little horn of Daniel 7 (PapalChurch of Rome) attempts to
castdown the sanctuaryto the ground. In other words, the Papacy attempts to
castdown the work that Christ does for us in the heavenly sanctuaryto the
earth, and replace Christ's work on our behalf, with their own. The Papal
Church of Rome ultimately tries to REPLACE Christ. But we will see how
God restoredthe sanctuarymessagethrough His remnant church.
Daniel 7 reveals that the little horn who makes warwith God's people, "thinks
to change times and laws" and reigns for 1260 years. This is the Papacy,
known as the Roman Catholic Church. The PapalChurch of Rome reigned
over the world from 538 - 1798 A.D. A total of 1260 years just as Daniel 7
prophesied. During this time, the Papal church had tens of millions of
Christians persecuted, tortured and killed just because they wouldn't bow
down to the so called "authority" of the Papacy. The Papalchurch "thought"
to change the commandments of God by doing awaywith the second
commandment to do with idols and changedthe sabbath commandment to do
with "time" from the 7th day to the first. Basically, Satanusedthe Roman
Catholic Church to castthe truth of God's Word to the ground and trample
upon it, in a bid to keepthe people from the truth.
The Papacytries to CastDownthe Heavenly Sanctuary
They castdown the altar of sacrifice, where we go to Jesus alone for
forgiveness, by saying, "You need to come to us and ask our priests for

forgiveness and you need to eatthe eucharist" (the eucharist represents a
CONTINUAL sacrifice ofChrist - opposing the Bible truth about Christ being
sacrificedONCE ONLY).
They castdown the laver of water, representing Bible baptism by full
emersionby saying, "We will "sprinkle" you as a child with "holy" waterto
be saved.
They castdown the table of showbread, which represents the Word of God by
trying to destroythe Bible during the dark ages, and said, "come to us and we
will teachyou, the church is ABOVE the Word of God".
They castdown the sevenbranch candlestick, whichrepresents God's people
shining the light of Jesus to the world, by chasing God's people into the
wilderness, persecuting them and killing them. Satan, through the Roman
Catholic Church, during her 1260 yearreign was trying to put out the light of
God, by persecuting and killing God's people or forcing them to rejectBible
truth and bow down to Papal authority.
They castdown the altar of incense, which represents the prayers of God's
people through Christ Jesus ALONE, by saying, "pray to the dead "saints"
and pray to Mary, the "mother of God".
Finally, they castdown the ark of the covenant in the most holy place where
God dwells, which has God's law, the ten commandments inside, with their
own altered "version" ofthat law. They changedthe Sabbath commandment
from the 7th day to the first day, Sunday, and took awaythe second
commandment to do with idols. Also interestingly, the most holy place is
where our Heavenly Father dwells, and yet the Roman Catholic Church also
has a man at the head of the church called, "holy father".
The Altar of Sacrifice (Justificationby Faith) - CastDown
The Laver of Water (Baptism by Full Emersion) - CastDown
The Candlestick (True GospelWitnessing) - CastDown
The Table of Shewbread(Studying the Word of God) - CastDown

The Altar of Incense (Praying only through Christ Jesus) - CastDown
The Ark of the Covenant (Keeping the Ten Commandments) - CastDown
So you can clearlysee what Satan, through the RomanCatholic Church did to
the heavenly sanctuaryand the ministration of Christ Jesus onour behalf in
heaven. He has castdown the sanctuary in the minds of the people, and
trampled upon it. Through the Papalchurch, Satantried to destroy God's
plan of salvationfor mankind and replacedit with his own false version
through the RomanChurch. Christ Jesus is our only Priest, our High Priest,
and it is only through Christ that God the Fatherwill acceptour prayers and
repentance (John 14:6).
The Bible shows us that the earthly sanctuarybecame null and void when
Jesus laid down His life on the cross. And Hebrews 8 and 9 shows us that
Jesus became our High Priestin the heavenly sanctuary, the ORIGINAL
sanctuary that the earthly one was basedon. Which is why God tells us to seek
those things which are above (Colossians3:1). But what did the Roman
Catholic Church do? They diverted the people from looking to the heavenly
sanctuary, and deceivedthem into looking to the church for salvation. Over 1
BILLION deceivedsouls are members of the RomanCatholic Church today.
And many more who have taken on her false doctrines.
Now Daniel tells us that the little horn (Papal Church of Rome)would
continue for a "time, times and half a time". This equates to 1260 days. But in
Bible prophecy a day equals a literal year, see day for a yearprinciple. So the
antichrist little horn would continue for 1260 years. And it just so happens
that the Roman Catholic church ruled for 1260 years from 538 to 1798 AD.
God had a plan to restore His sanctuary and His truth over a period of time,
so that in the end before Jesus returns, He would have a church (remnant
church) with the FULL gospeltruth and the FULL plan of salvation.
Matthew 24:14 ...'And THIS gospelof the kingdom shall be preachedin all
the world as a witness unto all nations and then the end will come.'
Revelation14:6 ...'And I saw anotherangel fly in the midst of heaven, having
the EVERLASTING gospelto preach unto them that dwell on the earth.'

God Restoresthe SanctuaryTruth
So before God startedthe restorationof His sanctuarymessage andthe great
plan of salvation, we cansee that the antichrist little horn (Roman Catholic
Church) had castdown the important truths found in the sanctuary:
The Altar of Sacrifice (Justificationby Faith) - CastDown
The Laver of Water (Baptism by Full Emersion) - CastDown
The Candlestick (True GospelWitnessing) - CastDown
The Table of Shewbread(Studying the Word of God) - CastDown
The Altar of Incense (Praying only through Christ Jesus) - CastDown
The Ark of the Covenant (Keeping the Ten Commandments) - CastDown
Now God had to restore His truth gradually over time through many different
people, because if He revealedHis FULL truth through one personor one
group of people, then it would have been too much to take and they would
have turned awayfrom it. Imagine being in a dark room for, let's say 7 days.
What would happen if you came out into the bright light straight away? You
would have to turn awayfrom it, because youwould not be able to cope with
it. Instead, you would have to gradually let the light in to getaccustomedto it.
The same goes forthose who were darkened by Roman Catholic doctrines.
People were under the "darkness"ofRome for so long, that they would not be
able to cope with receiving the FULL truth straight away, so Godrevealed it
gradually as we will now see:
God has always had His true people throughout the ages.Manyof whom had
to hid in the wilderness during the 1260 yearPapalrule. But as this time was
coming to and end, God started the job of restoring the gospeltruth. John
Wycliffe was knownas the "morning star" of the Protestantreformation and
he is famed for translating the Bible into the common language so that the
masses couldread it for themselves and find the great truths that the Roman
Catholic Church had been covering up. So lets apply this to the sanctuary.
What article of furniture did God restore through Wycliffe? The table of
shewbread(Word of God).

The Table of Shewbread(Studying the Word of God) - RESTORED!
PLEASE NOTE:Eachof these people we are about to discuss, held onto some
kind of error from Rome. But what we are showing, is that God was gradually
restoring individual truths that was lost through the Papal Church of Rome.
Then during the early 1500's, Godraisedup a man named Martin Luther
who saw the light about justification by faith, not works which the Roman
Catholic Church taught, and he preached this truth to the masses. So giving
the truth to the people about having faith in the sacrifice ofChrist Jesus for
our sins, restoredthe altar of sacrifice.
The Altar of Sacrifice (Justificationby Faith) - RESTORED!
A man named John Calvin joined the Protestantreformation in the 1530's
and he focusedon the truth of the importance of prayer through Christ Jesus.
This truth that John Calvin greatlypreached and wrote about restoredthe
altar of incense.
The Altar of Incense (Praying only through Christ Jesus) - RESTORED!
Then in 1609 a man named John Smith founded the Baptist Church which
spread the truth about baptism in Christ Jesus by full immersion. Through
this man, God restoredthe truth about baptism and the laver of waterin the
sanctuary.
The Laver of Water (Baptism by Full Immersion) - RESTORED!
Then in the 1700's Godraisedup a man named John Wesley, the founder of
the MethodistChurch. Wesleyhad a strong emphasis on evangelism,
witnessing and being a "light" to the world. This restoredthe sevenbranch
candlestick.
The Candlestick (True GospelWitnessing) - RESTORED!
There was a problem with the Protestantreformation though. Instead of
embracing ALL these precious truths that God was restoring, many of the
people embracedonly certain aspects,and failed to move forward in this

reformation. This is why we have so many different Protestantchurches. But
God was not finished yet!
One more piece of sanctuary furniture was to be restoredfor God to restore
the FULL gospeltruth and the FULL plan of salvation. Once this lastpiece of
furniture is restored, God could have a church with the FULL Bible truth to
take to the world in these end times before Christ Jesus returns ... Matthew
24:14 ...'And THIS gospelofthe kingdom shall be preachedin all the world as
a witness unto all nations and then the end will come.'... So what church is
this. Well, Bible prophecy actually tells us of an event that took place which
started God's end time church with the full, "everlasting" gospeltruth. That
prophecy is the 2300 day prophecy of Daniel 8.
Daniel 8:14 ...' And he saidunto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred
days; then shall the sanctuarybe cleansed.'
You will see from the 2300 day prophecy study that from 457 BC, there would
be 2300 years which brings us to 1844, and then God would "cleansethe
sanctuary". Now a group of believers coming out from different
denominations, came togetherafter a man named William Miller preached
that Jesus would return in 1844. This was basedon the 2300 day prophecy of
the 'sanctuarybeing cleansed'. And because the common belief was that this
earth was the "sanctuary", andDaniel 8:14 says that the sanctuarywould be
cleansed, then they believed this was the secondcoming.
God had already cleansedthe earth with the flood, and the next cleansing will
be with fire after Jesus returns. Now William Miller had the correctdate in
1844 for the end of the 2300 dayprophecy, but the common belief of the
sanctuary being the earth was wrong. The sanctuary in Daniel 8 is the
heavenly sanctuary where God dwells and where Jesus is our High Priest
(Hebrews 8+9). So after the greatdisappointment of 1844, expecting Jesusto
return, these "Advent" group of believers returned to the Bible and re-
studied the scriptures to find out where they went wrong. That is when God
revealedto them that the verse in Daniel 8:14 is talking about the heavenly
sanctuary and that Jesus was going to perform the anti-typical "day of
atonement" where He, as the High Priestwould move into the most holy place

and cleanse the sanctuary of sin, just as the earthly high priest would do on
the day of atonementin the earthly type. This means Jesus was going to move
into the most holy place in the heavenly sanctuaryin 1844 to begin judgment!
Now what piece of furniture is in the most holy place? The ark of the
covenant, with the ten commandments. So this group of Advent believers now
understood the importance of God's law, the ten commandments and that we
were now about to be judged according to that law, which is the greatmoral
law of God's government. So they started preaching the importance of
keeping the ten commandments (all ten, including the seventh day sabbath
commandment, which the majority of churches had rejectedthrough Rome's
deception) and that judgment had begun ...
2 Corinthians 5:10 ...'Forwe must all appear before the judgment seatof
Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to
that he hath done, whether it be goodor bad.'
1 Peter4:17 ...'Forthe time is come that judgment must begin at the house of
God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the
gospelof God?'
Revelation14:7 ...'Saying with a loud voice, FearGod, and give glory to him;
for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and
earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.'
Revelation14:12 ...'Here is the patience of the saints:here are they that keep
the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.'
God restoredthe ark of the covenantwith the ten commandments through
these Advent believers, who went on to become the Seventh-day Adventist
Church. He showedthat the way into His presence is to follow Christ Jesus
into the most holy place where the law of God is revealed ... Revelation11:19
...'And the temple of Godwas opened in heaven, and there was seenin his
temple the ark of his testament:and there were lightnings, and voices, and
thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.'
So God now has a church that can take the three angels messagesof
Revelation14 to the world. God has a church that can take the FULL gospel

messageto the world, not half the gospellike so many preach. No, God has a
church with the full plan of salvationshown through the sanctuary.
The Ark of the Covenant (Keeping the Ten Commandments) - RESTORED!
The truths once lost during the dark reign of the Roman Catholic Church
have now been restored, one by one, through men who God raisedup for this
very reason. Greatmen like Wycliffe, Luther, Wesley, etc. Culminating in a
church with the sanctuary messageand the plan of salvation fully restored
and preached. The antichrist little horn may have castdown the truth to the
ground, but God has lifted His truth up to heaven againthrough His remnant
church.
Where are you in your Christian walk and the plan of salvation? Are you still
waiting at the altar of sacrifice? Orare you moving, through faith in Jesus
Christ through the sanctuary into God's presence? In Revelation3:9, Jesus
says that those who "say" they are Jews (Spiritual Jews, ie, Christians) but
are not, are of the Synagogue ofSatan. In other words, if you sayyou are a
Christian, but you are not living as a Christian, seeking to be in the presence
of God Almighty, then you belong to the enemy, Satan.
Friend, Jesus is standing at the door waiting! Pleasegive your all to Him by
accepting His sacrifice for your sins, being baptised, studying the Word of
God, praying, being a witness to the world and keeping the commandments of
God, including the seventhday sabbath. Please study this important subject
for yourself and make your journey through the sanctuary into God's
presence.
http://www.end-times-prophecy.org/the-sanctuary-message-bible.html
In the Sanctuary
Kurt Carr & The Kurt Carr Singers

Album Awesome Wonder
In the Sanctuary Lyrics
We lift our hands in the sanctuary
We lift our hands to give You the glory
We lift our hands to give You the praise
And we will praise You for the rest of our days
Yes, we will praise You for the rest of our days (2x)
Jesus, we give You the praise
Emmanuel, we lift up Your name
Heavenly Father, coming Messiah
Yes, will praise You for the rest of our days
We clap our hands in the sanctuary
We clap our hands to give You the glory
We clap our hands to give You the praise
Yes, we will praise You for the rest of our days(2x)

We sing our song in the sanctuary
We sing our song to give You the glory
We sing our song to give You the praise
Yes, we will praise You for the rest of our days (2x)
Yes, yes, Lord for the rest of our days
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah for the rest of our days
Yes, yes, Lord for the rest of our days

YES
Jesus as the Sanctuary
Postedon October7, 2013 by Sabbath SchoolLesson
ReadJohn 2:19–21. Why is Jesus’body comparedto the temple? See also
John 1:14.
Image © Phil McKay from GoodSalt.com
One of the themes in the Gospelof John is that with Jesus, the better “temple”
has come. Tabernacle imageryis used as early as in John 1:14. Jesus is the
Word who “dwelt” among men, and they saw His “glory.” The Greek word
used for “to dwell” (skenoo)is the verbal form of the Greek noun for
“tabernacle” (skene);so, one could translate
verse 14
as the Word “tabernacledamong us.” In this context, the word glory recalls
the glory of God that filled both the wilderness tabernacle (Exod. 40:34-35)
and Solomon’s temple at its inauguration (2 Chron. 7:1–3). So, when Christ
came to earth as a human, He fulfilled God’s temple promise to dwell among
His people.
As the texts above show, Jesus declaredHimself to be the temple, signifying
already the end of the earthly temple’s significance afterHis death (John
2:19–21, Matt. 27:51). Also, when Jesus saidthat He is the Bread of Life (John
6:35) and the Light of the World (John 8:12), He might have been pointing
beyond the manna on the table to the Breadof the Presence andthe
lampstand, objects in the earthly sanctuary. A definite reference to the

sanctuary is the designationof Jesus as the sacrificial“Lamb of God,” who
will bear the sin of the world (John 1:29).
“All who did service in connectionwith the sanctuarywere being educated
constantly in regardto the intervention of Christ in behalf of the human race.
This service was designedto create in every heart a love for the law of God,
which is the law of His kingdom. The sacrificialoffering was to be an object
lessonof the love of God revealedin Christ—in the suffering, dying victim,
who took upon Himself the sin of which man was guilty, the innocent being
made sin for us.”—EllenG. White, SelectedMessages, book 1, p. 233.
Becauseofour sinful natures, it’s so easyto think that God is angry with us.
How does the revelationof God’s love, as seenin the life and death of Jesus,
help eachof us to realize on a personallevel that Godloves us despite our
faults? In what ways should this realizationencourage us to gain victories
over self?
Amen!(18) http://ssnet.org/blog/tuesday-jesus-as-the-sanctuary/
Where is our Sanctuary?
The word 'sanctuary' means a holy place. Under the New Covenant of Christ,
no buildings or places are holy. Thus, a Christian place of assembly should
never be calleda sanctuary.
In accordance withOld Testamentusage, the temple at Jerusalemis called
'the sanctuary'or 'the holy place' by New Testamentwriters: "Forthe bodies
of those beasts, whose bloodis brought into the sanctuaryby the high priest
for sin, are burned outside the camp" (Hebrews 13:11). See also Matthew
24:15 and Acts 6:13.
It is made clear, however, that the temple at Jerusalemwas only an earthly
shadow of a heavenly reality. It is "an earthly sanctuary" (Hebrews 9:1). The
true holy place is in heaven (Hebrews 9:11). "ForChrist has not entered the

holy places made with hands, which are copies ofthe true, but into heaven
itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us" (Hebrews 9:24).
By the grace ofGod, followers of Christ may also enter the sanctuary where
Christ has already gone:"Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the
Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated
for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priestover the
house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance offaith,
having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscienceand our bodies washed
with pure water" (Hebrews 10:19-22). Our hope in Christ is an anchor which
reaches into the heavenly sanctuary! "This hope we have as an anchorof the
soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,
where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus having become High
Priestforever according to the order of Melchizedek" (Hebrews 6:19,20).
The place where Christians meet is never called a sanctuaryin the New
Testamentbecause ouronly sanctuary is in heaven. Christians can call on the
name of the Lord and pray "in every place" (1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Timothy
2:8). Their prayers ascendto the throne of God in the heavenly sanctuary.
The attitude of heart determines whether prayers are heard, not the place
they are uttered.
Jesus explained this to the woman at the well after she said: "Our fathers
worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews saythat in Jerusalemis the place
where one ought to worship" (John 4:20). Jesus told her: "Woman, believe
Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in
Jerusalem, worshipthe Father. You worship what you do not know;we know
what we worship, for salvationis of the Jews. Butthe hour is coming, and now
is, when the true worshipers will worship the Fatherin spirit and truth; for
the Fatheris seeking suchto worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who
worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:21-24).
As Stephen told the Jews:"The MostHigh does not dwell in temples made
with hands" (Acts 7:48).
One writer, attempting to justify calling a church building a sanctuary, made
the amazing assertionthat a Christian place of worship is never calleda

sanctuary in the Bible because Christians had no specialplace to worship
until after the lastNew Testamentbook was written! This is wrong on two
counts.
In the letter of James, which is among the earlier books ofthe New Testament,
mention is made of 'your synagogue'(James 2:2). The Greek wordrendered
here as 'assembly' in some translations is actually 'synagogue'which means a
'place of assembly'. Do not be confusedby commentators who say this refers
to a Jewishsynagogue. Jamesis writing to Christians (James 2:1) who had
their own separate assemblies from the beginning (Acts 2:42) and who would
have little to say as to where someone satin a Jewishsynagogue!
New Testamentwriters never emphasized the place of assemblybecause the
true sanctuaryis in heaven. Whether a meeting hall was rented, belongedto
one of the brethren, or was ownedby the congregationis not considered
worthy of mention. In Acts 4:31 we do read of "the place where they were
assembledtogether." The church at Troas met in "an upper room" (Acts
20:8). The church at Corinth came togetherat some central locationwhere the
Lord's supper was eaten, for any who were hungry were to eat 'at home' (1
Corinthians 11:34).
James'use of the word 'synagogue'indicates that Christians viewed their
meeting places as similar to Jewishsynagogues. Jewsconsideredthe temple to
be the sanctuary. They did not classifytheir synagogues as 'holy places'.
Our only sanctuaryis in heavenwhere the prayers of the saints rise up as
incense before the throne of God (Revelation5:8; 8:3,4).
Roy Davison

Jesus was a sanctuary

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