November 4, 2022
Your way, O God is in the sanctuary; Who is so great a God as our God? Psalm 77:13
What does God expect us to learn from the sanctuary? Most of us are visual learners, and the way of salvation is vividly illustrated in the elements of the sanctuary. All of the elements combine to present the whole picture. Because the word of God had been kept from the spiritually starving people during the Dark Ages, a vital role of the Reformers was a rediscovery of the sanctuary’s various symbols and lessons. When their discoveries are assembled altogether, we have a roadmap of God’s plan of salvation.
Jesus said . . . , “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6
To completely eradicate sin from the universe is the long-standing agenda of the Ancient of Days. The seed of sin is sown with a thought that pulls one’s mind away from righteous thinking. Then, when desire is conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. (James 1:15) Because of sin’s sticky residue, the total elimination of it is a process involving the supremely powerful Redeemer and our cooperation with Him.
This throws a great light upon the sanctuary language expressed in the book of Revelation. The New Testament as a whole refers frequently to the elements of the sanctuary. In this way, we can see how the earthly life of Jesus, His role as Creator, and His role as our resurrected High Priest in the true tabernacle (Hebrews 8:2) of heaven supplies the whole story of salvation.
While the Reformers each had a calling to fulfill (they did this faithfully), the evidence that most of their followers, out of gratitude for the gem(s) they received, chose to place on a pedestal—even idolize—the mere man from whom they had learned. It is the age-old tendency to exalt the created above the Creator, and is the cause of the fractured condition of Christendom today. In addition, modern pastors have largely cast aside priceless lessons from the whole of Scripture meant to be diligently taught and understood by everyone, including small children.
Paul said: “For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.” Acts 20:27