I don’t believe that there is anyone alive today that does not believe that we are living at the very end of time.  The lord in His goodness and mercy has told us “… before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. “ John 14:29  The prophecies are fulfilling at a rapid pace, as a woman travail with child, the labor pains are indeed getting closer.  Our world is troubled, broken, and it is at this time, that our Lord is saying to us, ..prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. {Amos 4:12}

When we look at the news and world events we hear of the increase in disasters, corruption, crime, economic crisis, uprisings, protests, these things have placed the world on the edge. Luke 21:25 says,  “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;”  Never have it been like this before.  And many are hoping and saying that it is going to improve, but I can tell you my friends, based on the word of God, the only improvement is the coming of the Lord.  If men would turn to the Lord, they would find answers to the things that trouble this world.

Says the prophetess:

We are living in the most solemn period of this world’s history. The destiny of earth’s teeming multitudes is about to be decided. Our own future well-being and also the salvation of other souls depend upon the course which we now pursue. We need to be guided by the Spirit of truth. Every follower of Christ should earnestly inquire: “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” We need to humble ourselves before the Lord, with fasting and prayer, and to meditate much upon His word, especially upon the scenes of the judgment. We should now seek a deep and living experience in the things of God. We have not a moment to lose. Events of vital importance are taking place around us; we are on Satan’s enchanted ground. Sleep not, sentinels of God; the foe is lurking near, ready at any moment, should you become lax and drowsy, to spring upon you and make you his prey.  {GC 601.1}

So what does the Lord desire of us at this time of earth’s history? How do we get that deep and living experience in the things of God?  John 14:1-6

 Let not not your heart be troubled

 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.  Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus promises us in theses verses that He is going to prepare a place for us. And how does He do this? He says, ”and whither I go ye know, and the way ye know”.  Without “the way” we have no access to the heavenly mansions.  “The way” is something that His disciples should have known and as a matter of fact, every Jew, Why?  Psalms 77:13 has the answer.  And now, it is no longer they, but us, it is for us to know the way.

Psa 77:13  “Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?”

In the jewish age, there was a sanctuary, where sacrifices were made, this was a type representing the whole plan of salvation. There were sacrifice of lambs, confessions and repentance of sins, all pointing to when the true Lamb, Jesus Christ would come and be the true Sacrifice.

Why was the sanctuary necessary?

When we were originally created we were in the presence of God, as a matter a fact the Bible says,

Gen 2:7  “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

 And in the book Education “Often as they walked in the garden in the cool of the day they heard the voice of God, and face to face held communion with the Eternal. His thoughts toward them were “thoughts of peace, and not of evil.” Jeremiah 29:11. His every purpose was their highest good.”  {Ed 21.1}

Adam an Eve were given free access to eat of the trees of the garden except one, “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2:16&17)  Then after man sinned “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8)  “So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:24)

It is not God’s will that man be separated from him, God wants to dwell among us.  “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.  According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.   (Exodus 25:8-9)  Man left the presence of God through the eastern gate, and in directing the building of the sanctuary, the gate, the entrance was at the east, “ But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.”  (Numbers 3:38)

The subject of the sanctuary was the key which unlocked the mystery of the disappointment of 1844. It opened to view a complete system of truth, connected and harmonious, showing that God’s hand had directed the great advent movement and revealing present duty as it brought to light the position and work of His people. Light from the sanctuary illumined the past, the present, and the future. (GC 423.1)

The Santuary had three sections

There were three sections to the sanctuary, the outer court-which had altar of sacrifice and the laver, the Holy  which had the table of shew bread, the lamp stand and the altar of incense,  and the most Holy had the ark of the covenant.

The sanctuary and its services gives us a clear understanding of the plan of redemption and steers us away from erroneous doctrines.

Through the sanctuary we see:

The importance of health

The importance of prayer

Daily study of the word

The Holy Spirit

Victory over sin

We see that salvation was not completed at the cross

We are to study everything that comes across us in light of the sanctuary

Referring to the last days, Jesus says:

Mat 24:11  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

After Christ crucifixion, the glory of the Lord departed from the sanctuary

Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.  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;  Matthew 27:50-51

From the pen of inspiration

Since the whole ritual economy was symbolical of Christ, it had no value apart from Him. When the Jews sealed their rejection of Christ by delivering Him to death, they rejected all that gave significance to the temple and its services. Its sacredness had departed. It was doomed to destruction. From that day sacrificial offerings and the service connected with them were meaningless. Like the offering of Cain, they did not express faith in the Saviour. In putting Christ to death, the Jews virtually destroyed their temple. When Christ was crucified, the inner veil of the temple was rent in twain from top to bottom, signifying that the great final sacrifice had been made, and that the system of sacrificial offerings was forever at an end.  {DA 165.4}

Christ ascended on high where he entered the Holy Place of the Heavenly sanctuary in AD 34.

Hebrews 9:12

“Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

And into the most Holy place in 1844 – Daniel 8:14,

Since Christ is in the second apartment of the heavenly sanctuary, it means that we are living in the antitypical day of atonement , and we are to learn from the typical service of the earthly sanctuary when it existed.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.  Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.  And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.  For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. (leviticus 23:23-29)

Christ has left us an example too follow

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

In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.  Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:2-6)

Rev 22:14  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

It is God’s will that we be once again in His presence, He wants to Dwell with us.

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.(Revelation 21:3-4)

Eden restored

Right now Christ is in the most Holy Place of the heavenly Sanctuary, and by faith, we are to following Him there, in other words, our lifestyle should reflect that we are in the most holy place, we should be in prayer, fasting and agonizing with the Lord, to gain victory over sin, and for the abominations in the church and in the world.

What happen if the turn our backs on “the way”, on the sanctuary?

Eze 8:16  And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD’S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.

The answer, worshipping the sun, Sunday worship.  Even now, there are many signs that the Sunday movement is growing strong, such as , Sunday Alliance in Europe, and Vatican calls for a new world economic order.

If we turn our backs on the sanctuary, if we reject “the way”, we are rejecting Christ, and as we just read in the book of Ezekiel, we will then worship the sun, and receive the mark of the beast.  Why is the sanctuary message so important?  Because it is a key, a blue print, a guide, to keep your feet from every wind of doctrine.  God knew, Satan will work through men, to come up with new ideas, new doctrines to counter what he has given us.  But if we follow what God has laid out for us we cannot fail.

Often in the night season I am bidden to urge our brethren in responsible positions to make earnest effort to follow on to know the Lord more perfectly. When our workers realize as they should the importance of the times in which we live, there will be seen a determined purpose to be on the Lord’s side, and they will become in truth laborers together with God. When they consecrate heart and soul to the service of God, they will find that an experience deeper than any they have yet obtained is essential if they would triumph over all sin.  {TM 514.1}

It will be well for us to consider what is soon to come upon the earth. This is no time for trifling or self-seeking. If the times in which we are living fail to impress our minds seriously, what can reach us? Do not the Scriptures call for a more pure and holy work than we have yet seen?  {TM 514.2}