The instructions for the sanctuary can be found in Exodus 24-31.
When the children of Israel hobbled out of Egypt they were joyously looking forward to the Promised Land, however, God first led them south toward Mt. Sinai. He was about to deliver to this babe of a nation one of the most signification and enduring object lessons ever recorded. And He would do it almost entirely with symbols.
Exodus 25:8 says, “Let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.” The earthly sanctuary was not built to house God from mere elements, nor is he homeless. Think on what Solomon wrote when he was building the first temple in Jerusalem, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?” (1 Kings 8:27).
Now we have understanding of why God had Moses to build the sanctuary. Its structure and ceremonies (also called: services) were to serve as symbols in order to illustrate the sequence and process of salvation. Many believe that when they accept Jesus as their personal Savior that’s it. But as we will see, it is only the beginning of a lifetime journey and Jesus loves us enough that he explains it in such a beautiful way throughout the sanctuary.
The earthly sanctuary* was patterned after the heavenly, so the earthly was a shadow of the true (Ex. 25:9). The ‘pattern of the tabernacle” referring to the heavenly; would serve as a life-sized lesson book. Every part of the sanctuary had symbolic meaning that was to be a visual aid to help the children of Israel see, experience, and comprehend the plan of salvation and the role of the heavenly sanctuary in a very practical way.
The Courtyard
Shedding of Blood
The courtyard represents the earth and Jesus work here. Immediately upon entering the courtyard, we are confronted by the altar of burnt offering. Namely a lamb dies there. The penitent sinner kneels down, places his head on the lamb, and confesses (an acknowledgment-1 Jn. 1:9) his sins with a repentant (remorseful-Ps. 51) heart. This act is a personal matter between the repentant sinner and Jesus. In type, this transferred the sinner’s sins to the innocent lamb. We know the innocent lamb represent Jesus. Within the courtyard is where the animal was slain, for blood had to be shed. This pointed to Jesus who had to be lifted up (John 12:32-33); who would come to earth and shed his blood for this was the only way to provide for the remission of sins (Heb. 9:22). Jesus was the perfect, unblemished Lamb who willingly laid down his life so that we might live (1 Peter 1:19-20, Rev. 13:8).
Priestly Duties
The priest, who officiated at the altar, himself has white on. White represents righteousness – again this is pointing to Christ. Now, we understand that Christ is the lamb to be sacrificed upon the altar and he is the priest. This is a double image; the lamb represents Christ who dies for the sins of the world (1 Jn. 2:1-2, Jn. 3:16-17, 1 Pe. 3:18, Romans 6:10, Heb. 9:28) and the priest represents Christ who is the mediator (1 Tim. 2:5; Hebrews 8:6, 9:15, Jn. 14:6). Now, the priest himself is not mediating he is a type of a mediator and that is very important. We are looking at the literal (type) to understand the spiritual (anti-type) application. In the Bible, a priest is someone who brings an offering to be sacrificed; however, a pastor is someone who is a shepherd, a teacher but is not a priest because he does not bring a sacrifice.
Our Spiritual Birth
The courtyard also represents our spiritual birth where we are justified…we become alive. As a Christian we confess our sins (1 Jn. 1:9), accept Jesus as our Savior (John 3:16-17), and when he comes into our heart we are baptized (represented by the laver); therefore we are born again (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3; Acts 2:38, 13:24). This motion of submerging oneself in water, then rising back out, symbolizes the death and burial of Jesus Christ. We are symbolically raised to a new life in Christ.
All the work performed in the courtyard was typical of work done in the earth, while the work performed in the first and second apartments of the sanctuary was typical of work done in heaven.
First Article of Furniture: Altar of Sacrifice (also called: Altar of Burnt Offering)
During the patriarchal period (prior to the exodus from Egypt) places of worship were identified by the altars built on them (Genesis 4:4, 8:20, 12:7-8, 22:9, 26:25, 33:20). When the tabernacle was built, the altar was centralized. It was built of shittim wood covered by bronze and placed on the courtyard. It is associated throughout the Old Testament with the presence of the Lord. Through the alter the Israelites had access to God (Ps. 43:4) and brought to Him their sacrifices. On each of its corners was a horn (Ex. 27:1-8) to which blood was applied during the daily sacrifices (e.g., Lev. 4:7) and during the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:18). The altar represented the cross of Christ.
Upon entering into the courtyard, the first article of furniture was the Altar of Sacrifice (aka: altar of burnt offering, brazen altar). It was five cubits square, and three cubits tall. In each of the four corners there was a horn made from the same piece of shittim (acacia) wood, and the altar was over-layed with brass. This is the article of furniture that was used to burn up sacrifices placed upon it. There were various utensils that belonged to its service. See: Exodus 27:1-8, 40:6.
It is interesting that the grate was placed half way between the bottom and the top of the altar (v. 5). This placed the grate at the 1 ½ cubit mark, the same height as the mercy seat in the Most Holy Place. Both are considered in the design to be at the same “level”; neither towers above the other; both equally important in the plan of salvation.
Jack Blanco, on Sanctuary and Mission: The sacrificial altar stood in the very center of the courtyard (ex. 40:6; 2 Chron. 7:7). It is called the altar of burnt offering, more precisely, the altar of “whole” burnt offering (Ex. 30:28; Deut. 33:10). In Hebrew it literally means the “place of slaughter” (mizbeah) and in the Septuagint the “place of holocaust” (holokautoma). The hill called Calvary was that place of slaughter; the Hill of the Skull was the place of holocaust.
This is the message that Paul tried to convey when he says that Christ put away sin by sacrificing Himself (Heb. 9:26). Isaiah says that it pleased the Lord for Him to be made an offering for sin (Isa. 53:10). For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes will not perish (Jn. 3:16). Paul makes it clear that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1). We are justified by faith and have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom 5:1). Faith does not save us but takes hold of the grace of God made visible in the gift of His Son (Eph 2:8, 9). Christ set us free from having to win God’s love and earn our way into heaven. God loved us while we were yet sinners (Rom 5:8). John says, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1). “As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12). This is the heart of the gospel: The good news of salvation.
The cross of Christ is the very center of the mission of the church, even as the altar of sacrifice was centrally placed in the courtyard. At the night meeting with Nicodemus, Christ told Nicodemus that the Son of Man must be lifted up for all to see, just as Moses lifted up the metal serpent in the wilderness (Num 21:9; John 3:14). During His last visit to the Temple, Christ told the people that when He is crucified He will draw people from all nations unto Himself (John 12:32, 33). A few years later, Paul went to Athens, where his less successful mission led him to change his method of approach from a broad-based rational discussion on the nature of man (Acts 17:16-34) to a focus on Christ and Him crucified so that the gospel would stand not in the wisdom and excellency of men but in the power of God (1 Cor 2:1-5).
“The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light which streams from the cross of Calvary, . . . I present before you,” Ellen White says, “the great, grand monument of mercy and regeneration, salvation and redemption—the Son of God uplifted on the cross of Calvary.”10 “The cross stands alone, a great center in the world. It does not find friends, but it makes them. It creates its own agencies.”11 Just as the altar of sacrifice in the center of the courtyard was the soteriological center of all the rituals and services of the sanctuary, so the Son of God sacrificed for our sins must be at the center of the mission of the church. (end of abstract – Blanco)
10White, Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Supplement, Vol. 5 (Washington, DC: Review and Herald, 1956), 5:1137.
11Ibid., 5:1138.
Place of Sacrifice
This was a place of sacrifice. Both animals and grain were offered as sacrificial offerings to the Lord (see Exodus 27:1-8; Leviticus 17:11; Numbers 15:4-5). More about this in Part 8.
The sacrifice was made for sin. Sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2), leading to death. We must put away sin. So, the sacrifices pointed to the death of Christ as a consequence of our sin so that the sinner can have atonement or “at-one-ment” with God. Therefore, the work done upon this altar was a symbol of the work of Christ who became sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21).
A Christian recognizes that Jesus was sacrificed for us, and we begin to recognize that a similar sacrifice is needed from us if we are to enter beyond the ‘door’. The sacrifice we have to offer, is as Paul expresses it, in Romans 12:1:
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Cf Matthew 23:19
Presenting our bodies as ‘living sacrifices’ to God includes all our thoughts, words, and doings. It is Christ Jesus, our High Priest, who alone is able to offer up His merit and credits it on our behalf. This is how we are presented as ‘blameless’ before the Father (Col. 1:22).
We present ourself before Christ and he imputes (credits) his righteousness to us, enabling us to be justified (2 Peter 1:4), as if it were ours through faith. It is on the foundation of this “alien” (from the outside) righteousness that God receives humans. This is synonymous with justification by faith.
In other words, what we present is not holy and acceptable (Isa. 64:6), but it is made holy and acceptable as such by our Advocate – Christ Jesus, imputing of his merit to cover our sacrifice. We bring nothing to our salvation, it is all done through Jesus. We come, repent, confess, and accept…that is our part.
God imparts this gracious gift of righteousness at justification which enables us to strive for holiness and victory over sin. This is sanctification which is a life time journey. We are being saved from the power of sin as we surrender daily to God and walk in obedience to His word. So, we cooperate with God’s power, and allow the Lord to do His will in our life (2 Thess. 2:13, 1 Timothy 4:5). We rejoice for we are a new creature for the old is shackled and dying, and it must die so that we can live (1 Cor. 9:27, Acts 16:26, Philippians 4:4).
The Christian has the blessed hope of glorification at the return of Christ. We shall be saved from the presence of sin (2 Thess. 1:10). We can confidently say, “I have been saved” when we give our life to the Lord; “I am being saved” as we walk daily with the Lord; and “I shall be saved” when he reaches the eternal promise land.
The Priest’s Work
While the congregation of Israel could gather in the court, the priests alone were to perform the work at the altar (Numbers 18:2-7). The Levites were given charge of the sanctuary, but they could not perform the service of the altar, for that typified work which none but Christ could do. He alone can destroy sin.
The Fire
The fire was kindled by the Lord Himself (Leviticus 9:24) and was kept burning continually. It was never to go out (Leviticus 6:13). The fire which will destroy all sin from the earth, like the fire on the altar, will come down from God out of heaven, and will not be quenched until all sin is consumed which happens after the 1,000 years (Revelation 20:9, Mark 9:43-48, Psalm 2:7-9).
The Cross and Christ
The altar symbolizes the cross and a type of Christ (Hebrews 13:10).
Paul referred to this altar as a type of Christ. Remember that Christ was the Lamb who was slain for the remission of our sins (Heb. 9:22), and He could not begin the rest of the sanctuary work without first going through the sacrifice on the altar in the courtyard. The services in the courtyard represented His work on earth, while the inner sanctuary (Holy and Most Holy) represents His work done in heaven. The altar is the Old Testament version of the cross of Christ (Hebrews 13:10-12; John 1:29).
The altar offered the assurance of salvation upon accepting for it pointed to the cross as Jesus our Savior.
Since the altar of sacrifice is representative of the cross, we come to the altar and slay whatever it is that is in our life that we need to put away. Pointing us to the cross, we know who died on the cross but we are to remember what died on the cross. Sin died on the cross. 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Yes, Jesus took sin to the cross and slayed it by giving his innocent blood.
The Ashes
The altar of sacrifice was built in such a way that the center held the fire and gave draft for it allowing the ashes to fall beneath. The place of the ashes could be seen in the altar and where there to remind us that if we chose to separate ourselves from God ashes will be our ultimate destiny (Malachi 4:1-3; Eze. 28:18).
The removal of the ashes was directed by the Lord to be done in a manner to typify a portion of the final work of Christ. The priest was to be clothed in the pure white linen garments, when he removed the ashes from the altar. The ashes were first taken up by the priest and placed “beside the altar” on the east side (Leviticus 1:16; 6:10).
Then the time came to remove them from beside the altar, the priest laid aside his priestly robes, and “put on other garments;” then he carried the ashes forth without the camp, and poured them out in “a clean place” (Leviticus 6:11). Ashes are all that will remain of sin, sinners, and the devil after the fires of the last day have finished their work (Malachi 4:1-3, Ezekiel 28:18-19). When the purifying fires of the Lord have removed the last trace of sin, there will appear a new heaven and a new earth, a clean place, without one taint of sin upon it.
What do the ashes represent?
The ashes represent the confessed sins of the righteous. When Christ bears the confessed sins of His people, He wears His priestly robes; but the time comes when he will place the sins of the righteous on the head of Satan, lay aside His priestly garments, and come to this earth clad in kingly robes, to gather out of His kingdom all things that offend and do iniquity. Then all sins and sinners will be burned in the fire. Not in priestly robes will Christ come out into the anti-typical court, the earth, to complete the final destruction of sin; but as King of kings and Lord of lords.
We Are Justified
The horns of the brazen altar were often touched with the blood of the different offerings, and the blood of every sin-offering was poured out at the base of this altar, representing the spilled blood of Christ (Lev. 17:11; Matt. 26:28; Heb. 9:14,22; Eph. 1:7; Rom. 3:5, 5:9; Rev. 1:5, add’l text).
The lamb is actually tied to the horns of the altar, in other words it is associated with that altar; and it cannot be separated from the altar. The lamb dies in that state. So, in type we enter into the relationship with Christ through the door, then we are confronted with the altar which represents the cross, the lamb upon the altar represents Christ, and the high priest represents Christ. Once we enter through the door and are surrounded by the white linen (His righteousness) and have gone through that process (confess sins with a remorseful heart) we are justified.
*Note: The terms: tabernacle, sanctuary, tent or tent of meeting refer to the structure that Moses built according to God’s blueprint. The terms can be used interchangeably so context is important to garner whether it is the entire structure or a portion such as the first and second compartments. The word ‘sanctuary’ itself can reference the earthly as well as the heavenly. Context is critical for understanding.
Amazing Discoveries, further study: The Laver and Altar of Offering.
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2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” AND 1 Thessalonians 5:21, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”