In Seventh-day Adventist theology, the heavenly sanctuary teaching asserts that many aspects of the Hebrew tabernacle or sanctuary are representative of heavenly realities. In particular, Jesus is regarded as a High Priest who provides cleansing for human sins by the sacrificial shedding of his blood. The doctrine grew out of the church's interpretation of the 1844 Great Disappointment. As a whole, it is unique to Seventh-day Adventism, although other Christians share many of the typological identifications made by the epistle to the Hebrews. One major aspect which is completely unique to Adventism is that the day of atonement is a type or foreshadowing of the investigative judgment. Technically, the "heavenly sanctuary" is an umbrella term which includes the investigative judgment, Christ's ministry in heaven before then, the understanding of Daniel 8:14, etc. However it is often spoken of interchangeably with the investigative judgment.
The earthly Most Holy Place was entered once a year by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement to offer atonement for the Israelites. Adventists believe this is a "type" of Jesus' ministry in heaven. In 1844 Jesus moved from the Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary into the Holy of Holies to begin a final atonement for humanity. This is understood as a change in two phases of Jesus' ministry. Today this tends to be understood by church theologians as more symbolic and less about heavenly "architecture".
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One of the church's official 28 fundamental beliefs is:
The historical foundation of the doctrine began with the Millerites who expected Jesus to return to earth on October 22, 1844. They interpreted the cleansing of the sanctuary (Daniel 8:14) to mean the cleansing of the earth by Jesus' coming. After the "Great Disappointment" when Christ did not come, the church reinterpreted the event as a cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary.
Hiram Edson claimed to experience a revelation concerning this new doctrine the day after the great disappointment, and the doctrine was subsequently worked out in more detail by Owen Crosier and others. Church pioneers James White and Ellen G. White wrote further about it over the succeeding years.[2]
Hebrews 8:1-5 -
Adventists traditionally believe that the blood of the daily sacrifices transferred the sins of penitent Israelites to the sanctuary, through the ministration of the priests in the "holy place" of the tabernacle (cf. Lev. 4). On the Day of Atonement, a set of rituals were performed by the Levitical high priest to "cleanse" the sanctuary of the accumulated sins, ultimately transferring the sins to the scapegoat (Azazel). This goat was sent into the wilderness, thus removing sin from the people entirely (cf Lev. 16).
Accordingly, Jesus ministered in the holy place of the heavenly sanctuary from his ascension until 1844. During this time the forgiven sins of Christians were transferred to the heavenly sanctuary. In 1844 he entered the most holy place, or holy of holies, to cleanse the heavenly sanctuary of its defilement. In the final judgment, the sins of all true Christians will be transferred to Satan, who is symbolised by the scapegoat.[2][3]
The 1844 date is derived from the application of the day-year principle to Daniel 8:14. The starting year for calculating 1844 is seen as the command to restore and rebuilt Jerusalem by Artaxerxes in 457 B.C. on the basis of Daniel 9:24-27.
Modern Adventist writers tend to place less emphasis on two literal "compartments" or "rooms" of the heavenly sanctuary, preferring to speak in terms of two "phases" of Christ's ministry. This is in part a response to critical arguments in relation to the veil, and so on (see below). One of the leaders behind this shift was Edward Heppenstall. More focus is placed on the meaning of the events rather than "celestial geography" or "architecture".
On the basis of biblical scholarship within the church, modern Adventism has extended the first apartment ministry so that it runs alongside with the second apartment ministry from 1844 until the close of probation, just like in the typical ministry in the Mosaic tabernacle. Also, the cleansing of the sanctuary is usually seen to include also the people of God, not just the heavenly sanctuary itself.
Adventist scholars have responded to criticism regarding the veil in Hebrews 6:19-20 by noting that the event depicted in the book of Hebrews is not the Day of the Atonement, but the Day of Inauguration (Hebrews 10:19-20), in which day the Old Testament tabernacle was dedicated to service by Moses (cf. Hebrews 9:19-21).
The most notable critic of the heavenly sanctuary teaching is Desmond Ford, an Adventist theologian who lost his job because of his views.
Ford made several arguments against the heavenly sanctuary teaching, including:[4]
The teaching is also criticised by former Adventists, non-Adventists and also by many so-called "progressive Adventists".
In Seventh-day Adventist theology, the heavenly sanctuary teaching asserts that many aspects of the Hebrew tabernacle or sanctuary are representative of heavenly realities. In particular, Jesus is regarded as a High Priest who provides cleansing for human sins by the sacrificial shedding of his blood. The doctrine grew out of the church's interpretation of the 1844 Great Disappointment. As a whole, it is unique to Seventh-day Adventism, although other Christians share many of the typological identifications made by the epistle to the Hebrews. One major aspect which is completely unique to Adventism is that the day of atonement is a type or foreshadowing of the investigative judgment. Technically, the "heavenly sanctuary" is an umbrella term which includes the investigative judgment, Christ's ministry in heaven before then, the understanding of Daniel 8:14, etc. However it is often spoken of interchangeably with the investigative judgment.
The earthly Most Holy Place was entered once a year by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement to offer atonement for the Israelites. Adventists believe this is a "type" of Jesus' ministry in heaven. In 1844 Jesus moved from the Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary into the Holy of Holies to begin a final atonement for humanity. This is understood as a change in two phases of Jesus' ministry. Today this tends to be understood by church theologians as more symbolic and less about heavenly "architecture".
Contents |
One of the church's official 28 fundamental beliefs is:
The historical foundation of the doctrine began with the Millerites who expected Jesus to return to earth on October 22, 1844. They interpreted the cleansing of the sanctuary (Daniel 8:14) to mean the cleansing of the earth by Jesus' coming. After the "Great Disappointment" when Christ did not come, the church reinterpreted the event as a cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary.
Hiram Edson claimed to experience a revelation concerning this new doctrine the day after the great disappointment, and the doctrine was subsequently worked out in more detail by Owen Crosier and others. Church pioneers James White and Ellen G. White wrote further about it over the succeeding years.[2]
Hebrews 8:1-5 -
Adventists traditionally believe that the blood of the daily sacrifices transferred the sins of penitent Israelites to the sanctuary, through the ministration of the priests in the "holy place" of the tabernacle (cf. Lev. 4). On the Day of Atonement, a set of rituals were performed by the Levitical high priest to "cleanse" the sanctuary of the accumulated sins, ultimately transferring the sins to the scapegoat (Azazel). This goat was sent into the wilderness, thus removing sin from the people entirely (cf Lev. 16).
Accordingly, Jesus ministered in the holy place of the heavenly sanctuary from his ascension until 1844. During this time the forgiven sins of Christians were transferred to the heavenly sanctuary. In 1844 he entered the most holy place, or holy of holies, to cleanse the heavenly sanctuary of its defilement. In the final judgment, the sins of all true Christians will be transferred to Satan, who is symbolised by the scapegoat.[2][3]
The 1844 date is derived from the application of the day-year principle to Daniel 8:14. The starting year for calculating 1844 is seen as the command to restore and rebuilt Jerusalem by Artaxerxes in 457 B.C. on the basis of Daniel 9:24-27.
Modern Adventist writers tend to place less emphasis on two literal "compartments" or "rooms" of the heavenly sanctuary, preferring to speak in terms of two "phases" of Christ's ministry. This is in part a response to critical arguments in relation to the veil, and so on (see below). One of the leaders behind this shift was Edward Heppenstall. More focus is placed on the meaning of the events rather than "celestial geography" or "architecture".
On the basis of biblical scholarship within the church, modern Adventism has extended the first apartment ministry so that it runs alongside with the second apartment ministry from 1844 until the close of probation, just like in the typical ministry in the Mosaic tabernacle. Also, the cleansing of the sanctuary is usually seen to include also the people of God, not just the heavenly sanctuary itself.
Adventist scholars have responded to criticism regarding the veil in Hebrews 6:19-20 by noting that the event depicted in the book of Hebrews is not the Day of the Atonement, but the Day of Inauguration (Hebrews 10:19-20), in which day the Old Testament tabernacle was dedicated to service by Moses (cf. Hebrews 9:19-21).
The most notable critic of the heavenly sanctuary teaching is Desmond Ford, an Adventist theologian who lost his job because of his views.
Ford made several arguments against the heavenly sanctuary teaching, including:[4]
The teaching is also criticised by former Adventists, non-Adventists and also by many so-called "progressive Adventists".
   | The Investigative Judgment: Theological Milestone or Historical Necessity? - Good News Unlimited |
| | Seventh-day Adventists Believe... A Biblical Exposition of 27 Fundamental Doctrines - Seventh-day Adventists Believe... FILE: index.htm |
| | Christ's Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary - Seventh-day Adventists Believe. . . Christ's Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary: 27-23.htm |
| | Sanctuary articles - Biblical Research Institute - Biblical Research Institute |
| | Bibliography - Sanctuary Doctrine in SDA Church |
| | Sanctuary - SDA Periodicals Index |
| | beginnings bibliography - The Beginnings of the Sanctuary Doctrine in the Early SDAism |
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