The Ministry of Christ in the Heavenly Sanctuary Honor

Missionary Activities - Bible Studies

Requirements

1. Know the order given by God to Moses for the construction of the earthly sanctuary and identify which model was to be followed. (Exodus 25:8-9, 40; Hebrews 9:24)

   Answer: In Exodus 25:8-9, God commands Moses: '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.' The model to be followed was NOT invented by Moses: it was the replica/figure of the heavenly sanctuary. Exodus 25:40 reinforces: 'Look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.' Hebrews 9:24 confirms that the earthly sanctuary was a 'figure of the true' sanctuary in heaven, where Christ entered to appear for us before God. In other words, the earthly sanctuary was built as an exact copy of the heavenly sanctuary shown to Moses. — The correspondence between the earthly and heavenly sanctuary is central to Adventist theology, supported by the texts of Exodus, Leviticus, and Hebrews, indicating that each piece of the tabernacle symbolized something of the plan of salvation.

2. Understand what Jesus' ministry in heaven is after His death and resurrection. (Hebrews 8:1-2)

   Answer: Jesus exercises the ministry of High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary, seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty. He acts as Mediator between God and men, interceding for believers and applying the benefits of His sacrifice, according to the typology of the Old Testament Tabernacle. — Hebrews 8:1-2 declares: 'we have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary'. Adventist theology, based on Daniel 8:14 and Hebrews 9, teaches that Christ entered the Most Holy Place in 1844, beginning the investigative judgment. Unique function: to continually apply the blood of atonement to repentant believers.

3. Know how Jesus was identified during His ministry on Earth. (John 1:29; Isaiah 53:4-7)

   Answer: Jesus was identified in two complementary ways: 1) By John the Baptist, as 'the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world' (John 1:29) — pointing out that He would be the substitutionary sacrifice for humanity. 2) By the prophecy of Isaiah 53:4-7, as the Suffering Servant: He bore our infirmities and pains, was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities; by His stripes we were healed, and, like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, He opened not His mouth. Thus, Jesus is identified as the Lamb/Servant who suffers voluntarily and dies in the place of the sinner. — Isaiah 53, written 700 years before Christ, is the most explicit prophetic chapter about the sacrifice of the Messiah, cited more than 30 times in the New Testament as fulfilled by Jesus.

4. Relate the work of the priest in the earthly sanctuary to Christ's ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. (Leviticus 16:9, 15; Hebrews 9:1-28)

   Answer: The earthly priest offered sacrifices and entered the Most Holy Place on Yom Kippur with blood, prefiguring Christ. Jesus is the sacrificed lamb and the High Priest who entered the heavenly sanctuary with His own blood, offering eternal redemption instead of animals. — Leviticus 16 details the Day of Atonement: two goats, one sacrificed, the other Azazel. Hebrews 9 shows Christ fulfilling the typology: 'Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle... he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption'. The daily service (intercession) and the annual one (judgment) find their fulfillment in the continuous work of Christ, especially since 1844.

5. Explain the order of the main events of Christ's ministry on behalf of the salvation of human beings. (1 Corinthians 15:3; Romans 6:9; 1 Timothy 2:5; Matthew 25:31-32; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 20:12-15)

   Answer: 1) Incarnation and holy life; 2) Death on the cross for sins (1 Cor 15:3); 3) Resurrection and ascension (Rom 6:9); 4) Mediation in the heavenly sanctuary (1 Tim 2:5); 5) Investigative judgment since 1844 (Mt 25:31-32); 6) Second Coming (1 Thes 4:16-17); 7) Final judgment of the wicked (Rev 20:12-15). — The complete sequence of the plan of salvation in Adventist theology. Incarnation (Bethlehem) and a sinless life (victory); the cross and atoning death; resurrection and ascension; intercessory ministry until 1844; investigative judgment in the Most Holy Place; visible return in glory; resurrection of the righteous; millennium; executive judgment; new Earth. Each stage based on the texts cited in the requirement.

6. Memorize and recite 1 Timothy 2:5.

   Answer: 1 Timothy 2:5: 'For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus'. It establishes the oneness of God and the singularity of Christ as the only Mediator, the basis of the Adventist doctrine about the heavenly sanctuary and the exclusive priestly intercession of Jesus. — The verse forms the basis for the Adventist rejection of other mediations (Mary, saints, human priests). Christ, being fully God and fully man, is the only one able to mediate. Ellen White, in The Desire of Ages, expands: 'In His humanity Christ partook of our nature; in His divinity, of God's'. The text supports evangelical soteriology and the centrality of Christ in salvation.

7. Share with a friend what Jesus is doing today in heaven and how this relates to our salvation and future. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

   Answer: Explain that Jesus is our High Priest in heaven, able to sympathize with our weaknesses because He too was tempted. Invite your friend to come to the throne of grace with confidence, to receive mercy and help in time of need, according to Hebrews 4:14-16, which offers great comfort. — Hebrews 4:14-16 is one of the most comforting texts: Jesus understood our pains ('was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin'), and can intercede with empathy. When sharing, emphasize: 1) access to the throne; 2) confidence in prayer; 3) available mercy; 4) timely help. Apply it to concrete cases: anxiety, temptations, losses. Use simple language and personal examples.