There is a reason why God had the people build an earthly sanctuary. Here is a little background: “It was difficult for man, surrounded by the darkness of sin, to comprehend these wonderful heavenly truths. The rays of light which shone from the heavenly sanctuary upon the simple sacrifices were so obscured by doubt and sin that God, in His great love and mercy, had an earthly sanctuary built after the divine pattern, and priests were appointed, who ‘served unto the example and shadow of heavenly things’ (Hebrews 8:5). This was done that Man’s faith might lay hold of the fact that in heaven there is a sanctuary whose services are for the redemption of mankind.
“God Himself gave to Moses the plan of that structure, with particular directions as to its size and form, the materials to be employed, and every article of furniture which it was to contain. The holy places made with hands were to be ‘figures of the true,’ ‘patterns of things in the heavens’ (Hebrews 9:24, 23)—a miniature representation of the heavenly temple where Christ, our great High Priest, after offering His life as a sacrifice, was to minister in the sinner’s behalf. God presented before Moses in the mount a view of the heavenly sanctuary, and commanded him to make all things according to the pattern shown him. All these directions were carefully recorded by Moses, who communicated them to the leaders of the people.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 343.
To know that our brother John, the disciple of Jesus, saw Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary and wrote of it in the book of Revelation is a real faith builder. God’s word brings us into heavenly places when studied deeply by comparing Scripture with Scripture. The “type” with the “anti-type” come alive through the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy.
| TYPE (PATTERN) | ANTI-TYPE (REALITY) |
| Hebrews 8:1–5. The earthly sanctuary was a shadow of the heavenly sanctuary. | Revelation 11:19. There is a temple in heaven. |
| Hebrews 9:1–3. The worldly sanctuary had two apartments. | Hebrews 9:24. The heavenly sanctuary also has two apartments. |
| Exodus 40:24. Golden candlestick in the first apartment of earthly sanctuary. | Revelation 1:12. John saw seven golden candlesticks in heaven. |
| Exodus 25:37; 40:25. There were seven lamps upon the candlestick. | Revelation 4:2, 5. John saw seven lamps of fire before the throne of God in heaven. |
| Exodus 30:7, 8. The high priest trimmed and lighted the lamps in the earthly sanctuary. | Revelation 1:12–18. John saw Christ, our High Priest, in the midst of the candlesticks in heaven. |
The Cross and Its Shadow, Stephen N. Haskell, pages 21, 32, and 54.