The last issue of Ministry dealing exclusively with the sanctuary doctrine was in 1980—34 years ago. Those were turbulent times, as some of you well remember. Have we finally found peace, or have we just chosen to forget? Why are we producing another special issue on the heavenly sanctuary and the ministry of Jesus as our great High Priest? Does it really matter?
Some insist that we should forget peripheral issues and just focus on Jesus. I agree. Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith, and He embodies all that we know as true. We should focus on Christ’s incarnation, earthly ministry, death, and glorious resurrection. But, as devoted followers of Jesus, should we not also pay attention to Christ’s current ministry in heaven? What is Jesus doing right now? Why is His high priestly ministry at the present time so vitally important in the plan of salvation?
The sanctuary issue has become important to me, personally. I have colleagues in ministry who have distanced themselves from the Seventh-day Adventist Church because they believe that its teachings about the sanctuary are fatally flawed. Others, while they may continue to serve as Seventh-day Adventist pastors, have lost confidence in the sanctuary doctrine or simply ignore it. If the ministry of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary really does matter, we have a responsibility to answer the question “Why?”
Wilson Paroschi addresses this question directly in his article, “The Cross and the Sanctuary: Do We Really Need Both?” His detailed exegesis of Romans 3:21–26 leads him to the conclusion that we need both the Cross and the sanctuary, Christ’s atoning sacrifice and His ministry as our great High Priest.
In his article “Why the Sanctuary Is So Important,” Norman Gulley supports Paroschi’s assertion, emphasizing that “the two phases of Christ’s ministry are the gospel equally because there is no redemption without resolution of the controversy.” The decisive issue in the judgment does not primarily concentrate on what we have done or not done, but rather whether we have accepted or rejected what Christ has done for us. If we have accepted Christ’s saving work on our behalf at the Cross, we can face the judgment without fear. We have already passed from death to life!
Gerhard Pfandl addresses the important topic of the pre-Advent judgment as part of the ministry of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary in his article “The Books Were Opened.” He sees the pre-Advent judgment as a vital and beautiful part of the three angels’ messages.
Roy Adams shows the relevance of the sanctuary message in his article titled “The Cry for Justice . . . and the Answer From the Sanctuary.” In a world where people are crying out for justice, God’s judgment from the heavenly sanctuary will hold the perpetrators of evil and injustice on this planet and in the cosmos accountable for their actions.
While the books of Daniel and Hebrews are primary sources of information about the sanctuary and the ministry of Jesus as our great High Priest, David Tasker focuses our attention on the Psalms. In his article “The Heavenly Temple in the Psalms,” he identifies numerous references to the heavenly sanctuary. Looking beyond the furniture and features, Tasker sees a God who rules from His temple to ensure justice, holiness, and restoration.
Seventh-day Adventist scholars have not always agreed over every interpretation concerning the sanctuary and the ministry of Jesus as our great High Priest. While the Scriptures should always be foundational, we also need to come together with a spirit of love and humility. That’s a valuable lesson for all of us.
In the early years of the Advent movement, Ellen White gave this inspired counsel regarding the theme of this special issue: “The subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgment should be clearly understood by the people of God. All need a knowledge for themselves of the position and work of their great High Priest.”* We’re praying that these articles will assist you on that journey—because this topic really does matter.
* Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1911), 488.
