Further Study:
Read Ellen G. White, "In the Holy of Holies," pp. 423-426, in The Great Controversy; "The Tabernacle and Its Services," pp. 350-358, in Patriarchs and Prophets."The subject of the sanctuary was the key which unlocked the mystery of the disappointment of 1844. It opened to view a complete system of truth, connected and harmonious, showing that God's hand had directed the great Advent Movement, and revealing present duty as it brought to light the position and work of His people"—Ellen G. White, "In the Holy of Holies," p. 423, in The Great Controversy.
"I . . . see the heavenly sanctuary as the dwelling place of God, the seat of His government, the nerve center of the universe. As such, it has always existed. But with the fall of humanity it assumed an added function, namely, the solution of the cosmic rebellion and the security of the universe. It is in this sense that we picture it when we think of the ancient sacrificial system. We see it through a glass colored by the ministry for the eradication of sin"—Roy Adams, The Sanctuary, p. 71.
"I do not visualize an empty heavenly sanctuary. The throne of God, in whatever form, is there, surrounded by multitudes of angels. Best of all—from our standpoint, at least—our All-sufficient High Priest, Jesus Christ Himself, is there! He fills it full! He stands before the throne of God for us! And that's enough for me!"—p. 71.
Discussion Questions:
How does our understanding of the pre-Advent judgment fit in with our understanding of Christ as our high priest in the heavenly sanctuary? Why should the judgment be part-and-parcel of our sanctuary message? Most important, how can we teach the judgment as part of the good news of Jesus as our substitute in judgment? 
What does the reality of Christ's high-priestly ministry mean to you personally? What experience(s) can you share about how this teaching has benefited you spiritually?
Go back over the week's lesson and make a list of all the benefits we derive from Christ as our high priest. Bring them to class and discuss the implication of these benefits and how they should impact our lives as individuals and as a church community. How can we better take advantage of these promises in order to further our witness and mission to the world?
| I N S I D E Story | ||
| Sanjay's Miracles: Part 2 Sanjay realized that God had miraculously saved his life twice, and now he dedicated himself to work for God. He became a lay evangelist and was sent to a village where no one had even heard of Adventists before. Sanjay found a family who let him stay in the room in which the family kept their idols. Sanjay prayed that his host family would be blessed by his presence and would not force him to leave when they learned that he was Christian. Sanjay learned that his host had a health problem. He asked to pray to his God for the man's healing. The man agreed, and the homeowner was healed. Sanjay told the man that he was a Christian and invited him to study the Bible. The man invited his family to study with him, and within a few months the entire family gave their hearts to Jesus and offered their home for small group meetings. Sanjay visited people, prayed for their needs, and urged them to trust in the living God, who hears and answers prayer. When one family mocked him, saying that their god protected and blessed them, Sanjay left feeling that he had failed. The next day the homeowner told Sanjay that after the family had gone to bed the night before, a rat had entered their home and knocked over the oil lamp, which caught the straw walls on fire. The family barely got out alive. "We were wrong about your God. Please, may we attend your prayer meetings?" Another woman, Ompatti, was troubled by evil spirits. Her husband abandoned her and their three children. Doctors couldn't cure the woman, and trips to religious shrines brought her no relief. Then someone asked Sanjay to pray for her. As he prayed, Sanjay touched the woman, and she fell to the ground screaming. The devils left her. She told everyone of her healing. When her husband learned that she was no longer possessed, he returned. But he objected to Christianity and refused to have anything to do with them. Soon after, he became possessed by demons. Church members continue to pray for him. In the three years that Sanjay has worked as a lay evangelist, some 200 people in seven villages have given their lives to Christ and been baptized. Some of the groups of believers, which number from 15 to 25 people, have no place to worship. No one's home is large enough to accommodate them. They need churches if these congregations are to continue growing. Sanjay continues to use music and prayer to lead people to Jesus. Your mission offerings help make Sanjay's work and the work of Global Mission pioneers around the world possible.
SANJAY GHATGE is a lay evangelist working in remote villages in Maharashtra, India. | ||
| Produced by the General Conference Office of Mission Web site: www.adventistmission.org |
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