8

Easy Reading Edition

Wisdom From God’s Temple

May 18–24

in Heaven

—MAY 18
SABBATH—DATE
SABBATH
READ FOR THIS WEEK’S LESSON: Exodus 25:8, 9, 40;
The Great Controversy, chapters 22–24, 28.

The 2,300 days was MEMORY VERSE: “We do have a high priest [top spiri­
the time when Jesus came tual leader] who sits on the right side of God’s throne in
to heaven’s temple to clean heaven. Our high priest serves in the Most Holy Place.
it from sin. He serves in the true [real] place of worship that was
made by God, not by men” (Hebrews 8:1, 2, ICB).

WILLIAM MILLER preached that Jesus was coming on

October 22, 1844. When Jesus didn’t come, some Millerites
studied the 2,300 days again to understand their mistake. They
discovered the 2,300 days was the time when Jesus came to
heaven’s temple to clean it from sin. The Book of Leviticus
talks about how God’s Holy Tent on earth was cleaned
each year. Daniel 7 and 8 tell us that Jesus would clean
the temple in heaven after the last of four kingdoms came
to an end:
Daniel 7 Daniel 8
Babylon -------
Media-Persia Media-Persia
Greece Greece
Rome Rome
God’s work as Judge Jesus cleans the temple

Daniel 7 and 8 show that Jesus’ work in the temple is the

same as God’s final work as Judge. This week, we’ll look at
Jesus’ work in heaven’s temple during the end times.

60 WISDOM FROM GOD’S TEMPLE

 SUNDAY—MAY 19 Lesson 8
GOD’S TEMPLE IN HEAVEN (Exodus 25:8, 9, 40)

Read Exodus 25:8, 9, 40 and Hebrews 8:1–6. What two

Holy Tents do these verses talk about?

The first Adventists believed the Bible taught that Jesus

would come back in 1844. When Jesus didn’t come back,
that time was named the Big Disappointment. Adventists
studied the Bible to discover the reason for their mistake.
As they studied, they learned that the Bible talks about two
Holy Tents: the one Moses built, and the one in heaven. The
Holy Tent that Moses built was a copy of the one in heaven.
The work that the priests or spiritual leaders did in the Holy
Tent on earth helped God’s people understand the work that
Jesus did in heaven to save us from sin. When Jesus died,
the work in the temple on earth was no longer needed. After
Jesus’ death, God’s New Promise with His people started
in His temple in heaven. The temple in Daniel 8:14 shows
us God’s work for us in His temple in the end times. So, the
temple in Daniel 8:14 also must be the temple in heaven.
“When the 2,300 days ended, in 1844, no Holy Tent or
temple had been on the earth for many hundreds of years.
So, the 2,300-day time message must be about the temple
in heaven.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, page
417, adapted.
The Holy Tent in the desert was a model, or a small copy,
of the temple in heaven. The work done in the Holy Tent on
earth showed God’s plan to save us. Every animal offered
as a gift showed Jesus’ death for us on the cross of Calvary
(John 1:29). Jesus’ offering for our sins makes us free from
the punishment of sin. Because of Jesus, God forgives us.
Our guilt is gone when we accept Jesus’ offering for us and
confess our sins (1 John 1:9). Jesus is the Lamb who died
for us. He is also the Priest, or Holy Leader, who lives to save The work that the priests
or spiritual leaders did
us.
in the Holy Tent on earth
Hebrews 7:25 explains: “So Christ [Jesus] can save those helped God’s people
[people] who come to God through [because of their faith in] understand the work
him. Christ can do this forever, because he always lives and that Jesus did in heaven
is ready to help people when they come before God” (ERV). to save us from sin.
Jesus removes our guilt and saves us from sin (Romans
8:1–4; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus works in heaven’s temple
for us. He is our Helper. He breaks sin’s control over our lives.
We no longer are slaves to sin. Jesus makes us free: free
from sin’s penalty and control. When we hold onto Jesus,
He will save us.

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 Lesson 8 MONDAY—MAY 20
IN THE MOST HOLY PLACE (Leviticus 16:21, 29–34)

Read Leviticus 16:21, 29–34; Leviticus 23:26–32; and

Hebrews 9:23–28. Why was the Day of Atonement
important to Israel during Old Testament times? The Day
of Atonement was the Day When God Removes All Sin.
This day is also named the Day of Judgment.

Israel’s priests, or holy leaders, worked for God every

day of the year. But on the Day When God Removes All
Sin, the priests did very special work in the Holy Tent or
Tent of Meeting. Leviticus 16 and 23 tell us about this spe-
cial work. On the Day When God Removes All Sin, no one
did any work. They ate no food. The High Priest, or Top
Spiritual Leader, went into the Most Holy Room in the Tent
of Meeting. There, he met with God for the people. While
the High Priest met with God, the people emptied their
hearts of pride. They came to God and confessed their sins.
What if someone refused to empty his heart of all pride
and ate food on that day? Anyone who ate food on that
day or had any pride in his heart would “be separated”
from his people (Leviticus 23:29, ERV; also read verse 27).
In 1844, Jesus left
He would no longer be part of God’s chosen people. On
the Holy Room and went
into the Most Holy Room the Day When God Removes All Sin, the high priest took
in God’s temple the blood from the Lord’s goat into the Holy Tent. First, the
to finish His work for us. high priest sprinkled the goat’s blood on the mercy seat.
The mercy seat was the special piece of furniture in the
Most Holy Room of the Tent of Meeting. The mercy seat
rested on top of the Ark of God’s Promise. Inside the ark
was God’s law. God came and stood in a cloud of perfume
above the mercy seat. There, God met with the high priest.
The cloud of perfume hid God from the priest so that God’s
shining beauty didn’t kill the priest.
The high priest also put blood on the horns of the gold altar
and on the brass altar. When the priest finished this work, he
put his hands on the living goat and confessed Israel’s sins.
Then a man led the goat into the desert where it was sep-
arated from the camp of Israel forever (Leviticus 16:20–22).
The priest took the goat’s blood into the Holy Tent to show that
God recorded His people’s sins (Jeremiah 17:1) and removed
all their sin Himself. The goat was led far away into the desert
to show that God had a clean Holy Tent and a clean people.
These symbols show us the work Jesus has done for us since
1844. At that time, Jesus left the Holy Room and went into the
Most Holy Room in God’s temple to finish His work for us.

62 WISDOM FROM GOD’S TEMPLE

 TUESDAY—MAY 21 Lesson 8
THE TIME HAS COME FOR GOD TO JUDGE
(Daniel 7:9, 10)

Compare Daniel 7:9, 10 with Revelation 14:6, 7. What

same thing do these verses talk about?

God’s work as Judge is important in the Bible. “God knows

everything people do, even [including] the things done in secret.
He knows all the good and all the bad. He will judge every-
thing people do” (Ecclesiastes 12:14, ICB). Jesus talked about
a future time when “people will have to explain about every
careless thing they have said. This [explanation] will happen on
the Judgment Day [the time when God will judge all people]”
(Matthew 12:36, ICB). Paul adds, God “will bring into the light
the things that are hidden in men’s hearts. He will show why
men have done these things” (1 Corinthians 4:5, NLV). In John’s
dream about the end times, an angel announces, “ ‘The time
has come for God to judge all people’ ” (Revelation 14:7, ERV).

Read what the angel told John in Revelation 22:10–12.

When Jesus comes back, what will happen to all humans?

When Jesus comes back, He will give out His final rewards.
First, Jesus must judge us. His work as judge will show who will
get a reward or punishment at His coming. When Jesus comes
back, we get no second chances. Before He comes, everyone
will get a fair chance and enough information to make a final
decision for or against Jesus.

Read Matthew 25:1–13. What does Jesus say to the two

groups in these verses? Why is Jesus’ answer to the first
group so different from His answer to the second group?

“God will examine the life record of every person who has
lived and followed Jesus. After God decides the case of every
person, He will finish His work as Judge. Then no one else can
be saved after that. Jesus said, ‘The girls who were ready went
in with the bridegroom to the wedding feast. Then the door was Jesus’ work as judge
closed and locked.’ [Matthew 25:10, ERV]. In this one short will show who will get
verse, Jesus tells us about the time when His work to save us a reward or punishment
will be finished.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, page at His coming.
428, adapted.
We do not need to fear God’s work as Judge. Jesus loves
and forgives us. He removes our guilt. He makes us holy. Jesus
helps us win the fight against sin.

WISDOM FROM GOD’S TEMPLE 63

 Lesson 8 WEDNESDAY—MAY 22
THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE MOST HOLY PLACE
(Hebrews 4:14–16)

Read Hebrews 4:14–16 and Hebrews 10:19–22. In these

verses, what invitation and hope does God give to each
one of us?

In these verses, Paul tells us to “hold on to the things we

believe” (Hebrews 4:14, WE). He adds, “Let us go with com-
plete [filled with] trust to the throne of God” (Hebrews 4:16,
NLV). Paul also says, “Let us come near to God with a true
[clean and honest] heart full of faith” (Hebrews 10:22, NLV).
Jesus gives us everything we need. Jesus made a “new and
living way” for us to come to God in His temple in heaven
(Hebrews 10:20, NLV).
What do we see when we look inside the walls around the
We can meet with God temple? We see the brass altar, with its horns. We see blood
only if Jesus pardons us on the horns. In the Holy Room, we see blood on the gold
and removes our sins horns of the altar where sweet-smelling perfume is burned.
with His blood.
We see sprinkled blood on the curtain that is in front of the
mercy seat. We see blood everywhere.
What does the blood teach us? The blood is a word picture
for Jesus’ blood. We see Jesus’ blood at every step we take
along the way to God. Jesus’ blood gives us hope. We can
meet with God only if Jesus pardons us and removes our
sins with His blood. God’s mercy never fails. His fair ways also
never fail. Because God is fair, He can’t accept Jesus’ death
for our sin until Jesus forgives our sins and removes them.

Read about the ark in Revelation 11:19. Why is this

dream that John has about the ark of God’s Promise so
important? How are the law and the Good News con­
nected?

In his dream, John sees the Ark of God’s Promise in the

Most Holy Room of God’s Temple in heaven. In the ark is
God’s law. Hebrews 8:10 says, “In the future I will make this
agreement with the people of Israel, says the Lord. I will
put my teachings in their minds. And I will write them on
their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people”
(Hebrews 8:10, ICB). Because of our faith in Jesus, we can
enter God’s temple. Inside, Jesus forgives our past sins. He
also gives us strength to obey God’s law. Anyone can come
to Jesus. He can “save them completely [fully] and for all time”
(Hebrews 7:25, NIrV).

64 WISDOM FROM GOD’S TEMPLE

 THURSDAY—MAY 23 Lesson 8
JESUS, OUR LAWYER (Hebrews 10:9–14)

Read Hebrews 10:9–14. What do these verses teach us

about the priest’s work in the Tent of Meeting on earth?
As we saw, a priest was a Jewish spiritual leader. What do
these verses teach us about Jesus’ work as our High Priest
or Top Spiritual Leader in the temple in heaven? How is the
work of the priest different from Jesus’ work in heaven?

Jesus died one time for everyone. His death on the cross
was the perfect offering for sin. Now Jesus works as our
High Priest in heaven’s temple. There, He works to make
us holy. Jesus entered the Most Holy Room in 1844. Now
Jesus stands as our Lawyer in front of God, our Judge
(1 John 2:1). Jesus “gave Himself once [only one time]
to take away the sins of many [people]. When He comes
the second time, He will not need to give Himself again
for sin. He will save all those [people] who are waiting for
Him” (Hebrews 9:28, NLV). Jesus’ death on the cross and
His work for us in heaven solve the sin problem. When He
comes a second time, He will give a reward to everyone
who is “looking forward to his coming” (2 Timothy 4:8, ERV).

Why does Jesus invite us to follow Him? What do we

discover when we do? Read Hebrews 6:19, 20 for the
answers.

“Jesus goes to God to get help for us. This work is a neces-
sary part of God’s plan to save us. We need this work as much
as we need Jesus’ death on the cross. When Jesus died, He
started the work that He would finish when He went to heaven.
We must enter with faith into the Most Holy Room. ‘Jesus has
already entered there and opened the way for us.’ Hebrews
6:20 [ERV]. There, we will understand more about what hap-
pened for us at Calvary. We will understand better God’s plan
to save us with His blood. Saving us was expensive. God paid
a very high price: His son had to die because we broke His
law. Jesus opened the way to the Father’s throne. Jesus goes
to God for us to ask Him for the things that we need. We must God’s plan to save sinners
come to Jesus and ask for these things in faith.”—Ellen G. solves both the worldwide
White, The Great Controversy, page 489, adapted. war between good and evil
God’s plan to save sinners is a complete plan. God’s plan and saves us from sin
solves both the worldwide war between good and evil and and Satan.
saves us from sin and Satan. When we come to Jesus with
faith, He makes us clean and holy.

WISDOM FROM GOD’S TEMPLE 65

 Lesson 8 FRIDAY—MAY 24
ADDITIONAL THOUGHT: Notice what Ellen G. White says
about Jesus’ work for us during the time when God judges
us: “Jesus does not excuse our sins. He shows His Father
that we are sorry for our sins. Jesus also shows God our faith.
Jesus asks God to forgive us. Jesus lifts His scarred hands
for the Father and the holy angels to see. Then Jesus says,
‘I know the names of each one of my children. I got these
scars because of my love for them.’ ‘The sacrifice [offering]
God wants is a willing spirit. God, you will not reject a heart
that is broken and sorry for its sin.’ Psalm 51:17 [ICB]. Satan
accuses God’s people of guilt. Jesus announces to Satan:
‘The Lord says that you are wrong, and he will continue to
correct you! The Lord has chosen Jerusalem to be his spe-
cial city.’ [Zechariah 3:2, ERV].”—Ellen G. White, The Great
Controversy, page 484, adapted.
“In a dream, Zechariah sees God’s people standing in front
of the Lord. The people wear dirty rags. [The dirty rags are a
word picture for our own good behavior.] The dirty rags should
cause us to have no pride in our hearts. We should search
our hearts very carefully. We make our hearts clean when we
obey Bible truth. This work will cause us to empty our hearts
of all pride. The more we look at Jesus and His perfect life,
the more we will want to be the same as He is in our hearts.
We will see less and less beauty in our own hearts. We must
see that we are sinners. At the same time, we must depend
only on Jesus to save us and make us holy. We can’t defend
ourselves against Satan or the things he accuses us of doing
wrong. Only Jesus can defend us. Jesus can stop Satan
“Jesus defends us from blaming us. Jesus defends us with His own perfect life,
with His own perfect life, and not with anything good we have done.”—Ellen G. White,
and not with anything Testimonies for the Church, volume 5, pages 472, adapted.
good we have done.”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1 Think about Jesus lifting His scarred hands for us in front of

the Father. How does this picture make you feel? Why is Jesus our
only hope during the time when God judges all people?

2 Ellen G. White wrote: “Only Jesus can defend us. Jesus can
stop Satan from blaming us. Jesus defends us with His own per-
fect life, and not with anything good we have done.”—Ellen G.
White, Testimonies for the Church, volume 5, pages 471, 472,
adapted. How do these words give you hope?

66 WISDOM FROM GOD’S TEMPLE

 Story
RUNNING FROM CHURCH, PART 1 INSIDE
C hurch was the last place that Aneliya wanted to go.
Aneliya grew up in a non-Christian religion. So, Aneliya by Andrew McChesney
was surprised when her husband and their 20-year-old
son, Rosen, accepted a Bible from a stranger on the street.
The stranger told them, “Take this Bible and come to our
meeting this evening at my church. We’re serving food, too.”
Aneliya didn’t want to accept the invitation to go to church.
She asked her husband and son, “What are we going to do
there? I don’t want to go. I belong to another religion.”
But Rosen wanted to go to church. Rosen said to his mother,
“Come. We’ll eat and hear a few things.”
All five members of the family went to the meeting in the
European city where they lived. Aneliya and her family came
to this city for safety after having to leave their country. At the
church, church members greeted Aneliya and her family. Then
they drank tea and ate cake together. During the church pro-
gram, Aneliya heard people talking about Jesus, but she had a
hard time understanding what they meant.
Aneliya wondered, “What are they talking about?” This was
the first time she heard people talk about the Bible.
Rosen loved the meeting. Afterward, he started Bible studies
with Paul, the man who gave him the Bible on the street.
Not long after, Rosen asked his mother to come to church for
his baptism. Aneliya said, “What is baptism? I don’t understand
what that is. I won’t go.” When Rosen was baptized, his mother
wasn’t there. The stranger told them,
“Take this Bible and come
Then Aneliya and her family were forced to leave the apart-
to our meeting this evening
ment they rented. They had money. But no one would rent an at my church.”
apartment to them. Church members invited the family to stay
for a while in the children’s Sabbath School classroom.
Church was the last place Aneliya wanted to go. But she
had no choice. She and her family lived in the church for seven
months. During that time, Paul visited the family and read to
them from the Bible. Aneliya wondered why Paul read the Bible.
She was convinced that only her religion’s holy writings were
truth. Aneliya wondered, “How will this Bible help me get an
apartment? Why can’t we find one?”
On Sabbaths, Paul invited the family to come to church.
Aneliya and her family were staying in the church at this time.
As soon as Aneliya saw the meetings start, she ran out the
door of the church. But the sermons touched the heart of her
22-year-old son, Sergei. Sergei got baptized.
After the family found a home, both of Aneliya’s sons asked
their mother to accept Jesus.
The story finishes next week.
Provided by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission, which uses Sabbath School 67
mission offerings to spread the gospel worldwide. Read new stories daily at AdventistMission.org.