So do you dismiss the other passages of scripture?

For the people (as in all who profess to be Christians) will not all be cleansed or saved. There is a sanctuary in heaven where the sin problem is being dealt with by the One Who suffered and died for our cleansing and salvation and who will apply His merits to all who come to Him for cleansing, but He will also remove the names of all who profess, but do not follow.


The Bible plainly tells us that just like the patterns that were patterned after heavenly things needed to be purified, so the heavenly things themselves must be purified.



But should we be surprised that people will pull the place of God's sanctuary down to earth and claim that's all there is to it-- claim that there is no sanctuary in heaven?

No, it was already prophecied in Daniel that this would be done. It was already done by the Catholic Church, and though Protestantism reputed some of the errors of Catholism, it still seems the more popular push is to pull the place of God's sanctuary down to earth.


DANIEL 8:11 Yea, he (the horn power) magnified himself even to the prince of the host, (Christ is the captain and prince of the host) and by him (the little horn power) the daily [the word sacrifice was added and is not in original ] was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. ......and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered.



This evil began hundreds of years ago.
For it is this continual service of Christ, the true High Priest, "who continues ever," and "who is consecrated forevermore" in "an unchangeable priesthood" in the heavenly sanctuary where He entered with His own blood --it is this continual service in the heavenly sanctuary of our great High Priest, which the man of sin, has taken away. It is the sanctuary and the true tabernacle in which this true High Priest exercises His continual ministry that has been cast down by "the transgression of desolation."

By doing this, the "man of sin" takes the secondary meaning of "temple" which is the "church' and seats himself there as if he were "god". 2 Thes. 2.


Interesting as well is the quote about earthly "authority" attached to this discussion, for indeed "earthly authority" will claim to be the "authority" over who is saved and who is not in the coming crises.

But we have a more just and sure Judge and Savior, in the heavenly courts, it is He who presents the names of His faithful before the Father and His angels and it is they who will walk with Him in white throughout eternity.

James, if there is no temple in Heaven why, then, does the Bible say so?

Psalm 11:4 The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.

Revelation
11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament
14:15 And another angel came out of the temple
14:17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
15:5 And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened
16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

Hi Luis, welcome. Good question. Paul elaborates on the point:


John further clarifies the point:


Post-conversion sinning can be forgiven. So, is it possible the law teaches willful, deliberate, intentional sinning is unpardonable because "having their conscience seared with a hot iron" they are incapable of repenting? Is it because they are beyond hope - like evil angels?


Angels knew God so well that no further revelation of His love would serve to save them once they chose to rebel. No provision existed to redeem angels. Similarly, people "who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come" - when such people choose to rebel they are beyond hope. There is nothing more God can do to woo and win them. They are dead to the love of God.

Your view that there isn't a sanctuary in heaven does not have biblical support, no matter how you slice it.

Heb 9:11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)
Heb 9:12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
Heb 9:24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

Christ entered once for all into the holy places (v. 12), which are not holy places made with hands (copies of the true ones), but into heaven itself (v. 24). The contrast in v. 24 is clear: Christ did not enter into the holy places made with hands, but into the ones not made with hands, into heaven itself. The obvious contrast is between the earthly holy places and the heavenly holy places.

Why was the death penalty instituted?

“Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers’ idols, wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live” (Ez 20:24, 25).

By transgressing the law which God had given in such majesty, and amid glory which was unapproachable, the people showed open contempt of the great Lawgiver, and death was the penalty.

What God said about presumptous, deliberate, willful sin (several translations):

Num 15:30 But the person who does wrong in the pride of his heart, if he is one of you or of another nation by birth, is acting without respect for the Lord, and will be cut off from his people (BBE).

Num 15:30 "If someone sins and knows they are doing wrong, they are rebelling against the LORD. They must be separated from their people (ERV).

Num 15:30 But the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native or a sojourner, reviles the LORD, and that person shall be cut off from among his people (ESV).

Num 15:30 But any who sin deliberately, whether they are natives or foreigners, are guilty of treating the LORD with contempt, and they shall be put to death (GNB).

Num 15:30 "But any native-born Israelite or foreigner who deliberately does something wrong insults the LORD and must be excluded from the people (GW).

Num 15:30 But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people (KJV).

I think the lesson is that there is great peril in this kind of sin. If the person sincerely repents, there is forgiveness for him/her. The peril is that the person may not repent because he/she is resisting the Holy Spirit.

Heb 10:26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

MIke, thank you for the good contributions.

Heb. 8:1-2 says, by way of summary, "Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: 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, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man."

My question to you is this: where did the Lord pitch HIS sanctuary and true tabernacle, a building which no man built? Remember that the quote above (Heb. 8:1-2) is the essence of everything being said before and after it, so be careful.

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It is really not wise to quote the book of Revelation literally. Only the naive and unlearned do that.

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The very thing I asked of "dedication" in post #164029, just two above, I ask of you.

Heb. 8:1-2 says, by way of summary, "Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: 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, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man."

My question to you is this: where did the Lord pitch HIS sanctuary and true tabernacle, a building which no man built? Remember that the quote above (Heb. 8:1-2) is the essence of everything being said before and after it, so be careful.

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The context is the book of Hebrews, which tells us where the holy places are into which Christ entered:

Heb 8:1,2 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man.
Heb 9:11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)
Heb 9:12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
Heb 9:24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.