Is there a temple in heaven where Christ ministers as our High Priest?

Question

If so, is there an ark of the covenant in the Most Holy Place with the original ten commandments inside?

What is the purpose of the sanctuary? And why did it have to be cleansed each year on the day of atonement, Yom Kippur?

If there is a sanctuary heaven, does it also need to be cleansed? And when does this happen?

chinaz777--I am speaking of the present, of Jesus our advocate now. Certainly we need his advocacy now don't you agree?

chinaz777--I am speaking of the present, of Jesus our advocate now. Certainly we need his advocacy now don't you agree?

Suzanne, what is Hebrews 9:23,24 talking about then?

Midge, with all respect, it is hard to see how the ten commandments would be a shadow of Mary

Answer 1

Yes, there is a temple in heaven where Christ ministers as our High Priest. (Heb. 9:11,24)
Yes, there is an ark of the covenant in the Most Holy Place (Heb 9:23,24 also Rev.11:19)
The purpose of the sanctuary on earth was that God would dwell with them. (Ex.25:8) The purpose of the sanctuary in heaven is that Christ would minister on the sinner's behalf in the presence of God for us so that He can put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself for us. (Heb.9:26)
The reason it had to be cleansed each year on the day of atonement was because the sins had been placed on the sacrifices daily signifying that the sinner ackowledged the authority of the law and expressed faith in Jesus who was to take away the sin of the world but that did not entirely release him from the condemnation of the law. On the day of atonement the high priest went into the most holy place with the blood and sprinkled it on the mercy seatabove the law. This was the satisfiy the claim of the law which demanded the life of the sinner. The priest was considered the mediator and took the sins on himself. At the door of the tabernacle the priest would lay his hands on the head of the scapegoat and confess all the sins of Israel. The goat was sent away forever seperating the sins from Israel. (Lev.16)
Yes, there is a sanctuary in heaven and yes, it also needs to be cleansed. (Heb.8:5)
It was to take place (Dan 7:9,10) after 2300 days (which in prophetic time is years) (Dan: 8:14) The beginning of the 2300 days started in 457 B.C. (Dan.9:25) 2300 years later would be 1844. That was when the books were opened to begin judgement to cleanse the sanctuary.

Answer 2

Yes, there's a Temple in Heaven, which is the template for the two earthly Temples. Included in this Heavenly Temple is the original ark, from which the earthly ark was copied. See Revelation 11:19 for confirmation. There are other scenes in Revelation that take place in the Heavenly Temple, such as Rev. 8:1-5 and Rev. 15:5-6.

God resides in the Heavenly Sanctuary. Only the earthly Temple had to be cleansed on the Day of Attonement. The Heavenly Sanctuary has never been defiled, so it is not in need of cleansing. However, the Seventh Day Adventists will try to tell you otherwise.

You can read more about the Day of Atonement at Leviticus 16.

I hope this helps. Peace.

EDIT: You asked about Hebrews 9:23 and 24, which reads:

23 Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; ..."

This passage is speaking about earthly things in the Temple that were sanctified with the sacrificial blood of animals (verses 16-22). HOWEVER, the things in the Heavenly Temple have no need of purification, since a "better sacrifice" was made: Jesus' atoning death. This DOES NOT at all imply that Heaven was ever defiled.

Answer 3

"Lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21)

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you..." (I Corinthians 6:19)

"Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart." (II Corinthians 3: 3)

For a full exposition of the temple system, it is useful to familiarize yourself with the first ten chapters of Hebrews, in which Paul synthesizes the legal system with that of grace, in the person of Jesus, who was made a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec. Christ transformed the sanctuary from a material phenomenon to a spiritual one, i.e., the temple not built with hands, the commandments not written on tablets of stone, but being written in the hearts of believers, etc. You will read, for example, in the ninth chapter of Hebrews, about the ark of the covenant, the cleansing with blood sacrifice, and how these prefigured the coming of Christ and the fulfillment in the Holy Ghost, which is the bond of love sanctifying and uniting all true Christians. Note particularly the 14th verse of Chapter 9, regarding cleansing and purification: "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" Also note the 24th verse: "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us...."

All of this happens in the hour in which we first believe, and it can not be imparted by any rituals or man-made sacrifice, but by faith only.

Answer 4

I don't think that the authors of the bible intended "in the air" to be interpreted as radios using radio waves. You remind me of imams who dissect the Koran and claim that a few anecdotal comments about the heavens being parted is somehow a reference to the expansion of the universe after the Big Bang..... Sorry, not buying it. Everyone updates a text to make it useful to their own age - but you are simply stretching the original views of the authors to justify a concern for modern life. Sorry.

Answer 5

there is no temple now, nor will there be any that is going to be built. matthew 24:2 is fulfilled with the destruction of the jerusalem temple in 70 A.D. -- this is the phasing out of the jewish age, and church age. the temple now is His Son in the Gentile Setting! Find out who He is and you'll find the true temple in Heaven. It is where Christ, the Father ministers as the High Priest.

Answer 6

Yes there is a temple in Heaven and the Ark of the Covenant is there. Her name is Mary.

Answer 7

it is a myth.

maybe he sits on a throne that looks like a toilet, and snow is actually the pieces of toilet paper he throws down at people.

see how easy it is to start telling a silly, fictional cult story?

Answer 8

I dont think he would need to, We would be perfect and he wouldnt have the need to teach us anything.

Good question though.

Answer 9

there is no temple in heaven