How the Sanctuary Services Revealed the Savior

The sacrificial offerings constituted a perpetual reminder that a Savior was coming. Throughout Israel’s history types and shadows taught the people each day the great truths of Christ as Redeemer, Priest, and King. And once each year the Day of Atonement services carried their minds forward to the closing events of the great controversy between Christ and Satan. The earthly sanctuary was “symbolic for the present time.” Its two holy places were “copies of things in the heavens,” for Christ is today “a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.” Hebrews 9:9, 23; 8:2.RR 242.4

When Adam and his sons began to offer ceremonial sacrifices designated as a type of the coming Redeemer, Satan recognized in these a symbol of a close relationship between earth and heaven. During the long centuries he has constantly tried to intercept this relationship, to misrepresent God and misinterpret the rites that point to the Savior. The chief enemy of the human race has portrayed God as one who delights in destroying people. God designed the sacrifices to reveal His love. But Satan has perverted them into a means by which sinners have hoped—in vain—to appease the wrath of an offended God. At the same time, he has worked to strengthen evil passions so that, through repeated transgression, he can lead multitudes far from God and keep them hopelessly bound with the chains of sin.RR 242.5

In the parchment rolls of the Old Testament Scriptures Satan read the words that outlined Christ’s work among us as a suffering sacrifice and as a conquering king. He read that the One who was to appear was to be “led as a lamb to the slaughter,” “His visage ... marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.” The promised Savior was to be “despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief ..., smitten by God, and afflicted.” Isaiah 53:7; 52:14; 53:3, 4. These prophecies caused Satan to tremble, yet he determined to blind the people to what they really meant in order to prepare the way for them to reject Christ at His coming.RR 242.6

Before the Flood, success had crowned Satan’s efforts to bring about a worldwide rebellion against God. After the Flood, with sly insinuations he again led humanity into bold rebellion. He seemed about to triumph, but through the descendants of faithful Abraham, God intended to raise up messengers to call attention to the meaning of the sacrificial ceremonies, and especially to the promise of the One toward whom all the services pointed.RR 242.7

God carried out His plan, but not without determined opposition. In every way possible the enemy worked to cause Abraham’s descendants to forget their holy calling. For centuries before Christ’s first advent, darkness covered the earth, and deep darkness the people. Multitudes were sitting in the shadow of death.RR 243.1