Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

College

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Program

Religion, MA

First Advisor

Denis J. H. Fortin

Second Advisor

Felix H. Cortez

Third Advisor

Cedric E. W. Vine

Abstract

Problem

Seventh-day Adventists consider the subject of the sanctuary to be the kingpin that interconnects all of the other doctrines. Both Adventists and non-Adventists agree that it is the Adventist understanding of the sanctuary that sets them apart from other Christian denominations. Almost since the inception of the Church, there have been many critics of the Adventist doctrine of the sanctuary and its associated teachings, both from within and from without the Church. Former Adventists and non-Adventists alike have discredited the significance of the sanctuary. However, numerous books on the sanctuary have been published recently by Christian scholars; these books deserve to be evaluated carefully to identify possible points of similarity, ascertain the significant differences, and be sensitive to developing trends suggesting future research.

Method

This thesis will compare and contrast the specified works of Seventh-day Adventist and non-Adventist authors. A predetermined set of five questions will be used to evaluate the chosen authors’ positions as described in their respective books. The five questions deal with the ontology of the heavenly sanctuary, the amount of the high priestly ministry and heavenly sanctuary imagery in the New Testament, the relationship between the earthly and heavenly sanctuaries, atonement as a process or as a past act, and the significance of Jesus’s high priestly ministry. A chapter is dedicated to each author to determine their answers to the questions above. Chapter 6 ends with a summary and a conclusion, identifying areas in common, noteworthy differences, and suggestions for further study.

Results

The results of the evaluation of these authors indicate unanimity in their understanding of the ontology of the heavenly sanctuary. Both Seventh-day Adventist and non-Adventist authors believe in a literal, spatio-temporal sanctuary. They all agree that the sanctuary imagery is found throughout the New Testament, although they differ in the degree to which they see it. Regarding the relationship between heavenly and earthly sanctuaries, Adventist authors emphasize a more comprehensive typology in which the earthly sanctuary and its services typify a sequential order of events within salvational history, whereas non-Adventists believe in qualified typology, where the Yom Kippur service serves as the central framework for understanding the high priestly ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary. All the authors except one (Nicholas Moore) believe that the atonement is an ongoing process that includes Christ’s ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. Finally, the insights of all the authors contribute to a holistic understanding of soteriology and Christology.

Conclusion

This study concludes with the observation that there is a common consensus when it comes to the ontology of the heavenly sanctuary and the presence of the heavenly sanctuary imagery in the New Testament, and partial agreement regarding the extent of the typological relationship between the heavenly and earthly sanctuary. There are also differences in how Seventh-day Adventists and non-Adventists view the nature of the atonement. These differences suggest possible areas for further research and dialogue with the non-Adventist community.

Subject Area

Sanctuary Doctrine (Seventh-day Adventists); Jesus Christ--Priesthood

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