Chapter 3 Ta Hagia Then verily the first [covenant] had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. [hagion] Hebrews 9:1 And [this] shall be a statute for ever unto you: [that] in the seventh month, on the tenth [day] of the month, ye shall afflict your souls... For on that day shall [the priest] make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, [that] ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. Leviticus 16:29, 30. The Greek word ta hagia is used in the New Testament to refer to holy places in the sanctuary. Ta is the definite article roughly equivalent to the in English. Ta Hagia is a neuter plural adjective and simply means the holies. The noun that it modifies in not always present in the grammar, but is understood by the context. In Hebrews 9:1, 2 it is translated in the KJV as the sanctuary. There is no noun in this text, but because the context refers to the temple and the sanctuary of old in particular, we understand the holies (ta hagia) to mean the holy places, even though places is absent from the text. Holy places implies the sanctuary, so the text has been translated as the sanctuary. It is implied in the context. Then verily the first [covenant] had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. [hagion] Hebrews 9:1 Strong s Concordance points out that the translation of sanctuary in the KJV for Hebrews 9:2 is consistent with the translation of the holy place. In Hebrews 9:3 the KJV gives us a translation of holiest of all 14
which can also be translated the holy of holies of the holy places. The Greek word for the holy of holies is hagia hagion. For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein [was] the candlestick, and the table, and the showbread; which is called the sanctuary.[hagion] And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all.[hagia hagion] Hebrews 9:2,3. The study of hagion and it s related forms makes for a very complicated task. This word is mistranslated in different places in the Hebrews due to the preconceived ideas and misunderstanding by the translators of the sanctuary service and the meanings of types and symbols. However, the Apostle Paul has not left us without a clear understanding, if we care to make a word study. The key is in the first verse of chapter nine of Hebrews. It sets forth how the word is later to be understood. However, it is not within the scope of this presentation to present such a word study. The purpose of this chapter is to establish the fact that God is using the sanctuary service as a teaching tool to show His plan to restore the temple of the human being to its original condition as Adam was before the fall. To some this seems old hat, but it s necessary to understand that the types and antitypes of the sanctuary service might not be understood to the fullest, and a deeper understanding might exist. But in its basic form, we should understand that the saints who are literary holy people (ta hagia) in the Greek, are restored as in the sanctuary service. The sanctuary itself was cleansed and restored to its original condition. The saints are to be cleansed and perfected, holy sanctuaries. In later chapters a deeper, more significant expanding of the sanctuary motif will be discussed. 15
The Temples of Our Bodies The saints are figuratively spoken of as a holy temple in 1 Corinthians 3:17. If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy [hagios], which [temple] ye are. Hagiazo is the form of the same word which means to purify or to make holy, to sanctify. Hagiasmos is the state of being holy or sanctified, and is translated as holiness in Romans 6:19, 22. To be sanctified is to be made holy or righteous. Consider the following text: I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. [hagiosmos] Romans 6:19. Whether used in connection with the holy places or the holy people, it is God s will to cleanse the temple of man. But we are sinful by nature, and we have a work to do to cleanse the soul-temple of every defilement.... RH, May 27, 1884. God has given us a teaching tool by which we are to learn how to cooperate with him in the cleansing of the soul temple. God s purpose in His plan of salvation is not to cleanse or purify a building or tent made with hands. If the people of God were to be restored to the image of God without the sanctuary service, God s goal in the salvation of man would be realized, but He has chosen the sanctuary service as a teaching tool. It is not the cleansing of a tent that is God s purpose in using the sanctuary motif, but it is the cleansing of the soul temple. God employs this teaching tool to help us in our understanding of the plan of salvation. He could create or have His people create thousands of temples and have them cleaned spotless of any and all blemishes, but without the cleansing of the soul temple, all would be in vain regarding the plan of salvation. 16
Restoring Ta Hagia is then primarily the restoration of the people of God rather than the cleaning of a building, made with or without hands. The emphasis of this book is therefore to relate God s plan of the restoration of His moral image in man, the soul temple, where God desires to dwell. EGW comments: In the cleansing of the temple, Jesus was announcing His mission as the Messiah, and entering upon His work. That temple, erected for the abode of the divine Presence, was designed to be an object lesson for Israel and for the world. From eternal ages it was God's purpose that every created being, from the bright and holy seraph to man, should be a temple for the indwelling of the Creator. Because of sin, humanity ceased to be a temple for God. Darkened and defiled by evil, the heart of man no longer revealed the glory of the Divine One. But by the incarnation of the Son of God, the purpose of Heaven is fulfilled. God dwells in humanity, and through saving grace the heart of man becomes again His temple. God designed that the temple at Jerusalem should be a continual witness to the high destiny open to every soul. But the Jews had not understood the significance of the building they regarded with so much pride. They did not yield themselves as holy temples for the Divine Spirit. The courts of the temple at Jerusalem, filled with the tumult of unholy traffic, represented all too truly the temple of the heart, defiled by the presence of sensual passion and unholy thoughts. In cleansing the temple from the world's buyers and sellers, Jesus announced His mission to cleanse the heart from the defilement of sin,--from the earthly desires, the selfish lusts, the evil habits, that corrupt the soul.... DA 161 And again she states: 17
Let those who work for Christ keep their principles pure. Let the life be untainted by any polluting practice. All heaven is interested in the restoration of the moral image of God in man. All heaven is working to this end. God and the holy angels have an intense desire that human beings shall reach the standard of perfection which Christ died to make it possible for them to reach. It is His desire that we shall be one with Christ, complete in Christ, that we shall be heirs of heaven; but we are left free to choose. God calls upon us to make our choice on the right side, to connect with heavenly agencies, to adopt principles which have a reviving, restoring influence, which will restore in us the moral image lost through disobedience. As by faith we adopt the principles which characterize the life of Christ, they are in the soul as a well of water, springing up unto everlasting life. The soul overflows with the riches of the grace of Christ, and this overflow refreshes other souls. In Heavenly Places 286 Ta hagia represents the holy places built with hands by man on the earth. The earthly temple represents and points to the holy places built without hands by God in heaven and at the same time point to the temple of the soul, the saints are holy people of God. God s plan is to completely restore the soul temple of man into the divine image as it was at creation. It is the purpose of this book to aid in the understanding of how this will come about, thus the name of this book, Restoring Ta Hagia. Hagia Hagion The First apartment experience is an unearned gift. That is, the forgiveness of God and the changing of our lives are gifts from God. Knowing that the first apartment experience is by faith, is there some reason we then should believe that the blessing of the second apartment experience can be obtained through the works of the law? What is it that brings us the blessing of the first apartment? Is it not the faith in the 18
promises of God in conjunction with the life and death of Christ? Surely the blessing of the most holy place (hagia hagion) also comes to us as a gift through faith in the doing and dying of Jesus and promises of God, God keeping His promises. In the second apartment God promises to,... cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. Leviticus 16:30. This is the judgment. It is the final atonement. It is the first angel s message of Revelation chapter fourteen where it says, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come. Revelation 14:7. The three angels first sound one after the other, and then all three continue to sound to the end. They are inseparable. Ellen White tells us, The message the Lord has for His people is the proclamation of the angels flying in the midst of heaven. [Revelation 14:6-12 quoted.] These messages are connected and bound together. One cannot be carried without the other. Manuscript Releases, Vol. One, p. 56. The third angel s message warns us not to accept the mark of the beast. We know this to be the deciding point in the judgment which takes place in the most holy place. Ellen White summarizes this third angel s message when referring to the controversy over the doctrine of justification by faith in the 1888 General Conference session. She says, Several have written to me, inquiring if the message of justification by faith is the third angel's message, and I have answered, It is the third angel's message, in verity. -- The Review and Herald, April 1, 1890. The Very Good News Here it is, fellow Christian. The judgement hour message declares that we can be just before God by faith. It is the same as the first apartment message. God is not making it any harder to be accepted in the most holy than in the holy. It is all by grace through faith. We can have 19
all our sins forgiven because we have faith in the life and death of Jesus. We can have the Holy Spirit to change our lives and cleanse us from all our sins because we put our faith in the life and death of Jesus and His substituting Himself for us. This is good news. Let us ask the question that isn t being asked. What is the difference between the first and second apartments the holy place and the most holy place? Well, it is not the means in which we receive the blessing that is different. We receive the blessings of both apartments by faith in God s promises, Jesus life and death. The blessing is God keeping His promise. The promise of the first apartment is the forgiveness of our sins and the promise of the Holy Spirit to grow in grace. Both are received by faith in the blood of Christ. This is justification. But the promise of the most holy place is to... cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD The promise is perfection of character, the doing away of all sins both known and unknown. It is an atonement for those who have died not aware of all their sins. Nobody can go to heaven without all their sins removed from their lives. The final atonement is just such an act. It is a gift, received through faith. We cannot boast. We can only receive. We must cooperate with God and receive His gift. God is waiting to cleanse us of all our sins, both known and unknown. He wants to bring us to perfection so he can then take us to heaven to live there with Him without any sin. God s people today need to be converted and on the right road, daily advancing toward the perfect state God desires us to reach. We must be in Christ, reaching for the perfect goal ahead which is the image of God restored. We must see the blessing He has for us in the most holy place. When all this happens, the holy places (ta hagia) will be restored. 20