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  The Heavenly sanctuary and its services in the book of Revelation : its reality and meaning

  (Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies, 1990-04) Stefanović, Ranko

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  The heavenly naos, together with the services performed there, is the key for a proper understanding of the message of the book of Revealation. In its twofold meaning, as the heavenly temple-sanctuary and the dwelling palce of God, the naos is the center of all divine activities concerning our planet. The heavenly naos is, in Revelation, seen in the context of the great controversy between Christ and his followers and Satan and his followers; thus, our planet is a battlefield and the naos is the "headquarters" where the plans, strategies, and all main decisions for the solving of the sin problem are made. It is also the place from which the final judgement will be brought out. As a temporary structure it will become obsolete when the sin problem is forever solved. That a real temple structure, the pattern for the earthly sanctuary, truly exists in heaven is explicitly seen from the Old Testament and the Epistles tot he Hebrews. Ancient Jewish tradition also confirms this. The heavenly temple has the same elements as the earthly one: two apartments, each with its articles of furniture. The two apartments relate to the two divisions of the book: historical (chapters 1-11) and eschatological (11-22). Christ, who is the central figure of all John's visions, is, in the heavenly temple, portrayed in his twofold role: the slain Lamb and the High Priest. The figure of the slain Lamb, is a key for the proper understanding of Christ's priestly ministry. Two phases of his ministry are related to the holy and most holy places. In the first, his work is closely associated with the articles of furniture found there. All the attention of the historical division is concentrated on the breaking of the seals of the book of destiny and the sounding of the trumpet warnings, which are preparatory steps announcing the approaching of the judgement (the Day of Atonement of the Old Testament earthly type). Jewish traditional thought shed more light on the significance of all these events and Christ's ministry performed there. The second phase of Christ's ministry, introduced by the "measuring" of the temple and worshippers, begins with the opening of the most holy place (11:19). At this time decisions regarding all men will be brouht out. After this work is finished, Christ ceases his priestly ministry and carries out the ministry of his wrath upon evildoers and eternal salvation and glorification upon his redeemed saints. The study of Revealation in a Christ-centered manner through the sanctuary must keep in mind that Old Testament thought and Jewish tradition are largely employed in the book. Such approach of study is indispensable for the understanding and interpretation of all the symbolism and so-called "puzzles," the solving of which will make the "Apocalypse" to be truly "the Revealation of Jesus Christ."

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  God's holiness in Leviticus and Isaiah : a biblical response to Hinduism

  (Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies, 1990-05) Fanwar, Wann Marbud

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  In recent "dialogue" has served as a watchword in the encounter between Hinduism and Christianity. To bring such dialogue several approaches have been developed. Yet the scope of this faith encounter leaves room for additional approaches to be explored. This thesis suggests that one such alternative is the Biblical-Motif approach beginning the dailogue froma a particular theme of Scripture. The motif featured in this study is the holiness of God. In the Old Testament the concept of holiness is expressed by the root word ErliT whose primary meaning is that of separation. God is holy because he is totally separate from the world in nature and character. Whatever is considered holy outside of God is so because it has been separated from the realm of the world and incorporated into God's sphere. This motif of God's holiness is viewed from a specific perspective, the books of Leviticus and Isaiah. It is shown that these two books display a strong affinity regarding the concept of God's holiness. Both reveal that the holiness of God is an overrding concern of the authors. They display this concern in a manner that complements each other. The holiness of God, as presented by Leviticus and Isaiah, comprises three components: (1) holiness implicit in objects, sites, times, and persons; (2) holiness explicitly stated by the use of a holiness self-predication formula, direct divine statements, or an epithet; and (3) holiness which has implications for God's people and call upon them to be a holy people whose entire lifestyle is holy. A similar awareness and stress of the holiness of God is also evident in Hindusim. This can be seen both in Hindu thought as well as religious practices. God or Brahman is seen as the Holy One par excellence and it is believed that his holiness is manifested in things, places, and the Scriptures. The concept of holiness also undergirds the understanding of varna and ashrama. This sense of the holy is clearly displayed in Hindu dharma in the form of worship, cleansings, pilgrimages, sacraments, and the sannyasa idea. The quest for holiness is seen as a quest for moksha. The goal of life is to realise God and be free of embodiment. Becoming one with the divine is equivalent to attaining the holy. The two quests are one and the same. All of Hinduism is geared to fulfilling this quest. When the biblical and Hindu teachings are compared, fundamental differences appear, also common grounds for dialogue emerge. These common grounds are: (1) that God's holiness is all-pervasive, (2) that holiness originates in the divine, (3) that holiness is attainable, (4) that holiness is closely linked to salvation, and (5) that holiness must be personally experienced. The emphasis on God's holiness in the Bible finds a close parallel in Hinduism. This provides a bridge and a biblical response to Hinduism. Certain implications arise that will enhance the Church's ability to communicate the gospel. The ideas of cleanness and purity, personal holiness, corporate holiness, and lifestyle holiness provide points of contact between the biblical motif of holiness and its counterpart in Hinduism.

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