Many find the definition of the word “sanctuary” confusing, despite it being a recurring theme throughout the Bible narrative. We researched the most common definition of sanctuary in the Bible and also other interpretations of the term. This article will summarize all of this into 7 categories.
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Theological definitions of ‘sanctuary’
1. Sanctuary as the temple & tabernacle of the Lord
“Let them construct a Sanctuary for me so that I can live among them.” – Exodus 25:8 MSG
The most common interpretation of the word sanctuary in the Bible is the earthly sanctuary of God. It is the dwelling place of God’s presence. According to Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, the word sanctuary in the Old Testament describes a physical space.
It was where the Israelites made offerings before God. The priests, also known as Levites, played a key role in taking care of and preparing this space. We read a lot about the sanctuary (temple) and Tabernacle in books like Exodus and Leviticus. In those days, the sanctuary was the primary way to connect with God.
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In this sense, sanctuary is defined as: “A sacred place; particularly among the Israelites, the most retired part of the temple at Jerusalem, called the Holy of Holies, in which was kept the ark of the covenant, and into which no person was permitted to enter except the high priest, and that only once a year to intercede for the people. The same name was given to the most sacred part of the tabernacle.” – KJV Dictionary Definition
The temple played a major part in God’s story with His people.
An interesting storyline to follow is how the temple was constructed, built up, and destroyed by enemies. Each part of the temple’s state of being plays into famous Bible stories, for example:
Solomon (David’s son) was responsible for building the first temple.
Jeremiah and other prophets foretold that the temple would be destroyed and rebuilt.
The Israelites were taken into captivity by Babylon and the First Temple was destroyed.
Seventy years later, the Second Temple was built. We can read about that in the books of Ezra & Nehemiah.
Once you see the significance of the sanctuary in the Bible’s storyline, you understand that it was always important for God’s people to host a sacred place where God’s presence could reside. This makes the Gospel message of Jesus Christ becoming man and living among them so much more meaningful, because Jesus becomes the Temple – as we will see in the following interpretation of the sanctuary.
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“Keep my Sabbaths and revere my Sanctuary: I am God.” – Leviticus 19:30 MSG
Nowadays, the term sanctuary is used to refer to a church. Churches will call their buildings or the part of a church where the services are held, the sanctuary. Modern churches are different from the Old Testament temples, but they are the closest thing we have to that. Even though Christians are no longer under the old covenant, they still study the Old Testament for its rich history and the insight it offers into the grander narrative of God.
In some cases, like the verse above, you might interpret the Scripture and apply it to your local church. It is not uncommon for modern churches to apply Biblical verses referring to the sanctuary (as in the Temples) to themselves. However, there are big differences between the Temples and the modern Christian church.
There are theological implications that play into our understanding of a sanctuary.
The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom at the moment when Christ breathed his last breath (Matthew 27:50). There was nothing standing between God and His people anymore. The book of Hebrews (chapters 8 and 9) offers us the most insight into how the word sanctuary is often used today.
“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” – Hebrews 10:19 NIV. In this verse, we can see how Jesus made a way to grant people direct access to God.
Whether sanctuary is defined as a temple or a church, it is dependent not on the building but on the presence of God…
“I’ve provided you a temporary sanctuary in the countries where you’ve gone.” – Ezekiel 11:16 MSG
Although beautiful and big temples were constructed for God’s glory, it is evident in the Old Testament that no sanctuary or sacred space can limit God’s Spirit and that He moves throughout the whole Earth. When the local temple is destroyed, God still meets His people in various places. There are also examples of when the word is used to describe God as a place of refuge. The idea in these Scriptures is that God Himself becomes the space where people could draw close to Him; or in fact, He drew close to humanity.
The Gospel also highlights this characteristic of worship of God. Since Biblical times, the true place of worship, the true tabernacle, has not depended on the making of an altar of earth. The house of the Lord, the sanctuary, is where His Spirit dwells.
Theologians have called our modern (Western) reading of the Bible humancentric. For the purposes of this discussion, that means that we read the Bible and view God from a very limited perspective where we see ourselves as super important.
An alternative view is shared in Creation Care and Environmental Theology. It is clear from the first page of the Bible that God’s Spirit hovered over the Earth (Genesis 1:2). All of the Earth worships the Lord (e.g. Psalm 148; Isaiah 55). In short, God’s praise and glory are not dependent on human beings. If the people should stop, the rocks would cry out His praises (Luke 19:40).
However, God’s Spirit does uniquely dwell in His people, which brings us to the next definition of the word sanctuary in the Bible.
4. Sanctuary as the people of God
“You realize, don’t you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? No one will get by with vandalizing God’s temple, you can be sure of that. God’s temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple.” – 1 Corinthians 3:16 MSG
New Testament scholar M Hooker reflects on Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth in an article entitled ‘The Sanctuary of his Body’. Paul describes a person’s body as the sanctuary. It is the place where the Spirit of God is found. Paul’s linking of the ideas of body and sanctuary was profound. God’s holy people became the true sanctuary after the Good News of the life of Jesus Christ on Earth. God’s promise of dwelling or abiding in His people through His Holy Spirit means that human beings become sanctuaries.
A different kind of altar and offering flows from this interpretation.
Christians will link to ‘sanctuary language’ when they say things like “My life is an offering to God” or “I lay my life down on the altar”. In modern Christianity, following the belief that God’s Holy Spirit abides within believers, the sanctuary becomes a metaphor. When a Lectio Divina style of Bible study is practiced this definition of sanctuary is present too. In Lectio Divina readers engage with the Word through meditation.
For example, let’s look at how someone might read the account in Matthew 21:12-13 where Jesus throws out the merchants in the temple. “Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”
After reading this passage (lectio), the person might reflect (meditatio). It is the following step (ratio), that has someone pause and engage with the question: What does this mean for me today? Is there something I can obey from the text? They might interpret this text figuratively: Is my body a house of prayer? What are some things that I am allowing into my life that make it a den of robbers? Is my life a clean temple for God’s Spirit to dwell in?
There is also an aspect of this interpretation that is closely linked to the next. Seeing oneself as the sanctuary because of the Spirit’s indwelling links to a new kind of sanctuary…
5. Sanctuary as heaven (the Kingdom of God)
“We heard him say, ‘I am going to tear down this Temple, built by hard labor, and in three days build another without lifting a hand.’”- Mark 14:59 MSG
Here, the focus is on the other sanctuary that would supposedly be built by Christ. In the Journal For The Study Of The New Testament, M Botner describes how things changed when Christ was resurrected. The passage above is shouted from the crowds and labeled as a false testimony by the author of the Gospel of Mark. But Botner engages theology to argue that this might not be a false testimony indeed, but rather just one that people did not understand.
Like the previous two definitions of the term sanctuary (God’s presence / the people of God), the way that sanctuary is interpreted here transcends the view that it is a physical building or place. If Jesus said that He would tear down the Temple, the Jewish community would definitely not have liked that! The religious leaders of the age would have been triggered and upset to hear Him say that if He did in fact say it. As we saw in the first interpretation of the use of the term sanctuary in the Bible, the Temple played a big role in God’s story with His people.
If the statement is true, then Jesus was saying something of great importance.
His act of love in going to the cross for the sin of humankind tears down the Temple. It is no longer necessary for people to offer sacrifices to God because Christ became the ultimate sacrifice. There is no longer a division between God and people. Through Christ, people will have full access to God, as we saw in the Hebrews passage earlier.
But this goes even further in the second part of this passage from Mark where Jesus supposedly spoke of rebuilding another Temple. After the three days were over, He offered His followers access to a new kind of sanctuary, the heavenly sanctuary.
For the final two definitions of the term sanctuary, we will return to the perspective that a sanctuary describes a physical place…
6. Sanctuary as the promised land
“You brought them and planted them on the mountain of your heritage, The place where you live, the place you made, Your sanctuary, Master, that you established with your own hands.” Exodus 15:17 MSG
The Old Testament story tells us that God promised to bring His people into a promised land after they were in captivity. The Promised Land is also a sanctuary. Some have interpreted Moses leading the people into the Promised Land as a foreshadowing of how Jesus will lead the people into the Kingdom of Heaven. The Promised Land parallels the promised, awaited, now-but-not-yet Kingdom of Heaven.
This brings us to the final definition of the term sanctuary in the Bible where it also refers to a physical land…
7. Sanctuary as a place of asylum or refuge
“Designate three of the towns to the east side of the Jordan, the other three in Canaan proper—asylum-cities for the People of Israel, for the foreigner, and for any occasional visitors or guests—six asylum-cities to run to for anyone who accidentally kills another.” – Numbers 35:15 MSG
In the book Church As Field Hospital, Erin Brigham describes cities of refuge. Such cities were set aside in ancient Israel to protect innocent Israelites, but also strangers. The act of holding space for those who needed refuge is seen in this sanctuary practice. It led to what is known today as “sanctuary churches”.
It is the phenomenon where churches will open their doors to displaced people. The church becomes a space of sanctuary or refuge for them. This definition of the term sanctuary in the Bible is a beautiful example of how believers, the church, take on the characteristics of God. They carry the Kingdom of Heaven, the sanctuary, into Earth today.
Concluding remarks
There is not necessarily a right or wrong time to apply a certain definition of sanctuary to a Bible verse you are reading. Sanctuary can describe the temple, the church, God’s presence, believers, the Kingdom, the promised land, and a place of refuge.
“Heaven’s my throne, earth is my footstool. What sort of house could you build for me? What holiday spot reserve for me? I made all this! I own all this! But there is something I’m looking for: a person simple and plain, reverently responsive to what I say.” – Isaiah 66:1-2 MSG
Eljoh Hartzer is combining theology and art to nurture faith journeys across generations. She is a Masters-level Practical Theologian with the University of Stellenbosch. She is also a writer and editor in the niche of Christianity and children's content and she illustrates children's books. Eljoh resides in the Swartland area in the Western Cape province of South Africa.
You can follow Eljoh on LinkedIn or Instagram.
very inspiring and educative ,what an insightful breakdown and analysis ,thank you very much ,shalom.
Thanks for the encouraging words Henry!