Revisiting the Sanctuary

“Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15, NKJV).

In the 1830s, Advent fever led many Christians to believe that Jesus would come on October 22, 1844. When He failed to return, they were forced to reevaluate their understanding of Daniel 8:14, “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” Upon closer examination, they discovered that Daniel’s prophecy was not about Christ’s return to earth; it concerned His ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. This new understanding became the centerpiece of Seventh-day Adventist theology.

Critics have long claimed that this insight was simply a clever, face-saving move by disappointed Adventists. And it may have seemed so, were it not for its biblical support.

In Revisiting the Sanctuary, Dr. Roy Adams responds to objections to the Adventist understanding of the sanctuary raised by the late Dr. Raymond F. Cottrell (1911–2003). He grapples with the fundamental question facing every Adventist: Is the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, initiated in 1844, a biblical teaching or a baseless fabrication? In answering this question, Adams carefully counters Cottrell’s criticisms and goes on to highlight the prophecy’s grand themes of justice, mercy, and the assurance of salvation.

This study is sure to boost your faith and draw you closer to Jesus.