“Sanctuary” comes from the Latin word sanctuarium – from sanctus, meaning “holy”. Thus, “sanctuary” is a “holy place”.
The Song of Moses, found in Exodus 15:17, says, in part: “You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance, The place, O Lord, which you have made for your dwelling, The sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.” “Sanctuary” came to refer to the Holy of Holies in Exodus 25, the place where God would dwell among the Israelites.
Then “sanctuary” came to be applied to the dwelling of God, heaven, in Psalms 63:2 – “So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.”
It may even be applied to God Himself. He does so through the prophet Ezekiel, 11:16: “’Thus says the Lord GOD: Though I removed them far off among the nations, and though I scattered them among the countries, yet I have been a sanctuary to them for a while in the countries where they have gone.’”
Also in the prophets, it is applied to Jesus himself – “It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, and He shall be your dread. Then He shall become a sanctuary; But to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over, And a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem” (Isaiah 8:13-14). This Isaiah passage is quoted by the apostle Paul (Romans 9:33) and the apostle Peter (1 Peter 2:8) in application to Jesus Christ.
In the book of Revelation, John applies the words “sanctuary of the tent of witness” to heaven itself – 15:5.
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Applying “sanctuary” to this place – an auditorium – comes through the Roman Catholic church which teaches that a special presence of Christ is found in the Eucharist, or Lord’s Supper, which is offered on the altar. The “communion table” is no altar – we offer no sacrifices on it. The auditorium is no sanctuary; we find holiness and shelter and protection in Jesus Christ.
On the other hand, “auditorium” may be no better a description of the assembly hall, since it comes from the Latin which means a place to hear or listen. But worship is more than that. Worship is not passive. It is active. It is “searching the Scriptures to see if those things are so” – Acts 17:11. It is speaking (Colossians 3:16) and communing (1 Corinthians 10:16), and praying (1 Corinthians 14:15).
Considering the “auditorium” a special place leads one to believe and behave as if one can do something outside the building as opposed to inside. When I was growing up and knowing that I was a preacher’s son, some people would stop from saying something, telling me, “I would say… if you weren’t here.” I usually respond, “But God hears you anywhere and everywhere.” Now, people may say something like, “If I weren’t in this building…”
The auditorium or church building is special only when Christians assemble to worship God. But then it’s the holiness of the act and the holiness of the actors that make it special. Not the holiness of the place itself. To summarize, the auditorium is not a sanctuary. Jesus is the sanctuary.
–Paul Holland
