A sanctuary is a holy place where God meets with people. This word translates two Hebrew words, kodesh and mikdash. Both of these words come from the verb meaning "to be clean" or "to be holy." The term appears about 60 times in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers when describing the building, moving, and first use of the tabernacle. In Deuteronomy, places of revelation, sacrifice, and worship are mentioned but not called “sanctuary.” The term appears over 60 times in Ezekiel, Daniel, and other writings from after the exile in Babylon. This is because the sanctuary was very important in the life of Israel during and after their exile.
A sanctuary refers to the place where God appeared or lived as shown by the presence of the ark of the covenant. The ark of the covenant was a sacred chest or box that played a central role in ancient Israelite worship. It was the most holy object. It was a wooden chest covered with gold that contained the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments, a pot of manna, and Aaron's rod. The ark had a special cover called the "mercy seat" where God's presence was believed to rest. At the sanctuary, God's people gathered to offer sacrifices and hear the reading and teaching of God's laws and commandments. They also gathered there for worship and prayer, and to celebrate major religious feasts.
The early fathers of Israel (the patriarchs) had places of worship but no actual sanctuary (Genesis 26:24–25; 28:16–22). The first mention of sanctuary describes it as a symbol of God living among his people and ruling over them from within it (Exodus 15:17). The tabernacle, which was moved from place to place, served as the central sanctuary until Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem. It is very important to understand that God's people were to have only one central sanctuary (Deuteronomy 12:4–7; 16:5–8).
The New Testament refers to the Old Testament sanctuary as pointing ahead to God’s eternal dwelling with and among his people (Hebrews 8:5–6; 9:1–14).