“And the counsel of peace will be between them both.” The love of
the Father, no less than of the Son, is the fountain of salvation for the lost
race. Said Jesus to his disciples, before he went away, “I say not to you, that
I will pray the Father for you; for the Father himself loves you.” [John 16:26, 27.] God was “in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.” [2 Corinthians 5:19.] And in the ministration in the sanctuary above, “the counsel of
peace shall be between them both.” “God so loved the world
that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believe in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life.” [John 3:16.] {GC88 416.4}
The question, what is the sanctuary? Is clearly answered in the
Scriptures. The term sanctuary, as used in the Bible, refers, first, to the
tabernacle built by Moses, as a pattern of heavenly things; and, secondly, to
the “true tabernacle” in Heaven, to which the earthly sanctuary pointed. At the
death of Christ the typical service ended. The “true tabernacle” in Heaven is
the sanctuary of the new covenant. And as the prophecy of Daniel 8:14 is fulfilled in this dispensation, the sanctuary to which it
refers must be the sanctuary of the new covenant. At the termination of the
2300 days, in 1844, there had been no sanctuary on earth for many centuries.
Thus the prophecy, “Unto two thousand three hundred days; then shall the
sanctuary be cleansed,” unquestionably points to the sanctuary in Heaven. {GC88 417.1}
But the most important question remains to be answered: What is
the cleansing of the sanctuary? That there was such a service in connection
with the earthly sanctuary is stated in the Old-Testament Scriptures. But can
there be anything in Heaven to be cleansed? In Hebrews 9 the cleansing of both the earthly and the heavenly sanctuary
is plainly taught. “Almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and
without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the
patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these [the blood of
animals]; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than
these,” [Hebrews 9:22, 23.] even the precious blood of Christ. {GC88 417.2}
The cleansing, both in the typical and in the real
service, must be accomplished with blood; in the former, with the blood of
animals; in the latter, with the blood of Christ. Paul states, as the reason
why this cleansing must be performed with blood that without shedding of blood
is no remission. Remission, or putting away of sin, is the work to
be accomplished. But how could there be sin connected with the sanctuary,
either in Heaven or upon the earth? This may be learned by reference to the
symbolic service; for the priests who officiated on earth, served “unto the
example and shadow of heavenly things.” [Hebrews 8:5.] {GC88 417.3}
The ministration of the earthly sanctuary consisted of two
divisions; the priests ministered daily in the holy place, while once a year
the high priest performed a special work of atonement in the most holy, for the
cleansing of the sanctuary. Day by day the repentant sinner brought his
offering to the door of the tabernacle, and placing his hand upon the victim’s
head, confessed his sins, thus in figure transferring them from himself to the
innocent sacrifice. The animal was then slain. “Without shedding of blood,”
says the apostle, there is no remission of sin. “The life of the flesh is in
the blood.” [Leviticus 17:11.] The broken law of God demanded the life of the
transgressor. The blood, representing the forfeited life of the sinner, whose
guilt the victim bore, was carried by the priest into the holy place and
sprinkled before the veil, behind which was the ark containing the law that the
sinner had transgressed. By this ceremony the sin was, through the blood,
transferred in figure to the sanctuary. In some cases the blood was not taken
into the holy place; but the flesh was then to be eaten by the priest, as Moses
directed the sons of Aaron, saying, “God hath given it you to bear the iniquity
of the congregation.” [Leviticus 10:17.] Both ceremonies alike symbolized the transfer
of the sin from the penitent to the sanctuary. {GC88 418.1}
Such was the work that went on, day by day, throughout the year.
The sins of Israel were thus transferred to the sanctuary, and a special
work became necessary for their removal. God commanded that atonement be made
for each of the sacred apartments. “He shall make atonement for the holy place,
because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their
transgressions in all their sins; and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the
congregation, that remained among them in the midst of their uncleanness.” [Leviticus 16:16, 19.] Atonement was also to be made for the altar,
to “cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.”
[Leviticus 16:16, 19.] {GC88 418.2}
Once a year, on the great Day of Atonement, the priest entered the
most holy place for the cleansing of the sanctuary. The work there performed
completed the yearly round of ministration. On the Day of Atonement, two kids
of the goats were brought to the door of the tabernacle, and lots were cast upon
them, “one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scape-goat.” [Leviticus 16:8, 21, 22.] The goat upon which fell the lot for the Lord
was to be slain as a sin-offering for the people. And the priest was to bring
his blood within the veil, and sprinkle it upon the mercy-seat, and before the
mercy-seat. The blood was also to be sprinkled upon the altar of incense that
was before the veil. {GC88
419.1}
“And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live
goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and
all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the
goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness; and
the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited.” [Leviticus 16:8, 21, 22.] The scape-goat came no more into the camp of
Israel, and the man who led him away was required to wash himself and his
clothing with water before returning to the camp. {GC88 419.2}
The whole ceremony was designed to impress the Israelites with the
holiness of God and his abhorrence of sin; and, further, to show them that they
could not come in contact with sin without becoming polluted. Every man
was required to afflict his soul while this work of atonement was going
forward. All business was to be laid aside, and the whole congregation of
Israel was to spend the day in solemn humiliation before God, with prayer,
fasting, and deep searching of heart. {GC88 419.3}
Important truths concerning the atonement are taught by the
typical service. A substitute was accepted in the sinner’s stead; but the sin
was not canceled by the blood of the victim. A means was thus provided by which
it was transferred to the sanctuary. By the offering of blood, the sinner
acknowledged the authority of the law, confessed his guilt in transgression,
and expressed his desire for pardon through faith in a Redeemer to come; but he
was not yet entirely released from the condemnation of the law. On the Day of
Atonement the high priest, having taken an offering from the congregation, went
into the most holy place with the blood of this offering, and sprinkled it upon
the mercy-seat, directly over the law, to make satisfaction for its claims.
Then, in his character of mediator, he took the sins upon himself, and bore
them from the sanctuary. Placing his hands upon the head of the scape-goat, he
confessed over him all these sins, thus in figure transferring them from
himself to the goat. The goat then bore them away, and they were regarded as forever
separated from the people. {GC88 420.1}
Such was the service performed “unto the example and shadow of
heavenly things.” And what was done in type in the ministration of the earthly
sanctuary, is done in reality in the ministration of the heavenly sanctuary.
After his ascension, our Saviour began his work as our high priest. Says Paul,
“Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the
figures of the true; but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of
God for us.” [Hebrews 9:24.] {GC88 420.2}The
ministration of the priest throughout the year in the first apartment of the
sanctuary, “within the veil” which formed the door and separated the holy place
from the outer court, represents the work of ministration upon which Christ
entered at his ascension. It was the work of the priest in the daily
ministration to present before God the blood of the sin-offering, also the
incense which ascended with the prayers of Israel. So did Christ plead his
blood before the Father in behalf of sinners, and present before him also, with
the precious fragrance of his own righteousness, the prayers of penitent
believers. Such was the work of ministration in the first apartment of the
sanctuary in Heaven. {GC88
420.3}
Thither the faith of Christ’s disciples followed him as he
ascended from their sight. Here their hopes centered, “which hope we have,”
said Paul, “as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enter
into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even
Jesus, made a high priest forever.” “Neither by the blood of goats and calves,
but by his own blood had he entered in once into the holy place, having
obtained eternal redemption for us.” [Hebrews 6:19, 20; 9:12.] {GC88 421.1}For eighteen centuries this work of ministration
continued in the first apartment of the sanctuary. The blood of Christ, pleaded
in behalf of penitent believers, secured their pardon and acceptance with the
Father, yet their sins still remained upon the books of record. As in the
typical service there was a work of atonement at the close of the year, so
before Christ’s work for the redemption of men is completed, there is a work of
atonement for the removal of sin from the sanctuary. This is the service which
began when the 2300 days ended. At that time, as foretold by Daniel the
prophet, our High Priest entered the most holy, to perform the last division of
his solemn work,—to cleanse the sanctuary. {GC88 421.2}
As anciently the sins of the people were by faith placed upon the
sin-offering, and through its blood transferred, in figure, to the earthly
sanctuary, so in the new covenant the sins of the repentant are by faith placed
upon Christ, and transferred, in fact, to the heavenly sanctuary. And as
the typical cleansing of the earthly was accomplished by the removal of
the sins by which it had been polluted, so the actual cleansing of the heavenly
is to be accomplished by the removal, or blotting out, of the sins which are
there recorded. But, before this can be accomplished, there must be an
examination of the books of record to determine who, through repentance of sin,
and faith in Christ, are entitled to the benefits of his atonement. The
cleansing of the sanctuary therefore involves a work of investigation,—a work
of judgment. This work must be performed prior to the coming of Christ to
redeem his people; for when he comes, his reward is with him to give to every
man according to his works. [Revelation
22:12.] {GC88 421.3}
Thus those who followed in the light of the prophetic word saw,
that, instead of coming to the earth at the termination of the 2300 days in
1844, Christ then entered the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, to
perform the closing work of atonement, preparatory to his coming. {GC88 422.1}
It was seen, also, that while the sin-offering pointed to Christ
as a sacrifice, and the high priest represented Christ as a mediator, the
scape-goat typified Satan, the author of sin, upon whom the sins of the truly
penitent will finally be placed. When the high priest, by virtue of the blood
of the sin-offering, removed the sins from the sanctuary, he placed them upon
the scape-goat. When Christ, by virtue of his own blood, removes the sins of
his people from the heavenly sanctuary at the close of his ministration, he will
place them upon Satan, who, in the execution of the judgment, must bear the
final penalty. The scape-goat was sent away into a land not inhabited, never to
come again into the congregation of Israel. So will Satan be forever banished
from the presence of God and his people, and he will be blotted from existence
in the final destruction of sin and sinners. {GC88 422.2}
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