LESSONS FOR BIBLE CLASSES.
By G. H. Bell
LESSON XXV.—THE CLEANSING OF THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY, CONTINUED.
1. Why does the heavenly sanctuary need to be cleansed? 2. What positive proof does the Bible furnish in regard to the necessity for the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary? Heb. 9:23. 3. How has this sanctuary become polluted? 4. What must be done when the sanctuary is cleansed? 5. Can the sins be blotted from the record before that record has served its purpose? 6. What purpose is it to serve? 7. What must be done before the cleansing of the sanctuary can be completed? 8. What names are entered in the book of life? 9. What will the examination of the books of record show? 10. Whose names will be blotted out of the book of life? 11. Whose will be retained? 15. What action will be taken in regard to the sins of the faithful? 16. How do you show that the work described in this lesson will decide the cases of all men? 17. What is this work sometimes called? 19. Who presides at this tribunal? 20. By whom is he attended? 21. What was done preparatory to beginning the work of examination? 22. Where does the investigative Judgment take place? 23. How do you show that the work of the investigative Judgment constitutes the cleansing of the sanctuary? 24. What does Christ do when the work of blotting out sins is completed? 25. How do you show that this act completes the cleansing of the sanctuary? 26. Why does it seem proper that Satan should finally bear the sins of God’s people? We have seen that the heavenly sanctuary is polluted by the sins of God’s people. They are borne by the High Priest of that sanctuary, and are also placed on record there. It is plain that when this sanctuary is cleansed, these sins will be removed. Christ will lay them off, and they will be blotted from the record; but this record cannot be blotted out until it has served its purpose. Out of the things written in this record the dead are to be judged. It is certain, then, that the cleansing of the sanctuary can never be accomplished until the books have been examined, and judgment has been passed upon all who have once entered the service of God; for not until then can their sins be blotted out. All who have ever entered the service of God have had their names entered in the book of life. The examination of the books of record will show what names are to be retained in the book of life, and what are to be blotted out. The names of all who have been unfaithful will be blotted out, while the names of those who, by their acts of repentance, confession, faith, and obedience, have made complete work of overcoming, will be retained. Rev. 3:5. Christ will confess their names before his Father and the holy angels, and present his blood as an atonement for their sins. Their sins will then be blotted out, and the heavenly record will be clean. When that work is completed, the cases of all men are virtually decided; for all those whose names have never been entered in the book of life will be lost, and those whose names are blotted out of it will share the same fate. This work is sometimes called the investigative Judgment. Dan. 7:9, 10 describes the opening scene of this tribunal. God the Father, here called the Ancient of Days, presides in awful majesty. He is attended by a countless host of heavenly beings; and the books are opened. This scene must have been in the second apartment of the heavenly sanctuary; for there is where the work of cleansing was chiefly performed, and this solemn work of the Judgment is the cleansing of that sanctuary. Here Christ presents his blood as an atonement for the sins of his faithful followers, and here their sins are blotted out. When this work is complete, Christ lays off the sins of his people upon the head of Satan, the antitypical scapegoat, and then the cleansing of the sanctuary is complete; for the sins that polluted it are no longer borne by Christ, and no longer found in the books of record. That Satan should finally bear these sins and suffer for them is entirely proper; for he is the author of sin, and the one who has tempted man to disobedience in all ages of the world.