THE SANCTUARY, ITS SERVICE, ETC.
The Cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary.
(Lesson 7.—Sabbath, February 20.) 1. WHAT were the closing acts of the earthly priest in the yearly round of service? 2. Of what did this cleansing consist? 3. What were the people required to do on the day of atonement? 4. Was an offering made on that day besides the atonement offering? Num. 29:7-11. 5. Will the "true tabernacle," or heavenly sanctuary, be cleansed? "It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the Heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these." Heb. 9 : 23. 6. From what was the earthly sanctuary cleansed? "For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord." "And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests and for all the people of the congregation." Lev. 16:30, 33. 7. How did the earthly sanctuary stand related to the heavenly? "Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience." Heb. 9:9. 8. Then from what will the heavenly sanctuary be cleansed? "For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world; but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Verse 26. 10. How do our sins get into the heavenly sanctuary? Christ, our great sin-offering, takes them upon himself, and bears them into the sanctuary. 11. Are sins recorded in Heaven? "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." Rev. 20:12. 12. How did ancient Israel receive forgiveness of their sins? Num. 15:24-26. 13. How do we receive forgiveness of our sins? "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." Col. 1:14. 14. Anciently, when sins were forgiven, were they removed from the sanctuary? "And this shall be a statute forever unto you, that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you; for on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord." "And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins once a year. And he did as the Lord commanded Moses." Lev. 16:29, 30, 34. 16. What was this removing of sins?—Cleansing the sanctuary. See Lev. 16:30, 33. 17. How does our Saviour show that our sins are not blotted out when they are forgiven? Matt. 18:23-35. 18. Since the heavenly sanctuary is to be cleansed from sin, what must be done with the sins recorded there? "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." Acts 3:19. 19. The removal of sins from the earthly sanctuary by the high priest corresponded to what act of our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary? 20. To what, then, is the blotting out of sins equivalent? "It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the Heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these." Heb. 9:23. 21. When does the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary begin? "And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Dan. 8:14.