Hebrews 9:23
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. 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.
The earthly tabernacle with its two apartments, furnishings and priestly service was built by Moses as a copy, shadow and miniature figure of the true sanctuary in heaven where Christ ministers as High Priest. As the patterns were purified with the blood of animal sacrifices, so the heavenly things themselves must be cleansed, not from physical defilement but from recorded sin, with a better sacrifice, the precious blood of Christ shed for remission. That cleansing is the blotting out of sins by a special atonement through Christ's own blood, in which judgment investigates who by repentance and faith will receive the benefits of His atonement. At the close of the 2300 days in 1844, on the antitypical Day of Atonement, Jesus ended His ministry in the first apartment and entered the heavenly Most Holy Place to cleanse the sanctuary and finish the closing work of atonement. It is a solemn time calling for the purification of the soul-temple on earth in harmony with His work above, through repentance, heart-searching, putting away sin, and reflecting His character.
Earthly Pattern, Heavenly Sanctuary
The earthly sanctuary with its holy places and furnishings was made by Moses according to the pattern God showed him. That first tabernacle served as a figure, shadow, copy and miniature representation of heavenly things. The heavenly sanctuary is the original and true sanctuary, of which the earthly was only the pattern.
The earthly sanctuary was built by human hands and served by earthly priests. The true sanctuary is in heaven, where Christ ministers as great High Priest at God's right hand. There He appears before God for humanity and serves on behalf of sinners and His people.
Its two apartments, lamps, incense altar, ark and other features represented corresponding features of the heavenly temple. The splendor and beauty of the earthly gave only a faint reflection of the far greater glory of that temple. It is a real sanctuary in heaven, also witnessed in the visions of John, where Christ carries forward the work of redemption. Scripture can use the image of God's temple for different things, so the sanctuary must be distinguished from the earth itself and from the church by its context.
The sacrifices and offerings of the Mosaic ritual pointed to a better, heavenly service with Christ as High Priest and minister of the true sanctuary. The yearly service directed minds to the final purification of the universe from sin and sinners. God's purposes on earth are worked out according to the pattern of things in heaven. As the earthly priest offered incense before the unseen mercy-seat, so God's people by faith direct their prayers to the unseen Christ and confidently seek the benefits of His mediation before the mercy-seat where He ministers.
Cleansing by Better Sacrifice
Both the pattern and the reality must be cleansed, for the earthly sanctuary was purified with the blood of animal sacrifices while the heavenly things themselves are purified with a better sacrifice, the precious blood of Christ. That heavenly cleansing is not the removal of physical impurity but the cleansing from sin, since in both the symbolic earthly service and the real heavenly service cleansing is by blood because remission means the putting away of sin and remission requires the shedding of blood. The earthly sanctuary with its two holy places, furnishings and priestly service was a copy, example, shadow and figure of heavenly realities, providing the pattern for understanding the work in the true sanctuary where Christ serves as great High Priest on behalf of humanity.
At His death type met antitype, for He observed the law binding upon the Jews to the hour of His death upon the cross, proving without foundation the charge that He did not regard the law of Moses. Then by giving His own life He made the one great offering foreshadowed by all former offerings of the blood of beasts, and that death made the offering of the blood of beasts valueless and terminated the value of all the sacrificial offerings of the Jewish law.
The cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary removes and blots out the sins recorded there through a special atonement for the people by virtue of Christ's own blood, corresponding to the yearly atonement in the earthly sanctuary. That work involves an investigative judgment to determine who through repentance and faith in Christ receives the benefits of His atonement. The sanctuary to be cleansed at the end of the 2300 days is in heaven, not the earth, and Christ entered it on the antitypical Day of Atonement to cleanse it from the people's sins and perform this closing work before His return.
After rising and ascending Christ first ministered in the holy place, presenting His people's prayers, repentance and faith to God purified by His merits, the types becoming clear in the light of Christ the Sun of Righteousness. After eighteen centuries He ended ministry in the first apartment, passed through the second veil into the Most Holy Place when the 2300 days ended in 1844 to make atonement for sin and cleanse the sanctuary. His work as High Priest thus completes the plan of redemption through a final atonement accomplished once for all, which does not mean He would leave the Most Holy Place that day.
1844 Fulfilment and Response
The sanctuary to be cleansed at the close of the prophetic periods is the heavenly sanctuary, not the earth and not the purification of the earth by fire before the saints dwell there. The failure in 1844 lay in expecting that the earth was the sanctuary and in misunderstanding the sanctuary and the nature of its cleansing, not in the calculation of the prophetic periods. That cleansing is Christ's closing work as High Priest in heaven, the finishing of the atonement and the preparation of the people to abide the day of His coming.
At the close of the 2300 days in 1844, on the antitypical Day of Atonement corresponding to the opening of the earthly holy of holies for cleansing on the typical Day of Atonement, Jesus rose from the holy place, shut its door, and entered the heavenly Most Holy Place to cleanse the sanctuary and perform the closing work of atonement. After eighteen centuries of ministry in the first apartment following His ascension, He entered the second apartment to make a special atonement for the cleansing of the sanctuary and the blotting out of His people's sins, and the investigative judgment began. As the earthly patterns were purified with animal sacrificial blood, so the heavenly things are cleansed from sin with a better sacrifice, Christ's own precious blood, not by removal of physical impurity. That cleansing removes and blots out the sins recorded there and involves an investigative judgment to determine who through repentance and faith in Christ receives the benefits of His atonement, a final work before His return accomplished once for all, which does not mean that Christ would leave the Most Holy Place that day.
Jesus entered the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary, for the earthly sanctuary was not the true sanctuary, to cleanse it and to make a special atonement for Israel and for His people. There He was also to receive the kingdom from His Father before returning to take them to live with Him forever. After completing His work there He will descend in kingly power and take to Himself those who have patiently waited for His return. The disappointment of those who expected Him in 1844 is compared with the disciples' disappointment when they found His tomb empty.
This cleansing is Christ's closing work as High Priest, the finishing of the atonement and the preparation of the people to abide the day of His coming. It belongs to the antitypical day of atonement, a solemn time with eternal consequences that calls the church to begin its work of purification before God through repentance, humility, and deep heart-searching. The soul must be purified on earth in harmony with Christ's cleansing work in the sanctuary above, where He officiates and where the work of instruction continues. While He and the angels work in human hearts, the church in heaven and the church on earth share in the struggle of faith.
By faith Christians enter the sanctuary and enter into sympathy with Christ's cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary from the sins of the people, keeping His work there in their thoughts and conversation. Their corresponding work is to cleanse the sanctuary of the soul of all that offends God, putting away envy, jealousy, hatred, selfish pride, and other evils that grieve the Holy Spirit. Their lives are to reflect Christ's character and serve as a visible example. Belief that there is a sanctuary in heaven with its ministry, whose pattern was once built on this earth, must not be lessened by words from human lips, but God's people must keep the subject in mind, become familiar with the earthly pattern, keep ever before their minds the heavenly sanctuary where God is all and in all, and brace their minds by prayer and study of God's Word and by holding unity that leads no one to doubt these truths.