24. Christ’s Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary
There is a sanctuary in heaven, the true tabernacle that the Lord set up
and not humans. In it Christ ministers on our behalf, making available to
believers the benefits of His atoning sacrifice offered once for all on the
cross. At His ascension, He was inaugurated as our great High Priest and,
began His intercessory ministry, which was typified by the work of the
high priest in the holy place of the earthly sanctuary. In 1844, at the end of
the prophetic period of 2300 days, He entered the second and last phase of
His atoning ministry, which was typified by the work of the high priest in
the most holy place of the earthly sanctuary. It is a work of investigative
judgment which is part of the ultimate disposition of all sin, typified by the
cleansing of the ancient Hebrew sanctuary on the Day of Atonement. In
that typical service the sanctuary was cleansed with the blood of animal
sacrifices, but the heavenly things are purified with the perfect sacrifice of
the blood of Jesus. The investigative judgment reveals to heavenly
intelligences who among the dead are asleep in Christ and therefore, in
Him, are deemed worthy to have part in the first resurrection. It also makes
manifest who among the living are abiding in Christ, keeping the
commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and in Him, therefore, are
ready for translation into His everlasting kingdom. This judgment
vindicates the justice of God in saving those who believe in Jesus. It
declares that those who have remained loyal to God shall receive the
kingdom. The completion of this ministry of Christ will mark the close of
human probation before the Second Advent. (Lev 16; Num 14:34; Ezek
4:6; Dan 7:9-27; 8:13, 14; 9:24-27; Heb 1:3; 2:16, 17; 4:14-16; 8:1-5;
9:11-28; 10:19-22; Rev 8:3-5; 11:19; 14:6, 7, 12; 20:12; 22:11, 12.)