Heavenly Reality

What was done in type in the ministration of the earthly sanctuary, is done in reality in the heavenly sanctuary. After His ascension our Saviour began His work as our high priest: “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.HF 259.1

The ministration of the priest in the first apartment, “within the veil” which separated the holy place from the outer court, represents the work on which Christ entered at His ascension. The priest in the daily ministration presented 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, with the fragrance of His own righteousness, the prayers of penitent believers. Such was the ministry in the first apartment of the sanctuary in heaven.HF 259.2

Thither the faith of Christ’s disciples followed Him as He ascended. Here their hopes centered, “which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever.” “By his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” Hebrews 6:19, 20; 9:12.HF 259.3

For eighteen centuries this work continued in the first apartment of the sanctuary. The blood of Christ secured pardon and acceptance with the Father in behalf of penitent believers, 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 men is completed there is a work of atonement for the removal of sin from the sanctuary. This began when the 2300 days ended. At that time our High Priest entered the most holy to cleanse the sanctuary.HF 260.1