Cleansing Heaven's Sanctuary
🔵 Introduction
This is the 4th in a series of Bible studies focused on the "cleansing" of not only the Sanctuary, but also of the the saints. Here is what we've covered so far:
- The Day of Atonement - part 1, includes:
- Definition, purpose, and significance of "Atonement";
- Ceremonial cleansing of the High Priest, the people, and the Earthly Sanctuary.
- Introduction to the "ScapeGoat";
- Verse-by-verse study of Leviticus 16:2-19 .
- The Day of Atonement - part 2, focused on:
- Scapegoat - az-aw-zale' (Hebrew) in Leviticus 16:7,20-22;
- Connection between the Earthly and Heaven's Sanctuary, with support from Hebrews, chapters 8-10.
- The 2300 Day Prophesy, an extensive study of Daniel, chapter 8:
- Understanding The Core Text - a word study of Daniel 8:14;
- Context of the 2,300 Day Prophecy , including a verse-by-verse study of Daniel chapter 8;
- A comparison of two major views of the 2300 evenings and mornings prophesy and which is best-supported by context, language, and history.
Today's study focuses on what the Bible teaches about the cleansing of God's Sanctuary in Heaven, mostly from Hebrews chapters 8-10.
🔵 Review: Cleansing of Earth's Sanctuary, from a previous study
After Aaron, the High Priest made cleansing atonement for himself and his family, by sacrifice, he then continued to do the same for the people and the Sanctuary.
Leviticus 16:15-19 Then Aaron must kill the goat{for Jehovah(vs.8-9)} as a sin-offering for the people, and carry its blood behind the veil{the Most Holy Place}. There he will sprinkle the goat's blood over the mercy-seat and in front of it, just as he did with the bull’s blood. 16 And he will make atonement for the Holy Place, and so shall he do for the Tabernacle, that dwelleth with them in the midst of their defilement. 17 No one else is allowed inside the Tabernacle when Aaron goes in to make atonement in the Holy Place. No one may enter until he comes out again after making atonement for himself, his family, and all the congregation of Israel, making them right with Jehovah. 18 And he shall go out unto the altar that is before Jehovah, and make atonement for it, and shall take of the blood of the bull, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about. 19 Then he must sprinkle the blood with his finger seven times over the altar. In this way, he will cleanse it{the alter} from Israel’s defilement and make it holy.
In verses 15-19, we see Aaron making atonement for:
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- "the people", with the blood of the goat for Jehovah and sprinkled the blood on the mercy-seat.
- "the Holy Place".
- "the Tabernacle".
- "the altar", outside of the Tabernacle, where the sacrifices were previously made. Aaron put blood from the bull and the goat on the "horns of the altar" and then "over the altar". By this, he symbolically cleanses the altar from Israel's sins, which had previously been transferred from the people to the animals which were sacrificed on this alter previously.
The Day of Atonement is a divinely instituted holy day for the cleansing of sin through sacrifice, symbolizing Jehovah's mercy and love for this fallen planet , by sending His only-born Son to live as our example and be sacrificed to atone for our sins.
🔵 What we can Learn from the Bible About The Cleansing of Heaven's Sanctuary
💔 The Spotless Lamb of God
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Sacrificial System: In the Earthly Sanctuary, lambs were often used as sacrifices for sin. The requirement for these lambs to be "spotless" (without blemish) symbolized purity and perfection. This is seen in passages such as Exodus 12:5, which describes the Passover lamb, and Leviticus 22:20-21, which outlines the requirements for sacrificial animals.
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Jesus as the Lamb: In the Bible, Jesus is identified as the "Lamb of God." John the Baptist declares this in John 1:29, saying, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" This statement connects Jesus to the sacrificial lambs of the Earthly Sanctuary, indicating that He is the sacrifice for your sins and mine.
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Sinless Nature: The term "spotless" emphasizes Jesus' sinless nature. Hebrews 4:15 states that Jesus was "tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin." His purity made Him the perfect sacrifice(Hebrews 7:25), able to atone for the sins of those who except the teachings of Jesus(John 6:32-69;12:48-50), and confess their sins(1 John 1:9).
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Atonement and Redemption: Jesus' blood, like that of the Passover lamb's blood, provides protection and redemption from sin. This is articulated in passages like 1 Peter 1:18-19, which refers to Christ as a lamb without blemish or defect.
- The imagery of the Lamb continues in Revelation, where Jesus is depicted as the Lamb who is worthy to open the scroll (Revelation 5:12). This signifies His ultimate victory over sin and death, providing hope for believers.
1. Cleansing for the High Priest and Family
- In the context of the heavenly sanctuary, Jesus is often referred to as our High Priest. Hebrews 4:14-16 emphasizes His role as the High Priest who has passed through the heavens. Since He is also the spotless lamb of God, Jesus has no need to cleanse Himself, as Aaron did in Lev16. His sacrifice also cleanses those who come to God through Him(John 14:6).
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Hebrews 4:14-16 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
2. Cleansing for the People
- The cleansing of the people is accomplished through the atoning sacrifice of Christ. Hebrews 9 discusses how Christ entered the heavenly sanctuary to offer His own blood for the redemption of humanity.
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Hebrews 9:11-14 So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. 12 With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. 13 If the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity, 14 just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.
- When did Jesus enter "the Most Holy Place"? Did He wait until 1844? According to the author of Hebrews, Jesus "has entered"(past tense), "he entered the Most Holy Place"(past tense) prior to the writing of the book of Hebrews. For more context, here is a study on Daniel 8:14, concerning the 2300 evenings and mornings => https://sidnash.org/docs/2300Days.html
3. Cleansing for the Most Holy Place
The Most Holy Place in the heavenly sanctuary is represented by the ministry of Christ in Heaven. His intercession for believers can be seen as a form of cleansing. Need better understanding here... scapegoat...
- Hebrews 7:25 "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."
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John 14:6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
- 1 Timothy 2:5 For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.
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1 John 2:1 ... if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
4. Cleansing for the Sanctuary/Temple
The heavenly sanctuary is described as a true tabernacle set up by the "our Father which art in Heaven"(Mt6:9;Lk11:2). The cleansing of this sanctuary is linked to the final judgment and the removal of sin.
- Hebrews 8:1-2 Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. 2 There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands.
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Notice that Jesus "sat"(past tense) and that "he ministers"(present tense). And, where did He sit? He sat beside His Father's throne. And, where was His Father's presence represented as being in the Earthly sanctuary? His presence was above the mercy seat between the two cherubs. And, where was the location of the mercy seat? It was the covering(top) of the ark of the covenant, located in the most-holy place inside of the earthly sanctuary. So, where in the "heavenly Tabernacle" was Jesus already ministering at the time of the writing of the book of Hebrews? He was ministering in the most-holy place. So, He obviously did not wait until 1844 to enter the most-holy place, as some believe.
5. Cleansing for the Sacrificial Altar
In the heavenly context, the altar is associated with the sacrifice of Christ. Revelation 8:3-4 describes an angel at the altar in heaven, offering incense along with the prayers of the saints, which symbolizes the acceptance of Christ's sacrifice.
- Revelation 8:3-4: "Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne."
Conclusion
While the specific rituals of cleansing in the heavenly sanctuary are not explicitly outlined in the same manner as in Leviticus, the New Testament provides a theological framework that connects the work of Christ as High Priest with the cleansing of both the heavenly sanctuary and the people of God. The themes of intercession, sacrifice, and redemption are central to understanding how these ceremonies are fulfilled in Christ's ministry in heaven.
Desiring to live by every word that comes from the mouth of Jehovah ( Deut8:3; Matt4:4 )
-Sid Nash: 06/24/2025. Latest version: https://sidnash.org/docs/CleanSanctuary.html