pointed . At the death of Christ the typical service ended . The " true tabernacle " in heaven is the sanctuary of the new covenant . And as the prophecy of Daniel 8:14 is fulfilled in this dispensation , the sanctuary to which it refers must be the sanctuary of the new covenant . At the termination of the 2300 days , in 1844 , there had been no sanctuary on earth for many centuries . Thus the prophecy , " Unto two thousand and three hundred days ; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed ," unquestionably points to the sanctuary in heaven .
But the most important question remains to be answered : What is the cleansing of the sanctuary ? That there was such a service in connection with the earthly sanctuary is stated in the Old Testament Scriptures . But can there be anything in heaven to be cleansed ? In Hebrews 9 the cleansing of both the earthly and the heavenly sanctuary is plainly taught . " Almost all things are by the law purged with blood ; and without shedding of blood is no remission . It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these [ the blood of animals ]; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these " ( Hebrews 9:22 , 23 ), even the precious blood of Christ .
The cleansing , both in the typical and in the real service , must be accomplished with blood : in the former , with the blood of animals ; in the latter , with the blood of Christ . Paul states , as the reason why this cleansing must be performed with blood , that without shedding of blood is no remission . Remission , or putting away of sin , is the work to be accomplished . But how could there be sin connected with the sanctuary , either in heaven or upon the earth ? This may be learned by reference to the symbolic service ; for the priests who officiated on earth , served " unto the example and shadow of heavenly things ." Hebrews 8:5 .
The ministration of the earthly sanctuary consisted of two divisions ; the priests ministered daily in the holy place , while once a year the high priest performed a special work of atonement in the most holy , for the cleansing of the sanctuary . Day by day the repentant sinner brought his offering to the door of the tabernacle and , placing his hand upon the victim ' s head , confessed his sins , thus in figure transferring them from himself to the innocent sacrifice . The animal was then slain . " Without shedding of blood ," says the apostle , there is no remission of sin . " The life of the flesh is in the blood ." Leviticus 17:11 . The broken law of God demanded the life of the transgressor . The blood , representing the forfeited life of the sinner , whose guilt the victim bore , was carried by the priest into the holy place and sprinkled before the veil , behind which was the ark containing the law that the sinner had transgressed . By this ceremony the sin was , through the blood , transferred in figure to the sanctuary . In some cases the blood was not taken into the holy place ; but the flesh was then to be eaten by the priest , as Moses directed the sons of Aaron , saying : " God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation ." Leviticus 10:17 . Both ceremonies alike symbolized the transfer of the sin from the penitent to the sanctuary .
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