The Great Controversy The Great Controversy | Page 423

the removal, or blotting out, of the sins which are there recorded. But
before this can be accomplished, there must be an examination of the
books of record to determine who, through repentance of sin and faith
in Christ, are entitled to the benefits of His atonement. The cleansing
of the sanctuary therefore involves a work of investigation—a work of
judgment. This work must be performed prior to the coming of Christ to
redeem His people; for when He comes, His reward is with Him to give
to every man according to his works. Revelation 22:12.
Thus those who followed in the light of the prophetic word saw that,
instead of coming to the earth at the termination of the 2300 days in
1844, Christ then entered the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary
to perform the closing work of atonement preparatory to His coming.
It was seen, also, that while the sin offering pointed to Christ as
a sacrifice, and the high priest represented Christ as a mediator, the
scapegoat typified Satan, the author of sin, upon whom the sins of the
truly penitent will finally be placed. When the high priest, by virtue of
the blood of the sin offering, removed the sins from the sanctuary, he
placed them upon the scapegoat. When Christ, by virtue of His own
blood, removes the sins of His people from the heavenly sanctuary at the
close of His ministration, He will place them upon Satan, who, in the
execution of the judgment, must bear the final penalty. The scapegoat
was sent away into a land not inhabited, never to come again into the
congregation of Israel. So will Satan be forever banished from the
presence of God and His people, and he will be blotted from existence
in the final destruction of sin and sinners.

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