In ancient Israel, when they were still a theocracy, daily life centered around the sanctuary. It was their holy place – their church. In this sanctuary every day, animals were sacrificed in the morning and in the evening for the people collectively. In addition, all during the day, individuals brought certain sacrifices for specific sins which they had committed, as well as special offerings for special occasions.
The sanctuary was composed of basically three sections. The
outer court measured approximately 75 feet by 150 feet and was enclosed with
pillars upon which was hung a screen resembling a curtain. The height of these
“walls” was about 7 1/2 feet. The court had a gate on the east side for
entrance. Within this court stood the sanctuary itself. This structure was
composed of walls made of boards of wood overlaid with gold; hangings served as
the roof. This building was approximately 45 feet long and 15 feet wide and
high. It was divided into two compartments, designated the Holy Place and the
Most Holy Place.
The entire structure housed six main objects.
In the court (See Exodus 40:29, 30) –
1. Altar of burnt offerings
2. Brass laver – a basin in which the priests washed.
In the Holy Place (see Exodus 40:22-27) –
3. Candlestick
4. Table of showbread
5. Altar of incense.
In the Most Holy Place (See Exodus 40:20, 21) –
6. Ark of covenant, which contained the law of God, Aaron’s
rod, and the pot of manna. The mercy seat, a lid of solid gold on which stood
two golden cherubims, covered the ark of the covenant. The holy shekinah, God’s
presence, appeared between the two cherubims. Thus the mercy seat showed that
God’s mercy stands between God and His law.
Each object, as well as the entrance to the court,
represented a definite part of God’s plan of salvation, not only for the Jews,
but for all who will come to Him for help.
The Lord Himself commanded Moses to build the sanctuary.
Exodus 25:1-8. It was to demonstrate how God deals with sin and the sinner.
When Moses was commanded to build the ark of the covenant, he was to follow a
special design which the Lord showed him. Exodus 25:8, 9.
The entire service of the tabernacle might seem strange and
foreign to us if it were not clearly explained in the New Testament book of
Hebrews. Please read Hebrews 8 and 9 carefully. The earthly sanctuary portrayed
the work which Christ is doing for us in the true sanctuary in heaven, of which
the earthly structure was only a model. “Who serve unto the example and shadow
of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make
the tabernacle: for, See, saith He, that thou make all things according to the
pattern shewed to thee in the mount.” Hebrew 8:5.
Two of the same objects found in the earthly sanctuary – the
seven lamps and the altar of incense – were seen by John the Revelator in the
temple in heaven. Revelation 4:5; 8:2-4. In Revelation 11:19, the ark of His
testament was seen.
In the earthly sanctuary, the priests brought sacrifices
each day. Once each year, however, the high priest officiated alone in the Most
Holy Place. “But into the second went the high priest alone once every year,
not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the
people.” Hebrews 9:7. This was the Day of Atonement, or reconciliation; it
pointed forward to the time of the investigative judgement when the final
reconciliation work would be finished by Christ. The word “atonement”
originally meant “to reconcile, to purge away,” or the state of being in
agreement. The English word, when broken into parts, is “at-one-ment,” showing
how God brings sinful man back into harmony with Himself.
In the heavenly sanctuary, the High Priest is Jesus Christ.
“Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high
priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the
heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the
Lord pitched, and not man.” Hebrews 8:1, 2.
Each day in the earthly sanctuary, as the people brought
their sin offerings, their sins were symbolically transferred to the sanctuary,
which then had to be cleansed on the Day of Atonement. See Leviticus 16:15-19,
30; 23:27,29. This annual Day of Atonement (the judgment day) was God’s last
call to repentance.
The types and symbols of the earthly sanctuary pointed to
Jesus Christ’s death on the cross. At Christ’s baptism the words of inspiration
spoken by the prophet John the Baptist explained Jesus’ mission on earth: “The
next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which
taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29. When the true Lamb of God was
slain, the earthly ritual ended, for now the real Sacrifice for man had been
offered. “Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the
ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to
the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent.” Matthew 27:50, 51.
The supernatural rending of the veil was Heaven’s declaration that the earthly
sanctuary had lost its sanctity. From that point onward, the work for man’s
salvation centered in the heavenly sanctuary. “But Christ being come an high
priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not
made with hands, that is to say, not of this building.” Hebrews 9:11.
Christ at His ascension began His work as our great High
Priest in the first compartment of the sanctuary in heaven. See Hebrews 9:24.
According to the prophecy given to Daniel, there was to be a
cleansing, or Day of Atonement, in the heavenly sanctuary. “And he said unto
me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be
cleansed.” Daniel 8:14. The 2,300 days (years) ended in 1844. At that time the
judgment began for all the people of this earth. See Revelation 22:11-20.
The work of investigating every individual’s case, from Adam
to the end of the world, and blotting out all sins from the heavenly sanctuary
must be accomplished before the second advent of Christ. When Christ ascended
to heaven after His crucifixion, He entered the Holy Place. There He worked for
over eighteen centuries, mediating for sinners who asked His forgiveness.
But in 1844, He entered the Most Holy Place for the special
work of atonement. Any person who has unrepented sins in the books of heavenly
record (Daniel 7:10; Revelation 20:12) will be accounted with the wicked.
Exodus 32:33. The record in heaven is unerring; sin that has been concealed,
denied, or covered up will there be brought to light. Every provision for man’s
confession and forgiveness has been made by Heaven, so there is no excuse for
any who refuse God’s mercy. Ezekiel 18:24; Isaiah 43:25; Revelation 3:5.
In the typical day of Atonement, every person who did not
afflict his soul, confess all sin, and make solemn preparation was cut off from
among his people. Leviticus 23:39. So in the actual Day of Atonement going on
now, each individual who is to be saved must confess and forsake all sin and
carelessness which separate him from God.
When every person’s case has been decided for eternal life
or eternal death, Christ will step out of the sanctuary in heaven and pronounce
mercy ended: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is
filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous
still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly;
and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”
Revelation 22:11, 12.
What Adventists Believe About Jesus’ Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary
What is Jesus doing right now?
Seventh-day
Adventists believe, according to what we’re told in the book of Hebrews,
that Jesus is ministering in the sanctuary in Heaven right now. He is our high
priest and advocate before God the Father, as He makes intercession on our
behalf for the forgiveness of our sins.
But what exactly does that mean?
In this post, you will gain a better understanding of how Christ serves as our holy mediator in heaven, ministering on our behalf.
We’ll look at:
- The
literal sanctuary in heaven
- How
the Old Testament sanctuary was modeled after the heavenly sanctuary
- What
each area of the sanctuary represents
- What
Jesus is doing right now
- The
Day of Atonement
- Why
Jesus is interceding and advocating for us in Heaven
Adventists list their official belief on the heavenly Sanctuary
as follows:
“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 a 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.”
NKJVJesus is ministering in a literal sanctuary in Heaven
The book of Hebrews mentions that Jesus is in a sanctuary
located in Heaven right now.
It explains that Jesus is “seated at the right hand
of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of
the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man” (Hebrews 8:1-2,
NKJV).
From this verse, we learn that this heavenly sanctuary was
built by God Himself, and not by any human being.
And it is this sanctuary in heaven that was used as a
template for the sanctuary that was built on earth. It says that the earthly
sanctuary was just a “copy and shadow of the heavenly things” (Hebrews 8:5,
NKJV).
That’s why when God told Moses how to make the earthly
sanctuary and its furniture, He emphasized saying:
“Make them according to the pattern which was shown you
on the mountain” (Exodus 25:40, NKJV).
This is the same sanctuary that John saw in his vision when he
recorded:
“Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark
of His covenant was seen in His temple” (Revelation
11:19, NKJV).
And this heavenly sanctuary even had the ark of the
covenant, just like the earthly one as we will see.
The Old Testament sanctuary is a model of the heavenly
sanctuary
The Old Testament describes a sanctuary that was first built
in the wilderness under Moses’ supervision.
When God gave “the pattern of the tabernacle and the
pattern of all its furnishings,” He meant that Moses would produce a
replica of the one in Heaven. He said, “ just so you shall make it”
(Exodus
25:9, NKJV).
With those clear instructions, Moses erected a sanctuary with two compartments—first,
the Holy Place, and second, the Most Holy Place.
And the structure was enclosed by a fence made of linen
hangings, and this enclosure formed the outer court. The fence separated the
sanctuary from the rest of the camp of Israelites (Exodus 25:8; 27:9-15; Numbers
2:1-34).
Each of these compartments contained certain features,
articles, and furniture that have a specific significance in the Plan of Redemption.
Even the various offerings and feasts outlined in the Old
Testament for the Israelites pointed to the life and ministry of Jesus for our salvation. It also
covers Jesus’ ministry after His ascension to heaven, going beyond His earthly
ministry.
That’s why when the Psalmist saw how God’s plan for the
Salvation of man is outlined in the sanctuary, he said:
“Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary” (Psalm 77:13,
NKJV).
What do the different parts of the sanctuary represent?
The camp and outer court represent Christ’s earthly ministry
The camp represents Jesus’ pure character as He led a
sinless life on earth. And through His spotless life, He became our example of
perfection (2 Peter 2:22; 2
Corinthians 5:21).
The outer court had two furnishings:
- The
altar of burnt offering which represented Jesus Christ’s’
sacrificial death on our behalf (Exodus
27:1-8; Hebrews 10:12).
- The
laver where priests washed their hands and feet before entering
the holy place. It represented Jesus’ burial and resurrection from death
as a pledge of our victory over death (Exodus
30:17-21).
The laver’s relation to His death, burial, and resurrection
is found in baptism.
Paul says that we’ve been “buried with Him through
baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through
the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 3:4,
NASB).
The Holy and Most Holy Place represent Christ’s ministry in
Heaven
The Holy and Most Holy Place were two compartments separated
by a heavy curtain. Much like a house with two rooms.
In the New Testament, we find this reference to the
sanctuary’s compartments:
“For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which
was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary;
and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the
Holiest of All,
which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all
sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod
that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; and above it were the cherubim of
glory overshadowing the mercy seat” (Hebrews 9:2-5,
NKJV).
Ministry In the Holy Place
Only priests were allowed in the Holy Place for daily
services.
The Holy Place had three articles of furniture made of gold
1. The table of showbread (Exodus
25:23-30;37:10-16) was a table with two stacks of bread. Each stack
was made of six loaves.
It represented the word of God through which Jesus
sanctifies us (John 6:35, 51; 17:17; Matthew 4:4).
2. The golden lampstand (Exodus
25:31-40; 37:17-24) was a lampstand with a seven-branched
candlestick. It provided light in the sanctuary. The lamps were kept burning
continuously by the priest.
The lampstand represents the church of God, who are His true followers (Revelation 1:20).
During His ministry, Jesus had declared that He is the light
of the world. And that whoever follows Him will walk in the light (John 8:12).
John also described Jesus as the true light that gives light
to everyone (John
1:9).
Then Jesus told His followers that they are the light of the
world. And that they should let their light shine before others who will
see their good works, and glorify God. Just like a lamp is placed
on a stand to give light to all around it (Matthew
5:14-16).
So, the light that shines from the lamps in the sanctuary
represents the witness of the followers of Jesus.
They’re empowered to be witnesses for Jesus through
the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).
And the oil represents the Holy Spirit (Zechariah
4:2-6).
3. The Altar of Incense (Exodus
30:1-9; 37:25-29) was a golden altar close to the curtain which
separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.
Incense was burned on it, filling the sanctuary with
fragrance. The fragrance rose over the curtain and perfumed the most holy place
where God’s presence was.
It represents the righteousness of Christ that was mingled
with the prayers of the saints (Psalm 141:2; Luke 1:8-10).
What’s the relation of these furnishings to Christ’s
ministry in the heavenly sanctuary?
After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples for
a period of 40 days. Then He ascended into Heaven (Acts 1:3).
But before He left, He insisted that they wait in Jerusalem
until He had sent them the Holy Spirit to empower them to preach the Gospel to
all the world (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8,9).
And ten days later on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out to the saints (Acts 2:1-4).
Now, the day of Pentecost was the next Jewish feast after
the Feast of First Fruits, which was fulfilled at
Christ’s resurrection.
It came on the 50th day after the first fruits had been
dedicated (Leviticus 23:15-17).
On this day, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit as promised. And
this event was accompanied by “divided tongues, as of fire” which “sat
upon each of [the disciples]” (Acts 2:3, NKJV).
The exhibition of fire at this event is significant. It
reminds us of a major milestone in the earthly sanctuary services recorded in
the Old Testament.
When the priestly ministry first began, Aaron, who was the
ordained priest presented sacrifices on the altar of sacrifice.
And when he was done,
“Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and
came out and blessed the people.”
“Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people,
and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the
fat on the altar” (Leviticus
9: 22-24, NKJV).
Also, at the inauguration of Solomon’s temple, a sacrifice
was offered. And as a symbol of God’s acceptance of the sacrifice, “fire
came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and
the glory of the Lord filled the temple” (2
Chronicles 7:1, NKJV).
The fact that the fire consumed the sacrifice signified that
He accepted the sacrifice. This was the case with Elijah’s and David’s sacrifices too (1
Chronicles 21:26; 1 Kings
18:38).
So, fire coming down from heaven signified three things:
- Acceptance
of the sacrifice made at the altar of sacrifice
- Starting
of the priestly ministry, so the priest could then enter the Holy Place
- Opening
up the sanctuary as a place for ministry
And notice that the fire falls on the altar of sacrifice
located at the outer court. Which signifies the earth, where Jesus offered
Himself as a sacrifice.
But we read that the “way into the holy places [was]
not yet opened as long as the first section (the outer court) is still
standing” (Hebrews 9:8-9, ESV).
This means the ministry in the Holy Place could not start
until the ministry in the outer court had been finalized. And it was finalized
when the sacrifice offered there was accepted.
Then the priest would go to the Holy Place and then go out
again to bless the people as Aaron did.
Jesus’ ministry in the heavenly sanctuary began at Pentecost
In explaining the events of Pentecost, Peter made it clear
that Jesus had “received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the
Father” then poured it out to His followers on earth (Acts 2:33,
NASB).
So Jesus went to the heavenly sanctuary after His ascension.
And the acceptance of His sacrifice on the cross was signified by the fire
falling at Pentecost.
And His entrance into the Holy Place and blessing His people
who were at the camp (on earth) by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This is
key because one of the priest’s first work in the sanctuary was to ensure
continual light by adding oil to the lamps. And as we mentioned earlier, oil
was a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
That is why when John saw a vision of Jesus in Heaven, He
was walking in the midst of the candle sticks to ensure they are lit to the end
of ages (Revelation
1:13,21).
And history shows that the witness of
God’s true church could not be completely put out, even in the Dark
Ages.
And just as the showbread which was maintained in the
sanctuary and changed every sabbath, Jesus keeps His church fed by the word of
God as seen earlier. And He Himself is the Word that became flesh (John 1:14).
Again, history reveals that the Bible has never been completely
destroyed, even though it passed through such bitter opposition in the Middle
Ages. Because Jesus Himself stands to ensure His children can have access to it
until the end.
Jesus is interceding for us in Heaven—right now, and
continually
In the earthly Sanctuary, the people would go to pray at the
temple during the “hour of incense”. They’d pray outside while the priest
burned incense on the altar of incense inside. This “prayer service” did not
end in the Old Testament times but continued even to the New Testament days (Luke 1:8-10).
Now in the heavenly sanctuary, Jesus “always lives
to make intercession” for us as our high priest as we “pray without
ceasing” out here on earth (1
Thessalonians 5:17, NKJV).
He intercedes for us to God by mingling our defiled prayers
with His righteousness since He alone is “holy, harmless, undefiled,
separate from sinners” (Hebrews 4:14; 7:25-26,
NKJV).
It’s only the righteousness of Christ that can make our
prayers acceptable before God. Just like only a special kind of incense was
acceptable for sanctuary service (Exodus
30:34-38).
So as we pray, we can be thankful that Jesus is interceding
for us before His Father in Heaven.
As our prayers rise to Heaven, Jesus works to ensure they’re
answered.
The book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus “is also able to
save to the utmost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to
make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25,
NKJV).
Therefore we can come with boldness to the throne of God and
receive mercy and grace in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
Christ’s ministry enlightens our understanding as we talk
with Him through prayer. We can have faith that He hears and answers our
requests.
Ministry In the Most Holy Place
The Most Holy Place is the most sacred part of the
Sanctuary.
There is only one piece of furniture in this small room—the
Ark of the Covenant, or the Ark of the Testimony (Exodus
37:1-9).
It was a symbol of God’s presence and power (Exodus 25:22; Numbers
10:35-36; Joshua 6:6-7).
Inside the ark are three items:
1. The golden pot of manna which served as a
reminder of how God provided food for the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus
16:32-35).
It’s also a reminder for us that God promises to take care
of us.
Paul reminds us that, “God shall supply all your
need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians
4:19, NKJV).
And He doesn’t just supply us with physical food, but also
spiritual food (1 Corinthians 10:3).
Just like God gave manna to the Israelites to make them know
that “man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word
that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3).
And as we saw with the show bread, it is by His word that
Jesus sanctifies us.
Even in Heaven, Jesus promises to feed those who overcome
with the “hidden manna” (Revelation
2:17, NKJV).
2. Aaron’s rod which budded and miraculously
flowered when some leaders of the Israelites questioned who God had chosen to
serve as priests in the sanctuary (Numbers 17:8).
God commanded that it be kept “before the
Testimony…as a sign against the rebels” (Numbers 17:8,
ESV).
Rebels who defied God’s authority in choosing who is
ordained for the holy service in the sanctuary.
It also served to remind those called to be priests that
they were called to “distinguish between the holy and the common, and
between the unclean and the clean” (Leviticus
10:10, ESV).
They were required to be an example and to teach the
Israelites to distinguish between the holy and common in their lives too (Ezekiel 22:26; 44:23).
The Bible describes us as a “royal priesthood” who
have been made kings and priests unto God (1 Peter 2:9, Revelation 1:6,
ESV).
And we read that we’ll reign as priests in the new earth (Revelation 5:10).
So, Aaron’s rod that budded is significant even to us today.
It reminds us to respect things that God has clearly marked as holy.
Things like tithe, life, marriage, the place of worship, the Sabbath, our bodies,
etc.
And we need to relate to these matters in a way that we can
be an example, and lead others to God’s truth.
3. The two tables of stone with the Ten
Commandments that God wrote with His own finger (Exodus 31:18; 34:1)
They were the Covenant or the Testimony. The ark was called
the Ark of the Covenant/Testimony because the two tablets were placed in the
ark (Deuteronomy
10:1,2,5). When John saw a vision of the heavenly sanctuary being
opened, He noted that “the Ark of the Covenant was seen in the temple” (Revelation
11:19, NKJV).
This means the Ten Commandments found in it are important and
relevant even in Heaven.
The Psalmist said that “The law of the Lord is perfect,
converting the soul. … The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the
eyes” (Psalm
19:7-8, NKJV).
And Solomon wrote about the conclusion of the whole matter
as to “fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.”
Because “God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret
thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes
12:13-14, NKJV).
This makes it clear that we’ll all be judged based on the law, since the law is what
defines whether something is sinful or not (1 John 3:4).
Only the high priest entered the Most Holy Place. He could
only enter once a year on the Day of Atonement. And even when he did, he had to
have a protective smokescreen of incense otherwise he’d die (Hebrews 9:6,7; Leviticus 16:2, 12, 13).
What happened on the Day of Atonement?
On the Day of Atonement, Israelites held “a holy convocation”
and afflicted their souls (Leviticus
23:26-27, NKJV).
All sins that had been forgiven and transferred to the
sanctuary all year long through animal sacrifices were removed from the
sanctuary.
If anyone didn’t afflict himself, he would be “cut off
from his people” (Leviticus 23:29, NKJV). This means he’d die.
But those who did afflict themselves had their sins atoned
for, so they didn’t die.
How did this atonement happen?
While the people afflicted themselves through prayer and
fasting, the high priest would intercede for them by taking “two male goats
for a sin offering” (Leviticus 16:5, ESV).
Then he would “cast lots over the two goats, one lot for
the Lord and the other lot for Azazel [or scapegoat]” (Leviticus 16:
8, ESV).
The one for the Lord would be killed without hands being
laid on it. So, sins weren’t transferred to the temple through it.
Instead, its blood was used to cleanse the sanctuary and to
“make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the
people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins” (Leviticus
16:16, ESV).
The Azazel goat was presented alive before the Lord.
With this one, the high priest would “lay both his
hands” on its head and “confess over it all the iniquities of
the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins” (Leviticus
16:21, ESV).
Then it would be sent away to the desert to bear all the
sins of the people (Leviticus 16:21,22).
In the Plan of
Redemption, the Day of Atonement met its fulfillment at the end of
the 2300 day prophecy in 1844 (Daniel 8:14).
And Jesus entered the Most Holy Place in the heavenly
sanctuary. Then He started going through the records of everyone who has ever
lived. This is the investigative judgement (Daniel 7:
13-14; 9-10).
Since then, Jesus has been ministering as our high priest in
the Most Holy Place.
Jesus is our high priest.
As the high priest in the heavenly sanctuary, Jesus
intercedes for individuals who come to Him in repentance, confession, and faith (Hebrews
9:11-12).
He applies the benefits of the atonement that He gained for
us through His sacrificial death to all who claim them. He forgives the sins of
the penitent and places these sins in the sanctuary through His blood (Hebrews
9:24-26).
Having paid the price for our redemption, He now works as
the mediator between us and God (1 Timothy
2:5; Hebrews 12:24).
He pleads with God for our forgiveness and reconciliation
with God as one who understands us well. Speaking of this ministry in our
behalf, the Bible says:
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize
with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15,
NKJV).
During the investigative judgment that happens before
the Second Coming, Jesus examines the cases of all who
professed His name. This serves to determine if they are entitled to the
benefits that the atonement provided.
The purpose of the judgment is to reveal if repentance was
genuine leading to a changed life.
During Jesus’ intercessory ministry, repented sins are
temporarily transferred to the sanctuary. Then they’ll finally be placed on
Satan and eventually destroyed.
Jesus is our advocate.
Another role that Jesus fills is being our advocate before
God. He “entered the holy places…to appear in the presence of God for us”
(Hebrews
9:24, NKJV).
As an advocate who stands on behalf of another before the
judge, Jesus defends us before the Father (1 John 2:1).
This is because as He reviews our cases, Satan who is also
known as the “accuser of the brethren” is always ready to accuse us (Revelation
12:10; Zechariah 3:1, NKJV).
He accuses us because as the Bible says, we are all sinful (Romans 3:23).
Even after Jesus paid for our sins at the cross, Satan still tempts us and we still choose wrong, since
we are still living in this sinful world. But Christ pleads His blood for all
who repent (Hebrews
9:12,24).
Only Christ can refute Satan’s arguments against the guilty
human race (Jude
1:9; Zechariah
3:2).
The judgment is like a courtroom scenario.
God the Father is the judge, and we humans are the accused
sinners. We are rightfully guilty and the Devil stands as our accuser before
God, the judge.
But then Jesus stands as our advocate who defends us. He
shows that He has paid the bond for our release from guilt through His blood.
Thus, we are justly redeemed from the clutch of Satan
through Christ’s ministry for us.
This scene is vividly portrayed in the story of Joshua the
priest. The whole story is recorded in Zechariah
3:1-11.
The Investigative Judgment is going on now
Even now, Jesus is going through our records in Heaven. Our
names are either being accepted or rejected based on our past and present
decisions and actions.
And soon, Christ’s ministerial work will end. His ministry
will come to a stop when our probation closes and He says:
“He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is
filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous
still; he who is holy, let him be holy still” (Revelation
22:14, NKJV). And since no one knows when this will happen, now is the time
to repent. The time to send our sins to Christ who will plead for our forgiveness. Then when He comes, we may
be covered with His righteousness and not be found guilty (1 Timothy
5:24).
That way, the blessings given to Joshua will be ours when God promised him that:
“If you will walk in My ways, and if you will keep My
command, then you shall also judge My house, And likewise have charge of My
courts; I will give you places to walk among these who stand here” (Zechariah 3:7,
NKJV).
In a nutshell, we have seen that Jesus is currently
ministering as High Priest in the Heavenly sanctuary.
He is interceding and advocating for us before the Father.
And thanks to His sacrificial death on the cross, He redeems all who repent
from sin and the penalty of death by His own blood.
That is our only guarantee of eternal life at His second
coming.
So, we can be thankful that Jesus is ministering on our
behalf in Heaven.
And purpose to live lives that will honor Him, and ensure our names are accepted when they come in review before Him.
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