BY FAITH: WE BELIEVE

XXIV: CHRIST'S MINISTRY IN THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY

OFFICIAL STATEMENT

"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 wasinaugurated as our great High Priest and, began His intercessory ministry, which was typified by the work of the high priestin the holy place of the earthly sanctuary. In 1844, at the end of the prophetic period of 2300 days, He entered the secondand last phase of His atoning ministry, which was typified by the work of the high priest in the most holy place of the earthlysanctuary. It is a work of investigative judgment which is part of the ultimate disposition of all sin, typified by the cleansing ofthe ancient Hebrew sanctuary on the Day of Atonement. In that typical service the sanctuary was cleansed with the blood ofanimal sacrifices, but the heavenly things are purified with the perfect sacrifice of the blood of Jesus. The investigative judgmentreveals to heavenly intelligences who among the dead are asleep in Christ and therefore, in Him, are deemed worthyto have part in the first resurrection. It also makes manifest who among the living are abiding in Christ, keeping the commandmentsof God and the faith of Jesus, and in Him, therefore, are ready for translation into His everlasting kingdom. Thisjudgment vindicates the justice of God in saving those who believe in Jesus. It declares that those who have remained loyal toGod shall receive the kingdom. The completion of this ministry of Christ will mark the close of human probation before theSecond Advent."

(Lev. 16; Num. 14:34; Ezek. 4:6; Dan. 7:9-27; 8:13, 14; 9:24-27; Heb. 1:3; 2:16, 17; 4:14-16; 8:1-5; 9:11-28; 10:19-22; Rev. 8:3-5; 11:19; 14:6, 7; 20:12; 14:12; 22:11, 12.)