The Cleansing of the Sanctuary

The Cleansing of the Sanctuary

1. Paul taught what three subjects concerning the faith in Christ? Acts 24:24, 25

2. Must only the wicked be judged? Ecclesiastes 3:17

3. Who must appear before the judgment seat of Christ? 2 Corinthians 5:10

4. How closely are our lives examined? Ecclesiastes 12:14

5. What kind of things will come up in the judgment? Matthew 12:36

“To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.” Psalm 50:23.

6. Where must judgment begin? 1 Peter 4:17

“The house of God, which is the church of the living God.” 1 Timothy 3:15. “And if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” 1 Peter 4:17, 18. “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25.

7. Who actually does the judging? John 5:22

8. When Jesus comes, what will He bring with him? Revelation 22:12

The judgment for all who have ever entered Christ’s service actually takes place before He comes. This is illustrated in Matthew 22 in the parable of a marriage which a certain king made for his son. Before the wedding begins, the king inspects the guests to see if all are clothed with the wedding garment (verse 11). Notice the parallel in Revelation:

“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” Revelation 19:7, 8. In the parable, having that robe determined whether one was accepted or cast out.

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21.

“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment.” Revelation 3:5.

They “which have not defiled their garments,” but “have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb,” “shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.” Revelation 3:4; 7:14.

This character examination is performed by Christ in the heavenly sanctuary. When His investigation is completed, everyone’s destiny will be sealed. He will then announce:

“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.

9. What is the message that must be preached with a loud voice today? Revelation 14:7

Paul spoke in terms of “judgment to come” (Acts 24:25).

The message for today is that “judgment is come” (Rev. 14:7).

When Jesus comes, “He hath judged” (Rev. 19:2).

This investigative judgment, which evaluates the lives of all who have ever professed faith in Christ, is completed before Jesus comes. It should not be confused with the judgment of the wicked by Christ and His saints, which occurs during the millennium; or the final judgment and punishment of the wicked, which takes place at the end of the 1000 years.

10. What is to be more valued than having power over evil spirits? Luke 10:19, 20

11. Where are the names of God’s people recorded? Philippians 4:3

12. How has God recorded our good deeds? Malachi 3:16

13. What else is marked before God? Jeremiah 2:22

14. Where has God written a description of everyone? Psalm 139:16

Everything we do is recorded in God’s books. Some of the direct or implied references to the heavenly books of record include Nehemiah 13:14; Job 16:19; Psalm 56:8; Hebrews 12:23;Revelation 13:8; 17:8; 21:27; and 22:19.

15. In the judgment, what are opened? Daniel 7:9, 10

16. What are the books used for in the judgment? Revelation 20:12

17. If the books of record show that one turned back to sin, what will be his doom? Ezekiel 18:24

18. What will be done to his name? Exodus 32:33

“Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.” Psalm 69:28.

19. In the end, what will happen to him? Revelation 20:15

20. What happened in Daniel’s vision of the judgment? Daniel 7:13

This movement of Christ does not describe His coming to the earth, but rather to “the Ancient of days.” The same scene is described by the prophet Malachi. Notice the question that is asked, and its answer:

“Where is the God of JUDGMENT? Behold I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his TEMPLE.” Malachi 2:17 - 3:1.

Revelation 10 describes the bitter disappointment of those who expected Jesus to come in 1844. When He did not come, their question was, “Where is the God of judgment?” The Bible’s answer was, “The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple.” Jesus moved in 1844 into the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary to begin His work of investigative judgment, His final work before coming to earth to receive His bride.

From Daniel 8:19 we learned that the sanctuary would be cleansed “at the time appointed.” Commenting on that, Paul says, “He hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world.” Acts 17:31. The time appointed for the judgment was the fulfillment of the 2300 days.

21. What is the Lord’s work during this time? Malachi 3:3

22. What will He do to the names of the overcomers? Revelation 3:5

23. What will be blotted from their record? Acts 3:19

24. In the old yearly service, where did the live goat take the sins, thus permanently removing them from the sanctuary? Leviticus 16:21

25. When the work of cleansing the heavenly sanctuary is finished, what will be poured out upon the earth? Revelation 15:5 - 16:1

“And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.”Daniel 12:1

“And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living.” Isaiah 4:3.

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