The Sanctuary doctrine: answering objections 

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Objection 7: The cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary deals with the record of the ‘little horn’ power, not the record of the redeemed

The ‘little horn’ power of Daniel chapter 8 (which we identify as the Papacy, see Objection 5) is the main power addressed by the 2300 days prophecy, which points to the cleansing of the Sanctuary in Heaven at the time of the end. 

This objection states that the cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary deals with the sins of the ‘little horn’ (the Papacy), and not with the sin of the redeemed.  Consequently, objectors maintain that the sins of the redeemed are not recorded in Heaven, implying that sin is expunged at repentance.

The cleansing of sin

Leviticus chapter 16 deals comprehensively with the Day of Atonement (abbr. DoA) in the Sanctuary on Earth. Because the earthly Sanctuary depicts the Heavenly Sanctuary (Ex 25:9; He 8:5), the DoA typifies the cleansing of the Sanctuary in Heaven. 

The purpose of the DoA was to deal with the sin of Israel accumulated in the earthly Sanctuary from the Daily sacrifice (see study: ‘The Day of Atonement’,2).

On the DoA, by the offering of the blood of the Lord’s goat for the people (Le 16:15,16) the sin of Israel held over from the Daily sacrifice was, in figure for the time, expunged. 

Sins recorded

We see in study: ‘Sin: definition, origin, and consequences’,7, that if a person who, having repented, subsequently repudiates their repentance, their sin is added back to them.

This confirms that sinners who repent are indeed deemed free of their sin (Ro 6:18; Ga 5:1).  However, the sins themselves are held on record - until the final cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary.

The DoA on Earth confirms that:

1. Sin, though repented of and forgiven, is held on record until the final cleansing;

2. The cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary deals with the sin of the repentant accumulated from Christ’s ‘Daily’ Ministry, not with the sin of any other entity. 

The sin of all apostate powers and individuals is dealt with at a later date (see study: ‘The end of sin and sinners’).

Objection 7, therefore, does not stand.