The Sanctuary doctrine: answering objections 

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Introduction: Sanctuary doctrine overview

The doctrine of the Sanctuary in Heaven arouses more controversy and objections than probably any other doctrine.  The seriousness of these objections requires that they are addressed.  First we must be reminded of the Sanctuary doctrine. 

The Sanctuary on Earth is a representation of the true Sanctuary in Heaven (Ex 25:9; He 8:5) Therefore, the form (The Holy and the Most Holy compartments) and function (the Daily Ministration, and the annual Day of Atonement) of the earthly Sanctuary are an accurate depiction of both the form and the two-phase function of the Heavenly original.

The blood of animals. Both Ministrations on Earth were dependent on the sacrificial blood of animals, which were a figure, accepted for the time (He 9:8,9).  

The Sanctuary in Heaven: the Blood of Christ. Both Ministrations in Heaven are dependent on a better Blood Sacrifice (He 9:23): that of Christ (1Pe 1:18,19).  Since the Cross, Christ has offered His own Blood as an Atonement for sin (Re 1:5).

Christ's Ministry in Heaven. The Sanctuary doctrine states that after His ascension to Heaven, Christ, in keeping with the sequence of the earthly Ministry, began His ‘Daily’ Ministration.  This continued until the time of the end when Christ began His final Atoning Ministry in the Most Holy in Heaven, i.e. the Cleansing of the Sanctuary (in Heaven), which is equivalent to the Day of Atonement on Earth. 

The 2300 days prophecy. Critical to the Sanctuary doctrine is the 2300 days prophecy of Daniel chapter 8, the importance of which is indicated in that God's messenger was no less than Gabriel (verse 16 of Daniel 8), the very highest angel who stands in the presence of God (Lk 1:19) replacing Lucifer.  

By applying the year/day principle of prophetic time, the 2300 days are understood to denote 2300 actual years.  The start of this period is calculated from both Scripture and history to be the Autumn of 457 BC (see study: ‘The 2300 days prophecy: the end time in history’,4).  Thus the 2300 years reach to the Autumn of 1844 AD.  At that time Christ’s final cleansing Atonement, in which the sin of the redeemed is finally eradicated, began.

The Sanctuary controversy. The Sanctuary doctrine is contrary to mainstream Christianity.  It goes hand-in-hand with the doctrine of soul sleep, which refutes the almost universally believed, though unscriptural teaching that the soul survives death (see study 'Death and the state of the dead',5,6). 

Thus there are many mainstream detractors who oppose the Sanctuary doctrine - even amongst those who do embrace soul sleep, there are many detractors. The main objections to the Sanctuary doctrine are discussed in these study.