Sanctuary stuff

Lately I've been thinking some more about the service of the Sanctuary and how that relates to what is happening in the heavenly Sanctuary now. In the Most Holy Place, at the close of the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would bring the record of the sins which had been cleansed and lay them on the head of the scape goat.

The scape goat would then be sent into the wilderness and would undoubtedly die there at some point.

A quote from: http://www.cofac.org/atonement.html

"There are some people who wrongly believe that the azazel goat represents Christ. But how can both goats represent Christ? One is sacrificed, and one is sent into the wilderness. Although it is true that Christ spent time in the wilderness at the start of His ministry, He returned from that. The azazel goat was sent into the wilderness, never to return to the congregation of Israel. And Revelation 20:1–2 pictures the fulfilment of that when an angel puts Satan into a bottomless pit, and later Satan is cast into the lake of fire to be cut off from God forevermore. The sins of the people were placed onto the head of the azazel goat because it pictured Satan, and his being the origin of sin, with all sins going back on him so that he bears the ultimate punishment for all of the sins that he has committed and caused to be committed by mankind. Christ never sinned, but He died for our sins. He did not live with our sins, but died for our sins.

But, we should notice that when the two goats were brought forward to the high priest, that no one knew which goat was which, and they had to draw lots to determine which goat was for the Lord and which was azazel. This is because Satan today makes himself appear righteous, as a false Christ, and it is impossible for the world to tell Satan and Christ apart, when Satan is masquerading as an angel of light (see 2 Corinthians 11:14; Matthew 24:5). So by drawing lots, God made it clear which goat was His and which one was Satan’s; just as today we need God to show us which "Christ" is the true Christ, and who is really Satan in disguise."

In the heavenly Sanctuary, Jesus is busy "cleansing" the Most Holy by appropriating His own merits and blood in order to REMOVE the record of our sins completely. This can only be done to those who claim, by faith, Jesus' own righteousness instead of their own. There are many who will be "examined" in the courts of heaven who CLAIM to be Christians but who have never fully laid their sins on Jesus and worn His robe instead of their own. These sins cannot be removed from them because they don't put them onto Jesus, and "wear" His merits instead.

The wicked, who have no desire to know Jesus and what He can do for them, will have their own sins and guilt on their own heads and will die in them, without even being examined in this PRE-advent judgement taking place NOW in the Most Holy Place. We cannot be approaching Jesus in the Holy Place because He is not there, but is in the MOST Holy Place.

During the 1000 yrs in heaven after Jesus' second coming, those of us in heaven (ALL true believers)will participate in the judgement of the wicked to "check" Jesus work, as it were and satisfy ourselves that they should not be in heaven, and in fact, would not even want to be there.(Rev 20:4)

So, on Satan's head will be 1) his own sins and guilt, 2)all the Believers' sins and guilt, and will probably suffer also for all the sins he has caused the wicked to commit and the corresponding guilt. This laying on of all those sins/guilt on him is not a redemptive thing. He will be dying the second and final death at the end of the 1000 yrs. He, sin and the wicked will be destroyed forever, not to suffer for eternity, but DESTROYED. During this "wilderness" time (of 1000 years), Satan will be alone to contemplate what he has done, I suppose, and to bear all these sins and guilt on his own head for 1000 yrs until the final destruction at Jesus' 3rd coming.

Jesus is the redemptive Lamb of God because through His blood, our sins are transferred to the Sanctuary and, because they're there, will be "cleansed" from us and put onto the devil.

I just find this an interesting topic for thought, don't you? I still haven't scratched the bottom of this fascinating bucket. If any of you have some profound thoughts to add, please feel free. Also read more about this and the 1000 years in Revelation 20. There are also several related websites, 2 of which are quoted from here but to add a disclaimer, I haven't read them in their entirety.

In looking for some graphics I also found the following quote from http://www.prophecyunlocked.com/lesson8.html:

"Satan hates the great truths that bring to view an atoning sacrifice and an all-powerful mediator. He knows that with him everything depends on his diverting minds from Jesus and His truth.


The subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgment should be clearly understood by the people of God. All need a knowledge for themselves of the position and work of their great High Priest. Otherwise it will impossible for them to exercise the faith which is essential at this time or occupy the position which God designs them to fill. Every individual has a soul to save or to lose. Each has a case pending at the bar of God. Each must meet the great Judge face to face. The sanctuary in heaven is the very centre of Christ's work in behalf of men. It concerns every soul living upon the earth. It opens to view the plan of redemption. It is of the utmost importance that all should thoroughly investigate these subjects and be able to give an answer to everyone that asketh a reason of the hope that is in them.


The intercession of Christ in man's behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross. By His death He began that work which after His resurrection He ascended to complete in heaven. We must by faith enter within the veil, "whither the forerunner is for us entered". (Hebrews 6:20). There the light of the cross of Calvary is reflected. There we may gain a clearer insight of the mysteries of redemption.
Through defects of the character, Satan works to gain control of the whole mind, and he knows that if these defects are cherished, he will succeed. Therefore he is constantly seeking to deceive the followers of Christ with his fatal sophistry that it is impossible for them to overcome. But Jesus pleads in their behalf His wounded hands, His bruised body; and He declares to all who would follow Him: "My grace is sufficient for thee." (2 Corinthians 12:9). "Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:29, 30). Let none, then, regard their defects as incurable. God will give faith and grace to overcome them."

Isn't that wonderful and encouraging? Praise God for His MERCY toward us, the apple of His eye! Let's keep our eyes on Jesus - our only Hope, our only Sacrifice, our only Saviour and our only Redeemer - and He will save us FROM our sins!

God bless.