Daniel Unlocked #48. All This Sanctuary Stuff?
Understanding the Jewish Sanctuary service is fundamental to a correct interpretation of the book of Revelation. So now is a good time to struggle with it!
The main topic of Daniel 8 is the heavenly Day of Atonement. For this reason, the symbolic animals representing the world empires are the ram and the goat, two sacrificial animals that appear in the service of the Hebrew sanctuary but only on the Day of Atonement.
There are two major themes in Daniel 8: Firstly, the Little Horn which represents the power that attacks God’s sanctuary and God’s people down through the centuries. This power represents Rome in its pagan and papal phases. Secondly, the Day of Atonement. The focus of the prophetic message conveyed by this chapter is on the purification of the sanctuary, which according to the ritual system of the earthly tabernacle was carried out on the Day of Atonement. Yom Kippur (the day of Atonement) is still the most important festival in modern Israel’s calendar. Yom Kippur is a holiday where Jewish people reflect on their sins and ask for forgiveness from God and those they have wronged.
The good news from this festival is that in our daily struggles with sin and suffering, we are not alone.
We have a High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary performing a special ministry on our behalf.
We can enjoy the manifestation of God’s grace and share our assurance with those around us. The sanctuary message not only shows us that we are forgiven but also points to the ultimate eradication of sin.
After the horn’s devastating attack, an announcement declares the impending cleansing of the sanctuary. To comprehend this message, it’s crucial to recognize that the cleansing of the sanctuary, as mentioned in Daniel 8:14, aligns with the parallel judgment scene portrayed in Daniel 7:9–14. Remember Daniel 2, 7 and 8 are complimenting and building on each other. This judgment unfolds in heaven, indicating that the sanctuary’s location is celestial. Daniel 7 presents God’s intervention and relationship with human affairs from a judicial standpoint, while Daniel 8 examines the same event from a sanctuary perspective.
Hebrews 8:1-6 points out to New Testament readers (or listeners in Paul’s day) that the earthly sanctuary mirrors its heavenly counterpart, illustrating the overarching plan of salvation. Sinners routinely brought sacrifices to the earthly sanctuary, where confessed sins were symbolically transferred, resulting in the sanctuary’s ‘contamination.’ Consequently, periodic purification, known as the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16), was essential to cleanse the sanctuary from recorded sins.
But why does the heavenly sanctuary require cleansing? By analogy, the confessed sins of those accepting Jesus are metaphorically “transferred” to the heavenly sanctuary, akin to how repentant Israelites’ sins were transferred to the earthly sanctuary. In the earthly Day of Atonement, animals symbolized the future substitutionary death of Jesus, allowing sinners to stand in that sacred day without condemnation (Romans 8:1.)
As in the earthly Day of Atonement, the heavenly sanctuary’s cleansing, as depicted in Daniel 8:14, is even more significant. Christ’s blood alone secures our passage through judgment. This heavenly counterpart conveys a fundamental message: as sinners, we require the Messiah’s blood for forgiveness and the ability to stand in judgment.
Reflecting on Hebrews 9:23–28 reinforces this perspective. These verses unveil salvation through Jesus, emphasizing His sacrifice as the means by which sinners find forgiveness and justification.