Christ’s Ministry in the First Apartment

What was the work of Christ in the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary? Was there anything for Him to do there? We answer: Jesus’ ministry in the first apartment was to plead the merits of His righteousness and of His shed blood in behalf of sinners in the earth who had and who should yet accept Him. He had extended the invitation, “Look unto Me, and be you saved, all the ends of the earth,” and it was only through the ministry of His blood that He was able thus to save.DOF 283.1

In 1 John 2:1, Jesus is said to be our “advocate.” In Romans 8:34, Paul states that He “makes intercession for us.” John the revelator sees Him in the holy place before the golden altar, offering up incense with the prayers of the saints; and Jesus Himself declared that He would confess before His Father those who confessed Him before men. (See Matthew 10:32.)DOF 283.2

This, then, was His work in the first apartment of the sanctuary. As sinners came to God for pardon and would plead the shed blood of Jesus on their behalf, Jesus became their Advocate and made intercession for them before God. He offered up their prayers with sweet incense before the Father, and pleaded that since His blood had been shed on behalf of sinners, and since these had accepted Him as their sacrifice, they might receive pardon. Yea, more, He offered to take away the guilt of their sin, and to impute to them His life of righteousness. Thus by accepting Jesus as their substitute and sacrifice, the sins of the sinners were transferred from themselves to the heavenly sanctuary, where Christ was ministering, and where the sins would remain until blotted out. in the investigative judgment.DOF 283.3

Thus Jesus performed a continual service in the first apartment after His ascension to heaven. Just as in the earthly sanctuary the altar fires were to be kept burning continually, in, readiness to consume the sacrifices of sinners who should seek pardon, so Christ stood ready, day and night continually, to receive sinners and offer His shed blood in their behalf. His standing invitation to sinners is: “Come unto Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He gives rest by taking away their load of sin, lifting the burden entirely from their shoulders. He bears away the sins of the world.DOF 284.1

Thus did Christ minister as High Priest in the holy place, receiving there the sins of the people who came unto God by Him. And thus the heavenly sanctuary has become defiled by the sins of men. From this defilement it requires cleansing at the close of His priestly ministry.DOF 284.2