The ancient Day of Atonement was a cleansing of the earthly sanctuary that symbolized the actual cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary. This cleansing is the cleansing of the pre-Advent judgment recorded in Daniel 8. Daniel states that this cleansing would take place at the end of the 2300- day prophecy: “And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed” (Daniel 8:14).

The blood of the sacrificial goat was needed for the high priest’s ministry to begin in the Holy of Holies (the Most Holy Place). In the same way, Jesus could not have begun His work in the heavenly Holy of Holies until after He had shed His own blood. The only reference to the start of this ministry is in Daniel 8, at the end of the 2300-day.

The 2300-day prophecy of Daniel 8 is the longest time prophecy in the Bible and began its fulfillment in 457 BC when Artaxerxes Longimanus issued a decree to rebuild Jerusalem. When we translate the 2300 prophetic days into years and add those years to 457 BC we see that the prophecy ends in 1844. Therefore, the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary began in 1844 as “then shall the sanctuary be cleansed” (Daniel 8:14). Jesus entered the Holy of Holies on that date to begin His work of the antitypical Day of Atonement.

The Jews associated the Day of Atonement with the Day of Judgment. The high priest’s actions represented the cleansing of the sanctuary—the wiping out of sin and the final salvation of Israel. The Day of Atonement points to the pre-Advent judgment taking place in heaven before the return of Christ. Christ must be the Judge in heaven prior to His return to the earth, so that He can separate His followers from His rejecters at His coming.  

The Day of Atonement was a very serious Jewish practice. Any Jew that did not take part in the ceremony was to be cut off from the people. It was a day of heart searching, and a day of judgment. This day was to be kept solemnly, just like the Sabbath.

Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God. For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people (Leviticus 23:27-30 NKJV).

We are living in the time of the antitypical Day of Atonement. We must live as the Israelites did: confessing their sins so that they may be forgiven. We need to develop the habit of meeting with God, asking for humble spirits and clean hearts and minds. Confession produces pure hearts. Judgment becomes good news if our sins have gone before us to the sanctuary.

It is important to note that only confessed sins were placed on the head of the scapegoat. Sins that had not been confessed, and thus given up, could not be transferred. Unconfessed sins cannot be atoned for and sinners that knowingly refuse the gift of salvation also have to bear the guilt of their own choice. This is why it is so important that our sins are confessed before God. As we confess, we are purified and stand before God without fear for we are promised that “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 NKJV).

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “ Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18 NKJV).

The standard of judgment has not changed. It is the infallible law of God—the Ten Commandments. James 2:12 says, “So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.”

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).