1HP Dan. 8:14. Before we can understand what is meant by the cleansing of the sanctuary, which began in 1844, at the end of the 2300 days, we must know what the sanctuary is, spoken of in this prophecy.

2HP Heb. 9:1-5. Under the direction of God, Moses erected a tabernacle in the wilderness, which is expressly called the sanctuary. Its service continued from the giving of the ceremonial law on Mt. Sinai to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This tabernacle of Moses was later merged into the beautiful temple at Jerusalem. When Christ expired upon the cross, the veil in this temple was rent (Matt. 27:50,51), showing that the service of God in that building had ended. This temple was destroyed by the Romans in a.d. 70.

3HP Heb. 8:1,2. A heavenly sanctuary has taken the place of this earthly sanctuary built by men. In this sanctuary in heaven Christ ministers for us as our great High Priest. Since this heavenly sanctuary took the place of the earthly sanctuary at the death of Jesus on the cross, the sanctuary that was to be cleansed in 1844 must of necessity be the heavenly sanctuary where Jesus ministers for us today.

4HP Heb. 9:23. The earthly sanctuary that Moses built was a type, figure, pattern, or shadow of the heavenly sanctuary. As the earthly sanctuary had its two apartments, so the heavenly sanctuary has both a holy place and a most holy place.

5HP Heb. 8:3,4. The service of the priests in the earthly sanctuary in the former dispensation was a type or figure of Christ's ministry in the heavenly sanctuary during the Christian dispensation A careful reading of the book of Leviticus will show that the ceremonies in the earthly sanctuary consisted of two parts, a daily ministration in the first apartment (Heb. 9:6) and an annual ministration in the second apartment. Heb. 9:7. The service in the second apartment was carried on at the end of the religious year, at which time the sanctuary was cleansed, final disposition being made of the sins of the people for that year. Lev. 16:6-22.

6HP Heb. 7:27. On the cross Jesus made an offering for sin once for all, an offering that is sufficient for the sins of all men for all time.

7HP Heb. 9:24. After offering Himself as our true Lamb and Sacrifice, He ascended to the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary, to plead the merits of His shed blood for those who accept Him as their Saviour.

8HP Heb. 7:25. Jesus is able to save to the uttermost because He ever lives to intercede for those who come to God by Him. 1 John 2:1. Just as surely as we accept Him, and are true to Him to the end, He secures forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life for us. Jesus Christ served as man's High Priest in the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary until the end of the 2300 days in 1844. Then, according to Daniel 8:14, the time came for the  cleansing of the sanctuary.  In ancient times the high priest of the Levitical service cleansed the sanctuary once each year on the great Day of Atonement, also known as the day of judgment. On this day the high priest closed the yearly round of service by a special ceremony in the most holy place. So in the antitype Jesus must have passed into the second apartment of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844, to perform the closing ceremony of His priestly work.

9HP Heb. 9:28. When He finished His work as priest in the second apartment, Jesus will appear without sin, to enter upon the divine program of actually making an end of sin forever, by taking all the righteous to heaven, slaying the living wicked, binding the devil, and then at the end of the 1000 years wiping out sin forever by the everlasting destruction of the devil and all sinners and sin.

10HP Isa. 43:25. Let us make sure that all our sins are blotted out while Jesus is now finishing His priestly work, so that we may live with Him forever.