Salvation

Angels – Their Ministration

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Before Adam and Eve sinned, their home was in “Eden, the garden of God” (Ezekiel 28:13). Here they were visited, not only by holy angels, but God Himself held communion with them, and they talked with Him face to face.

After the fall, man could no longer talk with God. Neither could any sinful being see His face and live. Even to Moses, the man of God, He said, “Thou canst not see My face: for there shall no man see Me, and live” (Exodus 33:20).

It was not, however, the Creator’s will to cut man off from communication with heavenly beings. And in the darkness and uncertainty following the entrance of sin, man has ever felt the need of “some ministering spirit, some heavenly visitant from the world of light, to instruct him in the things of God.” Hence it is but natural that man should ever be reaching out for some method of communication with heaven. This need of the human soul the Lord supplies by means of the ministration of angels.

Ministering Spirits

To the inhabitants of this world the angels are messengers (see margin Judges 2:1) sent from the courts above. Around the throne of God in heaven there is an “innumerable company of angels” (Hebrews 12:22) that go and come at His command.

Says John, “I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne” (Revelation 5:11).

David says, “The Lord hath prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom ruleth over all. Bless the Lord, ye His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye His hosts; ye ministers of His, that do His pleasure” (Psalm 103:19–21).

In an earthly kingdom the conditions are similar. The monarch resides at the capital of his kingdom, which is the seat of government. Here trusty messengers bring to him reports from every part of the realm. As questions of moment are settled, the decisions are placed in the hands of those who are empowered to act in the name of the king. Thus affairs of the kingdom receive proper attention, no matter how broad or widely scattered the dominion may be.

We can readily see that the Lord employs His servants, the angels, in a similar manner. “He always works by means, or agents. The angels are His officers, or messengers, whom He has appointed to represent Him and to have charge of the affairs of this earth. They watch over God’s people, and administer to their wants. They bear the prayers of the saints up before the Lord, and come again to answer them according to His direction.”

The statement of the apostle Paul is very clear on the ministry of angels: “To which of the angels said He at any time, Sit on My right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (Hebrews 1:13, 14)?

To Jacob, on his lonely way as he fled from his father’s house, the attendance and ministration of heavenly angels was made very real: “And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it” (Genesis 28:12).

On his return journey, many years after, as he was about to meet his brother Esau, whom he had so cruelly wronged in his younger days, and whom he greatly feared, “the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God’s host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim” (Genesis 32:1, 2).

The meaning of Mahanaim is two hosts, or camps, referring to the great camp of Jacob’s band, and the camp of the angels of God. This was evidence to the patriarch that the camp of heaven was by his side to protect him in the dreaded meeting with his brother.

Angels are at times sent from heaven in answer to prayer. In Daniel 9:21, 22, we read that as the prophet was praying, the angel Gabriel was sent to answer his prayer.

Another instance in the life of Daniel gives the most realistic account of angelic ministration. The prophet was deeply burdened regarding the sins and the captivity of his people. For three weeks he had fasted and prayed to God that the way might be opened for Israel to return to their own land. Then the angel appeared to him and said:

“Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes [margin, the first Prince], came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia” (Daniel 10:12, 13). [Emphasis supplied.]

Daniel’s “three full weeks” (verse 2) of fasting and prayer for his people had not been in vain. The angel (doubtless Gabriel) said to him that from the first day of his fast his words were heard. Gabriel had been with the king of Persia for three weeks—just the time Daniel had been afflicting his soul.

What a lesson regarding answer to prayer! During his three weeks of fasting and prayer Daniel had no evidence that his prayers were bringing any answer. Yet every day of this time this mighty angel was engaged with the king in his effort to bring about the very results for which Daniel was praying.

During all these days Satan opposed the efforts of Gabriel to move the heart of the king. The task was too unequal, and Michael, the Son of God Himself, came to the court of the king to complete the work. Gabriel is thus released, and goes swiftly to Daniel, to assure him that his prayers are heard, and to give him the instruction for which he has been pleading.

Michael, equal with the Father in all the power of heaven, is soon able to bring the king of Persia to terms, and the release of Israel is assured.

We read and talk of the romance of history, and of the titanic forces employed in modern warfare. But what earthly event can compare with this scene, in which the actors were, first, Daniel, the aged prophet in prayer; secondly, Michael and Gabriel, two of the strongest beings from heaven itself; thirdly, the king of Persia; fourthly, Satan and his powerful angels. Truly it was a royal battle, the nature of which was little suspected by the human characters interested in it.

The day of wonderful answers to prayer is not of the past alone. God is as ready to hear and answer now as He was in the days of Daniel. The sincere Christian who prays in faith, and expects and looks for answers, will receive answers and know that he receives them. Yet the response from heaven may be so far-reaching that we would be startled if our eyes were opened. The delay that tries the faith of the suppliant may arise from necessary work upon other hearts as hard and as stubborn as that of the king of Persia or the Pharaoh of Egypt.

Guardian Angels

“Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones [servants of God, not necessarily children]; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).

The Bible clearly indicated that a guardian angel is appointed to every follower of Christ. So in every conflict with the powers of darkness, it is a comforting and inspiring thought that we have not only a Father in heaven, but we have also a powerful angel by our side. We have always within immediate reach a power sufficient to beat back all the assaults of the enemy. These angels bring to us light and courage, and in all cases are at hand to protect us.

Satan himself recognized, in the experience of Job, the efficiency of this angelic guardianship. The Lord called his attention to the integrity of Job, and Satan replied, “Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not Thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side” (Job 1:9, 10)? Of the character of Job the Lord said, “There is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man” (verse 8). Hence powerful angels were placed like a guarding wall about him, to protect him and all he possessed from the power of Satan and his hosts of evil. He was practically placed beyond their malign influence. “No evil could approach him except as God gave special permission.”

Satan claimed that if this protection was removed, and his possessions were destroyed, “He will curse Thee to Thy face” (Job 1:11).

“And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand” (verse 12).

Yet through all the calamities the evil one was permitted to bring upon him, he was not forsaken by the heavenly messengers. They were there to see that Satan should not afflict Job beyond the permission given by Jehovah. Even though tempted to sin, he retained his integrity, for it is said, “In all this Job sinned not” (verse 22).

So, although God in His wise providence allows His children to be tempted, tried, and afflicted, they are never forsaken. Heavenly messengers maintain a constant communication between them and their heavenly Father, and no evil is permitted to come upon them only so far as it is for their good and the advancement of His work in the earth.

The psalmist tells us how God protects His children: “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them” (Psalm 34:7).

Peter’s guardian angel released him from prison more than once. At one time Herod had cast him into prison, intending to kill him as he had James. But the Lord had yet a work for Peter to do.

“And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me” (Acts 12:6–8).

The apostle did not understand what was transpiring, “but thought he saw a vision.” “And when Peter was come to himself [when he realized it was all real and true], he said, ‘Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent His angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews (Acts 12:9, 11).”

Then Peter went to the house of Mary, the mother of John, where the disciples were “gathered together praying” (verse 12). They were doubtless beseeching God for the release of the imprisoned apostle.

As he “knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda” (verse 13). When she heard his voice asking admission, she did not let him in for very joy, but, instead, ran and told the praying disciples that Peter stood at the gate. At first they could not believe the words of the maid, but she insisted that he was really there. “Then said they, It is his angel” (verse 15).

“They did not mean that it was Peter’s spirit, for they supposed he was yet alive and in prison. They meant … what they said, that it was his angel—the one who attended him.”

The ninety-first Psalm describes the position of God’s people during the time of trouble. Of the mission of the angels during this time, we read, “He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy food against a stone” (Psalm 91:11, 12).

They Hear Our Words

An angel is always present and hears what we say. “Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before [in the presence of] the angel, that it was an error” (Ecclesiastes 5:6). The angels of God can not be deceived.

They See Us

“For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men” (1 Corinthians 4:9). We are never alone. We could see our angel visitor if our eyes were opened. (See 2 Kings 6:3–23).

Angels in the Gospel

When the work of creating the earth and its inhabitants was finished, “the morning stars [angels] sang together” (Job 38:7).

When man sinned and was driven from Eden, the “angels ceased their songs of praise. Throughout the heavenly courts there was mourning for the ruin that sin had wrought.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 62.

When the plan of salvation through Christ, which was to give the human race another chance, was proclaimed to the angels, they made heaven ring again with the song that later sounded over the hills of Bethlehem: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14).

Before the fall, angels were the teachers of Adam and Eve. They told them of the fall of Satan, and of the ceaseless efforts he and his fallen companions would make to cause them to sin and fall as he had fallen.

Since the fall, the interest of holy angels in the human family has intensified. As before the fall they were to warn our first parents of the danger that lurked in the wiles of Satan, so after the fall they were to instruct man in the plan of salvation that had been devised in his behalf.

As man had failed to stand the test while surrounded by every influence that could guard him from evil, he must now regain the character he had lost by disobedience in a world that had fallen under the dominion of Satan.

To meet these adverse conditions the angels were appointed as guardians, ministers, and messengers from heaven to aid fallen humanity in its struggle with evil. Then how deep must be the interest of angels in the welfare of man, and in the advancement of the gospel in the earth!

Angels have ever acted a prominent part in the spread of the gospel. Though the preaching of the gospel has been given to men, yet angels have an important mission to perform in aiding and guiding the earthly minister in his work.

The case of Cornelius is an example. Cornelius was a Gentile. He was also an officer in the Roman army. It was said of him that he was “a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews” (Acts 10:22).

But Cornelius knew nothing of Jesus Christ. It seems that he was seeking for light from heaven, for he “prayed to God always,” and to such a man help will always be sent when needed. In this case the angel appeared to the Roman officer while he was fasting and praying. He instructed him to send for Peter, saying, “He shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do” (verses 2–6).

Cornelius therefore sent two servants and a devout soldier to the place where Peter abode in Joppa. The next day, as the three men were nearing Joppa, Peter “went upon the housetop to pray” (verse 9). There he saw a vision, and a heavenly messenger instructed him to go with the men in response to the call of Cornelius, notwithstanding he was a Gentile.

So Peter returned with them, and found the house of Cornelius filled with his “kinsmen and near friends” (verse 24). And as he preached the gospel to them, “the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word” (verse 44). And they believed and were baptized.

In this instance the actual intervention of angels, both to Cornelius and to Peter, was necessary to bring about this result.

An incident in the life of the deacon Philip is to the point. Crossing the desert near Gaza was a eunuch, an officer of great authority in the court of Candace, queen of Ethiopia. He was returning from Jerusalem, where he had been to worship. As he rode in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah’s prophecy in regard to Christ, but did not understand it. At the command of the angel, Philip met the eunuch at this time. He was invited to a seat in the chariot, and there he explained the passage from Isaiah, and preached Christ to the Ethiopian officer.

As a result, the eunuch believed, and as they passed a pool he asked for baptism. “And they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him” (Acts 8:38).

And the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, and carried him to Azotus, But the eunuch went on his way rejoicing, a new channel through which the light of the gospel was to be carried into darkest Africa.

This whole transaction, which was so important in carrying the gospel into new territory, was due to the appearance of the angel to lead God’s minister on this important errand.

Angels appeared to Daniel, and revealed to him many important truths pertaining to the work of the gospel, some of which refer to the times in which we now live. Especially is the instruction of the angel Gabriel important, as it concerns the atonement, or the investigative judgment, and the sacrifice of the Messiah. (See Daniel 8:13–17; 9:10–27.)

It was Gabriel also who came to Mary to announce the birth of Christ, and to Zacharias to foretell that of John the Baptist. (See Luke 1:11–19, 26–33.)

A powerful angel appeared many times to the apostle-prophet John, as recorded in the Revelation, presenting before him important events and truths pertaining to the work of God to be done in the earth, and in regard to the triumph of God’s people and their great reward.

In Revelation 14:6, 7, an angel is seen flying “in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.” [Emphasis supplied.] And other angels followed, each having a special message to proclaim.

Special messages have gone to the world at special times. God sends His angels to direct the minds of His ministers to the lines of truth He would have them proclaim. Angels stand by their side as they speak the truth to the people. Angels are beside the listeners to impress their hearts. So through it all, as in the cases of Cornelius and Peter, and of Philip and the eunuch, angels are moulding the work of the ministers, and pressing home the truths to the hearts of the people.

Past, Present, and Future, by James Edson White, 69–83.

The Sanctuary Made Simple – Chapter 7

by Lawrence M. Nelson

The Sanctuary Made Simple bookChapter Seven – Christ The Answer

As we have pointed out in our study, once a year, the earthly sanctuary was to be cleansed. The day on which this event took place was called the Day of Atonement. It was a great and solemn day for the children of Israel. It was particularly holy also, for no one was permitted to do any work on this day. It was the keystone of the sacrificial system. Any man, woman, or child who did not make the needed preparation in afflicting his soul, making sure that his every sin had been taken into the sanctuary and separated from him, was to be cut off from the people of Israel. We read of this in Leviticus 23:29, “For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.” And so the Day of Atonement was a solemn occasion, for everyone had to examine himself to make sure that every sin in his life had been carried within the sanctuary.

In a short review, let us quickly enumerate once more the steps by which sin was separated from the sinner, and carried into the sanctuary. You remember, first the sinner must experience true contrition and repentance, represented by bringing a specified animal for sacrifice to the door of the tabernacle. There, he placed his hands upon its head, and confessed his sin, thus transferring his sin to the lamb. Then, with his own hand, he had to take a knife and slay the victim, for the innocent victim must die for his sins. Next, the priest would bring a bowl and take of the blood from the Iamb, which now in type carried the sin, which he then brought within the sanctuary, and sprinkled it upon the veil. In this way, the man’s sin was forgiven, and transferred into the sanctuary. You can readily see that during the year, with a great number of people, that there was an enormous accumulation of sin within the tabernacle. But once a year, God purposed that these sins would be removed from the sanctuary by a cleansing process. In our last study, we learned that the priest would take the blood of the sin offering, and enter within the most holy, and there sprinkle the blood upon the mercy seat. Thus signifying that the terms of the broken law had been satisfied. Then, symbolically, he would gather the sins and take them out of the sanctuary, and place them all upon the head of the scapegoat, which would be led away from the camp of Israel into the wilderness to die. In this manner, the sanctuary was cleansed on the great Day of Atonement.

We have discovered that the Lord Jesus Christ entered the heavenly sanctuary’s most holy place within the veil in October 1844, to conduct a final atonement process in the heavenly sanctuary since that date. This has been taking place for over 150 years now, and this work, I believe, will soon be finished. Any individual who has not made sure that every sin is confessed and forgiven will be separated forever from God when the final act of atonement is made; for Jesus will stand up and declare, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and He that is filthy, let him be filthy still, and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still” Revelation 22:11. Our only hope is in Jesus Christ’s power to enable a sinner to overcome sin. Thus Christ is the only answer to the sin problem.

But, today Satan is spreading abroad a new philosophy which is completely contrary to the sanctuary services and its teaching. He is leading men to think that their sin will be winked at by God, or will not be discovered before Jesus comes. ln Numbers 32:23, we are admonished with words that would be well to ponder, “Behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.”

Some years ago, a traveling newspaper correspondent observed a man carrying an old cane with some peculiar carvings on it. He thought very little of it, until two months later he was in the same vicinity and learned that an elderly man and his wife had been beaten to death. No one seemed to know why the murders had been committed, for the elderly couple had been loved by all. This man and his wife had been beaten to death with some kind of a stick. The correspondent went to the authorities, and gave them a description of the man he had seen with a strange looking cane. Six months later, the police found the man and brought him to justice. The judge was seated, the jury chosen, but the man had an alibi for every indictment. It seemed that the court couldn’t prove a thing against him. The judge was actually beginning to believe that maybe they had the wrong man, and the jury felt likewise. Until, the door of the courtroom opened and the newspaper correspondent walked down the aisle, in his hand he carried the blood-stained cane that he had found in the woods near the victim’s home. When the man who was accused of this brutal slaying saw the cane, his face suddenly turned white, and he began to tremble. Then everyone in the courtroom knew that he was guilty . . . be sure your sin will find you out!

There are many today who think that they can give a reasonable answer as to why they don’t surrender their sins to Jesus, and ask Him to plead their case before God. These individuals are also able to convince their pastors that they are pretty good and they are headed for the kingdom. But, God knows! And there are wives who deceive their husbands, leading them to think that they have been true to their marriage vows; but God knows! And there are some sons and daughters who convince their parents that they are just about perfect; but God knows! Some even have the ability to convince themselves that they are quite religious, and somehow will be saved when Jesus comes; but God knows! The Lord declares, “Shall not God search this out? For he knoweth the secrets of the heart.” Psalm 44:21.

Let’s bring this closer home to us as individuals. Imagine with me that there is a certain young man who has a wife and two children. This young man–we’ll call him Jim–is a good looking fellow; he has an excellent job and is a fine citizen. He pays his taxes, is well thought of in the community, he may even go to church. But, all the time he is under the conviction that he should come to Jesus and confess his sins, so he can be cleansed with His blood. However, Jim never gets around to doing what he knows he ought to do. Why? Well, maybe it is the Sabbath. He knows that the Bible teaches that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord his God. He knows that it’s a part of the divine law and he should keep it. But, there is a problem, maybe it just isn’t convenient to honor God’s day. Maybe he is having a struggle over returning tithe to God. He knows that ten percent of his income belongs to the Lord. Jim has so many blessings, a beautiful wife and two little girls, a car, a lovely home, but he also wants many other things. He feels he just can’t afford to pay tithe; or so he thinks. Maybe he has a problem with some secret bad habit, like smoking, or having an occasional drink with the boys after work. He doesn’t think anybody knows about this, but you see, God knows! Or it could be the love of some pleasure that in his heart he knows is contrary to God, but he just can’t seem to give it up. Perhaps the real issue in his mind is that he has never been baptized. He knows what God’s word says in John 3:5, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” But he has continued to put it off. The issue here is–a young man with sin in his life.

Now, let us suppose that one day something happens that Jim didn’t plan on. He might have been thinking deeply about his work, and without looking, he starts across the street. Suddenly he is hit by a car, and his life is instantly snuffed out! The funeral is held in the church which is filled to capacity with many of his friends. The pastor, thinking that Jim was ready for the kingdom, presents a wonderful eulogy; but what do you think? Can God accept this young man? Can Jim, now dead, do anything to correct his faulty, sinful record left on the books of heaven? What does God say about our condition when we are dead? For “the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they anymore a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. . . . Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6, 10.

The word of God has made it very clear that since Jim is dead he cannot do anything to correct his past mistakes. He’s dead, he’s buried; but is this the end? Oh, no! We read in God’s word that this man must now be judged. In the book of Hebrews 9:27, are these words: “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”

Now we have arrived at the crucial issue having to do with the judgment and the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary.

In the autumn of 1844, when Jesus Christ stepped in before the throne of God within the most holy place the judgment proceedings began. There are no words in the Bible that are more striking than those describing this judgment scene. “I beheld till the thrones were cast down (placed) and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.” Daniel 7:9, 10.

Consider what happened when this great court of God convened in heaven in the year 1844. The first case would be that of Abel, who had been murdered by his brother Cain, for he was the first man to die in this world. Abel was a sinner, for–“all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. Yet, he believed in the Savior, and did as God had required. He took a Iamb and confessed his sins over it transferring them to the Iamb, and then with his own hand, he slew the sacrifice. When the books were opened, in which were recorded the sins of Abel, Jesus Christ was standing before God, pleading for Abel. “I have covered his sins with my blood. I want him to live in heaven with us.” God looks at Jesus, and then speaks those wonderful words: “Retain his name in the Book of Life.”

Next case, . . .we don’t know whose name came up next, but eventually Cain died and let us suppose that his name came up next. Was Cain a religious man? You would hardly think so, since the Bible says he murdered his brother. But, look a little closer. You will find that indeed he was quite a religious man. Cain thought himself righteous and came to God with a thank offering. Only he made no confession of sin. Instead of bringing a lamb for a sacrifice for his sins, he decided that he would go out to his garden and dig up some vegetables for his sacrifice. He built an altar, and placed the fruit of his labor upon the altar as an offering. Then he knelt down and prayed, asking God to accept his offering. But, God would not accept this substitute for sin. No one can ever earn salvation by his self righteousness. Remember the words of Hebrews 9:22, “Without the shedding of blood is no remission.” Cain presumed upon God’s mercy and grace. He did not bring a sacrificial lamb, representing Christ. And God will never accept a counterfeit. Since God would not accept his counterfeit sacrifice Cain became so angry that he killed his brother, Abel. All this is recorded in the books of heaven. As the books were opened and the record was revealed, could Jesus stand up as Cain’s advocate? As far as we know, He could not. There is nothing in the Bible to indicate that Cain ever accepted Jesus. He did not obey the requirements of Christ as outlined in the sacrificial system of the sanctuary. Can you imagine the sorrow of Jesus as God says, “Put Cain’s name in the book of death.”

And so, the judgment goes on for all people who ever lived on this earth. Everyone is judged according to the records in the books of heaven. Each individual is accepted or rejected as determined by the answer to one question: Has the blood of Christ covered his/her sins?

Now let’s go back to the funeral of this young man, Jim, who was killed by an automobile. A person may live a fairly good life, but not obey God in his daily living. What happens to him in the judgment? Did Christ do everything for Jim that he might be saved? Watch Jesus as He points to the nail prints in His hands, and to the wound in His side, and then says, ‘Father, I gave my life for that young man. Father, I died on Calvary, what more could I have done for him? But, he would not obey; he would not accept my sacrifice as provided. Therefore, I cannot cover his sins with my blood.” Slowly, but surely God says, “Put his name in the book of death.”

Am I making this too real? The sanctuary services are simple to understand. Friend, this is exactly what is going on in the heavenly sanctuary today. The cleansing of the sanctuary in heaven is real!

“Soon, none know how soon, the judgment will pass to the living.” Great Controversy, 1888 Edition, pg. 490.

lt makes us think seriously, doesn’t it? Are we ready for our names to come up before God?

There is more to the story of Jim’s experience even though his name was blotted out of the book of life. This is not the end for Jim as we shall see.

When Jesus comes the second time a resurrection will take place. “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” I Thessalonians 4:16, 17. In this first resurrection, when Jesus returns to this earth, Jim will not come forth from his grave. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will be raised in the first resurrection.

Now, what about Jim’s family? Let’s say that as time went on, his wife and daughters lived faithfully; keeping the commandments of God, making sure every sin was confessed and covered by the blood of Jesus until the day they, too, went into the grave. When Jesus comes in the clouds with ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands of angels, He looks upon the graves of His sleeping saints and calls for the righteous to come forth. This mother and daughters will come out of their graves clothed in immortality. No doubt, Jim’s wife will look around for her husband, and the girls will be looking for dad. When they see that his grave beside theirs has not been opened, tears fill their eyes, but God says that He shall wipe away all tears. Then with overwhelming joy they are lifted up by the angels to meet the Lord in the air and taken to heaven where they will spend the next one thousand years. “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” Revelation 20:6.

But, what about Jim–where is he–what will happen to him? Regarding the second resurrection, Revelation 20:5 says, “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.” At the end of the thousand years, Jesus is going to come back to this earth the third time with all His living saints, and He will also bring with him that great city, the New Jerusalem. As Jesus descends to the earth, the second resurrection of the dead takes place. It is the resurrection of the wicked. The Bible speaks of them as the sands of the seashore, or humanly speaking, they are without number! These still have the same spirit of rebellion and resistance to God’s requirements as they had while living on the earth.

Picture with me, Jim, as he comes forth in this final resurrection. He looks around, and sees the city of God, the New Jerusalem. He is troubled, and says, “That’s strange, this isn’t like what I used to read in my Bible.” and then, he sees the wicked of all ages milling around, what a sight! Something is wrong. Then he remembers that he did not obey God, and follow Christ in the way of salvation as taught in the sanctuary service. He did not repent and confess his sins. He did not transfer his sins to Jesus and accept His death for his sins. He did not allow Christ to take his sins into the sanctuary, and separate those sins from his sinful heart.

Therefore, Christ was unable to be his advocate before God. Christ would have gladly covered his sins with His blood and blotted them out. So the scripture is finally fulfilled, “Be sure your sins will find you out,” as fire comes down from God out of heaven, and devours Jim with his unforgiven sins.

But this need never happen to you or me–not when Christ has provided such a wonderful way of escape. Remember, there is no one in this world who has gone too far in the depths of sin but Jesus can forgive and save. Isaiah tell us, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18. There is hope for every one of us. “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25.

Yes! Jesus is the answer. He alone can save us. In His righteousness He can present your case before the Father, and He can pronounce you as one who has never sinned. This may sound too good to be real, but it is true. Do not hesitate–come boldly to Jesus. The Savior will make an atonement for you and be your personal Advocate. Remember, Christ is the answer to all your sins and to all your needs.

End

The Sanctuary Made Simple – Chapter 6

by Lawrence M. Nelson

The Sanctuary Made Simple bookChapter Six – Christ The Advocate

In chapter four as we studied Daniel 8:14, we discovered some amazing facts concerning a prophecy that covered some 2,300 years of this world’s history: “Unto two thousand and three hundred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” This great time prophecy was divided into two sections. The first section covered 490 years; the second a remaining 1,810 years of this prophecy, which brings us to the fall of 1844 A.D. Now, the prophet wrote of this exact date, read it again in Daniel 8:14: “And the angel said unto me, unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.”

Before we can understand what is meant by the words, “then shall the sanctuary be cleansed,” we must understand which sanctuary is being referred to, for you will recall that there are two sanctuaries mentioned in the Bible; one during the time of Moses which continued until Christ, and the other that was, and is, in heaven. The author of the book of Hebrews wrote in Hebrews 9:1: “Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine services, and a worldly sanctuary.” The time period covered by this first covenant extended from Moses to the cross. Paul is telling us of the sanctuary that was here on this earth. He describes it in the next four verses: “For there was a tabernacle made: the first, wherein is called the sanctuary. And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all (Holy): which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; And over it the Cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat,” Now, no one can mistake what Paul is talking about: He is describing the earthly sanctuary, (or tabernacle that was erected in the wilderness), and referring to such articles that were found therein, such as the golden pot containing manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded.

The earthly tabernacle services were performed until the day when Solomon’s temple was built; then continued in the temple until the building was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. Later, in the days of Zechariah the prophet, the temple was rebuilt. This was the sanctuary of the first covenant that was standing in the days when Christ was here on earth.

Now you recall that the priest went into the first apartment of the sanctuary every day of the year to perform the work of separating sin from the sinners. There was only one day of the year in which the high priest could go beyond the veil that separated the first and the second apartments and enter the holy of holies. This was on the Day of Atonement when he entered into the second apartment for the purpose of cleansing it. The sanctuary pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ as our redeemer. The entire sanctuary service was symbolic of Christ’s priestly ministry, and Christ was represented in every sacrifice.

But, remember that every article connected with the sanctuary pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ as our redeemer: The golden candlestick was symbolic of Jesus–the light of the world, as He said, “I am the light of the world.” John 8:12. The shewbread represented Jesus Christ, who said, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger.” He was the true bread that came down from heaven, on Whom we can feed and live forever. The altar of incense revealed Christ as our Intercessor and Redeemer, pleading our case before God. The mercy seat, symbolizing God’s throne, depicts our atonement, He who gives us pardon through the merits of His blood. The altar of burnt offering or sacrifice, served to present Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, Who offered Himself to die for us. And there was the layer, which pointed to Christ as the One Who cleanses us and makes us acceptable before the very presence of our great God.

It is a marvelous revelation that the entire sanctuary service was symbolic of Christ’s priestly ministry. He was represented in every sacrifice, and fulfilled both phases of the priesthood–the first by dying for fallen man, and the second by pleading before the Father for every repentant sinner. But all of these things–the articles and furnishings of the earthly sanctuary, as well as the system of animal sacrifices and all of the offerings and services performed by the priests–came to an end when Christ, the Lamb of God, hung on the cross, dying,–when He cried, “It is finished!”; and the inner veil of the temple was ripped from the top to the bottom. This represented Christ’s body being torn in death.

When Christ ascended to heaven, He entered not “into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us:” So, the earthly sanctuary came to an end. Remember, it was destroyed in A.D. 70 by the Roman army.

“Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: we have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” Hebrews 8:1, 2. This sanctuary that is to be cleansed, is the sanctuary that is in heaven, where Jesus is now mediating. The worldly sanctuary was for the first covenant. The heavenly sanctuary is concerned with the new, or everlasting covenant. In other words, the new covenant took the place of the old covenant, when it was established by the blood of Christ on Calvary’s cross. This heavenly sanctuary, then, took the place of the earthly sanctuary. The earthly priest had ministered in the earthly sanctuary until Christ was crucified but, when the Lamb of God offered His life once and for all, Jesus entered into heaven to administer His blood for us in the heavenly sanctuary as our High Priest.

The priests, under the old covenant, performed their ministry in relationship to the Ten Commandments. So, Jesus Christ our high priest, now in heaven, under the new covenant performs His ministry in relation to these same Ten Commandments; the original law of God. We read in Hebrews 8:8-10: “Behold the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.” Now notice this– “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.” What is God saying? He says that under the new covenant, He is going to take away sin out of our hearts, and He says, “I will give you a new heart, and write my law in your heart.” You notice God did not say, “I will abolish my covenant, and give you a new law.” and neither did He say, “I will give grace to supersede the Ten Commandments.” What God is really trying to tell us is that because of His grace, He will write His law in our hearts, and bring our lives into conformity to His precepts. Isn’t that simple? Perhaps I should say isn’t that beautiful? To think that God would do this for us?

Now you can easily see that during a year’s time, there would be a multitude of sins that had gathered in the earthly sanctuary. This is what made it necessary to cleanse the sanctuary, or blot out the record of those sins, and take them out of the sanctuary as described in Leviticus 16. And so it was, that there was a day known as “The Day of Atonement”, in which the sanctuary was cleansed. Two goats of the same age were brought before the high priest. He would cast lots; one was chosen to be sacrificed and would be killed, and its blood would be taken within the sanctuary and sprinkled on the mercy seat to satisfy the claims of the law. In order to do this, the priest must go within the veil, into the most holy place, which could only be done once a year. In performing this act he would, figuratively, gather up all the sins that had been forgiven and take them with him out of the sanctuary and place his hands upon the scapegoat, transferring all of these sins to the scapegoat (Satan), which would then be taken out into the wilderness to die. In this manner, all sins were removed from the sanctuary, thus it could be said, the sanctuary was now cleansed.

All that transpired in the earthly sanctuary was a type, a pattern, or a shadow of the work that Christ is now performing in the heavenly sanctuary. So Christ, with his own blood, pleads for us before the Father in heaven. I John 2:1, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

What we need to fully understand is the work that Jesus our personal advocate is now doing in the heavenly sanctuary during the final atonement. So few Christians have any concept of the sanctuary, in which the Lord is not only our intercessor, and our mediator, but our advocate. Think of it. If we will accept Christ and fully surrender our hearts to Him, He will personally plead His blood for us. It’s almost too good to be true! Our Elder Brother in heaven pleading before God for you and for me. This is what happens when we confess our sins to the Lord. He rises up before the Father in heaven, holding up those nail-pierced hands, saying, “Father, My blood, My blood, I have shed My blood for these dear ones. By the merits of My sacrifice on Calvary, I now plead that you accept My sinless life for these sinful lives.”

I think a poet has given this picture in beautiful words: “Father, I bring this repentant child to Thee, to claim Thy pardon yet once again. Receive him at My hands, for he is Mine. Look not on him. He cannot bear Thy glance. Look thou on Me; his vileness, I will hide. I am his Advocate. By that unchanged, unchanging oath of Mine, by each pure drop of blood I lost for him, by all the sorrows graven on My soul, by every wound I bear, I claim it due. Father, Father divine, I cannot have him lost. He is a precious soul, for whom I died. Sin hath nearly destroyed him, but sin hath died in Me. Death hath pursued him, but I have conquered death. Satan hath bound him, but Satan is My slave. Father, hear not him, not him, but Me. I would not have him lost for all the world. Thou for My glory hath ordained and made.” What a beautiful picture the poet has described. How thankful we should be for such an advocate as we have in Jesus Christ, who is before the throne of God now, pleading our case. This is why it tells us in Hebrews 7:25, “Wherefore he (Christ) is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”

From 34 A.D. until 1844 Christ ministered within the first apartment of the sanctuary, according to the terms of the new covenant. But, in 1844, Christ entered within the veil, just as the priest in the earthly sanctuary did on the Day of Atonement to cleanse the sanctuary. This is what we read in Daniel 8:14, “Unto two thousand three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” So Christ our high priest left the first apartment, of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844 and entered the second apartment to finish His mediatorial work, to become our Advocate.

Soon, very soon, Jesus is going to finish the cleansing work. And He will throw down His censer as the great High Priest, and He will say as we read in Revelation 22:11, “He That is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” After that decree is issued, there will be no more appeal by our Advocate. For Christ has now been in the second apartment of the sanctuary since 1844. For over 150 years Christ has been officiating in the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary. First, for the righteous dead and He will end with the judgment of the living. Soon, oh so soon, He is going to return, as it says in the scripture, “without sin unto salvation.” (“Without sin” means that He is dealing, not with the sin problem but to take His people home to heaven.)

Please permit me to illustrate the importance of having an advocate. There was an accountant employed in the capital city of Russia many years ago. He knew that the auditors were coming, and that they would discover that he was bankrupt. He had embezzled the money for his own purpose. This could mean only one thing; his life would be taken. As he brooded over his fatal mistake, he drew up a list of all the debts that he owed, and he wrote at the bottom of that list the question: Who is going to pay for all of these debts? In the turmoil of his mind, he fell asleep at his desk.

Now it so happened that Alexander I, the Czar of Russia, was making a tour of that very building in which this man slept at his desk. As he entered this accountant’s office, he saw that the man was sleeping. He went over to the desk and saw the paper lying on the desk. He picked it up and read the list of this man’s debts. And when he read the question, “Who is going to pay all of this debt? He was suddenly seized with a good impulse. He took out his golden pen, and he wrote these words, “I Alexander.” Can you imagine the thrill of this man when he awoke? He knew his master’s signature and knew that his master would pay. He had been saved from death!

This is exactly what Christ is doing for us today. What a terrible list of sins are on the record books of heaven. If you and I were to look at our own sins on our records, we would feel hopeless. But, thank God, Jesus Christ will say to all who have confessed and repented, “I will blot out your sins.” Thank God, our Advocate is sufficient. Just now, He stands ready to wash away your sins, and when the times of refreshing shall come, to blot them out forever.

We dare not presume on Christ’s mercies. Sinners who have not repented of their sins, will not have the privilege of having Christ as their Advocate. Verily, Christ will say to them, “Depart from Me, ye that work iniquity;” these will bear their own guilt and punishment, and after the 1,000 years will suffer in the lake of fire.

Friend, we need to put ourselves in the hands of Jesus Christ this very moment; in the hands of our great Advocate, for He alone can save us.

Chapter 7 ⇒

The Sanctuary Made Simple – Chapter 5

by Lawrence M. Nelson

The Sanctuary Made Simple bookChapter Five – Christ The Atonement

Let us mention again that one of the most fundamental factors of the Christian life is conversion. Every professed Christian needs to experience the peace of mind that conversion brings. This is indeed the longing of the heart. Repentance and conversion is urged by Peter as a prerequisite to the blotting out of sins. The blotting out of sins is another very important factor in the plan of salvation.

The basis of this study is found in Acts 3:19, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out”–when? “When the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” We realize that man can never be fully satisfied and have unquestioned peace of mind until he knows that every known sin has been confessed, forsaken, and forgiven. Then he can look forward to that day when the record of his sins will be permanently blotted out by the finger of God. When is that time? “When the times of refreshing shall come.”

This time has been defined by inspiration as the time of the judgment, the latter rain, and the sealing. The refreshing is poured out from the sanctuary above. This is why we must carefully study what takes place within the sanctuary, concerning the sins which have been brought in by virtue of Christ’s blood and His work of substitution. Hebrews 9:6, 7 tells us, “Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always in to the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people.”

Who ministered in the first apartment? The priest. How often? Every day. Who went into the most holy place? Only the High Priest. How often? Only once a year. And what did he take with him? He took blood–the atoning blood. You see, the path into the sanctuary is a blood-stained path, and inside there is more blood–on the horns of the brazen altar, on the golden altar, and there is blood on the Mercy Seat. The blood always represents the sacrifice of Christ. This is beautifully brought out in The Great Controversy, page 416,

“His (Christ’s) intercession is that of a pierced side, the marred feet plead for fallen man, whose redemption was purchased at such infinite cost. The earthly sanctuary had to be purified, or cleansed by the blood of animals. But what about the heavenly sanctuary? The book of Hebrews states that the heavenly things must be purified with a “better sacrifice”. This refers, of course, to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and the shedding of His blood. Again in The Great Controversy, pages 417, 418

“The cleansing, both in the typical and in real service, must be accomplished with blood: In the former, with the blood of animals; in the later, with the blood of Christ. Paul states, as the reason why this cleansing must be performed with blood, is that without shedding of blood is no remission.

What is remission? Ellen White continues,

“Remission, or putting away of sin, is the work to be accomplished.”

We read in Hebrews 9:23, 24, “It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy place made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us.

Those last, beautiful words–to appear in the presence of God for us–are wonderful. This Scripture is telling us that Jesus was not just loaned to us for a few years some two thousand years ago. Jesus was given to us as a gift–even forever! When He returned to heaven, He did so as our elder brother, to personally represent us to His Father. As Christ entered heaven, He carried the sins of the world by the virtue of His blood into the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary.

For 1,810 years the Lord represented His people there in the first apartment, as the typical priest in the sanctuary of old went into the sanctuary every day. But now note a change. Once a year the high priest went into the second apartment. Just so, Christ entered into the second apartment once in the year 1844. Now I hope you are following carefully. I’m asking a question–how often did the high priest go into the second apartment? Only once a year. Will Jesus Christ do this every year? No, absolutely not! Why not? Because He does this only once, in the times of the end. And He will continue to minister in this apartment until His work is completed. Notice the words in Hebrews 9:26, “But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” You know that expression, “the end of the world”, refers to the very last days before Christ comes a second time. And so the question–what is His purpose in entering the most holy apartment at the time of the end? The Scriptures says, “to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” Now that’s a very strong term, to put away. This term is used in the Bible to describe a man who divorces his wife. Such a man is said “to put away” his wife. So you see, Jesus is in the business of divorcing sin from His people in this end-time; in fact, there is no other solution for this troubled world. No peace conferences will ever permanently succeed, and no new world order of the United Nations will be able to get rid of the sin problem. This problem will ever remain until it is finally solved in the sanctuary by the eradication of the sin that is now taking place in the end time.

Since 1844, what has been happening in the second apartment within the heavenly sanctuary? Our great High Priest has been performing the work of the investigative judgment, making an atonement for all who are shown to be entitled to its benefits.

In the Great Controversy, page 422, we read:

“At the termination of the 2300 days in 1844, Christ then entered the most holy place to perform the closing work of atonement preparatory to His coming.

“This is the service which began when the 2300 days ended. At that time, as foretold by Daniel the prophet, our High Priest entered the most holy, to perform the last division of His solemn work-to cleanse the sanctuary.” (ibid.) page 421).

Also in Testimonies, Vol. 5, page 520, are these challenging words,

“The sacred work of Christ for the people of God that is going on at the present time in the heavenly sanctuary should be our constant study.”

From these references we can see there was a big difference between what went on in the two apartments. In the first apartment the sins of the penitent were transferred into the sanctuary by the substitute. But in the second apartment, the blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat, in order to erase or blot out the sin. This is what took place during the annual Day of Atonement. Turn to Leviticus 16:5. There we will discover what the ancient priest did in the most holy place on this Day of Atonement. ‘And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering” Now notice, two goats were brought to the priest, and lots were cast to see which one would represent the Lord’s goat, and which one would represent the scapegoat. “And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the Lord’s lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.” Leviticus 16:8, 9.

You will notice that the Lord’s goat was killed for a sin offering, and verse fifteen tells us what was done with the blood of that offering. It says, “Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil”, you will see he is carrying it into the most holy place. And what is the priest to do with it? “And sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat”. So, the blood of the Lord’s goat was taken into the sanctuary, into the most holy, and sprinkled upon the mercy seat in the second apartment. This now provided full and final atonement. But that’s not all that happened. Verses twenty and twenty-one, ‘And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat: And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness.

I like the way Ellen White writes about this in the book, Patriarchs and Prophets, page 356,

“On the Day of Atonement, the high priest, having taken an offering for the congregation, went into the most holy place with the blood and sprinkled it upon the mercy seat, above the tables of the law. Thus the claims of the law, which demanded the life of the sinner, were satisfied. Then, in his character of mediator, the priest took the sins upon himself and, leaving the sanctuary, he bore with him the burden of Israel’s guilt. At the door of the tabernacle, he laid his hands upon the head of the scapegoat . . . And as the goat bearing these sins was sent away, they were with him, regarded as forever separated from the people. Such was the service performed “unto the example and shadow of heavenly things.” Hebrews 8:5.

The scapegoat represents Satan, so, in the final act taking place on the Day of Atonement, the scapegoat, or Satan, is led into the desert–led there to die.

After the 1,000 years, in the fires of the second death, Satan will receive punishment. He will suffer not only for his own sins, but also for the sins of all the redeemed saints that were placed upon his head in the closing act of the final atonement. We are told that he will suffer longer than any other created being.

May I picture this for you? We are watching a man, leading a scapegoat away from the sanctuary. Why is he leading him away? Because the scapegoat has upon it the confessed and forsaken sins of God’s people. Who placed them on the scapegoat? The high priest. Where did the priest get these sins? It is interesting to note that he carried a portion of the sins in his own body; because, according to the instructions, sometimes he was to eat part of the burnt sacrificial offering. The other sins he carried from the holy place of the sanctuary. Do you remember how the sins came to be in there? Yes, they were put there by means of the blood that was carried into the sanctuary by the priest. These were the sins that the sinner had confessed over the head of the substitute. Thus, transferring his sins to the substitute, and the lamb or animal was slain by the sinner. So now we can see that there are two steps that must be taken in separating sin from the sinner. First, the sin must be transferred from the sinner into the first apartment of the sanctuary, and in the second step there is a work to be done in getting those sins out of the sanctuary.

Here is a very simple illustration of the separation process. Every city has a laundry and on Monday, you will usually find people bringing their dirty clothes to the laundry. For what purpose? To get their clothes cleaned. This is what a laundry is for, isn’t that right? The clothes go in soiled, and they come out clean. Paul uses this same figure of speech in Ephesians 5, beginning with verse twenty-five. He says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; Why? That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should he holy and without blemish.”

The sanctuary furnishes us a complete laundry service for the church, enabling the people of God to be cleansed so they can welcome the return of the Lord without fear. The church members are to be waiting for His return–fully washed and clean. But God can only wash and cleanse us from the sins that we have turned over to Him. It must be our first business to be sure that our sin-soiled garments get into the hands of our great High Priest to be cleansed in the sanctuary, so that they are not left in our mind’s dirty laundry hamper.

How do we give our sin-soiled garments to Christ to be cleansed? Verily, it is by repenting, giving up our sins, and by asking our merciful High Priest to take them all away. We must go in faith to Calvary and behold Jesus, shedding His blood for us. Then, by faith, we must follow our resurrected Savior as He transfers our sins through the efficacy of His blood to the heavenly sanctuary. Yet, there is more! On the final Day of Atonement, Christ will, as He “sprinkles” His blood on the mercy seat, blot out every trace of even the record of our sins! In this last act He will carry them from the sanctuary, and place them upon the scapegoat–Satan.

Here comes a big question. Why is it that when we confess our sins, they are not blotted out immediately? Let me picture it in this way: Pretend I am holding a chalkboard, and on this chalkboard I write the word SIN. Can you see it in your mind? This word represents the sin of a man who has come to the Lord Jesus to be forgiven. What does Jesus Christ do? The Lord wants the man never to see the sin again, so He takes the sin into the sanctuary and sprinkles His blood over it. If you could look into the record of heaven now, you would find that this sin is indeed covered with the precious blood of Jesus. The man is forgiven, and is pardoned. To illustrate this, suppose I take a handkerchief and hold it over the word SIN. Now you can’t see the word. Why? Because it is covered with the handkerchief, SIN is still there. So, there is something further that must be done; the word SIN must be erased or blotted out. Now imagine that I take the same handkerchief and erase SIN from the blackboard. You can’t see it anymore. In Psalm 32:1 notice two words which have a distinct connection, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” Friend, when our sins are forgiven, they are covered. But, remember Acts 3:19, 20, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out”, When? “when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you.” This tells us that before Jesus comes again, He is going to “blot out” the sins that have been covered–provided, of course, that you and I have met the conditions.

The experience of Jacob illustrates for us the necessity of meeting the conditions of salvation. Patriarchs and Prophets, page 202,

“Had not Jacob previously repented of his sin in obtaining the birthright by fraud, God could not have heard his prayer and mercifully preserved his life.”

The next words are for us:

“So, in the time of trouble, lf the people of God had unconfessed sins to appear before them while tortured with fear and anguish, they would be overwhelmed; despair would cut off their faith, and they could not have confidence to plead with God for deliverance. But while they have a deep sense of’ their unworthiness, they will have no concealed wrongs to reveal. (Why?) Their sins will have been blotted out by the atoning blood of Christ, and they cannot bring them into remembrance.”

This makes me feel like shouting–Praise God!

We need to be aware of the enemy’s tactics,

“Satan leads many to believe that God will overlook their unfaithfulness in the minor affairs of life; but the Lord shows in His dealing with Jacob that He can in no wise sanction or tolerate evil. All who endeavor to excuse or conceal their sins, and permit them to remain on the books of heaven, unconfessed and unforgiven, will be overcome by Satan.” (Ibid)

Again we ask why are sins not blotted out immediately when confessed? Again, I must illustrate.

Some years ago, the Adventist message came to the hearts of a father and mother. Being impressed by the Holy Spirit that it was the truth, they accepted the message. But this father had been a heavy user of tobacco. He had chewed tobacco since he was a little boy; in fact, when he was only nine years old, he used to take it out of his daddy’s pocket; so the habit had a powerful hold upon him. However, when he accepted the gospel, he put away his tobacco. But, again and again, the pull of that old habit would come upon him. His wife used to tell how he would take the plug of tobacco out of his pocket and throw it into the cornfield–just as far as he could–and with renewed determination, start the day aright. Nevertheless, sometimes right after dinner, his wife would look out of the window and see him in the cornfield, walking up and down the rows. Now what do you think he was looking for? You guessed it; he was looking for that plug of tobacco. But thank God, the day finally came when he threw the tobacco away forever, and for the next sixty years the man had complete victory over that habit, Thank God, dear friend–there is power in the blood of the Lamb.

That reminds me of one of those old hymns we used to sing–I’m glad it has reappeared in our Church Hymnal–“Would you be free from your burden of sin? There’s power in the blood, power in the blood; Would you o’er evil a victory win? There’s wonderful power in the blood.” You see, God didn’t hide that plug of tobacco, although He could have done it. No–the man had to make his own decision and gain the victory through the power of God.

We can see from the references we have read, that God does not blot out our sins forever–the moment we ask forgiveness; for He knows the struggles of man, and the power of sin. He respects your power of choice, which means that if sometime later on you might want the sin back, God will not interfere. This is explained in, Patriarchs amid Prophets, page 357,

“The blood of Christ, while it was to release the repentant sinner from the condemnation of the law, was not to cancel the sin; it would stand on record in the sanctuary until the final atonement; so in the type the blood of’ the sin offering removed the sin from the penitent, but it rested in the sanctuary until the Day of Atonement. In the great day of final award, the dead are to be “judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their work. Revelation 20:12. Then by virtue of the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, the sins of all the truly penitent will be blotted from the books of heaven. Thus the sanctuary will be freed or cleansed from the records of sin.”

Don’t you just want to praise God for what is happening in heaven’s sanctuary today and for the time of final atonement?

Not long ago a mother came to a minister with tears in her eyes, asking him to pray for her son. Between her broken sobs, she told of how her boy had lived a life of sin, and eventually, was put in the penitentiary as a criminal. Let me ask you, whom do you think suffered the most, the boy in the prison cell, or the mother, alone in her home? In her heartbreak, she cried out to the minister, “Oh pastor, pray for my boy.” She couldn’t think about anything else, her boy was all that she was living for.

I must tell you that Jesus Christ is now in the heavenly sanctuary for the purpose of taking sin out of your life. Why? Because He bore our sins in His body on the cross, and continues to bear our sins until the completion of the final atonement when He places them upon Satan. It is thus that Christ will continue to experience pain until our sins are eradicated, forever separated from us for an eternity. When we really comprehend how the Lord suffers for our sins, surely, we will want to do something about it. Was there a way to heal that mother’s hurt as she wept for her son who was in the penitentiary? Of course, there is a way.. Suppose her son would sit down in his cell and write a letter to his mother and say, “I’ve seen the terrible things that I have done; I have not only broken the law, but I have broken your heart. I have asked God to forgive me, and now my dear mother, I am asking you to forgive me. By the grace of God, I am going to walk straight from now on.” What do you suppose would happen to that mother? Would the pain in the heart stop? You better believe it would. Her tears of sorrow would be changed to tears of boundless joy.

Listen friend, it is written that there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. Just now, as you behold your great High Priest standing at the mercy seat in the sanctuary above, holding up His wounded hands before the Father pleading for you; remember, there is pain deep in His heart because of your sins; but by accepting Jesus as your personal Savior, you may bring joy to your Lord. He will not only cover your sins, but in these last hours just before probation closes, He will blot them all out. It is only through Christ that the bands of sin can be broken. It is only through Christ’s work in the sanctuary above, with our cooperation, that sin can be separated from the sinner for an eternity.

Chapter 6 ⇒

The Sanctuary Made Simple – Chapter 4

by Lawrence M. Nelson

The Sanctuary Made Simple bookChapter Four – Christ The Mathematician

This chapter features Christ as the Mathematician, and will present even more evidence of the perfect wisdom and knowledge of our God, and His love and care for each of us.

Mathematics, the most exact science known to man, is the tool we will use as we explore one of the most profound prophecies found in all of the Bible. We shall establish by mathematical proof that Jesus was the Messiah, the Anointed and Holy One of Israel, the Savior of the world. This proof has its foundation in Bible prophecy and events relating to the sanctuary service.

Would you dare to predict precisely what will happen a year from now, or a week, or even tomorrow, concerning the events to take place in this world? Yet, God’s Book boldly predicted, nearly five hundred years in advance, the exact year when Jesus Christ would begin to cleanse the sanctuary in heaven before He returns to take His people home.

We will begin with the eighth chapter of Daniel. In this chapter God gave a vision of what was to take place at a later date. We will read from Daniel’s own account of how the angel was commissioned to explain every detail of this vision to him, so that he might thoroughly understand it. Here is a portion of this amazing prediction in Daniel 8:14, ‘And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” You will notice that God commanded Gabriel, the highest angel of heaven, to instruct Daniel. Notice carefully Daniel 8:16, “Make this man to understand this vision.” Now as Gabriel began to open up the mind of Daniel to the great events that were to transpire in the future, Daniel was so overwhelmed that he fainted. So the angel left him until he recovered.

When Daniel recuperated, he prayed for his instructor to return, and to finish the job of interpretation. Daniel states: “Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, . . . Gabriel . . . touched me . . . and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.” Daniel 9:21, 22. So the angel Gabriel returned to finish the explanation that was interrupted when Daniel fainted. Then the angel begins to explain the meaning of the 2300 days of prophecy. He begins in verse twenty-four of Daniel, chapter 9: “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.”

Notice the first two words, seventy weeks. This is a measure of time. Gabriel begins by stating, “seventy weeks are determined upon thy people.” When this prophecy was given, the Jewish people were God’s chosen people. So this first part deals especially with the Jewish nation, for he said, “determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy city,” which refers to Jerusalem.

Now the word determined, in the original Hebrew, means to “cut off’. In other words, the seventy weeks are a segment, or a part of the 2300 days, which Gabriel said were allotted to the Jews.

Now we are ready for our first arithmetic problem. We have 2300 days, and from this number we must subtract 70 weeks. . . but wait! We can’t subtract weeks from days without first changing the weeks into days. Remember, there are seven days in a week; so, as you consider problem #1, we take the number of weeks, (70), and multiply this number by 7, which equals 490 days – (70 x 7 = 490). Then we subtract the 490 days from the 2300 days, and this leaves 1810 days.

Fig. #1

70 weeks x 7 days in a week = 490 days

2300 days – 490 days = 1810 days

Now you can see that the 2300 days were divided into two sections: The first section of 490 days were allotted to the Jews. The second section of 1810 days were allotted to the Gentiles. This will enable us to discover the date when the heavenly sanctuary is to be cleansed.

Before going further in our calculations, we must remember that in prophetic time, a day stands for a year. Ezekiel 4:6, “I have appointed thee each day for a year.” According to this rule, 2300 days is equal to 2300 literal years; so this first section of 490 years is for the Jews, and the remaining 1810 years for the Gentiles. The close of this prophetic time period brings us to the actual year when the Lord will cleanse the sanctuary in heaven.

In order to go ahead with our project of measuring time, we need a starting date. The 2300 years do not mean much to us unless we know what year the time prophecy was to begin. For example, I could tell you that Martin Luther, the great Protestant reformer, lived for sixty-three years, and this is a fact of history; however, if I tell you that Luther was born in 1683 and he lived for sixty-three years, you would know the year he died. You would know this by adding sixty-three years to the date of his birth. Simple enough? Yes, it is simple arithmetic.

The Lord knew that we would need this additional fact, so He gave us the starting date of this 2300 year prophecy. But, where can we find it? We read that the angel instructed Daniel that the 70 weeks, or the 490 year period, was to begin at the time the decree was given to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem. You remember that Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed Jerusalem, but God had said the time would come when it was to be rebuilt. We learn about this decree in Ezra 6:14. Talking about the temple, it says, “And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes the king of Persia.” This tells us that there were three kings involved in issuing this decree, and Ezra received the final authority to restore the temple in the year 457 B.C., from Artaxerxes, who was the king of Persia. Where is the proof of this? We find it in a letter from Artaxerxes to Ezra, confirming this authority. Read it in Ezra 7:12-28.

This gives us the starting point. The date of this decree was 457 B.C. You will find that date in the margin of some editions of the King James version of the Bible; also, history has verified this event, and it has also been established by concurrent eclipses. There is positively no question concerning this date. God tells us we are to count the first 490 years of this prophecy from the date when the command was given to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, which was issued in the fall of 457 B.C. — 457 years before Christ.

Now get ready for something startling–a real thriller! This prophecy, given to Daniel some five hundred years before Christ was born, actually foretold when the Messiah was to begin His ministry. Look closely at these words in Daniel 9:25, “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks.”

Now we’re ready to do some more arithmetic.

Fig. #2

7 weeks + 60 weeks + 2 weeks = 69 weeks

69 weeks x 7 days in a week = 483 days, or years
483 – 457 (date of the decree) = 26
26 + 1 (plus 8-9 months since decree was issued in the fall of the year.) = 27 A.D. — date Christ began His earthly ministry.

Let’s add together these 7 weeks, threescore weeks (20 + 20 + 20), and two weeks. The total is 69 weeks. And remember, a day in prophecy stands for a year; so 69 weeks must be multiplied by 7, (the number of days in a week), which total 483 days, or years. This leads us to the very date that the Messiah was to begin His mission. Now in order to keep our arithmetic simple, we will subtract 457, (the date of the decree), from 483, (the number of years involved), which gives a total of 26 years. But since there is not a 0-1 year starting point, and the decree was issued in the last part of the year, a full year must be added which takes us to AD. 27, the exact date when Christ was to begin His earthly ministry. Isn’t this marvelous?

Let’s notice a few more things in this amazing prophecy. What special event happened in A.D. 27? The Scripture records, a crowd gathered on the banks of the Jordan River. As John is baptizing, Jesus comes and asks to be baptized. When John looks at Jesus, he recognizes that he is in the presence of a Holy Life; and he shrinks from granting His request, saying, “I have need to be baptized of you.” But Jesus looks at John and says: “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.” Matthew 3:15. And so John, under the inspiration of God, announces to all those gathered on the banks of the Jordan, that Jesus is the Savior of the world, by pointing to Jesus, and saying, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29. Then John leads Jesus down into the river, buries Him under the water, and brings him up out of the water. Immediately the heavens are opened; the Holy Spirit comes down in the likeness of a dove, and the Father declares from heaven that Jesus is His very own Son. ‘And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved son; in thee I am well pleased.” Luke 3:22.

After this anointing and the forty days of temptation, Jesus began His work, in the fall of 27 AD–exactly at the precise time that had been prophesied. Jesus Himself recognized this time prophecy, for He began to preach by saying, “The time is fulfilled.” Mark 1:15. What time? The 483 year time prophecy of Daniel 9:25. The words, “the time is fulfilled” tell us that Jesus knew all about the prophecy of Daniel. And why not? For it was He Himself, through the angel Gabriel, who had instructed Daniel. He had prophesied that “69 weeks” after the decree went forth, the Messiah would be here on this earth to commence His work. And when the 69 weeks ended, the Messiah, Jesus, did appear on time. Immediately He began to preach, “The time is fulfilled.”

Tell me, friend, is there anyone in this wide world who can tell what is going to happen a year from now? I couldn’t even tell you what’s going to happen tomorrow. But there is a Book, the Word of God, that revealed exactly what would happen hundreds of years later. The Bible is truly a divine book; for it told exactly the very year when Christ would appear–A.D. 27.

This date of 27 A.D. brings us close to the end of the 69 weeks. How many weeks are left? (Remember Daniel 9:24–“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people.”) Yes, there is just one week left. And what a week it was! Read verse 27, ‘And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.” If you cut a week in half, how many days are there to the mid point? One-half of seven days is 3-½ days. According to prophetic time, you remember, 3-½ days equals 3-½ years. Here the Bible is stating that in the midst of the last week of the 70 the Messiah would be cut off. Notice Daniel 9:26, (‘And he shall) be cut off but not for himself” Can you fathom the great love of God speaking in these words? Certainly the Son of God did not deserve to die–just as the lamb in the sacrificial offering did not deserve to die. Christ was not guilty of any sin. Even the Roman governor who sentenced Christ to die said, “I find no fault in him.” Nevertheless, He was cut off, sacrificed–but not for Himself. He was cut off, friend, for you and for me. “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5.

Gabriel told Daniel, “. . . in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.” Daniel 9:27. How? By offering Himself as the supreme Sacrifice on the cross, the sacrificial system of the sanctuary was no longer necessary; because Jesus, the great Lamb of God, became the offering, and died the sinner’s death as his substitute.

Now, here’s a little more arithmetic for us to do. We have established the year of 27 A.D.; but prophecy adds 3-½ more years to this date, so we now have 30-½ years, which brings us to the exact date when the Son of God was to be sacrificed. Isn’t this amazing? Yes, it was in 31 A.D. as Jesus hung on the cross, that He uttered those unforgettable words: “It is finished.”

Fig. #3

70 weeks – 69 weeks = 1 week
1 week = 7 days divided by 2 = 3-½ days, prophetic Years!

27 A.D. (In the fall)
+3-½ years
30-½ years A.D. — since the prophecy brings us to the fall — by adding ½ year it gives us 31 A.D. in the spring.

What happened in the earthly sanctuary on the date 31 A.D.? The veil that divided the holy from the most holy in the temple, was ripped from the top to the bottom by an unseen hand, signifying that the earthly sacrifices no longer held any meaning. The sacrifice of the Lamb of God was complete. “And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.” Mark 15:37, 38.

For some fifteen hundred years the Jews had been offering a Iamb during the feast of the Passover. If the Jews had only studied the wonderful 2300-day prophecy, in the light of the typical service of the sanctuary, they could have known when Messiah would appear, and–the year, the month, the day, and the hour when Christ would be sacrificed, for the exact time when the Passover lamb was to be killed was at 3:00 p.m. according to Jewish law.

Just think of it, more than five hundred years before it took place, His death had been prophesied in specific detail. This amazing historical fact maintains the certainty of God’s word, in that it is established by mathematical calculation that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God and the Savior of the world. Now, look at Fig. #4. You will note the date of 31 A.D. (Spring), taken from figure number 3. Now add the remaining 3-½ years and you will see that the total is 34A.D., (fall).

Fig. #4

31 A.D. — spring
+ 3-½ years
34 A.D. — fall

What happened at this specific time, A.D. 34? This was the time when Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was stoned to death by the Jews during the persecution of the followers of Christ. It was then that the newly-formed Christian church went out from Jerusalem to spread the gospel to the Gentiles–to every nation on this earth.

Thus far, in this study we have covered the first 490 years of the 2300 year prophecy, including the year when the gospel would go to the Gentiles. Now we move into the second segment of the time prophecy–the period of 1,810 days or years. What was to happen at the end of the second segment of the 2300 year prophecy? “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” Daniel 8:14. Now look at figure #5. Adding 1,810 years to 34 AD., brings us forward in time to the year 1844. At this date, according to the prophecy, the cleansing of the sanctuary in heaven was to begin.

Fig. #5

34 A.D. — fall
+1810 (See figure #1)
1844 A.D. — fall

Now we are ready to consider what is to take place within the heavenly sanctuary in the fall of the year 1844. We shall discover in the next chapter that in the process of cleansing the sanctuary, each of us must give an account (in the investigative judgment) showing that the blood of Christ has covered every sin. This will determine our future.

This chapter has revealed that Christ was truly the Lamb; slain as prophesied on the day when the Passover lamb was killed. The Passover sacrifice and ritual was a reminder of Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage, but it also pointed forward to the greater deliverance from sin, as revealed in the wonderful sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. The apostle Paul speaks of Him as Christ our Passover, sacrificed for us.

You remember the story of how the destroying angel passed through the land of Egypt to kill the firstborn of man and beast. Every house of Israel was spared because the head of every dwelling had killed a lamb and placed some of its blood on the doorpost of the home; but, there was death in every Egyptian household. Friend, soon the destroying angel of God will once again carry out His orders to destroy all sinners in this world. Only those who have accepted the blood of Christ in their behalf will escape the wrath of God. Now is the time for us to make sure that the Lamb of God has covered us with His blood. Remember the promise of Exodus 12:13, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.

And so, by the process of mathematics, we have established without question that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God. But, we have also learned something of even greater significance; that in the fall of 1844 Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, entered the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary to do His work of judging each individual case and to cleanse the sanctuary. The cleansing work is done by Christ, Who, with His own blood, blots out the forgiven sins of His redeemed–the sins which were recorded in the books of Heaven.

If through Christ’s righteousness our lives have been prepared through repentance, confession and surrender so that we are declared right with God at the judgment, this final atonement will be made for you and for me.

Chapter 5 ⇒

The Sanctuary Made Simple – Chapter 3

by Lawrence M. Nelson

The Sanctuary Made Simple bookChapter Three – Christ The Priest

The greatest theme of the Bible is Jesus, and His divine plan whereby sinners can be separated from sin and given eternal life. What a wonderful Savior! What marvelous love! How thrilling is salvation’s story as unfolded in the sanctuary.

In this chapter, we shall discover that Christ is our High Priest who shed His precious blood on Calvary, as the Lamb of God. “Without blemish and without spot.” I Peter 1:19. Symbolically, Christ takes His very own blood into the heavenly sanctuary making it possible for Him, as High Priest, to separate us from our sins and then present us before God, the Father, as though we had never sinned.

Let us begin by reading from the New Testament. “Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” Hebrews 9:11, 12. Could anything possibly be more thrilling and wonderful? This means that heaven can be ours. Praise God! We don’t have to die the second death, but we can live forever in peace and security with Jesus. How can we comprehend such wondrous redemption?

How marvelous to know that at this very moment, Jesus Christ is within the heavenly sanctuary where He is appearing before God in our behalf Ellen White wrote of this in The Great Controversy, pg. 489.

“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.”

Praise God for the cross! We could not have been saved without it. We should also praise God for the truth that is taught only within the Seventh-day Adventist message, which reveals how the merits of the cross can be applied to the individual sinner. A work that is as necessary as the cross to our salvation.

Consider carefully, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.” Hebrews 4:14. When we hear the strange “new theology” of Babylon being preached in some pulpits, that salvation full and complete was made at Calvary’s cross, and that there is no such thing as a heavenly sanctuary, don’t ever listen to this doctrine of Satan! Never let such evil thoughts enter your mind.

Now let us explore the need for a high priest in God’s plan to save us. Why do we need a high priest? The Bible gives us the answer. “Every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.” Hebrews 8:3. Notice the two reasons for our needing a high priest. First, he was to offer gifts. And secondly, he was to offer sacrifices. Now we know all about gifts, for we have both given and received gifts. But what about a sacrifice? What is a sacrifice for? Again, the Bible explains, Every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. Hebrews 5:1. Now we have found what we were searching for. The sacrifice is for sin!

Suppose that under the sanctuary system of the Old Testament I have sinned, and I brought an offering for my sacrifice. I cannot take it into the sanctuary, for only the priest can enter this place. Why is this? Because God dwells there. A sinner would be instantly destroyed, should he appear before God. So, a way must be found for my gift and my sacrifice to be carried into the sanctuary before the very presence of God that I may be accepted. Therefore, I need a priest to do this for me. These facts are very important because,

“The correct understanding of the ministration in the heavenly sanctuary is the foundation of our faith.” Evangelism, pg. 221.

Let us review how an individual is to secure eternal forgiveness for his sins. Man was to bring a lamb as a sacrifice for his sin. He was then to place his hands on the lamb’s head and confess his sin over the substitute. In this way his sin was transferred to the sacrifice. And then the man is to slay the sacrifice by his own hand. Now, there is nothing more that he could do, but his sacrifice is incomplete. This is why he needs a priest. Notice what the priest can do for him. The priest takes the shed blood and carries it within the sanctuary; for this is absolutely necessary to bring justification to the sinner. If we are to be forgiven, justified, and redeemed, we should understand what the priest is doing with the blood. “We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer” Hebrews 8:1-3.

In the previous chapter, we discovered that Christ represented the Iamb, which man must have for a sacrifice. The scriptures also teach that it is equally important that the priest have something to present before God. The fact is–Christ is the priest and He is also the sacrifice! Now to help us understand this great truth, Paul further explains, “For if he (Christ) was on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law.” Hebrews 8:4. These words were written while the Jewish temple was still in existence in Jerusalem, and the priests were daily carrying out their duties. But, Paul is explaining that since Jesus is in heaven, He is now the priest in the heavenly sanctuary. Listen as he continues, “Who serve unto (as) the example and shadow of heavenly things.” Hebrews 8:5. It is so clear! The word “shadow” means that the work of the priest on earth was a shadowy outline of the movements of our great high priest in the heavenly sanctuary.

Let me illustrate. I was once a counselor in a summer youth camp, in which there was a problem child under my care. Now during the rest period, every child was expected to lie on his cot and sleep. But this child decided to slip out of his cot and get into some mischief He made sure to stay behind the building so I could not see him. But, he forgot about his shadow. I was able to observe everything that he was doing by watching his shadow, and just so, as we study what went on in the earthly sanctuary, we can understand the importance of what Christ is now doing for us in the heavenly sanctuary.

Please bear with me as I review once more for clarity. In Leviticus 4 verses 32 and 33, we find the sinner bringing his sacrificial Iamb to the tabernacle for his sins. The next thing he does is lay his hands on its head, and confess his sin over the head of the Iamb, thereby transferring his sin to the lamb. He then took the life of the victim. Now, the sinner has done everything that he can do. At this point, the priest takes over in the man’s behalf. What does the priest do? The blood of the substitute was brought into the sanctuary in one of two ways. Either the priest ate a designated portion of the sin offering and thus carried it in his person into the sanctuary, or he carried it into the sanctuary as described by the blood of the bullock: “And the priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock’s blood, and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation.” Leviticus 4:5.

Now, what does the priest do with this blood which he takes into the sanctuary? “The priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the Lord, before the veil of the sanctuary. And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle.” Leviticus 4:6, 7. God instructed just what the priest was to do. Only the priest could do this, and only Jesus Christ, our High Priest who is presently in the heavenly sanctuary, can perform this work for us now.

But the Israelites had a part to act in cooperation with their high priest. They were not only to repent but to make amends as recorded in Leviticus 6:1-7. “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, “If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the Lord, and lie unto his neighbor in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbor; or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein: Then it shall he, because lie hath sinned, and is guilty, that lie shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found, or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering. And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein.

The same principle applies today: First we go to our heavenly High Priest. He,

“. . . sends the Holy Spirit to bring us to repentance.” I Selected Messages, pg. 393.

We must make amends to those whom we have wronged, thus showing, not only our desire to be forgiven, but also to forsake our sins. In other words, we are to give to Jesus, our Substitute, all of our sins. Listen to the words of Christ in Matthew 5:23, 24: “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar; and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” Once the sinner has done his part as required, then the blood can be applied in his behalf by the priest for his atonement.

Here comes a question, What does blood represent? Listen carefully, meditate upon it, memorize it, and never, never forget it. The inspired word of God tells us, “The life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” Leviticus 17:11. This is so important, “The life of the flesh is in the blood.” What a gem of truth. The blood represents the life. Therefore, Christ’s blood represents His life.

Now, pause and do some reasoning. Isn’t your very life in your blood? For example, if you happen to cut your jugular vein and don’t do anything about it, you will quickly bleed to death. And this is why, when we encounter a serious accident, in which we are losing a tremendous amount of blood, for example, from a lacerated limb, quickly we apply a tourniquet to stop the flow. Why? So we will not die. The very life of Jesus was poured out on Calvary in His shed blood. Of this the prophet wrote, “Thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin.” Isaiah 53:10. Christ poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, because He bore the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressor.

Now let’s go back to verse six of Leviticus 4. “The priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the Lord, before the veil of the sanctuary.” Did you notice that the blood was placed on the horns of the altar, before the veil? What did this mean? Well, step with me into the sanctuary and you will notice that a veil is hanging just before the ark containing the law of God, the Ten Commandments, which were written by the finger of God on two tables of stone. And just above the law is the mercy seat, which represents the very throne of God, where we can obtain mercy through the sacrifice and the ministry of Christ our High Priest.

Think this through carefully. Every individual is to be measured by the character standard of the law. All of us have transgressed that law through sin, so we are doomed to die. For we read, “As by one man sin entered the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Romans 5:12. But wait! I don’t have to die. And you don’t have to die. The great truth is that God doesn’t want any of us to die. So how can we be saved? Someone had to die for us, and that someone was the Son of God.

This is why Jesus came to this world, to live under the law of God, in our flesh, without committing one sin. So that when He went to the cross, He could give a perfect life as a substitute for you and me. This is what makes it possible for Christ, Who is now in the heavenly sanctuary, to present His blood in our behalf. “But Christ being come an high priest, . . .by His blood entered into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for all of us.” Hebrews 9:11, 12. Yes, the law said I must die; but Jesus, our great High Priest, with His own blood, stands before that very law, the throne of God, to represent you and me, who are sinners. He paid the supreme price on Calvary by His perfect life which He now presents before the Father in our behalf. And He will do this for you and me this very moment, if we but ask Him.

I like the way that Charles Wesley contemplated the sacrifice of Jesus as he wrote of how our High Priest presents His blood in our behalf before God. “Arise, my soul, arise, shake off thy guilty fears. The bleeding Savior, in my behalf, appears. Before the throne, my assuredness stands, My name is written on his hands. He ever lives above for me to intercede; His all redeeming love, His precious blood to plead. His blood was shed for all our race, and sprinkled now, the throne of grace. Five bleeding wounds He bares, received on Calvary, they pour effectual prayers. They strongly speak for me, Forgive him! Oh, forgive! they cry, Nor let the contrite sinner die.” How we should praise God for the provision in which Jesus Christ is interceding before God as our High Priest for you and me.

May I ask you a personal question? Have you ever trembled in fear at the thought that someday you must approach God’s throne and stand in judgment? Just listen to this:

“Every man’s work passes in review before God and is registered for faithfulness or unfaithfulness. Opposite each name in the book of heaven is entered with terrible exactness every work, every selfish act, every unfulfilled duty, every secret sin, with every artful, dissembling. Heaven sent warnings of reproof neglected, wasted moments, unimproved opportunities, the influence exerted for good or for evil, with its far reaching results. All are chronicled by the recording angel, for the law of God is the standard by which the character and lives of men will be tested in the judgment, says the wise man. “Fear God, and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work unto judgment.” Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14. The Great Controversy, pg. 482.

I ask again, have you ever been troubled in fear at the thought that someday you must approach God’s throne and stand in judgment? If you are right with God you need not be fearful. For your High Priest, Jesus Christ, will be your Advocate. He will go in before the Father to represent you. Wonder of wonders! Who is in a better position to present your case before God than Jesus Christ for He is the Son of God? He knows the Father.

Let me ask you another question, have you made it possible for Jesus, your High Priest, to appear before the Father for you? You know you are a sinner because the Bible says so. And you are in desperate need of help. Let me suggest what you should do. In your mind you should go to Calvary and watch Jesus die for you. Then follow Him by faith as He rises from the dead and returns to heaven. Follow Him by faith as He enters the heavenly sanctuary, into the very presence of God. There, He will offer His blood for you. Listen in faith as Christ presents your name before God the Father. If you will do this, it will fill your heart with assurance. If you are right with God you need never, never, fear the coming judgment. Christ “is able also to save them to the “uttermost” that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25. Now you can understand how Jesus Christ is able to present you faultless before the throne.

May I ask another question, what kind of blood is it that is sprinkled in the sanctuary before God? The answer is the blood of the divine sin-bearer. This is very important, we must fully understand this, since the life is in the blood. Would you permit me to make this personal? If I have repented of all known sin my sins have been transferred to Christ, the Substitute. So, as Christ goes in before the Father’s throne, bearing my sins in His blood they are then transferred to the altar by figuratively sprinkling His blood. Now you are ready for an astounding truth! There is now no more known sin in me. My sins have been transferred into the sanctuary. My sins have been separated from me. What a wonderful thought! What a wonderful truth!

Have you transferred your sin to the Lamb of God, thus permitting Him to transfer them to the sanctuary in heaven? So very few true Christians seem to actually understand that their sins have been separated from them through Christ’s work in the sanctuary service. We have the promise “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” John 1:9. And friend, to be cleansed is to be separated from your sins. “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, (and) whose sin is covered.” Psalm 32:1. Thank God, Jesus can cover our sins with His precious blood within the heavenly sanctuary.

But remember, you cannot transfer your sins and still keep them. Now think it through; if you should have a piece of property, and you decide to transfer that property to somebody else; you sign a deed, you have it witnessed, and recorded–do you still own that property? Absolutely not! It now belongs to another. There is no way that you can transfer your sins to the Lord Jesus Christ and still keep them. So many professed Christians, somehow, never rest in the total forgiveness, that Jesus Christ has separated them from their sins. They have missed the point completely. The sinner must come to the place in this life, that he not only asks Jesus to take his sins, but believes that he has done so. He must also believe that even the record of his sins will someday be separated from him forever–blotted out in the final atonement (See Acts 3:19). PRAISE GOD!

Chapter 4 ⇒

The Sanctuary Made Simple – Chapter 2

by Lawrence M. Nelson

The Sanctuary Made Simple bookChapter Two – Christ The Lamb

A pastor was deeply troubled about his own personal battle with sin. Somehow, he seemed to lack the moral courage to gain a victory. The struggle became so severe that when he went to sleep one night, he had a nightmare in which he saw a man whipping Christ in Pilate’s judgment hall. Watching the lash as it buried itself in Christ’s bleeding back, he could not stand to think of anyone wounding the Lord Jesus. In his dream, he rushed forward, seized the man and began to struggle with him. Suddenly, this brute of a man turned his face and the pastor screamed in terror and awoke. For the face of the man whipping Jesus was none other than his own face. You see, in allowing sin to gain the mastery of his life, he was wounding the Lord Jesus Christ. It was an experience he would never forget.

This true story illustrates the following scripture: “They shall look upon me whom they have pierced.” Zechariah 12:10. How little do we realize the pain that we cause the Lord Jesus when we continue in our same sins. How little do we realize the disappointment that we heap upon our Lord when we do not gain a victory. How unworthy we are of His great love.

Isaiah also expressed how our sinful ways cause our Lord to suffer. “He (Jesus) is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him: the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter.” Isaiah 53:3-7.

What a description! Did you notice these words–rejected, despised, stricken, smitten, afflicted, wounded, bruised, oppressed, and then the statement–“The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. For he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter.”

As the apostle Paul meditated upon the tremendous sacrifice of Christ, he marveled in amazement. And if we would look at the cross, we, too, would join Paul in these words, “I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Roman 8:38.

Now when the Lord Jesus was baptized, John the Baptist declared, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29. From that very moment, the eyes of men began to focus on Christ. Every word, every act performed in his three and one-half years of ministry leading Him to the cross, reveals Him to be the Lamb of God. But in one sense, the sacrifice of Jesus did not commence at Calvary. For in the book of Revelation, we read that Christ was “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8. God in His great love knowing the future, before there was sin, provided a plan of salvation before the world was created.

The moment that sin entered the Garden of Eden, all heaven was filled with sorrow, for apparently the inhabitants of this world were doomed to death. But God’s plan was ready to redeem man. The moment the divine law had been broken by man, Christ was ready to make an atonement for man’s transgression. He would take upon Himself man’s sin, and redeem him.

Listen, how this mystery of redemption was unfolded.

“Christ then made known to the angelic host that a way of escape had been made for lost man. He told them that He had been pleading with His Father, and had offered to give His life a ransom. To take the sentence of death upon Himself that through Him man might find pardon, that through time merits of His blood, and obedience to the law of God, they could have the favor of God, and be brought into the beautiful garden and eat of the fruit of the tree of life.” The Story of Redemption, pg. 42.

Such a plan of love is almost impossible to fully explain; no wonder the redeemed in heaven will ever search to comprehend the mystery of such love. So, in this short study, we can only begin to understand the depth of this wonderful love, and to see why God has chosen the sanctuary system as a kindergarten display to help us in our learning process.

Let’s put on our “thinking caps” now. Why did Christ come to this earth to die? In the description of the heavenly sanctuary, which you find in the New Testament, there is no mention of an outer court. Only in the Old Testament do you find the outer court connected with the sanctuary. It was only in the earthly sanctuary that the outer court existed. There was a reason for this. The sacrifice of Christ was not to take place in heaven, for there can be no death in heaven. Therefore, Christ must come to the court of the earthly sanctuary, to be the lamb, to die for sin. Paul describes the experience of Christ in these words, “Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:6-8.

Can you grasp it? Imagine! Christ, who was equal with God, descended from heaven’s purity, lowered Himself below the level of an angel, became a man of our flesh and was born a helpless babe in a manger. Not to be a man like Adam was when he was formed in perfection. Oh, no! But a man after the consequences of four thousand years of sin. Born into a world filled with sorrow, misery, disease, death and every conceivable temptation. Then, when Christ’s mission was to come to an end, He would be subjected to every insult and torture that Satan could conceive of. For He must die as a guilty sinner. His last hour would be so terrible, that even the angels must veil their faces rather than look upon Him. And finally, because He bore our sins He must endure the anguish of the lost. He is separated from His Father’s love because the guilt of the entire world rests upon Him.

Ellen White paints a touching picture of what took place. Listen:

“The spotless son of God hung upon the cross. His flesh, lacerated with stripes. Those hands, so often reached out in blessing, nailed to wooden bars. Those fret, so tireless on ministries of love, spiked to a tree. That royal head, pierced by the crown of thorns. Those quivering lips, shaped in a cry of woe. And all that He endured; the blood drops that flowed from His head, His hands, His feet. The agony that wracked his frame, and the unutterable anguish that filled His soul at the hiding of His Father’s face speaks to each child of humanity, declaring, “it is for thee that the son of God consents to bear this burden of guilt. For thee, He spoils the domain of death and opens the gate of paradise. He, who stilled the angry waves and walked the foam-capped billows, who made devils tremble and disease to flee. Who opened blind eyes, and called forth the dead to life offers himself upon the cross as a sacrifice. And this, from love, to thee. He, the bearer, endures the wrath of divine justice, and for thy sake, becomes sin itself.” The Desire of Ages, pg. 755.

What words! If only we could fully comprehend.

Now the question: How is the precious blood of Christ, the Lamb, applied to you, and to me individually? Let us turn to Leviticus, the fourth chapter, beginning with verse twenty-seven. For only the sanctuary explains in detail how the blood of Christ can be applied to us as individuals. “If any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the Lord concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty; he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned.” Leviticus 4:28. Now, in bringing the sacrifice, whether it was a kid of the goats, or of a lamb, or of any other animal, remember this, the sacrifice represented the Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly, the sinner must transfer his sin to the sacrifice. Verse twenty-nine, “He shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering. . .” You see, in his act of laying his hands on the head is implied the confession and transfer of the sin to the sinner’s substitute.

Then comes step number three: After the sin has been transferred to the sacrifice, the victim must be slain. Why? Because the wages of sin is death. The broken law of God demands the penalty of death. “He shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering.” And then the scripture adds, “and slay the sin offering. . .” Leviticus 4:29. It was by this method that God taught men that there was a way of escape from sin. That a substitute, the Lamb of God, could die for our sins. But, remember, it was the sinner’s hand that was always to slay the sacrifice. Every sinner must comprehend this great truth before he is ready to overcome sin in his life. Sin must be paid for in death! Since Christ is our substitute, we must understand that our sins took the life of Christ. When we realize the enormity of the cost of sin, we will determine to overcome sin with a hatred that is akin to God’s hatred of sin. And then, and only then, are we ready to live in a land where there will be no more sin! What a tragedy that so few of us seem to grasp this lesson.

So, the sacrificial offerings were ordained by God to teach each sinner, who earnestly desires forgiveness, that he must acknowledge his sin, repent of his sin, bring his sin to Christ, and ask Christ to take his sin. He must acknowledge his part in the crucifixion of Christ, and he must realize that sin causes death. He must accept Christ by faith and take hold of His divine power that will give him a hatred for sin and enable him to stop sinning; then he can rejoice in his redemption.

This sacrificial plan has a much broader and deeper purpose than the salvation of mankind. For Christ came to this earth to die, not only to save man and to ransom the world, but He came to vindicate the character of God before the universe. Why? Because the great conflict between good and evil began when God’s law was challenged in heaven and caused war in heaven. “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelation 12:7, 8.

Every being, throughout the entire universe of God, was interested in the outcome of Christ’s sacrifice. For this would determine whether God or Satan would be victorious. This is why the Savior looked forward to His crucifixion when He said, “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” John 12:31. Thus it was, that Christ’s death on Calvary would not only make it possible for man to be forgiven and heaven to be accessible to him, but it would also justify God before the entire unfallen universe. It would establish the law of God forever, and testify to the fact that sin is death.

When Adam and Eve accepted Satan’s proposition, Satan declared this world to be his, because they had chosen him as their ruler. Satan did not believe that it was possible for God to forgive man. But God’s love had already provided a plan by giving His only begotten Son to pay the death penalty for our sins. Thus the Lamb of God became the way of escape for mankind.

This very earth which was claimed by Satan, became the theater in which God has chosen to redeem man, and to justify Himself before the whole universe. This is the meaning of Christ’s last words on the cross. “It is finished.” John 19:30. At the moment Christ died, there was a mighty shout of triumph that rang throughout every world in the universe. The contest had been decided, Jesus had gained the victory. Satan had revealed himself as a liar, and a murderer. Christ, in human flesh proved that man can keep the law of God. Little wonder that the greatest excitement the universe has ever known was the moment that Jesus Christ triumphed over Satan, when He died on Calvary’s cross. And someday, someday very soon, Jesus is coming back to this earth again, and the final act in this controversy between Christ and Satan will be over.

Are you ready for the greatest adventure of your life? Are you ready to live with Christ in heaven, where there will be no more sin; no more death, where every moment will be filled with joy, peace, and happiness? Are you ready to experience a sinless life for eternity? If so, you must overcome sin here and now, as taught in the sanctuary system instituted by God Himself.

Some time ago, the newspapers told a story of a little girl who had been playing in the garage where she found a pop bottle. It looked just like the one that contained the kind of drink that her mother occasionally gave her from the refrigerator. She took the bottle, and drained the fluid to the last drop. It didn’t taste quite like what she had expected, but in her childish thinking, she thought it was some new kind of drink. But soon she began to experience terrible pain in her stomach.. .She ran to mother and complained. Her mother rushed her to the hospital, but help was too late. The little girl paid with her life, for the substance in the bottle was not soda pop, it was deadly weed poison! Sin is just like a weed killer. It seems that many of us do not realize that we are already poisoned with sin, and that we will die from its deadly poison, but God has the antidote. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12.

Never forget, God has provided a way of escape. And that way, friend, is through Jesus Christ the Lamb. He is ready to help you this very moment. Jesus tells us, “I stand at the door, and knock, lf any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him, amid will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20. Christ, the Lamb, is knocking at your heart’s door. He wants to come in. Will you let Him be your Lamb who is able to take all sin out of your life?

Chapter 3 ⇒

The Sanctuary Made Simple – Chapter 1

by Lawrence M. Nelson

The Sanctuary Made Simple bookChapter One – Christ The Way

Let us begin with some wonderful good news! GOD LOVES YOU! He loves us so much, that He wants us to come and live with Him. Many times when we see friends we really like, we say, “Why don’t you come and stay with us for a couple of days? We have a spare bedroom. Come and stay a week, or more.” But, that’s not what is meant if you say, “Come and live with me.” That’s a permanent request! God will never be satisfied until we dwell in heaven with Him forever. That is why He said these words in John 14:1-3,

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself that where I am, there ye may be also.”

God loves us so much, He is waiting for the day when we can live with Him for eternity!

This brings us to our very first big question: Why are we not in heaven today? Why has Jesus not returned as He promised? Could it be a problem of distance? I think not, for Christ has often come to this earth. You will recall that He spent seven days here during the creation week, and He often came and visited with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Actually, He used to take walks with Enoch! And, He visited old Abraham and ate with him in his tent. He talked with Moses on Mount Sinai. And for years He abode in the cloud above the sanctuary in the desert. We read of Jesus coming to this earth as a babe in Bethlehem, and He lived with man for thirty-three years. So, it is very clear from the scriptures that Christ has been here many times. Distance is no barrier with Christ!

Let’s look at it another way. Could it be a problem of time? Maybe it’s not yet time for Christ to return. However, nearly every sign Christ predicted for the end-time events has already taken place, or is presently taking shape before our very eyes. Skeptics, atheists, and politicians all agree that something great is about to happen! What then is the problem? Why hasn’t Christ come?

I believe I can state the reason in these few simple words: God has a big problem! How can He save the sinner without saving the sin? How can He destroy sin without destroying the sinner? Putting it very bluntly, how can God get rid of sin without getting rid of you and me? How can He take us to heaven without taking the infectious sin with us. That would spread death throughout the universe. Let me tell you; God has a big, big problem!

Now some theologians claim that they have the answer to God’s problem. Like indulgent parents, who believe that their children will outgrow their evil ways when they become adults, they teach that they need only be shown enough love. But, experience reveals that they are dead wrong! In the same manner, there are some indulgent theologians who are teaching that if we just preach enough love, the people will believe God and receive salvation. After all, God is so full of mercy, grace and forgiveness, that He does not demand total obedience.

They assert that Christ gave all men unconditional salvation at the cross, and all man has to do is to “believe”. The sinner need not be concerned if he continues to sin. After all, he was born to sin and it is impossible in this life to stop sinning. Some even teach that when Jesus comes the second time He will give every sinner a new heart (mind) instantly, so that they will never sin again. Thus the sin problem will be solved! – Don’t you believe it! This is a teaching that is a concoction of the devil himself.

The servant of the Lord has written:

“This goody-goody religion that makes light of sin and that is forever dwelling upon the love of God to the sinner, encourages the sinner to believe that God will save him while he continues in sin and he knows it to be sin. This is the way that many are doing who profess to believe present truth. The truth is kept apart from their life, and this is the reason it has no more power to convict and convert the soul.” 3 Selected Messages, p. 155.

Think it through, if Christ were to perform such a miracle as the instant transformation of mind and character, from sin to righteousness, when He comes, then the atheists would be right in blaming God for all the evils that are in this earth. Could not God have made His followers, even from the days of Adam, instantly sinless whenever they claimed to believe in Him? Don’t be misled by these false new theology teachings. God does have a way to solve the sin problem. A way to save His people from their sins, not in their sins. God’s way is clearly taught to us in the sanctuary services, as the blood of the Lamb is administered therein.

You will remember that Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” John 14:6. And if we follow Him into the sanctuary where He is ministering today, we will understand His way. This is indeed good news, for Jesus Christ can solve the sin problem, making eternal life possible for every sinner who will accept Christ’s sacrifice and follow His way of separating our sins from us. Praise God! He tells us, “Thy way, Oh God, is in the sanctuary.” Psalms 77:13.

Now let’s take a look at the scriptures, for they reveal that there is, today, a sanctuary in heaven and that in Old Testament times there was a sanctuary on this earth. First, let us read from Hebrews 8:1, 2. You will notice that this verse is referring to the sanctuary in heaven. “We have such an high priest, who is on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” Turning to the ninth chapter of Hebrews, we read about the earthly sanctuary in verse 12, “the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle made.”

Now, since we have found that the New Testament declares that there is a sanctuary in heaven, and that there was a sanctuary on this earth, let’s turn to the Old Testament and read about the sanctuary that was here on this earth. In Exodus 25:8, God said, “Let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.”

The sanctuary on earth teaches us, through symbols, how God solves the sin problem from His sanctuary above. We are enabled to understand how He can separate sin from the sinner as it is done in the sanctuary services. In fact, there were three parts to the earthly sanctuary: the outer court, the holy place, and the most holy place. In each of these locations a separate service was performed: one in the outer court, one in the holy place, and one within the most holy place. We shall study these three separate services so we can learn how to co-operate with Christ as He solves our sin problem. When Christ has finally separated sin from us, we will eventually be able to join our Savior in heaven and live with Him where there will be no more sin!

I know that all of us are longing to be with our Savior in heaven. But what will make this possible? The final act of the disposition of sin from the sinner did not take place at the cross, as so many teach and believe. Rather, the final act of making an atonement for sin takes place within the most holy place of the sanctuary in heaven. This is why we read in The Great Controversy, pg. 489,

“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 , for by His death He began that work which after His resurrection He ascended to complete in heaven.”

Nothing could be stated more clearly. There is a work, now going on in the heavenly sanctuary, that is essential for the final atonement of our sins. The sacrifice on the cross did not separate sin from the individual sinner, but made a “provision”, whereby Christ paid the penalty for the sins of those who would avail themselves of the provision.

Thus, the final, or eternal, disposition of sin that takes place in the second apartment of the sanctuary can never be accomplished until the work in the first apartment is completed. Likewise, the work in the first apartment cannot take place until the sacrifice has been made in the outer court on the altar. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to remember that these three separate steps are necessary to eternally separate sin from the sinner.

When God instructed Moses to build this earthly sanctuary, He commanded, “Make it after the pattern.” However, there was one exception. When it came to writing the law of Jehovah, God said, “Moses, I’ll do this.” Notice His words, Exodus 31:18, “And he gave unto Moses, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.”

Everything found within the earthly sanctuary was made by men except the Ten Commandments.

These were written in stone by the immortal finger of God Almighty. The importance of this act was emphasized when Moses broke the tables of stone to show his displeasure of Israel’s idolatry. God did not say, “Moses, make another copy and put it in the ark.” Oh no! God said, “Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood. And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark.”

Deuteronomy 10:1, 2. It was God who wrote the law the second time with His divine finger. Thus, the Ten Commandments are lifted up above the rest of the entire Bible, for God Himself wrote the Ten Commandments.

The sixty-six books which compose God’s Word were written by men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but the Ten Commandments were written by God Himself! Why? Because God wanted no human element to deface His divine law. The Ten Commandments are a copy of the law in heaven which expresses God’s holy character. So when we read them, we are dealing with the great original, the law of God that is safely secured within the heavenly sanctuary above.

You will recall that some sixty years after Christ was crucified, had risen, and had returned to heaven, God opened the heavenly sanctuary to John in vision. And what did he see? He writes, “And the temple was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament.” Revelation 11:19. After the cross, all eyes are to focus on the heavenly sanctuary in which can be seen the law of God. And why was this? Because God wants those of us who are living in these last days, to know that there is a right and a wrong way to live. We are told, “. . .for by the law is the knowledge of’ sin.” Romans 3:20. In Phillip’s translation it reads like this, “It is the straight edge of the law that shows how crooked we are. The law is actually the transcript of the character of God. In the book, The Story of Redemption, pg. 19, we read that God, speaking of His Ten Commandments, has exalted them to be equal to Himself. And then in The Desire of Ages, pg. 308, speaking of this law of God, it tells us:

“. . . the precepts of’ the Decalogue are as immutable as the throne of God.”

They are a transcript of His character. And so, when you consider and study the law of God, you are studying the very character of God Himself.

Now, in the most holy apartment of the sanctuary, we are brought face to face with God’s law. For there it is, in the ark, representing His character, the divine rule of life. In Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14, we have been commanded, “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.” The apostle James makes it very clear in James 2:10-12, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”

For He that said, “Do not commit adultery”, said also, “Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.” Yes, there is a penalty for breaking God’s law, and that penalty is death! For God states, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” Ezekiel 18:4. As you read the scriptures you will find that this truth is emphasized in many other verses, such as: “The wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23; and “All have sinned.” Romans 3:23. So we all stand as sinners before God’s law!

Now this brings us back to the sin problem, doesn’t it? Since we have all sinned, how is it possible for God to separate our sins from us so we can be taken to heaven and live with Jesus, instead of dying for our sins as the law demands?

For this answer let’s go back to the sanctuary and discover the first step in this process of separating sin from the sinner. This act was performed in the court of the sanctuary. God describes what actually takes place there. “If anyone of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the Lord concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty; or if his sin which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge: Then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hast sinned.” Leviticus 4:27. Then what did the sinner do?. “And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering. And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar, and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven.” But how could this be accomplished? As you read verses five and six of the same chapter, it says, “The priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock’s blood, and bring it the tabernacle of the congregation.” So the priest brings this blood inside the sanctuary. “And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the Lord, before the veil of the sanctuary.”

Again we find the three requirements that must be followed. This man has sinned, he has broken the law. He deserves to die for his sin. But God doesn’t want him to die, so the Holy Spirit convicts the man of his sin; he repents and seeks forgiveness of the Lord; he wants to live and not die. He believes in, and accepts Christ as his Savior. God in His great love has provided a way for the sinner to become guiltless before God, even as though he had never sinned.

But the sinner must faithfully follow the divine plan if he is to be granted such forgiveness and is to be separated from his sin. First, a lamb must be brought to the court of the sanctuary as a sacrifice. Next, he must place his hands on the head of the Iamb and confess his sin over its head. In doing this, he will transfer his sin to the Iamb, which becomes his substitute. He then takes this lamb, places it on the altar, and with his own hand takes a knife and cuts the throat of the innocent victim. Thus, taking the victim’s life for his sin, rather than dying for his own sin. Next, the blood is caught in a bowl, the priest takes the blood into the sanctuary’s holy place and it is sprinkled before the law.

Now you ask, why must the blood be taken into the sanctuary? Because the blood represents the life of the victim. In Leviticus 17:11 it plainly states, “The life of the flesh is in the blood.” And the life of the innocent victim must be presented before the Lord; before His law, to fulfill its requirement. Now, since the guilty man has transferred his sin to the Iamb, the substitute now bears the guilt and must die for the sin which was transferred to it.

Isn’t there any other way that God can separate sin from us? The answer is: Absolutely not! For God states: “Without the shedding of blood (there) is no remission.” Hebrews 9:22. Are you thinking this through very carefully? You see, the substitute must die. And who must slay the substitute? The sinner! Because, it is his sin that made the death necessary!

Let’s look at the reality of this plan of salvation. Whom does the lamb represent? John the Baptist explained this in unmistakable words as Jesus came to him to be baptized. John said, speaking of Jesus, “Behold the lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” And this is why Jesus came to this world. He came to save us; to die for us! Now you understand that since sin causes death, either I must die, or a substitute must die by my own hand. This, then, is the basic lesson we learn in our study of God’s way to separate sin from us.

Please, let me enact once more this word-picture, as the sinner takes a knife, and slays the innocent victim. Watch with me as the Iamb experiences the death throbs and dies. The guiltless, dying for the sinner; dying because of another’s sin. And now quickly, look in faith to the Lamb of God, and behold Jesus Christ the Lamb, dying on Calvary for our sins. Remember, Peter wrote, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” I Peter 2:24. What happened to that Iamb on the altar? The Iamb died! What did our sins do to Christ on Calvary? They took His life–it was we who took Christ’s life!

Millions are acquainted with the historical fact of Calvary. They like to go to the “holy land” and visit the very spot where Jesus died. But, so very few of them ever realize that it was their sin that crucified the Lamb of God. They have never understood what Zechariah wrote in Chapter 12, verse 10, “They shall look upon me whom they have pierced.” Have you gone in faith to Calvary and there, discovered Christ dying on the cross in your place, realizing that it was your sins that took His life? Tell me, honestly, have you felt guilty for the death of Christ? Have you envisioned the Lord Jesus as your substitute, dying in your place?

One of the saddest funerals that I have ever conducted will help us to understand the results of Christ’s death on the cross. In the casket lay the body of a very small boy, the only son of the grieving parents. This tiny tot had died by an accident which was caused by his father, for he did not know that his small son had followed him to the garage. When the father backed the car out of the garage, he killed the child instantly. Although this was an accident, I cannot describe the grief that I beheld in the father’s face. When your mind contemplates Calvary, you behold Christ the Lamb dying your death. You know His death was not an accident because His death was caused by our devilish sins. Christ dying on the cross as our substitute, bearing our sins, helps us to realize the meaning of Calvary. We cannot help but cry out, “Oh God, is this what I have done to your dear Son? Is this the price of my salvation?”

Tell me, if that father who by accident killed his little precious son, should someday have another son, do you think that he would be more careful in the future as he backs his car out of the garage? You can be sure he will never want to repeat that tragedy again.

So likewise, when we go to Calvary, and see Jesus dying in our place, crucified for our sins, our heart breaks. For we know it was our sin that put Him there, and we never want to repeat that sin again. Instead, we cry out, “Oh God, take this sin away from me, and let Calvary give me such a hatred of sin that I will never, never commit such a sin again.

Christ is the only way in which sin can be separated from the sinner. “God will provide Himself a lamb.” Genesis 22:8.

Chapter 2 ⇒

Must a Man be Buried to be Saved?

by Cody Francis

Must a Man be Buried to be Saved?Must a man be buried to live? It sounds like the most absurd question ever asked. Never does being buried carry the slightest connotation of life. In fact, nothing could be more terrifying than being buried alive. When an earthquake hits and demolishes buildings, thousands can experience the awful fate of being buried alive; buried under a mound of concrete, iron, and wood, the air filled with so much debris that it is impossible to breathe. One young lady who was buried under the debris of her own home in the Izmit, Turkey earthquake of August 17, 1999 said, “each minute was like a year.” Time, August 30, 1999, “Buried Alive.” Only one who experienced such an awful fate could understand. Each tick of the second hand would seem like days on end as a person was pinned between the remains of their own home. Thousands in Turkey, alone, suffered death at the hands of the merciless earthquake, but must a man be buried to live? The survivors and relatives would answer a resounding NO! A man must be rescued to live; but Jesus had something else to say, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” John 12:24, 25. Jesus said that if a kernel of wheat were to bring forth fruit it had to die. Then He brings the illustration even closer and says that if we love our life, we will lose it and if we hate our life, we will gain it. Jesus said that in order to live, we had to die! What did Jesus mean? It sounds like an oxymoron. If it is true that a man must die to live, then must a man be buried to live, as well?

You Must Die

“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, and the gospel’s, will save it.” Mark 8:35. Jesus clearly said that if we are going to attempt to preserve our lives, we will wind up losing our life in the end. It is only those who are willing to lose their life for Jesus and the gospel that will, in the end, save their life. Jesus said that if we are to live, we must die! By looking at the entire context, it helps to understand exactly what He meant. “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?'” Mark 8:34-36. In order to follow Jesus a person must deny himself, lift up his cross, and lose his life. If a person does not do these things he may end up gaining the entire world, owning businesses, corporations, houses and lands, but still be lost. The importance and necessity of dying is a very common illustration that is used repeatedly throughout the Scriptures, but what does it mean?

There is a part of each one of us that must die, and if this does not die, we will be among those who may gain the entire world, but in the end lose their own soul. “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. For to be carnally minded is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:6-8. The carnal or fleshly nature is at enmity with God, and if we continue to retain this wicked nature we will not be able to please God. This carnal mind is our natural mind, the infirmities that are common to all humanity. There is, in human nature, a hereditary tendency toward sin. Writing of the struggle of the natural mind, Paul said, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” Romans 7:18, 19. There is a struggle that goes on deep inside the heart and mind of every human being. A struggle between the natural, carnal elements of human nature and the Holy Spirit striving upon the heart of man. The natural desires, feelings, etc. are in conflict with God’s Word, for naturally a person is full of selfishness and pride. Each of us has been born into this world of sin and sorrow. We are descendants of Adam, and with our lineage to Adam comes the weaknesses and the hereditary tendencies to sin. Through our birth, we become citizens of the kingdom of this world. I was born in the United States of America. I am a citizen of the United States, and I didn’t have to do anything to become a citizen of this country. I was born here, by default I am a citizen. I have friends, on the other hand, that are now citizens of the United States, but it wasn’t easy. They had to go through a lot of work, effort, and education in order to become a citizen of the United States. If I desired to become a citizen of another country, I likewise would have to go through all the requirements to become a citizen of that country. It is the same way with the kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world. We are all born into the kingdom of this world, we do not have to do anything to become citizens, we are so by default. Since we are citizens of the kingdom of this world, all have fallen into sin. “As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one; …’ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:10, 23. Because all have been born into the miserable kingdom of this world, all have fallen short, all have sinned, and there is not one who is righteous. Each one has inherited and developed to one degree or another, a character with tendencies to sin. Everyone is in a hopeless situation. “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one!” Job 14:4. All have become unclean through the defilement of sin, and it is absolutely impossible for anyone of us to bring something clean out of the unclean vessels that each has become. A change must happen. Something outside of ourselves must take place in order for us to become citizens of the kingdom of God.

The change that is necessary in order to become a part of God’s kingdom, is death. A person seeking a change of citizenship must, in most cases, renounce his allegiance to his former country. So likewise, our allegiance to the kingdom of darkness must be renounced and a change must occur. In order for that change to occur, we must die. We must die to our old sinful natures. “Therefore brethren, we are debtors–not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but, if by the Spirit, you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” Romans 8:12-14. Through the Holy Spirit, deeds of the body (the old, sinful nature) must be put to death. Only as we thus die, shall we live. We must not live according to the flesh, for all who live according to the flesh will die (not just the first, earthly death, but the dreadful second death, Revelation 20:14.) What are the deeds of the flesh? “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21. The term “flesh” in the Bible is not just the physical flesh, bones, and blood, but is the fleshly, carnal nature. Simply stated, the works of the flesh are disobedience to God’s Ten-Commandment Law. It is this that must die. Our old nature of disobedience to God must be put to death. Without this death to sin and self, we have not become a part of God’s kingdom; we are still “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel.” Ephesians 2:12.

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20. Paul had the experience of dying to his old sinful habits. He likened it to a death by crucifixion. His sins, his old fleshly desires, his sinful habits and tendencies were hung upon the cross, but that did not mean that he was physically dead. For some religions it is the height of spiritual attainment to basically kill yourself, but that is not the crucifixion and death that the Bible is talking about. It is a death to our sins and a new life in God. Not only does a person need to die to their old way of life, but they must also live through Christ. Paul said that since He is dead, it is now Christ living through him. He is following the example of our Lord. In whatever situation he found himself in, he chose to do what Christ would do. “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” Romans 6:11-13. The Christian is forbidden to be an instrument of unrighteousness, and in order to be delivered from that, he must be dead to sin and alive to God. The sin, with all its clamors, is to be crucified, while Christ’s life of obedience is to be implanted in us. “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3.

Not only must a person die to live, but also this is an experience that must occur everyday. “I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.” “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.'” I Corinthians 15:31; Luke 9:23. Salvation and death to our old sinful natures is not a once in a lifetime decision. Unlike popular belief, these verses, along with many others, teach the opposite of “once saved, always saved.” (For more information on this subject, see Steps to Life’s booklet, Once Saved, Always Saved?) Every day a recommitment and rededication to the Lord must occur. If this does not happen, we are not truly following the Lord, for Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” If we don’t make the decision every day, we are lagging behind in the dust, and it will take an even greater effort to catch up. As Daniel did in the courts of Babylon, so must we. “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself,” Daniel 1:8. Daniel made the choice and the decision to follow the Lord, and so must each one whom desires to change loyalties from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. We must say as did Paul, “I die daily.”

You Must be Buried

Knowing that we must die, the question naturally rises, must we be buried as well? Certainly if we die, no one would want an unburied carcass of sins hanging around. Is there some way in which our old, sinful nature is buried? “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we, who died to sin, live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.” Romans 6:1-7. Indeed, there is a way that our old, sinful way of life is buried. Baptism is the ceremony of the new covenant that represents the burial of our sins. Baptism actually represents the entire process of death, burial and resurrection. As a person is baptized, he is baptized into Jesus’ death. Not only is he showing his faith in Jesus death for him, but he is also pledging to experience that death to sin. (vs. 2) As Christ was buried in the tomb, so the sinner’s sins are buried in the watery grave of baptism. (vs. 4) So as Christ was raised from the grave, as a person rises from the waters of baptism, he is to walk in the newness of life. (vs. 4) Baptism is the ceremony by which a person expresses their faith in the amazing gift that God has given to mankind through His Son, and by which he pledges to experience the death to sin, the burial of sin, and the resurrection to new life. “Buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” Colossians 2:12.

Baptism–how?

If a man is going to die and then be buried to live, he needs to know what the correct method of burial is. There are many different methods that men use and claim it to be baptism. There is sprinkling, pouring, immersion, triple immersion, and even water-less baptism. How can we tell which is the Biblical method of baptism?

“Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized.” John 3:23. The Scriptures record that John was baptizing in Aenon because there was much water there. Do you need “much water” to sprinkle someone? No. Do you even need “much water” to use the pour method of baptism? No, a pitcher of water will suffice. Do you need “much water” to immerse? Yes, you cannot immerse even one person unless you have an ample supply of water. It definitely takes “much water” to baptize by immersion.

“And all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.” Mark 1:5. Notice where the people were baptized–it was IN the Jordan River. Not on the side of it, not on its banks, but actually in it. Is it necessary to be IN the river in order to sprinkle? No. Is it necessary to be IN the river to pour? Not really. Is it necessary to be IN the river to immerse? Absolutely! You cannot immerse a person if you are not, in reality, IN the river.

“Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?’ Then Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away,” Acts 8:36-39. They both went down into the water and then they both came back up out of the water. Once again, it was not something that they did along side the road. The only method of baptism that this could possibly be is immersion. In neither sprinkling nor pouring do either the person being baptized or the person baptizing go down into the water. It is only in immersion that this occurs. Clearly, the Biblical method of baptism is immersion.

The English word baptize actually comes from the Greek word, baptidzo. Baptidzo simply means “dip, immerse.” A Shorter Lexicon of the Greek New Testament, Gingrich & Danker. When the translators came to that word, they realized that they had never before been dipped and so they conveniently transliterated the word, that is, they just gave it English letters and made it an English word. Thus the very meaning of the word “baptism” is immersion. How much clearer our English reading would be if the translators would have translated it directly. It would read, “Now John also was immersing… because there was much water there” “and were all immersed by him in the River Jordan” “And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and he immersed him.” As we put the actual meaning of the word into the verses, it becomes obvious that the Biblical baptism is not sprinkling or pouring, or any other method but immersion.

Neither pouring nor sprinkling could have the significance that immersion does. Baptism shows our faith in the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and it also testifies of our death and burial to sin and our resurrection to a new life. Only immersion carries that deep significance. As a person goes down into the waters of baptism they are showing that they are dying to sin. When the person is laid underneath the waters, it represents the burial of sin, and then when a person comes up out of the water it typifies their resurrection to a new life. Sprinkling is little more than a shower. It has no significance of death to sin, burial, or resurrection. Both sprinkling and pouring destroy the beautiful symbolism given us through baptism. According to God’s Word, the only correct method of baptism is immersion.

Baptism–when?

Having seen that a person must be baptized by immersion, the next question that needs to be answered is when can a person be baptized? There are several things that must take place prior to baptism. If these experiences do not take place before baptism, the Biblical example is not being followed.

“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'” Acts 2:38. When the people were convicted of the truth that Jesus was indeed the Son of God, the promised Messiah, they asked, “What shall we do?” Acts 2:37. In answer to their question, Peter says, “Repent.” The first step is given–repentance. They were not to be baptized and then repent. Repentance came first. So today, repentance must precede baptism. It was so important that repentance accompany baptism, that John’s baptism was referred to as, “the baptism of repentance.” (See Mark 1:4) All who came to John to be baptized knew that repentance for their sins had to come first. Really, if repentance does not precede baptism, the importance of baptism will not be understood. There must be the conviction that we are guilty sinners. As the listeners upon the day of Pentecost, a person must be “cut to the heart.” (Acts 2:37.) There must be deep, heartbreaking guilt that our sins put to death the only begotten Son of God. “Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner,… For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” II Corinthians 7:9, 11. The Corinthian church had a true sorrow that was not to be repented of. Repentance literally means “a change of mind.” (A Shorter Lexicon of the Greek New Testament, Gingrich & Danker.) The necessary repentance before baptism is a sorrow for our sins, realizing that they crucified our beloved Savior, but also a change in our mind to do the works of God. Some, thinking that baptism of itself has power to save a person, will be baptized with no remorse for their sins whatsoever, and think that in so doing they are securing a title to the kingdom of God. Nothing could be farther from the truth! If repentance does not precede baptism, it is valueless.

“He who believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:16. Jesus himself states that belief also must come before baptism. In John the Baptist’s day, they did not know who they were to believe in, (Acts 19:4) but now, we know exactly whom we must believe in. Now Before baptism, it is necessary to say with the Ethiopian eunuch, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Acts 8:37. A person must believe that Jesus is indeed the promised Messiah, that He is the One in whom their sins can be forgiven. We must realize that not only was Jesus a good man and great teacher, but that He is the only way that we can be saved. “Nor is there salvation in any other,” Acts 4:12. We must know as did Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” John 6:68, 69. Christ must become everything to us. We must believe that He is the only way through which our sins can be forgiven, the only way through which our great and many sins can be thrown into the depths of the sea. We must believe that He alone is our only hope and ground of eternal life. Before a person is baptized, he must truly believe on Jesus, the only begotten Son of God.

“‘Go ye therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” Matthew 28:19, 20. Jesus, in His Great Commission given to the disciples and to all believers, states that they are to make disciples and then baptize them. A person is not to be baptized until they have become a disciple of Jesus. What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? Jesus explained himself by saying, “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” A person needs to receive instruction on the gospel and the many things that Jesus taught. A person needs to have some time to become acquainted and familiar with the truths that Jesus taught before making the commitment of baptism. Baptism is similar to marriage. I would never encourage anyone to get married on the spur of the moment or on the impulse of emotion alone. Yet there are thousands who are baptized while on an emotional high, and they don’t realize the commitment that they are making. Jesus said that a person should count the cost of the step that he is taking. “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it–lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all who see it begin to mock him. Saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:17-33. Jesus was very clear that a person must realize the decision that he is making before making the step. The conditions are plain and simple; “Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:33. We must be willing to do whatever the Lord asks of us. We must be willing to forsake everything, because that is exactly what baptism symbolizes. It is a death and burial of our sins and a resurrection to newness of life. Our old sinful way of life must be buried in the watery grave of baptism. Anyone who desires to follow their Lord all of the way into baptism must be willing to count the cost and choose to follow the Lord wherever He asks.

“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,” Matthew 3:7, 8. John the Baptist refused to baptize some individuals who came to him for baptism! Some preachers will baptize anyone who desires baptism, but that is not following the example of John the Baptist. Do you think that a preacher should conduct a funeral for someone who is still alive? How would you like it if you were the person who was being buried alive? We would all agree that a live person should NOT be buried, but what about in baptism? Baptism is a funeral service. It is a resurrection service as well, but the funeral comes first. The “body of sin” (Romans 6:6) is dead and buried. What is the body of sin? The body of sin is, of course, the old habits and sinful way of life. That is why Paul, later on in the chapter, says, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body.” Romans 6:12. If a person has been buried and their sins are dead–sin is not to reign! It is not to continue to be practiced. When you conduct a funeral, the dead body is not to be exhumed. (People get arrested for that.) Since a baptism is a funeral when the sins and the old sinful way of life are buried, would it be right to bury a person who is still living in their old sinful way of life? NO! It would be burying someone alive! (If you bury someone alive in our world today, you will be arrested for murder; but many preachers are spiritually guilty of this very crime!) If a person comes desiring baptism and is carrying a flask of liquor, would it be wise to baptize him? No! That is the works of the flesh that is buried at baptism. “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,… drunkenness,… those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21. That is why John the Baptist refused to baptize some of the Pharisees and Sadducees, they were not showing, by their lives, that they were dead to their old sinful way of life. John the Baptist said, “Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance” Matthew 3:8. A person must show by their life that they have indeed accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and that they are willing to follow Him no matter what. When a person has had a true conversion, it becomes obvious to all around that a change has taken place. The new birth must occur before a person is baptized, just like the love between two individuals must precede the wedding, not the other way around. A person must show that he is no longer carnally minded, but now he is spiritually minded. (Romans 8:6.)

While it is true that an individual must show by his life that he has accepted Jesus, that does not mean that a person must be perfect before he can be baptized. If that were the case, no one would end up being baptized, and Jesus’ final commission would never be fulfilled. Three thousand were baptized and added to the church on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:41, 47.) They had given evidence in their life that they accepted Jesus as their Lord and were going to follow Him, but they still were not perfect. We know that they were not perfect because in just a little while, problems arose in the church. There was complaining and bitter feelings over supposed favoritism. (See Acts 6:1.) Obviously, they were not perfect or they would not have had this problem. Although they had chosen to follow Jesus all of the way and had given evidence of conversion in their lives, they still had trials and temptations, and they still fell. They were striving to follow Jesus all of the way and that is what the Lord asks of us.

You may be asking, “When is baptism to take place?” We need to look to see if it is acceptable to baptize babies. We have seen that there are four things which the Bible teaches that must take place before baptism: 1) repentance, 2) belief, 3) instruction, and 4) obedience. Can a baby repent for its sins? Can a baby believe in Jesus as its only hope of eternal salvation? Can a baby be taught to observe all that the Lord has commanded? Can a baby obey the Law and teaching of Jesus? The obvious answer to all of these questions is, no. A person must be of an age to understand the importance and the meaning of baptism before he takes the important step of baptism. “Moreover your little ones and your children, who you say will be victims, who today have no knowledge of good and evil,” Deuteronomy 1:39. A child must come to an age of accountability before he makes the necessary step of baptism. He must have knowledge of good and evil. While still too young to understand the difference, God accepts his childlike devotion and he will not be held accountable until he reaches the age of accountability, which occurs at different ages for different children. A person must repent, believe, be instructed and obey before he is ready to make the commitment and decision of baptism.

Baptism–why?

It is argued by some that all that is necessary is baptism by the Spirit, that water baptism is of no value anymore. Others are afraid of water and cringe at the thought of being submersed in it. Humanity can come up with many different reasons to avoid baptism, but in reality they are all excuses. God has given us a plain command in His Word. The question is whether or not we are going to obey and follow His plain command.

“Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I have need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?’ But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'” Matthew 3:13-17. Jesus Himself came to the River Jordan and was baptized. Why was Jesus baptized? There was certainly no need for His sins to be washed away, for He had no sins, yet He came to John and insisted upon being baptized. John the Baptist, realizing whom it was who was requesting baptism, balked at the thought. (I am sure that I would too.) John knew that here was his Creator and King, and He was desiring to be baptized by him, a lowly sinner! Jesus insisted that he be baptized saying, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” It was fulfilling all righteousness for Jesus to be baptized. Why was it so essential that Jesus be baptized? So that He could give us an example to follow. “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:” John 13:15; I Peter 2:21. Jesus was baptized, not because He needed to be baptized, but so that He could demonstrate to us just how important this ceremony is. If Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, condescended to the waters of baptism, should we hesitate to take that important step?

“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?'” Acts 2:37. When the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost, there was a great deal of heart searching that went on. Peter delivered a powerful sermon in which he showed that the Jewish nation was guilty of the blood of the Son of God. As he was bringing the appeal home to the hearts of the hearers, a most important question escaped from their lips. As they saw themselves sinners in need of Christ, they asked, “what shall we do?” The Holy Spirit was pressing conviction strongly upon their hearts, and their earnest desire was to know what to do to be right with God. The answer from Peter came, plain clear and simple, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38. Those who were convicted and desiring to follow the Lord were given definite directions. They were to repent of their sins and then to follow their Lord into the waters of baptism. Peter did not say that it was an option or a good idea, it was essential. If they were going to repent and follow their Lord, they must take their public stand for Him by baptism. So today, as souls are seeing the goodness of God and what it is that He asks of them, they must make a public commitment, through baptism, to follow the Lord. This should not be something that is considered a hard, grievous requirement. If we truly love the Lord it will not be hard. Just as it is not hard to marry someone whom you truly love, so it is not hard to publicly pledge our fidelity to the Lord through baptism. What must we do? Repent and be baptized.

“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:16. Jesus, in some of the last words that He spoke before ascending to heaven, makes a plain, straightforward statement of who will be saved. It is those who 1) believe and 2) are baptized. There are two essential elements. One without the other will not save a person. The belief must come first, belief in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the only One through whom we can be saved. Belief that He has taken our sins upon Him and if we repent and confess He will wash away our many and terrible sins. True belief will always lead to something else, though. True belief will lead to publicly stating our belief through baptism. Thus true belief comes first, but then it is followed by baptism. There are, of course, cases in which a person cannot be baptized, but the Lord accepts their devotion; for example, the thief on the cross. He accepted Jesus in the twilight of his life. He only had a few hours left when he made the confession, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” Luke 23:42. It was an impossibility for him to come down from the cross on which he was hanging and be baptized, so the Lord accepted his sincerity of heart, knowing that if he had the opportunity to be baptized, then he would have. All must be baptized who have accepted Jesus and are able to be baptized by immersion. There are some cases in which I have been familiar that because of paralysis or deathly physical affliction a person could not be baptized. They desired to, but it had become impossibility through their physical situation. God looks at those cases and weighs the heart and does not hold a person accountable, but if a person is fully able and refuses to be baptized, they are refusing Jesus Himself.

Jesus made perhaps the strongest statement of all about baptism in His night interview with Nicodemus. “Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.'” John 3:5. There is a new birth that each and every person who is saved must experience. “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3. If a person is not born again, he will not be saved. As we have already studied, baptism is a representation of this new birth experience; and if a person does not follow through with the outward sign of the new birth, he will not be saved. “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” John 3:5. An individual must be born of water in order to enter God’s kingdom. What is this new birth of water? It is the waters of baptism, which symbolizes the new birth. If a person has the opportunity to be baptized and refuses (or procrastinates until it is too late), he CANNOT enter the kingdom of God. Is baptism important? Is it necessary? There could be nothing more important and necessary than a true baptism accompanied by the inward experience. Must a man be buried to live? Absolutely, that is the only way that he will see life!

While I was in the Philippines a pastor told me of a unique baptism that he had administered. There was a lady who had started studying the Bible and it had wrought a total change in her life. This woman had been involved in a life of crime before her conversion, but she was now making the decision to surrender to Jesus. She had been involved with the rebels. In the Philippines, there are guerrilla outpost camps that are in rebellion to the government of the Philippines. Generally speaking, they are communist and are striving to see the present government overthrown and a communist government set up. There are frequent clashes between the Philippine Army and the National People’s Army (commonly known as the “rebels”). The National People’s Army (NPA) is known for its violence and taking of hostages. This woman, who had started studying the Bible, was not only involved with the NPA, but she was a commander in the NPA! Her life had indeed been a life of crime in a rebellious military atmosphere, but she was now making the decision to follow Jesus all of the way. She knew that she would have to surrender to the Philippine Army and discontinue her rebellious military career. There was one condition that she had–she wanted to surrender to Jesus before surrendering to the Philippine Army. This was arranged and my pastor friend agreed to baptize her so that she could publicly surrender to Jesus. The Philippine Army was going to take no chances, though. They surrounded the site for the baptism with jeep loads full of soldiers to make sure that this high profile rebel would not escape. As soon as she was baptized and surrendered to Jesus, she peacefully surrendered to the Philippine Army. How important is baptism? This once rebel leader knew how important baptism was. Her one qualification was that she take her public stand for her faith before she was captured. How that faith and submission is needed in the lives of many Christians here today in our peaceful lands.

What Hinders You?

Do you desire to live? There is only one way that you can live eternally with Christ Jesus–you must be buried. The Lord has done everything possible that you might be saved. Then He has just set a few simple prerequisites for us. Will your take your stand on the Lord’s side? Have you made your stand for Jesus as the woman in the Philippines did? Is the Lord speaking to you, convicting you of your need to make a deeper commitment to Him–even the commitment of baptism? There was an incident that happened nearly two thousand years ago, but its lesson is still for us today. Philip, the evangelist, had been working mightily for the Lord in Samaria, but the Lord directed him to a very out of the way place. He did not know why the Lord was leading him there, but he willingly followed. As he was traveling he came to a chariot in which was riding a high ranking official from the kingdom of Ethiopia. This man earnestly desired light and was pouring over the Scriptures for more understanding. (What everyone who desires to have more light and knowledge should do.) “Then Philip opened his mouth and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.” Acts 8:35. The Lord had directed Philip to this honest man who was seeking for light in order that he might show him the more perfect way–that he might teach Jesus and Him crucified. As Philip was teaching, light and understanding dawned on this noble man’s mind. “Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?’ Then Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.” Acts 8:36-38. Oh, that there were thousands of souls like the honest Ethiopian. When he learned the truth from the Word of God, he did not make excuses. He said, “What hinders me from being baptized?” What hinders you, Friend, from being baptized? Do you believe with all your heart that Jesus is the Messiah and understand the meaning for your life? Have you counted the cost and decided that it is better to lose the entire world than to lose Jesus?

There was a young lady in the Philippines whom I baptized. I will never forget her testimony. She had been working at a place that required her to break God’s holy Law. As we studied, she decided that even if she had to lose her job, she was willing, in order to follow Jesus. She said that she may have to lose her job for taking her stand, but it was better to lose a job than to lose Christ. Oh, how I wish that there were more like her. She was willing to lose everything rather than to lose Jesus. She believed with all of her heart that Jesus was the Son of God and she was going to follow Him no matter what. Do you believe that? Are you willing to follow Jesus as she was, even if it costs you your job, your friends, your family, your house, your car, your anything? Do you truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God? Or maybe you have already been baptized by immersion before (anything else is not baptism at all,) but have had a new conversion and would like to make a public recommitment. Frequently couples renew their marriage vows, and there is nothing wrong with renewing your commitment to Jesus to follow Him no matter what. When Paul met those who were learning more and having a new conversion, he re-baptized them. (Acts 19:1-6.) Your eternal destiny is at stake. Don’t you want to be on the safe side of eternity? Will you make that decision right now, to begin preparing for the most wonderful public commitment of baptism? Don’t wait until it is too late. Don’t, like Agrippa, be almost persuaded. (Acts 26:28.) For although he was almost persuaded, he was completely lost. Friend, don’t make that dreadful mistake. “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” Acts 22:16

All emphasis the authors unless otherwise stated.
All texts from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Sources:

  • The Desire of Ages, Ellen G. White, 1898.
  • His Mighty Love, Dr. Ralph Larson, Teach Services, 1995.
  • A Shorter Lexicon of the Greek New Testament, F. Wilbur Gingrich & Frederick W. Danker, University of Chicago Press, 1983.
  • Time Magazine, August 30, 1999, “Buried Alive”
  • World-Wide Bible Lectures, Fordyce W. Detamore.

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The Two Destinies

by Cody Francis

The Two DestiniesAs I walk down the crowded city streets or go into a store with people rushing all around, bumping into one another, my thoughts turn to the fact that most are racing to their eternal destiny unprepared. Billions go through life as in a dream. Eating, working, sleeping, drinking, consumes the mind. They plunge through the mundane duties of life scarcely giving a thought to eternal realities, but although they know it not, their destiny is stealthily encroaching upon them. As Jerusalem of old, they are not considering their destiny. “Her uncleanness is in her skirts; She did not consider her destiny; Therefore her collapse was awesome; She had no comforter. ‘O LORD, behold my affliction, For the enemy is exalted!'” Lamentations 1:9. The inhabitants of this world think not of things to come. The cares of this life consume the thoughts and attentions, but unknowingly they are sealing their destiny, for there are only two destinies in this world. These two destinies are two of the most important subjects to understand in all of the Bible, for if they are not understood, inevitably you will end up with the wrong destiny. Regarding the wicked man, we read from the book of Job, “He dwells in desolate cities, In houses which no one inhabits, Which are destined to become ruins.” Job 15:28. Those who do not consider well their destiny are destined to ruin. Do you understand the most important subject of the two destinies? Do you know which destiny awaits you? Do you know what the two destinies are? Do you know which supper you are destined to attend? As we investigate these questions from Scripture, you will know how to choose the destiny you desire.

The Destiny of the Faithful

The first and most pleasant study, is the destiny of the faithful. Revelation spends much time on the destiny of those who choose to follow Jesus all of the way, and what a destiny it is! “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’ Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.'” Revelation 21:1-5. In John’s panoramic view of the history of the world from his time until the close of all things, he is carried away into the consummation of the hopes and dreams of the faithful of all ages. He sees all of the calamities and catastrophes of this wicked world wiped away, never more to rise again. He sees all things new. How great the thought! Humans seem to like new things, no matter what they are. To some, there could be nothing better than driving a new car off the lot. To others, bringing home a new outfit will make their day a delight. Others still, can get great enjoyment out of little things such as new tools or kitchen decorations. Both men and women love new things, but John sees the greatest new thing of all time-an entirely new world. Not just a new house, car, or dress, but absolutely everything is new! The great destiny of the faithful is an entirely new inheritance.

In order to endure the trials and difficulties that we encounter here, it is necessary to keep our mind focused on this final destiny of the faithful. Jesus did this, and it was this very thing that enabled him to endure the terrible anguish through which He passed. “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2. When Jesus was in the midnight darkness of the cross, He focused on the joy that was to come. He thought of the millions of souls who would be saved as a result of His sacrifice. With the precious thoughts of victory in the future, He was braced to endure the superhuman agony. It is the same in our trials. If we are going to endure the crosses that we are called to bear, our minds must be focused on the blessed destiny of the faithful. When Paul was heavily pressed with temptations and trials, his thoughts turned upward and enabled him to manfully fight the battles of the Lord. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18. His mind anticipated the glory to come, and he realized that the sufferings and trials of this life were nothing in comparison. So we, if we are going to experience that glorious destiny, must turn the channel of our thoughts to the spectacular age to come.

There are some individuals who simply do not have a desire to take part in the destiny of the saved. I have talked with individuals who have said that it sounds like a good idea, but they would rather have this poor, sinful world. Others do not care about religion because they have no desire to go to such a boring place as heaven. They can see no enjoyment in sitting on imaginary clouds, listening to imaginary music, with imaginary ears, played from imaginary harps. It sounds more like a torture chamber than a blessed destiny. Others feel that they will be twiddling their thumbs from boredom, so have no desire to deny themselves here in order to experience an eternity of inactivity later on. In all truthfulness, I do not think that I would enjoy such a land either; but that does NOT correctly portray the destiny of the faithful!

“‘For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind…. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, and My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands…. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,’ says the Lord.” Isaiah 65:17, 21, 22, 25. Far from a land of boredom and inactivity, it will be the most joyous fulfillment of our brightest imaginations and the consummation of all our desires. It will not be a place of idle indifference. Never will an inhabitant say, “I am bored.” The Lord has provided thousands of things to interest our mind and give delight to our hands here on this earth. How much better will it be when the Lord recreates this earth. It will not be an imaginary land of clouds. The Bible teaches that it is going to be a real place with real things. If you enjoy hiking, there will be unmapped territory to explore. If you enjoy gardening, there will be the most fertile land you have ever worked with to cultivate. If you enjoy traveling, there will be hitherto unknown worlds to which you may journey. If you enjoy music, there will be the finest choirs with whom to sing, and instruments that emit the most beautiful chords. If you enjoy history, there will be the eyewitnesses and God’s unerring records to consult. If you enjoy socializing, there will be millions of the most wonderful Christians you have ever met to socialize with. If you enjoy worshipping the Lord, there will be countless hours spent in giving praise and honor to our everlasting King. Indeed, the blessed destiny of the faithful is the choice to make.

“And you, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.” Micah 4:8, KJV. The Lord has promised the restoration of the first dominion to the faithful. What is the first dominion? “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air; and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’… Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'” Genesis 1:26, 28. The first dominion is none other than the beautiful garden that God prepared for mankind in the beginning. It is this dominion that God is going to restore! It is not a make believe world, but a restoration of what man lost in the beginning, only with added benefits! The Garden of Eden was not an imaginary place with imaginary beautification; it was a real, physical world. “So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good…. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good…. And God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” Genesis 1:21, 25, 31. As you look around the world today, it all came from the hand of God. The trees and flowers come through a long line from the very plants that sprung forth at the Creator’s command. The rocks along the rivers and oceans are the very rocks that God created. The waters that moisten our ground, and gurgle through the streams, and rush through the flowing rivers into the mighty oceans are the very waters that our Lord created. The animals that play in grasses and frolic in the forests are descended from the very animals that God lovingly gave to Adam and Eve, and if a person were to trace it back he would find that Adam and Eve were his great, great, etc. grandparents. By looking around at the beautiful world that God has so graciously given to us, we can see that He is a lover of the real. In the beginning God created a real, physical, tangible world, and when He restores the first dominion, it will be a real, physical, tangible world.

In this great destiny, the afflictions that are so common here will all be passed away. “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing…. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Isaiah 35:5, 6, 10. All the physical ailments and pain shall be passed away. All will be joy and gladness. Tears will be turned into rejoicing and sorrow will give way to joy. Imagine the choir that the dumb will form. I am sure that they will sing the loudest hosannas to our King. Think of the lame dancing for joy to the glory of God. The pain and suffering of this old, wicked world will be forever passed away. “And the inhabitant will not say, ‘I am sick’; the people who dwell in it will be forgiven their iniquity.” Isaiah 33:24. There will be no doctor’s clinics, no hospitals, and no funeral homes. Never once will you hear someone say that he is not feeling well; that he has a headache, that his joints are bothering him. All sickness and physical affliction will be forever gone.

The beauty of the final destiny of the righteous is indescribable. “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. And her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel… and the construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.” Revelation 21:10-12, 18-21. The Lord is a lover of the beautiful. He created the delicate flowers and the colorful birds for the delight of our eyes. The rivers, hills, valleys, and mountains all testify of God’s great love of the beautiful. God created a beautiful world for His people, and when He redeems His faithful from the earth, He spares no effort to recreate the most beautiful habitation ever known to the universe.

The greatest fact of all about the destiny of the faithful is that they shall see their Lord and Saviour for themselves. The faithful have spent hours learning of their Maker from His Word. They have spent entire nights in prayer talking with their Redeemer and Friend. They have told all their acquaintances about Him. They have grown to know Him more closely than any earthly friend, for “This is life eternal, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3. They have eternal life because they are intimately connected with Him; but for the first time they shall see Him face to face. “And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on there foreheads.” Revelation 22:3, 4. The greatest thing of all is that the faithful shall look upon the face of their Lord. “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” I Corinthians 13:12. Through our long pilgrimage here on this earth, we have seen Him dimly and in part, but then it shall be face to face. How great the destiny of the faithful!

Although the Bible gives the most vivid descriptions, and our minds anticipate with brightest expectations, it will infinitely exceed our grandest hopes and dreams. “But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.'” I Corinthians 2:9. Eye has not seen, nor will not see, the beauty that shall be revealed in the inheritance of the faithful. Ears will never hear, in this life, the beautiful strains which shall meet the faithful. The mind can never come close to grasping the unending splendor of the greatest destiny imaginable. Is there anything in this world that can compare with the reward of the saints? Do the things of this world hold any attraction when we see the destiny that is coming? Is there anything that we will allow to hold us back from following Jesus all the way to the gates of the Holy City? Let us remember the destiny that the Lord has promised to those who are willing to give up anything and everything for Him and press on the upward way regardless of the cost.

The Supper of the Faithful

With each of the two destinies, there is a supper to usher the destiny in. There is a supper for the faithful and there is a supper for the unfaithful as well, but the difference between these two suppers is as far as the east is from the west.

The supper of the faithful is referred to in Scripture as the marriage supper of the Lamb. “And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, ‘Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.’ And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, ‘Write: Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!‘ And he said to me, ‘These are the true sayings of God.'” Revelation 19:6-9. The faithful are going to be a part of the greatest wedding feast of all time. Everyone enjoys weddings, and for most people it is the happiest day of their lives. But this marriage feast will far exceed even the most elaborate wedding here on this earth. This wedding feast will be the great celebration of the heavenly marriage between Christ and His church. It will be the grand opening of eternity.

In our weddings, the bride and groom are married and then the reception follows. So the marriage supper of the Lamb immediately follows the marriage of the Lamb. The bridegroom in this great wedding in none other than Jesus Himself. “You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.” John 3:28, 29. John the Baptist recognized who the true Bridegroom was. He said it was Jesus whom his disciples were complaining about. If Christ then is the bridegroom, who is He married to? Surely there can be no wedding without a bride. “Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth,” “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” II Corinthians 1:1; 11:2. This great marriage, that is so soon to take place, is the marriage between Christ and His church! What a marriage and what a marriage supper that will be! Surely, there could be no greater marriage and there could certainly be no greater celebration and rejoicing than will take place at that marriage supper.

Why has this marriage not already taken place? “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” Revelation 19:7. We are not waiting on Him; the Lord Jesus is waiting for us, His church, to get ready. As soon as the church is ready for the greatest marriage of all time, it will come. In order for the church to be ready, she must have on her wedding garment. If she presumes to come to the wedding without the wedding garment that her groom has provided for her, she shall be a part of a much worse supper and destiny. “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:11-14. Christ’s bride must be clad in that precious wedding garment of character that Christ Himself has provided. Many claim to be Christians. Many claim to be the bride of Christ, but few are chosen. Why are few chosen? Because few consent to wear the wedding garment of Christ’s character. They cling to their own ideas, and their own ways, and do not let the Lord change them into His likeness. The wedding garment that the true church will wear is not spotted with sin and selfishness, but it is completely cleansed from all of sin’s defilement. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-27. Never does a bride come to the wedding in a gown that is wrinkled, smudged, and torn; and the Lamb’s bride is not going to come to her wedding like that either. She must have allowed Christ to cleanse and sanctify her from all sin so that she may be pure and undefiled on her great wedding day. All who submit to the cleansing process will be a part of the bride of Christ and partake of the great marriage supper, but all who refuse to be joined to the Lord (I Corinthians 6:17) are destined for a much less desirable supper.

“Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!” Revelation 19:9. Indeed, blessed are those who are called and are ready for this great marriage. Only those who have allowed Christ to cleanse and purify their characters will partake of this joyous supper, for without holiness, “no one shall see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14. “And I say to you that many will come from the east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 8:11. For those who have put on the wedding garment of Christ’s spotless character, will come and sit down with the prophets, apostles, and holy men and women of all ages. They will then sit down and eat and drink at Jesus table. (See Luke 22:30.) Christ has been waiting for this great reunion supper for millennia. Shortly before Jesus was taken from His disciples, He promised them, “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” Matthew 26:29. He has been waiting nearly two thousand years to drink of the pure grape juice with His children at the great marriage supper of the Lamb. I imagine, that just as He did at the Lord’s Supper, He will again serve His faithful children with His own hand. What a supper that will be! The church perfected and all the trials and heartaches passed away. Sitting as one big, happy, united family at the table of God in the kingdom of heaven, and Jesus with His own hand serving the precious bounties of the heavenly kingdom. What a supper! What a destiny!

The Destiny of the Disobedient

There is more than just one destiny, though. As there are two marks, two choices and two suppers, there are two destinies, as well. The destiny of the faithful and obedient, is the best destiny imaginable, but not so for the disobedient. The destiny of the disobedient is as fearful as the destiny of the obedient is joyous.

“For the wicked are reserved for the day of doom; They shall be brought out on the day of wrath.” Job 21:30. The day of doom is coming for those who have turned from God’s holy Law and gone after their own way. A day of doom and a day of wrath is the destiny that is stealthily creeping in upon them. Fearful was the account given by the prophets when they saw this day. So fearful that they could hardly give utterance to their words. When Ezekiel saw this fearful day of doom, he exclaimed, “A disaster, a singular disaster; Behold, it has come! An end has come, the end has come; it has dawned for you; behold, it has come! Doom has come to you, you who dwell in the land; The time has come, a day of trouble is near, and not of rejoicing in the mountains. Now upon you I will soon pour out My fury, and spend My anger upon you; I will judge you according to your ways, and I will repay you for all your abominations. My eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; I will repay you according to your ways, and your abominations will be in your midst. Then you will know that I am the Lord who strikes.” Ezekiel 7:5-9. For the disobedient, their destiny is far from a day of rejoicing. It is a day of sorrowful lamentation. The destiny of doom is soon to fall upon the despisers of God’s grace. They may put it off. They may think that it will not fall on them, but their hopes are in vain. “Woe to you who put far off the day of doom,” Amos 6:3. Millions today are saying, “It will not come, or if it does come it will be many years in the future.” The Bible says, “Woe to you who say such things, Woe to you who put off the day of doom. It will come; it will surely come. God has sworn and will not relent, the day of wrath is coming.”

When does this day of wrath begin? “Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.” Revelation 15:1. The day of wrath and doom begins with the pouring out of the seven last plagues. Those who have persisted in following their own course of disobedience to God’s Word and His Law begin to experience the destiny that they have purchased for themselves, and far from sweet it is. “The way of transgressors is hard.” Proverbs. 13:15, KJV. Now transgression seems easy. Now the road of disobedience appears to be the road to riches and honor, but the day of doom will reveal the true character of each path. The day of doom will reveal how hard the destiny of the disobedient really is.

“So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.” Revelation 16:2. Notice who it is that receives of the dreadful seven last plagues? It is those who have the mark of the beast. Those who have been obedient to all of God’s Law have the seal of the Living God and are preserved from these terrible plagues. (In Steps to Life’s booklet Two Marks both the mark of the beast and the seal of God are positively identified.) The faithful have a different destiny than the day of wrath and doom. They are present during the day of wrath and doom, but God mercifully shields them and gives them another better destiny.

God holds before us two destinies. The one so full of joy and contentment that it surpasses our brightest imaginations. The other more terrible than man can describe, but tragically the majority chooses the dreadful destiny of doom. Jesus has warned us, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13, 14. Because of the cross involved in following Jesus, few go by the narrow way. The vast majority of the world takes the broad easy way, but too late they find out that they have gone the hard way. Even though there are the most solemn warnings in all of the Bible against following the beast, yet prophecy tells us that all of the world will follow the beast power. “I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.” Revelation 13:3. Although it is only those who were deceived into following the beast power that receive of the seven last plagues, that is almost the entire world. It is just a small but obedient group that are delivered from these dreadful scourges.

No human can describe the terrible consequences of these seven final plagues. These plagues are the final retribution to those who have refused to follow the Lord all the way. There are terrible sores worse than any human has ever experienced before that will befall upon those who receive the mark of the beast. (Revelation 16:2.) Then the Lord will give those who are seeking to kill His people blood to drink. (Revelation 16:3-7.) Next the sun scorches them with heat hotter than the hottest place on this earth. After the sun scorches with white hot heat, the Lord turns off the sun and the men gnaw their tongues for the great darkness. (Revelation 16:10.) The support of the beast dries up under the sixth plague. (Revelation 16:12-16.) Then the final plague finishes the destructive judgments by pelting the earth with sixty pound hail. (Revelation 16:17-21.) The destiny of the disobedient is far from pleasant, but this is not the end, there is more and worse still to come.

“Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the might men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?'” Revelation 6:14-17. The seventh plague is none other than the second coming of Jesus, and what a day of terror it is for those who have received the mark of the beast. Instead of Jesus’ appearing being a day of joy and gladness, it is one of gloom and sadness for those who have turned their backs on Jesus and taken the “easy way.” “The day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand; a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains.” Joel 2:1, 2. (KJV.) Those who have not loved Jesus enough to keep His words (John 14:23) are filled with terror as they see the One whom they know they have rejected. “She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness.” Nahum 2:10. (KJV.) The horror is irrepressible. It shows in the countenance and the knees knock for fright. It is a day of hopeless agony. They recognize the Lord. They know His voice, but they have refused to heed His call. “That voice which penetrates the ear of the dead, they know. How often have its plaintive, tender tones called them to repentance. How often has it been heard in the touching entreaties of a friend, a brother, a Redeemer. To the rejecters of His grace no other could be so full of condemnation, so burdened with denunciation, as that voice which has so long pleaded: “Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?” Ezekiel 33:11. (KJV.) Oh, that it were to them the voice of a stranger! Says Jesus: “I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out My hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all My counsel, and would none of My reproof.” Proverbs 1:24, 25. (KJV.) That voice awakens memories which they would fain blot out–warnings despised, invitations refused, privileges slighted.” The Great Controversy, 642. The second coming which delivers the righteous strikes abject terror into those who have refused to keep all of God’s commandments.

The glory that is revealed from heaven as Jesus comes in His own glory and in the glory of His Father and in the glory of all the holy angels (Luke 9:26) not only fills the disobedient with terror, but the glory is as a flame of fire devouring them. “And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,” II Thessalonians 1:7-9. The glory that fills the sky is so much brighter than the sun that it slays those who have neglected to follow Jesus all the way. “And the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.” II Thessalonians 2:8. Those who have persisted in breaking God’s Law are unfit to stand in God’s presence and are smitten by the brightness and the glory as it is revealed from heaven. There will be those who have thought that they were keeping the Law, but find out too late, and they too will share in the same fate. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart form Me, you who practice lawlessness!'” Matthew 7:21-23. There will be those who pick an argument with the Lord, but they will share in the same fate as those who called for the rocks to fall upon them. They thought that they were saved. They thought that they were saved so much so that they appealed the decision that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords has made, but they were sadly deceived. They thought that they had a one way ticket to heaven, but too late they find out that there name was blotted from the records and there is nothing that they or anyone else can do. They are counted with the unbelievers and are destroyed by the brightness of the Lord’s coming. What a day of terror! What a day of destiny!

The fate of all those who have refused to follow all of the Lord’s commandments is awful indeed. Most people agree with most of the commandments, but usually there is one or two that cut directly across their path, and they decide that it isn’t important to keep all of them, but that decision if stubbornly held to will fix their destiny on the wrong side. “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.” James 2:10-12. If a person keeps most of the Law, yet refuses to keep one part of it, it is just as if he has disregarded the entire Law. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13. It is the whole duty of man to keep all ten of God’s holy commandments, for in reality they are ten simple promises of love. Jesus puts it as simply as possible, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15. Tragically the entire world is breaking at least one of the commandments and is destined in the wrong direction. They will go on thinking everything is all right, but find out too late that they have been duped and will be consumed by the brightness of Jesus’ second coming. Then will be fulfilled the words of Jeremiah, “And at that day the slain of the Lord shall be from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall become refuse on the ground.” Jeremiah 25:33. The righteous will rise to meet their precious Saviour in the clouds of glory, but the disobedient will be slain by the brightness of Jesus’ second coming and be as refuse upon the ground. Then commences the awful supper of the disobedient.

The Supper of the Disobedient

“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, ‘Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.’ And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.” Revelation 19:11-21. As awful as it is, it is the Word of God. Jesus is pictured as returning to earth as a King of Kings and Lord of Lords. No more does he wear the crown of thorns. No more is He cradled in a lowly manger. He returns as who he rightfully is, the conquering King. Then the angel makes the most awful pronouncement. He tells the birds that it is supper time. It is the supper of the great God. Those who have refused to wear the robe woven in the loom of heaven for them, those who have refused to make the necessary preparations to come to the marriage supper of the Lamb receive their part in the supper of the great God. Instead of being fed by Jesus’ own right hand, instead of sitting at the table of God with the holy men of old, they become supper for the birds of heaven. They have refused to keep God’s Law, and so consequently they have received the most awful visitations of God’s wrath imaginable, and now they become food for the vultures and scavengers of the earth. How awful and terrible a fate, but “it is their just due.” Revelation 16:6. They have “counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace,” (Hebrews 10:29) and now they receive the reward of their works. How careful we need to be that we have chosen the right supper and the right destiny.

The Decision of Destiny

Reader, you have a decision to make. Every person alive today has a choice to make. Which choice will you make? There are two choices and two destinies. Your decision will determine which supper you are a part of, whether you eat with the saved of all ages, or if you are eaten by the birds of heaven. It is a gruesome thought, but it is better to think about it now before it is too late. A time is coming in which it will be too late. A time in which every decision will have been made for or against eternity. “He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.” Revelation 22:11. Very soon this decree will be made and it will be forever too late to change sides. You will then be on one side or the other and your destiny will be sealed. It is sooner than you think; it is sooner than I think. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” II Corinthians 6:2. Do you hear His voice calling you? Please don’t put it off. I have talked with many precious souls who are hoping and desiring to be saved. They believe the Word of God. They believe His Law, but they have difficulty following one commandment. It may be their job. It may be their family. It may be their own desires that they have to deny. When it gets a little easier, then they say they will keep all of the Law. When they get their house paid off, after they retire, then they will follow Jesus all of the way. I have appealed and appealed to such, but to no avail. They really want to be saved. They know what they need to do, but they do it not. Friend, don’t make that mistake. You know what you need to do. Are you going to do it? You have a decision to make. Are you going to make it? Which supper do you want to be in? Which destiny do you prefer? Is there any part of God’s holy Law that you are ignoring? Don’t delay! Delay is from the devil. Which mark will you receive? It will determine which destiny you will find. It will determine which supper you attend. The last generation will attend one or the other, that is not the question. The question is, which one will you be in? Contemplate the glories of the heavenly destiny. Consider the fate of the destiny of the disobedient. Is there anything in this world that holds you back? Is there anything that keeps you from making the leap of faith to keeping all of God’s Law? Is it worth it in the end? Is whatever the hindrance may be, more important to you than your final destiny?

Are you with the multitudes still in the valley of decision? “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” Joel 3:13. Brother or Sister, not one soul will be saved in the valley of decision. Not one soul! Those who hang around the valley of decision too long, end up being pushed over the precipice of destruction. Have you weighed the Bible evidence for your faith? You know what the Bible says. Will you make the choice to leave the valley of decision and dwell in the secret place of the Most High? Will you be certain that the seal of the Living God is placed in your forehead? Will you have His name written in the tables of your mind? You must make a decision, whether you want to or not. All who do not make a decision will be counted with the unbelievers. Which side will you be on? “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” Deuteronomy 30:19.

All emphasis is the author’s, unless otherwise stated.

All texts from the New King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

Sources:

  • The Great Controversy, Ellen G. White, 1911.

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