judgment – Page 8 – Steps to Life

Inspiration – The Investigative Judgment

March 27, 2018 by Ellen G. White

“I Beheld,” says the prophet Daniel, “till thrones were placed, and One that was ancient of days did sit. His raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and the wheels thereof 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, R.V.

Thus was presented to the prophet’s vision the great and solemn day when the characters and the lives of men should pass in review before the Judge of all the earth, and to every man should be rendered “according to his works.” Matthew 16:27.

“And, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away.” Daniel 7:13, 14. The coming of Christ here described is not his second coming to the earth. He comes to the Ancient of days in Heaven to receive dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, which will be given him at the close of his work as a mediator. It is this coming, and not his second advent to the earth, that was foretold in prophecy to take place at the termination of the 2300 days, in 1844. Attended by heavenly angels, our great High Priest enters the holy of holies, and there appears in the presence of God, to engage in the last acts of his ministration in behalf of man, to perform the work of investigative Judgment, and to make an atonement for all who are shown to be entitled to its benefits.

In the typical service, only those who had come before God with confession and repentance, and whose sins, through the blood of the sin-offering, were transferred to the sanctuary, had a part in the service of the day of atonement. So in the great day of final atonement and investigative Judgment, the only cases considered are those of the professed people of God. The judgment of the wicked is a distinct and separate work, and takes place at a later period. “Judgment must begin at the house of God; and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel?” I Peter 4:17.

“The Judgment was set, and the books were opened.” The Revelator, describing the same scene, adds, “Another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” Revelation 20:12.

“A book of remembrance” is written before God, in which are recorded the good deeds of “them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.” Malachi 3:16. Their words of faith, their acts of love, are registered in Heaven. … In the book of God’s remembrance every deed of righteousness is immortalized. There every temptation resisted, every evil overcome, every word of tender pity expressed, is faithfully chronicled. And every act of sacrifice, every suffering and sorrow endured for Christ’s sake, is recorded. …

There is a record also of the sins of men. “For God shall bring every work into Judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:14. …

Every man’s work passes in review before God, and is registered for faithfulness or unfaithfulness. Opposite each name in the books of Heaven is entered, with terrible exactness, every wrong word, every selfish act, every unfulfilled duty, and every secret sin, with every artful dissembling. Heaven-sent warnings or reproofs 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.

The law of God is the standard by which the characters and the lives of men will be tested in the Judgment. …

The righteous dead will not be raised until after the Judgment at which they are accounted worthy of “the resurrection of life.” Hence they will not be present in person at the tribunal when their records are examined, and their cases decided.

Jesus will appear as their advocate, to plead in their behalf before God. “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” I John 2:1. …

As the books of record are opened in the Judgment, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus come in review before God. … Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted, names rejected. When any have sins remaining upon the books of record, unrepented of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book of life, and the record of their good deeds will be erased from the book of God’s remembrance. …

All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have had pardon entered against their names in the books of Heaven; as they have become partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and their characters are found to be in harmony with the law of God, their sins will be blotted out, and they themselves will be accounted worthy of eternal life. …

The work of the investigative Judgment and the blotting out of sins is to be accomplished before the second advent of the Lord. …

At the time appointed for the Judgment—the close of the 2300 days, in 1844—began the work of investigation and blotting out of sins. All who have ever taken upon themselves the name of Christ must pass its searching scrutiny. Both the living and the dead are to be judged “out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” …

How solemn is the thought! Day after day, passing into eternity, bears its burden of records for the books of Heaven. Words once spoken, deeds once done, can never be recalled. Angels have registered both the good and the evil. The mightiest conqueror upon the earth cannot call back the record of even a single day. Our acts, our words, even our most secret motives, all have their weight in deciding our destiny for weal or woe. Though they may be forgotten by us, they will bear their testimony to justify or to condemn. …

Those who would share the benefits of the Saviour’s mediation should permit nothing to interfere with their duty to perfect holiness in the fear of God. …

We are now living in the great day of atonement. … In like manner, all who would have their names retained in the book of life, should now, in the few remaining days of their probation, afflict their souls before God by sorrow for sin, and true repentance. There must be deep, faithful searching of heart. The light, frivolous spirit indulged by so many of professed Christians must be put away. There is earnest warfare before all who would subdue the evil tendencies that strive for the mastery. The work of preparation is an individual work. We are not saved in groups. The purity and devotion of one will not offset the want of these qualities in another. Though all nations are to pass in judgment before God, yet he will examine the case of each individual with as close and searching scrutiny as if there were not another being upon the earth. Everyone must be tested, and found without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.

Solemn are the scenes connected with the closing work of the atonement. Momentous are the interests involved therein. The Judgment is now passing in the sanctuary above. … Soon—none know how soon—it will pass to the cases of the living. In the awful presence of God our lives are to come up in review. At this time above all others it behooves every soul to heed the Saviour’s admonition, “Watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is.” Mark 13:33. “If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” Revelation 3:3.

When the work of the investigative Judgment closes, the destiny of all will have been decided for life or death. Probation is ended a short time before the appearing of the Lord in the clouds of heaven. Christ in the Revelation, looking forward to that time, declares: “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. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Revelation 22:11, 12.

Excerpts from The Great Controversy, 479–491.

Bible Study Guides – The Object Lesson that Illustrates Christ’s Work on Earth

March 26, 2018 by Ruth Grosboll

May 2, 2010 – May 8, 2010

Key Text

“Let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.” Exodus 25:8.

Study Help: The Great Controversy, 409–422.

Introduction

“The subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgment should be clearly understood by the people of God. All need a knowledge for themselves of the position and work of their great High Priest. Otherwise it will be impossible for them to exercise the faith which is essential at this time, or to occupy the position which God designs them to fill. Every individual has a soul to save or to lose. Each has a case pending at the bar of God. Each must meet the great Judge face to face. How important, then, that every mind contemplate often the solemn scene when the judgment shall sit and the books shall be opened, when, with Daniel, every individual must stand in his lot, at the end of the days.” The Great Controversy, 488.

1 What did God instruct the Children of Israel to do? And for what purpose? Exodus 25:8; Exodus 26:30.

Note: “The tabernacle constructed by the Hebrews in the wilderness was made according to the divine command. Men called of God for this purpose were endowed by him with more than natural abilities to perform the most ingenious work. Yet neither Moses nor these workmen were left to plan the form and workmanship of the building. God himself devised and gave to Moses the plan of that sacred structure, with particular directions as to its size and form, the materials to be used, and every article of furniture which it was to contain. He presented before Moses a miniature model of the heavenly sanctuary, and commanded him to make all things according to the pattern showed him in the mount. And Moses wrote all the directions in a book, and read them to the most influential of the people.” The Signs of the Times, June 24, 1880.

2 Does God still want to dwell with His people? John 17:23; Galatians 2:20.

Note: “Put away all doubt. Dismiss your fears, obtain the experience that Paul had when he exclaimed, ‘I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me’ [Galatians 2:20]. Surrender everything to Christ, and let your life be hid with Christ in God. Then you will be a power for good. One shall chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight.” Gospel Workers (1892), 371.

3 How did Moses carry out the instructions? Exodus 40:16.

Note: “The foundation firmly laid, we need wisdom that we may know how to build. When Moses was about to erect the sanctuary in the wilderness, he was cautioned, ‘See that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount.’ In his law God has given us a pattern. Our character building is to be ‘after the pattern showed to thee in the mount’ [Hebrews 8:5]. The law is the great standard of righteousness. It represents the character of God, and is the test of our loyalty to his government. And it is revealed to us, in all its beauty and excellence, in the life of Christ. The law is the detector of sin. We have inspired testimony on this point: ‘For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came [home to the conscience], sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.’ Romans 7:9–11. This is the work that it will do for every soul that is living in sin. The law points out sin, and condemns it, and sends the sinner to Christ for pardon and cleansing. ‘The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good’ [Romans 7:12].” Special Testimonies on Education, 73, 74.

4 How many rooms were there in the sanctuary? Exodus 26:33.

Note: “I was also shown a sanctuary upon the earth containing two apartments. It resembled the one in heaven, and I was told that it was a figure of the heavenly. The furniture of the first apartment of the earthly sanctuary was like that in the first apartment of the heavenly. The veil was lifted, and I looked into the holy of holies and saw that the furniture was the same as in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. The priest ministered in both apartments of the earthly. He went daily into the first apartment, but entered the most holy only once a year, to cleanse it from the sins which had been conveyed there. I saw that Jesus ministered in both apartments of the heavenly sanctuary. The priests entered into the earthly with the blood of an animal as an offering for sin. Christ entered into the heavenly sanctuary by the offering of His own blood. The earthly priests were removed by death; therefore they could not continue long; but Jesus was a priest forever. Through the sacrifices and offerings brought to the earthly sanctuary, the children of Israel were to lay hold of the merits of a Saviour to come. And in the wisdom of God the particulars of this work were given us that we might, by looking to them, understand the work of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary.” Early Writings, 252, 253.

5 How were the two rooms separated? Exodus 26:33.

Note: “Besides the outer court, which contained the altar of burnt-offering, the tabernacle itself consisted of two apartments called the holy and the most holy place, separated by a rich and beautiful curtain, or veil; a similar veil closed the entrance to the first apartment.” The Great Controversy, (1888), 412.

6 What was around the outside of the tabernacle? Exodus 27:18.

Note: “The sacred tent was enclosed in an open space called the court, which was surrounded by hangings, or screens, of fine linen, suspended from pillars of brass. The entrance to this enclosure was at the eastern end. It was closed by curtains of costly material and beautiful workmanship, though inferior to those of the sanctuary. The hangings of the court being only about half as high as the walls of the tabernacle, the building could be plainly seen by the people without.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 347.

7 How was the Holy Place furnished? Exodus 40:22–27; Hebrews 9:2.

Note: “I saw an angel flying swiftly to me. He quickly carried me from the earth to the holy city. In the city I saw a temple, which I entered. I passed through a door before I came to the first veil. This veil was raised, and I passed into the holy place. Here I saw the altar of incense, the candlestick with seven lamps, and the table on which was the showbread. After viewing the glory of the holy, Jesus raised the second veil, and I passed into the holy of holies.” Christian Experience and Teaching, 91.

8 What was in the Most Holy Place? Exodus 40:20, 21; Hebrews 9:3, 4.

Note: “All things pertaining to the most holy place were to be looked upon with reverence.” Gospel Workers (1892), 159.

“Beyond the inner veil of the wilderness-tabernacle built in the time of Moses, was the holy of holies, where centered the symbolic service of atonement and intercession. In this apartment was the ark, a chest of acacia wood, overlaid within and without with gold, and having a crown of gold about the top. It was made as a depository for the tables of stone, upon which God himself had inscribed the Ten Commandments. Hence it was called the ark of God’s testament, or the Ark of the Covenant, since the Ten Commandments were the basis of the covenant made between God and Israel.” The Review and Herald, November 9, 1905.

“In the most holy place stood the ark, a chest of precious wood overlaid with gold, the depository of the two tables of stone upon which God had inscribed the law of Ten Commandments. Above the ark, and forming the cover to the sacred chest, was the mercy-seat, a magnificent piece of workmanship, surmounted by two cherubim, one at each end, and all wrought of solid gold. In this apartment the divine presence was manifested in the cloud of glory between the cherubim.” The Great Controversy (1888), 412.

9 What was in the court which surrounded the sanctuary? Exodus 27; Exodus 30:18.

Note: “In the court, and nearest the entrance, stood the brazen altar of burnt offering. Upon this altar were consumed all the sacrifices made by fire unto the Lord, and its horns were sprinkled with the atoning blood. Between the altar and the door of the tabernacle was the laver, which was also of brass, made from the mirrors that had been the freewill offering of the women of Israel.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 347.

“Anciently the priests were required to have their garments in a particular style to do service in the holy place, and minister in the priest’s office. They were to have garments in accordance with their work, and God distinctly specified what these should be. The laver was placed between the altar and the congregation, that before they came into the presence of God, in the sight of the congregation, they might wash their hands and their feet. What impression was this to make upon the people? It was to show them that every particle of dust must be put away before they could go into the presence of God; for he was so high and holy that unless they did comply with these conditions, death would follow.” Gospel Workers (1892), 162, 163.

10 What purpose did the sanctuary serve? Hebrews 9:1–28; Psalm 77:13; Psalm 73:17.

Note: “Such was the service performed ‘unto the example and shadow of heavenly things’ [Hebrews 8:5]. And what was done in type in the ministration of the earthly sanctuary, is done in reality in the ministration of the heavenly sanctuary. After his ascension, our Saviour began his work as our high priest. Says Paul, ‘Christ is not entered 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’ Hebrews 9:24.” The Great Controversy (1888), 420.

“There is no safety nor repose nor justification in transgression of the law. Man cannot hope to stand innocent before God, and at peace with Him through the merits of Christ, while he continues in sin. He must cease to transgress, and become loyal and true. As the sinner looks into the great moral looking glass, he sees his defects of character. He sees himself just as he is, spotted, defiled, and condemned. But he knows that the law cannot in any way remove the guilt or pardon the transgressor. He must go farther than this. The law is but the schoolmaster to bring him to Christ. He must look to his sin-bearing Saviour. And as Christ is revealed to him upon the cross of Calvary, dying beneath the weight of the sins of the whole world, the Holy Spirit shows him the attitude of God to all who repent of their transgressions. ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life’ (John 3:16).” Selected Messages, Book 1, 213.

This quarter’s lessons were prepared by Ruth Grosboll prior to her passing in January, 2010.

Editor’s Letter – Fall Feasts

March 19, 2018 by John J. Grosboll

In previous issues we have covered all of the spring feasts in the New Covenant and now we will look at the fall feasts. The first one was the feast of trumpets. Trumpets were used in the Old Covenant to announce and summon people to important events. It was most important that the trumpet not give an uncertain sound (I Corinthians 14:8). The trumpet in prophecy has special reference to events in the last days (e.g., Joel 2) and the messages of the book of Revelation are given as with a trumpet (Revelation 1:10; 4:1). The feasts of the spring prefigured events associated with the first advent of Christ, but the feasts of the fall prefigured events associated with the second advent of Christ. This feast of trumpets was announced ten days before the coming Day of Atonement, the most solemn day of all the year in the Old Covenant. During the ten years preceding 1844, the announcement that the Day of Judgment was at hand was sent with trumpet tones throughout the world, reaching every civilized nation and mission station worldwide. Just as with the spring feasts, this feast in the New Covenant could only occur once for all time. Today we are not announcing anymore that the Day of Judgment is at hand—we have to say that it has been in progress for over 160 years; and no longer are we preaching just the first angel’s message which was the original message of the Second Advent Movement, but rather the third angel’s message—the last message of mercy that God has sent for a dying world. (The third angel’s message includes the first and the second.) The feast of trumpets summoned the people of God to appear before the Lord. Nobody will experience the feast of the trumpets in the New Covenant who is not actively working to spread the Three Angels’ Messages to the world.

The fifth feast of the year was the feast of the Day of Atonement. This was the typical Day of Judgment. In the Old Covenant, this occurred every year because the blood of bulls and goats could not really take away sins (Hebrews 10:4). But in the New Covenant it occurs just once in the end of the ages (Hebrews 9:25, 26) and is the Day of Atonement, or cleansing of the sanctuary, or time of investigative judgment. This is called the investigative judgment because all court trials even in this world have three phases: an investigative phase in which, if you are acquitted, the judgment then is over for you; a sentencing phase; and an executive phase, which is the execution of the sentence. God’s judgment also has three phases. To see the sentencing phase in Scripture, look at Revelation 20:4. To see the executive phase, see Revelation 20:11–15. The investigative phase occurs while the gospel is still being preached in the last days. See Revelation 14:6, 7.

This service or feast in the New Covenant results in the complete removal of sin from all of God’s people so that they are just the same as if they had never sinned!

Editor’s Letter – The Investigative Judgment

March 16, 2018 by John J. Grosboll

Israelites, throughout the year, brought their sin offerings to the sanctuary, confessing, repenting and forsaking their sins and they were forgiven (Leviticus 4 and 5). However, if they did not participate in the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:29, 30), they were still cut off from Israel. In the same way, even though a Christian has repented and confessed his sins and chosen to follow Jesus all the way in a life of obedience, he cannot be saved unless the Lord takes his sins away from him, or as some Scriptures say, unless his sins are blotted out.

This occurs during the end period of earth’s history in one day (Zechariah 3:9) and was symbolized by the service of the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:30). Paul clearly says that this event occurs in the end of the ages (Hebrews 9:25, 26). Daniel speaks of it as beginning shortly after 1798 (see Daniel 7) and specifies exactly when this work would begin in Daniel 8:14—1844.

This work of cleansing the sanctuary or Investigative Judgment involves a judgment in favor of God’s holy people and a negative judgment of the continuance in rebellion, often translated the daily (Daniel 8:12) and a negative judgment likewise upon the desolating rebellion (Daniel 8:13). The continual rebellion was a constant worldwide rebellion involving every nation in the world for 4,500 years and the desolating rebellion which succeeded it is the apostasy of the latter times which has been getting worse now for over 1,500 years. So, in summary, the cleansing of the sanctuary involves a judgment involving every nation under heaven for the past 6,000 years.

In this judgment every person who has ever lived will find his destiny. If a person continues to live in sin and never overcomes it (study Revelation 21:5–7), his name will be blotted out of the Book of Life (see Exodus 32:33). But if a person overcomes his sins (the world, the flesh and the devil—James 4; Romans 6; I John 5), then his name will be retained in the Book of Life (Revelation 3:5) and he will be acquitted in the judgment and receive an everlasting reward when Jesus returns. The people who are keeping the real or antitypical Day of Atonement are those who are humbling themselves before God and pleading for the Holy Spirit in their lives that they may be overcomers through the merits of Jesus and thereby be ready to meet Jesus when He comes to receive a church (Ephesians 5:27).

Do You Weigh Enough?

March 9, 2018 by John J. Grosboll

Every nation in the world has an account with God. An account is not only kept of the moral character of individuals but God keeps account of the collective moral character of entire nations. “With unerring accuracy the Infinite One still keeps account with the nations. While His mercy is tendered, with calls to repentance, this account remains open.” Prophets and Kings, 364. Is that account still open today? You can read in Daniel 5 that the account of Babylon suddenly closed. Since that night, Babylon has never been a country again.

Could the accounts of other nations be closing today? The rest of that short paragraph says, “While His mercy is tendered, with calls to repentance, this account remains open; but when the figures …” Notice the words “the figures.” Remember what Daniel told Belshazzar: God has numbered your kingdom, finished it (Daniel 5:26)! “When the figures reach a certain amount which God has fixed …” Here we see that there is a “fixed amount” that has to do with moral character for whole nations.

God has abundantly blessed the United States of America more than any other nation on the face of this earth. The people who first came here were fleeing from the religious persecution in Europe and other places and came here to this land to find religious liberty. This country used to be known as a Protestant nation, the bulwark of Protestantism for the whole world, even as late as World War II. When the Puritans first came and settled here, they lived by Christian principles and it was possible to live in one of those New England towns for a whole year without hearing of anybody getting robbed.

Once, Babylon was the greatest nation on the earth, but when their moral character was lost, they also lost God’s blessing. This nation once had a good moral character and enjoyed the blessing of God because of those people who lived here. Most people in the United States today are ignorant of this country’s heritage and do not comprehend the source of its prosperity which, in the past, came directly from the blessing of God. It was not because Americans are the smartest people in the world, or because of a certain form of government. It was simply the blessing of God as a result of the moral character of the people who lived here.

In Testimonies, vol. 5, 45, it says: “As the approach of the Roman armies was a sign to the disciples of the impending destruction of Jerusalem, so may this apostasy be a sign to us that the limit of God’s forbearance is reached, that the measure of our nation’s iniquity is full, and that the angel of mercy is about to take her flight, never to return.” The account then will be closed and all the other nations are going to follow the example of the United States. The word of God says, “All who dwell on the earth will worship him [the beast] whose names have not been written in the Book of Life.” Revelation 13:8.

Right now the account is still open and people can be saved. Though they be living for the devil now, they can still turn around when they hear the gospel. But once that account is closed, it will be too late to be saved. Just like with Belshazzar, a time will come when the whole nation and also the people will be weighed in the balances.

Soon, we will be told that, “The account is closed. Divine patience ceases. There is no more pleading of mercy in their behalf.” Ibid., 208. But right now there is still an opportunity to accept the mercy that God has extended. We need to be inviting people with whom we deal to take advantage of the mercy presently being offered. We are told in Patriarchs and Prophets, 165: “You who are slighting the offers of mercy, think of the long array of figures accumulating against you in the books of heaven; for there is a record kept. …” The weighing process is the same as what is called in other texts the Final Judgment. When you have been weighed, then you have been judged. “There is a record kept of the impieties of nations, or families, of individuals.” Ibid., 166.

God keeps a record “of the impieties of nations, of families, or individuals. God may bear long while the account goes on, and calls to repentance and offers of pardon [mercy] may be given; yet a time will come when the account will be full; when the soul’s decision has been made; when by his own choice man’s destiny has been fixed. Then the signal will be given for judgment to be executed.” Ibid.

While the account is open, anybody can turn around and accept the invitation of mercy; however, the account cannot be kept open forever. Jesus cannot return until the account is closed and the weighing process—the numbering process—has been accomplished.

God is weighing character. He is weighing the motives that give character to what you say and what you do. God knows the answer, but He keeps a record so it can be evident. There are many people who do a lot of good things, but for selfish reasons.

If you have things on your record that you would rather not meet in the Day of Judgment, you need to repent and say, “Lord, I want to be forgiven.” Then, the bad part of your record will be covered up by the blood of Christ. You will be forgiven and transformed into the likeness of Jesus as you receive the Holy Spirit into your life and the sin on your page removed.

God keeps records especially with Christians in churches. In Testimonies, vol. 8, 247, it says, “In the balances of the sanctuary the Seventh-day Adventist Church is to be weighed.” Not just an individual, not just a family—a whole church is going to be weighed in the balance.

When Belshazzar got weighed, it was all over. The result of you being weighed in the balance is that you will either receive eternal life or eternal death. “In the balances of the sanctuary the Seventh-day Adventist church is to be weighed. She will be judged by the privileges and advantages that she has had.” Ibid. This was a testimony written especially to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. I have no question in my mind that every church is going to be weighed. The Roman Catholic Church will be weighed; the Methodist and the Baptist churches will be weighed. Every church will be weighed and we are not excluded. The Seventh-day Adventist church is also going to be weighed.

Belshazzar was not ignorant of the God of heaven. He knew the story of the three Hebrews who refused to bow to the golden idol and that they had been delivered from the fiery furnace. Belshazzar knew that his grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar, had been judged by God as unworthy to be king over the nation of Babylon and had gone insane spending seven years out in the field eating grass like an ox before he came to his senses and repented. Those who are saved will meet Nebuchadnezzar in the Kingdom of Heaven because it is stated in the last part of Daniel 4 that he later repented and became a follower of God.

Belshazzar was weighed in a different measure than Tiglat Pleaser, an Assyrian king who had lived 200 years before. Belshazzar had information and knew things that Tiglat Pleaser had never known. He knew about the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace and he also knew about the experience of Nebuchadnezzar. He had spiritual light that Tiglat Pleaser never had so he was more accountable and weighed on a different basis and judged on the knowledge that he had.

As Seventh-day Adventists we have had more light than the people in the other churches due to the gift of the Spirit of Prophecy. All have the Bible, but they do not have the special messages sent by the Holy Spirit to God’s remnant people to show explicitly how to prepare for the Second Coming of Christ.

I personally consider the Spirit of Prophecy to be one of the most wonderful blessings that God has given to His remnant people. We have detailed instructions of our part to prepare and be ready for Jesus to come. For example, there are many people in other churches who are ignorant of the difference between clean and unclean food. The instruction is in the Bible, but we also have the Spirit of Prophecy where it is spelled out very clearly, the instruction not to be eating unclean food. Unfortunately, there are some Adventists who do eat ham today, but when our character is weighed, if an Adventist is eating ham, they will be judged differently on the additional information available to them on health, than a Roman Catholic who is eating ham ignorantly. Those having more light and rejecting it will be in a worse position than those having less light and living up to all the light they have.

The more light you have, the more responsibility you have to live up to that light. Jesus was very clear about this. In Luke 12:47, 48 it says: “And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed; of him they will ask the more.”

There are some who avoid programs or prophecy seminars deciding, “I’m not going to that because I don’t want to know and that way I won’t be held accountable.” Do you know what is written down on their page in the Kingdom of Heaven? This person had an opportunity to hear the truth. When you refuse to hear the truth, you have refused the Lord, Who is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6).

We, as Adventists, have received much truth through the Spirit of Prophecy to get us back to living by every word that is written in the Bible so that we will be ready for Jesus to come. The church that is ready for Jesus to come has to be without spot or wrinkle or blemish or any such thing (Ephesians 5:26, 27; Revelation 19). The same thing is stated in different words in many places in the Bible. There is going to be a group of people without spot, without wrinkle and without blemish on their moral character. This is impossible unless the grace of God works a miracle in your life and with your cooperation. The Spirit of Prophecy was given in order that we would know how to cooperate so that in the judgment when we are weighed, we will weigh out all right. We are told: “The Adventist church is to be weighed. She will be judged by the privileges and advantages that she has had.” Last Day Events, 59. Just like the Jews, we have had more privileges and more advantages than any other church. “If her spiritual experience does not correspond to the advantages that Christ, at infinite cost, has bestowed on her, if the blessings conferred have not qualified her to do the work entrusted to her, on her will be pronounced the sentence, ‘Found wanting’ [Daniel 5:27]. By the light bestowed, the opportunities given, will she be judged.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 247.

Moral character is to be weighed. For this reason, Jesus said to Nicodemus that unless you are born of water and the Spirit (John 3:5), there is no chance for you to be in the Kingdom of Heaven. Unless the heart (the spirit) is recreated by the Holy Spirit there is no chance of being in the Kingdom of Heaven.

When Jesus was asked by the father whose son was possessed of a devil if there was anything He could do, Jesus said, “Listen, it is not whether I can do something; it is if you can believe.” God can only change our character if we will cooperate. In the book, Education, 262, it says, “Success in any line demands a definite aim.”

You must believe that God can work this miracle out in your life, and then aim for that. God is going to work a miracle and get you to where you are aiming, but if you are not aiming for perfection, God cannot get you beyond where you aim. Paul said, “The One who has begun a good work in you will finish it” (Philippians 1:6). The Person who began a good work in you, He will finish it.

Has God begun a good work in you? I like the way I heard one preacher explain it. He said, “God doesn’t make junk!” God does not start something and then leave it half done. I do not know how it is with you, but sometimes when I am half through with a project it is usually a big mess. God does not start something and then in the middle just walk away from it. If God has begun a good work in you, you do not need to be afraid that you are going to fail in reaching perfection. You can say, “Lord, You have begun a good work in me and You have promised that You are going to finish what You have started and I am going to cooperate.” It will happen!

Read this encouraging statement found in February 10, 1888, The Signs of the Times. Ellen White said: “Now let us seek Christ for ourselves, and find him precious to our souls. Let us minister to our brethren both in and out of the church. It is our privilege to be constantly strengthening those around us, and shedding an influence that will bless and elevate. Do not sow the seeds of envy, strife, and doubt. Let your conversation be holy before God. Seek in every way that you may grow up into a fit temple for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. You must be living stones, reflecting and emitting the light of Heaven. The truth of God has quarried you out of the world to be squared and hewed and fitted for the heavenly building. The robe of your character must be washed till it is spotless, in the fountain opened for all uncleanness. Your moral worth will be weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, and if you are found wanting, you will be at an eternal loss. All the coarseness, all the roughness must be removed from your character before Jesus comes; for when he comes, the preparation for every soul is ended. If you have not laid aside your envy, your jealousies, your hatred one against another, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God. You would only carry the same disposition with you; but there will be nothing of this character in the world to come. Nothing will exist there but love and joy and harmony. Some will have brighter crowns than others, but there will be no jealous thoughts in any heart among the redeemed. Each one will be perfectly satisfied, for all will be rewarded according to their work.”

Heaven is a place worth striving for, a place worth going to. It is a place where people are infinitely happy all the time. But, before anybody is allowed in, they must be weighed. When I was a boy and went to the physician’s office I would be weighed before the examination. God is weighing your moral character every day. He totals up the numbers on your moral character daily.

When somebody is trying to lose weight, they often get on the scale two or three times a day to see if there is any progress. God wants to see if you and I are making progress. There is a standard to reach to enter the Kingdom of Heaven and you cannot enter there unless you weigh in right.

There is coming a time for a final weighing in for everybody who is to be saved. There are many statements here about this weighing process. In Testimonies, vol. 5, 83, it says: “The church cannot measure herself by the world nor by the opinion of men nor by what she once was. Her faith and her position in the world as they now are must be compared with what they would have been if her course had been continually onward and upward. The church will be weighed in the balances of the sanctuary. If her moral character and spiritual state do not correspond with the benefits and blessings God has conferred upon her, she will be found wanting.” That applies to all churches. God is in the weighing process; the judgment is going on and if you are going to be taken to heaven, you have to weigh in at the right moral weight.

God knows where you need to be in order to be admitted. I don’t want anybody to be deceived. Although the standard is perfect, that perfection is not exactly the same for everybody. Perfection always involves being obedient to the Ten Commandments, but different people have different capacities. God knows all about what your capacities are and He does not expect from you something that you are not capable of. God is not a hard taskmaster, but He does know where you need to weigh in.

In the physical world, health charts are used to measure acceptable levels of health, taking into consideration the person’s body type and frame size to evaluate their optimal weight. God has something like that, only infinitely more complex. He knows where each person needs to be able to weigh in so that they have that perfection that is required to go to heaven.

It is necessary to aim at where God is telling you. Say, “Lord, I want every rebuke I can get; I want every correction I can get; I want everything You have for me so I’ll be ready.” The Lord will send you the information. When a person searches for truth, God makes sure they find it. One man looking for truth while driving his car one day turned on the radio and he heard Joe Crews speaking. He said, “Well, that is the truth. I want to check into that.” He ended up becoming a Seventh-day Adventist as a result of his search. The same is true after you come into the church. If you desire perfection, God will see to it and complete that work that He has begun, but don’t expect God to arrange for you to get there if you are not aiming for it.

Heaven is a good place; we have to be there, but first we have to weigh in! All of the coarseness, all of the roughness and all of our undesirable traits of character must be removed in order for us to go there.

Aim high and ask the Lord for His help.

Pastor John Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: (316) 788-5559.

Questions and Answers: The Little Time of Trouble

March 7, 2018 by Jana Wagner

Could you explain Revelation 20:4 and when the events in this verse occur as related to the little time of trouble?

First we will establish the time and setting of Revelation 20:4. This verse is part of an event that is described in verses 4–6. The event described in these verses is the executive (sentencing) phase of the judgment which takes place during the 1,000 years or millennium.

Immediately preceding the millennium is the second coming of Jesus as described in Revelation 19:11–21. In the battle that takes place at the coming of Jesus (verse 19) the beast (papacy) and the false prophet (Protestant United States) are captured and thrown into the lake of fire (verse 20). The rest of the people are destroyed and the birds eat their flesh (verse 21). In this battle the dragon is not destroyed, but bound and held as a prisoner on this earth for 1,000 years as described in Revelation 20:1–3.

Next follows the executive phase of the judgment during the 1,000 years in which the sentences of the wicked are determined. This is the event that is described in Revelation 20:4–6. Following the millennium is the execution phase of the judgment in which the sentences are carried out on the wicked. The execution phase of the judgment is described in Revelation 20:7–15.

Next we want to understand how the little time of trouble relates to the executive phase of the judgment. There are two specific times of trouble mentioned in the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy. They are the (1) short (little) time of trouble and (2) the time of Jacob’s trouble. These two times of trouble make up the whole period of the time of trouble.

The little time of trouble takes place during the final warning which begins with the falling of the latter rain and ends soon after the close of probation. At this time the death decree is issued which immediately brings on the time of Jacob’s trouble. The time of Jacob’s trouble ends on the date that has been set by the world on which to kill God’s people at which time God delivers them.

So we see that the little time of trouble and Revelation 20:4–6 are two separate events, the little time of trouble taking place before the close of probation, and the sentencing phase of the judgment (Revelation 20:4–6) occurring during the 1,000 years after the second coming of Jesus.

If you have a Bible question you wish to have answered, please write to Steps to Life or e-mail it to: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

The Room

February 23, 2018 by Unknown

In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in The Room. There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author and subject in alphabetical order, but these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endlessly in either direction, had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read, People I Have Liked. I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one.

And then, without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn’t match.

A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching. A file named Friends was next to one marked Friends I Have Betrayed.

The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird: Books I Have Read, Lies I Have Told, Comfort I Have Given, Jokes I Have Laughed At. Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: Things I’ve Yelled at My Brothers. Others I could not laugh at: Things I Have Done In My Anger, Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents.” I never ceased to be surprised by the contents. Often there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped.

I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my many years to write each of these thousand or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature.

When I pulled out the file marked Songs I Have Listened To, I realized that the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly and yet after two or three yards, I hadn’t found the end of the file. I shut it, ashamed, not so much by the quality of music, but more by the vast amount of time I knew that file represented.

When I came to a file marked Lustful Thoughts, I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded.

An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind: “No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!” In an insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn’t matter now; I had to empty it and burn the cards. But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it.

Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh. And then I saw it. The title bore, People with whom I Have Shared the Gospel. The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand.

And then the tears came. I began to weep—sobs so deep that the hurt started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key.

But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him. No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus! I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn’t bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worse boxes. Why did He have to read every one?

Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn’t anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things, but He didn’t say a word. He just cried with me.

Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card.

“No!” I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was “No, No,” as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn’t be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so bright, so dark, so alive! The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood.

He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don’t think I’ll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, “It is finished.”

I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written.

What is on your cards—what cards are you writing?

Our Past History – First Angel

January 25, 2018 by Demario Carter

In Ellen G White’s book, Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, 196, she says, “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.”

With this in mind, let us study a subject that is very broad and complex, namely, the Three Angels’ Messages. For some of you this study may only be a reminder with nothing new discerned, yet to be reminded of our sacred history is a matter that should never be dreaded. “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.” Because these messages are very broad, in this study we will reflect only upon the first angel.

In Revelation 14:6, the Bible says, “And I saw another angel fly 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.” I want to briefly emphasize the phrase another angel.

Throughout the book of Revelation the apostle John sees angels. Angels are directing traffic, blowing trumpets, pouring out plagues, and proclaiming messages. However, the angel in Revelation 14:6 is distinct from every angel preceding it. What is so unique about this angel? First of all, the word angel refers to a messenger. It can refer to a heavenly messenger such as in Matthew 13:41. Or it can refer to a human messenger such as in Matthew 11:10.

The Greek word for messenger is the same as angel. In Revelation 14:6, this angel has the everlasting gospel to preach, and since the preaching of the gospel is mentioned, the angel must therefore represent human messengers. In Mark 16:15, Jesus says, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Notice also Ephesians 3:10: “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.” The responsibility of preaching the gospel has been given to the church. Therefore, the angel John sees in Revelation 14:6 refers to a movement in which the church would proclaim a message. This is what makes this angel unique. It is the first angel in Revelation that has a message to preach to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. And what is the message of the first angel?

Revelation 14:7 says, “Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”

The message of the first angel is a message of the judgment hour. This message began to be proclaimed by William Miller in the early 1830s. The movement became known as the Millerite movement and later on as the Advent movement. The scripture that laid the foundation for this movement was Daniel 8:14, which says, “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.”

Here we have a prophecy that the sanctuary is to be cleansed at the end of 2,300 days. Because this is a symbolic prophecy, the time is also symbolic. The Bible tells us that a symbolic day represents a year. “After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.” Numbers 14:34. “And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.” Ezekiel 4:6.

Notice how in both of these passages a prophetic proclamation is being given, and in both cases, each day corresponded to a year. So, the 2,300 days of Daniel 8:14 represents 2,300 years, and at the end of that time the sanctuary was to be cleansed.

The mystery that first perplexed William Miller was concerning the time in which the 2,300 years began. Once this was attained, he could know when the end of the time would be. The answer was unfolded when the meaning of Daniel 9:24 was discovered. It says, “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city … .” I want to emphasize the word determined. The root meaning of this word is to cut or to divide. Therefore, the literal translation of Daniel 9:24 is, “Seventy weeks are cut from thy people … .” The question that naturally arose was: What was the 70 weeks cut off from? Well, the only other time given that did not include a beginning date was the time prophecy of Daniel 8:14, the 2,300 days. The angel Gabriel informed Daniel of the 2,300 days, but he never told him when it was to begin. Therefore, Gabriel returns to finish informing Daniel of this vision. In Daniel 9:23, the Bible says, “At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.”

Notice how Gabriel told Daniel to “consider the vision.” What vision was he talking about? Well, the last vision Daniel had was the vision that introduced the 2,300 day prophecy. In Daniel 8:16, Gabriel is commanded to make Daniel understand this vision. However, verse 27 informs us that Daniel did not understand it, because he fainted as it was being explained to him. So after several years, the angel returned to finish explaining the vision. Thus he picks up where he left off, namely, with the time of the prophecy. He tells Daniel that seventy weeks are cut from his people. The only time that the seventy weeks can be cut from is the 2,300 days. And in Daniel 9:25, Gabriel gives the starting point for this time. It says, “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.”

From the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem is when the 2,300 literal years were to start. All William Miller needed to do now was find the actual year this commandment was given. In Ezra 6:14 the answer is given. 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 king of Persia.” Notice this threefold commandment. The last king to finalize the commandment was Artaxerxes. Therefore, Miller concluded that the year that Artaxerxes gave the commandment was the official year to begin the countdown. In what year did Artaxerxes give his commandment?

In Ezra 7:7 we read, “And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.” So, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the commandment was finalized, and history reveals that the seventh year of Artaxerxes was 457 B.C. With this date in mind, Miller and his associates eventually realized that the 2,300 literal years would end in the year A.D. 1844.

This was only a few years away from the time in which this discovery was made. Therefore, the Millerites proclaimed the message of a coming judgment in 1844. However, instead of proclaiming the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, the Millerites proclaimed the cleansing of the earth, which they thought was the sanctuary. Nevertheless, this message was in harmony with the judgment hour message proclaimed by the first angel of Revelation 14. Both constituted the early Advent movement of the 1830s and 1840s.

Now, this is the first angel that preached the everlasting gospel, but it is not the last. The message of judgment was to be followed by two other messages, and all were to be proclaimed together. In part two we will study the second angel’s message, and after that, the hope of the third angel. But for now, remember, “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.”

Demario Carter is currently working as a Bible worker for Steps to Life. He may be contacted by email at: bibleworker@stepstolife.org.

Our God is a Consuming Fire

January 24, 2018 by A.T. Jones

The Lord is coming. He is coming with power and great glory. And “our God is a consuming fire” [Hebrews 12:29]. Of the times and seasons, you have no need that I should speak; for yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction cometh upon them, and they shall not escape [1 Thessalonians 5:2,3]. And though it is true that of the times and seasons you need not that I should speak, there is that connected with His coming, of which it is altogether essential to speak, and to think upon, all the time; and that is, the effect of His coming; for He comes “in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And all these will be “punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.” II Thessalonians 1:8, 9.

Yet again it is written: “Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. … And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity.” Isaiah 13:9, 11. And “who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth?” Malachi 3:2. …

When He comes, he is no more of a respecter of persons than before He comes. “There is no respect of persons with God” (Acts 10:34). Just as certainly … we shall see Him as He is, so certainly will we all—each one of us—be dealt with as we are. There is no change of character, there is no room for change in us in that day. …

It is not upon men themselves that God’s wrath is visited; but upon the sins of men, and upon men only as they are identified with their sins. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven,” not against all ungodly men, not against all unrighteous men, but “against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.” Romans 1:18. And only as the man clings to his ungodliness, only as he holds down the truth in unrighteousness, shall it be that the wrath of God will be revealed from heaven against him: and even then not against him primarily, but against the sin to which he clings, and will not leave. And as he has thus made his choice, clinging fast to his choice, he must take the consequences of his choice, when his choice shall have reached its ultimate. So it is written, and I read it again, “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth [who hold down, who press back the truth] in unrighteousness.”

“Then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: even Him, whose coming is a after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” [II Thessalonians 2:8–12]. “Believed not the truth.” They knew of it; it was presented to them; their hearts told them, the Spirit of God told them, that it was the truth; their own consciences approved of it all: but they would not believe the truth; they “had pleasure in unrighteousness,” and held down, and pressed back, the truth in unrighteousness; and “for this cause” it is that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven, and strikes them.

Yet, as already stated, the wrath of God is not primarily against them, but against the thing which they love; against the thing which they cling to, and will not be separated from. And at last, in that great day when the judgment is set, and on the right and on the left are all the people who have ever lived, those on the left will depart “into everlasting fire, prepared”— not for them, but “for the devil and his angels” [Matthew 25:41]. The Lord has done His utmost that they might never see it. He gave His Son to save them, that they might never know it. It was not prepared for them. He does not desire that they should be lost; but they have to go there because they are the company which they have chosen; that is the place with which they have connected themselves, and from which they would not be separated. Therefore, He says, “depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Not prepared for you. God in that day—the Lord Jesus Christ in that hour—when that word shall be spoken, will be just as sorrowful as He was in the hour of the cross. He will be just as sorry that these have to go into that place, which was not prepared for them, as He was in the hour of the cross. It is not His pleasure that any should be there. They are there because of that sin to which they have inseparably joined themselves. And that being their irrevocable choice, they simply have the opportunity now of receiving indeed, and to the full, that which they have chosen. … God has done all that He could do, but they would not have it. …

“Taking vengeance on them that know not God” [II Thessalonians 1:8]. They had an opportunity to know God. Multitudes professed that they did know God, but in their works they denied Him. They had the form of godliness—the profession—but they denied the power thereof. … “In the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts … reprobate concerning the faith” (11 Timothy 3:1–6, 8). And destruction comes to them, not because they had no chance, but because they despised all the chances they had: not because they had no opportunity to know God, but because they rejected every opportunity that God ever gave them to find Him out, and know Him when He revealed himself.

God is altogether clear; for Jesus said: “If any man hear My words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him.” John 12:47, 48. …

“If any man hear My words”—that word is the word of God. It is the word of life of God, … eternal is the life of God. … “ If any man hear My words, and believe not;” and “he that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words,” … and when he rejects the word, he rejects eternal life. … It is his own choice to reject eternal life; and in rejecting that, he chooses death. … God did all that He could: He set eternal life before him; He surrounded him with every possible inducement. … He rejected the word, and in rejecting the word of eternal life, he rejected eternal life; and in that he chose eternal death. And when he receives eternal death, it is only what he chose. He himself is the only one who counted himself worthy of it.

When Paul and Barnabas were in Antioch, and the Jews contradicted and blasphemed against those things which were spoken by Paul and Barnabas to the Gentiles, these men of God waxed bold, and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.” Acts 13:46. … It was not said, We judge you unworthy of eternal life. No; you “judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life.” Every man who meets destruction passes upon himself the judgment of that destruction.

All the Scripture is founded upon this thought—that it is not against the person—but against the thing to which the person has fastened himself, that the wrath of God comes. Then as the Lord executes vengeance primarily only against sin, as His wrath is only against ungodliness and unrighteousness, and He has done everything He could to get the people to separate from sin, then in that burning day when He comes, and reveals Himself to the world, and the world sees Him as He is, it will still be only sin against which He will execute vengeance.

What more could God do than He did do to take away sin? He gave his only begotten Son; Christ gave himself, that whosoever would believe on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). He pledges Himself to every soul who will believe, that he shall not perish. … To every soul in this world, wicked as he may be, God’s message is that He has made the provision, He has established the thing, and so firmly fixed it that just as certainly as a soul believes in Jesus Christ, that soul “shall not perish.” …

Destruction of sin is the only way of salvation. His name shall be called “Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins” [Matthew 1:21]. So when I accept his offer, as certainly as I believe in Jesus I shall not perish. And in that, I accept the provision that I will let sin go. I agree that I am willing to be separated from the sin, and that I will separate from sin. Listen: “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him that the body of sin might be destroyed.” Then the object of the cross of Christ is the destruction of sin. Never miss that thought. Hold fast to it forever: the cross of Jesus Christ—the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the object of it—is the destruction of sin. Thank the Lord, that object will be accomplished. Now let us read the whole verse: “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Romans 6:6. Not only is there destruction of sin, but freedom from the service of sin. “For sin shall not have dominion over you.” Verse 14. …

“For he that is dead is freed from sin” [verse 7]. He who is crucified, he who has accepted the death of Jesus Christ, and is crucified with Him, he it is that is freed from sin.

“Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him” [verse 8]. … As certainly as we live with Him, we live with Him free from sin.

“Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him” [verse 9]. … It had the dominion, because He gave Himself up in surrender to the dominion of death; but death could not hold Him, because He was separated from sin. Neither can death hold anybody else; even though it has dominion, it can not hold the man who is free from sin.

“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you” [verses 11–14].

There the apostle says that sin shall not have dominion over you. Let not sin therefore reign in your flesh, in your members. … “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” The next verse reads: “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” [verses 16–18].

The cross of Christ gives not only freedom from sin, but makes men servants of righteousness. The next verse tells us that the service of righteousness is “unto holiness” [verse 19]; the end of holiness is everlasting life; and without holiness “no man shall see the Lord” [Hebrews 12:14].

Then it is perfectly plain, as plain as ABC, that the only true preparation for the coming of the Lord is separation from sin. It makes no difference how much we talk about the coming of the Lord; nor how much we preach the signs of the times; nor how much we prepare for it otherwise, though we sell all we have, and give to the poor—if we are not separating from sin, making it our constant consideration to be absolutely separated from sin, and to be servants of righteousness unto holiness, we are not making preparation for the coming of the Lord at all: our profession is all a fraud. We may not be working it as a fraud; but we are inflicting upon ourselves a fraud. It may be that we are deceiving ourselves by it; but that makes no difference: if our constant consideration is not entire separation from sin, our profession is a fraud.

The profession of being a Seventh-day Adventist, looking for the coming of the Lord, telling people that the coming of the Lord is near, watching the signs of the times—all this is right, absolutely and forever right. But, though I have all this, and have not that one thing—the sole ambition to be completely separated from sin, and from the service of sin—my profession of the Adventist faith is a fraud; for if I am not separated from sin, I cannot meet the Lord at all in peace. Therefore if my sole ambition is not separation from sin, and from the service of it, I am not preparing at all to meet the Lord. …

Are you preparing to meet the Lord, whom, without holiness, no man shall see? … Are you ready to meet the Lord? Of the times and seasons, you have no need that I speak to you. … Are you separated from sin? And being separated from sin, are you ready to meet the Lord? Our God is a consuming fire. …

Do you not remember that the Word not only says that we shall see Him, but see Him as He is? … John saw Him as He is—saw Him as we shall see Him … “His eyes were as a flame of fire.” “His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and “His countenance was as the sun shineth in His strength” [Revelation 1:14–16]. His raiment was “white as snow, so as no fuller on earth can white them,” “as white as the light” [Mark 9:3; Matthew 17:21]—the whiteness of piercing, consuming brightness. And that is He as He is when He comes; and without holiness no man shall see Him. Without separation from sin, no man shall stand. …

Look at yourself and your record, and I will look at myself and my record. We will look at the evil traits that are in us, at the struggles we have made, and the longing we have had to overcome these besetments, and to separate ourselves from all the evil, that we might indeed be ready. Where is there time to get ourselves ready? In the short time that intervenes between now and that day—is there time? and if so, when shall be that time when you and I shall have that thing so accomplished, shall have so separated ourselves from sin that we shall be ready to meet Him in flaming fire? The answer is, Never. That time will never, never come.

What, then, shall we do? Do not misunderstand. I did not say that the time will never come when we could be separated from sin. I said, Look at yourself, and I will look at myself, and we will see what we are, how full of evil traits, and what little progress we have made in this work of overcoming, and ask the question, When will the time ever come when you and I shall have so separated ourselves from sin that we can meet Him in flaming fire? It is that time which I say will never, never come.

But, bless the Lord! there is time to be separated from sin. No time will ever come when we can do this work ourselves; but the time is now, JUST NOW, to be separated from sin. The time to be separated from sin is right now, and that now is all the time; for “now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation” [II Corinthians 6:2]. Only God can separate us from sin; He will do it, and He will do it just now. Bless His name!

Yet, what every one must understand is this: the only way that God does, or can, separate anybody from sin is by that very consuming fire of His presence. The only way, therefore, in which you and I can ever be so separated from sin as to meet God as He is, in the flaming fire that He is, in that great day, is to meet Him TODAY as He is, in the consuming fire that He is. … “I will not leave you comfortless: I will COME TO YOU.” John 14:18. But do not forget that whether He comes to you or to me now, or whether He comes to other people in that great day, He comes only as a consuming fire.

Listen: “If any man hear My voice, and open the door,”—what does He say?—“I will come in to him” [Revelation 3:20]. … And “He is a consuming fire” and when He comes in to you, that coming will consume all the sin in you, so that when He comes in the clouds of heaven in flaming fire, you can meet Him in joy in the consuming fire that He is.

Then do you hear His voice? “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I WILL COME INTO HIM.” Ibid. Do you hear His voice? Then swing open wide the door, and keep it everlastingly open. Bid Him welcome, in the consuming fire that He is: and that flaming fire of his presence will consume sin in all your being, and so will thoroughly cleanse and prepare you to meet Him in flaming fire in that great day.

When I meet Him today “in a flaming fire, “when I welcome Him today “a consuming fire” in me, shall I be afraid to meet Him in flaming fire in that day—No; I shall be accustomed to it; and knowing what a blessed thing it is to become familiar with meeting Him as “a consuming fire,” knowing what a blessing that has brought to me today, I shall be delighted to meet Him on that other day, when He shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire. “Our God is a consuming fire.” Bless the Lord!

“Who may abide the day of His coming? Who shall stand when he appeareth? for He is like a refiner’s FIRE” [Malachi 3:21]. Good. Then when I meet Him now, in the consuming fire that He is, I meet Him in a fire that is refining, that purifies. “And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness” [verse 3]. That is separation from sin; that is purification from sin. And that sets us where we offer an offering unto the Lord in righteousness: we become the servants of righteousness unto holiness, that we may meet the Lord. So, then, bless the Lord that He is a consuming fire—that He is as a refiner’s fire.

Look again at that expression in Revelation: “His eyes were as a flame of fire.” In that day His eyes will rest upon each one of us, and He will look clear through us. … What will that look do for everyone who is wrapped up, body and soul, in sin?—It will consume the sin and the sinner with it; because he would not be separated from the sin. And today, just now, those eyes are the same that they will be in that day. Today His eyes are as a flame of fire; and “all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” [Hebrews 4:13]. … As all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do, whether we will have to do with Him or not, why not accept the fact, choose to have it so, and on our part open up everything to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do? … Those eyes of living flame will look clear through us, and will consume away all the sin, and all the dross; and will refine us so that He shall see in us the image of Himself.

It is written that we are to serve the Lord “as of sincerity.” Sincere is genuine; it is true; it is as strained honey. Originally, it is honey strained, and strained again, over and over, until, holding up the honey to the light, it is found to be sine-cera—“without wax,” no trace of cera to be seen floating in it. That is what He says you and I are to be as certainly as we are Christians. God cleanses us in the blood of Christ, and holds us up in the light of the Lord, and the world can see only the light. And so, “ye are the light of the world” [Mathew 5:14]. Here, again, is the word of the Lord: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me.” Psalm 139:23, 24. That is the word given to us for today and for all time. Another word goes right along with it: “O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.

“Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising … and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid Thine hand upon me.” Another translation has it: “Thou has compassed me all around; and holdest Thine hand over me.” Verses 1–5. That is a fact. He has compassed us all around, and His hand is over us. Whether we accept it or not, is another matter; but that is the fact with every man in all this wide world. That is how it is that all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

Then when it is a fact that He has searched us, and known us, and does search out and know us all the time, why not accept it as a fact, and have the benefit of it? Why not present to Him the word, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts”? What for?— “And see if there be any wicked way in me.” O that sets me before His face; for His glorious eyes of light to look upon me, and to shine through me, as the fire, searching out if there be any wicked way in me! And having searched it out, and being a consuming fire, He consumes it all away, and leads me in the way everlasting. …

Therefore … let it never escape from your thought that “our God is a consuming fire;” and that the sure way to escape from that consuming fire in that great day when there will be no chance to change, and no time to choose, is to choose today the blessed change that is wrought, by welcoming freely, gladly, into the life, our God, who is a consuming fire.

I remember the word that was spoken to Moses. As Moses had come nearer and nearer to God, he said at last: “I beseech thee, show me Thy glory” [Exodus 33:18]. That is exactly what appears in the coming great day that is at hand: He comes “in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” [Matthew 24:30]. His glory covers the heavens in that day, and the earth is filled with His praise. In that day He is “wrapped in a blaze of boundless glory,” “and every eye shall see Him” [Revelation 1:7]. But who shall endure it? … Only those who have prayed, and now pray, that Christian prayer, “I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory.”

When Moses prayed that blessed Christian prayer, the Lord said: “There is a place by Me, … and I will put thee in a cleft of the rock,” “and I will make all My goodness pass before thee.” “And it shall come to pass, while My glory passeth by,” I “will cover thee with My hand. And I will take away My hand,” and you shall see Me. Exodus 33:21-23. So, though every man should dread the terror of the consuming glory of the Lord in that great day, there is today a place by Him. … Come, and stand in this place by Him, in the very presence of the flaming glory. Do not be afraid. Moses was not able to bear the fulness of that consuming glory that day; but the Lord, in his love, covered him with His hand, and protected him from the effects of that glory, which he was unable to bear.

The great trouble in that great day is that the people are not able to bear the glory. The kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, the chief men and the captains, and every bondman, and every freeman flee to the rocks and mountains to hide themselves, and say to the rocks and mountains, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand” [Revelation 6:16, 17]? The blazing glory of God will shine upon the earth, and these people cannot bear it.

But today do not be afraid. He says: “There is a place by Me” there is a place “in a cleft of the rock” … and I “will cover thee with My hand,” so that you can bear the blaze, and the purifying power, of My glory. And that consuming fire of My presence shall consume away all the sin. I “will cover thee with My hand,”—I will protect you even from that weakness which, in you, makes you unable to bear the fullness of My glory. And when He takes away His hand in that great day, those who have dwelt by His side, and been purified by living in this consuming fire until they are made white and tried, can look upon His unveiled face. In the full brightness of His glory, we shall look upon Him, and see Him as He is.

And that is where we are now, to look. With open face we can look, even now, into His face. For, in the flesh of Jesus Christ, God has veiled the annihilating power of the glory of His face; for, having shined into our hearts, He gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. In looking into the face of Jesus Christ, we see the face of God, and “we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory, to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Then let every soul welcome the glorious message that God sends to the world, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost” [John 20:22]; welcome that blessed Spirit that works this change by which we are changed from glory to glory, and made ready to meet Him in that great day of glory; and welcome not only the Holy Spirit, but covet earnestly the best gifts, which the Holy Spirit brings when He comes. Desire spiritual gifts; for these are to bring us to perfection in Christ Jesus. Only in this way shall we be made perfect in Christ Jesus; and in Christ be made ready to meet Him as He is.

God is a consuming fire; and I am glad of it. Our God is coming; and I am glad of it. He is coming in flaming fire; and I am glad of it. He is coming in all His glory; and I am glad of it. I am sorry that there will be anybody upon whom He will have to take vengeance; but I am glad that the day is coming when all sin will be swept away by our God, who is a consuming fire. …

Are you ready to meet Him in that day? If not, He says to you today, “There is a place by Me.” Come today, and stand in this place by Me. I will reveal to you all My glory; “I will make all My goodness pass before thee.” And where there is any defect in you that cannot just now bear the deeply consuming fire of this glory, I “will cover thee with My hand” until it is all over: so that I may separate you from all sin, and save you in that day of glory.

O, then, welcome Him who is a consuming fire! Dwell in His presence. Open up the life. Recognize the fact that He is a consuming fire—that He is never anything else. Then rejoice in that today. Dwell in that consuming fire today. And when that great day breaks upon the earth, in all His glory, we shall also rejoice in that day. Then we shall stand and say, “Lo, this is our God.” But what! with the mountains hurling through the air; every island fleeing out of its place; the earth coming up from beneath; the heavens departing as a scroll, with a noise that is more than deafening; and flaming fire all around, His face as the sun, His eyes as a flame of fire—in all this shall we rejoice?—Yes, bless the Lord! We shall rejoice, because “this is our God.” We have seen Him before; we have lived with Him; we have welcomed His consuming presence; we have welcomed the living flame of which His eyes are as a flaming fire, that they should pierce us through, and search out any wicked way in us. We know what blessing and joy were brought into our lives when His consuming glory purified us from sin and from sinning, and made us the servants of righteousness unto holiness. And knowing what blessedness that was, we exclaim, in the fullness of perfect joy, “Lo, this is our God” indeed. We see Him now, more fully than before. That means more blessing still. “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” Isaiah 25:9.

Sermon preached at the Battle Creek Tabernacle, October 22, 1898, and found in The Review and Herald, January 24 and 31, 1899.

Restoration of the Sanctuary Message

January 24, 2018 by Maurice Hoppe

The papacy, during the Dark Ages, did away with the knowledge of Jesus’ ministry in the sanctuary in heaven, so no one understood or knew of the heavenly sanctuary services.

Christ, in the first angel’s message, announced that, “The hour of His judgment has come” (Revelation 14:7). This was in answer to the question asked by the martyrs during the time of the fifth seal. In Revelation 6:9, 10, we read: “When he [the Lamb] opened the fifth seal, I [John the Revelator] saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until You judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’ ”

Although martyrs are dead people, in this text they are represented as being alive and asking the question, “How long before You will judge our persecutors?” To answer this question, the first angel announced that the hour of His judgment is come. The announcement of the time for the judgment to begin was also given in the vision of Daniel 8. Daniel was shown this in vision in 551 B.C., more than 2,000 years before the time of the judgment was to begin. We need to remember that this part of the book of Daniel was closed until the time of the end; therefore, no one could understand this text until the time of the end arrived. But at the right time, the meaning of this text was given. This verse is the third announcement that the angel (Christ), in Revelation 10:7, said had already been given concerning the finishing of the mystery of God.

In Daniel 8:14 of the King James Version (KJV), it says, “And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” (In Hebrew, days means evenings and mornings; cleansed means justified.) The marginal reading says it can also be translated as being justified. Because, in the Hebrew, there is a broader meaning to this verse in addition to being cleansed, the following versions of the same verse are shared:

Daniel 8:14, New International Version (NIV):

“He said to me, ‘It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.’ ”

Daniel 8:14, Revised Standard Version (RSV):

“And he said to him, ‘For two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.’ ”

Daniel 8:14, New American Standard Bible (NASB):

“He said to me, ‘For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be properly restored.’ ”

In The Great Controversy, 409, Ellen White wrote: “The scripture which above all others had been both the foundation and the central pillar of the advent faith was the declaration: ‘Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.’ Daniel 8:14. These had been familiar words to all believers in the Lord’s soon coming. By the lips of thousands was this prophecy repeated as the watchword of their faith. All felt that upon the events therein foretold depended their brightest expectations and most cherished hopes.”

She then continued: “These prophetic days had been shown to terminate in the autumn of 1844. In common with the rest of the Christian world, Adventists then held that the earth, or some portion of it, was the sanctuary. They understood that the cleansing of the sanctuary was the purification of the earth by the fires of the last great day, and that this would take place at the second advent. Hence the conclusion that Christ would return to the earth in 1844.

“But the appointed time had passed, and the Lord had not appeared.” Ibid.

This is an amazing thing. Here there is a text about the sanctuary of the new covenant in heaven that is the foundation and central pillar of their message, and yet the people knew nothing about it. How could such a thing happen? As strange as it may seem, this is actually what took place in the advent awakening in 1844. There is a prophecy about it recorded in symbolic language in Revelation 10:9, 10: “So I [John] went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, ‘Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’ I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.”

These advent believers, believing that the earth was the sanctuary to be cleansed, understood that Jesus would come on October 22, 1844, to cleanse the earth. This was a happy message, “sweet as honey” in their mouths, but when the day passed and Jesus did not return, this sweet message “turned sour” in their stomachs.

History shows that Satan was completely successful in destroying the sanctuary message in the church during the Dark Ages. By the end of the Dark Ages, no one on earth knew anything about the sanctuary in heaven.

There is a very clear explanation of Satan’s disruption of the sanctuary message during the supremacy of the papacy in the Dark Ages in Daniel 8:11, 12, 24: “It [the small horn, the papacy] set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took away the daily sacrifice from him, and the place of his sanctuary was brought low. Because of rebellion, the host of the saints and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground. … He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people.”

At the opening of the second-advent movement, the church taught that the earth was the sanctuary to be cleansed. This is proof of the success Satan had during the Dark Ages in destroying the knowledge of the ministry of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary.

An angel (a holy one) asked an interesting question in Daniel 8:13: “Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, ‘How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled underfoot?’ ”

The holy one is asking how long the rebellion against the ministry of Jesus in the sanctuary in heaven will continue, and the answer is given that after 2,300 evenings and mornings (years) the knowledge of the sanctuary of the new covenant in heaven would be restored.

The records of history reveal that both events recorded in Daniel 8:10–14 have taken place as prophesied, i.e., (1) the loss of the knowledge of the sanctuary truth during the Dark Ages, and (2) the restoration of the knowledge of the sanctuary message in Daniel 8:14 following the Great Disappointment.

Now that we know what happened to the sanctuary message during the Dark Ages and what is taking place at the present time in the restoration of the sanctuary message, we can better understand the message of Daniel 8:14 when it is translated as follows:

“cleansed” – KJV
“justified” – KJV, margin
“reconsecrated” – NIV
“restored to its rightful state” – RSV
“properly restored” – NASB

Daniel 8:14, as translated in the KJV, focuses on the cleansing and removal of sin from the new covenant sanctuary in heaven. This is a very important work in the ministry of Jesus for His people.

As translated in the NASB, RSV and NIV, the focus is on the restoration of the sanctuary message at the termination of the 2,300 years.

Both of these views are supported by the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy and are taking place at the present time. Actually, how can anyone explain the cleansing of the sanctuary unless the understanding of the sanctuary of the new covenant in heaven first be restored?

Ellen White emphasized the importance of this text: “The scripture which above all others had been both the foundation and the central pillar of the advent faith was the declaration: ‘Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.’ Daniel 8:14.” The Great Controversy, 409. We have looked at four translations of this verse, all of which contribute to our understanding of this verse and its application to the opening of the second-advent movement.

We are familiar with the message of the cleansing of the sanctuary and purification of God’s people by the atoning blood of Jesus, but we are not as familiar with the message of the restoration of the sanctuary message to its rightful place in the great second-advent movement.

Let’s review briefly the history of the sanctuary message—at the time Jesus ascended and opened the Holy Place in A.D. 31 and what happened to this message during the Dark Ages—to help us understand why this message must be, and will be, fully restored during the second-advent movement.

When Jesus opened His ministry by cleansing the temple in A.D. 28, He pronounced this startling prophecy to the dignitaries: “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” John 2:19. The Jews applied this prophecy to the temple building. They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” Verse 20. The disciple John said that Jesus was speaking of His body. “But the temple He had spoken of was His body.” Verse 21.

Actually, Jesus had both views in mind when He spoke this prophecy. In The Desire of Ages, 164, we read: “In these words His meaning was twofold. He referred not only to the destruction of the Jewish temple and worship, but to His own death—the destruction of the temple of His body.”

It is common knowledge that Jesus rose from the grave on the third day after the crucifixion to raise the temple of His body. It is not so well understood that He raised the temple building that same day, but that is exactly what happened.

When Mary desired to worship Jesus on the morning of the first day of the week, Jesus replied, “Detain Me not; ‘for I am not yet ascended to My Father’ [John 20:17]. …

“Jesus refused to receive the homage of His people until He had the assurance that His sacrifice was accepted by the Father. He ascended to the heavenly courts, and from God Himself heard the assurance that His atonement for the sins of men had been ample, that through His blood all might gain eternal life. The Father ratified the covenant made with Christ, that He would receive repentant and obedient men, and would love them even as He loves His Son. Christ was to complete His work, and fulfill His pledge to ‘make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.’ Isaiah 13:12.” Ibid., 790.

In the case of both of these temples, the one on earth and the sanctuary in heaven, it was not the buildings that were destroyed or raised at this time. In either one, the buildings were not changed at this time, but the services were.

“When the Jews sealed their rejection of Christ by delivering Him to death, they rejected all that gave significance to the temple and its services. Its sacredness had departed. It was doomed to destruction. From that day sacrificial offerings and the service connected with them were meaningless. Like the offering of Cain, they did not express faith in the Saviour. In putting Christ to death, the Jews virtually destroyed their temple.” Ibid., 165.

In the sanctuary in heaven, Jesus opened the Holy Place to begin His ministry as our High Priest. On the Day of Pentecost [Acts 2:1], the Holy Spirit came down upon the 120 disciples and confirmed to them that Jesus had been inaugurated as High Priest and opened the Holy Place in the sanctuary in heaven.

At this time, everyone who desired to do so could go directly to Jesus through prayer and confess their sins to Him. No more sacrificing of a lamb was needed. Jesus would make the atonement for those confessed sins with His blood. The sinner was then given the promise of eternal life. The new covenant was now ratified in him by the blood of Christ.

The disciples were then instructed to share this wonderful gospel message of the ministry of Jesus in the sanctuary of heaven with the whole world. The news of the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus to open the new covenant sanctuary electrified the world, so much so, that the comment was made that it was turning the world upside down. During the centuries that followed, millions of people placed their faith in this redemption message, even to the point of giving up their life because of their faith in it.

This message of the sanctuary in heaven was the foundation and central pillar of the apostolic church. The papacy’s interception of the ministry of Jesus in the new covenant sanctuary in heaven was a major, major attack on the foundation and central pillar of the church.

When the papacy, or Roman Catholic Church, came to power in A.D. 538, it made some major changes in the teachings of the church. To refresh our minds to these changes, the following statement is found in The Great Controversy, 55: “The accession of the Roman Church to power marked the beginning of the Dark Ages. As her power increased, the darkness deepened. Faith was transferred from Christ, the true foundation, to the pope of Rome. Instead of trusting in the Son of God for forgiveness of sins and for eternal salvation, the people looked to the pope, and to the priests and prelates to whom he delegated authority. They were taught that the pope was their earthly mediator and that none could approach God except through him; and, further, that he stood in the place of God to them and was therefore to be implicitly obeyed.”

Daniel 8 is a prophecy of this action of the papacy against the ministry of Jesus in the sanctuary of heaven. The prophecy says of the small horn, “Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised [sic], and prospered.” Daniel 8:11, 12. KJV

The end result of the work against the ministry of Jesus in the sanctuary by the papacy during the Dark Ages was that no one in the church knew where the sanctuary was located during the advent awakening in the 1840s.

The restoration of this sanctuary message is very important to the fulfillment of Daniel 8:14, as translated in the RSV: “Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.” Only as the knowledge of the sanctuary in heaven is restored can the “cleansing” of the sanctuary be understood. This knowledge is critical to the success of the new covenant (the everlasting gospel), in the great second-advent movement. This is pointed out in the following quote:

“The subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgment should be clearly understood by the people of God. All need a knowledge for themselves of the position and work of their great High Priest. Otherwise it will be impossible for them to exercise the faith which is essential at this time or to occupy the position which God designs them to fill.” The Great Controversy, 488.

“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. By His death He began that work which after His resurrection He ascended to complete in heaven.” Ibid., 489.

We have seen thus far that the opening of Christ’s ministry as our High Priest in the Holy Place of the sanctuary in heaven was the foundation of the disciple’s message to the world in the first advent. We have also seen how the papacy did away with the knowledge of Jesus’ ministry in the sanctuary in heaven by instructing the people to confess their sins to the priests in the church on earth. We have also found good news in Daniel 8:14 where prophecy says that the sanctuary message will be restored to its rightful place.

Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New International Version.

Maurice Hoppe is retired and volunteers at Steps to Life. His primary responsibility is working with the Training Program for Ministers and Church Leaders and the Training Program for Lay Workers. He also conducts a Bible Correspondence School from his home with emphasis on Bible prophecy. He may be contacted at: mauricehoppe@stepstolife.org.