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THE SANCTUARY MESSAGE 3EARLIER
FORESHADOWING FROM
THE BEGINNING "God
and Christ knew from the beginning, of the apostasy of Satan and of the
fall of Adam through the deceptive power of the apostate. The plan of
salvation was designed to redeem the fallen race, to give them another
trial. Christ was appointed to the office of Mediator from the creation of
God, set up from everlasting to be our substitute and surety. Before the
world was made, it was arranged that the divinity of Christ should be
enshrouded in humanity. 'A body: said Christ, 'hast Thou prepared Me' (Heb
10:5). But He did not come in human form until the fullness of time had
expired. . "By
His obedience to all the commandments of God, Christ wrought out a
redemption for men. This was not done by going out of Himself to another,
but by taking humanity into Himself. Thus Christ gave to humanity an
existence out of Himself. To bring humanity into Christ, to bring the
fallen race into oneness with divinity, is the work of redemption. Christ
took human nature that men might be one with Him as He is one with the
Father, that God may love man as He loves His only—begotten Son, that
men may be partakers of the divine nature, and be complete in Him. "The
Holy Spirit, which proceeds from the only-begotten Son of God, binds the
human agent, body, soul, and spirit, to the perfect, divine—human nature
of Christ. This union is represented by the union of the vine and the
branches. Finite man is united to the manhood of Christ. Through faith
human nature is assimilated with Christ's nature. We are made one with God
in Christ." 1 Selected Messages, 250-251. "Behold
the life and character of Christ, and study His mediatorial work. Here are
infinite wisdom, infinite love, infinite justice, infinite mercy. Here are
depths and heights, lengths and breadths, for our consideration.
Numberless pens have been employed in presenting to the world the life,
the character, and the mediatorial work of Christ. Evangelism,
p. 120. "Ever
since the first promise of redemption was spoken in Eden, the life, the
character, and the mediatorial work of Christ have been the study of human
minds. Yet every mind through whom the Holy Spirit has worked has
presented these themes in a light that is fresh and new. The truths of
redemption are capable of constant development and expansion. Though
old, they are ever new, constantly revealing to the seeker for truth a
greater glory and a mightier power." Christ's Object Lessons, p.
127. ANGELS AND THE OTHER WORLDS"The
angels ascribe honor and glory to Christ, for even they are not secure
except by looking to the sufferings of the Son of God. It is through the
efficacy of the cross that the angels of heaven are guarded from apostasy.
Without the cross they would be no more secure against evil than were the
angels before the fall of Satan."—Signs of the Times, December 30,
1889. "Not
one of the angels could have become surety for the human race: their life
is God's; they could not surrender it." Youths' Instructor, June
21, 1900; 5 Bible Commentary, p. 904. "The
angels, as God's intelligent messengers, were under the yoke of
obligation; no personal sacrifice of theirs could atone for fallen man.
Christ alone was free from the claims of the law to undertake the
redemption of the sinful race. He had the power to lay down His life and
to take it up again. 'Being in the form of God, He thought it not robbery
to be equal with God.' "Signs of the Times, September 4, 1906; 7
Bible Commentary, p. 904. "The
highest angel in heaven had not the power to pay the ransom for one lost
soul. Cherubim and seraphim have only the glory with which they are
endowed by the Creator as His creatures, and the reconciliation of man to
God could be accomplished only through a mediator who was equal with
God, possessed of attributes that would dignify, and declare him worthy to
treat with the infinite God in man's behalf, and also represent God to a
fallen world. Man's substitute and surety must have man's nature, a
connection with the human family whom he was to represent, and, as God's
ambassador, he must partake of the divine nature, have a connection with
the Infinite, in order to manifest God to the world, and be a mediator
between God and man. "These
qualifications were found alone in Christ. Clothing His divinity with
humanity, He came to earth to be called the Son of man and the Son of God.
He was the surety for man, the ambassador for God the surety for man to
satisfy by His righteousness in man's behalf the demands of the law, and
the representative of God to make manifest His character to a fallen
race." 1 Selected Messages. P. 257. "While
we rejoice that there are worlds which have never fallen, these worlds
render praise and honor and glory to Jesus Christ for the plan of
redemption to save the fallen sons of Adam, as well as to confirm
themselves in their position and character of purity. The arm that raised
the human family from the ruin which Satan has brought upon the race
through his temptations, is the arm which has preserved the inhabitants of
other worlds from sin. Every world throughout immensity engages the care
and support of the Father and the Son; and this care is constantly
exercised for fallen humanity. Christ is mediating in behalf of man, and
the order of unseen worlds also is preserved by His mediatorial work. Are
not these themes of sufficient magnitude and importance to engage our
thoughts, and call forth our gratitude and adoration to God?"
Messages to Young People, p. 254. ADAM AND EVE"Adam
and Eve were given a probation in which to return to their allegiance; and
in this plan of benevolence all their posterity were embraced. After the
Fall, Christ became Adam's instructor. He acted in God's stead toward
humanity, saving the race from immediate death. He took upon Him the work
of mediator between God and man. In the fullness of time He was to be
revealed in human form." 7 Bible Commentary, p. 912. "To
Adam, the offering of the first sacrifice was a most painful ceremony, His
hand must be raised to take life, which only God could give. It was the
first time he had ever witnessed death, and he knew that had he been
obedient to God, there would have been no death of man or beast. As he
slew the innocent victim, he trembled at the thought that his sin must
shed the blood of the spotless Lamb of God. This scene gave him a deeper
and more vivid sense of the greatness of his transgression, which nothing
but the death of God's dear Son could expiate. And he marveled at the
infinite goodness that would give such a ransom to save the guilty. A star
of hope illumined the dark and terrible future and relieved it of its
utter desolation."—Patriarchs and Prophets, 68. "Adam
was commanded to teach his descendants the fear of the lord, and, by his
example and humble obedience teach them to highly regard the offerings
which typified a Saviour to come. Adam carefully treasured what God had
revealed to him, and handed it down by word of mouth to his children and
children's children."—Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 1, 59. I "At
the cherubim-guarded gate of paradise the glory of God was revealed, and
hither came the first worshipers. Here their altars were reared, and their
offerings presented." Patriarchs and Prophets, 83, 84. "I
n the sacrificial offering on every altar was seen a Redeemer. With the
cloud of incense arose from every contrite heart the prayer that God would
accept their offerings as showing faith in the coming Saviour."
Review and Herald, March 2, 1886. "The
sacrificial system, committed to Adam, was. . perverted by his
descendants. Superstition, idolatry, cruelty, and licentiousness corrupted
the simple and significant service that God had appointed. Through long
intercourse with idolaters, the people of Israel had mingled many heathen
customs with the worship; therefore the lord gave them at Sinai definite
instruction concerning the sacrificial service." Patriarchs and
Prophets, 364. "Would
that man had stopped falling with Adam. But there has been a succession of
falls. . from Adam's day to ours there has been a succession of falls,
each greater than the last, in every species of crime."—Review and
Herald, March 4, 1875; 1 Bible Commentary, p. 1082. "The
human family had been departing every successive generation, farther from
the original purity, wisdom, and knowledge which Adam possessed in
Eden." Review and Herald, July 28, 1874;5 Bible Commentary, p.
1081. "Since
God is the source of all true knowledge, it is, as we have seen, the first
object of education to direct our minds to His own revelation of Himself.
Adam and Eve received knowledge through direct communion with God; and
they learned of Him through His works. All created things, in their
original perfection, were an expression of the thought of God. To Adam and
Eve nature was teeming with divine wisdom. But by transgression man was
cut off from learning of God through direct communion and, to a great
degree, through His works. The earth, marred and defiled by sin reflects
but dimly the Creator's glory. It is true that His object lessons are not
obliterated. Upon every page of the great volume of His created works may
still be traced His handwriting. Nature still speaks of her Creator. Vet
these revelations are partial and imperfect. And in our fallen state,
with weakened powers and restricted vision, we are incapable of
interpreting aright. We need the fuller revelation of Himself that God has
given in His written Word."—Education, pp. 16, 17. "From
the creation and fall of man to the present time, there has been a
continual unfolding of the plan of God for the redemption, through Christ,
of the fallen race. . around the sanctuary and its solemn services
mystically gathered the grand truths which were to be developed through
succeeding generations."—Review and Herald, March 2, 1886; The
Faith I Live By, p. 194. THE EARTHLY TABERNACLE"In
their investigation they learned, that the earthly sanctuary, built by
Moses at the command of God, according to the pattern shown him in the
mount, was a 'figure for the time present, in which were offered both
gifts and sacrifices;' that its two holy places were 'patterns of things
in the heavens;' that Christ, our great High Priest, is a 'minister of
the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the lord pitched, and not
man." . . "The
sanctuary in heaven, in which Jesus ministers in our behalf, is the great
original, of which the sanctuary built by Moses was a copy. . . "The
matchless splendor of the earthly tabernacle reflected to human vision
the glories of that heavenly temple where Christ our forerunner ministers
for us before the throne of God. "As
the sanctuary on earth had two apartments, the holy and the most holy, so
there are two holy places in the sanctuary in heaven. And the ark
containing the law of God, the altar of incense, and other instruments of
service found in the sanctuary below, have their counterpart in the
sanctuary above. I n holy vision the apostle John was permitted to enter
heaven, and he there beheld the candlestick and the altar of incense, and
as 'the temple of God was opened: he beheld also 'the ark of His
testament.' (Revelation 4:5; 8:3; 11:19.)" Spirit of Prophecy,
Vol. 4, 260, 261. "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 in the heavenly sanctuary. Early
Writings, 252, 253. "I
warn you, do not place your influence against God's commandments. That law
is just as Jehovah wrote it in the temple of heaven. Man may trample upon
its copy here below, but the original is kept in the ark of God in heaven;
and on the cover of this ark, right above that law, is the mercy seat.
Jesus stands right there before that ark to mediate for man." 1
Bible Commentary, 1109. "The
principles were more explicitly stated to man after the fall, and worded
to meet the case of fallen intelligences. This was necessary in
consequence of the minds of men being blinded by
transgression."—Signs of the Times, April 15,1875. "The
very system of sacrifices was devised by Christ, and given to Adam as
typifying a Saviour to come." Signs of the Times, July 15, 1880. "The
law given upon Sinai was the enunciation of the principle of love, a
revelation to earth of the law of heaven. It was ordained in the hand of a
Mediator—spoken by Him through whose power the hearts of men could be
brought into harmony with its principles. God had revealed the purpose of
the law when He declared to Israel. Ye shall be holy men unto Me.'
Exodus 22:31." Mount of Blessing, p. 46. "The
pardon of sin, justification by faith in Jesus Christ, access to God only
through a mediator because of their lost condition, their guilt and
sin—of these truths the people [the Jews in Moses' time] had little
conception. In a great measure they had lost knowledge of God and of the
only way to approach Him. They had lost nearly all sense of what
constitutes sin and of what constitutes righteousness. The pardon of sin
through Christ, the promised Messiah, whom their offerings typified, was
but dimly understood." 1 Selected Messages, p. 238. [Why the Jews
received no benefit from the atonement—read Great Controversy, p. 430.] "The
solemn service of sacrifice and worship at the sanctuary, and the
utterances of the prophets, were a revelation of God."—Patriarchs
and Prophets, p. 592. "Accustomed
as they had been in Egypt to material representations of the Deity, and
these of the most degrading nature, it was difficult for them to conceive
of the existence or the character of the Unseen One. In pity for their
weakness, God gave them a symbol of His presence. 'Let them make Me a
sanctuary: "Education, pp. 34, 35. "Christ
was the foundation of the whole Jewish economy."—Manuscript 14,
1901; 6 Bible Commentary, p. 1095. "The
great lesson embodied in the sacrifice of every bleeding victim, impressed
in every ceremony, inculcated by God himself, was that through the blood
of Christ alone is forgiveness of sins."—Letter 12,1892; 7 Bible
Commentary, p. 913. "The
purpose of sacrificial offerings has been perverted. They were to
symbolize Christ and His mission, that when He should come in the flesh,
the world might recognize God in Him, and accept Him as the world's
Redeemer. But their lack of true heart service for God had blinded the
Jews to a knowledge of God. Exactions and ceremonies and traditions were
the sum total of their religion.—Manuscript 3, 1898; 5 Bible
Commentary, p. 1086. "Again
Christ reiterated the truth that the sacrifices in themselves are of no
value. They are a means, and not an end. Their object was to direct men to
the Saviour, and thus to bring them into harmony with God."—Desire
of Ages, p. 286. "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, p. 253. "The
holy places made with hands were to be 'figures of the time: 'patterns of
things in the heavens: (Hebrews 9:24, 23)a miniature representation of
the heavenly temple. . " Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 343. "God
Himself gave to Moses the plan, and gave it to Moses, with particular
directions as to its size and form, and the materials to be used, and
specified every article of furniture which was to be in it. He presented
before Moses a miniature model of the heavenly Sanctuary, and commanded
him to make all things according to the pattern shown him in the
mount.—Spiritual Gifts, pp. 4,5. "God
Himself gave to Moses the plan of that structure, with particular
directions as to its size and form, the materials to be employed, and
every article of furniture which it was to contain."—Patriarchs and
Prophets, p. 343. A COMPACTED PROPHECY"The
significance of the Jewish economy is not yet fully comprehended. Truths
vast and profound are shadowed forth in its rites and symbols. The gospel
is the key that unlocks its mysteries. Through a knowledge of the plan of
redemption, its truths are opened to the understanding. Far more than we
do, it is our privilege to understand these wonderful themes. We are to
comprehend the deep things of God. Angels desire to look into the truths
that are revealed to the people who with contrite hearts are searching the
Word of God, and praying for greater lengths and breadths and depths and
heights of the knowledge which He alone can give."—Christ's Object
Lessons, 133. "The
whole system of types and symbols was a compacted prophecy of the
gospel, a presentation in which were bound up the promises of
redemption." Acts of the Apostles, 14. "The
Lord Jesus was the foundation of the whole Jewish economy. Its imposing
services were of divine appointment. They were designed to teach the
people that at the time appointed One would come to whom those ceremonies
pointed. Christ's Object Lessons, 34. "As
they departed from God, the Jews in a great degree lost sight of the
teaching of the ritual service. That service had been instituted by Christ
Himself. In every part it was a symbol of Him; and it had been full of
vitality and spiritual beauty. But the Jews lost the spiritual life from
their ceremonies, and clung to the dead forms. They trusted to the
sacrifices and ordinances themselves, instead of resting upon Him to whom
they pointed. In order to supply the place of that which they had lost,
the priests and rabbis multiplied requirements of their own; and the more
rigid they grew, the less of the love of God was manifested." The
Desire of Ages, 29. "In
patriarchial times the sacrificial offerings connected with divine worship
constituted a perpetual reminder of the coming of a Saviour; and thus it
was with the entire ritual of the sanctuary services through Israel's
history. In the ministration of the tabernacle, and of the temple that
afterward took its place, the people were taught each day, by means of
types and shadows, the great truths relative to the advent of Christ as
Redeemer, Priest, and King; and once each year [on the day of atonement]
their minds were carried forward to the closing events of the great
controversy between Christ and Satan, and the final purification of the
universe from sin and sinners. . Satan discerned in these a symbol of
communion between earth and heaven. During the long centuries that have
followed, it has been his constant effort to intercept this communion.
Untiringly has he sought to misrepresent God, and to misinterpret the
rites [in the sanctuary services] pointing to the Saviour; and with a
great majority of the members of the human family he has been
successful."—Prophets and Kings, 684685. "The
whole worship of ancient Israel was a promise, in figures and symbols, of
Christ; and it was not merely a promise, but an actual provision,
designed by God to aid millions of people by lifting their thoughts to Him
who was to manifest Himself to our world." Testimonies to
Ministers, 123. "
. . the sacrificial offerings. . constituted a perpetual reminder of the
coming of a Saviour;. . In the ministration of the tabernacle, and of the
temple. . the people were taught. . by means of types and shadows, the
great truths relative to the advent of Christ as Redeemer, Priest, and
King;. . Thus the world was to be kept from universal apostasy."
Prophets and Kings, pp. 684-687. "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, p.253. "The
ceremonial law was given by Christ. Even after it was no longer to be
observed, Paul presented it before the Jews in its true position and
value, showing its place in the plan of redemption and its relation to the
work of Christ; and the great apostle pronounces this law glorious, worthy
of its divine Originator. The solemn service of the sanctuary typified the
grand truths that were to be revealed through successive
generations."—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 367. "I
know that the sanctuary question stands in righteousness and truth, just
as we have held it for so many years." Gospel Workers, p. 303. "The
solemn service of sacrifice and worship at the sanctuary, and the
utterances of the prophets, were a revelation of God."—Patriarchs
and Prophets, p. 592. "The
typical service was the connecting link between God and Israel. The
sacrificial offerings were designed to prefigure the sacrifice of
Christ, and thus to preserve in the hearts of the people an unwavering
faith in the Redeemer to come. Hence, in order that the Lord might accept
their sacrifices, and continue His presence with them, and, on the other
hand, that the people might have a correct knowledge of the plan of salvation,
and a right understanding of their duty, it was of the utmost importance
that holiness of heart and purity of life, reverence for God, and strict
obedience to His requirements, should be maintained by all connected with
the sanctuary," "In
pity for their weakness, God gave them a symbol of His presence. 'Let them
make Me a sanctuary: He said: 'that I may dwell among them.
"Education, p. 35. "When
the sanctuary was to be built, the Lord directed Moses, saying, 'Look that
thou make them after their pattern, which was showed thee in the mount:
Moses was full of zeal to do God's work. The most talented, skillful men
were at his command to carry out his suggestions; and yet it was not given
to him to make a bell, a pomegranate, a tassel, a fringe, a curtain, or
any vessel of the sanctuary, except according to the pattern shown him as
God's ideal. God called him into the mount, and revealed to him the
heavenly things."—Signs of the Times, November 21,1892. "In
all our work, even in mechanical lines, God desires that the perfection of
His character shall appear. The exactness, skill, tact, wisdom, and
perfection which He required in the building of the earthly tabernacle, He
desires to have brought into everything that shall be done in His service.
Every transaction entered into by His servants is to be as pure and as
precious in His sight as were the gold and frankincense and myrrh which in
sincere, uncorrupted faith the Wise Men from the East brought to the
infant Saviour. 7 Testimonies, pp. 142,143. "The
system of Jewish economy was the gospel in figure, a. presentation of
Christianity which was to be developed as fast as the minds of the people
could comprehend spiritual light. Satan ever seeks to make obscure the
truths that are plain, and Christ ever seeks to open the mind to
comprehend every essential truth concerning the salvation of fallen
man." Fundamentals of Christian Education, 238. "The
heathen systems of sacrifice were a perversion of the system that God had
appointed; and many a sincere observer of heathen rites learned from the
Hebrews the meaning of the service divinely ordained, and in faith grasped
the promise of a Redeemer.—Desire of Ages, 28. "The
tabernacle was made according to the commandment of God. The Lord raised
up men, and qualified them with more than natural abilities to perform the
most ingenious work. Neither those workmen nor Moses were left to plan the
form and workmanship of the building. God Himself devised the plan, and
gave it to Moses, with particular directions as to its size and form, and
the materials to be used, and specified every article of furniture which
was to be in it. 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. Moses wrote all the directions in a
book, and read them to the most influential of the people."—Spiritual
Gifts, Vol. 4, Facts of Faith, page 5. (Similar: Patriarchs and Prophets,
343.) Here
are five additional descriptions of the glory and majesty of the earthly
sanctuary, which was but a dim reflection of the heavenly: Patriarchs
and Prophets, 356357, 349; Great Controversy, 411-412, 414-415;
Prophets and Kings, 36. The earthly sanctuary with its "matchless
splendor" was "the most magnificent structure ever reared by
human hands," and yet it was but a "faint reflection" of
"the vastness and glory" of "the great original,"
which is "the abiding place of the King of kings." (These
quotations are from Great Controversy, 414.) "Had
Israel remained true to God, this glorious building [Solomon's temple]
would have stood forever, a perpetual sign of God's especial favor to His
chosen people.—Prophets and Kings, 46. "The Jewish tabernacle. .
was a wonderful structure, made in two parts, the outer and the inner, one
open to the ministration of all the priests, the other [the most holy
place] to the high priest alone.—Signs, February 14, 1900. THE
BUILDING OF SOLOMON'S TEMPLE "The
Lord, through His angel, instructed David, and gave him a pattern of the
house which Solomon should build for Him. An angel was commissioned to
stand by David while he was writing out, for the benefit of Solomon, the
important directions in regard to the arrangements of the house. David's
heart was in the work. 1 Spiritual Gifts, pp. 387, 388; 3 Bible
Commentary, p. 1129. "The
care shown in the building of the temple is a lesson to us regarding the
care that we are to show in our character building. No cheap material
was to be used. No haphazard work was to be done in matching the different
parts. Piece must fit piece perfectly. Just as God's temple was, so must
His church be. Into their character-building His people are to bring no
worthless timbers, no careless, indifferent work. . In times of perplexity
and distress, when a heavy strain is brought to bear, it will plainly be
seen what kind of timbers have been used in the
character-building.—Manuscript 18,1905; 2 Bible Commentary, p.
1030. "[In
addition to the cherubim on the top of the ark, Solomon made two other
angels of larger size, standing at each end of the ark, representing the
heavenly angles guarding the law of God,] . . Like the earthly sanctuary
built by Moses according to the pattern shown him in the mount, Solomon's
temple, with all its services, was a 'figure for the time then present,
in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices;' its two holy places were
'patterns of things in the heavens;' Christ, our great High Priest, is a
'minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord
pitched, and not man: (Hebrews 8:2,)"Review, November 9,1905. "In
addition to the cherubim on the top of the ark, Solomon [in the
construction of the temple] made two other angels of larger size, standing
at each end of the ark, representing the heavenly angels guarding the
law of God."—Review and Herald, November 9, 1905; 2 Bible
Commentary, p. 1030. "For
a time these men remained humble and unselfish; but gradually, almost
imperceptibly, they lost their hold upon God and His truth. They began to
ask for higher wages because of their superior skill. In some instances
their request was granted, but more often those asking higher wages found
employment in the surrounding nations. . . "It
was to these apostates that Solomon looked for a master workman to
superintend the construction of the temple on Mount Moriah. Minute
specifications, in writing, regarding every portion of the sacred
structure, had been entrusted to the king, and he should have looked to
God in faith for consecrated helpers, to whom would have been granted
special skill for doing with exactness the work required. But Solomon lost
sight of this opportunity to exercise faith in God. He sent to the king of
Tyre for a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and
in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can give skill to
grave with cunning men. . in Judah and in Jerusalem: "
. . This master workman, Huram, was a descendant, on his mother's side, of
Aholiab, to whom, hundreds of years before, God had given special wisdom
for the construction of the tabernacle. Thus at the head of Solomon's
company of workmen there was placed an unsanctified man, who demanded
large wages because of his unusual skill. . The result was a demand for
higher wages, which was granted them. "The
baleful influences set in operation by the employment of this man of a
grasping spirit, permeated all branches of the Lord's service, and
extended throughout Solomon's kingdom. The high wages demanded and
received gave many an opportunity to indulge in luxury and extravagance.
In the far-reaching effects of these influences, may be traced one of
the principle causes of the terrible apostasy of him who once was the
wisest of mortals. The king was not alone in his apostasy. Extravagance
and corruption were to be seen on every hand. The poor were oppressed by
the rich; the spirit of self-sacrifice in God's service was well nigh
lost. "Herein
lies a most important lesson for God's people today,—a lesson that many
are slow to learn. Review and Herald, January 4, 1906; 2 Bible
Commentary, pp. 1027, 1028. [Speaking
of the later rebuilding of this temple, when the Samaritans offered their
help:] "It is not the open and avowed enemies of the cause of God
that are most to be feared. Those who, like the adversaries [Samaritans]
of Judah and Benjamin, come with smooth words and fair speeches,
apparently seeking for friendly alliance with God's children, have greater
power to deceive. Against such every soul should be alert, lest some
carefully concealed and mastery snare take him unaware. And especially
today, while earth's history is closing, the Lord requires of His children
a vigilance that knows no relaxation. But though the conflict is a
ceaseless one, none are left to struggle alone, Angels help and protect
those who walk humbly before God,"—Prophets and Kings, pp. 570,
571. 31
A.D. TO 1844 A.D. "[During
His childhood] Every prophecy concerning His [Christ's] work and mediation
was familiar to Him, especially those having reference to His humiliation,
atonement, and intercession. In childhood and youth the object of His life
was ever before Him, an inducement for His undertaking the work of
mediating in behalf of fallen man." Fundamentals of Christian
Education, p. 402, "But
after Christ's ascension His enthronement in His mediatorial kingdom was
signalized by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost
the Spirit was given. Christ's witnesses proclaimed the power of the risen
Saviour." Christ's Object Lessons, p. 120. "After
His ascension, our Saviour was to begin 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: As Christ's ministration was to consist of two
great divisions, each occupying a period of time and having a
distinctive place in the heavenly Sanctuary, so the typical ministration
consisted of two divisions, the daily and the yearly service, and to each
a department of the tabernacle was devoted.—Patriarchs and
Prophets, 357. For
more on the tabernacle and its services, and the antitypical
fulfillment, read Patriarchs and Prophets, 343-358 and Great Controversy,
409-426. "Once
more Paul has an opportunity to uplift before a wondering multitude the
banner of the cross. As he gazes upon the throng before him,—Jews,
Greeks, Romans, with intense desire for their salvation. He loses sight of
the occasion, of the perils surrounding him, of the terrible fate that
seems so near. He sees only Jesus, the Intercessor, pleading before God in
behalf of sinful men. With more than human eloquence and power, Paul
presents the truths of the gospel. He points his hears to the sacrifice
made for the fallen race. He declares that an infinite price has been paid
for man's redemption. Provision has been made for him to share the throne
of God. By angel messengers, earth is connected with heaven, and all the
deeds of men, whether good or evil, are open to the eye of Infinite
Justice. "Thus
pleads the advocate of truth. Faithful among the faithless, loyal among
the disloyal, he stands as God's representative, and his voice is as a
voice from heaven. There is no fear, no sadness, no discouragement in word
or look, Strong in a consciousness of innocence, clothed in the panoply of
truth, he rejoices that he is a son of God, His words are as a shout of
victory above the roar of battle. He declares the cause to which he has
devoted his life, to be the only cause that can never fail. Though he may
perish, the gospel will not perish. God lives, and His truth will
triumph."—Acts of the Apostles, pp. 494, 495. "The
eyes of the people, so long directed to human rites and human mediators,
were now [through Luther's preaching] turning, in penitence and faith, to
Christ and Him crucified. Story of Redemption, p. 343. [Also Great
Controversy, 133.} "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."—Great
Controversy, p. 55. [also Story of Redemption, pp. 331, 332./ "For
eighteen centuries this work of ministration continued in the first
apartment of the Sanctuary. The blood of Christ, pleaded in behalf of
penitent believers, secured their pardon and acceptance with the Father,
yet their sins still remained upon the books of record. As in the
typical service there was a work of atonement at the close of the year, so
before Christ's work for the redemption of men is completed there is a
work of atonement for the removal of sin from the Sanctuary. This is the
service which began when the 2300 days ended. At that time, as foretold by
Daniel the prophet, our High Priest entered the most holy, to perform the
last division of His solemn work—to cleanse the Sanctuary."—Great
Controversy, 421. THE
APPEARANCE OF
THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY "A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary."—Jeremiah, 17: 12. "I
believe the Sanctuary, to be cleansed at the end of the 2300 days, is the
New Jerusalem Temple, of which Christ is a minister."—A Word to the
Little Flock, May 30,1847, p. 12. "Those
who were studying the subject found indisputable proof of the existence
of a sanctuary in heaven. Moses made the earthly sanctuary after a pattern
which was shown him. Paul teaches that that pattern was the true sanctuary
which is in heaven, and John testifies that he saw it in heaven. 1
Spiritual Gifts, pp. 160,161, "I
was shown a sanctuary upon earth containing two apartments. It resembled
the one in heaven. I was told that it was the earthly sanctuary, 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 earthly sanctuary." 1
Spiritual Gifts, pp. 160, 161. "In
the first apartment I saw the candlestick with seven lamps, which look
rich and glorious; also the table on which was the shew-bread, and the
altar of incense, and the censer. All the furniture of this apartment
looked like purest gold, and reflected the image of the one who entered
that place. The curtain which separated these two apartments looked
glorious. It was of different colors and material, with a beautiful
border, with figures of gold wrought upon it, representing angels. The
veil was lifted and I looked into the second apartment. I saw there an ark
which had the appearance of being of the finest gold. As a border around
the top of the ark, was most beautiful work representing crowns. It was
of fine gold. In the ark were the tables of stone containing the ten
commandments. On each end of the ark was a lovely cherub with their wings
spread out over it. Their wings were raised on high, and touched each
other above the head of Jesus, as He stood by the ark."1 Spiritual
Gifts, pp. 160, 161. "In
the most holy place is His law. . the ark that enshrines the tables of
the law is covered with the mercy seat, before which Christ pleads His
blood in the sinners behalf." Great Controversy, p. 415. IT
IS IN HEAVEN THAT
CHRIST COMPLETES THE ATONEMENT In
1956, D. G. Barnhouse took time to laugh at us. Our leaders in Washington
D.C. had assured him and Walter Martin that there was no atonement after
31 A.D., according to current Seventh-day Adventist beliefs, but only
looking over a few records up in heaven. (Now, there are Seventh-day
Adventist college Bible teachers who maintain that there is no records nor
Sanctuary up there either.) "Further,
they [the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1956] do not believe, as some of
their earlier teachers taught, that Jesus' atoning work was not completed
on Calvary but instead that He was still carrying on a second ministering
work since 1844. This idea is also totally repudiated. They believe that
since His ascension Christ has been ministering the benefits of the
atonement which He completed on Calvary. Since the sanctuary doctrine is
based on the type of the Jewish high priest going into the Holy of Holies
to complete His atoning work, it can be seen that what remains is most
certainly exegetically untenable and theological speculation of a highly
imaginative order. What Christ is now doing, since 1844, according to
this version, is going over the records of all human beings and deciding
what rewards are going to be given to individual Christians."—Dr.
Donald Grey Barnhouse, in "Eternity Magazine," September, 1965. "Thus
those who followed in the light of the prophetic word saw that, instead of
coming to the earth at the termination of the 2300 days in 1844, Christ
then entered the most holy place of the heavenly Sanctuary to perform the
closing work of atonement preparatory to His coming." Great Controversy,
422. "Jesus
sent His angels to direct the minds of the disappointed ones to the most
holy place, where He had gone to cleanse the Sanctuary and to make a
special atonement for Israel."—Early Writings, 251. "Jesus
entered the most holy of the heavenly, at the end of the 2300 days of
Daniel 8, in 1844, to make a final atonement for all who could be
benefited by His mediation, and thus to cleanse the Sanctuary."
Early Writings, 253. (It
is the book of Leviticus that is our primary source of information about
the actual services of the typical sanctuary. The word"
Atonement" is repeatedly used in this book in relation to the work of
the priest IN the sanctuary.) "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. . Jesus has opened the way to the Father's throne, and
through His mediation the sincere desire of all who come to Him in faith
may be presented before God."—Great Controversy, 489. "He
[Christ] fulfilled one phase of His atonement by dying on the cross for
the fallen race. He is now fulfilling another phase by pleading before the
Father the case of the repentant, believing sinner, presenting to God the
offerings of His people. Having taken human nature and in this nature
having overcome the temptations of the enemy, and having divine
perfection, to Him has been committed the judgment of the world. The case
of each one will be brought in review before Him. He will pronounce
judgment, rendering to every man according to His
works."—Manuscript 42,1901. "He
[Christ] is a minister of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and
not man. The typical shadows of the Jewish tabernacle no longer possess
any virtue. A daily and yearly atonement [here on earth] is no longer to
be made, but the atoning sacrifice through a mediator is essential because
of the constant commission of sin. Jesus is officiating in the presence of
God, offering up His shed blood, as it had been a Iamb slain." 1
Selected Messages, 344. "On
the tenth day of the seventh month there shall be a day of
atonement."—Leviticus 23:27. "And this shall be an everlasting
statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all
their sins once a year." Leviticus 16: 34. "For
on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you,
that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord."
Leviticus 16:30. "He
[the earthly priest] 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. . 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. "
. . As the [earthly] priest entered the most holy once a year to cleanse
the earthly sanctuary, so Jesus entered the most holy of the heavenly, at
the end of the 2300 days of Daniel 8, in 1844, to make a final atonement
for all who could be benefited by His mediation, and thus to cleanse the
Sanctuary."—Early Writings, 253. Here
are some references that will help you locate the timing of the
mediatorial work of Christ in the Sanctuary above: COL
120, AA 38.39His mediation in the heavenly Sanctuary began ten days
after His ascension, on the Day of Pentecost, and it was signalized by the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit. EW
4243, 86 It ended in the first apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary in
1844. EW
58 It will not last much longer in the second apartment. EW
85 A time of trouble will be coming on the world before it ends. PP
201 Christ will utter His solemn announcement at its close. GC
428, PP 201 Human probation will forever close when it ends. EW
281 At its close, Christ will put on His kingly robes, for His priestly
ministry has ended. GC
416, 428, 480 At this time, the kingdom of glory will be established and
given to Him. PP
201 The great time of trouble will begin in earnest as soon as it
closes. GC
485, AA 228 The Second Coming of Christ will follow very soon after it
ends. What happens when Christ's mediation ceases in the most holy place
of the heavenly Sanctuary? Will there then be additional opportunity to
sin and repent and return to God? Here are a definitive set of references
that will clarify this point: No
one knows how soon the Investigative Judgment will pass to the cases of
the living (GC 490). The time for it to continue is nearly finished (7BC
989; EW 58; 1SM 6667). Soon it will cease (7BC 989; EW 58; 1SM
6667). But
when the Investigative Judgment and Christ's mediatorial work in the
heavenly Sanctuary does end: Every case will have been decided either for
salvation or for destruction (EW 36). The cases of all men will have been
forever decided (2T 190191). The cases of all who have ever professed
to be children of God will have been examined and decided by that time (GC
428, 490; LS 116). The last acts of Christ as High Priest will have been
completed by then (GC 480). The sins of the righteous will have been
blotted out of the Sanctuary (GC 422, 485). The work to save sinners will
be ended by that time (2T 691). Whatever work is done to rescue souls from
Satan's power must be done before then. Afterwards it will be too late (EW
48). When it ends, the destiny of all will have been forever decided (GC
490). Before it ends, God's people must put away their sins (GC 425). The
kingdom of glory will be given to Christ at its close (GC 416, 426-428,
479-480, 613-614). The righteous and the wicked living on the earth at
that time will be unaware that this great event has taken place (GC
490-491). The door of mercy to the transgressor of God's law is forever
closed at that time (GC 428). Human probation forever closes when Christ's
high priestly ministry in the Sanctuary above ends (EW 280281; GC 428,
490; 2T 190-191). The decree of Revelation 22: 11 will be proclaimed by
Christ at that moment when it ends (EW 48, 279-280; GC 490-491, 618; 2T
190-191; 2SG 276; 8T 315). After
it closes, there is no longer a mediator between God and man (EW 48, 71,
280-281; GC 425). God's people must live in the sight of a holy God
without an intercessor from then on (EW 48, 71, 280-281). Unless, by that
time, they reflect the image of Jesus fully, they will be lost (EW 71).
There is no more light imparted to the sinner afterward (2SG 276). A
fearful time will then follow (EW 280; GC 614). The Holy Spirit will have
been withdrawn (GC 614). Satan will then have entire control of the wicked
(EW 280; GC 613). Christ will have assumed His office of Supreme Judge
when it closed (7BC 989). Justice will have taken the place of God's grace
and mercy (7 BC 989). The wrath of God will then be poured out upon the
rejecters of God's truth (EW 36, 48, 279, 281; LS 116-117). The Seven
Last Plagues will be poured out by God upon the wicked after it ends (EW
36, 58-86; 280-281; LS 117). The Second Advent of Christ then takes place
(1 BC 1111-1112; AA 33,228; 7BC 913; EW 251, 280-281; GC 425, 485, 490; LS
63; 1T 58). For
what was it that forever ended, when Christ's mediatorial work in the
most holy place ceased? The
FINAL atonement that was begun in 1844 (EW 253). The CLOSING work of the
High Priest in the heavenly Sanctuary, as foretold by Daniel 8: 14 (1T 58;
LS 63, 278). The FINAL intercession of Christ our High Priest (EW 254).
The CLOSING work of atonement (SR 379; GC 428). The FINISHING of the
atonement, pointed to by Daniel 8:14 (LS 63; 1T 58). The CLOSING work of
the priestly office of Christ (Ev 223). The FINAL ministration of Christ
in His work of judgment (EW 253). The CLOSING of the atonement (GC 352,
422, 428-429, 433, 490, 658; PP 357-358; SD 355; SR 378-379). The
COMPLETION of the atonement (GC 658; PP 542). The FINAL atonement (EW 253;
GC 421, 480; PP 357358). THE
TRANSFERRAL OF SIN We
must now put away our sins; we are not to wait until the judgment passes
to our names to do it. As we repent of the terrible thing and put it from
us—the sin is transferred to the Sanctuary in heaven. This is part of
the Sanctuary Message given us in the Spirit of Prophecy: "The
sins of the people [in the services of the earthly sanctuary] were
transferred in figure to the officiating priest, who was a mediator for
the people. The priest himself could not become an offering for sin, and
make an atonement with his life, for He was also a sinner. Therefore,
instead of suffering death himself, he killed a Iamb without blemish;
the penalty of sin was transferred to the innocent beast, which thus became
his immediate substitute, and typified the perfect offering of Jesus
Christ. Though the blood of this victim, man looked forward by faith to
the blood of Christ which would atone for the sins of the
world."—Signs, March 14, 1878. As
they were confessed, sins were transferred in figure to the earthly
sanctuary, but they are now being transferred in fact to the heavenly: "As
anciently the sins of the people were by faith placed upon the
sin-offering, and through its blood transferred, in figure, to the
earthly sanctuary; so in the new covenant the sins of the repentant are by
faith placed upon Christ, and transferred, in fact, to the heavenly
Sanctuary. And as the typical cleansing of the earthly was accomplished by
the removal of the sins by which it had been polluted, so the actual
cleansing of the heavenly is to be accomplished by the removal, or
blotting
out, of the sins which are there recorded. But before this can be
accomplished, there must be an examination of the books of record to
determine who, though repentance of sin and faith in Christ, are entitled
to the benefits of His atonement. The cleansing of the Sanctuary
therefore involves a work of investigation,—a work of judgment."
Great Controversy, 421-422. Thus
we can see why there must be a cleansing: there has been a transferral.
But when the Sanctuary ministry of the final atonement is completed,
probation will forever close, and it will no longer be possible to
transfer sin and have it cleansed. Those who sin after the close of
probation no longer live under grace and have no more Mediator to forgive
and remove sin. For more on this, read Early Writings, 71. "Important
truths concerning the atonement are taught by the typical service. A
substitute was accepted in the sinner's stead; but the sin was not
canceled by the blood of the victim. A means was thus provided by which it
was transferred to the sanctuary. By the offering of blood, the sinner
acknowledged the authority of the law, confessed his guilt in
transgression, and expressed his desire for pardon through faith in a Redeemer
to come; but he was not yet entirely released from the condemnation of the
law. On the day of atonement the high priest, having taken an offering
from the congregation, went into the most holy place with the blood of
this offering, and sprinkled it upon the mercy-seat, directly over the
law, to make satisfaction for its claims. Then, in his character of mediator,
he took the sins upon himself and bore them from the sanctuary. Placing
his hands upon the head of the scapegoat, he confessed over him all these
sins, thus in figure transferring them from himself to the goat. The goat
then bore them away, and they were regarded as forever separated from the
people." Great Controversy, 420. [A parallel paragraph is to be
found in Patriarchs and Prophets, 355.] The
above paragraph indicates two transferrals. The first is from the
repentant sinner to the sanctuary; the second is from the sanctuary to the
scapegoat. But
there is a second point in the above paragraph that we do not want to
neglect: "The sin was not cancelled by the blood of the victim. A
means was thus provided by which it was transferred to the
sanctuary." "
. . But he was not yet entirely released from the condemnation of the
law." No one should presume to think that merely because his
confessed sin has been transferred to the Sanctuary above, it is therefore
a responsibility that he is forever shed of. This is not true. If it were
true there would be no need of an investigation of the heavenly records.
But this examination known as the "Investigative Judgment"
must be made in order to ascertain who IS worthy to have his sins blotted
out of those records. And what happens to the transferred sins of those
who are found unfit to enter heaven's gate? Those sins are rolled back
on the sinners themselves and they must suffer for those sins in the final
destruction of the wicked. Protestants
and "new theology" advocates cannot see why there need by an
investigative judgment after the time of Calvary's sacrifice. But the twin
facts of "transferal of sin to the sanctuary" and a final
"examination of the records" to see whose sins merit final
blotting out from those records—are both important factors dictating
that there must be an investigative judgment prior to the Second Advent
of Christ. All
through the typical service, as explained in Exodus and Leviticus, there
is to be seen a continual transfer of sin: from the sinner to the animal.
from the animal to the priest. from the priest to the sanctuary (or from
the animal to the sanctuary), and from sanctuary to scapegoat. For more on
the principle of the "transferral of sin," read the following
topics in our "Biblical Sanctuary" series [BH-1-35]: BH-8, p 2,
Study 49; BH-8, P 4, Study 50; BH-8, p 4, Study 51; BH-9, p. 4, Study 55;
BH-15, p 1, Study 78; BH-17, p 1, Study 95; BH-18, p 3, Study 103. Here
is an interesting passage relating to this roll-back of sin back onto the
sinner who later was found to not deserve the forgiveness earlier granted: "It
is true that he may once have received forgiveness; but his unmerciful
spirit shows that he now rejects God's pardoning love. He has separated
himself from God, and is in the same condition as before he was forgiven.
He has denied his repentance, and his sins are upon him as if he had not
repented." Christ's Object Lessons, 251. "The
blood of Christ, pleaded in behalf of penitent believers, secured their
pardon and acceptance with the Father, yet their sins still remained upon
the books of record." Great Controversy, 421. "Since
the dead are to be judged out of the things written in the books, it is
impossible that the sins of men should be blotted out until after the
judgment at which their cases are to be investigated."—Great
Controversy, 485. "Important
truths concerning the atonement were taught the people by this yearly
service. In the sin-offerings presented during the year, a substitute had
been accepted in the sinner's stead; but the blood of the victim had not
made full atonement for the sin. It had only provided a means by which the
sin was transferred to the sanctuary. By the offering of blood, the sinner
acknowledged the authority of the law, confessed the guilt of his
transgression, and expressed his faith in Him who was to take away the sin
of the world; but he was not entirely released from the condemnation of
the law. "On
the day of atonement the high priest, having taken an offering for the
congregation, went into the most holy place with the blood, and sprinkled
it upon the mercy-seat, above the tables of the law. Thus the claims of
the law, which demanded the life of the sinner were satisfied. Then in his
character of mediator the priest took the sins upon himself, and leaving
the sanctuary, he bore with him the burden of Israel's guilt. At the door
of the tabernacle he laid his hands upon the head of the scape-goat, and
confessed over him 'all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all
their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of
the goat.' And as the goat bearing these sins was sent away, they were
with him regarded as forever separated from the people. Such was the
service performed 'unto the example and shadow of heavenly things.'
"Patriarchs and Prophets, 355-356. "The
blood of Christ, while it was to release the repentant sinner from the
condemnation of the law, was not to cancel the sin; it would stand on
record in the Sanctuary until the day of atonement. "In
the great day of final awards, the dead are to be 'judged out of those
things which were written in the books, according to their works.' Then by
virtue of the atoning blood of Christ, the sins of all the truly penitent
will be blotted from the books of heaven. Thus the Sanctuary will be
freed, or cleansed, from the record of sin. In the type, this great work
of atonement, or blotting out of sins, was represented by the services of
the day of atonement,—the cleansing of the earthly sanctuary, which was
accomplished by the removal, by virtue of the blood of the sin-offering,
of the sins by which it had been polluted."—Patriarchs and
Prophets, 357-358. "Since
Satan is the originator of sin, the direct instigator of all the sins that
caused the death of the Son of God, justice demands that Satan shall
suffer the final punishment. Christ's work for the redemption of men and
the purification of the universe from sin, will be closed by the removal
of sin from the heavenly Sanctuary and the placing of these sins upon
Satan, who will bear the final penalty. So in the typical service, the
yearly round of ministration closed with the purification of the
sanctuary, and the confessing of the sins on the head of the scape-goat."—Patriarchs
and Prophets, 358. (Other passages on this: Great Controversy, 658, Early
Writings, 280,281.) "The
sins of those who are redeemed by the blood of Christ will at last be
rolled back upon the originator of sin, and he must bear their punishment,
while those who do not accept salvation through Jesus, will suffer the
penalty of their own sins."—Early Writings, 178. (Also 294-295.) "Then
I saw that Jesus' work in the Sanctuary will soon be finished. And after
His work there is finished, He will come to the door of the first
apartment and confess the sins of Israel upon the head of the scapegoat.
Then He will put on the garments of vengeance. Then the plagues will come
upon the wicked, and they do not come till Jesus puts on that garment and
takes His place upon the great white cloud. Then while the plagues are
falling, the scapegoat is being led away. He makes a mighty struggle to
escape, but he is held fast by the hand that leads him. If he should
effect his escape, Israel would lose their lives." Spaulding-Magan
Collection of Unpublished Testimonies, 2. THE
SANCTUARY IS BECAUSE OF SIN "
'Sin is the transgression of the law.' This is the only definition of sin.
Without the law there can be no transgression. 'By the law is the
knowledge of sin.' The standard of righteousness is exceeding broad,
prohibiting every evil thing." Manuscript 27,1899; 7 Bible
Commentary, p. 951. "Adam
and Eve persuaded themselves that in so small a matter as eating of the
forbidden fruit, there could not result such terrible consequences as God
had declared. But this small matter was the transgression of God's
immutable and holy law, and it separated man from God, and opened the
floodgates of death and untold woe upon our world. Age after age there
has gone up from our earth a continual cry of mourning, and the whole
creation groaneth and travaileth together in pain, as a consequence of
man's disobedience. Heaven itself has felt the effects of his rebellion
against God."—S.T.C., p. 38. "But
your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins
have hid His face from you, that He will not hear." Isaiah 59:2. "By
transgression man was severed from God, the communion between them was
broken; but Jesus Christ died upon the cross of Calvary, bearing in His
body the sins of the whole world and the gulf between heaven and earth was
bridged by that cross." Manuscript 21, 1895; 7 Bible Commentary,
p. 941. "By
choosing to sin, men separate themselves from God, cut themselves off from
the channel of blessing, and the sure result is ruin and
death."—Letter 96, 1896; 6 Bible Commentary, p. 1085. "Satan
will devise every possible means to break down this high standard of piety
as one altogether too strict. . "Child Guidance. pp. 80, 81. "Christ
came to this world to counteract Satan's falsehood that God had made a
law which men could not keep. . He showed that it is possible for man
perfectly to obey the law." Manuscript 48, 1893; The Faith I Live
By, p. 114. "When
Adam, according to God's special directions, made an offering for sin, it
was to him a most painful ceremony. His hand must be raised to take
life, which God alone could give, and make an offering for sin. It was the
first time he had witnessed death. As he looked upon the bleeding victim,
writhing in the agonies of death, he was to look forward by faith to the
Son of God, whom the victim prefigured, who was to die as man's
sacrifice."—Story of Redemption, p. 50. "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. . As the
features of the countenance are reproduced with unerring accuracy on the
polished plate of the artist, so the character is faithfully delineated in
the books above. Yet how little solicitude is felt concerning that record
which is to meet the gaze of heavenly beings. Could the veil which separates
the visible from the invisible world be swept back, and the children of
men behold an angel recording every word and deed, which they must meet
again in the judgment, how many words that are daily uttered would remain
unspoken, how many deeds would remain undone."—Great Controversy,
486-487. "In
the books of heaven our lives are as accurately traced as in the picture
on the plate of the photographer." 7 Bible Commentary, 987. "As
the artist transfers to the canvass the features of the face, so the
features of each individual character are transferred to the books of
heaven. God has a perfect photograph of every man's character." 5
Bible Commentary, 1085. "The
sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a
diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of
your altars."—Jeremiah 17: 1. . |
