Dear Reader,
Many professing Seventh-day Adventists are
being duped by another gospel which is being taught by the professing, New Movement church. That “another gospel” is in reality the
doctrine of the Nicolaitans (only believe) which God especially hates.
Rev 2:6 But this
thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Rev 2:15 So hast
thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
In an effort to avoid legalism (the belief
that our own works can earn salvation), many do not realize that Christ has
proffered His Divine Nature Holy Spirit as a cure for sin and it is He who gets
all the credit. This merit (benefit—cure for sin) of Christ’s sacrifice and
Atonement is just as much a gift of free grace as is pardon for sin. Although many
do not desire grace in the form of power for obedience it is available to all.
For those of you who do not believe Ellen White, take it from the Bible.
Grace
for Obedience
Rom 1:5 By whom we
have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith
among all nations, for his name:
1Pe 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father, through
sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be
multiplied.
"(Jude
4).--The Sin of the Nicolaitans.--Is it [our sin] the sin of the Nicolaitans,
turning the grace of God into lasciviousness." E.G.
White, SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 957.
February 8, 1897 The Law and the Gospel
“The law and the gospel cannot be separated.
In Christ mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed
each other. The gospel has not ignored the obligations due to God by man. The
gospel is the law unfolded, nothing more nor less. It gives no more latitude to
sin than does the law. The law points to Christ; Christ points to the law. The
gospel calls men to repentance. Repentance of what?--Of sin.
And what is sin?-It is the transgression of the law. Therefore the gospel calls
men from their transgression back to obedience to the law of God. Jesus, in His
life and death, taught the strictest obedience. He died, the just for the
unjust, the innocent for the guilty, that the honour
of God's law might be preserved, and yet man not utterly perish. {BEcho, February 8, 1897 par. 1}
The work of salvation in both the Old and
the New Testament dispensation is the same. Christ was the foundation of the
whole Jewish economy. The types and shadows under which the Jews worshipped all
pointed forward to the world's Redeemer. It was by faith in a coming Saviour
that sinners were saved then. It is through faith in Christ that they are
justified today. {BEcho, February 8, 1897 par. 2}
In giving His Son, God gave Himself that
man might have another trial. If God could have changed this law to meet man in
his fallen condition, would He not have done this, and retained His only
begotten Son in heaven?--He certainly would. But because His law was as
changeless as His character, He gave His beloved Son, who was above law, and
one with Himself, to meet the penalty which His justice demanded. {BEcho, February 8, 1897 par. 3}
Satan is working with all his deceptive
power to ensnare the world. He would have them believe that this great
sacrifice was made in order to abolish God's law. He represents Christ as
opposed to the law of God's government in heaven and in earth. But the
Sovereign of the world has a law by which to govern His heavenly intelligences
and His human family, and the death of His Son fixes the immutability of that law
beyond any question. God has no intention of doing away with His great standard
of righteousness. By this standard He can define what a correct character is. {BEcho, February 8, 1897 par. 4}
Christ consented to die in the sinner's
stead, that man, by a life of obedience, might escape the penalty of the law of
God. His death did not make the law of God of none effect; it did not slay the
law, lessen its claims, or detract from its sacred dignity. The death of Christ
proclaimed the justice of His Father's law in punishing the transgressor, in
that He consented to suffer the penalty of the law transgressed Himself, in
order to save fallen man from its curse. The death of God's beloved Son on the
cross shows the immutability of the law of God. His death magnifies the law and
makes it honourable, and gives evidence to man of its
changeless character. From His own divine lips are heard the words, "Think
not that I am come to destroy the law and the prophets; I am not come to
destroy, but to fulfill." The death of Christ justified the claims of the
law. {BEcho, February 8, 1897 par. 5}
But the doctrine is now largely taught
that the gospel of Christ has made the law of God of none effect; that by
"believing" we are released from the necessity of being doers of the
word. But this is the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which Christ so unsparingly
condemned. To the church of Ephesus He says, "I know thy works, and thy
labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and
thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found
them liars; and hast borne, and hast patience, and for My name's sake hast
laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee,
because thou hast left thy first love. Remember then from whence thou art
fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee
quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also
hate." {BEcho, February 8, 1897 par. 6}
Those who are teaching this doctrine today
have much to say in regard to faith and the righteousness of Christ; but they
pervert the truth, and make it serve the cause of error. They declare that we
have only to believe on Jesus Christ, and that faith is all-sufficient: that
the righteousness of Christ is to be the sinner's credentials; that this
imputed righteousness fulfills the law for us, and that we are under no
obligation to obey the law of God. This class claim
that Christ came to save sinners, and that He has saved them. "I am
saved," they will repeat over and over again. But are they saved while
transgressing the law of Jehovah?--No; for the garments of Christ's
righteousness are not a cloak for iniquity. Such teaching is a gross deception,
and Christ becomes to these persons a stumbling block as He did to the
Jews,--to the Jews, because they would not receive Him as their personal
Saviour, to these professed believers in Christ, because they separate Christ
and the law, and regard faith as a substitute for obedience. They separate the
Father and the Son, the Saviour of the world. Virtually they teach,
both by precept and example, that Christ, by His death, saves men in their
transgressions. {BEcho, February 8, 1897 par. 7}
It is necessary that every intelligent
being shall understand the principles of the law of God. Christ through the
apostle James declares, "Whoso shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in
one point, he is guilty of all." These words were spoken this side of the
death of Christ; therefore the law was binding upon all at that time.” {BEcho, February 8, 1897 par. 8}.
The Saviour raised His voice in protest
against those who regard the divine commandments with indifference and
carelessness. He said, "Whosoever shall break one of these least
commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the
kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be
called great in the kingdom of heaven." And He also declared, "Till
heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law
till all be fulfilled.” {BEcho, February 8, 1897 par.
9}
Men may talk of freedom, of gospel
liberty. They may assert that they are not in bondage to the law. But the
influence of a gospel hope will not lead the sinner to look upon the salvation
of Christ as a matter of free grace, while he continues to live in
transgression of the law of God. When the light of truth dawns upon his mind,
and he fully understands the requirements of God, and realizes the extent of
his transgressions, he will reform his ways, become loyal to God through the
strength obtained from his Saviour, and lead a new and purer life. "Whosoever
abideth in Him," says John, "sinneth not; whosoever sinneth, hath not
seen Him, neither known Him.” Mrs. E. G. White. {BEcho,
February 8, 1897 par. 10}
“Now brethren, you want to get hold of the
pillars of your faith. Here is Christ in the great antitypical Day of
Atonement, and you must understand that you need a special preparation for the
Day of Atonement. We want our sins taken away; we want to confess them that
they may go beforehand to judgment. Do not go away in discouragement, but
believe that Christ is able to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. We must
cease to sin, because sin is the transgression of
“And be sure, when you go out to
teach others, not to get your minds upon little things, but keep your mind upon
the great work of God, for Satan will surely turn you off if possible. Do not
try to be original and get up something you have not heard your brethren speak
of, for many have been shipwrecked in this way. Keep the mind upon the third
angel's message. When you keep this before the minds of the people, they will
see wisdom in it. But when you get a great many little trifling things before
them, they become confused just like the Jews.” {1SAT 51.1}
“What we want to do is to get the
truth before the people.”—Ms 81, 1886. (MR 900.55) {1SAT
51.2}
“We are in the great day of atonement, and the sacred work of Christ for the
people of God that is going on at the present time in the heavenly sanctuary
should be our constant study. We should teach our children what the typical Day
of Atonement signified and that it was a special season of great humiliation
and confession of sins before God. The antitypical day of
atonement is to be of the same character. Everyone who teaches the truth
by precept and example will give the trumpet a certain sound.
Chapter XXIV. - In the Holy of Holies.
The subject of the sanctuary was the key
which unlocked the mystery of the disappointment of 1844. It opened to view a
complete system of truth, connected and harmonious, showing that God's hand had
directed the great Advent movement, and revealing present duty as it brought to
light the position and work of his people. As the disciples of Jesus, after the
terrible night of their anguish and disappointment, were "glad when they
saw the Lord," so did those now rejoice who had looked in faith for his
second coming. They had expected him to appear in glory to give reward to his
servants. As their hopes were disappointed, they had lost sight of Jesus, and with
Mary at the sepulcher they cried, "They have taken away my Lord, and I
know not where they have laid him." Now in the holy of holies they again
beheld him, their compassionate high priest, soon to appear as their king and
deliverer. Light from the sanctuary illumed the past, the present, and the
future. They knew that God had led them by his unerring providence. Though like
the first disciples they themselves had failed to understand the message which
they bore, yet it had been in every respect correct. In proclaiming it they had
fulfilled the purpose of God, and their labor had not been in vain in the Lord.
"Begotten again unto a lively hope," they rejoiced "with joy
unspeakable and full of glory." {GC88 423.1}
Both the prophecy of Dan. 8:14, "Unto
two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be
cleansed," and the first angel's message, "Fear God, and give glory
to him; for the hour of his Judgment is come," pointed to Christ's
ministration in the most holy place, to the investigative Judgment, and not to
the coming of Christ for the redemption of his people and the destruction of
the wicked. The mistake had not been in the reckoning of the prophetic periods,
but in the event to take place at the end of the 2300 days. Through this error
the believers had suffered disappointment, yet all that was foretold by the
prophecy, and all that they had any Scripture warrant to expect, had been
accomplished. At the very time when they were lamenting the failure of their
hopes, the event had taken place which was foretold by the message, and which
must be fulfilled before the Lord could appear to give reward to his servants.
{GC88 423.2}
Christ had come, not to the earth, as they
expected, but, as foreshadowed in the type, to the most holy place of the
temple of God in Heaven. He is represented by the prophet Daniel as coming at
this time to the Ancient of days: "I saw in the night visions, and,
behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and
came"--not to the earth, but--"to the Ancient of days, and they
brought him near before him." [DAN. 7:13.] {GC88 424.1}
This coming is foretold also by the
prophet Malachi. "The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his
temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he
shall come, saith the Lord of hosts." [MAL. 3:1.]
The coming of the Lord to his temple was sudden, unexpected, to his people.
They were not looking for him there. They expected him to come to earth,
"in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey
not the gospel." [2 THESS. 1:8.] {GC88 424.2}
But the people were not yet ready to meet
their Lord. There was still a work of preparation to be accomplished for them.
Light was to be given, directing their minds to the temple of God in Heaven;
and as they should by faith follow their High Priest in his ministration there,
new duties
Says the prophet: "Who may abide the
day of his coming? and who shall stand when he
appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like
fullers' soap; 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." [MAL.
3:2, 3.] Those who are living upon the earth when the intercession of
Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above, are to stand in the sight of a holy
God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless,
their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through
the grace of God and their own diligent effort, they must be conquerors in the
battle with evil. While the investigative Judgment is going forward in Heaven,
while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary,
there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among
God's people upon earth. This work is more clearly presented in the messages of
Revelation 14. {GC88 425.1}
When this work shall have been
accomplished, the followers of Christ will be ready for his appearing.
"Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord,
as in the days of old, and as in former years." [MAL.
3:4.] Then the church which our Lord at his coming is to receive to himself
will be "a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such
thing." [EPH. 5:27.] Then she will look forth
"as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army
with banners." [CANT. 6:10.] {GC88 425.2}
Besides the coming of the Lord to his
temple, Malachi also foretells his second advent, his coming for the execution
of the judgment, in these words: "And I will come near to you to judgment;
and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the
adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the
hireling in his
The coming of Christ as our high priest to
the most holy place, for the cleansing of the sanctuary, brought to view in
Dan. 8:14; the coming of the Son of man to the Ancient of days, as presented in
Dan. 7:13; and the coming of the Lord to his temple, foretold by Malachi, are
descriptions of the same event; and this is also represented by the coming of
the bridegroom to the marriage, described by Christ in the parable of the ten
virgins, of Matthew 25. {GC88 426.1}
In the summer and autumn of 1844, the
proclamation, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh," was given. The two classes
represented by the wise and foolish virgins were then developed,--one class who
looked with joy to the Lord's appearing, and who had been diligently preparing
to meet him; another class that, influenced by fear, and acting from impulse,
had been satisfied with a theory of the truth, but were destitute of the grace
of God. In the parable, when the bridegroom came, "they that were ready
went in with him to the marriage." The coming of the bridegroom, here
brought to view, takes place before the marriage. The marriage represents the
reception by Christ of his kingdom. The holy city, the New Jerusalem, which is
the capital and representative of the kingdom, is called "the bride, the
Lamb's wife." Said the angel to John, "Come hither, I will show thee
the bride, the Lamb's wife." "He carried me away in the spirit,"
says the prophet, "and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem,
descending out of Heaven from God." [REV. 21:9, 10.] Clearly, then, the
bride represents
427
the holy city,
and the virgins that go out to meet the bridegroom are a symbol of the church.
In the Revelation the people of God are said to be the guests at the marriage
supper. [REV. 19:9.] If guests, they cannot be represented also as the bride.
Christ, as stated by the prophet Daniel, will receive from the Ancient of days
in Heaven, "dominion, and glory, and a kingdom," he will receive the
New Jerusalem, the capital of his kingdom, "prepared as a bride adorned
for her husband." [DAN. 7:14; REV. 21:2.] Having received the kingdom, he
will come in his glory, as King of kings, and Lord of lords, for the redemption
of his people, who are to "sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and
Jacob," at his table in his kingdom, [MATT. 8:11; LUKE 22:30.] to partake
of the marriage supper of the Lamb. {GC88 426.2}
The proclamation, "Behold, the
Bridegroom cometh," in the summer of 1844, led thousands to expect the
immediate advent of the Lord. At the appointed time the Bridegroom came, not to
the earth, as the people expected, but to the Ancient of days in Heaven, to the
marriage, the reception of his kingdom. "They that were ready went in with
him to the marriage, and the door was shut." They were not to be present
in person at the marriage; for it takes place in Heaven, while they are upon
the earth. The followers of Christ are to "wait for their Lord, when he
will return from the wedding." [LUKE 12:36.] But they are to understand
his work, and to follow him by faith as he goes in before God. It is in this
sense that they are said to go in to the marriage. {GC88 427.1}
In the parable it was those that had oil
in their vessels with their lamps that went in to the marriage. Those who, with
a knowledge of the truth from the Scriptures, had also the Spirit and grace of
God, and who, in the night of their bitter trial, had patiently waited,
searching the Bible for clearer light,--these saw the truth concerning the
sanctuary in Heaven and the Saviour's change of ministration, and by faith they
followed him in his work in the sanctuary
428
above. And all
who through the testimony of the Scriptures accept the same truths, following
Christ by faith as he enters in before God to perform the last work of
mediation, and at its close to receive his kingdom,--all these are represented
as going in to the marriage. {GC88 427.2}
In the parable of Matthew 22 the same
figure of the marriage is introduced, and the investigative Judgment is clearly
represented as taking place before the marriage. Previous to the wedding the
king comes in to see the guests, [MATT. 22:11.]--to see if all are attired in
the wedding garment, the spotless robe of character washed and made white in
the blood of the Lamb. [REV. 7:14.] He who is found wanting is cast out, but
all who upon examination are seen to have the wedding garment on, are accepted
of God, and accounted worthy of a share in his kingdom and a seat upon his throne.
This work of examination of character, of determining who are prepared for the
kingdom of God, is that of the investigative Judgment, the closing work in the
sanctuary above. {GC88 428.1}
When the work of investigation shall be
ended, when the cases of those who in all ages have professed to be followers
of Christ have been examined and decided, then, and not till then, probation
will close, and the door of mercy will be shut. Thus in the one short sentence,
"They that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was
shut," we are carried down through the Saviour's final ministration, to
the time when the great work for man's salvation shall be completed. {GC88
428.2}
In the service of the earthly sanctuary,
which, as we have seen, is a figure of the service in the heavenly, when the
high priest on the day of atonement entered the most
holy place, the ministration in the first apartment ceased. God commanded,
"There shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth
in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he
come out." [LEV. 16:17.] So when Christ entered
the holy of holies to perform the closing work of
429
the atonement,
he ceased his ministration in the first apartment. But when the ministration in
the first apartment ended, the ministration in the second apartment began. When
in the typical service the high priest left the holy on the day
of atonement, he went in before God to present the blood of the
sin-offering in behalf of all Israel who truly repented of their sins. So
Christ had only completed one part of his work as our intercessor, to enter
upon another portion of the work, and he still pleaded his blood before the Father
in behalf of sinners. {GC88 428.3}
This subject was not understood by
Adventists in 1844. After the passing of the time when the Saviour was
expected, they still believed his coming to be near; they held that they had
reached an important crisis, and that the work of Christ as man's intercessor
before God, had ceased. It appeared to them to be taught in the Bible, that
man's probation would close a short time before the actual coming of the Lord
in the clouds of heaven. This seemed evident from those scriptures which point
to a time when men will seek, knock, and cry at the door of mercy, and it will
not be opened. And it was a question with them whether the date to which they
had looked for the coming of Christ might not rather mark the beginning of this
period which was to immediately precede his coming. Having given the warning of
the Judgment near, they felt that their work for the world was done, and they
lost their burden of soul for the salvation of sinners, while the bold and
blasphemous scoffing of the ungodly seemed to them another
evidence that the Spirit of God had been withdrawn from the rejecters of
his mercy. All this confirmed them in the belief that probation had ended, or,
as they then expressed it, "the door of mercy was shut." [SEE
APPENDIX, NOTE 7.] {GC88 429.1}
But clearer light came with the
investigation of the sanctuary question. They now saw that they were correct in
believing that the end of the 2300 days in 1844 marked an
430
important
crisis. But while it was true that that door of hope and mercy by which men had
for eighteen hundred years found access to God was closed, another door was
opened, and forgiveness of sins was offered to men through the intercession of
Christ in the most holy. One part of his ministration had closed, only to give
place to another. There was still an "open door" to the heavenly
sanctuary where Christ was ministering in the sinner's behalf. {GC88 429.2}
Now was seen the application of those
words of Christ in the revelation, addressed to the church at this very time:
"These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key
of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man
openeth: I know thy works; behold, I have set before
thee an open door, and no man can shut it." [REV. 3:7, 8.] {GC88 430.1}
It is those who by faith follow Jesus in
the great work of the atonement, who receive the benefits of his mediation in their
behalf; while those who reject the light which brings to view this work of
ministration, are not benefited thereby. The Jews who
rejected the light given at Christ's first advent, and refused to believe on
him as the Saviour of the world, could not receive pardon through him. When
Jesus at his ascension entered by his own blood into the heavenly sanctuary to
shed upon his disciples the blessings of his mediation, the Jews were left in
total darkness, to continue their useless sacrifices and offerings. The
ministration of types and shadows had ceased. That door
by which men had formerly found access to God, was no longer open. The Jews had
refused to seek him in the only way whereby he could then be found, through the
ministration in the sanctuary in Heaven. Therefore they found no communion with
God. To them the door was shut. They had no knowledge of Christ as the true
sacrifice and the only mediator before God; hence they could not receive the
benefits of his mediation. {GC88 430.2}
The condition of the unbelieving Jews
illustrates the
431
condition of
the careless and unbelieving among professed Christians, who are willingly
ignorant of the work of our merciful High Priest. In the typical service, when
the high priest entered the most holy place, all Israel were required to gather
about the sanctuary, and in the most solemn manner humble their souls before
God, that they might receive the pardon of their sins, and not be cut off from
the congregation. How much more essential in this antitypical day of atonement
that we understand the work of our High Priest, and know what duties are
required of us. {GC88 430.3}
Men cannot with impunity reject the
warnings which God in mercy sends them. A message was sent from Heaven to the
world in Noah's day, and their salvation depended upon the manner in which they
treated that message. Because they rejected the warning, the Spirit of God was
withdrawn from the sinful race, and they perished in the waters of the flood.
In the time of Abraham, mercy ceased to plead with the guilty inhabitants of
Sodom, and all but Lot with his wife and two daughters were consumed by the
fire sent down from heaven. So in the days of Christ.
The Son of God declared to the unbelieving Jews of that generation, "Your
house is left unto you desolate." [MATT. 23:38.] Looking down to the last
days, the same infinite power declares, concerning those who "received not
the love of the truth, that they might be saved," "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." [2 THESS. 2:10-12.] As they reject the teachings of his Word, God withdraws his
Spirit, and leaves them to the deceptions which they love. {GC88 431.1}
But Christ still intercedes in man's
behalf, and light will be given to those who seek it. Though this was not at
first understood by Adventists, it was afterward made plain, as the scriptures
which define their true position began to open before them.
432
{GC88 431.2}
The passing of the time in 1844 was
followed by a period of great trial to those who still held the Advent faith.
Their only relief, so far as ascertaining their true position was concerned,
was the light which directed their minds to the sanctuary above. Some renounced
their faith in their former reckoning of the prophetic periods, and ascribed to
human or Satanic agencies the powerful influence of
the Holy Spirit which had attended the Advent movement. Another class firmly
held that the Lord had led them in their past experience; and as they waited
and watched and prayed to know the will of God, they saw that their great High
priest had entered upon another work of ministration, and, following him by
faith, they were led to see also the closing work of the church. They had a
clearer understanding of the first and second angels' messages, and were
prepared to receive and give to the world the solemn warning of the third angel
of Revelation 14. {GC88 432.1}
Chap. 30 - The Tabernacle and Its Services
The command was communicated to Moses
while in the mount with God, "Let them make Me a
sanctuary; that I may dwell
Chosen men were especially endowed by God
with skill and wisdom for the construction of the sacred building. God Himself
For the building of the sanctuary great
and expensive preparations were necessary; a large amount of the most precious
and
All the people responded with one accord.
"They came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his
spirit
"And every man with whom was found
blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and rams' skins
dyed red,
"And all the women that were wisehearted did spin with their hands, and brought that
which they had spun, the blue, and the
"And the rulers brought the onyx
stones, and the stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate; and
the spice, and the
While the building of the sanctuary was in
progress the people, old and young--men, women, and children--continued to
bring
The tabernacle was so constructed that it
could be taken apart and borne with the Israelites in all their journeyings. It was
The building was divided into two
apartments by a rich and beautiful curtain, or veil, suspended from gold-plated
pillars; and a
The sacred tent was enclosed in an open
space called the court, which was surrounded by hangings, or screens, of fine
linen,
In the first apartment, or holy place,
were the table of showbread, the candlestick, or lampstand, and the altar of
incense. The
Beyond the inner veil was the holy of
holies, where centered the symbolic service of atonement and intercession, and
which
The cover of the sacred chest was called
the mercy seat. This was wrought of one solid piece of gold, and was surmounted
by
Above the mercy seat was the Shekinah, the
manifestation of the divine Presence; and from between the cherubim, God made
The law of God, enshrined within the ark,
was the great rule of righteousness and judgment. That law pronounced death
upon
No language can describe the glory of the
scene presented within the sanctuary--the gold-plated walls reflecting the
light from
A period of about half a year was occupied
in the building of the tabernacle. When it was completed, Moses examined all
the
By divine direction the tribe of Levi was
set apart for the service of the sanctuary. In the earliest times every man was
the
In accordance with their office, a special
dress was appointed for the priests. "Thou shalt make holy garments for
Aaron thy
The garments of the high priest were of
costly material and beautiful workmanship, befitting his exalted station. In
addition to the linen dress of the common priest, he wore a robe of blue, also
woven in one piece. Around the skirt it was ornamented with
Over the ephod was the breastplate, the
most sacred of the priestly vestments. This was of the same material as the
ephod. It
At the right and left of the breastplate were
two large stones of great brilliancy. These were known as the Urim and Thummim.
The miter of the high priest consisted of
the white linen turban, having attached to it by a lace of blue, a gold plate
bearing the
Not only the sanctuary itself, but the
ministration of the priests, was to "serve unto the example and shadow of
heavenly things." Hebrews 8:5. Thus it was of great importance; and the
No mortal eye but that of the high priest
was to look upon the inner apartment of the sanctuary. Only once a year could
the
The daily service consisted of the morning
and evening burnt offering, the offering of sweet incense on the golden altar,
and
Every morning and evening a lamb of a year
old was burned upon the altar, with its appropriate meat offering, thus
In the offering of incense the priest was
brought more directly into the presence of God than in any other act of the
daily
The incense, ascending with the prayers of
Israel, represents the merits and intercession of Christ, His perfect
righteousness,
As the priests
morning and evening entered the holy place at the time of incense, the daily
sacrifice was ready to be offered
The showbread was kept ever before the
Lord as a perpetual offering. Thus it was a part of the daily sacrifice. It was
called
The most important part of the daily
ministration was the service performed in behalf of individuals. The repentant
sinner
Such was the work that went on day by day
throughout the year. The sins of Israel being thus transferred to the
sanctuary, the
Once a year, on the great Day of
Atonement, the priest entered the most holy place for the cleansing of the
sanctuary. The
On the Day of Atonement two kids of the goats
were brought to the door of the tabernacle, and lots were cast upon them,
"And Aaron shall lay both his hands
upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the
children of
Important truths concerning the atonement
were taught the people by this yearly service. In the sin offerings presented
during
As has been stated, the earthly sanctuary
was built by Moses according to the pattern shown him in the mount. It was
"a figure
Moses made the earthly sanctuary,
"according to the fashion that he had seen." Paul declares that
"the tabernacle, and all the
The heavenly temple, the abiding place of
the King of kings, where "thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten
After His ascension, our Saviour was to
begin His work as our High Priest. Says Paul, "Christ is
not entered into the holy
As Christ at His ascension appeared in the
presence of God to plead His blood in behalf of penitent believers, so the
priest in
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
In the great day of final award, the dead
are to be "judged out of those things which were written in the books,
according to
As in the final atonement the sins of the
truly penitent are to be blotted from the records of heaven, no more to be
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
Thus in the ministration of the tabernacle,
and of the temple that afterward took its place, the people were taught each
day the
March 22,
1887 The Church's Great Need.
By Mrs. E.
G. White
A revival of true godliness among us is
the greatest and most urgent of all our needs. To seek this should be our first
work. There must be earnest effort to obtain the blessing of the Lord, not
because God is not willing to bestow his blessing upon us, but because we are
unprepared to receive it. Our Heavenly Father is more willing to give his Holy
Spirit to them that ask him, than are earthly parents to give good gifts to
their children. But it is our work, by confession, humiliation, repentance, and
earnest prayer, to fulfill the conditions upon which God has promised to grant
us his blessing. A revival need be expected only in answer to prayer. While the
people are so destitute of God's Holy Spirit, they cannot appreciate the
preaching of the word; but when the Spirit's power touches their hearts, then the discourses given will not be without effect. Guided
by the teachings of God's word, with the manifestation of his Spirit, in the
exercise of sound discretion, those who attend our meetings will gain a
precious experience, and returning home will be prepared to exert a healthful
influence. {RH, March 22, 1887 par. 1}
The old standard-bearers knew what it was
to wrestle with God in prayer, and to enjoy the out-pouring of his Spirit. But
these are passing off from the stage of action; and who are coming up to fill
their places? How is it with the rising generation? are
they converted to God? Are we awake to the work that is going on in the
heavenly Sanctuary, or are we waiting for some compelling power to come upon
the church before we shall arouse? Are we hoping to see the whole church
revived? That time will never come. {RH, March 22, 1887 par. 2}
There are persons in the church who are
not converted, and who will not unite in earnest, prevailing prayer. We must
enter upon the work individually. We must pray more,
and talk less. Iniquity abounds, and the people must be taught not to be
satisfied with a form of godliness without the spirit and power. If we are
intent upon searching our own hearts, putting away our sins, and correcting our
evil tendencies, our souls will not be lifted up unto vanity; we shall be
distrustful of ourselves, having an abiding sense that our sufficiency is of
God. {RH, March 22, 1887 par. 3}
We have far more to fear from within than
from without. The hindrances to strength and success are far greater from the church
itself than from the world. Unbelievers have a right to expect that those who
profess to be keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, will do more than any other class to promote and
honor, by their consistent lives, by their godly example and their active
influence, the cause which they represent. But how often have the professed
advocates of the truth proved the greatest obstacle to its advancement! The
unbelief indulged, the doubts expressed, the darkness cherished, encourage the
presence of evil angels, and open the way for the accomplishment of Satan's
devices. {RH, March 22, 1887 par. 4}
The adversary of souls is not permitted to
read the thoughts of men; but he is a keen observer, and he marks the words; he
takes account of actions, and skilfully adapts his temptations to meet the
cases of those who place themselves in his power. If we would labor to repress
sinful thoughts and feelings, giving them no expression in words or actions,
Satan would be defeated; for he could not prepare his specious temptations to
meet the case. But how often do professed Christians, by their lack of
self-control, open the door to the adversary of souls! Divisions, and even
bitter dissensions which would disgrace any worldly community, are common in
the churches, because there is so little effort to control wrong feelings, and
to repress every word that Satan can take advantage of. As soon as an
alienation of feeling arises, the matter is spread before Satan for his
inspection, and the opportunity given for him to use his serpent-like wisdom
and skill in dividing and destroying the church. There is great loss in every
dissension. Personal friends of both parties take sides with their respective
favorites, and thus the breach is widened. A house divided against itself cannot stand. Criminations and recriminations are
engendered and multiplied. Satan and his angels are actively at work to secure
a harvest from seed thus sown. Worldlings look on,
and jeeringly exclaim, "Behold how these Christians hate one another! If
this is religion, we do not want it." And they look upon themselves and
their irreligious characters with great satisfaction. Thus they are confirmed
in their impenitence, and Satan exults at his success. {RH, March 22, 1887 par.
5}
The great deceiver has prepared his wiles
for every soul that is not braced for trial and guarded by constant prayer and
living faith. As ministers, as Christians, we must work to take the
stumbling-blocks out of the way. We must remove every obstacle. Let us confess
and forsake every sin, that the way of the Lord may be
prepared, that he may come into our assemblies and impart his rich grace. The
world, the flesh, and the Devil must be overcome. We cannot prepare the way by
gaining the friendship of the world, which is enmity with God; but by his help
we can break its seductive influence upon ourselves and upon others. We cannot
individually or as a body secure ourselves from the constant temptations of a
relentless and determined foe; but in the strength of Jesus we can resist them.
From every member of the church a steady light may shine forth before the
world, so that they shall not be led to inquire, What
do these people more than others? There can be and must be a withdrawal from
conformity to the world, a shunning of all appearance of evil, so that no
occasion shall be given for gainsayers. We cannot escape reproach; it will
come; but we should be very careful that we are not reproached for our own sins
or follies, but for Christ's sake. {RH, March 22, 1887 par. 6}
There is nothing that Satan fears so much
as that the people of God shall clear the way by removing every hindrance, so
that the Lord can pour out his Spirit upon a languishing church and an
impenitent congregation. If Satan had his way, there would never be another
awakening, great or small, to the end of time. But we are not ignorant of his
devices. It is possible to resist his power. When the way is prepared for the
Spirit of God, the blessing will come. Satan can no more hinder a shower of
blessing from descending upon God's people than he can close the windows of
heaven that rain cannot come upon the earth. Wicked men and devils cannot
hinder the work of God, or shut out his presence from the assemblies of his
people, if they will, with subdued, contrite hearts, confess and put away their
sins, and in faith claim his promises. Every temptation, every opposing
influence, whether open or secret, may be successfully resisted, "not by
might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." {RH,
March 22, 1887 par. 7}
We are in the great day
of atonement, when our sins are, by confession and repentance, to go
beforehand to Judgment. God does not now accept a tame, spiritless testimony
from his ministers. Such a testimony would not be present truth. The message
for this time must be meat in due season to feed the church of God. But Satan
has been seeking gradually to rob this message of its power,
that the people may not be prepared to stand in the day of the Lord.
{RH, March 22, 1887 par. 8}
In 1844 our great High Priest entered the
most holy place of the heavenly Sanctuary, to begin the work of the
investigative Judgment. The cases of the righteous dead have been passing in
review before God. When that work shall be completed, judgment is to be
pronounced upon the living. How precious, how important are these solemn
moments! Each of us has a case pending in the court of heaven. We are
individually to be judged according to the deeds done in the body. In the
typical service, when the work of atonement was performed by the high priest in
the most holy place of the earthly sanctuary, the people were required to
afflict their souls before God, and confess their sins, that they might be
atoned for and blotted out. Will any less be required of us in this antitypical
day of atonement, when Christ in the Sanctuary above
is pleading in behalf of his people, and the final, irrevocable decision is to
be pronounced upon every case? {RH, March 22, 1887 par. 9}
What is our condition in this fearful and
solemn time? Alas, what pride is prevailing in the church, what hypocrisy, what
deception, what love of dress, frivolity, and amusement, what desire for the
supremacy! All these sins have clouded the mind, so that eternal things have
not been discerned. Shall we not search the Scripture, that
we may know where we are in this world's history? Shall we not become
intelligent in regard to the work that is being accomplished for us at this
time, and the position that we as sinners should occupy while this work of
atonement is going forward? If we have any regard for our souls' salvation, we
must make a decided change. We must seek the Lord with true penitence; we must
with deep contrition of soul confess our sins, that they
may be blotted out. {RH, March 22, 1887 par. 10}
We must no longer remain upon the
enchanted ground. We are fast approaching the close of our probation. Let every
soul inquire, How do I stand before God? We know not
how soon our names may be taken into the lips of Christ, and our cases be
finally decided. What, oh, what will these decisions be! Shall we be counted
with the righteous, or shall we be numbered with the wicked? {RH, March 22,
1887 par. 11}
Let the church arise, and repent of her
back-slidings before God. Let the watchmen awake, and
give the trumpet a certain sound. It is a definite warning that we have to
proclaim. God commands his servants, "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy
voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of
Jacob their sins." The attention of the people must be gained; unless this
can be done, all effort is useless; though an angel from heaven should come
down and speak to them, his words would do no more good than if he were speaking
into the cold ear of death. The church must arouse to action. The Spirit of God
can never come in until she prepares the way. There should be earnest searching
of heart. There should be united, persevering prayer, and through faith a
claiming of the promises of God. There should be, not a clothing of the body
with sackcloth, as in ancient times, but a deep humiliation of soul. We have
not the first reason for self-congratulation and self exaltation. We should
humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. He will appear to comfort and
bless the true seekers. {RH, March 22, 1887 par. 12}
The work is before us; will we engage in
it? We must work fast, we must go steadily forward. We must be preparing for
the great day of the Lord. We have no time to lose, no time to be engaged in
selfish purposes. The world is to be warned. What are we doing as individuals
to bring the light before others? God has left to every man his work; every one has a part to act, and we cannot neglect this
work except at the peril of our souls. {RH, March 22, 1887 par. 13}
O my brethren, will you grieve the Holy
Spirit, and cause it to depart? Will you shut out the blessed Saviour, because
you are unprepared for his presence? Will you leave souls to perish without the
knowledge of the truth, because you love your ease too well to bear the burden
that Jesus bore for you? Let us awake out of sleep. "Be sober, be
vigilant; because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour." {RH, March 22, 1887 par. 14}
Ron’s
Commentary: It should be seen that the Merits of the righteousness of Christ
include a cure for sin—that by the empowering of His Holy Spirit, we may
overcome all sin so that our sins will go in beforehand and then the Sanctuary
will be cleansed of all sin. The typical and antitypical Day of Atonement was
and is for the purpose of agonizing and putting away all sin. We cannot do it
of our own strength, but Christ has promised His Divine Nature whereby we may
overcome all the lusts of the world:
2Pe 1:3 According as his divine power hath
given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the
knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding
great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine
nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2Pe 1:5 ¶ And beside
this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to
temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness;
and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8 For if these things be in you, and
abound, they make [you that ye shall] neither [be] barren nor unfruitful in the
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:9 But he that lacketh
these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was
purged from his old sins.
2Pe 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give
diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye
shall never fall:
Christ is
pleading His blood for our sins and that His Holy Spirit will be sent to all
who desire it for the purpose of curing sin in the life that the sanctuary may
be cleansed of all sin. The 144,000 will achieve this end, while the great
multitude will be judged by their trend.
Tendency
-- "A change will be seen in the character, the habits, the
pursuits. The contrast will be clear and decided between what they have been
and what they are. The character is revealed, not by occasional good deeds and
occasional misdeeds, but by the tendency of the habitual words and acts."
E.G. White, Steps to Christ, pp. 57, 58.
Judged by our Trend.--"In the days of Christ
just such plain reproofs were given, and in this age we need the same
straightforward reproof. When
Christ came into the world, it was filled with criticism and condemnation of
others, and Jesus revealed the sure result of such a course. The same results
are manifest today. Those who have the greatest need to
examine themselves whether they be in the faith, are most forward to pronounce
sentence of evil against their brethren. Those who are accusers of the
brethren are recipients of God's mercy and compassion, are every moment
dependent upon his care and benevolence, and yet they are unmerciful to others,
making it manifest that they have not allowed the truth to purify, refine, and
sanctify them. Our characters are not to be weighed by smooth words and fair
speeches manufactured for set times and occasions: but by the spirit and TREND
of the whole life. The unkind man, the critic, the one who is full of
self-conceit, deceives his own soul, though claiming to be a clear discerner of
the defects of others, he who has a disposition to find fault, to be
suspicious, to surmise, think and speak evil, has so cultivated this attribute
of the evil one that the good qualities of his brethren and sisters in the
church do not arrest his attention. If he thinks he has discovered a flaw in
the character, a mistake in the life, he is very officious to aim at the mote,
when the very trait of character which he has overlooked in himself, which is
developed in doing this unchristlike work, is, in comparison to what he
criticizes, when weighed in the golden balances of heaven as a beam in
proportion to a mote." E.G White, Review and Herald, 08-16-92,
"Judge Not, That Ye be Not Judged."
Man's
working, as brought out in the text, is not an independent work he performs
without God. His whole dependence is upon the power and grace of the Divine
Worker. Many miss the mark here, and claim that man must work his own
individual self, free from divine power. This is not in accordance with the
text. Another argues that man is free from all obligation,
because God does it all, both the willing and the doing. The text means that
the salvation of the human soul requires the will power to be subjective to the
divine will power. . . . And it is the very hardest, sternest conflict which
comes with the purpose and hour of great resolve and decision of the human to
incline the will and way to God's will and God's way. Man is allotted a part in
this great struggle for everlasting life he must respond to the working of the
Holy Spirit. It will require a struggle to break through the powers of
darkness, but the Spirit that works in him can and will accomplish this. But
man is no passive instrument to be saved in indolence. He is called upon to
strain every muscle in the struggle for immortality, yet it is God that
supplies the efficiency. Here are man's works, and here are God's works. . . .
With these two combined powers, man will be victorious, and receive a crown of
life at last. . . . He puts to the stretch every spiritual nerve and muscle
that he may be a successful overcomer in this work, and that he may obtain the
precious boon of eternal life. {OHC 91}
God bless,
Ron