#4 WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY?

Following: http://hotspuds.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/millers-2300-years-as-clear-as-mud.html

 

Okay, Miller’s theory is as clear as mud…what about this one?                            

The 24^th Fundamental Belief of the Adventists attempts to describe ‘Christ’s Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary’ since 1844. 

In her best-seller: ‘The Great Controversy’, Ellen White taught: “…in 1844, Christ then entered the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary to perform the closing work of atonement preparatory to His coming.”                         

 ‘Heavenly sanctuary’??  Is there such a place?                                                                

“…We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.”         Hebrews 8:1-2

Sure there is!...…and the apostle John even had a peep inside!...

“And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament…”        Revelation 11:19

Okay, did Christ enter this heavenly sanctuary in 1844, as claimed by Ellen White?

“…and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus...” Hebrews 6:19-20

“But Christ being come an high priest…by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place…”          9:11-12

“For Christ has 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…” 9:24-

“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;”           10:12

Hang about!  Christ certainly has entered the heavenly sanctuary within the veil but when was the Book of Hebrews written?                          
Aha! It must have been written before AD 70 when the Romans destroyed the temple because clearly the priesthood was still in place to offer sacrifices, with the high priest still ordained to enter the temple’s holy place once a year. So Christ had already entered the heavenly sanctuary BEFORE Hebrews was written, prior to AD 70 – in fact…

“So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.” Mark 16:19

Not only that… even WE have had access to the holiest ever since then!....                                                            

"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God; let us draw near..." Hebrews 10:19-22

So what about Mrs. White’s claim as to the heavenly sanctuary needing cleansing?
Perhaps she’s got that much right….                                                                 

“It was necessary therefore that the pattern of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these…by the sacrifice of himself.” Hebrews 9:23-26

Once a year on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) the high priest had to make atonement for the holy place by sacrificing one goat and confessing all sins over the head of another goat that was allowed to escape – the ‘scape-goat’. (Leviticus 16)
Mrs. White says: “The cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary therefore involves a work of investigation – a work of judgment.”……and then what?                         
“When Christ, by virtue of his own blood, removes the sins of His people from the heavenly sanctuary at the close of His ministration, He will place them on Satan, who, in the execution of the judgment, must bear the final penalty.”

Really??  Is that what the Scriptures teach us?

"...the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:6                      
"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree..." 1 Peter 2:24                    
“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many…” Hebrews 9:28                            
"It is finished..." John 19:30                                                                       
"…we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all….But this man, after he had suffered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God...For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." Hebrews 10:10-14

We have been “justified by His blood” and “we have now received the atonement” (Romans 5) and …“he ever liveth to make intercession for them."            Hebrews 7:25                                                                      

Are we under investigative judgment?….NO!                                                               

Who ‘bore our sins’?  Who was abandoned on the cross for us?  Who finished the work?  Who has sanctified us?  Who was ‘received up into glory’, ‘highly exalted’ and ‘made higher than the heavens’?  Who makes intercession for us? Who gave us the boldness to enter the holiest?

Our LORD JESUS CHRIST. period
So this business of an ‘investigative judgment’ since 22^nd October, 1844, with atonement completed sometime in the sweet bye ‘n’ bye…

Gospel truth?...or a lie?

 NEXT: Adventists on 'soul sleep' - click on:
http://hotspuds.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/adventists-on-soul-sleep.html

 Acknowledgements:                                                                                      

White E, ‘The Great Controversy’, United Publishers, 1971                                                               

Image credit: intheheavens.org