The Sanctuary Pt. 17
DANIEL 8:14 -- The KJV reads "Unto two thousand and three hundred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed."
We have, therefore, associated this verse with the Day of Atonement, and have concluded that following the culmination of the 2300 days in 1844, the ministry of Christ would begin in the Heavenly Reality as prefigured in the type.
However, the Hebrew Masoretic text reads sadaq in the Niphal or passive form and means "to be justified or vindicated." (Gesenius)
It is obvious that should the Masoretic text stand without challenge, it would be difficult to associate Daniel 8:14 with Leviticus 16.
The Septuagint (LXX) a Greek translation of the Old Testament older than the manuscripts on which the Masoretic Hebrew text is based reads - "shall be cleansed" - using the future passive form of katharizo.
Here there is a connection with Leviticus 16 for the same word is used twice in verse 30, once as an infinitive, and once using the same passive form as in Daniel 8:14. The Douay Bible following the Latin word used in the Vulgate -- mundabitur - reads also, shall be cleansed."
How can the difference between the Hebrew text and the LXX and Vulgate translations of the Old Testament be reconciled in regard to Daniel 8:14?
Hebrew scholars have long held that the Hebrew portions of Daniel (1-2:4a; 8-12) were translated from Aramaic originals.
This hypothesis was confirmed by the studies of Zimmermann in 1938 and 1939. Building on this, Dr. H. Louis Ginsberg, Sabato Morais Professor of Bible at The Jewish Theological Seminary of America, stated the Aramaic for Daniel 8:14 would read - "the sanctuary will become clean (or be cleansed)"
He maintains that the Hebrew text which led to the Masoretic use of sadaq (to be justified) was a very poor rendering of the Aramaic by the translator.
(See his Studies in Daniel, pp. 41-42, 79-80) Thus in all three languages, the language in which Daniel wrote, and the Greek and Latin translations of that text, the KJV is confirmed.
Both the LXX and the Vulgate use the future passive - "the sanctuary shall be cleansed" - to render the thought of the Aramaic.
The end of the 2300 days in 1844, therefore marks the beginning of the process which shall end in a cleansed sanctuary.
Daniel 7 outlines the events to be fulfilled on earth during the Heavenly judgment before the Ancient of Days. A continuum is noted "The Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom." (7:22)
We are now at the end of the period as outlined in Daniel 7. The devil would rob us of the certainty of the truth committed in sacred trust to the Advent Movement by seeking to destroy the fundamental pillars of the sanctuary doctrine as based in the shadowy types and prophecies of the Old Testament.
The simple refining of our perceptions of the truth leaves unmoved the basic foundation.
The Blending of the Light -- What relationship is,there between "the judgment was set" in Daniel 7, "the sanctuary shall be cleansed" in Daniel 8, and the typical Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16?
It should be obvious that there is a relationship between Daniel 7 and 8. The prophecies are parallel. When one understands the textual background for Daniel 8:14, and the parallel choice of words in the LXX between Daniel 8:14 and Leviticus 16:30, one can sense there is a relationship there. But what is the relationship between Daniel 7 and Leviticus 16?
This is not so obvious. Yet the sanctuary doctrine as understood by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the past decades stands or falls over this relationship. It is our failure to come to grips with this issue that has given cause for the assaults which the "new theology" advocates have made against the sanctuary teaching.
Our failure to recognize the distinct differences between the prophecy of Daniel 7 and the typical ritual of Leviticus 16 has not helped the cause of truth.
Daniel 7 does reveal a "judgment," definitely pre-Advent, before which the "little horn" power is arraigned.
This arraignment is before the assembled hosts of Heaven. (Dan. 7:9-10)
On the other hand, the typical services of the sanctuary were connected with a covenant. The covenant is primary; the services secondary.
The text in Hebrews does not say "The worldly sanctuary with its ordinances of divine service had also connected with it a covenant." (See Heb. 9:1)
{9:1} Then verily the first [covenant] had also ordinances
of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.
It was the covenant which had "also" the sanctuary with its services.
Just so, Jesus as "the mediator of a better covenant" is also "a minister of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man." (See Heb. 8:6, 2)
{8:6} But now hath he obtained a more
excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a
better covenant, which was established upon better
promises.
{8:2}
A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle,
which the Lord pitched, and not man.
The "judgment" of Daniel 7 involves the whole problem of sin and the key players in that problem, while the shadowy ritual of the earthly sanctuary tells how a covenant people must relate to the provision for sin to escape the condemnation of the judgment.
It must be kept clearly in mind that the "little horn" of Daniel 7 is continued in symbolism in Revelation by the first "beast" of Chapter 13, and by the "woman in scarlet" in Chapter 17. Through these symbolisms, runs a continuous thread - "the dragon gave [the beast] his power, and his seat, and great authority." (Rev. 13:2) The final dictum upon "spiritual Babylon" is that "in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth." (Rev. 18:4) The "little horn" stands in the judgment as the embodiment of all wickedness and the symbol of rebellion against God. "The man of sin" in II Thess. 2, another designation of the "little horn", is noted as "the Wicked." (ver.8) The Greek is anomos defined by Thayer as "he in whom all iniquity has as it were fixed its abode." (Greek-English Lexicon of the NT, p. 48)
In the book of Hebrews, the message which God speaks "unto us in a Son" (Heb.1:2 Gr.) is that having become "in all things like unto His bretheren that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest" (2:17), He is first "a son over His own house."(3:6) Then seated as "a priest upon His throne" (Zech. 6:13), He dispenses mercy and "grace to help in time of need." (4:16) This is His first apartment ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary.
But what happens when the judgment is set and the books are opened before the Ancient of Days? Here the ritual agenda of Leviticus 16 provides the detail. The first entry with blood into the Most Holy Place on the day of Atonement was by the High Priest with the blood of a bullock which was for himself and "for his house." Not only is Jesus "the Lord's goat" but He also "offered Himself." (Heb. 9:14)
{9:14} How much more shall the
blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered
himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from
dead works to serve the living God?
Thus the dual entry on the Day of Atonement with "cleansing blood."
The agenda of Leviticus further indicates that the atonement of the Most Holy Place is necessitated "because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins." (16:16) however, no blood of any sin offering ever reached the Most Holy Place during the yearly ritual, but the sins and transgressions of the children of Israel had been recorded in "the books."
What was to be done?
The judgment must begin where and over what sin began.
Sin began at the Throne of God and over the creation of man.
The creation plan intended man to be only "a little while inferior to the angels." (Heb. 2:7 margin)
But in sin man fell even lower than the "inferior" position. Now can God bring an end to sin, and carry out His original plan and none of the angelic host become jealous as did Lucifer?
The judgment is set in the presence of that assembled host. (Dan. 7:10) Jesus coming with His sacrifice asks not only pardon full and complete for His covenant people, but a seat upon His throne. Was His sacrifice sufficient to grant this request?
The next step of the agenda was the blood of the Lord's goat.
This was God's sacrifice. (See Gen. 22:8)
{22:8} And Abraham said, My son, God
will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they
went both of them together
Here the lots had been cast, a choice had been made. Standing in the Court was the other goat, representing Azazel. Could God roll back on him the sins of His Son's "house"? Again the assembled host must respond, for they, too, had cast their lot, made their choice. Was the cost of Calvary sufficient so that God having paid the price could do with "sins" as He so chooses?
Another question must be settled. What about the "uncleanness" of the "children of Israel?" In the agenda of the ritual service, this was the last act of the atonement. {Lev. 16:19-20) Is the "decree" for the removal of the uncleanness then entered to be carried out at the time indicated in Daniel 7:13-14?
The second phase of the ritual agenda was concerning the registry on the horns of the Alter of Burnt Incense.
Here has been made during the year the record of corporate confession. In Daniel 7, none could be found for the "little horn." Of this "horn" under the symbolism of "Jezabel," Jesus declared, "I gave her space to repent ... and she repented not." (Rev. 2:21) the "horn" and all corporate bodies who have not repented during the time allotted for repentance are at this point in the judgment declared "found wanting."
In the time sequence of Daniel 7, this would occur just prior to the coming of the Son of man to the Ancient of Days to receive His kingdom of "saints" - holy ones made holy by His cleansing.
The agenda next indicates a third phase of judgment.
In the Levitical ritual, the final atonement involved a cleansing of the confession of guilt registered on the horns of the Altar in the court. Here in the daily service the individual only was involved. No blood was carried into the sanctuary recording the fact that confession had been made and the penalty paid. The common priest had eaten of the victim. He carried the record in himself. So likewise, Jesus as a common priest having in all things been "made like unto his brethren" offered the sacrifice of Himself and all who place their full dependence in Him are carried in Him. They do not come into judgment but pass from death into life. (See John 5:24, Gr.)
{5:24}
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and
believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and
shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death
unto life.
In the typical ritual, the High Priest went in for the people, none even entered the court.
Having completed His work of cleansing, Jesus comes before the Ancient of Days to ask for His kingdom, and His people who have made a covenant with Him by sacrifice. And the Ancient of Days, declares, "Granted." All the host that witnessed the Judgment declare with a loud voice - "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing." (Rev. 5:12)
The "agenda" of the Judgment as revealed in the shadowy type gives us a clue as to where we are in the stream of time. It is after the corporate phase, the individual cleansing begins. According to Jesus' own prophecy, the times or probation of the nations (corporate bodies) would end with the fulfilling of the sign spoken of in Luke 21:24. This has occurred. This projects for our thinking some interesting questions:
1) Is the "man clothed in linen" (Eze. 9:2-4) now sealing those among the professed house of Israel who have and are afflicting their souls, trusting not in their own works - doing "no work in that same day"? (Lev. 23:28) Do these become in the final hour "His own house" cleansed as represented by the mingled blood of the bullock and the Lord's goat at the Alter of the Court? Do these become marked with the mark of redemption, "the sign of the cross of Calvary"?
2) Has the "man in linen" reported back to the One on the Throne saying - "I have done as thou has commanded me." (Eze. 9:11) Are we at the time when from the Throne will come the command to the "man clothed in linen" to "take coals from between the cherubim" so as to do for His "marked" people as was done for Isaiah? "Eze. 10:1-2;
{10:1} Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that
was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over
them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the
likeness of a throne. {10:2} And he spake unto the man
clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels,
[even] under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of
fire from between the cherubims, and scatter [them] over
the city. And he went in in my sight.
6-7.
{10:6} And it
came to pass, [that] when he had commanded the man
clothed with linen, saying, Take fire from between the
wheels, from between the cherubims; then he went in, and
stood beside the wheels. {10:7} And [one] cherub stretched
forth his hand from between the cherubims unto the fire that
[was] between the cherubims, and took [thereof,] and put
[it] into the hands of [him that was] clothed with linen: who
took [it,] and went out.
See also Isa. 6:6-7,
{6:6} Then flew one of the seraphims
unto me, having a live coal in his hand, [which] he had
taken with the tongs from off the altar: {6:7} And he laid
[it] upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips;
and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged
compare with Rev. 14:5)
{14:5} And in their mouth was found no
guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God
The sanctuary teaching is not a "stale, flat, and unprofitable" doctrine, but vibrant with meaning for this very hour.
A fuller understanding of Daniel 7, and its interrelationship with the agenda of Leviticus 16 challenges us today, even as the prophecy of Daniel 8:14 challenged those who perceived that prophecy as pointing to the beginning of the hour of God's judgment in 1844.
"Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; and give thanks to the memory of His sanctuary." (Ps. 97:11-12, margin)
"The Lord has made His people
the repository of sacred truth.
Upon every individual who has had the
light of present truth devolves the duty
of developing that truth on a higher scale than it has hitherto been done." -- Ellen G. White
--- End --- 1989 Special 3 -- Light From the Throne -- Part 3
*******
Think about it carefully, very carefully. Up until now you might not have ever given any of this a thought. You might be rejecting all of this. You might not want to think that we could be in a time so close that those that are God's individually are being sealed right now, that judgment for you and I might be up.
We know the Bible says--
2 Thess. {2:7} For the mystery of iniquity doth
already work: only he who now letteth [will let,] until he be
taken out of the way. {2:8} And then shall that Wicked be
revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of
his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his
coming: {2:9} [Even him,] whose coming is after the
working of Satan with all power and signs and lying
wonders, {2:10} And with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received
not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. {2:11}
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that
they should believe a lie: {2:12} That they all might be
damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in
unrighteousness.
Strong delusion that they should believe a lie...
Because they received NOT the love of the truth...
That they might be damned who believed not the truth.
If we turn from the truth, if we shake our heads and turn away saying we don't want to know all this, we don't want to even try to understand then we condemn ourselves.
God has shown us His plan throughout history and that plan will continue on until the end. We will be accountable for accepting or rejecting the truth in Christ.
Christ is our savior, our redeemer, Christ is our truth.
At some point in history before Christ comes again all those alive in Him when He returns will have been sealed it's inevitable. There will be no last second reprieves when the brightness of the Lord is revealed, by then all that would be saved are sealed.
Isa. {55:6} Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye
upon him while he is near: {55:7} Let the wicked forsake
his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him
return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him;
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
May the Lord help us all and keep us, may we be found in Him, all our hope and trust in Him and His promises now and forever by His grace, amen.
12/30/09
Step out of the ordinary and fall face first into adversity. Watch yourself succumb to anger, upset, and things you know are harsh and wrong. What do you do? It's almost like watching yourself outside of yourself and you feel as helpless to stop that nasty person from emerging as truly if they were a stranger.
What happened? Was it a test of faith and did you fail that test? What does it mean to fail a test of faith?
Gold tried in fire is literally metal heated until it is melted to a liquid state. It takes tremendous heat to melt metal- we live in a world with metal all around us and we don't live in a world with puddles of melted metal around every corner. An exceptionally high heat is needed to reduce metal to a liquid state. If our faith is tried like gold in fire what does that tell us? The fire is going to get hotter than we can really imagine.
1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ
Faith tested and tried.
Isn't it the test and PASSING the test what matters?
We go through life having to pass various tests. Tests in school, in higher education, in jobs- our skills are tested and based on our ability to score high enough on the tests we either pass or fail. If we fail the result can be loss of moving up a grade in school, it can mean the loss of a job, or the loss of a promotion.
I know a man who tried to pass an exam so he could advance in his job but after many years of trying to pass that test before retiring, he never did. He tried at a cost to himself- each exam taking money out of his own pocket just so he could advance to a higher pay grade and in prestige.
Whether successful or not, each position has its results, its consequences.
When our faith is tried we want to pass the test right? We want success because that success means eternal life with Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
But you know what?
We have to ask ourselves a question. Does God measure our success and failure the same way we do? Jesus suffered and died - that was a success. However, many in that day considered His life and especially His death a failure. He should have been able to save Himself, kept Himself from being hurt, from being tortured.
That man who kept trying and failing I told you about- was there a special kind of success in His ability to keep trying to pass the test even though he never did? You hear the old saying all the time that it's not whether you win or lose but how you play the game. That failure is only giving up. Are they true?
Our test of faith- we might fail in our own eyes, but maybe not in God's. He may measure things differently than we do. What I mean is a test may come and just having the recognition of failure, the recognition that it was a test may go a long way to building your faith, having your faith become stronger so that in the end it really isn't an ultimate failure but a temporary setback. Perhaps this faith being like gold tried in fire is never giving up though the trials will come and some of them come without any warning with such a vileness you are all but destroyed. The ultimate test might just be having to cling to Christ and only Christ.
We don't know the end from the beginning, but we do know that Satan would have us so caught up in our seeming failures that we just give up looking to Christ at all.
We can't give up! We must understand that the trying of our faith strengthens it- not necessarily passing the test. One failed test may ultimately keep us from failing in the future. We might have to fail our test over and over again but we can't give up! We can't!
God is the one critiquing our lives and He judges differently. We have to hope and pray that we hold fast, that we don't let our faith fail no matter what test it is put to. Easier said than done, yes, but it is my prayer that God bless and keep us so that we never give up our faith, never.
By the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ now and forever!
Amen.
12/30/10
Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
One day in seven, yet on all those days, on each of those seven days - ALL the commandments must be followed. The fourth commandment tells us to set aside the seventh day as our Sabbath. Can we keep the fourth commandment on those other six days? I cannot actually keep the Sabbath on any other day than the commandment requires but… on the other six days I can REMEMBER to keep the Sabbath day that will be coming. Not a single day should go by that we aren't keeping all of God's commandments and that includes the fourth commandment. The fifth commandment calls for us to honor our mother and father- so does this exempt the parentless from having to keep that commandment? It's impossible for them to, right? Or is there such a thing as a 'heart keeping' of ALL the commandments that we don't want to really think too much about? People can come up with plenty of loopholes. Others can say they honor the eighth commandment and do not steal- and yet perhaps they've not had an opportunity to steal- are they still keeping that commandment without the opportunity to break it?
Keeping the heart of the law given to us- is obeying it in all things, it's a constant acceptance of the moral laws of God and an understanding that when we LOVE God we are keeping His commandments. When we love our fellow man - every single one of them even those we believe we have a right to despise the most- then we are keeping God's commandments.
Jesus' life was a living testament to how we are to live- us following in His footsteps.
Do the standards you possess on a daily basis reveal your position as a follower of Christ? Can a person assess your six day weekly life outside of the Sabbath keeping and know you are Christ's?
We are to love God and have no other God's before Him. People can't necessarily see that love of God. They might just think you're a good person. We aren't to have any idols, we aren't to worship statues of stone or otherwise, so people can't see us bowed down before a giant statue of God outside our house- it can't exist. Not taking God's name in vain, not using God's name senselessly isn't something a person will necessarily notice in you- it's not a prerequisite to conversations to do so. Honoring your mom and dad, well people generally are nice to their parents and honoring them isn't a strictly Jesus ordered command- even atheists will honor their parents. Not murdering, stealing, committing adultery- well most people do NOT broadcast this sort of behavior, right? We expect people in our society not to kill or steal, it doesn't mean they are Christ's because they choose not to kill, steal, or commit adultery. The same goes for lying and coveting, even pagan practitioners will say lying and coveting are wrong. All these commandments kept are not necessarily kept because a person loves God. However… choosing to set aside a whole DAY for God, the day HE chose for us to set aside for HIM, this can't be interpreted any other way can it? Can an atheists set aside a day of worship for GOD? No, not and remain an atheist. Can a pagan set aside a day to worship GOD and NOT appear to be God's? No. To set aside a day to worship GOD is to reveal your belief in GOD for ALL to see. I'm not talking setting aside an hour or two for God on a day He hasn't chosen, but setting aside an entire day to worship God, the day God chose, the seventh in our weekly count of seven days in a week.
This is something we need to contemplate a bit- our love of God in keeping HIS laws of love.
We keep them always, we don't set aside certain commandments on certain days. We don't set aside keeping the fourth commandment on the first through sixth days of the week. We live our lives towards keeping that day of worship, that commandment is always a part of our lives all seven days a week just as all the others should be.
Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Exo 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Exo 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Exo 20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Exo 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exo 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
Exo 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Exo 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Exo 20:13 Thou shalt not kill.
Exo 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Exo 20:15 Thou shalt not steal.
Exo 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Exo 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Praise God for His perfection, for His righteousness, for His grace, for His mercy, for His love in all these things.
Forgive us undeserving ones Lord, please, forgive us.
In You Lord!
Amen