Feature Article
In Recent months I have been deeply impressed with the reality of our Saviour’s meditorial work in the Most Holy Place. I can’t really put into words the view that is in my mind about the vital work we must do in availing ourselves of the intercession of Jesus.
Realizing that our forefathers found the way into the Most Holy and walking that path in my mind has pressed the reality of this heavenly work upon me. It is as if that I have obtained a blessing from heaven by opening my heart to the work our pioneers and had my heart turned towards them. I sense that I am feeling what they have felt and begin to experience what they have experienced and this is only coming because I have returned to the God they worshipped.
Recently I was impressed to pick up the book Early Writings and read the section on the sealing from pages 36-38.
I was taken off in vision to the most holy place, where I saw Jesus still interceding for Israel. On the bottom of His garment was a bell and a pomegranate. Then I saw that Jesus would not leave the most holy place until every case was decided either for salvation or destruction, and that the wrath of God could not come until Jesus had finished His work in the most holy place, laid off His priestly attire, and clothed Himself with the garments of vengeance. EW 36
Nowhere in the Christian world could such a view of the plan of salvation be understood because the Heavenly Sanctuary doctrine is not taught by any of them. They have no knowledge of a completed atonement in heaven; no knowledge that God’s people must obtain victory over all their cultivated and hereditary tendencies; no knowledge that God will perfect a group of people to live without a mediator. The Christian world knows nothing of this truth and therefore do not know how to pray in order to prepare for this time. Can you see how a knowledge of the Sanctuary teaching that reveals a moving of the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man within heaven from Holy to Most Holy and making an end of sin in heaven and then returning to the earth WITHOUT SIN (Heb 9:28)to gather His waiting children, affects the way you pray and what you understand as the work of the Christian in sanctification?
I can’t really express my thoughts as to why this truth now burns in my mind as if I have seen it for the first time. I have believed this teaching for 25 years and yet if burns in my heart now as if it was entirely new to me. I have a heightened sense of what it means to know that Jesus is in the Most Holy Place. My faith reaches into that apartment to obtain the precious oil needed to face the time of Jacob’s trouble.
Soon Jesus will lay off His priestly garments. Listen
I saw that the four angels would hold the four winds until Jesus' work was done in the sanctuary, and then will come the seven last plagues. These plagues enraged the wicked against the righteous; they thought that we had brought the judgments of God upon them, and that if they could rid the earth of us, the plagues would then be stayed. A decree went forth to slay the saints, which caused them to cry day and night for deliverance. This was the time of Jacob's trouble. EW 36, 37
This time is just ahead of us and should have already taken place years ago except for the pleading of Jesus. Our lives – yours and mine are only held in probationary time because of the intense pleading of Jesus to His Father with His blood. Listen again:
I saw four angels who had a work to do on the earth, and were on their way to accomplish it. Jesus was clothed with priestly garments. He gazed in pity on the remnant, then raised His hands, and with a voice of deep pity cried, "My blood, Father, My blood, My blood, My blood!" Then I saw an exceeding bright light come from God, who sat upon the great white throne, and was shed all about Jesus. Then I saw an angel with a commission from Jesus, swiftly flying to the four angels who had a work to do on the earth, and waving something up and down in his hand, and crying with a loud voice, "Hold! Hold! Hold! Hold! until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads." {EW 38.1}
The four angels should have already let the destructive winds lose to do their work and if they had realized those winds would we have obtained characters ready to stand without a mediator. I confess that I would not have been ready. In mercy Jesus has cried “My blood Father, My blood, My blood, My blood! How thankful I am for that cry from our Saviour’s heart. We have a little more time to have access to the Most Holy before that work is forever completed.
How often should we approach the throne of God to ensure that our characters are changed? How often should we plead for the Spirit? Are we content with our characters the way they are? Are we blameless in our conduct towards our spouse , our children, our family and friends? The little irritations; the impatient words; the lack of love; the silence instead of warmth, are we satisfied with these things? Will such characters walk into heaven? No, never. Only those who have drawn from the Well of eternal life and filled themselves to the brim will enter that pure and holy City and receive the Father’s blessing.
Will you engage the work of pleading for more love, more light, more Christlikeness? Let us do this work now while there is still a little time.
For more on this see the sermon The Way into the Most Holy
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