We're going to wrap up the current study on the Sanctuary today, but not call it finished because there might be more we need to delve into.
Rounding this off with a Watch Paper snippet from 2003--
'By limiting the final ministry of Christ to the Most Holy Place is to ignore the typical significance of the movements of the High Priest on the Day of Atonement.
To fail to focus on the final ministry depicted as transpiring in the Court is to severe the climax of the Three Angels' Messages from the sanctuary to which the first angel directed attention - "the hour of the judgment of Him is come" (Rev. 14:7; Gr.)
These messages are to produce a people "who keep [not "are trying to keep"] the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus" (verse 12).
Not only is the final atonement typified in the sanctuary service, but prophets of God saw, in visions given to them, activities related to that day.
One command given in the instructions for the Day of Atonement was that the High Priest must wear the holy linen garments (Lev. 16:4).Ezekiel in vision saw that the man with a writer's inkhorn by his side was "clothed in linen" (9:2, 3, 11).He received instructions to place a mark on those that sigh and cry for the abominations committed in Jerusalem while standing "beside the brazen altar." He who was enthroned above the cherubim had moved to "the threshold of the house" to give this command. In the final ministry the One on the throne unites with the One clothed in linen.This follows the type of Leviticus 16:18 - the mingled blood of goat and bullock for the cleansing of the Altar.
In Zechariah 3, the "men of wonder" (v. 8; margin) are those whom the Lord has "caused (their) iniquity to pass from (them)" and whom He has clothed "with a change of raiment" (v. 4).
This is a part of the final conflict between Christ and Satan (v. 1-2) which will be resolved in the "court."
We have been reminded that: Zechariah's vision of Joshua and the Angel applies with peculiar force to the experience of God's people in the closing up of the great day of atonement." (Testimonies Vol 5, p. 472)'
--- (2003 Aug) WWN William Grotheer
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The final conflict.
Where will we all be during the final conflict?
Will we recognize the final conflict?
The Bible tells us that people will be marrying and taken unaware-
Matthew {24:36} But of that day and hour knoweth no [man,] no,not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. {24:37} Butas the days of Noe [were,] so shall also the coming of theSon of man be. {24:38} For as in the days that were beforethe flood they were eating and drinking, marrying andgiving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into theark, {24:39} And knew not until the flood came, and tookthem all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of manbe. {24:40} Then shall two be in the field; the one shall betaken, and the other left. {24:41} Two [women shall be]grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.{24:42} Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour yourLord doth come.
'They knew not until the flood came...'
It's a logical question to ask will we recognize the final conflict.
People like to believe there will be some major happening that will convince them that NOW is the time to be ready. That it's coming! A nuclear bomb explodes- it's time! A war breaks out between two major world power countries! There is an infectious disease outbreak that kills millions! An earthquake totally destroys a major city and millions of people! You name it, insert your catastrophe here and what you think it will take for YOU to believe the final conflict is under way.
By the time many get an inkling it'll be too late- they knew not until the flood came. They knew then didn't they. The flood began and they knew they had time to recognize the truth of their situation and then what happened? '...knew not until the flood came and took them all away...' They weren't saved at the last moment because they recognized the truth of their situation finally. They were taken away, they were killed, they died, they weren't saved.
We can't wait, it's a mistake to wait for anything. You could die in the next moment and die not being ready because you're waiting for something. We have to be ready while we are waiting, not waiting to get ready.
The suddenness of the end will take the majority unaware- just like the analogy of someone standing next to you disappearing before your eyes, you'll definitely be shocked by that wouldn't you? Poof, it happens!
If you're expecting someone to disappear it's not surprising.
We have to watch so we are ready because we don't know the exact time.
If we're watching for Christ to return, we're not going to be surprised by Him coming, but ready.
If we were waiting for the flood, when it came we wouldn't be surprised. Just like a news forecast predicting a storm. We're not surprised when it's there. But if we're not listening to the news to hear the predicting, or if we ignore what's being said and blow it off, then yes we are surprised when the storm hits.
What's all this to do with the Sanctuary service and the Atonement?
When we look at the services and correlate them to the ministry of Christ we have to know what's what- let's reread the last snippet from the thought paper by Grotheer.
*
'By limiting the final ministry of Christ to the Most Holy Place is to ignore the typical significance of the movements of the High Priest on the Day of Atonement.
To fail to focus on the final ministry depicted as transpiring in the Court is to sever the climax of the Three Angels' Messages from the sanctuary to which the first angel directed attention - "the hour of the judgment of Him is come" (Rev. 14:7; Gr.)
These messages are to produce a people "who keep [not "are trying to keep"] the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus" (verse 12).
Not only is the final atonement typified in the sanctuary service, but prophets of God saw, in visions given to them, activities related to that day.
One command given in the instructions for the Day of Atonement was that the High Priest must wear the holy linen garments (Lev. 16:4).Ezekiel in vision saw that the man with a writer's inkhorn by his side was "clothed in linen" (9:2, 3, 11).He received instructions to place a mark on those that sigh and cry for the abominations committed in Jerusalem while standing "beside the brazen altar." He who was enthroned above the cherubim had moved to "the threshold of the house" to give this command. In the final ministry the One on the throne unites with the One clothed in linen.This follows the type of Leviticus 16:18 - the mingled blood of goat and bullock for the cleansing of the Altar.
In Zechariah 3, the "men of wonder" (v. 8; margin) are those whom the Lord has "caused (their) iniquity to pass from (them)" and whom He has clothed "with a change of raiment" (v. 4).
This is a part of the final conflict between Christ and Satan (v. 1-2) which will be resolved in the "court."
We have been reminded that: Zechariah's vision of Joshua and the Angel applies with peculiar force to the experience of God's people in the closing up of the great day of atonement." (Testimonies Vol 5, p. 472)'
*
Where are we now? We know that the Times of the Gentiles has been fulfilled, that in 1980 after a series of probation periods the time for the corporate judgment was up and the judging moved to the individual. Soon, so very soon as the judging is made there will be declared those who will have a mark placed on them- a seal of God and those who will embrace the beast and receive his mark. The cleansing will be complete, and there will be those who are clothed in Christ's Righteousness and those who are left in filthy rags.
Remember this--These messages are to produce a people "who keep [not "are trying to keep"] the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus" (verse 12).
Are we going to be among those who are 'eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, {24:39} And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away'
Or are we going to be among those who yes... eat, drink, marry, but live our lives knowing that Christ is coming, that the flood is on its way. We don't live our day to day lives under the pretense that Christ isn't coming, that we shouldn't be ready and waiting, watching and praying.
May our Lord and Savior by His grace and mercy help us to be ready for His return, help us to be among those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus, forever watching, praying and waiting, hoping.
Amen.
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