A little while lower than the angels...

'WWN  2002 Mar -- XXXV - 3(02) -- "The Judgment Was Set"   -  Continued...

Qualified or Unqualified Endorsement -- Into the historical perspective of this "learning" and "unlearning" process, the endorsement of Ellen G. White of Crosier's article must be considered. She wrote in a letter to Eli Curtis, April 21, 1847 that Crosier "had the true light, on the cleansing of the Sanctuary, & c." Was this an unqualified endorsement of every facet discussed by Crosier, or was this limited to the question which caused the great disappointment?

Miller held that the "sanctuary" was this earth, and therefore, the cleansing of the sanctuary could only mean the second coming of Christ in fiery judgment.

The very first section of Crosier's article discussed fully and at length this question before introducing Christ's priesthood. Ellen White herself prefaced the endorsement with a confession of her own belief. She wrote - "I believe the Sanctuary, to be cleansed at the end of the 2300 days, is the New Jerusalem Temple, of which Christ is the minister."

If we had not boxed ourselves in by considering this endorsement as unqualified, we would have recognized the atonement made by Christ on the Cross, and would have been able to place the "dual" atonements in the light revealed by the types.

This raises another question.

Another "messenger" wrote of Christ's ministry in the introduction to his book, The Consecrated Way. He stated:       In the manifestation of Christ the Saviour, it is revealed that He must
appear in the three offices of prophet, priest, and king. (p.3)

Then he observed:       This threefold truth is generally recognized by all who have acquaintance with the Scriptures, but above this there is a truth which seems to be not so well known that He is not all three of these at the same time. The three offices are successive. He is prophet first, then after that He is priest, and after that He is king. (p.4; emphasis his)

In the type, the atonement which resulted in forgiveness for the individual sinner was obtained by the common priest. The text reads - "the priest shall make an atonement for him as concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him" (Lev. 4:26).

One of the early acts of Jesus, after beginning His ministry, confirmed this priestly power in reality. Luke records the faith of the friends of a palsy stricken man. Bringing him to Jesus, the first thing they heard Jesus say to him was - "Man, thy sins be forgiven thee" (Luke 5:20). This riled the attending scribes and Pharisees. To their contentious questioning, Jesus replied:         But that ye might know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (He said unto the sick of the palsy) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. (5:24).

Before accepting the office of High Priest, Christ had to have "somewhat also to offer" (Heb. 8:3).
"This He did once, when He offered up Himself" (7:27).

This offering began at Bethlehem when the glory of "the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" began to be revealed. (See John 1:14; Rom. 3:24).

(((Joh 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Rom 3:24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus))))

To all who came, or were brought to Him, from the palsy stricken man to the woman taken in adultery, Jesus offered divine forgiveness. He was a "common" priest, "the Son of man." By the resurrection, He would enter a new office. As the Son of God, He would become "a [High] Priest forever after the order of Meichisedec" (Heb. 5:6) [See also Rom. 1:4 and Heb. 5:5]

(((Heb 5:5  So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
Heb 5:6  As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Rom 1:4  And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead

Heb 5:5  So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. ))))

Before Whom Do We Appear?

-- Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church:      For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad (II Cor. 5:10).

Peter told Cornelius that the Apostles were given strict command by Jesus "to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is He which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead" (Acts 10:42).

 This accords with the words of Jesus Himself that "the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son" (John 5:22).

How then are we to understand the prophecy of Daniel?

Was the Ancient of days, intending to judge, and then changed His mind, and gave a different revelation through Christ in the New Testament? Hardly, such a conclusion is out of keeping with the revelation of Himself as One who changes not. (Mal. 3:6; James 1:17).

(((Mal 3:6  For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Jas 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. ))))

 In fact, the Scripture reveals two scenes in which the Ancient of days sits in judgment "and the books were opened" (Dan. 7:10; Rev. 20:12).

These scenes are a thousand years apart when in fulfilment.

Yet it is the same Judge, and the same books.

While the objective of the open books in Revelation 20 is stated - "the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works" (v. 12b) - no such statement is made in Daniel. It is so assumed, but is the assumption correct?*

Another factor must be considered.

When the First Angel of Revelation 14 descends for the final proclamation of the "everlasting gospel," he announces a reason why men of "every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people" should "fear God and give glory to Him."

The reason given is that - "the hour of His judgment is come."

The Greek text reads. - ' oti hlqen 'h 'wra thV krisewV autou - "Because is (or has) come the hour of the judgment of Him."

Is this to be understood as meaning God acting in judgment, or is God Himself seeking a judgment for Himself?

There is no question that at the Judgment of the Great White Throne (Rev. 20), those termed "the dead"  are the ones facing that judgment. We have assumed that the same conclusion can be applied to Daniel 7:10. Do we have some "learning" as well as "unlearning" to do at this point?

A Forgotten Motif -- Both in the services of the typical Day of Atonement, and in the prophecy of Zechariah 3 which focuses on the final cleansing, there is an alien power introduced.

In the vision given to Zechariah, at the right hand of Joshua is seen an "adversary" (margin) to resist him.In the ceremonies on the Day of Atonement, there is the scapegoat (Azazel - Lev. 16:8 margin) in apposition to the Lord's goat, and on whom the High Priest placed the iniquities of a cleansed Israel for final judgment.

This typical service and prophetic vision suggest a controversy between Jehovah and Satan, with man the object of the attack by one, and the defense of man by the Other.

A careful study of the Scriptures casts further light on this controversy. Azazel, Satan the adversary, was once Lucifer, a covering cherub (Isa. 14:14; Eze. 28:14).

A created being (Eze. 28:15), he desired to be "like the most High" (Isa. 14:14).

This desire was nullified in the creation of man.

The Elohim said to one another, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Gen. 1:26).

Man's status at creation was but temporary. He was made only "a little while inferior to the angels" (Heb. 2:7, margin).

*******

I'm interjecting here to summarize a little bit.

Christ our Prophet, High Priest, and King.  Christ was a prophet upon earth during His three year ministry. Christ also had the power to forgive sins, as a priest (common priest) could. We know that when He died He returned to heaven. What did He return there for? Where did He return in Heaven? We know He went into the Sanctuary, this is all stuff we've studied previously.  Our Savior is our Savior for a single purpose- our salvation.  We need to be saved from what? Satan and all his evil.

For God to be a just God we know that He would never force another to love Him. Satan was once a covering cherub, and angel next to God and he sinned when he wanted to be LIKE the Most High.  Who was made LIKE the Most High?  Mankind was made in God's image. Satan didn't like this new creation- human beings. Satan WANTED to be like the Most High.  When we read above that man's status at creation was but temporary - a 'little while inferior' do we fully comprehend what this is saying? Jesus was made 'a little while inferior', He was made HUMAN. For a little while He would be inferior in His flesh.  When our Savior rose from the grave it was in flesh, and He didn't want to be touched until He went to His Father. Upon returning He had Thomas touch Him because Thomas wanted proof of the Savior's realness. He had flesh, but it was a flesh that was now incorruptible unlike the flesh He had upon death, a flesh that COULD and DID die. This newness, what our Savior achieved made Him NO longer 'a little while inferior to the angels'.  He was a new creature, He was God/Man immortal and incorruptible.  We become NEW in HIM. And we who are His will become immortal and incorruptible as well. We will no longer have the inferior flesh. We will be what we were created to be, God's, made in HIS image. Angels were NOT made in God's image. They have their place, their very important place in everything. They are a part of God's ministering through LOVE.  They will NEVER be made to feel inferior except they CHOOSE to believe they are demeaned because they are not made in God's image- which we know Satan and His following angels believe.

Truly the entire plan of mankind was a good plan, and this plan was called into judgment because obviously things didn't go as they were supposed to.

Was this something that should be continued?  Or, like many plans of our human devising we simply scrap as being no good.  Obviously God wanted His creation, His plan to succeed and was willing to DIE to prove it was something that should succeed.

*******

Continuing on with the thought paper study--


'The redemption that is in Christ Jesus reveals further the objective of God for man.

Jesus, too, was "made a little while lower than the angels for the suffering of death" (Heb. 2:9). In His victory, He was "crowned with glory and honor," and "highly exalted" being given "a name which is above every name" (Phil. 2:9).

(((Heb 2:9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

Php 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name))))

That which God did "when He raised Him from the dead" (Eph. 1:20) not only reveals God's intent for man in creation, but also His objective in redemption (Eph. 2:6-7). **

(((Eph 1:20  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places

Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. ))))


Between the time when God made man in His likeness and the "ages to come" came the sin problem, which needs resolution.

However, for sin to be eradicated, and never arise the second time, the resolution must begin where, and over the issue which initiated it.

In other words, can God carry out His original plan in the creation of man, and every member of the angelic host concur.

Sin began with an angel who objected to God's plan because He desired to be what God was designing man to be.

Thus the first act when God seeks to bring all rebellion to a conclusion, must be the concurrence of the angelic host in His objective.

They are still free moral agents and the contemplated exaltation of man is now under different circumstances than when man was first created. It is fallen man that is to be exalted, not perfect man from the hand of the Creator.

This is the picture in Daniel 7.

The first item of business when the judgment is set and the books are opened, is before the assembled hosts of Heaven. (v. 10).

They know what is in the books; they recorded the deeds. They are not there as "traffic cops" to verify the "tickets" they gave to the "speedsters" of earth for their violations on the highway of life. They were accurate, remained honest, and not as Lucifer, "abode in the truth" (John 8:44).

Now the first question comes: "Have I given enough; have I done enough so that my original plan for man can be completed?"

The hour of the judgment of Him began.

The details must be gathered from the revelation given in the type of the services of the Day of Atonement.

Jesus is there as the Great High Priest. He holds forth His nail pierced hands. The angels remember that scene on Golgatha's brow. They recall the darkness that surrounded the cross when the Ancient of days hid His presence as He suffered with "the Man that is my fellow" (Zech. 13:6, 7).

With one shout of acclamation, John sees and hears the Heavenly Host render their decision:       And I beheld, and I heard the voice ( fwnhn- singular) of many angels around about the throne and the living creatures and the elders: the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousands, and thousands of thousands; Saying 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. And every creature . . . heard I saying, Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Iamb for ever and ever. (Rev. 5:11-13).

The final work could now begin with all Heaven united for the objective and accomplishment of God's design in the creation of man.

The "Man clothed in linen" could begin the sealing of His people (Ezekiel 9).

The "filthy garments" can be removed from all who are willing to be released of them, and a "change of raiment" given in their place (Zech. 3).

Three mighty angels can go forth mandated with the "Everlasting Gospel" of God's design and purpose in Jesus Christ, "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Rev. 13:8).

In the words of Jesus, describing and defining "the judgment," some conditions are imposed.

All who pass "from death unto life" are required to hear the words of the Messiah, and "believe" on the God who sent Him (John 5:24).

The entrance into sin is reversed. The challenge of the "adversary," "Yea hath God said?" (Gen. 3:1) is answered, "Yea, God hath said" and "I believe."

The "books are opened" both prior to the coming of Christ without sin unto salvation, and the final judgment on sin in "the lake of fire." There is no record in Scripture of the books being closed once they are opened.

The fact is that no one can face the record in the "books" either before, or after they are opened. To do so is to face eternal extinction in "the lake of fire" - "the second death" (Rev. 20:14).

Into this prophetic picture is introduced another book, "another book was opened, which is the book of life" (Rev. 20:12).

This book is first noted in prophetic record at the time "Michael stands up" (Dan. 12:1).

It had existed prior with the other books of record. When Moses prayed for Israel to be spared or else his name be removed from the book, the Lord God replied, "Whoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of my book" (Ex. 32:32-33).

Paul speaks of this book in his letter to the Philippians, where he writes of his fellow laborers "whose names are in the book of life" (4:3).

There is a distinction made between the "books" which contain the record of "things. . . according to their works" by which they are judged, and the "book of life" in which there are only "names" - no resumes.

One can assume that the first name entered was that of Abel's who "by faith. . . offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain" (Heb. 11:4).

All of this points up the significance of the command in the observance of the typical Day of Atonement, that "no work" be done (Lev. 23:28,30).

The high priest alone accomplished the cleansing.

Those who heeded the command, their names were retained in Israel. Just so, in the final day of atonement, the Great High Priest alone will accomplish the objective - "I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir" (Isa. 13:12).

Even as in the first atonement - forgiveness - it is by faith alone, so the final atonement - cleansing - is by faith alone: "I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will cloth thee with a change of raiment"  (Zech 3:4).

No man can cleanse himself by his own works, nor can he weave a robe in which there is not a single thread of human devising.

All - forgiveness, cleansing - result from a surrender at the foot of the Cross to Him who "is able also to save them to the uttermost who come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Heb. 7:25).

*******

All by HIS amazing LOVE!

Sin's Stain Removal

Truth.

Our High Priest, Jesus Christ, Son of God, our Savior-  LIVES.  Creator, Redeemer, He lives.

Right now He is in the Heavenly Sanctuary.  He is there on OUR behalf. He is cleansing the world from the stain of sin.  Sin's stain has left its mark in Heaven and Earth. Sin's stain has left it's mark upon the very flesh of our Savior.  Forever we will know the price that our Savior paid so that we could live. The cleansing is removing the sins of the saints and all record of those sins from heaven's books. They are HIS, He paid the price, He became the sacrifice necessary to remove the record of sin so that ONLY the names of the saints remain in the book of life, their names no where else not a single sin left to recall. Every single sin committed by those who would be Christ's will be completely blotted out, not just forgiven, but CLEANSED, completely gone forever! And right now our Savior is performing this cleansing and the cleansing will continue right up until the last possible moment before the cup of iniquity is totally full. The living saints will be sin free- but they won't know it, that can't know it. Christ will be living in them so completely, the Holy Spirit living in them that they and they alone will be spared the horrors of the plagues, of living in the time when the Savior NO longer pleas on our behalf because the cleansing work is finished. He will stand up, it will be over. He will come for the saints as a conquering King, not as the High Priest any longer that work will be over.

We've been so incredibly blessed that our High Priest has ministered for so long, desiring as many as would be His to come to Him, to believe in Him.

Remember this is the work of God that He would have us do-

Joh 6:28  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
Joh 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Believe on our SAVIOR.

Let's continue with our study of the Sanctuary-  remember this is an in depth study, you won't find fluff here. You will find only TRUTH.

May God bless us and may the Holy Spirit open our hearts and eyes to all His truth, to all His love.

*******

'WWN  2002 Mar -- XXXV - 3(02) -- "The Judgment Was Set"

-- Editors Preface --

In the course of our Church history (((SDA)))), we have had problems with the doctrine of the Atonement.

Adopting the position of Crosier from his study on the Sanctuary following the Great Disappointment in 1844, we denied that there was an atonement made at the Cross, and declared that there was only one atonement, the final, which began with the fulfillment of the prophecy of Daniel 8:14 in 1844.

The very use of the designation, "final" would indicate more than one atonement.

Then in the infamous SDA-Evangelical conferences, we denied what we had taught regarding the final atonement and declared with emphasis - "Adventists do not hold any theory of a dual atonement. 'Christ has redeemed us' (Gal. 3:13) 'once for all' Heb. 10:10). Q on D, p. 390)

In this compromise, we indicated plainly that a single atonement was completed on the Cross. In fact, the Adventist conferees went so far as to declare that Christ obtained nothing for us at
the time of His entrance upon His priestly ministry, nor has He at any time since, because "He had already obtained it for us on the cross." (ibid., p. 381).

If the typical priestly ministry in the Hebrew Sanctuary has meaning as the book of Hebrews indicates (Heb. 8:5), then there is a dual atonement, one involving forgiveness and one cleansing.

(((Heb 8:5  Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. ))))

Beginning in earnest with Ballenger, and climaxing in Dr. Desmond Ford's assault on the Doctrine of the Sanctuary, we have faced serious challenges to a basic Adventist teaching.

Ballanger based his thrust on the cry of Jesus on the Cross, "It is finished." In this issue of WWN, we discuss these words of Jesus, what He meant, as well as consider things needed to be learned, and unlearned in our teachings regarding aspects of the Sanctuary question. Perhaps, if we had done so before, we might have escaped the tragedy of the SDA-Evangelical Conferences.

"We have many lessons to learn, and many, many to unlearn. God and heaven alone are infallible."

*

"The Judgment Was Set and the Books were opened" --

(((Dan_7:10  ... the judgment was set, and the books were opened. ))))

In recent decades, this prophetic "Judgment" scene in Daniel 7:10 has been called "the pre-Advent judgment," instead of "the investigative judgment" by which it was known at its inception when set forth as an explanation of what did occur when Christ entered His final ministry in the Most Holy Place of the Heavenly Sanctuary.

Closely associated with this "Judgment" is the focus of the paralleling prophecy in Daniel 8 on the sanctuary - "then shall the sanctuary be cleansed" (v.14).

This introduces into the prophetic picture the typical Day of Atonement, when annually, the earthly sanctuary was figuratively cleansed.

Add to this, the announcement of the First Angel of Revelation 14 - "The hour of His judgment is come" (v.7) - and you have the heart and core of Adventism.

A. F. Ballenger, a powerful preacher and revivalist, was one of the first to challenge this core teaching. In the 1890s, his revival meetings in Battle Creek centered on "Receive Ye the Holy Spirit," led many of the church and college students to rededicate their lives to Christ and His service. Ballenger carried this message to worker's meetings and camp meetings. It was at one of these meetings in Indiana that S. S. Davis, the originator of the Holy Flesh Movement, received his inspiration. (See The Holy Flesh Movement 1899-1901, pp.5-6)

At the turn of the century, Ballenger accepted a call to the British Isles. While laboring in various large cities, he was also developing new theological concepts. These were finally published in a book, The Proclamation of Liberty and the Unpardonable Sin. He would write:       If the reader would know at once what is the central thought, - the all absorbing theme, - the body, soul and spirit of this book, it is summed up in the final words of our dying Lord, "It is finished" (p.5).

This is the pivotal point on which the whole of the core teaching of the sanctuary doctrine turns.

All who have followed Ballenger in challenging the sanctuary teaching of the Church, including Dr. Desmond Ford, have done little more than elucidate and enlarge on the original premise of Ballenger.In simple application, the final, dying words of Jesus are used to substantiate the concept that the death of Christ is the final, once for all, atonement for sin.

In other words, the atonement was finished at the Cross; there is no final atonement. (See next article, "The Final Words of Christ").

It also needs to be remembered that following the Great Disappointment in 1844, 0. R. L Crosier wrote a lengthy analysis on "The Sanctuary," with the premise that "the sanctuary was the heart of the typical system." He challenged the idea that the atonement was completed on the Cross writing that Christ "did not begin the work of making atonement, whatever the nature of that work may be, till after His ascension, when by His own blood He entered His heavenly Sanctuary for us" (The Advent Review, September, 1850, p.45).

Neither can this position, nor the one advanced by Ballenger, be sustained by the type.

In the daily (((sanctuary)))) service, provision was made for the individual who brought his sin offering to the Altar in the Court, to receive an atonement which resulted in forgiveness.

The Scripture reads - "and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him" (Lev. 4:31; see also 4:26, 35).

(((Lev 4:26  And he shall burn all his fat upon the altar, as the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall make an atonement for him as concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.
Lev 4:35  And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace offerings; and the priest shall burn them upon the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him. ))))

This atonement for the individual was ALWAYS at the Altar in the Court and performed by a common priest.

The atonement made on the typical DAY OF ATONEMENT was both corporate and individual (Lev. 16:33),…

(((Lev 16:33  And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. ))))

 ...and involved a HIGH PRIESTLY MINISTRY beginning in the MOST HOLY PLACE and being COMPLETE AT THE ALTAR in the COURT.

The emphasis placed on the Day of Atonement in the Scriptures dare not be overlooked.

While atonement was granted to each individual who confessed his sin day by day, and was forgiven, it was not designated as a "Day" of atonement. That designation was reserved for the tenth day of the seventh month and involved a cleansing which is much more than just being forgiven.

The figurative intent was to be so cleansed as to sin no more.

Further, in the designation of this Day, the plural is used.

The Scripture reads:      On the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonements. ... And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonements. (Lev. 23:27, 28; Heb.)

While it might be argued that because of the multiple aspects and wide range of the atonement made by the High Priest on this tenth day (Lev. 16:33), it could be considered as a simple plural. However, the distinction made between this day and the other feast days given to Israel, requires that this be considered the Hebrew use of the plural as the pluralis majestaticus v. excellentiae, even as in the use of Elohim. All the other feast days given in Leviticus 23 - the Passover, the day of Pentecost, "a memorial of blowing of trumpets," and the two "holy convocations" connected with the "feast of tabernacles" - required only the cessation from "servile work" (vs. 7, 21, 25, 35-36). The Day of Atonements was ranked with the seventh-day Sabbath - "ye shall do no work
therein" (23:3) - with a fearful judgment attached (23:30).

While the first of the "feast" days of Israel was the Passover, which was fulfilled in the Offering at the Cross (I Cor. 5:7), it does not receive the status accorded the Day of Atonement in the yearly typical services of Israel.

This should in no wise reflect on the centrality of the Cross because it was not only the Blood of Calvary which provided forgiveness, but it is also the same Blood which was offered "once for all" that provides for the cleansing from sin.

It is the dual atonement made possible by the one and same sacrifice which we dare not mitigate. Our Great High Priest, as a common priest, offered Himself confirming the first step of reconciliation - forgiveness.

Then as the High Priest, He ministers the same blood for cleansing so that when He returns as King of kings, and Lord of lords, He comes "without sin unto salvation" (Heb. 9:28).

If the typology has any meaning, then the emphasis on the Atonement must be where Heaven places it - the final atonement via the sacrifice at the Altar in the Court.

We need to keep in mind that "a kid of the goats" (Lev. 4:23. 28), and "the Lord's goat" (Lev. 16:9), both offered on the Altar in the Court, pointed to the one great Sacrifice made on Calvary.

Calvary provided a provisional at-one-ment; forgiven, though still a sinner.

The ministration of the great High Priest on the antitypical Day of Atonements provided for a complete at-one-ment, a cleansed sinner to sin no more.

*******

Pausing here… we will continue tomorrow by the grace of our God.

Truly our Savior is still ministering for us today to think otherwise, I can't comprehend.

We've been given an example to ignore the example because we have some fanciful imagined idea of how things should be, is to ignore truth, God forbid we do that!

Please LORD SAVIOR, please bless us, please forgive us! We would be YOURS, wholly YOURS!

By Your MERCY, GRACE, LOVE!

All in YOU!

When the cleansing is over we will either be Sealed or Marked.

Continuing on with our study-

Taken from-  '2002 Feb -- XXXV -- 2(02) -- "Mark a Tau"'

'There are two other revelations in this vision given to Zechariah which need further and careful study:

 1)   The results of the mediation of the Divine Messenger produce "men wondered at" (v.8).

The margin, indicating the Hebrew, states that these cleansed ones will be "men of wonder." What does this mean?

And   2)   The "Lord of hosts" declares that He "will remove the iniquity of the land in one day" (v.9).

The question is, does this apply to the final cleansing of the earth by fire at the end of the age, or is this speaking of the final "manifestation of the sons of God" (Rom. 8:19) just prior to the close of probation?

The religious services, the prayers, the praise, the penitent confession of sin ascend from true believers as incense to the heavenly sanctuary, but passing through the corrupt channels of humanity, they are so defiled that unless purified by blood, they can never be of value with God.

They ascend not in spotless purity, and unless the Intercessor, who is at God's right hand, presents and purifies all by His righteousness, it is not acceptable to God.

All incense from earthly tabernacles must be moist with the cleansing drops of the blood of Christ. He holds before the Father the censer of His own merits, in which there is no taint of earthly corruption. He gathers into this censer the prayers, the praise, and the confessions of His people, and with these He puts His own spotless righteousness. Then, perfumed with merits of Christ's propitiation, the incense comes up before God wholly and entirely acceptable. Then gracious answers are returned.

Oh, that all may see that everything in obedience, in penitence, in praise and thanksgiving, must be placed upon the glowing fire of the righteousness of Christ. The fragrance of this righteousness ascends like a cloud around the mercy seat. (Manuscript 50, 1900)

The Seal of God and the Mark of the Beast --

Any discussion of Ezekiel 9 involving "the mark" is then associated with Revelation 7 involving the "sealing" of the 144,000.

The text in Revelation reads:    

I saw another angel ascending from the east having the SEAL of the living God: ... And I heard the number of them which were SEALED: and there were SEALED an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel (vs. 2, 4).

The antithesis of the "seal of God" in Revelation is the "mark of the beast" (14:9).

Because of little study and much less reflection on the Scriptures, many in Adventism give an elementary answer to what this "seal" and "mark" is.

These quickly respond that the "seal" is keeping the Sabbath, and the "mark" is keeping Sunday.

It is true the Roman Church claims in their catechisms, and other publications, that the change in the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday is an evidence of her power "to institute festivals of precept." Further, they boast that this change accepted by Protestants "is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the [Roman] Church." However, these admissions and boastings carry the "imprimatur" and "nihil obstat" of that Church. This is not the case when dealing with the single quotation from a papal source which designates this act as a "mark" of "her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters," and which is then used to define Sunday, as "the mark of the beast." Simple handling of truth demands that we have more substantial evidence than this, to so interpret Biblical symbolism which is given such prominence in prophecy.

First, let us consider the letter which is the basis for the documentation of the conclusion drawn. It was written in 1895 by J. F. Snyder of Bloomington, Illinois, to James Cardinal Gibbons, the leading Roman prelate in America at that time. H. F. Thomas, the office manager of the Diocesan office in Baltimore replied.

Currently, the only source available to me of this exchange is in the book, Facts of Faith (pp. 292-293), One part of Snyder's letter, quoted verbatim is the phrase, "as a mark of her power" in reference to the change of the Sabbath. The Chancellor's reply is quoted (in full, or in part is not indicated) and reads:       Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change was her act. It could not have been otherwise, as none in those days would have dreamed of doing anything in matters spiritual and ecclesiastical without her. And the act is a mark of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters.

The word, "mark" used by Thomas, was suggested by Snyder. However, the Chancellor's letter does not carry the official imprimatur of the Papal Church. To base a concept of what is "the mark of the beast," which is so pointedly discussed in the book of Revelation, on this single letter in which the idea of "mark" was suggested by the questioner is itself open to question.

In 1995, the first 825 page English edition of the new Catechism of the Catholic Church was published by Doubleday, to be followed in 1997 by a 904 page second edition revised in accordance with the official Latin text promulgated by Pope John Paul II. Both editions carried the Apostolic Constitution, Fidei Depositum in which the Pope declared the Catechism "to be a sure norm for teaching the faith and thus a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion" (p. 5, 2nd Edition).

Nowhere in this new Catechism do you find stated as is to be found in The Convert's Catechism of Catholic Doctrine. It read:

Q.  Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
A.  We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the Council of Laodicea (AD. 336), transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday (p.50)

This Catechism not only carried a double imprimatur as well as a nihil obstat, but also its author, Peter Geiermann, received a letter of commendation from the Vatican bestowing the Apostolic Blessing of Pius X, expressing the Pope's appreciation of his "zealous efforts ... for the spread of the knowledge of the True Faith" (p.3).

Nor can there be found as stated in A Doctrinal Catechism by Stephen Keenan which read:

Q.  Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept?
A.  Has she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionist agree with her; - she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday the sevenith day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority. (p.174).

This catechism carried the imprimatur of Cardinal McCloskey, Archbishop of New York (circa 1876).

The new Catechism of the Catholic Church holds:       The celebration of Sunday observes the moral commandment inscribed by nature in the human heart to render to God an outward, visible, public, and regular worship "as a sign of His universal beneficence to all." Sunday worship fulfils the moral command of the Old Covenant, taking up the rhythm and spirit in the weekly celebration of the Creator and Redeemer of His people. (#2176, 2nd Edition)

Prior to this conclusion, it sets for the Sabbath as "the seventh day" giving Scriptural reference, noting that it not only recalled the creative acts of God, but that it also serves as "a memorial of Israel's liberation from bondage in Egypt" (#2170, 2nd ed.; emphasis theirs). Further, it is stated: "God entrusted the sabbath to Israel to keep as a sign of the irrevocable covenant. The Sabbath is for the Lord, holy and set apart for the praise of God, His work of creation, and His saving actions on behalf of Israel" (#2171, ibid.) Following this section on the Sabbath is a section on "The Lord's Day." How is its observance in place of the Sabbath justified? As an edict of Rome to show the power of the Church to change the day? Does it become a "mark" of her authority in religious matters? No! Note carefully:        Jesus rose from the dead "on the first day of the week." Because it is the first day," the day of Christ's Resurection recalls the first creation. Because it is the "eighth day" following the sabbath, it symbolizes the new creation ushered in by Christ's Resurrection. For Christians it has become the first of all days, the first feast of all feasts, the Lord's Day (he kuriake hemera, dies dominica) - Sunday (#2174, sec. ed.)

They reason further - "Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the sabbath. In Christ's Passover, Sunday fulfils the spiritual truth of the Jewish sabbath and announces man's eternal rest in God" (#2175).

[It is of interest to observe that "sabbath" is never capitalized in these sections of the Catechism, while "Sunday" and "the Lord's Day" are. It is also of interest to observe that the text of Scripture used to preface the section on "The Lord's Day" is from the Psalms (118:24) - "This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" - a text frequently used by Protestants in their justification of Sunday, especially the Church of Christ. In his encyclical, Dies Domini, John Paul II declares, "Rightly, then, the Psalmist's cry is applied to Sunday" and quotes this text. (#2)]

The next section in the Catechism is captioned - "The Sunday Eucharist." It dare not be overlooked.

The first sentence reads - "The Sunday celebration of the Lord's Day and his Eucharist is at the heart of the Church's life" (emphasis supplied).

Then the Codex luris Canonici is quoted: "Sunday is the day on which the paschal mystery is celebrated in light of the apostolic tradition and is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church" (#2177).

This same Codex is quoted further as "the law of the Lord" stating that "On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass."

"The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice" (#2181).

It is on this point that the Catechism calls for legislation:    

In respecting religious liberty and the common good of all, Christians should seek recognition of Sundays and the Church's holy days as legal holidays. They have to give to everyone a public example of prayer, respect, and joy and defend their traditions as a precious contribution to the spiritual life of society. (#2188).

This objective, officially stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, reflects the plans of Rome as stated in The Liberal Illusion by Louis Veuillot in 1866 which read:      

When the time comes and men realize that the social edifice must be rebuilt according to eternal standards, be it tomorrow or centuries from now, the Catholics will arrange things to suit said standards. ... They will make obligatory the religious observance of Sunday on behalf of the whole of society, and for its own good, revoking the permit for free-thinkers and Jews to celebrate incognito, Monday or Saturday on their own account. (p.63; the author's emphasis).

Observe closely the wording - "revoking the permit ... to celebrate incognito" (in secret) the Sabbath. This gives an enlarged perspective to the whole question. It will not only be what is perceived as necessary for the good of "the whole of society" - "the religious observance of Sunday" - but also what you individually will be forbidden to do, even secretly, that which God commands to done - "Keep my sabbaths" (Lev. 26:2).

The test will not be a Sunday closing law which forbids work on Sunday such as could be termed a "National Sunday Law" but what is perceived by Rome as "the religious observance" of Sunday.

This "religious observance" is clearly defined in the Catechism - the celebration of the Mass!

Another factor in this picture needs to be considered. As noted above, the Catechism declares "the Sunday Eucharist" as "the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice." (par. 2181)

Further, participation in the Sunday Eucharist "is a testimony of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and to his Church" (par. 2182).

In light of the fact that the Scripture indicates that the "mark" can be received in the forehead, or in the hand (Rev. 14:9), the significance of how the Mass is received needs careful consideration. In a section captioned -

"How to Receive Communion" - the first sentence reads, "Holy Communion may be received on the tongue or in the hand ..." (Handbook for Today's Catholic, p.42). The desired response is then indicated:       When the minister of the Eucharist addresses the communicant with the words, "The Body of Christ," "The Blood of Christ," the communicant responds, "Amen."

What is the meaning and significance of this mental assent?       When the minister raises the eucharistic bread or wine, this is an invitation for the communicant to make an Act of Faith to express his or her belief in the Eucharist, to manifest a need and desire for the Lord to accept the good news of Jesus' paschal mystery.

A clear and meaningful "Amen" is your response to this invitation. In this way you profess your belief in the presence of Christ in the eucharistic bread and wine as well as in his Body, the Church. (ibid.)

Whether the "bread" rests in my hand, or in my mouth, my mind, literally my fore-head gives consent, and I am a member of the Body of Rome.

However, I have also given consent recognizing the blasphemous assertion of Rome that a man (the priest) can create the Lord Jesus Christ and offer him in sacrifice. This is truly "in place of," the significance and meaning of the Greek word, AntiChrist (anticristoV), in place of Christ. [The Greek preposition, anti, means "in place of " rather than our English usage of "anti" - against.]

The Three Angels' Messages place in direct contrast two calls "to worship."
One, in connection with the "everlasting gospel," is "to worship Him" who has the genuine power to create (Rev. 14:7).

The other is a dire warning of judgment for "any man" who worships "the beast and his image" (v. 9). It must be clearly understood, that one does not worship a day, but he worships on a day some Person, or object Who or which is declared worthy of adoration.

There can be no question but that the Sabbath is the memorial of the creative action of God, blessed and sanctified by His resting thereon (Gen. 2:3).

Further, in the irrevocable Ten Words, God asked that this day be remembered and kept holy, because He did create the "heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is" in six days, and "rested on the seventh day" (Ex. 20:8, 11).

When this law was repeated to Israel before they entered the Promised Land, the Sabbath was prefaced with a second call to "remember" another and different manifestation of the power of God.

Moses said:       And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day" (Deut 5:15).

Pope John Paul II in his encyclical, Dies Domini, picks up on this factor and uses it as the basis for the change from Sabbath to Sunday. He wrote, "The connection between the Sabbath rest and the theme of 'remembering' is found also in the Book of Deuteronomy where the precept is grounded less in the work of creation than in the liberation accomplished by God in the Exodus" (#17). After quoting Deuteronomy 5:15, he adds - "This formulation complements the one we have already seen [creation], and taken together, the two reveal the meaning of  'the Lord's Day ' with a single theological vision which fuses creation and salvation" (ibid.) Then he concludes:      What God accomplished in creation and wrought for his People in the Exodus has found its fullest expression in Christ's Death and Resurrection. ... It was in the Paschal Mystery that humanity ... came to know its new "exodus" into the freedom of God's children who cry out with Christ, "Abba, Father!" In the light of this mystery, the meaning of the Old testament precept concerning the Lord's Day is recovered, perfected and fully revealed in the glory which shines on the face of the Risen Christ. We move from the "Sabbath" to the "first day after the Sabbath," from the seventh day to the first day: the dies Domini becomes dies Christi! (#18).

We must never forget that connected with the First Angel's Message to "worship Him who made," is the "everlasting gospel" (Rev. 14:6), with its deliverance from sin.

On Friday, Jesus finished the work given Him to do, and "rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment." On the first day, He arose to begin a new phase of His saving ministry - a Heavenly Priesthood - which will end when He comes again the second time "without sin unto salvation" (Heb. 9:28).

The Seal of God involves not only the observance of the Sabbath as the memorial of God's creative work, but also the Gospel of God's redemptive work in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. On the other hand, the Mark of the Beast involves the first day of the week of Rome's sanctification and the false gospel in the worship and sacrifice of a wafer-god created by man.

What is the seal of the living God, which is placed in the foreheads of His people? It is a mark which angels, but not human eyes, can read; for the destroying angel must see this mark of redemption. The intelligent mind has seen the sign of the cross of Calvary in the Lord's adopted sons and daughters. The sin of the transgression of the law of God is taken away. They have on the wedding garment, and are obedient and faithful to all God's commands. (Letter 126, 1898)

We would suggest to all that in reading the issues of WWN beginning with XXXV-1(02)until we complete our search of that which we need to both "learn and unlearn" that you check each reference carefully in your Bible. If you have either questions or challenges, we would be happy to receive them for our further study and/or reply. --- (2002 Feb)

*******

A MARK and A SEAL.

We have ideas about how things could be and we can't stop studying all of this because we aren't not given definite details.

We know there will be a MARK of the BEAST.
We know there will be a SEAL of GOD.

We know that in the very last days people will have one or the other. There will be NO ONE who escapes, none in between.  ONE or the OTHER.

You will be MARKED or SEALED.

Our Heavenly High Priest is ministering in the Heavenly Sanctuary and when that ministry is over, when that Sanctuary has been cleansed, at that point He will return, at that point all His people will be Sealed and all of Satan's people will be Marked.

People just DO NOT want to believe this is something that is really going to happen. People don't want to believe that evil will finally end. People don't want to believe that their actions one way or another matter at all. Yet we look at the people God chose in the Old Testament- Israel- and we can tell that actions matter.

When Christ came, He suffered and died for us becoming all that every sacrifice offered up to His death signified. No longer did any animal sacrifice matter because the SON OF GOD became our SACRIFICE!

The earthly sanctuary had fulfilled it's purpose. The heavenly sanctuary was beginning it's purpose.

More on this tomorrow by the GRACE of our LORD! We NEED to comprehend more and by the GRACE of our LORD, we will.

All through our SAVIOR'S amazing LOVE!

We must believe Christ CAN and WILL clothe us in HIS righteousness!

In the beginning…  man sinned. When man sinned they divested themselves of the glory of God. That glory of God covered them in His light.

Isa_60:1  Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

The following excerpt is from an earlier study-

'Gen 2:25  And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

They had no artificial coverings but were rather covered by the light of God. Covered as God is.

Psa 104:1  Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
Psa 104:2  Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain

Gen. 3:7 - we find Adam and Eve sinned.  And suddenly they're hiding from God, now they're ashamed even covered with fig leaves. They don't feel covered even though they are.  They are NO longer covered in the light of God- it's gone.  They are hiding their nakedness of soul from God- trying to hide it. It wasn't just their fleshy nakedness it was more, much more.

Gen 3:21  Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

God made a coat of skin - killing an animal to use it's skin to cover Adam and Eve's flesh nakedness.

Rev 16:15  Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

Note: this is the ONLY place in the book of Revelation that Jesus speaks between chap 3 and chap 21.

We cannot understand this verse in Rev. unless we understand this verse in Genesis!

Garments/nakedness/shame

People will be found at the end time naked and filled with shame- just like in Genesis. '

Continuing…

As soon as mankind sinned the were naked.  WHAT is that telling us?! Seriously? We have to think about this fact.  So many people think physical nakedness is what it's all about in a sexual way, but that's not true. How could Adam and Eve be naked all that time and not care? What about sinning brought on their recognition of their nakedness? They didn't have clothing as we know it taken from them. They weren't suddenly stripped of their physical clothing. It was a sudden realization that it was GOD and HIS righteousness that clothed them.

When you cut yourself off from your source of light, you become dark.  Yes?

When mankind cut themselves off from God, they became dark.  There was NO righteousness to cover them any longer. They realized they were naked because God's righteousness was removed from them! No wonder they quickly hid themselves and tried to fashion clothing. They didn't have ANY concept of nudity being a sexual taboo, none!  It wasn't SEXUAL! They wanted God's righteousness back! They wanted His glory that shone upon them to cover them. They were now vulnerable on their own and they knew it!

We still NEED God's righteousness!

GOD had to kill the first animals to give Adam and Eve a proper covering. It paled significantly in comparison to God's righteousness that covered them, but it was a covering given them from God. God was teaching them right then and there, that their sin warranted the DEATH of the first animals. Death to animals they'd cared for and known since their beginning. Death to those animals and the skin that belonged to those animals was now covering them.

The significance of this ALL is astounding if you really stop and think about it all.

That first sin, the loss that it caused is still upon us today and will remain upon us until we accept that we have to be clothed by GOD. We cannot fashion our own clothes and expect them to cover the stain of sin upon us.

Our Savior took on our flesh. Our Savior died in our flesh. Our Savior fashioned the clothes we need by sacrificing His life!   The life of animals died for our first clothes, but those animals deaths could NOT cloth us in their righteousness, they had NONE.  Only Christ clothing us in HIS righteousness can save us!

Clothe us LORD!

Forgive us!

Please clothe us in YOUR righteousness most amazing LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST!

Please help us to realize that just as the earthly high priest needed special garments before entering the most holy place, we need special garments provided solely by our SAVIOR, our HEAVENLY HIGH PRIEST whose righteousness alone can save us, before we can enter His presence.  We must ALLOW HIM to clothe us! We must BELIEVE HE CAN clothe us and STOP trying to fashion our own clothing- our own righteousness!

ALL BY YOUR GRACE LORD JESUS, OUR SAVIOR, OUR LOVE!

Special Garments

Why special garments?

We dress up usually when we have an important event to attend, right? We dress up for something 'special'. We don't wear our everyday working clothes for special events. We save our special clothes for special things.

On the Day of Atonement the High Priest was dressed in special clothes.

Lev 16:4  He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.

Holy garments.

Linen garments.

Only dressed in these holy garments could he enter the sanctuary, the most holy place of the sanctuary.

And get this--

Rev_3:4  Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

'Walk with me in white'  'not defiled their garments'.  

Who is being talked about here?  Those who would be CHRIST'S.

Mat 22:1  And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
Mat 22:2  The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
Mat 22:3  And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
Mat 22:4  Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
Mat 22:5  But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
Mat 22:6  And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
Mat 22:7  But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Mat 22:8  Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
Mat 22:9  Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
Mat 22:10  So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
Mat 22:11  And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
Mat 22:12  And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Mat 22:13  Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 22:14  For many are called, but few are chosen.

A man which had NOT on a wedding garment.
Bind him hand and foot and take him away cast him into outer darkness.

No WEDDING GARMENT no place at the WEDDING.  This is a parable about the Kingdom of Heaven.

And then we have this-

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

The Laodiceans, poor, blind, and naked.
Buy of Christ- White Raiment.

Rev_3:5  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Clothed in white raiment.

We must be clothed in the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST.

Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Rev 19:9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Let's continue with our study--

Taken from-  '2002 Feb -- XXXV -- 2(02) -- "Mark a Tau"'

Continuing...

"Joshua was Clothed with Filthy Garments" -- The revelation given to Zechariah in the vision of the third chapter demands careful study.

Joshua, the high priest stands in judicial review before, "the angel of the Lord" with "Satan standing at his (Joshua's) right hand to resist him" (v.1). As the vision unfolds, this Angel is designated simply as "the Lord" (v. 2) and His redemptive powers as the Messiah are revealed (v. 4). Further, this Divine Messenger proclaims the promise and the objective of the Lord of hosts to be realized by His messianic servant, "the BRANCH" (vs. 7-8). There is a close relationship between these verses and the revelation in Chapter 6:12-13, which reveals "The BRANCH" as the One who will accomplish the design of "the counsel of peace which was between the Two of Them" (Heb).


Here in Zechariah 3 are all the elements symbolized in the services of the typical Day of Atonement:

The mingled (((TWO BLOODS)))) blood of the bullock and the Lord's goat to accomplish the final cleansing (the action of the (((ONE)))) Messianic Lord and the decree of the (((TWO)))) Lord of hosts. (((BETWEEN THEM BOTH- TWO))))

The scapegoat for Azazel (Satan standing at the right hand of Joshua)

The High Priest carrying in himself the sins of the children of Israel, and placing them on the head of the scapegoat (Joshua clothed in filthy garments)

And the ultimate atonement, the removal of the uncleanness of the children of Israel (the change of raiment and the removal of all iniquity). (See Leviticus 16).

In this vision given to Zechariah, the High Priest is standing for the people as the mediator between them and Jehovah.

When the office was instituted, not only was the high priest to carry Israel in symbol in the two onyx stones set in gold placed on his shoulders (Ex. 28:11-12) and in the breastplate (28:29); but there was a special significance to the plate of pure gold which he was to wear on his forehead on which were engraved the words, "HOLINESS TO THE LORD" (28:36) The instruction states:      And it (the plate) shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel shall hallow in their holy gifts, and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord" (Ez. 28:38)

Keil & Delitzsch make a very enlightening comment on this verse. It reads:  

The high priest was exalted into an atoning mediator of the whole nation, and an atoning sin-exterminating intercession was associated with his office. The qualification for this he received from the diadem upon his forehead with the inscription "holiness to the Lord." Through this inscription, which was fastened upon his head-dress of brilliant white, the earthly reflection of holiness, he was crowned as sanctified to the Lord, and endowed with the power to exterminate the sin which clung to the holy offerings of the people on account of the unholiness of their nature, so that the gifts of the nation became well-pleasing to the Lord, and the good pleasure of God was manifest to the nation. (Commentary of the Old Testament, Vol.1, pp.203-204)

When we understand that the Aaronic priesthood was but typical of the reality, Jesus Christ, High Priest forever after the Order of Melchizedec, then the "sin exterminating intercession" which was basic in the final atonement, takes on renewed significance in the light of the vision to Zechariah.

First, Joshua, standing for the people, could NOT remove his filthy garments. They had to be TAKEN from him.

The command was given by the Divine Messenger, "Take away the filthy garments from him" (3:4). Joshua could refuse, knowing the result - he would at some point be naked before the Lord. He had a choice. Either respond as did Adam, and make himself a garment of "fig leaves," or accept the provision of the Divine Mediator: "I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will give thee a change of raiment."

It is either faith or works, my works to achieve perfection, or faith to believe what the great High Priest says He will and can do.

The message of the type declared plainly that the High Priest alone accomplished the cleansing on the typical Day of Atonement.

The vision given to Zechariah states likewise that the Divine Messenger, The BRANCH, will do for man that which he cannot do for himself, take away his "filthy garments" and give him a change of raiment.

The concept that the high priest stood for Israel before God is echoed in the New Testament motif of being "in Christ."

"Ye are complete in Him" (Col. 2:10)
"Your life is hid with Christ in God" (3:3)
"If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature" (II Cor. 5:17).

 Even the hope of the resurrection is based in this relationship: "the dead in Christ shall arise first" (I Thess. 4:16).
"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive" (I Cor. 15:22).

It was Paul's desire to "be found in Him, not having [his] own righteousness, which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith" (Phil. 3:9).

More on this study tomorrow by the grace of GOD.

We need Christ's righteousness. We need to have our filthy garments- our unrighteousness taken from us. We can't take it off ourselves it must be taken off of us by our Savior.  And once it's taken off of us, only our Savior can clothe us in HIS righteousness.  Just as God had to clothe Adam and Eve, their attempt at clothing themselves wasn't enough.  Our attempts to clothe ourselves in righteousness is not enough, Christ must clothe us with HIS clothing.

Please LORD help us to understand this more fully, give us the comprehension, the heart knowledge that we need.

All in YOUR LOVE SAVIOR!

In-depth Studying - While Our High Priest Ministers in Heaven

Marked/Sealed.

We all will either have the Mark of the Beast, or the Seal of God.

We've been discussing the Sanctuary and the reason we've been discussing the 'Mark/Seal' in connection with that is because the 'man clothed in linen' in Ezekiel 9 is mentioned, and the High Priest on the Day of Atonement was 'clothed in linen'.  Is there a connection- we have to explore the possibility and that's what we've been doing.
 

By the grace of God let us continue--

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Taken from-  '2002 Feb -- XXXV -- 2(02) -- "Mark a Tau"'

'The Chapter also contains a revelation of a description of the work of the men with slaughtering weapons. These execute the wrath of God against those who have filled Jerusalem with "a wresting of judgment" (v.9, margin), a stretching or bending of what is right, while making it more acceptable, mitigates its witness.

(((Eze 9:2  And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.

Eze 9:9  Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.

American Standard Verision-

Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of wrestling of judgment : for they say, Jehovah hath forsaken the land, and Jehovah seeth not.))))

On the typical Day of Atonement, there was to be soul affliction, and the one not so doing, would be cut off. (Lev. 23:29).

(((Lev 23:29  For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. ))))

 "Soul affliction" is incompatible with "a wresting of judgment."

While the "man clothed in linen" is doing his work of "marking" those sighing and crying in their "soul affliction;" others also under the direct command of God do their work against those who are perverting the way of God. They slay "utterly" beginning at God's sanctuary with "the ancient men which are before the house" (9:6). There is much to learn from this prophecy, so as not to make a wrong interpretation or application.

The "man clothed in linen" does not pass from view, for in the next phase of this extended vision shown to Ezekiel, He again appears, but minus "the writer's inkhorn" (10:2, 6, 7). The marking had been done. (9:11). Now another command awaits him. This command and the symbolism connected with it demands our careful study.

From the throne (10:1) the "man clothed in linen" was instructed -       Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city." (10:2)

These cannot be considered "coals" of destruction, because the men with slaughtering weapons had already slain "utterly" all who had not been marked (9:6).

Those remaining in the city were only the marked ones, and on these were scattered "the coals of fire from between the cherubim." Here again we see the mingled blood (Lev. 16:18)

(((Lev 16:18  And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about. ))))

of the final atonement - the Man clothed in linen, who marked His people with a "mark of redemption;" and the One on the throne who provided "coals of fire" for their cleansing. (See Isaiah. 6:6-7)

(((Isa 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:

Isa 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.

 Then "the court was full of the brightness of the Lord's glory" (Eze. 10:4).

Is this again alluded to in Revelation 18:1 - "and the earth [the court] was lightened with his glory"?

(((Truly there is so much here to consider. The possible connections, the knowledge we need.  And we need the knowledge because our MEDIATOR, our HIGH PRIEST is now in HEAVEN in the HEAVENLY SANCTUARY and HE IS performing the necessary work of a High Priest on the Day of Atonement, He is cleansing the sanctuary and once the heavenly sanctuary is cleansed our SAVIOR returns!  We need to know whatever we can about all of this.   Those who were slaughtered by the slaughtering weapons were NOT SEALED by the man in linen.  The High Priest on the Day of Atonement did ALL His work clothed in special linen garments. WHILE He was working, those who are to receive the cleansing are AFFLICTING their souls, they are fasting, they are not doing any work, they are totally absorbed with their need of cleansing.  Those who are God's, those who would be God's as our High Priest cleansing the Heavenly Sanctuary must realize their need of cleansing.  There will be a great 'slaughter', many will die, in fact all those who are NOT God's will die when Christ returns.

2Th_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 Thessalonians 1:7-9, "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;"

Revelation 6:14-17, "And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"

Revelation 19:11-18, "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great."))))

May God Bless us, please LORD, please, bless us and keep us IN YOU!

All by YOUR grace.

All by YOUR love!

Man in Linen Garments

We are about to conclude this particular part of this study but we aren't going to leave the Sanctuary study altogether just yet. There is just so incredibly much for us to learn and yes, unlearn.  We have to comprehend what is going on if we desire to know what's going on in our lives. Yes, our lives. This affects every single one of us, eternally.  To know what our Savior is doing for us. To note the closeness of the return of our Savior, all this is very important. When we keep ourselves in the dark, uncaring, unconcerned, we risk our eternity. We are told by our Savior to pray and to WATCH.

When we stop learning, when we stop caring, we lose out on the blessings that our Savior wants us to have through the knowledge He has left for us.

Please, bless us LORD, help us to find understanding in Your truth!

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From- "LET THEM MAKE ME A SANCTUARY" XXXV - 1 (02)-

'A Connecting Link

On the Day of Atonements, special holy garments were designated for the High  Priest to wear. He was to be clothed in linen from his head miter to his ankles. (Lev. 16:4).

Careful observation of this fact, links other Scriptures into the study of the Day of Atonements and God's design in its realization.

In Ezekiel 9, the man with a "writer's inkhorn" by his side was "clothed with linen" (v.2).
This is emphasized three times (vs. 2, 3, 11).

(((Eze 9:2  And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and ONE man among them was CLOTHED WITH LINEN, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.
Eze 9:3  And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the MAN CLOTHED WITH LINEN, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side;

Eze 9:11  And, behold, the MAN CLOTHED WITH LINEN, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me. ))))

 In Zechariah 3, there is another symbolic representation of filthy garments and a change of
raiment. An interesting comment is made concerning this text of Scripture:

"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"  (5T:472).

We shall note these two visions of Scripture as we continue our  "learning" and "unlearning" investigation. '

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And that concludes that particular WWN and with that conclusion we have been introduced to and extended study which is picked up in the next WWN.

2002 Feb -- XXXV -- 2(02) -- "Mark a Tau"

 "Mark a Tau" -- The Tau is the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

This was the mark which the "man clothed in linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side" was instructed to place on the foreheads of those "that sigh and cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst" of Jerusalem. (Ezekiel 9:2, 4).

(((Eze 9:2  And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.

Eze 9:4  And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. ))))

The margin in the KJV gives the literal rendering to verse 4, "mark a mark."

Besides being the name of the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, it had a word meaning as well.

It meant a mark or a sign "especially in the form of a cross."

"It is related of the synod of Chalcedon, and other oriental synods, that the bishops who could not write their names affixed the mark of the cross instead of them; and this is common at the present day in the case of persons who cannot write" (Gesenius, Hebrew & English Lexicon of the Old Testament, art., "tau," p. 1121).

All of this data could open up speculative interpretations which should be avoided.

The context within this vision given to Ezekiel suggests that the concept of the Tau as the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet has merit. It is placed upon the foreheads of a "last" people of God.

Throughout this vision, the "man" who places the tau is described as "clothed in linen" (vs. 2, 3, 11).

(((Eze 9:2  And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and ONE man among them was CLOTHED WITH LINEN, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.
Eze 9:3  And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the MAN CLOTHED WITH LINEN, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side;

Eze 9:11  And, behold, the MAN CLOTHED WITH LINEN, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me. ))))

This was the type of cloth of which the attire of the High Priest on the Day of Atonement was made. (Lev. 16:4).

(((Lev 16:4  He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.))))

The "man clothed in linen" with the other six having slaughtering weapons in their hands, come and stand at the brazen altar where the last act of reconciliation was performed ceremonially on that day. (Lev. 16:18-20). He who was enthroned above the cherubim moved to the threshold of the sanctuary, and gave commandment to the man clothed in linen at the Altar.

(((Lev 16:18  And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.
Lev 16:19  And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
Lev 16:20  And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat))))

In the book of Revelation, this last group, those which are "redeemed from among men," have "the Father's name written in their foreheads" (Rev. 14:4, 1).

(((Rev 14:4  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

Rev 14:1  And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. ))))

We would not, nor could we conceive suggesting that God signs His name with an "x." However, the Father has been closely identified with the Cross. He "was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself" (II Cor. 5:19). In Revelation, the vision of God upon the throne includes the "Lamb as it had been slain" standing in the midst.

In the typical service of the Day of Atonement, the objective concerned a select group of people - only those who had confessed their sins, and received the results of the first atonement, forgiveness.

Likewise the placing of the special mark is confined to a select group, those who sigh and cry for the abomination done in the midst of a special city, a city where God had placed His name.

In this vision of Ezekiel, the same One who would provide forgiveness, placed the mark on the recipients of that forgiveness. When "the man clothed in linen" completed his work, he reported back to the One seated on the cherubim (v.11).

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In this continuing study we have learned that the REDEEMED - who we hope to be among - have the FATHER'S name written on their foreheads.  

There is a sealing, and there is a mark. We know this!  Are they literal? I can't imagine they are. We know that our thoughts and actions actually reveal what we believe.  You can have anything on the outside of your body, any sort of mark but it doesn't necessarily mean it's what you believe. How many people have received tattoos of things that define them in the moment but fail to do so later on in life? Yet, our beliefs, our ideas, our thoughts, our actions, our reactions all of this defines us.   Do ideas, thoughts, actions, reactions change? Yes, praise God, YES! If they didn't we could never fall at the feet of our Savior repenting, seeking forgiveness, hoping in HIM for life eternal.

Could the mark be invisible yet there? Yes, it could.  There needs to be a lot more study and by the grace of God we will be studying much more.

The 'man in linen' - the High Priest on the Day of Atonement - the Heavenly High Priest ministering in heaven- our SAVIOR.    He ministers in the heavenly sanctuary for US. By His grace He will complete His work and we will be marked as HIS.

More on all of this tomorrow.

Please LORD, please bless us, keep us in YOU.

Open our hearts to all the understanding that we need.

All by YOUR GRACE and MERCY!