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ARME Bible Camp

Fresh Thoughts on the Sanctuary

Henry Cha

The Adventist Theology of the Sanctuary Re-examined, Part 1

The only reason why I told you that is because I know a lot of you don't know me.

I am from a, I come from a little town called Paradise in Northern California, up there in the mountains.

So I guess I could tell you this morning, in all honesty, that I came all the way down from Paradise to be with you here this morning.

There's so much I want to share with you this morning, but there won't be enough time.

I can be here all day talking to you about the sanctuary.

As you know, it's the stuff that makes us who we are.

The sanctuary is what defines us as a people.

And the moment we marginalize that, the moment we compromise on that, we have just lost our reason for being.

So how many of you are prepared for a hardcore Bible study this morning?

I guarantee you that what you will be hearing this morning is not the same thing you heard 30 years ago or maybe 10 years ago.

This is a deeper, broader, fresher look at the sanctuary doctrine.

I took an interest in this message a long time ago, but it's only been 2 or 3 years ago that I really, really understood what it meant.

I'm so privileged this morning to be here to be your speaker.

It's a wonderful privilege and I thank the staff at Army for inviting me to be 1 of the presenters this morning.

I'd like to begin our study by quoting Volume 5 of the Testimony, page 520.

Here she says, we are in the great day of what?

The great day of atonement and The sacred work of Christ for the people of God that is going on at the present time in the heavenly sanctuary should be our, what?

And again, from Volume 5 of the Testimonies, page 575, the great plan of redemption as revealed in the closing work of these last days should receive what?

The scenes connected with the sanctuary above should make such an impression upon the minds and hearts of all that they may be able to impress others.

If you want to impress others, it has nothing to do with how you dress.

If you want to impress others, what should you share with them?

All need to become more intelligent in regard to the work of the atonement, which is going on in the sanctuary above.

When this grand truth is seen and understood, those who hold it will work in harmony with Christ to prepare a people to stand in the great day of God and their efforts will be a failure.

What is the secret of a successful evangelistic effort?

If You want to impress others, point people to where Jesus is right now in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary.

What is the reason why we need to study the sanctuary?

You know, I hear a lot of people saying, I don't need to study the sanctuary as long as I am good and I do not do anything bad.

As long as I am good and I do not do anything bad, I don't need to study the sanctuary.

The study of the sanctuary is not optional.

Let me share with you at least 7 reasons why we need to get into the sanctuary.

The sacred work of Christ at the present time must be our constant study.

It must receive close examination, as Alan Jew White said.

And we need to become more intelligent in regard to the work of atonement going on in the heavenly sanctuary.

And you may be familiar with this next statement from Great Controversy 488 where she says, the subject of the sanctuary must be what now?

Otherwise, it would be impossible for them to exercise the faith that is essential at this time, or to occupy the position God designs them to fill.

If we don't understand the sanctuary, if we are not grounded in the sanctuary service message, it will be impossible to exercise what?

The faith that is essential at this time.

Not the faith that was essential at this time.

Not the faith that was essential in the time of Martin Luther, or even in the time of John, but the faith that is needed at this time.

Let me give you 7 reasons why we need to study the sanctuary.

The sanctuary is both the foundation and central pillar of our faith.

The scripture which above all others had been both the foundation and the central pillar of the Advent faith was the declaration unto 2, 300 days, then what?

What is the central pillar and foundation of our faith?

The message of the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary.

The message of the cleansing of the sanctuary in heaven has more to do than just the cleansing of furnitures, the altars.

It has to do more with the cleansing of God's people.

That is why we should take an interest in this.

The Sanctuary Service message is present truth.

There are many precious truths contained in the word of God, but it is present truth that the flock needs now." What do we need now?

I have seen the danger of the messengers running off from the important points of present truth to dwell upon subjects that are not calculated to unite the flock and sanctify the soul.

Satan will here take every possible advantage to endure the cause.

But such subjects as the sanctuary in connection with the 2, 300 days, the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, are perfectly calculated to explain the past Advent movement and show what our present position is, establish the faith of the doubting, and give certainty to the glorious future.

These I have frequently seen were the principal subjects on which the messengers should dwell." If you want to know what present truth is, it's right there.

The sanctuary in connection with the 2, 300 days and the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus is shorthand for the third angel's message.

So this is the stuff that makes us who we are.

You take away these, we have no more reason for being.

So that's the stuff that we are going to share this morning is the stuff that makes us who we are.

The third reason, to understand the work of Jesus in the Heavenly Sanctuary.

We study the Mosaic Sanctuary and the services that were conducted there so we can get a better handle on what Jesus is doing right now for us in the Heavenly Sanctuary.

When we look at the type, we understand the anti-type.

The Adventist Theology of the Sanctuary Re-examined, Part 2

Gracious loving Father in Heaven, thank you so much that we have a message, Lord, at this time.

Thank you that Jesus is continuously interceding for us in the most holy place.

And He is still offering pardon and justification even though we are living in the time of judgment.

Thank you Lord that we have the opportunity this morning to share this beautiful message Lord.

May we understand the truth that belongs to our peace right now.

Speak to these people who are called by your name.

So this is part 2 of our study into the sanctuary.

We're looking at the Adventist theology of the sanctuary, except we are looking at it from a deeper, broader, and fresher perspective.

Why is there a need for another service on the Day of Atonement if forgiveness and justification have already been obtained for the worshippers during the daily service?

Do you understand what this question is asking?

If the day of service is so good, so beautiful, brought us forgiveness and righteousness by faith, and our defects of characters are not shown and we are accepted as if we have not sinned.

In Ephesians chapter 1, again verses 5-7, we are accepted in the Beloved, and this is all daily service benefit, available even in the time of Paul, in the time of the Apostles, in the time of Martin Luther.

Even though we have forgiveness of sins, why do we need another service?

Colossians 1.28, we are perfect in Christ Jesus already.

Colossians 2.10, we are complete in Him already, in Christ.

We stand perfect and complete in all the will of God right now.

And we are all members of the Church of the Firstborn, who are justified by faith, made perfect through the blood of the sprinkling.

By the way, do you know what the blood of the sprinkling is a reference to here?

The blood had to be sprinkled before atonement could be made and the sin forgiven.

So the work of atonement in the heavenly sanctuary, where Jesus is sprinkling his blood, so to speak, crying out, Father, my blood, my blood, gives us his perfection.

We are covered by the robe of His righteousness after our sin is taken away and transferred to the sanctuary.

We have the impartation of the Holy Spirit.

Aren't we all enjoying that this morning?

Our tears flow every time we know our sins are forgiven.

We jump up and down with joy because we know that Jesus lives in our hearts in sanctification.

Romans 8 verse 1 says, There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.

This is a beautiful passage and it's yours even now.

In Romans 5, verse 1, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

In the words of Ellen White again, Christ's perfect character stands in place of our defective characters.

And we are accepted before God just as if We have not sinned.

Our imperfection is no longer seen, for we are clothed with the robe of Christ's righteousness.

Why is it that Aaron had to go into the most holy place on the day of atonement and make another atonement to cleanse you that you may be cleaned from all your sins before the Lord.

What's the point of making another atonement when atonement was already done every day?

To forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and to present us, every man here, every single person here, perfect in Christ Jesus.

Do you see the point of the question, folks?

This is where we come in as Seventh-day Adventists now.

This is where the rubber hits the road as far as we are concerned.

This is the reason why the Seventh-day Adventist Church was established.

Because God wants a people who will go through not just the daily service experience but the Day of Atonement experience as well.

What is the difference between the atonement that the daily priest, the common priests made every day in other words, and the atonement that was made by the high priest on the day of atonement?

If there is no difference, then there is no reason for us to be Seventh-day Adventists.

What is the difference between the work of cleansing that John writes about in 1 John 1, verse 9, where he says, if you confess your sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse you from all your unrighteousness.

What is the difference between that cleansing and the cleansing that we talk about here in Leviticus 16, verse 30.

To cleanse you that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.

Folks, if we can't tell the difference, we don't know why we are Seventh-day Adventists.

What is the difference between the cleansing John writes about in 1 John 1, verse 9 and Daniel 8, 14 and to 2, 300 days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

That's what we are here this morning to discover for.

If the priests went always into the first tabernacle accomplishing the service of God, resulting in the forgiveness of sin and justification by faith, then why did the high priest have to go alone once every year on the Day of Atonement to offer sacrifices for the errors of the people?

In a minute or so you will know what it is.

The reason why there was a need of another service called the Day of Atonement service, the reason for that is because the daily service, wonderful as it is, was an incomplete work, folks.

Forgiveness and being perfect in Christ is not God's final solution to the sin problem, folks.

God does not just want to keep forgiving you, you keep coming back and asking for more and he has to forgive you again, and you keep coming back for more.

Forgiveness, wonderful as it is, justification by faith, righteousness by faith, beautiful as it is, again, is not God's final solution to the sin problem.

The Day of Atonement is not just about cleansing of articles and furnitures and compartments, first tabernacle, first apartment, second apartment, but it's more importantly the cleansing of God's people.

So that you never again have to defile the sanctuary.

Might be a radical thought for so many of you.

The Great Disappointment of 1844 Revisited

I'd like to begin our talk this morning with a word of prayer, if that's okay.

Heavenly Father, the hour has come, Lord, for me to talk about 1844 and What it means for us today living in 2016, Father, use me in spite of myself, put your words in my mouth, hide me, Lord, behind you, forgive my sins So that everything that I will share today will be beneficial and will result in our lives being changed.

Thank you so much, Lord, for being so gracious.

I'd like to begin our little presentation this morning with this quote from Great Converse C409.

The scripture which above all others had been both the foundation and central pillar of the Advent faith was the declaration, "'Unto 2003 hundred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.'" Daniel 8.14.

These had been familiar words to all believers in the Lord's soon coming.

By the lips of thousands was this prophecy repeated as the watchword of their faith.

All felt that upon the events therein foretold depended their brightest expectations and most cherished hopes.

These prophetic days had been shown to terminate in the autumn of 1844.

With these beautiful words, how can 1844 turn out to be such a big mess for the Millerites?

Brightest expectations, most cherished hope, the watchword of their faith.

The Millerites associated the cleansing of the sanctuary with the second coming of Jesus.

And That message was the watchword of their faith, their brightest expectations, their most cherished hope.

Where do they base their presumptions or presuppositions from?

They took Daniel 8.14 and to 2, 300 days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

And they interpreted that to mean that the earth would be cleansed with fire at the end of 2, 300 days.

And Miller connected Daniel 8.14 with 2 Peter 3.11-12 which says what?

That the earth will burn like an oven at the second coming of Jesus.

So he connected these 2 words and came up with a theology that Jesus was coming in 1844 at the end of the 2, 300 days to cleanse the earth with fire.

They also took Daniel 7, 13 and 14, which says, I saw in the night visions, and behold, 1 like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near Him.

They took this verse to mean that Jesus was coming down here, and doing what?

Coming down here to establish a kingdom that will last forever.

A kingdom, a dominion which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that shall not be destroyed.

So he stringed together these 3 verses and came with the idea that Jesus was coming to purify the earth and also the church and then establish his kingdom on earth.

The result of that was the Millerites suffered not just 1, but 2 disappointments.

The first disappointment, the first great disappointment, was in the spring of 1844.

And the second disappointment, the second great disappointment, was the fall of 1844.

What is the difference between these 2 disappointments?

In the first great disappointment, no specific date was set.

Jesus was coming any time between the spring of 1843 to the spring of 1844.

And when that did not happen, they set a new date that Jesus was coming in October 22, 1844.

How did Miller come up with the idea that Jesus was coming any time between the spring of 1843 to the spring of 1844.

Here's what Ellen White says about what happened with William Miller when he was studying his Bible.

He had devoted 2 years to study the Bible when in 1818 he reached the solemn conviction that in about 25 years Christ would appear for the redemption of his people.

And here are the words of Miller himself.

I need not speak, says Miller, of the joy that filled my heart in view of the delightful prospect, not of the ardent longings of my soul for a participation in the joys of the redeemed.

All that was dark, mystical, or obscure to me in its teachings had been dissipated from my mind before the clear light that now dawned from its sacred pages.

And oh, how bright and glorious the truth appeared.

That in 25 years from 1818, he started studying his Bible.

The date is very important, very, very important, as you will see later on.

He became convicted that in 25 years from 1818, Jesus was going to come and cleanse the earth with fire.

How many of you are happy at the thought of Jesus is coming again?

From 1818, 25 years later would reach to what?

Now the Jewish year of 1844 would be any time between the spring of 1843 to the spring of 1844.

They go from spring to spring, whereas we go from January to December.

So William Miller taught that Jesus could come any time between the spring of 1843 to the spring of 1844.

Some of us, a lot of us think that Miller is responsible for the October 22, 1844 date.

I just want to put it out as a corrective.

He set no date because he understood what The Bible said, no man knoweth what?

So William Miller had nothing to do with this date.

They waited from the spring of 1843, they counted the months, fall of 1843, the winter of 1843, and then the spring of 1844 came and Jesus did not come.

What do we know about a second great disappointment?

Are you familiar with the Seventh month movement?

I think we need to understand a little bit more, just a little bit more about our history as well, on top of theology.

The 7th month movement is the movement that is responsible for coming up with the October 22 date.

What does that expression bring to your mind?

The 7th 7-month movement was founded by Samuel Snow.

1 morning, Joseph Bates was preaching after the first great disappointment, And while he was preaching, he was told to come down from the pulpit because Samuel Snow had just arrived and had a very important information to share with the congregation.

We were wrong about the spring to spring reckoning.

Because he discovered that the decree of Artaxerxes, how many of you know King Artaxerxes?

In 457 BC to allow the Jews to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, the city, the streets, and the walls thereof, was not made in the spring of 457 BC, but when?

So that was why they were disappointed about the spring to spring reckoning.

1844 came from Daniel 814 until 2300 days.

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Series

Fresh Thoughts on the Sanctuary

The Adventist Theology of the Sanctuary Re-examined, Part 2

Transcript

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Parts

The Adventist Theology of the Sanctuary Re-examined, Part 1

1h 14m

The Adventist Theology of the Sanctuary Re-examined, Part 2

1h 17m

The Great Disappointment of 1844 Revisited

56m

Sound Doctrine