I came across this reflective statement from the Spirit of Prophecy, namely: “The intercession of Christ in man’s behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential in the plan of salvation as was His death upon the Cross. By His death, He began that work which after His resurrection He ascended to complete in heaven. We must by faith enter within the veil, ‘whither the forerunner is for us entered’. Hebrews 6:20.” –The Great Controversy, p. 488–489
Absolutely profound! Teaming with the advent hope—a whole system of truth that unfolds in all its brilliance, carrying with it the most awe-inspiring insight into God’s plan to save humanity. Yet a road less traveled by those whose names are about to be called.
Dear Reader, I felt compelled to share it with you as upon deeper study it spoke volumes, a part of a larger study that everyone must study in its entirety. While this may be considered a known truth, sadly, however, today many hold only the theory of the truth, a truism. Yet still, some hold a euphoric misguided feeling about being in the Holy of Holies. For those who are searching it carries with it a reality, and a sense of prayerfulness, a sense of urgency as the work is at the very threshold, as it were, of the verge of the close of probation. To truly understand it we must draw heavily on the ceremonial service carried out in the time of the Aaronic priesthood. Declares the Spirit of Prophecy:
She warns: “Those who would share the benefits of the Saviour’s mediation should permit nothing to interfere with their duty to perfect holiness in the fear of God. The precious hours, instead of being given to pleasure, to display, or to gain seeking, should be devoted to an earnest prayerful study of the word of truth.” –Ibid., p. 488. She goes on to say, “The subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgment should be clearly understood by the people of God. All need a knowledge for themselves of the position and work of their great High Priest. Otherwise it will be impossible for them to exercise the faith which is essential at this time or to occupy the position for which God designs them to fill. Every individual has a soul to save or to lose. Each has a case pending at the bar of God. Each must meet the great Judge face to face”. –Ibid., p. 488.
“Solemn are the scenes connected with the closing work of the atonement. Momentous are the interests involved therein,” (–Ibid., p. 489) declares the writer of the Spirit of Prophecy for our time. “The sanctuary in heaven is the very center of Christ’s work in behalf of men. It concerns every soul living upon the earth. It opens to view the plan of redemption, bringing us down to the very close of time and revealing the triumphant issue of the contest between righteousness and sin. It is of the utmost importance that all should thoroughly investigate these subjects.” –Ibid., p. 488
Let us analyze this statement under consideration, the operative words are: “as essential”. In other words, Christ’s intercessory work is just as vital, just as indispensable in the grand culmination of the plan of salvation, without which it would be incomplete. Says Paul, “He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25 We only need to look at the previous sanctuary service under the Aaronic priesthood; there we find a complete system, yet it was a representation or a type of the real work going forward in heaven by the minister of the sanctuary—Christ. In this analysis, we will draw heavily on the Spirit of Prophecy instead of reinventing this wheel of truth that inspiration has already laid out for us.
While we will not be studying the first element of the plan of salvation—the blood offering—we must recognize that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin; however, it only half satisfies the law and only on the day of atonement its claims are met. Affirms the Pen of Inspiration: “. . . a substitute had been accepted in the sinner’s stead; but the blood of the victim had not made full atonement for the sin. It had only provided a means by which the sin was transferred to the sanctuary. By the offering of blood, the sinner acknowledged the authority of the law, confessed the guilt of his transgression, and expressed his faith in Him who was to take away the sin of the world; but he was not entirely released from the condemnation of the law. On the Day of Atonement the High Priest, having taken an offering for the congregation, went into the Most Holy place with the blood and sprinkled it upon the mercy seat, above the tables of the law. Thus the claims of the law, which demanded the life of the sinner, were satisfied. Then in his character of mediator the priest took the sins upon himself, and leaving the sanctuary, he bore with him the burden of Israel’s guilt. At the door of the tabernacle he laid his hand upon the head of the scapegoat and confessed over him ‘all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat’ . . . regarded as forever separated from the people. Such was the service performed ‘unto the example and shadow of heavenly things.’ Hebrew 8:5.” –Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 355
“As Christ at His ascension appeared in the presence of God to plead His blood in behalf of penitent believers, so the priest in the daily ministration sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice in the holy place in the sinner’s behalf. The blood of Christ, while it was to release the repentant sinner from the condemnation of the law, was not to cancel the sin; it would stand on record in the sanctuary until the final atonement; so in the type the blood of the sin offering removed the sin from the penitent, but it rested in the sanctuary until the Day of Atonement. In the great day of final award, the dead are to be ‘judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.’ Revelation 20:12. Then by virtue of the atoning blood of Christ, the sins of all the truly penitent will be blotted from the books of heaven. . . . Christ, our great High Priest is ‘a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.’ Hebrews 9:9, 23; 8:2.” –Ibid., p. 357–356
For us to develop this into a meaningful personal experience, for us to by faith enter within the veil, we must own Him, we must first know the relation between us and our High Priest. While we know He is minister of the sanctuary; while we know that He is seated on the right hand of the Father, but do we know Him as our intercessor? Do we know that we are the true tabernacle? Says the Spirit of Prophecy, “The Jewish tabernacle was a type of the Christian church. . . . The church on earth, composed of those who are faithful and loyal to God, is the ‘true tabernacle,’ whereof the Redeemer is the minister. . . . This tabernacle is Christ’s body, and from north, south, east, and west, He gathers those who shall help to compose it. . . . A holy tabernacle is built up of those who receive Christ as their personal Saviour. . . . Christ is the Minister of the true tabernacle, the High Priest of all who believe in Him as a personal Saviour.” –The Signs of the Times, February 14, 1900
As well, He is not a high priest that is afar off. There is a personal character with His intercession. “Christ,” affirms the Pen of Inspiration, “is watching, He knows all about our burdens, our dangers, and our difficulties; and He fills His mouth with arguments in our behalf. He fits His intercessions to the needs of each soul, as He did in the case of Peter. . . . Our Advocate fills His mouth with arguments to teach His tried, tempted ones to brace against Satan’s temptations. He interprets every movement of the enemy. He orders events.” –Letter 90, 1906
We continue, the two phases of His Priesthood must be equally understood as they make a complete whole. Undeniably, the death on the cross is a well-established fundamental truth; however, the intercession of Christ is little understood, yet God has clearly opened it to view, a path that leads most certainly to the Holy of Holies. Like in the ministration in the earthly sanctuary, it was only upon Aaron completing the work in the second apartment could “all Israel be cleansed.” States the Spirit of Prophecy: “The Son of God. . . has fulfilled His pledge, and has passed into the heavens. . . . He fulfilled one phase of His priesthood by dying on the cross for the fallen race. He is now fulfilling another phase by pleading before the Father the case of the repenting, believing sinner, presenting to God the offerings of His people.” –Manuscript 42, 1901
Christ our Intercessor
Says the Pen of Inspiration: “Christ’s priestly intercession is going on in the sanctuary above in our behalf. But how few have a real understanding that our great High Priest presents before the Father His own blood, claiming for the sinner who receives Him as his personal Saviour all the graces which His covenant embraces as the reward of His sacrifice. . . . seeing He liveth to make intercession for them.” –Manuscript 92, 1899
The Holy Place—the first Apartment
In A.D. 31 after His resurrection, Christ opened the door of the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary. What was He to do there? Like in the typical service the High Priest’s work consisted primarily of trimming and lighting the lamps, having morning and evening services as well as offering incense upon the golden altar. In like manner, Christ officiated in that apartment.
Such was the ministry of Christ in the first apartment. The word of God states that that door must be shut and so in 1844 it was. Said Christ Himself: “. . . He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth.” Revelation 3:7. It is interesting, E.G. White had a vision and was shown that the door was opened in the heavenly sanctuary. She stated: “The door was not opened until the mediation of Jesus was finished in the holy place of the sanctuary in 1844. Then Jesus rose up and shut the door of the holy place, and opened the door into the Most Holy, and passed within the second veil, where He now stands by the ark. . . . I saw that Jesus had shut the door of the holy place, and no man can open it; and that He had opened the door into the Most Holy, and no man can shut it. Revelation 3:7, 8.” –Early Writings, p. 42
Says the Spirit of Prophecy: “Christ, our Mediator, and the Holy Spirit are constantly interceding in man’s behalf, but the Spirit pleads not for us as does Christ, who presents His blood, shed from the foundation of the world; the Spirit works upon our hearts, drawing out prayers and penitence, praise and thanksgiving. . . . 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 the merits of Christ’s propitiation, the incense comes up before God wholly and entirely acceptable.” –Selected Messages, bk. 1, p. 344
“Let the families, the individual Christians, and the churches bear in mind that they are closely allied to heaven. The Lord has a special interest in His church militant here below. The angels who offer the smoke of the fragrant incense are for the praying saints. Then let the evening prayers in every family rise steadily to heaven in the cool sunset hour, speaking before God in our behalf of the merits of the blood of a crucified and risen Saviour. The blood alone is efficacious. It alone can make propitiation for our sins. It is the blood of the only begotten Son of God that is of value for us that we may draw nigh unto God; His blood alone that taketh ‘away the sin of the world.’ Morning and evening the heavenly universe behold every household that prays, and the angel with the incense, representing the blood of the atonement, finds access to God.” –The Home Missionary, June 1, 1897
In this antitypical time, as it were, this time of atonement, it is now that we should afflict our souls; it is now that we are to send our sins beforehand so that they can be transferred to the scapegoat. Soon our High Priest shall leave His position and we will not have a mediator. It is at that time that our purification will come into play.
Our antitypical High Priest was seen by the Prophet John in the first apartment between the candlesticks. Said he upon hearing the voice that spoke to him: “And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks, one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.” Revelation 1:12–13. As well John saw the seven lamps of fire burning before the throne of God. This truly signified that Christ “ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25.
“By His work the threshold of heaven is flushed with the glory of God which will shine upon every soul who will open the windows of the soul heavenward. As the prayers of the sincere and contrite ones ascend to heaven Christ says to the Father, ‘I will take their sins. Let them stand before You innocent.’ As he takes their sins from them, He fills their hearts with the glorious light of truth and love.” –Manuscript 28, 1901
Paul confirms this love of Christ for His redeemed. Says he: “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Romans 8:34. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5. Truly we have an Advocate! Affirms John: “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” 1 John 2:1. Christ is committed and continuously willing to intercede for His people. He knows full well the trials, temptations and the condition of a people. Just prior to His trial and crucifixion He uttered an intercessory prayer for those whom He would leave behind. Says the Pen of Inspiration: “This prayer is a lesson regarding the intercession that the Saviour would carry on within the veil, when His great sacrifice in behalf of men, the offering of Himself, should have been completed. Our Mediator gave His disciples this illustration of His ministration in the heavenly sanctuary in behalf of all who will come to Him in meekness and humility, emptied of all selfishness, and believing in His power to save.” –Manuscript 29, 1906
The Work in the Second apartment–The Most Holy
We will go directly to the scriptural reference regarding the day of atonement—the work done in the second apartment: “Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God. For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.” Leviticus 23:27–29
Since the High Priest officiated in the Most Holy place in his character of High Priest, it is a given that in this antitypical dispensation “We have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” Hebrews 8:1–2
Says Paul: “And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is the Holiest of all; Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. . . . The priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people.” Hebrews 9:3–7
We now come to where Christ’s work of mediation took on another dimension like that of the work performed by the High Priest “which was a figure of the time then present.” Hebrews 9:9. It is that of cleansing the sanctuary on the Day of Atonement. According to the 2300-day (year) prophecy, it found its fulfillment in Daniel 8:14 with the exact timing prophesied, in 1844. “And the Lord shall suddenly come to His Temple.” Malachi 3:1
Let us use as a backdrop the typical Aaronic priesthood service carried forward for centuries. This way we can draw from it and use it as an object lesson. “And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations; It is most holy unto the LORD.” Exodus 30:10. Says Paul: “Which was a figure for the time then present. . .” Hebrews 9:9
Angels of God are used to aid us and to bring our prayers to the throne of grace. Under the Seventh Seal is a representation of how our prayers are received. Says John as in vision he beheld a scene: “And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.” Revelation 8:3–4
Our Intercessor
Our first step then in looking through our spiritual lenses is to know that we have a living intercessor—Jesus Christ the righteous. Says the Pen of Inspiration: “Christ ascended to heaven, bearing a sanctified, holy humanity. He took this humanity with Him into the heavenly courts, and through the eternal ages He will bear it, as the One who has redeemed every human being in the city of God, the One who has pleaded before the Father, ‘I have graven them upon the palms of my hands.’ The palms of His hands bear the marks of the wounds that He received. . . . As a man, Christ ascended to heaven. As a man, He is the substitute and surety for humanity. As a man He liveth to make intercession for us. . . . As a man He will come again with power and great glory.” –Manuscript 16, 1890
But was that intercessory work confined only to the first apartment? The answer is no. It was carried forward into the second apartment. States E.G. White: “As the high priest sprinkled the warm blood upon the mercy-seat while the fragrant cloud of incense ascended before God, so, while we confess our sins and plead the efficacy of Christ’s atoning blood, our prayers are to ascend to heaven, fragrant with the merits of our Saviour’s character. Notwithstanding our unworthiness, we are to remember that there is One who can take away sin, and who is willing and anxious to save the sinner. With His own blood He paid the penalty for all wrong-doers. Every sin acknowledged before God with a contrite heart, He will remove. [Isaish 1:18; Hebrews 9:13–14 quoted.” –The Review and Herald, September 29, 1896
As well, after the high priest finishes his work in the Most Holy place, he was instructed to make an atonement for the golden altar. “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.” Leviticus 16:18
Finally, we must remember that we are living in the time of atonement and we are called to afflict our souls in this probationary time similar to God commanding Moses to instruct the Children of Israel that “whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.” Leviticus 23:29. Says the Spirit of Prophecy: “While the high priest was making the atonement for Israel, all were required to afflict their souls by repentance of sin and humiliation before the Lord, lest they be cut off from among the people. In like manner, all who would have their names retained in the book of life should now, in the few remaining days of their probation, afflict their souls before God by sorrow for sin and true repentance. The light, frivolous spirit indulged by so many professed Christians must be put away.” –The Great Controversy, p. 489
Before we close, we cannot overlook this point in the statement in question: “We must by faith enter within the veil, “whither the forerunner is for us entered” Hebrews 6:20. As a people, we are to enter within the veil, to follow Christ in His work of mediation. It is obligatory on each one who names the name of Christ is to follow Him, the forerunner, there we will understand what constitutes redeeming grace; “there we may gain a clearer insight into the mysteries of redemption” –The Great Controversy, p. 489. David recognized that in the sanctuary was where God’s mercy was found. Said he: “Thy way, oh God, is in the sanctuary. Who is a great a God as our God.” Psalm 77:13
Rose Powell