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The Sanctuary and Adventist Experience

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The Sanctuary and Adventist Experience Andrews University From the SelectedWorks of P. Gerard Damsteegt October, 1994 The aS nctuary and Adventist Experience P. Gerard Damsteegt, Andrews University Available at: https://works.bepress.com/p_gerard_damsteegt/35/ The sanctuary and Adventist experience hat is the foundation of your expositor Josiah Litch, believed as P. Gerard Damsteegt faith?" If asked that ques- early as 1841 that the judgment of W tion, a Seventh-day Ad- Daniel 7 was commencing prior to the ventist today might respond, "Jesus Second Coming. They called this judg- Christ, of course!" or "The Bible," or ment the "trial" and said it was sepa- even "Our special lifestyle." But our rating the righteous from the wicked earliest pioneers would no doubt de- and determining who would be resur- clare, "The sanctuary and the 2300 rected at the "execution" of the judg- days!" ment at the Second Coming.' Looking at a vital Thus, Ellen G. White said in 1906, Although the Millerite Adventists pillar of faith "The correct understanding of the min- knew that Jesus was currently in the istration in the heavenly sanctuary is heavenly sanctuary, they did not un- the foundation of our faith." 1 Years derstand that the heavenly sanctuary before she had called the heavenly would be "cleansed" in fulfillment of sanctuary "the very center of Christ's Daniel 8:14. They interpreted the work in behalf of men" and had warned sanctuary of Daniel 8 as the church on that an understanding of Christ's sanc- earth and also as the earth itself, and tuary ministry is so vital that those said that both would be cleansed at who fail to obtain it will be unable "to the Second Coming. The cleansing of exercise the faith which is essential at the church, according to William this time, or to occupy the position Miller and most of his followers, was which God designs them to fill." 2 a cleansing from all sin and apostasy. Why is that so? And what is the That the margin in Miller's Bible of- "correct understanding" of the heav- fered "justified" as a synonym for enly sanctuary? "cleansed" confirmed Miller in his anticipation of this spiritual cleans- Millerite Adventist understanding ing. As for the earth, it would be Before the great disappointment cleansed by fire. of October 22, 1844, the Millerite Adventist understanding of Christ's Post-disappointment understanding ministry in the heavenly sanctuary Failure of the October 22, 1844, included the belief, held by many expectation led to intensive reexami- other Christians, that Jesus our high nation of the Bible and with it the P. Gerard Damsteegt, Ph.D., is a professor priest began His antitypical day of discovery of additional insights so of church history at atonement ministry in the Most Holy pertinent that instead of being the end Andrews University. place upon His ascension to heaven. of Adventism, 1844 became viewed Unlike other Christians, they believed as a landmark in salvation history and that He would complete His day of a most prominent sign of the certainty atonement ministry and leave the and nearness of Christ's second ad- heavenly sanctuary at the end of the vent. Leaders in this early investiga- 2300 days, in or around 1844. And tion were Hiram Edson, Joseph Bates, some of them, led by the Methodist and James and Ellen White, who be- 34 MINISTRY/OCTOBER/1994 came founders of the Seventh-day discovered that just as the second Instead, the cleansing pertained to the Adventist Church. Others such as phase of the Old Testament sanctuary heavenly sanctuary and the church. O.R.L. Crosier chose not to stay with services—the yearly, or Day of Atone- This new understanding was fully in the group that later became Seventh- ment—took place in the earthly most harmony with the Day of Atonement day Adventists. holy place, so the antitype of this services, when the people were re- service would be fulfilled by Christ's quired to "afflict themselves," to en- A real heavenly sanctuary cleansing of the sanctuary in heaven's gage in soul-searching, or be judged Helpful insights came in studying Most Holy Place just before the Sec- and cut off (see Lev. 16; 23). The biblical typology, analyzing Christ's ond Advent. This involved the aston- realization that Christ has begun His New Testament priesthood as anti- ishing discovery that the heavenly final ministry on the antitypical Day typical of two orders of Old Testa- sanctuary itself would need cleans- of Atonement had a profound impact ment priesthood. Christ's ordination ing—a truth plainly taught in He- on the believers. under the Melchizedek priesthood brews 9:23. This cleansing would not In the Day-Star for April 18, 1846, authorized Him to function legally as be by the blood of animals, like the two months after the famous sanctu- a heavenly high priest (Heb. 7), while earthly sanctuary, or by fire, like the ary article appeared in the Day-Star the Aaronic/Levitical priesthood re- earth, but by the blood of Christ Him- Extra of February 7, O.L.R. Crosier vealed the pattern of His heavenly self. referred to a perfect harmony between priesthood (Heb. 8-10). These new insights, derived from activities currently going on in heaven From these typologies our pioneers Exodus, Leviticus, Daniel, Malachi, and on earth. "There is," he wrote, "a discovered further that as the Old and Hebrews, led the Adventist pio- literal and a spiritual temple—the lit- Testament Aaronic priests ministered neers to the conclusion that the end of eral being the sanctuary in New Jerusa- within a sanctuary (a tabernacle or a the 2300 years in 1844 was not the lem (literal city), and the spiritual the temple), so Christ, the high priest of second coming of their Saviour, but church the literal occupied by Jesus the new covenant, ministers in a Christ, our King and Priest true heavenly sanctuary, one that (John 14:2, Heb. 8:2; 9:11); the "God pitched and not man," the The realization that spiritual by the Holy Ghost (1 sanctuary of which the Levitical Cor. 3:17; 6:19, Eph. 2:20-22). sanctuary on earth was a copy Christ has begun His Between these two there is a (see Ex. 25:8, 9, 40; Heb. 8:2, 5; perfect concert of action, as 9:24). final ministry had a Christ prepares the place the To their surprise they saw profound impact on Spirit does the people. When that, contrary to their previous He came to is temple, the sanc- notions and to general Christian the believers. tuary, to cleanse it; the Spirit opinion, the Book of Hebrews commenced the special cleans- does not teach that Christ en- ing of the people (Mal. 3:1-3)." tered the Most Holy Place at the time the beginning of the most significant This special work of personal pu- of His ascension. Hebrews says liter- new era in the plan of salvation: the rification was to prepare the believer ally that when Christ went to heaven entering of Christ into His second and to pass successfully the investigative He entered the "holy places," mean- final phase of high priestly ministry, judgment before the Second Advent. ing simply "the heavenly sanctuary." the cleansing of the heavenly sanctu- This insight was fully endorsed by the The Greek text of Hebrews clearly ary on the antitypical Day of Atone- Sabbatarian Adventist pioneers like gives the plural, "holy places," fully ment. At this time Christ "came to the Joseph Bates, James and Ellen White, supporting the presence of a two-apart- Ancient of days" (Dan. 7:13) to com- J. N. Andrews, Hiram Edson, and ment sanctuary in heaven. Thus, the mence a judgment, investigative in Uriah Smith. New Testament was seen to affirm nature—the first phase of the final The need for a purification of God's that like the earthly sanctuary, which judgment. people received strong endorsement had a holy place and a Most Holy from the understanding of the second Place, so the heavenly sanctuary also Cleansing the sanctuary on two angel's message that Adventists had has two apartments.' levels developed in 1843, when they began The pioneers concluded, in har- As noted, the Millerite Adventists to experience persecution. The mes- mony with biblical typology, that as saw the Daniel 8:14 cleansing of the sage forcefully announced the fall of the first phase of the earthly priestly sanctuary as meeting fulfillment on Babylon, implying that God's true ministry—the daily—transpired in the two levels: cleansing the church from people must separate themselves from holy place, so the first phase of Christ's sin, and cleansing the earth by fire. its apostate influence. heavenly ministry was performed in After 1844, faithful Adventists con- the holy place of the heavenly sanctu- tinued to maintain the concept of a Reforms in beliefs and behavior ary, not in the Most Holy Place as dual cleansing, but now it no longer The quest for Bible-based doctrines they had formerly believed. They also included the cleansing of the earth. led Seventh-day Adventist pioneers MINISTRY/OCTOBER/1994 35 to adopt several reforms in belief and the past, the present, and the future." 5 urable, self-sacrificial love and of His practice in contrast to the established Foundation of our faith. "The cor- ongoing grace and power to help us churches. These reforms included, rect understanding of the ministration sacrifice ourselves in the service of most notably, worship on the sev- in the heavenly sanctuary is the foun- others. How are we to explain this enth-day Sabbath instead of Sunday.
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