Deut.iv,13; ix,9-11; x,4.
7. In this Sanctuary the priests ministered. Ex.xxviii,41,43; xxix,30; xxxv,19;
Lev.iv,6,7,16,17; xvi,2-9; Heb.ix,6,7; xiii,11,etc.
8. The transgressor confessed his sin over the head of his victim, thus
transferring his guilt to it. The victim was slain, and the blood bearing that guilt
was sprinkled by the priest within the Sanctuary had to be freed once a year; and
this service was called its cleansing. Lev.i,4,5; iv,6; xvi,16,33; Heb.ix,7; Eze.xlv,
18.
9. This cleansing was performed with blood. Lev.xvi,15,16,18,19,32,33;
Ex.xxix,36,37; Eze.xlv,18-20; Heb.ix,22,23.
31
10. This Sanctuary was not an original building, but was made after the
pattern of a greater and more perfect tabernacle, which must therefore be the
great antitype of this earthly building, and must take its place when the latter has
served its purpose. Ex.xxv,9,40; xxvi,30; Acts vii,44; Heb.viii,5. When the
tabernacle of Moses gave place to the temple of Solomon, it was still according
to the pattern. 1 Chron.xxviii,10-13,19.
11. This was the Sanctuary of the first covenant, Heb.ix,1, and was destroyed
by Titus in A.D.70. Dan.ix,26. For a historical record of this event, see Josephus'
Wars, book vi, chap.iv,sec.5.
12. This was a type or figure of the Sanctuary of the New Covenant, WHICH
IS IN HEAVEN. Heb.viii,1-5; ix,23,24; Ps.cii,19.
The heavenly Sanctuary resembles the earthly in that,
1. It has two holy places. Heb.ix,24. See also, verses 8 and 12, and chap.x,
19, in each of which texts the words rendered "holiest," and "holy place," are
plural in the original, and should be so rendered, holy places, as they are in many
translations. Compare, also, Ex.xxvi,31-35, and xxx,1,6, with Rev.iv,1,2,5; viii,3-5;
9.
2. It contains the law (covenant or testament). Rev.xi,19. Here is brought to
view the ark, in the temple or Sanctuary in Heaven; and the ark was used as the
depository of the tables of the covenant or ten commandments. Ex.xxv,21,22;
xxvi,33,34; xl,20,21; 1 Kings viii,6-9; Heb.ix,1-4.
3. It has a service of priesthood. Heb.vi,19,20; viii,1-5; ix,24; x,19-21.
32
4. Christ bore our sins in his own body on the tree [Pet.ii,24]; and through his
ministration our sins, when we confess them to him, are transferred to the
Sanctuary above, rendering it in this sense only, impure. Nothing less can be
argued from the type.
5. It is therefore to be cleansed. Dan.viii,14. This text must refer to the
heavenly Sanctuary; for the earthly was destroyed only 526 years after the 2300
commenced. This cleansing of the heavenly Sanctuary is accomplished with
blood. Heb.ix,11,12,23,24.
6. When the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle, or temple, in the type,
there was no ministration. Ex.xl,34,35; 1 Kings viii,10,11. So it will be in the
antitype. Rev.xv,8.
7. The most holy place in the type was entered only on the day of atonement.
Lev.xvi,2,12-15,29,30; Heb.ix,7. So is is in the antitype. Rev.xi,19. Cleansing the
Sanctuary, and making the atonement, are identical works.
And what could be more befitting than that a work of such momentous
importance, the last ministration of mercy by our great High Priest, the closing up
of the work of salvation for the world, should be introduced by the termination of
a great prophetic period? What point of more thrilling interest and importance
could be made known than the commencement of the great, though brief period
of examination and decision of the characters of men? When this is finished the
great decree of Rev.xxii,11, will go forth: "He which is filthy let him be filthy still,
and he that is holy let him be holy still.
OUR DISAPPOINTMENT IN 1844
The reason why the expectation of those who were looking for the Lord to
come in 1844, were not realized is clearly explained by the subject of the
Sanctuary. The prophetic command had been given to write the vision and make
it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. Hab.ii,2; Isa,xxx,8. And this
had been fulfilled. All was apparently so plain that he that ran might read and
understand it. And yet this same prophecy implied a disappointment in the next
verse. "For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it shall speak
and not lie. Though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
Hab.ii,3. A person or thing cannot be said to tarry till the time passes at which it
was expected. We were sure that no mistake had been made in the time, and in
that we were correct; but we mistook the events to transpire at the end of the
days. The testimony adduced relative to the Sanctuary shows us that not the
coming of the Lord, but the cleansing of the Sanctuary was the work to take
place at that time; and that we were only warranted to expect from the
declaration, "Then shall the Sanctuary be cleansed" [Dan.viii,14], that at the end
of the days our great High Priest in the heavenly Sanctuary, would enter within
the vail into the most holy place, to perform before the ark of ten commands, the
last act in his ministration. Having, since his ascension, ministered in the first
apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary, as foreshadowed by the ministration of the
priests in the earthly tabernacle, we believe that at the end of the days in 1844
34
He entered the most holy place and commenced, according to the prophecy, that
work which is called the cleansing of the Sanctuary.
THE THREE ANGELS OF REVELATION XIV
At the left of the Sanctuary we have the illustration of three angels flying
through heaven, followed by a royal personage coming in the clouds of heaven
with power and glory. These angels are the three angels brought to view in
Rev.xii,6-12. When we talk of the first, second and third angel's messages, we
are frequently accused of being fanciful in our ways of Scripture. But we wish to
ask plainly every person who respects the sacred text, if there are not three
angels spoken of in Rev.xiv, in consecutive order, the last called the third, by
which the other two are recognized as the first and second? 2. Have they not
each a special message to proclaim? 3. Is it not therefore eminently proper and
scriptural to speak of the first angel's message, the second angel's message, and
the third an gel's message? All must admit that it is. Let no fault, then, be found
with our phraseology of these messages, while we proceed to offer a few
reasons for our application of them.
Like most other agents introduced in the book of Revelation, we believe these
angels to be symbols. That they are not merely literal angels is certain, from the
fact that they are commissioned to preach the everlasting gospel, and associate
truths. But in the proclamation of the gospel, literal angels are not employed. This
work is committed unto men
35
[Matt.xxviii,19; Mark xvi,15; 2 Cor.iv,1-7; v,18]; and we therefore conclude that
they symbolize classes of religious teachers, with special and important truths.
We now inquire after the time of these proclamations, to which, however, but
a brief space can be allotted in this work. Of the scene immediately following the
third angel's message there can be no doubt. The one like unto the Son of man,
verse 14, seated on a white cloud, is evidently a symbol of the Lord Jesus
coming in the clouds of heaven, These messages therefore go forth previous to
the coming of Christ, and extend to that event. We are therefore warranted to
look for the third message, at least, immediately preceding the coming of the Son
of man. The other message go forth before this; but how long before? Not long
ages, as some contend, from the fact that the messages are connected together
in unbroken succession; and from the fact, also, that the first of these
proclamations is, "The hour of his judgment is come," bringing to view a scene
closely connected with the second advent. Such a proclamation as this was not
made by the apostles. Paul reasoned of a judgement to come, Acts xxxiv,25, not
of one immediately impending. They declared moreover that the day of the Lord
was not in their day, at hand. 2.Thess.ii,2. Martin Luther and the other reformers
did not give this message; for he placed the judgment in the future from his day
about 300 years. In short, no movement can be found in the past history of the
church to answer to this message except the great movement on the second
advent question, which has taken place within the memory of this generation. for
a full discussion of these subjects
36
the reader is referred to a pamphlet entitled, "The Three Messages of Rev.xiv,"
published at this Office. The illustrations will present to the mind of the reader, at
a glance, the order of these events, and the application of them, which will be
found abundantly sustained in the work above mentioned:
THE FIRST MESSAGE
"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice,
Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come." Verses
6,7.
Fulfilled in the special proclamation of the everlasting gospel, based on the
prophecies and termination of the prophetic periods between the years 1837 and
1844.
SECOND MESSAGE
"And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen." Verse
8.
Fulfilled from the spring to the fall of 1844. Babylon - (mixture, confusion), a
lifeless and divided Christianity. Its fall - a moral one, caused by the rejection of
the first message or proclamation of the advent.
THIRD MESSAGE
"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man
worship the beast, and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his
hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out
without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire
and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the holy
angels, and in the presence
37
of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and
they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and
whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: "
here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."
Verses 9 - 12.
This message is now going forth. The proclamation is based upon the closing
sanctuary work upon which our High Priest entered at the close of the 2300 days
in 1844.
"The temple of God was opened in Heaven," says the apostle, Rev.xi, 19,
"and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament." The ark was a
depository of the tables of the testimony, or ten commandments. Ex. xxv,21; xxxi,
18. And hence the declaration, "Here are they that keep the commandments of
God, and the faith of Jesus." The faith of Jesus, of course, includes everything
contained in the New Testament. The commandments of God must therefore be
something separate and distinct from this, and can only refer to the ten which he
spoke with an audible voice from the summit of Sinai.
The very next event in this line of prophecy is thus described by the apostle:
"And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto
the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp
sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him
that sat on the cloud, Thrust, in thy sickle, and reap; for the time has come for
thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the
38
cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped." Verses 14-16.
