Saturday, November 23, 2019

1st Angel's Message - Reaching down to Earth

Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: 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

"The Epistle to the Hebrews shows that the leading apostle clearly taught the antitypical fulfilment of the types and shadows celebrated for so many years.

----It should not be forgotten that the gift of the Spirit of prophecy and the Sabbath of the Lord were always connected with the sanctuary service.

We have no reason to doubt that during the early history of the Christian church, the subject of the sanctuary and the antitypical work of Christ in heaven was clearly understood by the Christians; but when the Bible was taken from them,
---when the Sabbath of the Lord hidden,
---and the voice of the Spirit of prophecy was no longer heard directing the church,
then they lost sight of the beautiful antitypical work represented by the ancient sanctuary service.

But the time arrived for the opening of the great judgment in heaven, when the Father and the Son, with their retinue of holy angels, passed in state into the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary.
No earthly pageant could ever compare with that majestic cortege.

God designed that it should be recognized on earth, and He caused a message to be proclaimed to the inhabitants of earth, directing their attention to the movements of the Son of God. This is known as the first angel's message of Rev.14:6,7.

A large company accepted the message and their attention was centered on the Savior; but they did not understand the antitypical work of the sanctuary, and hence they expected the Savior to come to the earth.
Instead of coming to the earth, however, He went into the second apartment of the heavenly sanctuary, to take up the work of the judgment. 

The sanctuary service, the Sabbath, and the Spirit of prophecy were ever united in olden times; and when light from the antitypical sanctuary service came to the people of God, He gave them the Spirit of prophecy again, to reveal to them the solemn truths in regard to Christ's ministry in heaven, which otherwise they would not have comprehended."
StephenHaskell