declared azazel had no reference whatever to Satan but meant instead, dismissal, to depart. Dr. Gaebelein wrote: “ It is translated in the Septuagint with eis teen apopompee, which means to let him go for the dismiss al. Both goats are for sin-offering. The first goat represents Christ dying for the sins of His people. The second goat, laden with those sins which were atoned for by the blood of the first goat, represents the blessed effect of the work of Christ, that the sins of the people are forever out of sight. It is in blessed harmony with the two birds used in connection with the cleansing of the leper.” But Adventists do not believe our sins are “ out of sight.” Branson has this to say of the scapegoat: “ Christ, the High Priest, will lay aside His priestly garments, will garb Himself in kingly attire, and will come forth from the heavenly sanctuary bearing the sins of His redeemed people. He will roll them back upon the head of Satan, the great instigator of all evil, who is primarily responsible for all transgression the blood of Christ has covered. Just as the scapegoat was led away from the camp of Israel . . . so Satan will be cast into the ‘bottomless pit’ . . . where he will have to suffer sin’s utmost penalty before he finally perishes in the flames. It is in this manner that the sanctuary will he cleansed, and Christ our High Priest will make an end of sin” (p. 285). So our blessed Lord is not only represented by the Adventists as having to continue dealing with the sins for which He died on the cross, hut He is shown as negotiating with His archenemy Satan about our sins and requiring him finally to bear the penalty for the same guilt for which He paid the price. My friends, this is not the gospel! It is not even remotely con nected with it. Can the Adventists continue to claim that they teach truly concerning the vicarious work of Christ as the only sin-bearer? The sanctuary, investigative-judgment and scape goat teaching robs Christ of His glory. In His high priestly prayer before He went to the cross as He an ticipated His death on Calvary as the Lamb of God taking away the sin of the world, He said to His Father: “ . . . I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, 0 Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory that I had with thee before the world was” (John 17:4, 5). Because He had so limited Himself voluntarily in the incarnation, His special glory as the glorified Son of Man was in a sense dependent upon His completing the redemptive work He had come to accomplish, as these verses seem to imply. He did not fail! He could not fail! “ Crown Him with many crowns, The Lamb upon the throne!”
The Messages of Three Angels
In her book, Early Writings, 1945 edition (often repaged, reprinted and revised), Mrs. White describes the various visions, messages and views of the Advent ists with regard to the advent of the Lord as “ the first angel’s message,” “ the second angel’s message” and “ the third angel’s message.” We are concerned with the last named as it deals with the sanctuary but in passing will quote a few sentences from the beginning of the other two. The “ first angel’s message” was William Miller’s predic tion that Christ would return in 1844. On page 232 Mrs. White declares: “ I saw that God was in the proclamation of the time in 1843. It was His design to arouse the people and bring them to a testing point where they should decide for or against the truth. Ministers were convinced of the correctness of the positions taken on the prophetic periods, and some renounced their pride, and left their salaries and their churches to go forth from place to place to give the message. But as the message from heaven could find a place in but few of the professed ministers of Christ, the work was laid upon many who were not preachers. Some left their fields to sound the message, while others were called from their shops and their mer chandise. And even some professional men were com pelled to leave their professions to engage in the unpopular work of giving the first angel’s message.” Note that it is claimed that this false prediction was from heaven although William Miller himself after wards acknowledged he was mistaken. I have quoted the passage where Mrs. White states he was judged by God for this and died. The “ second angel’s message” begins on page 237 with these words: “As the churches refused to receive the first angel’s message, they rejected the light from heaven and fell from the favor of God. They trusted to their own strength, and by opposing the first mes sage placed themselves where they could not see the light of the first angel’s message. But the beloved of God who were oppressed accepted the message, ‘Babylon is fallen’ and left the churches.” As we proceed with these articles, I will quote from recent Adventist literature to prove that the sect still believes itself to he the remnant church. There has been no change in that view from the beginning. Now as you read “ the third angel’s message” keep two things in mind: what Mrs. White said of herself and what Eternity has declared concerning her. In Volume V of her Testimonies For The Church Mrs. White wrote: “ In ancient times God spoke to men by the mouths of the prophets and apostles. In these days He speaks to them by the testimonies of His Spirit. . . . Let the testimonies be judged by their fruits. What is
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The King's Business/Mcry 1957
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