p. 24 | A WORK OF JUDGMENT

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 25, 1867

A WORK OF JUDGMENT.

In Daniel vii, 9, 10, the prophet says: “I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.”

The work of judgment here referred to, and the time when it takes place, is usually supposed to be what is termed the ‘last judgment, and the casting down of the thrones is generally thought to refer to the destruction of all earthly governments by the Son of man. It was doubtless the idea that such must be its meaning, that led the translators to render by the words, “were cast down,” a term which literally and primarily signifies just the opposite, namely, to set up, or place. The Hebrew word, r’mah, Gesenius defines as follows: “To place, to set, e. g., thrones, Dan. viii, 9;” and he further says that it is akin to the word ramah, a name given to several towns because they were situated on elevated or high places. The Septuagint has τιθημι, a word which according to all the lexicons, signifies, not to overthrow or cast down, but to set up, place, establish. The Cottage Bible says that Wintle and Boothroyd give it the sense of “were placed.” Dr. Clarke, although he thinks the common version a proper one, nevertheless says that the sentence, “The thrones were cast down,” might be translated, The thrones were “erected; so the vulgate, positi sunt, and so all the versions.” Dr. Hales translates it, “were erected.”

From the authorities here cited, it is sufficiently evident that the meaning is that thrones were erected or placed and that the language refers to a time when some special work of judgment was opened, some special tribunal commenced its sitting.

At what time was this to take place? By looking at events to transpire in connection, one of which is given in verses 13 and 14 of Dan. vii, we have light on this point: “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”

The “coming of the Son of man” here spoken of, is not his second advent to earth in the clouds of heaven; for he comes to the Ancient of days, God, the Father; but God the Father is not located here upon earth. And this coming takes place before his second advent to earth; for in this passage he comes, that is, is brought near before God, to receive from him a kingdom, and dominion. This is a gift from the Father to the Son: “Ask of me and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” Ps. ii, 8. And the Lord receives this dominion and kingdom before his second advent to earth; for in the parable, Luke xix, 12, in which Christ is represented by the nobleman, he goes into a far country to receive a kingdom, and, after having received it, to return.

The propositions thus far stated are beyond dispute. We therefore inquire, When does Christ receive his kingdom? Certainly not while he occupies the office of a priest; and certainly, just as soon as his work in that capacity is completed. But he comes before the Ancient of days before he receives the kingdom, for it is after this coming that a kingdom and dominion are given him. This, therefore, must take place in the closing up of his priestly work. We therefore inquire again, Do we find any event in the close of Christ’s priestly work, answering to the movement and change of position here ascribed to the Son of man? We do; and herein we have a most striking harmony in the prophetic word. According to the type, Christ commenced his ministry, when he ascended, in the first apartment of the “true tabernacle,” the sanctuary in Heaven. The closing part of the sanctuary work, called its cleansing, involved a change in the ministration from the holy to the most holy place. About six hundred years before the complete and final destruction of the earthly sanctuary, it had been announced to Daniel that unto two thousand three hundred days, then the sanctuary should be cleansed. This must of course refer to the heavenly sanctuary, as the earthly was destroyed nearly eighteen hundred years ago. The twenty-three hundred days are shown by arguments which have thus far stood the test of the severest criticism, to have ended in 1844. Then the time came for the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary to commence; and at that point of time we are just as sure that our great High Priest, in accordance with the type, changed his position from the holy to the most holy place of the sanctuary above to finish his priestly work, and close up the plan of salvation, as we are sure that there is any confidence to be placed in type and antitype, or that there is any correspondence between the old dispensation and the new.

Just before this period was reached, the announcement had gone forth, symbolized by an angel flying through mid heaven, crying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come. And at that point one like the Son of man, came, not the second time to earth, but to the Ancient of days, and was brought near before him; and this was the change in our Lord’s position from the first to the second apartment of the heavenly sanctuary to perform the last acts of his office as priest-king on the throne of his Father. Zech. vi, 13; Rev. iii, 21. It was then that the thrones were erected, and the heavenly tribunal commenced its session. Then the judgment was set and the books were opened.

That such a scene must transpire and such a work of investigative judgment be accomplished before the Lord appears, is evident; for at that time the cases of all have been examined so far as to cause it to be decided who among the living are then to be changed, and who among the dead are to have a part in the first resurrection.

The time of the cleansing of the sanctuary, then, is a period of judgment; and in that period we are now living. We are past the opening of the awfully sublime scene described by the prophet in Dan. vii, 9 and 10. It is as yet to us a matter of faith and not of sight; but the result will soon be declared. Solemn moment! Do we realize the issue? Are we living so that in a little from this, the decision in our cases will be, “Let them be holy still?”