The Order of Events in the Judgment.
The investigative judgment, the finishing of the work of human probation, the close of Christ’s priesthood, and his coronation upon his own throne, are events which transpire in the days of the voice of the seventh angel when he begins to sound. They precede the revelation of Christ in the clouds of heaven, and are preparatory to that grand event. The field of vision during this closing period of human probation is not simply the earth, where indeed the fierce battle between truth and error is being fought, but the temple of God in Heaven is opened to our view, and becomes the theme of prophetic discourse. Rev. 11: 19; 16: 5. We have learned that the priesthood of Christ must continue till he has secured the acquittal of his people at the tribunal of his Father, where their sins are blotted out, and themselves accounted worthy of eternal life. It is at this very time and place that the Saviour changes from his priestly, to his kingly, office. Hence, wherever our Lord closes his priestly office, there must be the place of the judgment session described in Dan. 7. The finishing of the mystery of God involves the opening of the second apartment of the temple in Heaven, wherein is the ark of God’s testament. This is the place where our Lord finishes his priesthood, and hence this apartment of the heavenly temple must be the place of that tribunal at which the righteous are acquitted, their sins blotted out, and themselves accounted worthy of the kingdom of God. The temple of God in Heaven, and especially its second apartment, is therefore worthy of our most attentive study. The Scriptures contain many explicit testimonies to the existence of the heavenly temple. Ps. 11: 4: “The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in Heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.” 2 Sam. 22: 7, 8. “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears. Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.” See also Ps. 18: 6, 7. Isa. 6: 1-4: “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims; each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.” Micah 1: 2, 3: “Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord God be witness against you; the Lord from his holy temple. For, behold the Lord cometh forth out of his place, and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth.” Rev. 11: 19: “And the temple of God was opened in Heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.” Rev. 14: 17, 18: “And another angel came out of the temple which is in Heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire.” Rev. 15: 5: “And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in Heaven was opened.” Rev. 16: 17: “And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of Heaven from the throne, saying, It is done.” Many other texts might be quoted in which this building is mentioned either as God’s temple, tabernacle, sanctuary, or holy habitation. To some of these texts we shall refer in the further study of this subject. The heavenly temple consists of two holy places. This is proved by many conclusive arguments. The first of these is drawn from the statements respecting the tabernacle erected by Moses. When God called Moses into the mount to receive the tables of the law (Ex. 24: 12), he first bade him make a sanctuary that he might dwell among them, and that the priests might minister in his presence. Ex. 25: 8; 26; 27; 28. He also bade him make an ark to contain the tables of the law, to be placed in the second apartment of the sanctuary. This building consisted of two holy places (Ex. 26), and both itself and its sacred vessels were made like the pattern showed in the mount. Ex. 25: 8, 9: “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.” Heb. 8: 5: “Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God, when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See (saith he) that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount.” See also Ex. 25: 40; 26: 30; Acts 7: 44. The tabernacle thus constructed was a pattern of the heavenly temple. Thus Paul bears testimony: Heb. 9: 23, 24: “It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true [the images of the true holy places, Macknight’s translation]; but into Heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us.” This establishes one plain, incontrovertible argument that the heavenly temple has two holy places. The temple erected by Solomon furnishes the second argument, and it is of the same character as that drawn from the tabernacle. The temple was a larger and grander building than the tabernacle, and differed from it in being an immovable structure; but it was constructed on the same plan in that it was an edifice consisting of two holy places, with sacred vessels of the same kind, and occupied with the very same ministration, as that which had previously served in the tabernacle. 1 Kings 6; 7; 8; 2 Chron. 3; 4; 5. This building with its two holy places was a pattern of the heavenly temple, as the words of David and of Solomon declare: 1 Chron. 28: 11, 12: “Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlors thereof, and of the place of the mercy-seat, and the pattern of all that he had by the Spirit, of the courts of the house of the Lord, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things.” Verse 19: “All this, said David, the Lord made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.” Wisdom of Solomon 9: 8: “Thou hast commanded me [Solomon] to build a temple upon thy holy mount, and an altar in the city wherein thou dwellest, a resemblance of the holy tabernacle which thou hast prepared from the beginning.” This is a second decisive argument that the heavenly sanctuary has two holy places. The third is drawn from the fact that the plural term “holy places” is used in the designation of the greater and more perfect tabernacle. Thus when Paul says, as expressed in our common version (Heb. 8: 2), “A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man,” it is literally in the original, “a minister of the holy places.” And thus also when we read respecting the heavenly temple, “The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holies of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing,” it is literally in the Greek, “the way of the holy places.” Heb. 9: 8. So also where we read of the greater and more perfect tabernacle in verse 12, that Christ “entered in once into the holy place,” it is also literally holy places. Again in verse 24 we read in our common version the same thing, literally rendered, “the holy places made with hands, the figures of the true,” which last word is plural in the original, showing that there are holy places in the heavenly temple. And again in Heb. 10: 19, the term holies is not, in the original, holy of holies as in chap. 9: 3, but simply holy places. These passages form a most convincing argument that there must be two holy places in the heavenly temple. A fourth argument is found in the fact that each of the two holy places of the heavenly temple is definitely set forth in the description of that building not made with hands. The first apartment is identified by the things which it contains. When John was called in vision to ascend to the place of God’s throne, the heavenly temple, a door was opened in Heaven, and the throne of God was revealed to his view. This is manifestly the door of the heavenly temple, for the throne of God which it discloses to view is within that temple. Ps. 11: 4; Rev. 16: 17. That it was the first apartment of that temple into which he looked, is evident from what he saw therein. Rev. 4: 5. “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings, and thunderings, and voices; and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” Here is a plain reference to the seven lamps which burned in the first apartment of the earthly sanctuary. Lev. 24: 2-4. And again, when the seven angels receive the seven trumpets, the scene of vision is still the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary. Thus we read: Rev. 8: 2, 3: “And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.” The golden altar stood in the first apartment of the sanctuary, i. e., in the same room with the candlestick on which were the seven lamps. Ex. 40: 24-26. The place of God’s throne at the time when the book with the seven seals was delivered to Christ, and also when the seven trumpets were given to the seven angels, is the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary. But when the seven vials are delivered into the hands of the seven angels who have the duty of pouring them out, the second apartment of the heavenly temple is opened, and they come out from thence to execute the wrath of God upon men. This opening of the holies takes place under the seventh trumpet. Rev. 15: 5-7. “And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in Heaven was opened; and the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth forever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.” This opening of the heavenly temple which is followed by the pouring out of the unmingled wrath of God, is an event connected with the closing up of human probation. And it is certain that we have in this case, the opening of the holies of all, here called the tabernacle of the testimony. The expression, “tabernacle of the testimony,” is a familiar term taken from the Old Testament, and is precisely equivalent to “tabernacle of the ten commandments.” In proof of this, take the use of this term in the Bible. We begin with the first use of the Hebrew word, eduth, and trace it through the books of Moses. Thus it occurs for the first time in Ex. 16: 34. “Aaron laid it up before the testimony.” That is to say, he laid up the pot of manna before the ark of the ten commandments. See Heb. 9: 4. The next is Ex. 25: 16. “Thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.” This was the ten commandments. See Ex. 31: 18; Deut. 10: 4, 5. Again, Ex. 25: 21, “In the ark thou shalt put the testimony,” i. e., the ten commandments. See 1 Kings 8: 9. And now the ark itself takes its name from what was put in it. Ex. 25: 22: “The two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony.” Ex. 26: 33, 34: “And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy. And thou shalt put the mercy-seat upon13the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.” Here we have the ark of the ten commandments assigned to the most holy place of the tabernacle, and the mercy-seat placed over the ark. Presently we shall find that this testimony gives name to the tabernacle itself. As we read onward we find in Ex. 27: 21; 30: 6, 26, 36; 31: 7, 18; 32: 15; 34: 29, the terms “testimony,” “tables of the testimony,” “ark of the testimony,” each time, by testimony, meaning definitely the ten commandments. The term, “tabernacle of testimony,” occurs for the first time in Ex. 38: 21. Thus we see that the testimony of the Almighty gives name to the tables on which it was written; to the ark in which the tables were placed; and to the tabernacle itself, whose second apartment received the ark. Next, we thrice read of the ark of the testimony, Ex. 39: 35; 40: 3, 5. And now we are brought to the acts of Moses in setting up the sanctuary. It is said, Ex. 40: 20: “He took and put the testimony into the ark,” i. e., he put the law of God therein. Then he placed the ark itself within the tabernacle, and covered the ark of the testimony by hanging up the second vail. Ex. 40: 21. In Lev. 16: 13, the mercy-seat is said to be upon the testimony. In Lev. 24: 3, the vail which hides the ark is called the vail of the testimony. Next, we read of the tabernacle of the testimony in Num. 1: 50, 53. Next, of the ark of the testimony, Num. 4: 5; 7: 89; Josh. 4: 16. Next, of the tent of the testimony, Num. 9: 15, and of the testimony itself, Num. 17: 10. Next, of the tabernacle of witness, or testimony (for the two words are synonymous), Num. 10: 11; 17: 7, 8; 18: 2. In all these texts it is certain that the ten commandments are called the testimony, and that they give name to the tables, to the ark, to the vail, and to the tabernacle, especially to the second apartment. This term has therefore a well-defined meaning in the Scriptures. By the testimony, the tables of the testimony, the ark of the testimony, the vail of the testimony, and the tabernacle of the testimony, are meant respectively the ten commandments (Ex. 31: 18); the tables of the ten commandments (Ex. 32: 15); the ark of the ten commandments (Ex. 40: 20); the vail of the ten commandments (Ex. 40: 21; Lev. 24: 3); and the tabernacle of the ten commandments, Num. 9: 15; 10: 11. The term, “tabernacle of witness,” or “testimony,” does therefore definitely signify the tabernacle of the ten commandments. Now it is remarkable that this term occurs twice in the New Testament. In Acts 7: 44, the tabernacle of witness, i. e., of the ten commandments, is mentioned, referring to the earthly sanctuary. And in Rev. 15: 5, the heavenly sanctuary is designated by this same term, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in Heaven; and we have proved conclusively that this is equivalent to the temple of the tabernacle of the ten commandments in Heaven. This text is therefore a plain reference to the most holy place of the heavenly temple, and to the law of God deposited therein, which gives name to the building. This apartment of the heavenly temple is opened just prior to the pouring out of the plagues. But we have a second statement of the opening of the most holy place of the temple in Heaven. Thus we read of the events under the seventh trumpet: Rev. 11: 19: “And the temple of God was opened in Heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament; and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.” Here is disclosed to our view the second apartment of the heavenly temple, and here is shown the grand, central object, which gives name to the tabernacle itself. It is the ark of God, sometimes called the ark of the covenant, or testament (Num. 10: 33; Heb. 9: 4), and sometimes the ark of the testimony, Ex. 25: 22. It is because the heavenly temple contains the ark of God’s testimony that it is itself called the tabernacle of the testimony in Heaven. And the ark itself is not empty; it contains what Rev. 11: 19, calls God’s testament, and what Rev. 15: 5, calls “the testimony in Heaven.” And these two terms must signify the ten commandments, and cannot signify anything else. The existence of the temple in Heaven, and the fact that it has two holy places like the sanctuary of the first covenant, have been clearly proved. The judgment work in the second apartment remains to engage our attention.