Studies in the Gospel Message
The subject of the Sabbath-school lesson for December 6 is The Continual Service. That which distinguishes the temple of the living God from every other temple is the fact that the service of God is carried forward in it. In order to establish the claim that any so-called temple of God is the temple of God, there must be evidence to show that the service and worship of the true God are actually performed in that temple. It is important that this truth should be fully understood. And it is further important to understand that this service must find its center in Jesus Christ. This was true of the service of the tabernacle and the temple in ancient times. “The whole worship of ancient Israel was a promise, in figures and symbols, of Christ; and it was not merely a promise, but an actual provision, designed by God to aid millions of people by lifting their thoughts to him who was to manifest himself to our world.” It is also true of the heavenly sanctuary, where type has met antitype, that its service finds its center in Jesus Christ. This is the emphatic teaching of the whole book of Hebrews. “Now in the things which we are saying the chief point is this: We have such a high priest, who sat down 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.” Heb. 8:1, 2. R. V. “For Christ entered not into a holy place made with hands, like in pattern to the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear before the face of God for us: nor yet that he should offer himself often; as the high priest entereth into the holy place year by year with blood not his own; else must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once at the end of the ages hath he been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” Heb. 9:24–26. It is also true of the individual Christian as the temple of God that his service must find its center in Jesus Christ. This is made clear by the words of the apostle Peter, “Unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect, precious, ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” And this service which is thus carried forward in the temple of God, and which thus finds its center in Jesus Christ, must be a continual service. This is shown clearly in the study of the sanctuary and its service. The teaching which is emphasized in the typical service by the “continual burnt offering,” the “perpetual incense,” “the continual bread” upon the table, the breastplate of judgment upon the heart “for a memorial before the Lord continually,” and the provision made “to cause the lamps to burn continually,”—the teaching of all this is that that typical service is a continual service. And through the ministry of this typical service provision is made that the individual Christian may render a continual service unto God by the indwelling presence of the eternal Son of God, of whom it is said, “Thou continuest.” Thus when Christ dwells in the heart by faith, and man is in this way restored to the high privilege of being “the temple of the living God,” the continual service is carried forward in that temple. The experience of Daniel, as recorded in the sixth chapter of the book of Daniel, is the concrete revelation of these principles. We should not fail to notice that the sixth chapter follows the eighth chapter when we deal with the events in chronological order. The vision of the eighth chapter was given in the third and last year of the reign of King Belshazzar and at the beginning of the reign of “Darius the Median.” This order of the events is emphasized in order that we may see the relation of the events. In the vision of the eighth chapter, Daniel saw that a power would rise which would take away the continual service. For a time the continual service would cease in the temple of God, the shekinah glory would depart, and the house would be desolate. Obedience to the “royal statute” established by King Darius would bring an interruption in the worship which Daniel offered to God, and consequently an interruption in the continual service which he rendered to him, since worship and service are inseparable. “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” The result of disobedience to the “firm decree” would, to all human appearance, be a terrible death in the den of lions. But Daniel knew that obedience to the decree would also mean the interruption of his worship of God and the taking away of his continual service, and that the end of this would be eternal death. He therefore disregarded the decree, and refused to allow the continual worship and service to be interrupted. Here is the record: “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.” As a consequence of this disregard of the royal statute “the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions.” But the heathen king recognized the loyalty of Daniel to his God, and seemed to feel the assurance that it would not go unrewarded. And so he declared to Daniel when he was cast into the den, “Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.” And in the morning, “when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?” Through the continual service he was delivered from death. But if Daniel had obeyed the decree, and had thus permitted the continual worship to be interrupted, the continual service to be taken away, he would have miserably perished. The vision of the eighth chapter, however, had prepared him for this test. He did not permit the word of man to take away the continual service. He was faithful in his worship of God, and God delivered his faithful servant. What is the explanation of all this? It is plainly stated in these words: “So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.” His was the faith which “stopped the mouths of lions.” But faith must be fixed upon “Jesus the author and finisher of our faith,” and through this faith we “receive the promise of the Spirit,” the indwelling presence of the risen and ascended Lord. In the power of this living Christ the continual service is maintained in the living temple. “Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you?” And that body which is in truth the temple of God is one which is a member of the body of Christ, one in which the continual service is maintained in the power of the eternal Spirit.