GEO. B. THOMPSON by George B. Thompson

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 10, 1907

GEO. B. THOMPSON

By George B. Thompson

Millennial Dawn—No. 4

GEO. B. THOMPSON

In this article we give another quotation which presents in a concise manner the teaching of Millennial Dawn concerning a second probation during a future age:— “And, as the apostle declared, this grace of God—that our Lord Jesus gave himself a ransom for all”—must be ‘testified’ to all ‘in due time.’ Rom. 5: 17-19; 1 Tim. 2: 4-6. Men, not God, have limited to the gospel age this chance or opportunity of attaining life. God, on the contrary, tells us that the gospel age is merely for the selection of the church, the royal priesthood, through whom, during a succeeding age, all others shall be brought to an accurate knowledge of the truth and granted full opportunity to secure everlasting life under the new covenant.”—“Plan of the Ages,” Vol. I, page 131.

As before stated, we believe that no falsehood concerning the great plan of the ages is better suited to deceive souls than the doctrine set forth in the extract given above. Once unregenerate men are persuaded that they will have a more “favorable opportunity” in the millennial age to repent and turn away from sin, they will procrastinate the day of repentance, and continue in transgression. If it is to be more favorable later, it is reasonable that we wait.

The Bible has very definitely settled the question of a future probation. It states in no ambiguous manner what will be the end of those who obey not the gospel. The feet of David once well-nigh slipped when he saw the temporal prosperity of sinners, but when he went into the sanctuary of God, he received light concerning their end, and saw how foolish he had been. A correct understanding of the sanctuary question is of vital importance in this connection. It is the hub around which every fundamental truth of God’s Word radiates. It is not to be wondered at that without the light which shines from the heavenly sanctuary men lose their reckoning and drift away from the land-marks of truth. The services connected with the earthly sanctuary were typical of the services performed in the heavenly sanctuary, and throw a clear stream of light upon the question we are studying; and those who, like David, go into the sanctuary will have light concerning the end of sinners, and will fully understand that there is no second probation for those who refuse to repent in this life. From the typical services connected with the earthly sanctuary we are clearly instructed that the work of Christ as our great high priest closes in the sanctuary above before he

comes the second time, and consequently there can be no salvation for any beyond this time.

When Moses was directed to build the sanctuary, he was instructed to make it ‘according to all that I show thee, the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the furniture thereof, even so shall ye make it.’ Ex. 25: 9, A. R. V. See also verse 40. And not only was the sanctuary itself a pattern of things in the heavens, but the work of the priesthood was a type of the priesthood of Christ. The priests served as a ‘copy and shadow of the heavenly things.’ Heb. 8: 1-5.

The sanctuary consisted, as all doubtless are aware, of two apartments, a holy and a most holy place. ‘The priests went always into the first tabernacle [or apartment], accomplishing the service of God.’ Heb. 9: 6. Daily throughout the whole year the services went forward in this apartment. The sinner having brought his offering and confessed over it his transgressions, it was slain, and the blood was taken by the high priest into the first apartment, thus in figure transferring his sins into the sanctuary. ‘But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people.’ Heb. 9: 7. It was necessary that the earthly sanctuary be cleansed, not from physical impurity, but from sin (verse 23), so once in the end of the year, on the tenth day of the seventh month, occurred the great day of atonement. Read Leviticus 16.

On this day two goats were taken, upon which lots were cast, one for the Lord, and the other for Azazel, or Satan. The one upon whom the Lord’s lot fell having been slain, the blood was solemnly borne by the high priest into the most holy place of the sanctuary, and sprinkled before the mercy-seat, which covered the holy law of God. ‘And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins. . . . And when he had made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat: and Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness. And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.’

This completed the round of service, and the sanctuary was clean. This was the typical atonement (Lev. 16: 33), the at-one-ment, the reconciliation of the sinner to God. And let it be carefully noted that only those whose sins had been confessed and transferred from themselves into the sanctuary were atoned for. And what was done with those who did not avail themselves of the provisions offered throughout the year? Did they have another chance, a second probation under more “favorable opportunity”?—No, indeed. ‘For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.’ Lev. 23: 29. So far as that round of service was concerned, his probation was ended, and his destiny fixed. All had a chance,—one chance,—and if they did not accept it, they were ‘cut off.’

All this serves unto the ‘example and shadow’ of the work of Christ, our high priest. In heaven is ‘the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.’ When Christ ascended, he entered within the veil, into the first apartment, and through the merits of his own blood the sins of all who confess and forsake them, are transferred into the holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. This, too, must be cleansed, not from physical uncleanness, but from the ‘filthiness of the flesh,’ carried into the sanctuary through confession and faith in the atoning blood of Christ. Heb. 9: 23. At the end of the twenty-three hundred days, October, 1844, this solemn work began in the heavenly sanctuary. Dan. 8: 14. ‘Once [not twice] in the end of the world hath he [Christ] appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.’ Since the end of the twenty-three hundred days, in 1844, the work of judgment has been going on, and the final round of services in the heavenly sanctuary has been carried forward. When his work there is ended, probation for the world is ended also. Only the sins which have been confessed, and through the merits of Jesus been taken into the heavenly sanctuary, can be atoned for. As in the type, those who, during this antitypical day of atonement, do not afflict their souls, will be cut off from among God’s people, and be numbered among the transgressors.

The cleansing of the sanctuary, the investigative judgment, is the last work in the sanctuary, and when this is ended, Christ will lay down the censer forever, and come as King to gather home the fruit of his labor, and destroy out of his kingdom the tares of sin. Before he comes, the decree of Rev. 22: 11, 12, goes forth: ‘He that is unrighteous, let him do unrighteousness still: he that is filthy, let him be made filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him do righteousness still: and he that is holy, let him be made holy still. Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to render to each man according as his work is.’ This fiat goes forth before the Lord comes to reward his servants, and shows conclusively that his ministration as high priest is finished, and the eternal destiny of every man is irrevocably fixed. The investigation in the heavenly sanctuary is finished, and the atonement for sin has been made. ‘And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor.’ Isa. 59: 16. There comes a time when there will be no intercessor in the heavenly sanctuary, and at that time there will be no probation for the lost. We read of a time when men will ‘go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them.’ Hosea 5: 6. When there will be ‘a famine in the land, not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the word of the Lord: and they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.’ Amos 8: 11, 12. Why not give these a ‘second probation’? Ah, probation is closed, and the day of salvation is passed! The theology of Millennial Dawn has no place in it for a fulfilment of these scriptures.

There is a line somewhere in this age when the destiny of sinners is fixed. There is nothing in the plan of salvation as revealed in the sanctuary which makes provision for the unnumbered millions of the earth who have passed into the tomb as rejectors of every overture of mercy, to have another chance to determine whether or not they desire to be saved. Let none make the fatal mistake of putting off salvation, expecting under the ‘favorable opportunities’ of a future age to perfect a Christian character. This is the day of salvation. Jesus still is man’s intercessor, and all may come now to the throne of grace and find help in time of need.