p. 550 | The Great Judgment Day by Jean Vuilleumier

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Sep 7, 1915

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 42, No. 35.

The Great Judgment Day

By Jean Vuilleumier

Long Prophetic Period Tells When the Time Is at Hand—Beheld Till Thrones Were Placed

By JEAN VUILLEUMIER

Mr. Vuilleumier’s article this week is an extension of his article last week, which took up the study of the twenty-three hundred prophetic days of the eighth and ninth chapters of Daniel. In his article last week, he showed that those twenty-three hundred prophetic days represented that number of literal years, and that the time began four hundred and fifty-seven years before Christ. His article last week dealt with the four hundred and ninety years that were “cut off” from the longer period of twenty-three hundred years and devoted to the Jewish nation.

The evidence is insuperably clear that the twenty-three hundred years, of which the four hundred and ninety given to the Jews were a part, began 457 B.C.; for there is one event after another, as shown by Mr. Vuilleumier last week, that must fit into the prophecy at a specified time; and since the events unquestionably came, according to the prophetic program, we are standing on safe ground in affirming the conclusions reached in the article this week. The article by Eliza H. Morton, that follows this, is a good supplement. EDITOR.

The climax of Daniel’s great vision included in chapters eight and nine, is reached in the mysterious declaration made by angels in his hearing: “How long shall be the vision concerning the continual burnt offering, and the transgression that maketh desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden underfoot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” Dan. 8:13, 14.

Three important queries grow out of this declaration: 1. When do these twenty-three hundred days terminate? 2. What is the sanctuary that is to be purified at the end of these days? 3. What is the meaning of this purification of the sanctuary? We will study these three questions in their order.

HOW FAR DO THE TWENTY-THREE HUNDRED DAYS REACH?

In the interpretation of the vision, the angel said to Daniel: “And the vision of the evenings and mornings which hath been told is true: but shut thou up the vision; for it belongeth to many days to come.” “Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the latter time of the indignation; for it belongeth to the appointed time of the end.” Verses 26, 19.

Taken literally, the twenty-three hundred days would mean about six years and five months. Such a short period could not be said to reach to the time of the end. Sir Isaac Newton, astronomer and Bible scholar, says on this point, “The sanctuary and the host are trodden underfoot two thousand three hundred days; and in the prophecies of Daniel, days are taken for years.” An unmistakable proof of this fact has been found in the miraculous fulfillment of a part of this period, the seventy weeks, of which each day corresponds to a year.

According to this rule, the remainder of the two thousand three hundred years, deducting the seventy weeks, or four hundred ninety years, would bring us to 1844. (2300 — 490 = 1810; 34+1810=1844.) This date, as we saw last week, is based on the unimpeachable chronology of our Saviour’s baptism and death. It is the target and objective point in this important prophecy of Daniel 8 and 9 which is to reach to “the appointed time of the end.” Some exceedingly important event in the history of the plan of salvation was therefore to take place in 1844. We read that this event is “the cleansing of the sanctuary.” And now we are ready to inquire:

WHAT IS THE SANCTUARY?

The sanctuary at Jerusalem has been in ruins for eighteen hundred and forty-four years. No other earthly sanctuary has been allowed to take its place. What, then, and where is the sanctuary of the new covenant, which was to be cleansed in 1844?

The epistle to the Hebrews answers these questions fully when it says, “We have such a High Priest . . . in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.”

Of course in this epistle, where we read that “even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service, and its sanctuary.” “The first tabernacle . . . is a figure . . . But Christ having come a High Priest of the good things to come, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, . . . through His own blood, entered in once for all into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption.” Heb. 9:1, 8, 9, 11, 12. In the temple in heaven are the seven-branched candlestick, the altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant. Rev. 11:19; 4:5; 8:3. If the earthly sanctuary and its furniture were only figures of the heavenly, these must be the originals, and the original ark must contain the original Ten Commandments, in which the sanctuary services centered.

And now we come to the third question:

WHAT IS THE PURIFICATION OF THE SANCTUARY?

The epistle to the Hebrews will again throw light on the matter: “According to the law, . . . all things are cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission. It was necessary therefore that the copies of the things in the heavens should be cleansed with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.”

This cleansing with blood therefore has reference to the putting away of sins from the sanctuary. In the earthly sanctuary, sins were removed by a literal cleansing of the blood there sprinkled; while in the heavenly sanctuary, the cleansing is done by blotting out the sins from the book of God. Acts 3:19. Each year, on the day of atonement, the earthly sanctuary was cleansed. This was a type of the Judgment, when all cases are decided forever. Thus in the heavenly sanctuary, at a certain definite time, the Judgment begins, and the cases of all are decided. On the day of atonement, all the people were to humble themselves, under pain of death. And so now, at the time of the Judgment, all are to know that probation will soon end, and that when the hour comes, every man is either forever saved or forever lost.

SUBLIME JUDGMENT SCENE

The cleansing of the sanctuary, which began in 1844, is the most important event that ever took place in the history of the plan of redemption, with the exception of the death of Christ. God wants all men to know about it, hence this wonderful prophetic period. In order to give a faint idea of what it is to appear before Him to be judged by His holy law, God has given us, through His prophet Daniel, a vivid description of that awful Judgment scene:

“I beheld till thrones were placed, and one that was ancient of days did sit: His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool; His throne was fiery flames, and the wheels thereof burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousands of thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him: the Judgment was set, and the books were opened.”

When the dead have all passed in judgment, then the living will be examined. The character of all who have at any time claimed a part in the first resurrection, will pass under close scrutiny before the Majesty of heaven and before His holy law. How important, then, to square up with it while time lasts!