THE cleansing of the sanctuary is a work of judgment, preliminary to the last final separation of classes. This will be readily seen by the following evidences:
1. In the type the cleansing of the sanctuary, on the great "Day of Atonement," was a work of judgment, passing its sentence of approval or condemnation upon every soul. It mattered not what had been the course of each one previous to that day, he may have kept his vows and been faithful to God; he may have offered daily sacrifices; yet if on the Day of Atonement he failed, he would bear his iniquity, and be cut off from his people. Lev. 23:28-32. The work was, therefore, a yearly determination of classes among the professed people of God. The cleansing of the sanctuary on that day was not from physical uncleanness, but was a removing of all remembrance of sin. Even so in the antitype before Christ comes; the sins of those who have sought Him, and been found faithful, will be blotted out, while those whose sins are retained will have their names blotted out of the book of life. Acts 3:19; Rev. 3:5; Heb. 9:22-24.
The Mystery of God.
2. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is designated in several scriptures as "the mystery of God." Col. 1:25-28; 1 Tim. 3:15; Eph. 6:19. The closing of that mystery is a judgment work, as is every work where trial or probation is involved. Hence, connected with the preaching of the Gospel is ever the warning of the judgment, which will determine how souls have used their privileges of the Gospel. See Eccl. 12:13, 14; Rom. 2:12, 16; 2 Tim. 4:1-4; Acts 24:25; Rev. 14:6, 7. Now at the close of the time period given by the prophets, the Gospel work will be finished. Listen:
"And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, and swear by Him that liveth forever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer; but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as He hath declared to His servants the prophets." Rev. 10:5-7.
Various prophets deal with the Gospel and the judgment. One only—Daniel—predicts the time when the Gospel work will be closed by the last ministrations of our great High Priest. The time then referred to is prophetic, which as definite time then closed. Men may endeavor to readjust dates till the day of doom, setting the time for Christ to come; but they will ever be wrong, as prophetic time reaches later than 1844, where ended the 2,300 days.
This finishing of the mystery comes in the beginning of the days of the sounding of the seventh trumpet, which covers the time of the judgment. Rev. 11:15-18. The [[FIGURE]] sixth trumpet ceased its sounding Aug. 11, 1840, at the close of the prophetic time period of Rev. 9:15. The seventh began its sounding in 1844. In the years (the length of time indefinite) to follow, the mystery of God should be finished, the Gospel work would close; the judgment would pass upon all cases. This compound statement is therefore in harmony with Dan. 8:14, "Unto 2,300 days [years], then shall the sanctuary be cleansed."
The Judgment Proclaimed.
3. God's work in heaven corresponds with God's work on earth. When Jesus closes His work in heaven, His servants will proclaim to the world that truth as a part of the Gospel message. When in the days of primitive Christianity the disciples were sent forth, they proclaimed the Gospel of salvation with the emphasis on a risen Saviour. They preached of the judgment, but it was a "judgment to come." Acts 24:25; 17:31. But when Christ is closing His work in the heavenly sanctuary, His servants will proclaim, "The hour of His judgment is come." Rev. 14:6, 7. And that message has been going to the world since 1844; and it corresponds with the cleansing of the sanctuary.
A Period of Time.
4. This judgment work covers a period of time. Says the wise man: "God shall judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work." Eccl. 3:17.
Again, the righteous dead are not raised and then judged, and their reward apportioned; their cases are determined before the resurrection and Christ's coming. This is evident from Luke 20:35: "But they that shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage." The previous judgment determines who are worthy. So, when Christ comes, the righteous dead are not raised and then changed to immortality; they are raised from the dead immortal. 1 Cor. 15:51-54. It was this resurrection out from among the dead, which Paul strove for. Phil. 3:11.
Characters Forever Fixed.
Once more: Before Christ comes, all souls will have decided each his own case. God's Gospel message will go with a loud voice to all the world. Rev. 14:6-14. His people will be called from the great Babylon of human devisings back to the pure truth of God. The prophet, carried in heavenly vision forward to that day, cried: "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision; for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision." Joel 3:14. When that decision is irrevocably made, then Heaven's Court will issue this proclamation: "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I [Jesus] come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22:11, 12. Characters are fixed a little period before Christ comes, covered by the word "quickly." Certainly, then, Heaven's Court has designated the class to which each soul belongs. And how reasonable this is, not because God needs to take the time to know this; but that the universe may know that "just and true" are the ways of the King of Ages. Rev. 15:3.
The sittings of this court began in 1844, began, as it must, with the generations of old inscribed on the books of heaven. It comes down step by step, generation by generation, till the present is reached, the living adjudged, and the great drama of test and trial because of sin is over forever.
But during all this time our great and merciful Divine-human Priest pleads for us. He is touched by the feeling of our infirmities. He knows our temptations. He has felt them all, met them all, and feels and meets them all in us, so closely has He bound Himself with humanity. But we may reject Him and all the priceless treasures His Gospel brings. We may turn from His wounded and entreating and open hands. We may despise the cross which has purchased for us infinite riches. Then His judgment will leave us to ourselves, to the choice we have made. We can not escape it. It is ours by no arbitrary decree. It is ours because we have chosen it; because day by day, moment by moment, we have chosen it and woven it into our character and made it ours forever. Are you ready to meet the record, soul, the record written in heaven because you have first written it in your character? Are you willing to meet it? If not, then let us plead with you in the little time that lingers before His judgment shall close its sessions to make Him your captain, His righteousness your character and garment, His Word your guide, His Spirit your life.
"And the vision of the evenings and the mornings [the 2,300 days] which hath been told is true."
