Let the Truth...chapter 2

[Fausto]

I believe that this warrants starting another thread as the subjet here is different!

Here goes:

Quote:

Chapter 2

The Gospel and Judgment of God

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” 1 Corinthians 1 5:1-4

God created us so that we could have continual fellowship with Him. However, when sin entered, this intimate relationship between man and God changed.

The Gospel is the Good News of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that provides full and free deliverance from the power and penalty of sin. Eternal life is promised to those who accept this provision!

The sinful nature Adam acquired through his disobedience was generically passed down to all humans, including you! Because of this inherited sin-nature, we all sin. This is what separates us from God.

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” Romans 5:12

We are all sinners and we cannot save ourselves; even our best works and offerings have no saving merit… But there is hope: The Gospel!

John 3:16,

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

God the Father did not give up on us, but demonstrated His great love for us by offering His very own Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice – to be crucified in our place.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Jesus bridged the gap by His atoning, sacrificial death on the cross.

In the Old Testament, the lamb-offerings pointed forward to the time when Jesus as the perfect, unblemished Lamb of God, would take upon Himself the just punishment of every sinner who ever lived on the earth.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16

The apostles taught that salvation is by the grace of God alone, through faith in Jesus Christ alone (Eph. 2:8-10, Titus 3:4-7, Romans 4:3-5; 10:5-13). They were uncompromising in this message, and condemned all attempts by others to add anything to or subtract anything from it.

There are some religious groups who indeed teach that Jesus’ death on the cross was not enough to pay for all our sins and we have to perform certain good works in order to be saved – or at least to “maintain” or “supplement” our salvation.

This is contrary to what the Bible teaches. Jesus announced from the cross, “It is finished”. (John 19:30)

The Greek word is tetelestai, which implies PAID IN FULL! It's over!

Our sins were paid for completely, rather than just a down payment being made. Jesus secured our full salvation without any help from our side. He paid for all sins – past, present, and future! This includes YOU!

Atonement was executed once for all on the cross, and the full price was paid at that time. It was a complete gift with no part left for sinners to work off or pay for. This is a vital point for us Adventists to understand.

Jesus is not a potential Savior, but a very present Savior!

Ephesians 2:8, 9 – “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and not of

yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Does this mean that we should not be concerned about ANY works?

Please read with me Revelation 22:12

"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."

Have you noticed that this verse speaks of "work" singular, and not "works" plural? John wrote this verse about four years before he wrote his Gospel of John. I believe he would be the best person to ask the meaning of the word "work". For that definition, let's read John 6:28, 29

"Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."

Therefore, the best WORK for the Christian to be engaged in, is more clearly defined in John 3:36

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life ; but the wrath of God abideth on him"

When you confess your sins to God, He forgives you instantly, and completely, 1 John 1:9. No sin-records will ever be stored up in heaven!

God does not keep a record of your sins; He removes them far away from you; God does not remember your sins anymore; your sins are blotted out like a thick cloud; and your sins are thrown into the depths of the sea; never to be held against you anymore. (Psalm 103:12; 130:3-4; Ezek. 33:16; Isaiah 44:22; Micah 7:19) Please read and mark these verses in your Bible.

The Bible teaches that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from ALL sin (1 John 1:7). When you truly accept the forgiveness so freely offered by God, you will simply not be able to prevent yourself from loving Him in return. Empowered by God's Spirit, your love response will agree with John 14:15.

“If ye love me, keep my commandments”

You will begin to bear good fruit – and if ever you should slip or fall, or ………. yes, even sin again, He will be right there to help you up – He will never abandon or cast you away from Him. John 6:37b,

“ …….. and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

We are reminded in Hebrews 13:5 – “…….. I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

Isn’t the love of Jesus something wonderful?

What is the base-requirement for sinners to participate in the Plan of Redemption?

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth

confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9-10

When you have accepted this gift of eternal life, through His indwelling Spirit, your life will automatically begin to focus on the goodness and glory of God - you will love to grow into the likeness of Jesus, and naturally desire to do what is pleasing to Him. Your "good works" are the RESULT OF salvation; not a pre-requisite FOR salvation! ONLY the blood of Jesus Christ has any SAVING MERIT!

You should never “feel” that you have lost your salvation because you have committed any sin out of weakness. Simply repent, confess your sin, accept the Lord’s promise of forgiveness, and you’re back on your feet! Your salvation is guaranteed and assured. Once saved, YOU are the only one who can ever make the fateful decision to turn your back on God.

“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”

He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” 1 John 5:11-13

If you have not accepted Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, please accept His free gift of salvation RIGHT NOW! There may never be a more convenient time. Simply pray this little prayer with me: Dear Father-God in Heaven, I confess that I am a sinner and that I cannot help myself. I accept Your gift of Your Son Jesus, who died in my place. Because You have forgiven all my sins, I am right now giving the rest of my life to You. Do with me as You know best, and guide me with Your Spirit. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

If you have prayed this prayer, CONGRATULATIONS! A new name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life! Your sins are covered with the blood, on the cross of Calvary - as far removed as night is from day …… The promise of God’s forgetfulness is given just for you. Praise Him! Your sins are gone!

Psalm 103:12 - “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”

The Bible says our sins are removed as far as the east is from the west, not as far as the south is from the north! If you really want to, you CAN reach the South or North poles, BUT when you travel west, you will never reach “west” – you will be traveling forever. Likewise your sins will always be behind you, and will never “catch up” with you. It is gone!

When sinners hear, understand, and accept the Gospel, they immediately receive the verdict of “not guilty” through imputation of the merits of Jesus. Refusing the gift of the gospel, will mean that they simply judged themselves unworthy of eternal life (Acts 13:46). Please read this!

The righteous has a High Priest who is also their Advocate and Judge. When the saints are resurrected at the second coming, there will be no judgment. The “books of record” is simply the memory of God, and He has allowed the “sins of His people” to be blotted out from His mind instantaneously by the blood of His Son. He will “remember them no more”. Hallelujah!

Forgiven or Innocent?

When I was a boy of about nine, we lived in a village–by-the-sea in Southern Africa. In our backyard my father had planted a little pine tree, which became his personal pride and joy. Every afternoon when he came from work he would water this little tree, walk around it and admired it. The tree was about two feet tall when it happened …….. My grandfather had just given me a US-made Diana air-rifle and taught me how to shoot it on the farm. I was quite a distance away from the little tree with the quarter-inch stem, and could not imagine that it would be possible to hit that tiny stem at such a long distance! I pulled the trigger and “the tree came tumbling down”. Hit right in the center!

My dad came home and as usual stopped to say hello to his little pine tree. He turned pale, looked at me and asked, “Who did this?” My brother, who was a few years younger, was toddling around …… and, can you guess where my finger pointed? And my brother got the spanking of his young little life! He didn’t do anything wrong, he was completely innocent! He didn’t even have to be forgiven – he simply was innocent. By the way, I did confess this to my brother many years later when we were both adults and he said, “That’s OK, don’t worry about it,” but then quickly added, “Just be glad I cannot remember a thing about it!”

It dawned on me that God does not really hold us responsible for ANY of our sins. He does not blame us. He hurts with us, knowing that we had no choice to be born on the wrong planet and for that matter born at all! God also knows that we have inherited our sinful natures without ever having had opportunity to choose for ourselves. Someone else is responsible and God not only offers forgiveness, but he wants to declare us completely INNOCENT. How does God do that?

Colossians 2:13, 14 - “And you, being dead in your sins and the

uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”

Contrary to the popular belief that the law was nailed to the cross in Colossians 2:14, this view has no theological foundation. In fact, in the entire epistle to the Colossians, the word Law (Gr. Nomos), is not used at all! The context for verse 14 is found in verse 13, which speaks of the completeness of God’s forgiveness. The negating of any law would make no contribution to this great truth. What was nailed to the cross were ‘the charges that were against us’ (Contemporary English Version). The Afrikaans Multivertaling Bybel, regarded by many as one of the best translations in the world, uses the word skuldbrief (letter of debt). The Greek, cheirographon, seems to confirm this view, implying the record book of sin. Not the moral or ceremonial law, but a list of all your sins and mine, was FOREVER wiped out! This is the glory of the Gospel! “Jesus paid it all; all to Him I owe.”

I realized that the Lord is not trying to “catch me out”, but that He WANTS to do everything possible to SAVE me. That is why God had GIVEN His only begotten Son to us. Many argue about WHO KILLED JESUS. Was it the Romans or the Jews? The answer is, NEITHER. God OFFERED Jesus as a sacrifice – to purchase our redemption. Do you remember the story of Abraham and Isaac? Abraham was just about ready to take the life of his son when God provided a substitute. God the Father had a different experience. When the time came for Him to sacrifice Jesus, there was NO SUBSTITUTE! What Abraham did not have to do, God HAD DONE …..

I believe that, if God GAVE HIS VERY BEST in order to save me – He most certainly is not going to try to keep me out of Heaven. Listen my friend; it is much easier to be saved than some legalists want you to believe. When we come to Christ, He is aware of our background of more than 6,000 years of sin – and He knows the devil is not retired – and will keep on tempting us, and tempting us, and tempting us, and …… However, Jesus leaves us a lot of space to grow and develop. The truth of the matter and the glory of the gospel is this: I am not lost every time I sin. Why not? Because HIS perfect lifetime record of sinless perfection stands in place of my imperfect lifetime record, and God sees me as if I had never ever sinned! You are declared to be INNOCENT!

John 5:24: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (judgment*); but is passed from death unto life.”

*The word “condemnation”, properly translated from the Greek Krisin, is the word “judgment”. (The Fourth Dilemma, p.49) YOUR judgment is OVER!

The Basis for God’s Judgment:

I grew up believing that if you were “good”, you go to heaven right away when you die. On the other hand if you were “bad”, you go directly to hell to begin your forever burning. By the way, I have never been to a funeral where the preacher said: “Sorry to say but we all know how brother Jack lived, he is in hell right now!” Everyone is always “safely resting in the arms of Jesus”, or “became an angel.”

There are many opinions regarding the judgment of God. Christians have many different views on this because of self-interpretation of the Scriptures and an unwillingness to accept the plain teaching of the Bible on this doctrine. Traditionally, we as Seventh-day Adventists believe in an “Investigative Judgment” which started some time in Heaven in 1844. It is described as “the center pillar of the advent faith” (GC p409). According to this belief, lifetime-records of all confessing Christians (including Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, Dutch Reformers, Anglicans, etc.) will be examined to determine if their good works match their Christian confession. Some Christians will be accepted, others rejected. Grace plus works! No one can ever be sure of salvation, because even during the time while you are in the grave until the resurrection, you have exerted “influence” on people that could have been positive or negative. Here is the quotation: “…. the acceptance of Christ at conversion does not seal a person’s destiny ….. Nor can it be said that a man’s record is closed when he comes to the end of his days. He is responsible for his influence during life, and is just as surely responsible for his evil influence after he is dead …. In order to be just, it would seem that God would need to take all these things into account in the judgment.” Questions on Doctrine, P. 420. Other extra-celestial beings will apparently be keen observers of this unique process of judgment!

Our understanding is that ultimately the “on watching universe” will be the judge of the fairness of God, as well as anyone who ever claimed the gift of salvation. We are WRONG when we teach this destructive view of our good works and "influence"…… as if it had any saving merit!

Before we look at what the Bible teaches, we may want to make a theological evaluation of this unbiblical teaching which has robbed millions of the assurance of salvation, and has become the main reason why so many are leaving our church today. It all centers on an incorrect interpretation of Daniel 8:14:

“And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.”

This verse is used as “proof text” for the Investigative Judgment of Christians – that presumably began on October 22, 1844. However, the references in Daniel 7 and 8 refer to a punitive judgment to befall the pagan power, symbolized by the blasphemous “horn” from which true Christians are delivered, and has absolutely no reference to a coming “Investigative Judgment”. Please read Daniel 7 and 8.

Daniel 7 and “the Ancient of Days”

During Daniel’s vision, we notice a “cosmic interchange” when the scene moves from earth to God’s Heavenly Throne Room.

Most Adventists believe that the judgment of “the Ancient of Days” refers to an Investigative Judgment that commenced in 1844. That notion is totally unfounded and out of context. Those passages refer to God’s dealing with the Antichrist Beast in the last days, as well as the Earthly Millennial period when the saints will rule (judge) with Christ…. (more details later on).

It also refers to the time when Jesus was “brought before” His Father after his ascension, and His rightful position next to His Father on the throne was restored. From then on, Jesus is also seen as “the Ancient of Days”. (Philippians 2:6-9)

The term, “the Ancient of Days”, is applied to God the Father AS WELL AS His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Please read the following three references: Daniel 7:9,10 (compare with the Revelation 20:4,12 millennial judgments); Daniel 7: 13,14 (this is a clear reference to the ascension of Christ, directly into the presence of the Father); Daniel 7:21,22 (please compare these verses to Revelation 17:14 and 19:11-15 – the interlude to Christ’s Millennial reign). More detailed discussion a little later…

Protestant scholars are in consensual agreement that the theme of the book of Daniel is captivity and restoration… occurring ON EARTH!

Daniel 8:14

Before we exegete Daniel 8:14, we need to look at the CONTEXT which we find in the preceding verses. In Daniel 8:9, we read about the real “trouble-maker”, the little horn. Up to v. 14 the record expands on his path of destruction, including trotting down the sanctuary (v.13). We will have to research history and find who “fits the bill”. Who is the “little horn” who causes all the trouble – even defiling the very earthly sanctuary of God? (Please note: it was the transgressions of the LITTLE HORN that defiled the sanctuary – not the sins of the people. And the sanctuary is, contextually, an earthly one). There is absolutely no connection to the Leviticus 16 ritual cleansing. Please think this through for a moment.

Let’s look at the context after Daniel 8:14. Daniel receives a revelation or interpretation from Gabriel as to the true meaning of this vision. Gabriel identifies the participating countries or kingdoms. But notice in v. 23 the little horn is a King, not a Kingdom! Verses 24 and 25 explain the power and deeds of this little horn.

History confirms that Antiochus Epiphanes was the ruler of the down-sized Greco-Macedonian Empire. He conquered Jerusalem in a peaceful-diplomatic manner, without taking up any arms. Once in power, he killed his opposing political party. Then he plundered the city, demolished the temple, and placed an idol (Zeus) upon the altar after he sacrificed a pig on it, thusly defiling the temple. This occurred in 168 BC. Incidentally, he changed the idol’s face to look like his own. He then forced the Jews to build idol altars, and outlawed circumcision, and the Sabbath. Many mothers, who allowed their sons to be circumcised, were crucified. In fact, mothers and sons were both killed. Those found with any Scripture manuscripts in their possession, were also killed.

On one occasion, Antiochus wanted to get a prominent citizen to be first to sacrifice a pig on the temple-altar. Mattathias was chosen, but he refused to perform the ritual. Another Jew took his place, and the sacrifice was made. When Mattathias saw this, he and his sons killed the man and some other followers of Antiochus. Then they fled into the desert. Others fled with them, and a number were later killed by the military. Some however, escaped and became scattered.

The temple of God had eventually been deserted for more than three years, but a new day was dawning. Judas, the son of Mattathias, took over the temple and purified it (restored it to its original condition). Antiochus died in 164 BC (he became insane), 3 ½ years after he set up the abominable idol and defiled the temple. His grave is at Mount Nimrod (Hemrut Dagi ) in Southeast Turkey.

The Daniel 8:25 passage shows that the judgment is a destruction of God’s enemies, rather than a person-to-person judicial process of the Redeemed, as some assume.

“And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.”

Antiochus Epiphanes indeed died a non-violent death of insanity. Many stories are told about his horrible physical condition when no one wanted to come near him because of the intolerable stench of his rotten flesh. Worms literally crawled out of his body.

In the earthly sanctuary, there were two types of services, and both typified the same atoning sacrifice of Jesus. These two services (daily and yearly) did not point to two different ministries in heaven, but they were simply two “teaching mechanisms” teaching the SAME thing! During the daily service the participants came as individuals. In the yearly service, the congregation came as a corporate body to witness the atonement –experience. The blood was the same; in both instances it symbolized the cleansing blood of Christ. That blood can still today, make the vilest sinner clean!

Hebrews 9:26 - “For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”

The truth of the matter is that the final atonement has been completed at the cross! There is not, and cannot be another atonement where sins can be forgiven or wiped out more completely than what happened at the cross. To teach anything to the contrary, would rob Christians of the assurance of their salvation. No sins were ever "piled up" in God's holy abode to be "cleansed" in 1844. That is NOT what the Bible teaches!

Full forgiveness is granted to helpless sinners like me IMMEDIATELY when confession and repentance are made. You may have the immediate assurance that you are NOT under any condemnation or judgment.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1

Also read Hebrews 9:26, 10:14; 1 John 1:9; John 5:24. The imputed righteousness of Jesus in your life is the only requirement you need for everlasting life. John 3:36 says, “He that believeth on the Son hath (present tense) everlasting life:” YOU may be SURE of your salvation!

Jesus, our Substitute, was judged for us. We do not need to be further investigated. We plead guilty, and have accepted our Substitute Who stands in our place. If anyone wants to question God’s judgment, let them investigate …… Jesus! Do not allow ANYONE to confuse you on this!

There are a number of theological reasons why we cannot accept the incorrect teaching of a pre-advent Investigative Judgment:

In the New Testament is no reference to any other future heavenly ministry of Jesus other than what He commenced with at His ascension.

Scripture does not teach or imply a two-phase ministry in heaven. The heavenly, once-for-all High Priestly ministry of Jesus is in direct contrast with the regular, earthly High Priest sanctuary services. Not the same but DIFFERENT and BETTER and CONTINUALLY!

At Jesus’ ascension no heavenly two-apartment sanctuary separated by a veil, existed. He went DIRECTLY into the presence of God the Father. Hebrews 9:24,

“For Christ is not entered into the holy places

made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into

heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:”

Jesus was already in the presence of the Father when these words were penned around AD 95.

Hebrews 9:12,

“Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

Also read Hebrews 10:19.

The rending of the veil at Jesus’ death terminated the earthly sanctuary service and assured us direct access to the Father.

The very body of Christ replaced the veil. In salvation history, the Cross of Calvary is of paramount importance! A complete atonement!

Hebrews 10:20 - “By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;”

Many of our members do not understand that when the earthly tabernacle-veil was torn from top to bottom at the crucifixion of Jesus, it symbolized the fact that there is now no restriction to the very throne and presence of God the Father. Jesus removed the veil, and it is wrong to teach that we need to present our good works and offerings to be "mixed" with the blood of Jesus to pay a "toll-gate-fee" in order to enter through the veil. The FACT is, there is no veil in the Heavenly Sanctuary! (read in Early Writings, P.54-56 how E. G. White puts Satan next to Jesus' throne, breathing "light and much power" on God's children!) Do YOU believe that?

The writer of the book of Hebrews points out differences rather than similarities between the earthly and heavenly sanctuaries. For instance, Jesus did not go in and out and in and out of Heaven, but entered once. The earthly sanctuary was simply a teaching mechanism of what Jesus would do in His role as Heavenly High Priest. Instead of bringing animal sacrifices on a daily basis to church, we can now pray directly to God the Father through the Mediatorship of His Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. There is no veil in Heaven, neither is there any record of any sins in Heaven. As we bring our confessions of sin through prayer to our Heavenly High Priest, those sins are immediately blotted out – paid in full by the blood of the Lamb! Your sins are under the Blood of the Lamb.. You ARE Saved! Praise God forever! Let the TRUTH set you FREE! Jesus died for YOU!

The main function of the earthly veil was to protect the Priests in their daily services from being consumed by the Shechinah glory or Holy Spirit-presence of YAHWEH in the Most Holy Place. The simple teaching was that sinners could not approach God the Father except through Jesus Christ.

There is no established theological basis or authority for changing the 2,300 days of Daniel 8:14 into 2300 years. There simply is no “year for a day” principle established in Scripture! In Numbers 14:34, God pronounced a judgment of 40 years upon Israel’s unbelief to correspond with the 40 days in Canaan. This was clearly stated. There is no possible association of the 40- year judgment of Numbers with the prophecy of Daniel 8. It cannot be done!

Some want to apply a “year-day” principle to Daniel 8 because it seems to work in Daniel 9, where a 70-week prophecy to the time of Messiah, is stated. No “year-day” principle exists in Daniel 9 because there is no need for it. The Hebrew for the number “seven” is SHABUA, or a unit of seven. The context will determine whether the unit is of days, months, or years. Most linguists see in Daniel 9 “weeks of years” or “seventy sevens”. Nothing in prophecy states that a year represents a day, and historically the time to Messiah was indeed approx. 70 weeks of years or 490 years.

Nothing in Daniel 9 confirms that the 490 years marked the beginning of the 2300 days, or that it was the first section or part of the 2300 days. Careful analysis points out that the 490 years began with a work of restoration while the 2300 days is a time of desolation (Daniel 9:25).

Let’s sink a little deeper into the Daniel 8:14 “problem” and see if we can get right to the bone. I trust you have your Thinking Cap on! The word “day” does not appear at all in the Manuscripts. The Hebrew word for day is the word “yom”. The word for days is the Hebrew word “yamin”. Neither of these words appears in Daniel 8:14. The word “days” is not a direct translation but an INTERPRETATION of the two Hebrew words “ereb” (evening) and “boqer” (morning). The angels speaking in v. 13 answered a question by giving the number of sacrifices. There were TWO sacrifices every day, morning and evening…both on the SAME DAY. (The translators were correct by using the word “sacrifices” in v.11, 12 and 13….unfortunately they did not follow through with the same word in v. 14) Here is the translation from the New American Standard Bible, regarded by many scholars as the best direct translation in the English language:

"For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be properly restored."

I want to make sure we have no misunderstanding about this vital point: William Miller was a Baptist LAY-preacher and it is doubtful if he had a solid working knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures. He used the King James' Version and simply assumed that the translation was correct. However, the King James is INCORRECT in saying "after 2300 DAYS." Miller built his entire hypothesis on an erroneous translation! Daniel 8:14 refers to a total of 2300 SACRIFICES (Hebr. TAMID) executed as "the daily", every morning and every evening all through the year…these were not sin-offerings, but rather offerings of appeasement to Jahweh. They PRECEEDED and concluded all the sin offerings. At two ritual-offerings per day, 10 evening-morning offerings = 5 days; 100 evening-morning offerings= 50 days; 2300 evening-morning offerings = 1150 days.

Here is a simple illustration: We attended Camp-meeting this spring and each day we had a morning and evening service. We attended a total of 10 such services. How long was the Camp-meeting? We have to divide the 10 services we attended by 2 because there were TWO services (sacrifices) on each day. Answer? 5 days!

As Seventh-day Adventists, we need to correct this error of William Miller, because when our brothers and sisters discover this false teaching, many of them become discouraged and leave the church.

The number 2300 is a numerical ERROR according to the earliest manuscripts, which give the number to be 2200 as referred to by Jerome who translated the Vulgate. The Septuagint gives the number to be 2400. The Vulgate seems to be the more acceptable version. For purposes of correct calculation, we therefore need to divide 2200 by two… 1100 actual DAYS.

The question is, HOW DID ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES FULFILL THIS PROPHECY? Follow carefully! For more detailed, historic information, we have to consult one of the Apocryphal books, 1 Maccabees.

1. In 1 Maccabees 1:54 it is stated that on the 15th day of the month of Chislev, in the 145th year, Antiochus set up the abominable idol of desolation “upon the altar of burnt offering”. He thusly made an END to the Jewish evening and morning sacrifices.

2. In 1 Maccabees 4:52, 53 we read what Judas and his followers did: "Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, which is the month of Chislev, in the one hundred forty- eighth year, they rose and offered sacrifice, as the law directs, on the new altar of burnt offering that they had built."

3. The Jewish year contained 12 months of 354 days, and every 3rd year they added an extra month of 29 days to equalize it with the solar year. We have to look at 15 Chislev, 145th to 25 Chislev, 148th year.

So, let’s get out our high-speed calculators: 3 Jewish years x 354 days =1062 days, PLUS 1 extra month of 29 days = 1091 days, PLUS 9 days from 15th to 24th of Chislev = (hold on to your seat) 1100 days! A total of 2200 evening and morning sacrifices! Referring to this prophecy, the greatest Jewish historian of all time, Josephus, said in his Antiquities, “No prophecy was ever more accurately fulfilled than this”.

PLEASE NOTE: the verse in Daniel 8:14 says that the sanctuary will “be cleansed”. The action is COMPLETED. Right here is the PRIMA FACIE evidence to prove that, at the END of the 2300 days, the sanctuary WILL BE CLEANSED. It does NOT say “then the sanctuary will begin to be cleansed in some future time". Please think this through for a moment. Today it apparently is still not "cleansed"! The implication is that the blood of Jesus ALONE is INSUFFICIENT!

Actually, not only is “days” missing from Daniel 8:14, but also the word “cleansed” (Hebrew – nisdaq). The NASB uses the words “properly restored”. Other versions, like the NIV, will bring out the idea of the reconstruction/repair of the temple to its original physical condition. This harmonizes perfectly with the restoration of the sanctuary by Judas Maccabees on 25 Kislev, 165 BC.

There are obviously many scholars who have different opinions and approaches to solve the “riddle” of Daniel 8:14 and some may indeed have significant technical data to consider. However, the issue for many of us, is simply to discover if Daniel 8:14 refers to an Earthly or Heavenly event. I believe the evidence is irrefutable that the “adjusted” version of Daniel 8:14, in The Clear Word, is WRONG! Read this with me and then YOU decide. “He answered, ’After two thousand, three hundred prophetic days (or two thousand, three hundred years), God will step in, proclaim the truth about Himself and restore the ministry of the Sanctuary in heaven to its rightful place. This is when the judgment will begin, of which the cleansing of the earthly sanctuary was a type.’”

Have you ever heard the expression: “reading something into a verse, which is NOT THERE”? We refer to that as EISEGESIS. There IS NO Investigative Judgment. Period! Let the TRUTH set you FREE!

THE MAIN PROBLEM: The Biblical message of Righteousness by Faith in the Merits of Jesus Christ ALONE is incompatible with an "Investigative Judgment", when your performance will be scrutinized as evidenced by YOUR personal works and record! The blood ALONE is NOT ENOUGH!

I read an article by Roy Adams (Adventist World, NAD/August 2007, P.3), in which is stated the reason for a so-called pre-advent Investigative Judgment: “There are intelligences beyond our own planet – created beings who, if the universe is to be secure, must be satisfied with the integrity of the divine process through which some people are saved and others lost.” It continues to say, “Its wider concern is with vindication - vindication of God, of God’s sanctuary, of God’s name, of God’s people …….. Upon its vindication hangs the security of the universe …… The judgment now in session will settle the question of God’s love and justice prior to the Second Advent.” One final statement caught my eye: “The investigative judgment reveals to heavenly intelligences who among the dead are asleep in Christ and therefore, in Him, are deemed worthy to have part in the first resurrection. It also makes manifest who among the living are abiding in Christ, keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and in Him, therefore, are ready for translation into His everlasting kingdom.”

I am convinced that any thinking Christian, who understands that salvation is based on the shed blood of Jesus ALONE, must reject all of the above as a sincere effort to explain a “denominational” concept, founded and expounded on the incorrect notion of grace PLUS works as the pre-requisite FOR salvation. The belief in an on watching universe of “intelligences” is simply unbiblical. Nowhere in Scripture do we find the slightest indication that the “security of the Universe” depends on the choice human beings have made regarding the Plan of Salvation. The judgment of the Creator must be judged by His creatures? Such thought borders on blasphemy! God is self-authenticating. Who would dare to question His judgment! Have the “intelligences” not observed the effect of sin during the past 6000 years for themselves? Why would they doubt the judgment of the Judge? God’s justice in saving sinners is vindicated by Christ’s death on the cross. This is ESTABLISHED TRUTH! (Romans 3:24-26) Salvation is God's GIFT to YOU!

The Investigative Judgment was simply developed as counter-answer to the failed Oct. 22, 1844 Second Coming expectation of the Millerites, and the wrong interpretation of Daniel 8:14.

A Baptist lay preacher, William Miller, thought that when the verse says, "After 2300 days shall the sanctuary be cleansed", that the sanctuary-cleansing referred to the Second Coming. After some figure-and-calendar juggling, he came to the conclusion that the Second Coming would occur on October 22, 1844.

When this date passed without a Second Coming, Miller and about fifty thousand Millerites decided to give up on prophetic speculation and moved on ……. “preaching Jesus”. However, there was a group of young people called The Little Flock, who tenaciously clung to the Daniel 8:14 prophecy and simply would not accept the fact that October 22, 1844, was a NON-EVENT. Then it happened! They "discovered" the idea that “it was something that happened in heaven…..the judgment of the dead began.” Of course, nothing could be further from the truth!

Acts 3:19 - “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;”

There was no need for the beginning of the blotting out of any sin in 1844; Jesus began His meditorial work as our Advocate at His ascension, not in 1844! When sinners accept Christ as Lord and Savior, their sins are blotted out right there and then.

Hebrews 8:12 – “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.”

Any sin we commit after our salvation is “propitiated for” by Jesus our Mediator, on a daily basis. According to 1 John 2:1, the blood is still applied!

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous”

No sins or any record of sins had EVER been transferred into the holy abode of God the Father. This teaching is unbiblical, and it negates Christ’s atoning work on Calvary. 2 Timothy 2:19 says, “The Lord KNOWETH them that are his …….” God knows who are saved. Please read the NON-CONDITIONAL statement in 1 John 1:9 again, and then Praise the Lord!

We, as Seventh-day Adventists, are WRONG when we teach that those who will be living just before the Second Coming will have to achieve perfection of character in order to be able "to stand without a Mediator"! (nobody knows for how long!) Most Protestants find this understanding repulsive, and when our members discover that we indeed believe this way, many leave our ranks. This is an unbiblical, heretical teaching …period!

From a theological perspective, the fallacy of the Investigative Judgment is that it overlooks our sinful NATURE. It is our sinful nature that renders us imperfect – not the sins we commit! We are under condemnation, not for what we DO, but for what we ARE! We are sinners not because we sin, but we sin because we ARE sinners! Therefore, to judge our records in an Investigative Judgment means nothing; because our permanent, sinful NATURE is the problem we have to deal with! We need a PERFECT CHARACTER to stand IN PLACE OF our imperfect characters. THAT is your free gift from Jesus! Hallelujah!

We often times find Sabbath School Quarterlies, SDA Magazines, and ministers offering traditional Protestant views of salvation. However, most of our members are unaware of the fact that this is NOT exactly what Adventists believe. Our Prophetess suggested that no sin has ever been "blotted out" before October 22, 1844 (GC p.486). She admonishes that we should never teach our people "to say or feel that they are saved". (COL p.155) This understanding robs our members of the full assurance of their salvation, and the joy of being a Christian. Do you agree?

[Guest]

Thank you Fausto