How Firm Our Foundation -1B

An In-depth Scriptural Reply to Desmond Fort's October 27, 1979 Student Forum Lecture at Pacific Union Collage, Entitled, "There is a Problem Here"-FF-8

16. Taking Away the Daily
17. The Thrones in Heaven
18. Bible Prophecy is Important
19. Men Who Search for Doubt
20. The Blood taken into the Sanctuary
21. Investigation and Blotting Out began in 1844
22. Ballenger—The Sanctuary and the Landmarks
23. Destroying Confidence in the Writings
24. Christ was not a Literal Priest on Earth
25. Today as a Result of Christ’s Work the Mercy Seat is opened and the Veil is drawn aside
26. Christ began His Priestly Work when He Ascended to Heaven
27. The Original Greek of Hebrews is better than the Old Testament Translation called the Septuagint
28. Within the Veil
29. The Spirit of Prophecy View of the Sanctuary Service

A Scriptural Vindication of the Faith Delivered to the Pioneers of Our Church

FF 11

16 - Taking Away the Daily

"The once-a-year entrance. That was the Most Holy Place. He [the high priest] supervised things in the first apartment, but he had no distinctive work there. The distinctive work of the High Priest was this, the cleansing of the sanctuary, the day of atonement."

How long are we to put up with this kind of instruction of our youth, church members, and ministers, by Ford, Brinsmead, and Paxton? Each one of God’s people has a responsibility to personally study the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy for himself, and to know what he believes, and to refuse to accept error—from whatever source it might originate. The Spirit of Prophecy tells us that for eighteen centuries Christ ministered in the First Apartment of the Heavenly Sanctuary (GC 421:2) and we have seen that the Bible fully supports this view. But Desmond Ford says, No,—because it wasn’t His job. Then whose job was it? It was beneath Him. The work of our Redemption was beneath Christ? He was supposed to assign it to someone else. Who would that be? This is scholarly foolishness. We are told in Inspired Scripture that Christ ministered for Eighteen Centuries in the First Apartment—GC 420-421, 428-430, 7 BC 913, EW 42-43, 250-251, 253-254, 274—but Desmond Ford says, No.

And this points up another fallacy in Ford’s thinking: In his theory there is no room for an Antitype Fulfillment of the First Apartment Service—the work of the Daily. It got left out. Let us view the disorder of Fordian theology: Jesus underwent the Antitype of the Outer Court Experience on Calvary when His blood was shed (and only this far can we agree). But it was never taken into the First Apartment. And the Daily Ministry there on behalf of faithful believers never occurred. Instead, He is supposed to have "finished" the Atonement on Calvary, and immediately applied it following His Ascension in the Most Holy Place. The yearly round of Antitypical Service was "finished" in the Outer Court. The Atonement, as Ford and Brinsmead view it, was not finished by the blood application in the Most Holy Place. It was finished on earth. He need only wait a score of centuries to return for His people at His Second Advent, remove their sins, and take them to heaven.

Ellen White tells us that "sacrifice" in Daniel 8:11, 12, and 13 is a supplied word and is incorrect (EW 74:2-75:0). It can be "daily mediation" instead of "daily sacrifice." Christ was once, not repeatedly, offered as a Sacrifice on Calvary. That which the Little Horn power tried to take away was not an Antitypical Daily (or continual) Sacrifice of Christ, but rather the Daily (continual) Mediation of Christ on behalf of His people in the Great Sanctuary Above. For Eighteen Centuries Christ ministered in the First Apartment as our mediating High Priest, and during much of that time the Roman Catholic Church, under the direction of Satan, tried to counterfeit His work, and even to do away with it. The Man of Sin tried to take away the "Daily"—the Daily Mediation of Christ to forgive and empower His own to obey Him—from the minds of the people (Dan 8:11-13). Satan was directly behind this work, and in truth the effort "to take away the Daily" was a hallmark of his activity for over a thousand years. And Satan is behind the present effort of Protestant theologians, and Brinsmead, and Paxton, and Ford, to take away the Daily Mediation of Christ from the minds of the people today—at a time when the Daily was never more needed.

Christ pled for His people. This is the work of the Daily. Christ mediated His blood for His people. This is the work of the Daily. Christ receives His people’s prayers, mingles them with the incense of His Righteousness and then presents them to the Father as His own. And then, from the Daily Mediation, He sends to His people the strength and grace needed to overcome sin and keep His Father’s Law. (And understand that the essential aspects of the Daily Mediation continued after 1844. Christ still mediates strength and grace today to all who will come to Him, in addition to carrying on His work in the Judgment.)

Ford’s teaching destroys the Daily and places Christ, immediately upon His Ascension, without a First Apartment Daily, and past a completed Second Apartment Yearly. For the Second Apartment Experience is completed in our lives, and grace is past, and probation is closed, when the blood is placed on the Mercy Seat,—and Ford says that the blood was applied to the Mercy Seat in 31 AD!

In reality, Christ began the Daily shortly after His Ascension (Pentecost and the outpouring of His Spirit upon the disciples marked its beginning,—the beginning of His priestly work,—according to Acts of the Apostles, pages 38:3-39:0). It continued for Eighteen Centuries, and then in 1844, the work in the Second Apartment began. But at that time, in a very real sense, the Daily did not cease, and here is why: In 1844 Christ began the Act of Judgment within the Most Holy Place, before the Presence of the Father. But it was not a shut door. Grace continued. One door had been closed but another had been opened. The work of the Daily continued. Carefully read Great Controversy, pages 428:3 to 431:0. We may continue to come to the throne of grace and find mercy and help in time of need. But looming just ahead is the culmination of the Yearly, when as on the day of atonement anciently, sin was put away and God’s people were clean. Involved here is a personal, an individual work of preparation.

The Judgment is soon to pass to the Living. The Loud Cry—a final call to the world to put away sin and come to that Judgment—is soon to begin,—and you and I must prepare. For shortly thereafter probationary time will forever close. May God help us to be ready. And may we never deny any aspect of the Sanctuary Ministration of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Desmond Ford would allow us to keep the Death of our Lord, while taking away His Living Intercession on our behalf. But how very important is this Intercession of Christ for each one of us! (GC 484, SC 89, Ev 187, AA 495, COL 156, 7BC 913, 926, CT 14, LS 324, PP 140, lSM 140, 6T 67, 363, 8T 177, 9T 104, TM 465). He stands there today on our behalf before the Father (MYP 407, 3T 396, TM 157), in Heaven in the Presence of God (MH 419, Ev 187, CSW 124, Ed 132 SC 74, 8T 128, 9T 103, TM 391). He is interceding as a personal Savior (MH 419, Ed 132), on the sinner’s behalf (PP 140, 6T 364, 8T 178). His Mediatorial Intercession in the Sanctuary in Heaven is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death on Calvary (GC 489), and we are to be comforted by the thought of it (4T 530), for through this Intercessory work, He introduces His people to God as His sons and daughters (6T 363). Well may we proclaim by voice and by pen the wonderful truth of Christ’s Intercession on our behalf (ChS 130), for He lives to make intercession for us (2T 591-592), and it is for you and me as a golden chain fastened to the throne of God (7BC 914), through which our petitions are presented to our Heavenly Father (4T 530) and God is brought near to us (SD 77). Never forget that the need of mankind for this Intercession is constant (6BC 1078), for through it Christ is pleading for us (AA 552, TM 92), but not as a mere petitioner, but as a Conqueror, claiming the victory on our behalf (COL 156). He is pleading our individual cases (2SM 249-250), and presenting His spotless merits with our prayers, confessions, and thanksgiving (COL 156). Thank God every day for the Media tonal Work of Christ in our behalf!

17 - The Thrones in Heaven

"There are about a dozen statements in the New Testament where it says Christ sat—entered and went and sat down—at the right hand of God, or sat down on the throne of God. ‘I overcame and am sat down with My Father on His throne.’ Rev 3. A dozen times it says He entered straight into the Presence of God. Adventists have sometimes tried to get around this by inventing a movable throne. (laughter) Now whether that means that the Ark is left behind in the Mercy Seat in there, and just some other aspect of the throne comes out, I’m not sure. But the Spirit of Prophecy is very clear that the Most Holy place, and never the Holy, was the center of the Divine work of Atonement. And there is no Biblical basis for moving the throne, none whatever."

Daniel Seven is one of the most forceful expositions on the Investigative Judgment given in Scripture, and it clearly shows a reseating of thrones. We have already carefully studied this. In Daniel 7:9, the "casting down" of thrones is the placing of thrones. The custom of ancient times was to set down cushions on the floor for a meeting. Folk would be seated on them or recline against them. They did not use chairs back in ancient times. This ancient method continues today in much of the Orient. If you have seen pictures of the interior of a Japanese home you will understand this. Daniel Seven reveals a re-setting of seats for Divinity for the Commencement of the Judgment. First, we have the rule of the Little Horn Power (Dan 7:7-8, 19-21, 23-25 and Dan 8:9-13). This is followed by the beginning of the Judgment (Dan 7:9, 22, 26), which in Daniel 8 is called the Cleansing or Restoration of the Sanctuary (Dan 8:14). Here are the events in this Judgment or Cleansing: The Ancient of Days comes (7:22) and the thrones being placed, He did sit (7:9). Then One like the Son of man comes to Him, and He is brought near before Him (7:13). Ten thousand times ten thousand stand before Him, and thousand thousands minister unto Him; the Judgment is set and the books are opened (7:10). The Examination and Cleansing and Restoration of the Records of Heaven commences (7:10; 8:14). Judgment or decisions are rendered on behalf of each of God’s professed people (7:22). This Judgment results in a taking away of the dominion of the Little Horn Beast (7:26), and a giving of it unto the Son (7:14) and to His people (7:27). No longer will this wicked power be able to practice and prosper and cast truth to the ground (8:12), and to destroy the sanctuary truth—the truth of the Mediating Work of Christ—from the minds of the people (8:11). The Son of man shall receive the Kingdom (7:14), and His people with Him (7:22, 27). The Little Horn Beast will be destroyed in burning flame (7:11). The Son will rule forever, and His people with Him, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him forever (7:14, 22, 27).

Note that the four views of the Judgment given in Daniel Seven and Eight come after the 1260 Years of Little Horn Rule are past (Dan 7:25 with 26; compare Rev 12:6, 11:2-3), and it commences with the end of the 2300 Years of Daniel 8:18. The Investigative Judgment does not begin at the Ascension of Christ.

The Word of God reveals two primary aspects of the position of Christ in Heaven following His Ascension: First it reveals that He ascended to the throne of God (Rev 12:5) and that He is enthroned there with His Father (Rev 3:21—quoted by Dr. Ford). But there is also a second aspect to His Heavenly role since His Ascension to Heaven. This is His Mediation on behalf of His people before His Father. This is His Work as our High Priest in the Great Sanctuary in Heaven on our behalf. This is the aspect of His mediation and intercession that He has carried on for us since 31 A.D. There are many passages that refer to this Mediatorial Work for us. Here are a few: Rom 8:34; 1 Tim 2:5; Heb 2:17; 3:1; 4:14-15; 5:5; 6:19-20; 7:25-26; 8:1, 6; 9:11, 15, 24; 10:21; 12:24; 1 Jn 2:1. This is by no means a complete listing. Truly, He can say "Heaven is my throne" (Ac 7:49), and in the Sanctuary in Heaven He pleads our cases before the Father (Rom 8:34, Hebrews, etc.). We today may "come boldly unto the throne of grace" that our High Priest may minister to our needs (Heb 4:16). This is His mediatorial work. Our High Priest is set on the right hand of this throne (Heb 8:1), and He is set down at this throne (Heb 12:2). Whether He stands pleading, as is indicated in some passages of Scripture, or is set pleading, as in others, is not really the issue, is it? It seems to me that Ford is making an issue regarding "set" and "thrones" where no issue is. The issue is whether He is our High Priest in the Sanctuary above, not whether He is sitting or standing in the conducting of it. I have seen from an examination of Scripture that there are far fewer passages speaking of Jesus sitting on a throne between 31 A.D. and the Second Advent, than there are passages speaking of His mediatorial and intercessory work during that time. In general, about as many passages are to be found in Scripture dealing with His enthronement after His Second Coming as before it. Consider, for example, Matt 19:28, 26:64; Lk 22:28-30, 1:32-1:32-33 and elsewhere in both the Old and New Testaments. "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory." Matthew 25:31. The context of this passage in Matthew refers to the commencement of the Kingdom of Glory at His Second Advent. Prior to that time is the Kingdom of Grace. Both are explained in Great Controversy, pages 347-348. Both would involve a throne, for both are kingdoms. But the Kingdom of Grace would also involve a Priesthood, according to the book of Hebrews (Heb 4:14-16, and 7:25, for example). Revelation 4, 5, and 7 speak much about this throne and those sitting upon it. We may especially note that One sat upon the throne (4:2, etc.) and, also, that there was a Lamb "in the midst" of the throne (5:6). Then, we are told that this Lamb "came" and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne (5:7). Later songs of praise are sung to the One that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb (5:13 and 7:10). I believe that we are dealing with something here that we do not fully understand, for it has not been fully revealed to us. We cannot penetrate any deeper into the mystery of the Throne at the Center of the Universe than our Maker wishes to reveal it. It would appear that silence here would be wisdom. But though we cannot fully understand the position of our High Priest in relation to the Throne, we can yet clearly know that He is carrying on a Work of Grace before or in that Throne. And we can know, without a doubt, from the Bible alone, or from the Spirit of Prophecy alone, that He is now Mediating in the Pattern Sanctuary of Two Apartments that the sanctuary on earth was copied after (read the excellent Bible study on this topic in Great Controversy, pages 412:4-418:1, 420:2-422:0). And we can also know that this work, having now begun within the Second Apartment of that Sanctuary, will soon end—and instead of quibbling over the Judgment, we had better prepare to meet it!

18 - Bible Prophecy is Important

"And if some wish, here, at this point, to say that Sister White saw in vision the Father arise and enter a flaming chariot, and go from the Holy to the Most Holy, I would remind you that you should read—closely—what the Seventh-day Adventist Commentary says on the nature of symbolic vision in its notes on Ezekiel One, a special note at the end of Ezekiel One, where it points out that the prophets didn’t see the actual, but saw a representation that was meant to teach them something Apocalyptic visions are not to be taken as graphical, literal representations of the unseen, my friends. They are sketches within the experience and culture of the contemporary prophet, to teach them something. Very important to understand that."

This is indeed an interesting lecture that is here being delivered to our young people. Dr. Ford has his concepts, although not his Scripture, very much in hand in this lecture which probably is a distillation of that which he has been teaching in his college courses for many years to our future workers and leaders.

In this lecture, everything that would support the pioneer Advent view on the Sanctuary is either ignored (such as the thorough Bible studies on our Sanctuary Message, given in Great Controversy, chapters 23, 24, and 28; or the truths given in Daniel Seven), ridiculed (Hiram Edson’s insight into the truth of Exodus 25:8, 40, Hebrews 8:1-5, and Daniel 8:14), underrated (the cleansing of the Sanctuary in Leviticus 16; or the importance of the book, Great Controversy), or denied (the truth of ta hagia and Christ’s Ascension entry into the Sanctuary in Hebrews Nine).

But now we have something new: A sweeping attack on the value of Prophetic Guidance itself. The Early Writings 54-56 section that graphically describes in vision the actual passage of the Father and the Son from the First to the Second Apartment in 1844 is relegated to the imaginary scrapheap of visions, prophetic instruction, and similar confusion. Dr. Ford will even attempt to destroy Inspiration in order to further his own thinking. Nothing is too sacred for Dr. Ford. We shall soon witness in this lecture a full scale onslaught against Inspiration, both of the Bible as well as of the Spirit of Prophecy. Why have we, who are older, not protected our youth from the insidious and determined efforts of men such as this? It is an operating policy of Roman Catholicism to generally transfer problems to another field, rather than to discharge them. If a priest is immoral he is merely sent to a distant parish to continue his activities,—but if a teacher is found to be teaching error he is discharged immediately.

The experience that occured in October of 1844 is given us as an actual reality in Early Writings 54-56. But true to the approach he frequently uses in this lecture, Dr. Ford does not directly deny the Gift of Prophecy, but instead works to underrate and nullify that which it produced. Robert Brinsmead, Geoffrey Paxton and Desmond Ford carefully work in certain lines. They will never be found directly denying the Prophetic Gift given us in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. But by their subtle thrusts, parries and attacks they accomplish the same work.

We are here told that what a prophet is given in vision isn’t really true—it’s only imaginary somethings designed to teach some kind of lesson to the prophet himself! Sort of a secret series of cloud-like constructions that, we hope, at least taught the prophet something. But the figments and vapors of it all left the rest of us in confusion. This is Ford’s view of Prophetic Guidance.

"All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16. (Lk 8:21, 2 Pet 1:21, Heb 1:1-2, Rev 1:1-3, Ps 119:105, Jn 17:17, Job 23:12, Isa 40:8, Matt 24:35, Jn 5:39, Ac 17:11, 2 Tim 3:15, Lk 24:45, Matt 22:29) "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand)." Matthew 24:15. "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy [the book of Revelation], and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand." Revelation 1:3. "But He said, Yea, rather, blessed are they’ that hear the Word of God, and keep it." Luke 11:28. "To the Law and to the Testimony: if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them." Isaiah 8:20.

And what lesson are we to learn from the vision of the Father and the Son moving from the First to the Second Apartment in 1844? Ford clearly infers that it does not mean that they went from the First to the Second Apartment. Well, what then does it mean! This prophetic view of Early Writings 54-56, that so beautifully harmonizes with and fills in the picture given in Daniel Seven (9:9-10, 13, 22, 26), we are here told is of no practical instructional value whatsoever. And where is all this teaching of Ford inevitably to lead us? Obviously, the visions of Daniel and John the Revelator are also to be reckoned as worthless. If we accept this mythologizing approach to prophetic visions, we have had destroyed before us the vision prophecies of Daniel, Revelation, most of the major and the minor prophets, much of the writings of Moses, Great Controversy and the rest of the Conflict of the Ages Series, most of the Testimonies, Early Writings, and the greater part of what remains of the Spirit of Prophecy. A vision is a view, an understanding given by God through His prophet to His people (cf. Rev 1:1-3, Rom 15:4, etc.). This work to destroy the instructional value of Inspiration is one of the most diabolical of Dr. Ford’s teaching objectives.

Dr. Ford, you would annihilate the teaching value of the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy from the hearts of the people if only you could reach your self-appointed goal of becoming in our day the honored master-theologian to the Adventist denomination. Nothing is sacred to you. Nothing is secure from your hands. Neither the Bible nor the Spirit of Prophecy, nor friends nor veteran workers. Everything must bow before your doctrinal views, or you declare war upon it.

19 - Men Who Search for Doubt

"When you read in Jeremiah chapter 13, about the prophet Jeremiah being told to take a girdle and take it to the Euphrates and after seventy days go and get it back. You might think that was next door. It was a thousand miles away. And you and I didn’t exist then. (laughter) He didn’t go to the Euphrates nor did he go and get it back. It was all done in vision . . . And some of the things that Hosea did that may seem to shock you—you find the same key of explanation,—so within the veil sitting on the right hand of God can only mean the Most Holy Place."

You see when a prophet says something, he doesn’t really mean it, when God tells him to do it, it’s not really done, and you and I didn’t exist then anyway, and when you find things in Scripture you don’t understand, you use the key of explaining it all away—and that is how we can know that within the veil sitting on the right hand of God can only mean the Most Holy Place.

There are certain passages in Scripture that we do not understand. They have not been clearly revealed to us. But the greater majority of Scripture is not in this catagory. We can readily grasp the essential details, that we may apply them to our own lives, and our understanding of Bible prophecy, and of doctrinal truth. Dr. Ford would lead our youth to the less-understood portions and use them to discredit the rest of Scripture in their minds. Read Great Controversy, 526:1-528:2 for further insight into the work of those men who would destroy the Word of God with their doubting, and 520:1-522:2 to better understand their method of twisting and splitting Scripture and turning it into fables. 522:4-524:0, and 525:3-4 tell of those who would be wiser than their Creator, and the destroying effects of their fablizing of Scripture. Chapter Eleven of Steps to Christ. "What to Do with Doubt," contains many insights into these matters. And note page 111—"Disguise it as they may, the real cause of doubt and skepticism [in regard to the Word of God], in most cases, is the love of sin."

"Many wander in the mazes of philosophy, in search of reasons and evidence which they will never find, while they reject the evidence which God has been pleased to give . . . All who persist in this course will fail to come to a knowledge of the truth. God will never remove every occasion for doubt. He gives sufficent evidence on which to base faith, and if this is not accepted, the mind is left in darkness." Patriarchs and Prophets, 432:2.

20 - The Blood taken into the Sanctuary

"We’ve said many things in connection with the Sanctuary that won’t stand. We’ve spoken about how every day the blood went into the Holy Place and was sprinkled there and so it became defiled. Two errors there: (1) The blood usually didn’t go into the Holy Place at all. Very, very rarely, the blood went into the Holy Place. Usually it was poured outside of the altar. (2) We speak about blood defiling. You will not anywhere in Scripture there is the blood of the sacrifice ever defile. It is always presented as cleansing. Always. "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin." Well, there’s nothing adequate in print, on this topic, so I had a few swipes at it in print, but knew if I was very frank it would never be published. So I said as much as I could about it, beginning back in the ‘50's and have had some things published, touching on the problem." [This paragraph—sic.]

In the earthly type, the blood came from animal sacrifices. There were Daily sacrifices and Yearly sacrifices. Blood from the Daily sacrifices regularly went into the Holy Place, or First Apartment. We are told about these sacrifices in the first seven chapters of Leviticus. As we have seen from our earlier study of Daniel 8, Leviticus 16 and Hebrews 9, the blood of the Sin Offering was especially significant, and was the connecting link between the Daily and the Yearly, being offered in both services. Four sin offerings are described in Leviticus 4. For a ruler or one of the people, the blood of the sacrifice was poured out at the base of the altar (4:25, 34). But in the case of a sin offering for the priest or for the entire congregation, it was carried into the Holy Place—the First Apartment—and was sprinkled "seven times before the Lord, before the veil of the sanctuary," (4:5-6, 16-17), and some of it was placed upon the Golden Altar of Incense that stood in the First Apartment nearest to the Presence of God (4:7, 18). Quite obviously, the blood of the Sin Offering on behalf of all of God’s people was taken into the Sanctuary in the Daily ministration. In order to avoid an excess of passage in the First Apartment, our Heavenly Father wisely arranged that there not be a continual movement into and out of it. But to use this fact as a basis for denying the truth of blood being regularly —daily— taken into the First Apartment is a perversion of Scriptural interpretation. The blood of the offering was taken directly into the First Apartment, or the flesh was eaten by the priest. Either the blood was brought into the Holy Place and the flesh itself burned without the camp, or the flesh of the offering was eaten by the priests (Lev 4:12, 21; 6:26, 29), and eaten in the Holy Place (Lev 10:18). "Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the Holy Place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the Holy Place as I commanded." Leviticus 10:18. When the blood was not directly brought into the Sanctuary, why was the flesh to be eaten by the priest? By eating the flesh, the sin was transferred to the priest. "Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the Holy Place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord." Leviticus 10:17. By this act, the priest took upon himself the "iniquity of the congregation" (Lev 6:26; 10:17). In doing this, the priest is symbolic of Him who "bare the sin of many." upon whom the Lord laid "the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:12, 6). He was made "an offering for sin" (Isa 53: 10), and because of it, He shall "justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities." (Isa 53:11). He "bore our sins" (Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 2:24). Christ "died for our sins" (I Cor 15:3), and He who knew no sin was made "to be sin for us " (2 Cor 5:21), for He "gave Himself for our sins" (Gal 1:4).

In the type, the priest could not personally atone for sin by giving his own life, as Christ in the antitype did, and so the earthly priest gave his own sin offering which was carried into the Holy Place and there sprinkled. (Lev 4:5-6). So, in every case, the blood atonement/or every man was ultimately brought into the First Apartment and sprinkled within it. "The life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." Leviticus 17:11.

And this work of mediating His blood on our behalf, Christ began when He entered the First Apartment of the Heavenly Sanctuary at His Ascension. It is the blood of Christ that saves us from sin (Matt 26:28, Jn 6:56; 19:34, Ac 20:28, Rom 5:9, Col 1:20, 1 Pet 1:18-19). In His blood our sins are cleansed and removed (Heb 9:14, 1 Jn 1:7, Rev 1:5; 7:14). It is clear from Scripture that the blood of Christ cleanses. It is just as clear that sin defiles (Matt 15:19-20). Not only does sin defile a man, it also defiles whatever it touches. Adultery defiles the land and the sanctuary (Ez 23:37-38). Murder defiles the land (Num 35:33). Profaning the Sabbath defiles both the Sabbath and the Sanctuary (Ezek 23:38). Uncleanness defiles the tabernacle (Lev 15:31; 16:16). Worship of Molech defiles the tabernacle (Lev 20:3). In all these cases it is sin that defiles,—the land, the Sabbath, the Sanctuary, and the human heart. Sin defiles what it touches. It is for this reason that there was a Day of Atonement—to remove this defilement. But this is the truth that Dr. Ford wants to remove from our landmarks. The message of the Advent Movement is that there is a Day of Atonement to blot out sin. The message of Desmond Ford is to blot out the Day of Atonement.

The sin of God’s people is written where the blood representing the sinner has been placed (Jer 17:11), and it is the work of the Day of Atonement to remove this sin—to cleanse it from the Sanctuary (Lev 16:14-16, 18-19, 29-34). Christ was made "to be sin for us, who knew no sin" (2 Cor 5:21). He "poured out His soul unto death" (Isa 53:12), that He might be made "an offering for sin" (Isa 53: 10). He bore "the sin of many" (2 Cor 5:21), and entered with His own blood into the Sanctuary on our behalf (Heb 9:12) in order "that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest" "to make reconciliation for the sins of the people" (Heb 2:1 7).

We have seen from the Bible that it was not a "rare" thing for blood to be brought into the Sanctuary (and Great Controversy, 418:1-2 says it was done from day to day). And we have seen that it was the sin of the people that defiled the Sanctuary. Dr. Ford is here making a false issue over "blood defilement." The issue in the great controversy and in the Sanctuary Service was sin defilement, not blood defilement. The Spirit of Prophecy is concerned with sin defilement and blood cleansing: Man’s defilement by sin is cleansed by Christ’s blood (SC 28-9, 8 T 291), Christ’s blood is a fountain for cleansing from sin (4T 625), His blood is presented for the sinner’s shortcomings (1SM 344), Sin’s brand is effaced only through the Antitypical blood (1SM 371), and the sins of the faithful are removed from the Heavenly Sanctuary by the blood of Christ (GC 421-22).

An excellent summary of the Biblical material on this is to be found in Great Controversy, pages 417:2-421:0. Here is a brief survey of what you will find there: The sinner brought a substitute (lamb, goat, etc.), symbolizing Christ, to the altar, confessed his sin, and placed his hands on the substitute’s head, thereby, in figure, transferring his sin to the substitute’s. The substitute was then slain and its blood taken into the Sanctuary (either directly into the First Apartment, or by the sin having been transferred to the priest by his eating of it, and then taken into the First Apartment when the blood from the priest’s sin offering was taken within it). In the earthly, the transferral of sin to the tabernacle was done in symbol. In the Heavenly, the transferral of sin to the Sanctuary is done in reality. In the act of confessing his sin over the victim and placing his hands on its head, the sin was transferred from the sinner to the substitute. The innocent substitute "became sin" in place of the repentant sinner. The life is in the blood, and the blood of the substitute, offered up—slain—on behalf of the man, took away the man’s sin (although the sin was not cancelled for, as we will see below, though forgiven, it can still be rolled back upon us prior to the Final Atonement). This blood, the "life" of the victim, was then taken into the First Apartment, and there sprinkled nearest to the presence of God, upon the dividing veil. In this way sin was transferred to the Sanctuary. In the whole process, the sinner was being loosed from his sin by the Blood, and the Sanctuary was being defiled by the sin. For by the sin being transferred from the sinner to the innocent victim (in symbol in the type, and in reality in the antitype), the victim became identified with the sin. It "became sin" and the sin it now bore defiled the Sanctuary. It was the sin of the sinner which was defiling the Sanctuary, not the blood. I do not know of any location in the Bible or Spirit of Prophecy that directly says that the blood defiled the Sanctuary. It was the sin through the blood which defiled it. Note, for example, the careful wording in the middle of page 418 of Great Controversy. Consider also Jeremiah 17:l and Leviticus 11:17, 16:19. The blood represented or stood in place of the life of the sinner (GC 418:1), but the blood, itself, was the blood of the substitute. And it was always cleansing. In the Daily it is pardoning the sinner, and transferring his sin to the Sanctuary. This aspect of the Daily continues in the Yearly until the Records of the Living having been examined, the blood is placed on the Mercy Seat. Then the Sanctuary is cleansed, and probationary time being closed, those are "cut off" who did not take part in the Yearly Service by the putting away of their sins and earnestly seeking the mercy of God. We live in a solemn time. (In support of these last three sentences, read Great Controversy. chapter 28 and Leviticus 16.) Having read the above summary, now read Great Controversy 417:2-422:0 and also Patriarchs and Prophets 352:3, 354:2-358:0. If you find something there that disagrees with this summary, then ignore that part of the summary. You will note that the scapegoat transaction is not summarized here. It is clearly stated in the Spirit of Prophecy (GC 419:2, 422:2, PP 355:2-3, 358:1-3), is not contested by Dr. Ford, and therefore need not fill space here. In regard to the transferral of sin, what was done in symbol on earth is done in fact in Heaven (GC 421 :3); that which was done in type on earth is done in reality in Heaven (GC 420:2). On the Day of Atonement this defilement was removed from the Heavenly Sanctuary (GC 420:1, 421:3-422:0). Sin is actually being removed now from the Sanctuary. If we on earth are not participating in this solemn service by putting away sin from our lives, then we will come up to the time of the Final Atonement and not be prepared for its sentence. This is the Third Angel’s Message. "Fear God and give glory to Him for the Hour of His Judgment is come, and worship Him." And this Message we are to give to the world at this time. Carefully read Great Controversy 424:4-425:2 for this definition of the Third Angel’s Message and our need to put away our sins, and also read Early Writings 254:1-256:2 in order to learn where the Third Angel is pointing us. Thus Great Controversy is one of the most important books we have—for chapters 23 and onward in careful detail give us the fulness of the Third Angel’s Message. Many err in thinking that "how" the Righteousness of Christ is initially imputed to them is the message of "what" the Righteousness of Christ is. But the complete message is more than how God imputes it as our own. It is also how God makes it our own. As will be seen in our separate study on the Righteousness of Christ, imputation is followed by obedience. (This study is primarily a compilation of Bible, Spirit of Prophecy, Waggoner and Jones quotations.) The "what" of the Righteousness of Christ, the standard in these last days that will be so much contested is extremely important, and only those who are studying the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy for themselves, and in the strength of Christ are putting away their sins and practicing that standard, will be prepared for the solemn hour when the Judgment will Pass to the Living (GC 486:1-491:2).

FF-12

In the Daily, our sins are confessed and transferred to the Sanctuary above. In the Yearly, they are blotted out of existence (GC 483:1-486:2). But prior to that time, if we choose to return to our sins, and ultimately refuse to separate from them, they will be rolled back on us, and we will still have to bear in our own persons the full accountability for them in the final execution of the Judgment (GC 420:1, 483:1, 486:2, COL 251:2, and DA 763:3-764:1).

Specifically, it is sin that defiles the Sanctuary. Our lives having come into fellowship with it have become defiled. In the Daily, as we repent and forsake them in the strength of Christ, our sins are transferred, in fact, to the Sanctuary in Heaven, and in the Yearly, Jesus cleanses the Record of our Sins from the Record Books of the Sanctuary. In the Type, the blood representing, in symbol, the life of the sinner was taken into the Earthly Sanctuary, and thereby, in figure, defiled it. In the Antitype, the actual sin of the humble, repentant, believing sinner is taken to the Heavenly Sanctuary, and there defiles it in reality. The Yearly Service, by careful examination of the records, removes this defilement on behalf of those who are found to be worthy of receiving it (GC chapter 23 and 28).

"What shall we say about it? Well, the first thing I must say is in answer to what you will say, ‘But, Ellen White—.’ So let me point out to you that Ellen White clearly teaches that Christ went into the most holy place at His ascension." [And then Dr. Ford quotes five passages from the Spirit of Prophecy.]

Quotation One: Signs of the Times, April 19, 1905. This is the strongest of the five statements in support of his contention that Ellen White believed and taught an immediate entrance by Christ into the Second Apartment at His Ascension. Unfortunately, I do not have here the volumes containing the "Signs" articles, and therefore am unable to quote this passage accurately. This is due to the fact that in this lecture Dr. Ford successively quotes it in two different ways. (1) "Still bearing humanity, He [Christ] ascended to heaven, triumphant and victorious. He has sprinkled the blood of the atonement on the mercy seat." (2) "Still victorious. He has taken the blood of the atonement into the holiest of all, and sprinkled it on the mercy seat." There are two ways in which we can view this passage, and either one is Biblically sound and correct: [a] This passage is in the style of many in Scripture: it is a sweeping view of the whole work of the Atonement. Gen 3:15 and Revelation 12 are two of many such examples of this. Each is an overall view, but with many details being left out that are filled in elsewhere in Scripture. As an overall view, it is thus in harmony with the clear and most specific details given in Great Controversy, chapter 23, and elsewhere. In other words, it would be a predictive quotation, providing, prophetically, a sweeping view of past, present, and future.

[b] Having said that, I will face this quotation in just the manner as Dr. Ford presents it to us: Jesus Ascended to Heaven. He has taken the blood into the Most Holy Place and sprinkled it on the Mercy Seat.—And this is exactly right. This is exactly what Jesus has done. Prior to 1844, this could not be written (except as a prophetic—predictive view) But since then it can be written as a factual, present view. For in 1844, Jesus began the work of investigation and blotting out of sin. It has continued from that time to the present, and soon will pass to the cases of the living, and then probation will close. In every instance either names or sins are blotted out. Carefully read Great Controversy, 483:1, 486:1, and 490:1-2 for a clear view of this. It accords fully with the Signs quotation, given above.

Christ is man’s Advocate before the Mercy Seat (6T 364), for He pleads before it for sinners (GC 415). From it, God, today, dispenses pardon to repentant sinners (6T 364). "The work of Christ in the Sanctuary above, presenting His own blood each moment before the Mercy Seat, as He makes intercession for us, should have its full impression upon the heart, that we may realize the worth of each moment." Counsels on Sabbath School Work, 111:2.

"I would point out to you that after Ballenger had written his books on this topic, he and Andross, a very devout Adventist scholar, for the first time went into print as saying, ‘Yes, within the veil does mean the Most Holy Place, and Christ did go there, immediately ascended.’ But of course Andross had to get out of it some way, so he said ‘He went in and he came out again, and went back in the First [Apartment].’ "

For the second time in this lecture, Dr. Ford refers to Ballenger. He has good reason to. Albion Fox Ballenger (1861-192 1) was one of the best-known apostasies over the Sanctuary issue in the history of our church. Dr. Ford well knows that he is teaching the very same error that Ballenger taught, and that Ellen White clearly and decidedly rejected Ballenger’s view as "specious error." E.W. Farnsworth, in 1905, described Ballenger’s teachings in these words: When Jesus "ascended, He went immediately into the Most Holy Place, and that His ministry has been carried on there ever since," and that Ballenger claims that Hebrews 6:19, "within the veil" refers to the Most Holy Place. Ballenger’s teaching here is identical to that of Desmond B. Ford’s. Ellen White wrote this in warning about the teachings of A.F. Ballenger:

"In clear, plain language I am to say to those in attendance at this [General] conference [of 1905] that Brother Ballenger has been allowing his mind to receive and believe specious error. He has been misinterpreting and misapplying the scriptures upon which he has fastened his mind. He is building up theories that are not founded in truth. A warning is now to come to him and to the people; for God has not indited the message that he is bearing. This message, if accepted, would undermine the pillars of our faith . . . If the theories that Brother Ballenger presents were received, they would lead many to depart from the faith. They would counterwork the truths upon which the people of God have stood for the past fifty years. I am bidden to say in the name of the Lord that Elder Ballenger is following a false light. The Lord has not given him the message that he is bearing regarding the Sanctuary Service . . . I have a warning for those who suppose that they have been given the work of revealing Scripture in a new light. This work means substituting human interpretation for the interpretation that God has given. Thus did the heavenly messengers pronounce upon the effort into which Brother Ballenger has entered."—Manuscript 62, 1905.

"Elder Ballenger thinks that he has new light, and is burdened to give it to the people; but the Lord has instructed me that he has misapplied texts of Scripture, and given them a wrong application. The word of God is always the truth, but the doctrines that Elder Ballenger advances, if received, would unsettle our faith in the Sanctuary question."—Manuscript 145, 1905.

Speaking of the Ballenger heresy, she wrote: "When the power of God testifies as to what is truth, that truth is to stand forever as the truth. No after-suppositions contrary to the light God has given are to be entertained . . . We are not to receive the words of those who come with a message that contradicts the special points of our faith . . . While the Scriptures are God’s word, and are to be respected, the application of them, if such application moves one pillar of the foundation that God has sustained these fifty years [in 1905] is a great mistake."—Letter 329, 1905. (Letter 329 is also in 1 Selected Messages, 160-162.)

"It is impossible for us to have any agreement with the positions taken by Brother A.F. Ballenger; for no lie is of the truth. His proofs do not belong where he places them, and although he may lead minds to believe his theory in regard to the Sanctuary, this is no evidence that his theory is true."—Letter to W.W. Simpson, January 30, 1906.

"Elder Ballenger’s proofs are not reliable. If received, they would destroy the faith of God’s people in the truth that has made us what we are. We must be decided on this subject; for the points that he is trying to prove by scripture are not sound . . . We were directed by the angels of God. It was under the guidance of the Holy Spirit that the presentation of the Sanctuary question [the Sanctuary doctrine] was given. It is eloquence for every one to keep silent in regard to the features of our faith in which they acted no part. God never contradicts Himself. Scripture proofs are misapplied if forced to testify to that which is not true. Another and still another will arise, and bring in supposedly great light, and make their assertions. But we stand by the old landmarks."—Letter to John Burden, December 11, 1905.

We are told what the "landmarks" are in Counsels to Writers and Editors, page 30. They are four in number, and are not subject to change: [1] the cleansing of the Sanctuary, [2] the Three Angels’ Messages, [3] the Law and the Sabbath in relation to God’s temple in heaven, and [4] "the nonimmortality of the wicked." You will find these four "landmarks" thoroughly explained in the book of the landmarks, Great Controversy. [1] in chapters 23, 24, and 28; [2] in chapter 25, [3] in chapter 26, and [4] in chapter 33. Never depart from the teachings of this book. Great Controversy is the only accurate comprehensive doctrinal book that we publish.

"Those who seek to remove the old landmarks are not holding fast; they are not remembering how they have received and heard . . . I am bidden to say in the name of the Lord that Elder Ballenger is following a false light. The Lord has not sent him the message that he is bearing regarding the Sanctuary Service. Our Instructor spoke words to Brother Ballenger: ‘You are bringing in confusion and perplexity by your interpretation of the Scriptures. You think that you have been given new light, but your light will become darkness to those who receive it . . . Those who receive your interpretation of Scripture regarding the Sanctuary Service are receiving error and following in false paths. The enemy will work the minds of those who are eager for something new, preparing them to receive false theories and false expositions of the Scripture.’"—Manuscript 62, 1905.

With this stunning introduction, Dr. Ford prepares us for four quotations from the Spirit of Prophecy that he has culled out over the years to "prove" his contention that Christ went into the Most Holy Place at His Ascension. He realizes that none of these quotations (nor the one that preceded them) actually say this, and so he uses a dramatic introduction to prepare our minds to imagine that we can, after all, see in those quickly read passages, what in fact, is not really there.

The inference given in this introduction is, nonetheless, a sinister one: Ford is implanting in the minds of our young people the idea that our publishing houses regularly censored—cut out—various passages from her books, and that occasionally one slipped by. The thought here is that what we read in her writings is not actually her own thoughts, but rather is the editorial product of her book publishers. Of course, if such an idea be once entertained, Dr. Ford’s objective is met—to destroy our confidence in the Spirit of Prophecy, and to stop our reading of it, that our attention may be turned to Dr. Ford’s wise counsels. There are many spirits gone abroad in our day that would seek to tear down the Prophetic Gift through Ellen White, and remove it from our lives and our Church. Refuse to listen to them. They are friendly little agents from Satan. First they will strip you of your protection. And then they will entrap you with their own speculations and theories.

[Acts of the Apostles, page 33:3 is partially quoted] ... It was the Day of Atonement from the Incarnation here, she says. Now, please don’t go out and say ‘Des Ford says, ‘The Day of Atonement began at the Incarnation.’ Please go out and say, ‘Ellen White says,’ I didn’t write Acts of the Apostles. I wish I could have (laughter)."

Quotation Two: Acts of the Apostles, page 33:3. We need not quote this paragraph here, for you can as easily turn to it in your own home. Carefully read it. It says nothing about Christ’s entry into the Most Holy Place at His Ascension, or about the Day of Atonement occurring at the Cross. Ford can try to read his "research" into it, but when all is said and done, that is all he is doing—reading in, not reading out. And it says nothing else that would mark Ellen White as a "rebel." Dr. Ford is trying to read into it one of his favorite errors: The concept that Christ completed His Sanctuary priestly Mediation at Calvary, with little or nothing left to do in Heaven afterward. "Christ laid aside His royal robes and garbed Himself with humanity and offered sacrifice, Himself the priest, Himself the victim." This is either symbolic or literal. If symbolic, then it refers to the work consistently expressed elsewhere throughout the Spirit of Prophecy regarding the timing and procedure of Christ’s Priesthood on behalf of mankind. If literal, then Christ literally as an earthly priest slew Himself at Calvary. Of course, this would be unscriptural, for the Bible clearly tells us that Christ was not a priest on earth. "For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices, wherefore it is of necessity that this Man have something also to offer. For if He were on earth, He should not be a priest . . ." Hebrews 8:3-4. This is a definite part of Paul’s argument in the book of Hebrews—that the Aaronite priests ministered on earth, but Jesus as our priest only ministers in Heaven. Again, we have here an excellent insight into the fact that Dr. Ford really has nothing on which to support his theories. Is this the best he can bring forth to overthrow the clear evidence in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy that reveals the Heavenly ministration of Christ in the Sanctuary on our behalf? In this Reply to Desmond Ford’s October 27 Lecture, I here cite scores of Bible and Spirit of Prophecy references in support of our very Scriptural historic positions. This is by no means the result of brilliance, for the Word of God is filled with support of its own Truth. And we are here defending Truth. But in contrast, within his lecture Dr. Ford cited very, very little of Scripture—either Bible or of Spirit of Prophecy. Most of it was talk, theory, and aspersion, with an occasional quotation such as Acts of the Apostles, page 33:3 thrown in as "proof."

Acts of the Apostles 33:3, is as obvious a figurative representation as can be found in the Spirit of Prophecy. As the high priest laid aside one set of priestly robes for another, so Christ laid aside his royalty and clothed Himself with humanity, and sacrificed Himself for mankind. Since He was, literally as priest, to apply the blood of this sacrifice in Heaven, He was, in a figurative sense, the priest who provided it. He literally was to apply the blood atonement in Heaven. He literally as the Sacrifice provided the blood atonement on Calvary. But He did not literally officiate at Calvary as a priest, for He did not actually slay the sacrifice with a knife, while standing over it.

Jesus was not a priest on earth, but only after His Ascension to Heaven, according to the Bible (Heb 8:2-4). Dr. Ford claims that the Spirit of Prophecy teaches an earthly priesthood of Christ and the Day of Atonement in Antitype at Calvary, but this is not true. At Calvary "Jesus was earning the right to become the Advocate of men" (DA 745:0). In anticipation of His Sacrificial Death on earth and His Mediatorial Priesthood in Heaven, He could redeem men throughout the Old Testament and during His earthly life. The priestly ministry on earth represented Christ’s Priesthood in Heaven (GC 420-421). But it was not until His Ascension that He entered upon this priestly work on our behalf (GC 420-421, 430).

"From the SDA Bible Commentary, Volume 5, 1109, ‘The Mercy Seat, is opened to all who accept Christ as the propitiation for sin. The veil is rent, the partition wall is broken down. Christ came to demolish every wall of partition, to throw open every compartment of the temple.’ This is Christ’s Object Lessons, 386."

Quotations Three and Four: 5 Bible Commentary, 1109/1:1, and Christ’s Object Lessons, 386:2. The above is a composite quotation from two books, and is quoted as Dr. Ford gave them. (The first somewhat differs from his rendition of it.) Read together, quickly, one might imagine that something new is to be found here. But a more careful reading of the two passages—either together or separately—reveals that they uniformly agree with our consistent position on these matters. Both passages tell us that Christ came to earth to enable us to fully come into the Presence of God. Ford would have us think that they teach something different—that Christ at His Ascension immediately entered the Second Apartment. Such cannot be true, for it would run entirely counter to the detailed instruction given elsewhere in the Spirit of Prophecy on this matter. One passage of Scripture should not be made to attack another. And viewing it all from when it was written, after 1844, the effect of Christ’s work has, indeed, been to open the Mercy Seat to us. Note that these last three sentences in the 5 B.C. 1109 quotation are in the present tense: "[Christ’s death, in past tense, then] The Mercy Seat, upon which the glory of God rested in the holiest of all, is opened . . . The veil is rent . . ." The passage from COL is even more figurative. Read it—COL 386:1. It should be remembered that there is also a separate "veil" concept in the Bible that is entirely different. This is the "veil of sin" concept, which you can read about in the following passages: Ex 33:33-35, Isa 25:7, 2 Cor 3:13-16. The veil of sin drawn over all nations that keeps them from beholding the truth of God, is drawn aside in Christ.

26 - Christ began His Priestly Work when He Ascended to Heaven

"But the strongest statement I leave till last, it’s never been noticed. We can read and read and read, and not know what we’re reading. But in the book written after Great Controversy, the greatest book Ellen White ever wrote . . Desire of Ages, the greatest book in the world, next to the Scripture. All this talk about Ellen White’s plagiarism. Sure she used other books in preparing this book . . . [As his fifth and last quotation, Dr. Ford reads from Desire of Ages, 756:5 bottom line and over through half of 757:0, then the middle and finally the last portion of 757:1] . . . ‘ No longer need sinful, sorrowing humanity await the coming of the high priest.’ And then she quotes Hebrews 9:12 . . ."

There is a special reason why Dr. Ford so much appreciates Desire of Ages: It presents the earthly work of Christ and not the Investigative Judgment, Cleansing and Final Atonement by Christ after 1844, as given in Great Controversy. It emphasizes the Death of Christ on Calvary, rather than the Heavenly Mediation of Christ in the Sanctuary above, as described in Patriarchs and Prophets. It portrays beautiful lessons from His lips while only touching upon the Bible prophecies that apply to the papal supremacy of the Man of Sin, or those that speak of the Third Angel’s Message and the Final Crisis, as given in Great Controversy. It provides encouraging instruction without the authoritative doctrinal presentations of the Testimonies.

Quotation Five: Desire of Ages 756:5-757:1. We have quite a few interesting remarks here. Some quoted; some for lack of space not quoted. As we shall see more fully developed later in this lecture, the thought is implied here that Great Controversy was an early and immature Spirit of Prophecy view of truth that is really not worthy of our notice today. The span of years between the writing of Great Controversy and Desire of Ages was actually not more than five to seven years, we are told by Elder A.L. White in his Reply to this lecture of Desmond Ford. In reality, Great Controversy as we now have it was one of her last books, being published in revised form, under her direct approval in 1911—only four years before her death.

A passing reference to Ellen White’s "plagiarisms" is made, followed by an extensive listing of many, many authors that she quoted from. In my own library are several such volumes, and careful analysis has revealed no particular "extensive" quotations from other books by Desire of Ages. The concepts developed and the subject matter chosen for inclusion in these other works appears cheapened and insignificant, in comparison with the broad spiritual dimensions revealed in Desire of Ages.

When quoting the Desire of Ages passage, Dr. Ford quoted, "‘No longer need sinful, sorrowing humanity await the coming of the high priest," and then she quotes Hebrews 9:12 . . . In this way, he omits the next sentence, and passes on down to the bottom two lines. This is omitted: "Henceforth the Saviour was to officiate as priest and advocate in the heaven of heavens." This sentence would have unraveled much that he was trying to piece together here.

In his argument here, Dr. Ford again uses his method of misapplying the meaning of verses, from the Greek and from context, in Hebrews Nine. We have covered this in minute detail earlier in this Reply, and there is no reason to repeat it here. Two verses from Hebrews Nine, and one from Hebrews Ten, are quoted or referred to in Desire of Ages 757:1. In each, she, as usual, quotes them as they are given in the King James Version. As to her meaning of those verses, we should read her other commentaries on these verses as well as on the entire Sanctuary Service given in Great Controversy, chapter 23, 24, 28 and elsewhere.

The basis of Dr. Ford’s usage of Desire of Ages 757:1 is the phrase, "The way into the holiest is laid open." This is from Hebrews 9:8. The King James Version incorrectly translates this passage as "holiest of all" when it is ta hagia ("holy places,"or "Sanctuary ") that is used here in 9:8, not hagia hagion as in 9:3 ("Holiest of all" or "Holy of Holies"). It is interesting that Dr. Ford here accepts this mistranslation of 9:8, but then below it, he tries to correct the reading of 9:12 "holy places" which is also ta hagia, and there correctly rendered. Ellen White quotes both 9:8 and 9:12 in the same paragraph, using as is her custom, the regular King James translation of it—and by this very fact disproves Ford’s argument that she is talking about the Second Apartment here.

What does this paragraph teach us? (1) The Antitype began with the death of God’s Son. (2) Mankind can now come to God in the Sanctuary above. (3) After Calvary Christ would be a Priest to mankind. (4) Sacrificial offerings ceased at Calvary. (5) By His own blood, Jesus has entered once into the Sanctuary on our behalf.

"And then she quotes Hebrews 9:12 [in DA 757:1], which as I read to you in the latest version, translates as Christ went into the most holy place at His ascension. She used the version available to her, which had ‘holy place,’ which the translators knew meant ‘the second apartment,’ because ‘holy place’ is the name given to the second apartment right throughout Leviticus 16, about five times. And it’s in Leviticus 16 where you have ‘within the veil’ used repeatedly. I marvel at the way Ellen White was not afraid to go right against Adventist traditions, right against some things—apparently—she’d written herself. And when here she built an exegesis, she came right within the most precise specifications of Biblical exegesis, of the passage under review. And she pictured Christ going straight into the most holy place, as she has done in these other places."

Several areas are mentioned here that we have discussed earlier, but since Dr. Ford keeps coming back to them, we will review them again here:

(1) "the latest version." We have already seen that the great majority of representative translations render "sanctuary" for ta hagia in every place where it is used in the New Testament (nine times, and all of them in Hebrews), with the exception of Hebrews 9:2, where "first apartment" is the correct term. Again, Ford here quotes from the New International Translation, which is one of the very few Bible translations that consistently renders ta hagia incorrectly as "most holy place." Dr. Ford is less interested in correctness of etymology than he is in proving his own theories.

27- The Original Greek of Hebrews is better than the Old Testament Translation called the Septuagint

(2) "holy place in Leviticus." Here, as earlier, Ford is pitting the Septuagint against both Paul and Ellen White. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, the New Testament in Greek. Centuries after the Old Testament was completed (with the writing of Malachi, c. 425-400 B.C.), Egyptian Jews began translating it into their Greek dialect. This work was done disconnectedly by different men over a period of 150 years, and we have reason to believe it was not finished by 100 B.C. Because of a superstitious fiction invented to prove the divine origin of this translation (that 70 Jews separately translated the entire Old Testament simultaneously in 70 days, with total mutual textual agreement and accuracy), the Egyptian Greek translation became known as the "Septuagint" (the "Seventy"). A closer examination of it reveals it to be of diverse character and uneven merit. Some sections were done better than others. Daniel was done so poorly, that it was later discarded from the Septuagint entirely. In some of the Old Testament books, a mixed up order of verse placement is used, such as in Proverbs and Jeremiah. I Samuel differs greatly from what you will read in your Bible, which is based on the Hebrew text.

Here is what a foremost authority in this field tells us about this translation: "The translators seemed to be perfectly ready to make such slight changes or additions as were necessary to clear up the sense of any passage. Indeed it has been claimed that the work belongs properly with Biblical interpretations [commentaries], not with translations [Bibles]. . . They inserted or omitted words and clauses, and added or changed clauses as they saw best . . . In 2 Samuel 6:5, instead of [the Hebrew] ‘with all manner of instruments made of fir wood,’ the [Greek Septuagint] reads, ‘with all (their) might and with singing.’ In Jeremiah 15:19, the clause, ‘bring thee again,’ is read in the Septuagint, ‘give thee a habitation.’ Ezekiel 23:42, ‘and the voice of a multitude being at ease was with her,’ is read in the Septuagint, ‘And with a loud noise did they sing therein.’ . . . In Ezekiel 32:31, ‘even the fat and the strong I will destroy,’ is made to read, ‘and I will keep the fat and the strong.’ " —Ira Price, The Ancestry of our English Bible, pages 53-54.

The Septuagint is our primary source for the Apocrypha, so highly prized by Rome because of its mention of ‘purgatory’ and ‘praying for the dead.’ These Egyptian Jews were what we today would call "modernistic" in their thinking of Scripture and what it should include.

These were the men that translated Leviticus 16 in a way that will support Dr. Ford’s strange new theories. Are we to accept the Septuagint translation of Leviticus as the way by which we are to understand what Paul meant when he wrote Hebrews? New Testament Greek—Koine Greek—was very different than Egyptian Greek two to three centuries earlier. Ta Hagia means "the holy places"—or Sanctuary,—not "the "most holy place"—or Second Apartment. As we have earlier seen, the word Paul used in Hebrews for "most holy place" was hagia hagion—"holy of holies" (9:3). Paul, as he wrote Hebrews in Greek, explains what he meant by his use of words, far better than modernistic Greeks down in Egypt, 200 years earlier could possibly have done.

28 - Within the Veil

(3) "within the veil." We earlier covered this in detail. In the King James of the Old Testament, the first veil is translated "hanging," and the second veil as "veil." But in Hebrews, Paul speaks of "after the second veil" (9:3), when speaking about those things which were inside the Second Apartment (in describing its furnishings). Thus indicating that he viewed both curtains as "entering veils" within the Sanctuary, and that if he wanted to speak about "entering the second veil,"—he would call it just that—"second" veil, not merely "veil." Thus if he did not use the term "first" or "second," when speaking of "veil," we must use Biblical knowledge of the Sanctuary work, in type and in antitype, in order to understand which veil is meant. Paul uses the word "veil" three times in Hebrews: 6:19, 9:3, 10:20.

(4) "Adventist traditions." Ford is obviously referring here to the historic,—and as we have seen, very Biblical,—interpretation of the Sanctuary Service given us by our pioneers and confirmed in vision by the Prophetic Gift. Throughout this lecture, Dr. Ford alternates between down-grading the Spirit of Prophecy, or seeking to make it war against itself, as is done here.

29 - The Spirit of Prophecy View of the Sanctuary Service

"So let me point out to you that Ellen White clearly teaches that Christ went into the most holy place at His ascension . . . No other Adventist writer would have dared to write some of the things she wrote . . . It was the Day of Atonement from the Incarnation here, she says. Now, please don’t go out and say ‘Des Ford says, "The Day of Atonement began at the Incarnation [began at the birth of Christ]."’ Please go out and say, ‘Ellen White says.’ . . . And she pictured Christ going straight into the most holy place, as she has done in these other places."

The above paragraph is a collection of sentences from the preceding several minutes of this lecture. It represents a continual coming back to a basic point—that Ellen White clearly teaches in her writings that Christ went into the Most Holy Place at His Ascension to make the Day of Atonement Cleansing of the Sanctuary at that time—31 A.D.

And so Dr. Ford over a period of some thirty years, has been seeking to locate Spirit of Prophecy passages that would support the theory of Hebrews Nine that he developed while he was still a member of the Anglican Church (Episcopalian Church, in America). The result is five quotations which he has come up with in support of his ideas, and which he uses as "proof" for his assertion that Ellen White fully believed in his theory of "Christ going straight into the Most Holy Place"at His Ascension in 31 A,D., without at any time ever mediating the Daily in the First Apartment. It would be well if someone would provide Dr. Ford and those who have studied under him with the following passages from the Spirit of Prophecy in order that they may obtain a mature view of the antitypical Sanctuary Service. Much of the material in Great Controversy, chapter 28 ("The Investigative Judgment") is omitted from this listing, in order to conserve space:

The priestly ministry throughout the year in the First Apartment of the Earthly Sanctuary represented Christ’s work in the First Apartment in Heaven (GC 420-421). Jesus entered it and began His Mediation in it at His Ascension (GC 420-421, 430), and it continued as a door of hope and mercy by which for eighteen hundred years men found access to God (GC 429), through His priestly ministry within it (7 BC 913, GC 420-421). His work there ended in 1844 (EW 42-43, 250-251,

253-254, GC 429-430) when He began His Second Apartment Ministration (EW 251, 254, 274, GC 421, 428-430). At that time, in 1844, Christ shut the door to the First Apartment and opened the door to the Second Apartment (EW 42-43, 251, GC 429-430),—shut it because at that time He had passed into the Most Holy Place of the Heavenly Sanctuary (EW 254, GC 429-430).

Christ’s Ministry within the Second Apartment began in 1844 (Ev 223; EW 42-43, 243, 250-251, 253-254, 274; GC 421-422, 424-425, 429-430, 433, 480; LS 278; 1SM 125; SR 378-379). Christ entered it as foreshadowed in the Old Testament type (GC 424). God the Father entered the Second from the First Apartment in a flaming chariot (EW 55, 92; GC 479), followed by Jesus in a flaming chariot (EW 55, 251). But, specifically, why did He enter it? He entered it in 1844 in order to minister in the sinner’s behalf (SR 379), to engage in the last acts of His ministration for men (GC 481), to perform the last division of His solemn work for mankind (GC 421), to perform the Investigative Judgment (GC 480), to perform the closing work of the Atonement (GC 422, 428, 433; SR 378-379), to cleanse the Sanctuary (EW 243, 251; GC 421), and to receive His Kingdom (EW 55, 244, 280).

Just now, Jesus mediates within it on our behalf, as He pleads His blood before the Father for sinners (GC 429), presents His blood before the Mercy Seat (CSW III, 7BC 948, 92-93), and before the Ark of the Covenant for His people (GC 433), and there interceeds for them (7BC 933, CSW 111-112, EW 36), as He offers the prayers of His people to the Father (EW 32). His ministry within it as our High Priest is a wondrously beautiful one (7BC 933, GC 421-436, 479-480, 1SM 343-344). It will be climaxed by His Marriage to the New Jerusalem (EW 55, 251, 280; GC 426-428, 479-480). Within it, Christ performs His closing work as our High Priest (Ev 223), the closing work of the Atonement (GC 428-429), and the Final Atonement for all who could be benefitted by His Mediation (EW 253).

Within it, Christ is now conducting the Investigative Judgment (GC 479-491), which also began in 1844 (1SM 125, GC 486) and is thoroughly explained in chapter 28 of Great Controversy. By faith, the people of God are to see Christ mediating on their behalf within this Second Apartment of the their petitions in faith to Him as He ministers within it (EW 72), and, in fact, by faith they followed Him into this Apartment in 1844 (EW 255), and it is only those who thus follow Him by faith within it, that will receive the benefits of His Mediation (GC 430), for they realize that the sins of God’s people must be blotted out before He leaves it (EW 48).

FF-12

The Midnight Cry was to prepare God*s people to enter with Christ by faith into the Most Holy Place (EW 260), for a Light shone from the open door of the Most Holy Place upon all who would receive this truth (GC 435) but the nominal Christians of the day did not follow Him in and were not thereby benefitted by His ministration (EW 260-261, GC 430, 432). The present Test on the Sabbath could not come until Christ’s Ministry within the Most Holy Place began (EW 42-43, 254-256), and, in fact, that Test began after the commencement of Christ’s Second Apartment Mediation (2T 693), and as long as He remains in it God’s people will be tested on the Sabbath question (EW 42-43). The Third Angel’s Message followed the commencement of this final work within the Second Apartment (EW 254-258), and the minds of all who accept this Message are directed to His work within it (EW 254), for the Message of the Third Angel points directly to it (EW 254-256, 260-261). And when the Mediation of Christ within the Most Holy Place ceases, the Message of the Third Angel will cease along with it (EW 279-281).

While Christ remains within the Most Holy Place, a special Atonement is being made by Him for His people (EW 251), for the sins of God’s people must be blotted out before He leaves it (EW 48). And now, the time of Christ’s priestly Ministry within it is nearly finished (EW 58, 1SM 66-67), for probation closes when Christ leaves the Most Holy Place (2T 691), and in that day many there will be among His followers who will find themselves unprepared as it closes (2T 190-191). Let us then, consider the solemn subject of the Close of Christ’s Work within the Most Holy Place (EW 279-280, SR 402-403, GC 613-615): When Christ ceases His Priestly Ministry within it, the cases of all will be forever decided (GC 428, 3 SG 134, 2T 190-191), the destiny of all will have been decided for life or for death (GC 190), and the Door of Mercy will be forever shut (GC 428). Every case having been decided for life or death—salvation or destruction (EW 36, 279-280, GC 613), Jesus will lay off His priestly attire—His mediatorial robes (EW 36, 281, 2T 190, 691, 8T 315), He will put on His kingly robes (EW 281), and His garments of vengeance (EW 36, 2T 190, 691, 5T 690, 8T 315), and will come forth to bless His waiting people (PP 426), return to earth for them (EW 251), and receive His Kingdom (EW 280, GC426-428, 479-480). For Probation has forever Closed—for the Work of Christ within the Most Holy Place is forever Ended (EW 48, 280, GC428, 490-491, 2T 190-191). The sins of His people have been blotted out (EW 280, GC613-614), and there is no more Atoning Blood within the Most Holy Place to cleanse from sin and pollution (3SG 137).

In view of this, are you prepared for the Cleansing of the Sanctuary, that began in 1844 (Ev 223, EW 243, 250-251, 253, GC 328-329, 399, 410, 417, 421-422, 424-426, 429-430, 433, 480, 486)? It begins with an examination of the books of record (GC422, SR 378), for it involves a work of investigation (EW 280, GC 352, 421-422, 424, 428, 482-486, SR 378) and a work of judgment (GC 352, 422). It results in a cleansing of the Sanctuary from the record of sin (GC 421-422, PP 357-358), by blotting out the sins recorded there (EW 48, GC 352, 421-422, 428-429, 482-486, PP 357-358). It is a cleansing of the pardoned sins of the penitent that have remained on the books of record down through the ages to that time (GC 421-422). Hence momentous interests are involved in the Cleansing of the Sanctuary (GC 490), and in the solemn scenes connected with it (GC 490). This is an actual cleansing, and is accomplished by the removal or blotting out of the sins there recorded (GC 421-422, PP 357-358, SR 378), and this work which began on October 22, 1844 (GC 400), within the Second (EW 42-43, 86, 251, GC 429-430) of the Two Apartments within the Heavenly Sanctuary (EW 32-33, 42-43, 55-56. 250-254, GC 414-415, LS 100-101, SR 377), and was foretold by Daniel 8:14 (Ev 223, GC 328-329, 351-3, 410, 417, 421, 424, 426, 480, L.S. 63, 278, SR 375, 377; 1T 58), and is plainly taught by Hebrews Nine (GC 417-418, SR 377-378), must precede the Second Coming (GC422, SR 378).

CONTINUE