12.) When the door of salvation closes

When Adam and Eve were created, they were placed in the beautiful Garden of Eden. Their home was a replica of the Garden in heaven where God dwells (4 BC 675). Angels came and went to associate with them and teach them wisdom and understanding. They warned the young couple about the fall of Lucifer, and how to avoid ever falling prey to his temptations and deceptions. Jesus Himself came each evening to talk with them and provide a time for them to have open communion and bonding with Him. Thus they had access to whatever they needed to remain pure and holy.

But Satan, the fallen angel, intruded himself into this holy place and captivated the mind of Eve through his subtle insinuations about the reliability of God’s instructions and His character, and through her Adam also succumbed to the temptation to disobey God. As a result, they were put out of their Edenic home and the gate was forever closed to them until they are resurrected and enter the kingdom of heaven with all the redeemed.

This is not the first time a door was shut because of transgression and rebellion against God. “Lucifer was first of the covering cherubs.” PP 35. “The original position of Satan is illustrated by the cherubim overshadowing the mercy seat in the Jewish Temple. Lucifer, the covering cherub, stood in the light of the presence of God.” 4 BC 676. When Lucifer, assisted by his followers, attempted to take the throne of God, they were cast out to the earth, and the door to the Most Holy Place in heaven was closed forever to the princely being who once stood in the presence of God as the covering cherub over the mercy seat.

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God’. . . .You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned.

“So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of you splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.” Eze. 28:12-17.

The expulsion of Satan did not come before God and the loyal angels made every effort to convince him that his rebellion was completely unwarranted.

“The King of the universe summoned the heavenly hosts before Him, that in their presence He might set forth the true position of His Son, and show the relation He sustained to all created beings. . . . .Before the assembled inhabitants of heaven, the King declared that none but Christ, the only begotten of God, could fully enter into His purposes, and to Him it was committed to execute the mighty counsels of His will.” PP 36.

“In heavenly council the angels pleaded with Lucifer. The Son of God presented before him the greatness, the goodness, and the justice of the Creator, and the sacred, unchanging nature of His law. God Himself had established the order of heaven; and in departing from it, Lucifer would dishonor his Maker, and bring ruin upon himself. But the warning, given in infinite love and mercy, only aroused a spirit of resistance. Lucifer allowed his jealousy of Christ to prevail, and became the more determined.” PP 36.

“Satan, the chief of the fallen angels, once had an exalted position in heaven. He was next in honor to Christ. The knowledge which he, as well as the angels who fell with him had of the character of God, of His goodness, His mercy, wisdom, and excellent glory, made their guilt unpardonable. . . .There were no new and wonderful exhibitions of God’s exalted power that could impress them so deeply as they had already experienced. . . .They could not be placed in a more favorable position to be proved. There was no reserve force of power, nor were there any greater heights and depths of infinite glory to overpower their jealous doubts and rebellious murmuring.” 4 BC 1163.

It is abundantly clear that every effort possible was made by the Father, the Son, and the loyal angels to save Lucifer and his followers from making the terrible mistake of rebelling against God. But to no avail. They continued in their rebellion until it was too late to return, and they lost their positions in heaven.

Another example of a closed door is the story of Noah and the flood. Every person on earth heard of Noah’s preaching for 120 years. But in the end, only Noah’s family and the animals who responded to God’s call were in the ark when the door closed forever on that generation. Similarly, Lot’s godly example and entreaties saved only himself and his two daughters when fire fell from heaven and destroyed the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Many years later, God called Abraham to be the father of the great nation of Israel who would carry the knowledge of God, His truth, and His plan of salvation to the world. But Abraham was told that his descendents would first be enslaved in Egypt for 400 years, because the sin of the Amorites had not yet reached its full measure (Gen. 15:16). When the time came for the Israelites to possess the land of Canaan, Caleb said to the frightened people, “Do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” Num. 14:9. (Emphasis supplied.)

All these examples indicate that God is very longsuffering and uses every means possible to give individuals and nations time and knowledge to help them avoid disaster. He is loath to withdraw His protecting hand from even one person. But He who reads the hearts of all knows when His light has been spurned until there is no more hope of reconciliation with Him. And then the door of mercy closes, and defeat, destruction and death is permitted.

“When one has had connection with those who bear the message from heaven, and hears, but does not practice the truth, that truth is brought down to mean nothing worthy of attention to him. . . .Man must believe the truth; he must change his own course of action, coming into harmony with the light shining upon him.” TD 267.

“By persistent rejection of the Spirit’s influence, men cut themselves off from God. He has in reserve no more potent agency to enlighten their minds. No revelation of His will can reach them in their unbelief.” OHC 160.

“No soul is ever finally deserted of God, given up to his own ways, so long as there is any hope of his salvation. Man turns from God, not God from him.” MB 93.

“To every nation and to every individual of today God has assigned a place in His great plan.”   Ed 178.

“God gives nations a certain time of probation. He sends light and evidence, that, if received, will save them, but if refused, as the Jews refused light, indignation and punishment will fall upon them.” 4 BC 1143.

We have the history of the Jewish people recorded in the Bible. Although especially chosen to carry the message of salvation to the world, they strayed so far from God that they did not even recognize Jesus as the Messiah, whose coming they had anticipated for centuries. As Daniel had predicted in Daniel 9:24, their probation as a nation for God ended when they crucified the Lord of glory, and later stoned His servant, Stephen. When Jesus visited the temple for the last time, He said:

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate.” Matt. 24:37, 38.

When Jesus died on Calvary, the veil in the temple was rent from top to bottom, and the lamb escaped, thus signifying that the door of salvation through the earthly sanctuary services was closed forever. Thirty-nine years later, in 70 A.D., the temple was destroyed and burned to the ground, just as Jesus had predicted in Matthew 24:2. But when that door closed, another was opened. This time it was not a door on earth, but the door in heaven into the heavenly sanctuary.

“But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands: . . 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.” Heb. 9:11, 12. KJV.

After His ascension to heaven, Jesus began His mediatorial work in the holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. In Revelation 1:12, 13, we see Him walking among the seven golden lampstands as He guides His church through the long dark ages of papal supremacy and persecution. But Jesus’ work in the heavenly sanctuary cannot be finished until the Most Holy Place is cleansed, as was prefigured by the Day of Atonement service in the earthly sanctuary. Therefore, a special message had to go forth from heaven to the whole world, announcing the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in the Holiest of all.

“I saw that Jesus had shut the door of the holy place, and no man can open it; and that He had opened the door into the most holy, and no man can shut it (Rev. 3:7, 8); and that since Jesus has opened the door into the most holy place, which contains the ark, the commandments have been shining out to God’s people, and they are being tested on the Sabbath question.

“I saw that the present test on the Sabbath could not come until the mediation of Jesus in the holy place was finished and He passed within the second veil.” EW 42.

“The ministration of the priest throughout the year in the first apartment of the sanctuary, ‘within the veil’ which formed the door and separated the holy place from the outer court, represents the work of ministration upon which Christ entered at His ascension. . . .

“For eighteen centuries this work of ministration continued in the first apartment of the sanctuary. The blood of Christ, pleaded in behalf of penitent believers, secured their pardon and acceptance with the Father, yet their sins still remained upon the books of record. As in the typical service there was a work of atonement at the close of the year, so before Christ’s work for the redemption of men is completed, there is a work of atonement for the removal of sin from the sanctuary. . . .

“As the typical cleansing of the earthly was accomplished by the removal of the sins by which it had been polluted, so the actual cleansing of the heavenly is to be accomplished by the removal, or blotting out of the sins which are there recorded. But before this can be accomplished, there must be an examination of the books of record to determine who, through repentance of sin and faith in Christ, are entitled to the benefits of His atonement. The cleansing of the sanctuary therefore involves a work of investigation,—a work of judgment.” GC 420-422.

You see, the whole sanctuary is a model of the work of Christ to bring back fallen sinners to complete restoration and cleansing, thus reversing the damage sin has done in the human soul. In order to accomplish this, Jesus had to go the full journey that sin has taken us, and by His perfect righteousness at every stage, provide complete healing for all who desire it and will cooperate with Him in the cleansing process.

Please notice that the sanctuary has three stages of priestly ministry, and that the work of Jesus is prefigured in each one. The first is the court. The ministry there is outside the holy and most holy places, but inside the white linen fence that surrounded the whole sacred area around the sanctuary. The court represented the most basic concepts in the plan of salvation—praise, confession of sin, and obedience to the written word of God. Before Jesus came to earth, this included being faithful in all the rituals and requirements of the Jewish system. For the devout Israelite who truly loved God and was faithful to these requirements, his willing obedience was accounted to him as righteousness.

“In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly.” Luke 1:5, 6.

Joseph and Mary were also faithful observers of the law of God and of the ceremonial laws, and because of their obedience and faith, God could communicate with them through the angels and the Holy Spirit. When Jesus came to earth, He fulfilled the ceremonial law with His own perfect life, and brought to an end the era of rituals and regulations as a way of connecting with heaven. Since then, all communication with God comes through Jesus and a direct relationship with Him through the Holy Spirit and the word of God. Thus, when Jesus was resurrected and went back to heaven, He brought His followers into a new era of the work of salvation. He opened for us “a new and living way”, through the curtain into the holy compartments of the heavenly sanctuary. (Heb. 10:20.)

“The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshippers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

“Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: ‘Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;’ . . .Then I said, ‘Here I am, I have come to do your will, O God.’”       Heb. 10:5-7.

This testimony of Christ when He came to this world is taken from Ps. 40:8: “I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” As I have previously stated, Jesus came into this world with the law of God already in His heart. Therefore, before His conception Gabriel announced to Mary, “The Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.” Lu. 1:35. Even the evil spirits had to acknowledge His identity: “I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” they exclaimed. Mark 1:24. Since “Holiness is agreement with God (5 T 743),” Jesus was in complete and total agreement with God in every way, just as He had always been throughout eternity. His human body did not defile His divine character. Instead, His divine character, combined with his humanity, opened a pathway for every son and daughter of Adam to be cleansed and made holy in character. What He had we also can have through connection with Him.

“The work of Christ in cleansing the leper from his terrible disease is an illustration of His work in cleansing the soul from sin. The man who came to Jesus was ‘full of leprosy.’ Its deadly poison permeated his whole body. The disciples sought to prevent their Master from touching him; for he who touched a leper became himself unclean. But in laying His hand upon the leper, Jesus received no defilement. His touch imparted life-giving power. The leprosy was cleansed. Thus it is with the leprosy of sin,—deep-rooted, deadly, and impossible to be cleansed by human power. . . .But Jesus, coming to dwell in humanity, receives no pollution. His presence has healing virtue for the sinner. Whoever will fall at His feet, saying in faith, ‘Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean,’ shall hear the answer, ‘I will; be thou made clean.’ Matt. 8:2, 3, R. V.” DA 266. (Emphasis supplied.)

Thus Paul can say, “By one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” Heb. 10:14. Practically speaking, by accepting Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for us, we are now in a personal, saving relationship with Him by which His perfect life can be imputed and imparted to us as we walk in fellowship with Him. We are accounted as perfect because we accept the principles of His life and character, and as we do so, our minds are continually being transformed into His image.

“Beholding Christ means studying His life as given in His word. We are to dig for truth as for hidden treasure. We are to fix our eyes upon Christ. When we take Him as our personal Savior, this gives us boldness to approach the throne of grace. By beholding we become changed, morally assimilated to the one who is perfect in character.” 6 BC 1098.

“Pressing close to His side and holding communication with Him, we become like Him. Through the transforming power of the Spirit of Christ, we are changed in heart and life. His words are engraved on the tablets of the soul, and we are His witnesses, representing Him in the daily life.” TD 96.

“Everyone who will break from the slavery and service of Satan, and will stand under the blood-stained banner of Prince Emmanuel will be kept by Christ’s intercessions. Christ, as our Mediator, at the right hand of the Father, ever keeps us in view, for it is as necessary that He should keep us by His intercessions as that He should redeem us with His blood. If He lets go His hold of us for one moment, Satan stands ready to destroy. Those purchased by His blood, He now keeps by His intercession.”            6 BC 1078.

“Christ is the connecting link between God and man. He has promised His personal intercession by employing His name. He places the whole virtue of His righteousness on the side of the suppliant. Christ pleads for man, and man, in need of divine help, pleads for himself in the presence of the One who gave His life for the world. As we acknowledge before God our appreciation of Christ’s merits, fragrance is given to our intercessions. . . .He places us close by His side, encircling us with His human arm, while with His divine arm He grasps the throne of the Infinite. He puts His merits, as sweet incense, in a censer in our hands, in order to encourage our petitions. He promises to hear and answer our supplications.

“Yes, Christ has become the medium of prayer between man and God. He also has become the medium of blessing between God and man. He has combined divinity and humanity.” 6 BC 1078, 1079. (Emphasis supplied.)

“Man may stand with the moral image of God in his character; for Jesus will give it to him.”        6 BC 1078. (Emphasis supplied.)

As I have mentioned in the earlier part of this article, the plan of salvation is exemplified in the sanctuary model, and is carried out in three stages: the court, the holy place, and the most holy place. Each stage is a progression toward a more complete understanding of the sin problem and God’s method of restoration back to the original state of holiness that Adam and Eve received from God at their creation.

At this point I want examine more closely the experiential differences that characterize the three compartments of the sanctuary, and why each one is essential to a perfected life in Christ. In the court experience, a person is more concerned about and focused upon behavioral obedience, such as strict Sabbath keeping, tithing, doing good deeds, eating the right foods, etc. Certainly these things are all extremely important, because they form the basis of a solid and growing relationship with God. But if this forms the entire experience of a believer, there will be some very vital elements left untouched, and spiritual stagnation can occur, just as it did in the lives of the Pharisees in Jesus’ day. To be a growing and vibrant Christian, we need to move on to the experience with Christ which is symbolized in the holy and most holy compartments of the sanctuary.

“The truth is kept altogether too much in the outer court. Bring it into the inner temple of the soul, enthrone it in the heart, and let it control the life. The word of God should be studied and obeyed, then the heart will find rest and peace and joy, and the aspirations will tend heavenward; but when truth is kept apart from the life, in the outer court, the heart is not warmed with the glowing fire of God’s goodness.” 5 T 547.

A life focused only upon outward strictness and obedience ignores the deeper needs of the inner heart and soul. Our lives may be outwardly circumspect, but inwardly empty of the glowing presence of Christ’s love, joy and peace. As a fourth-generation Adventist, I have seen a gradual shift in many of our members from strict obedience to moral standards without understanding how to have victory in the inner life, to the present belief that we will continue to sin until our natures are changed at the coming of Christ. I believe this discrepancy is a result of not understanding Christ’s work in the heavenly sanctuary which will produce a finished product in His people before He closes the door of the Most Holy Place, and comes out to punish the wicked.

When Jesus was on earth, He tried to enlighten the people that there is a deeper work to be done by Jesus to cleanse the mind, heart, and feelings, not just the outward behavior. As Jesus said in Matthew 15:8-20:

“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men. Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, ‘Listen and understand. What goes into a man’s mouth does not made him unclean, but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him unclean. . . .

“Peter said, ‘Explain the parable to us.’

“’Are you still so dull’ Jesus asked them. ‘Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man unclean.’ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man ‘unclean.”’

Another time, Jesus also spoke about this subject in Matthew 12:34-37:

“’Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.’”

Jeremiah also speaks about the connection between the deeds of the flesh and the thoughts of the heart:

“Judah’s sin is engraved with an iron tool, inscribed with a flint point, on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars. . . .

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct according to what His deeds deserve.” Jer. 17:1, 9, 10.

When Jesus ascended into heaven and entered His mediatorial work in the holy place, a door of understanding was opened that connected human behavior with the thoughts and feelings of the heart. Jesus maintained His earthly life without a spot of selfishness or evil thinking upon His character. Because of this, His righteous thoughts and feelings can be transferred to us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

“The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. It imbues the receiver with the attributes of Christ.” DA 805.

“In the new birth the heart is brought into harmony with God, as it is brought into accord with His law. When this mighty change has taken place in the sinner, he has passed from death unto life, from sin unto holiness, from transgression and rebellion to obedience and loyalty. . . .

“The Christian will feel the promptings of sin, but he will maintain a constant warfare against it. Here is where Christ’s help is needed. Human weakness becomes united to divine strength, and faith exclaims, ‘Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. . . .

“There can be no self-exaltation, no boastful claim to freedom from sin, on the part of those who walk in the shadow of Calvary’s cross. They feel that it was their sin which caused the agony that broke the heart of the Son of God, and this thought will lead them to self-abasement. Those who live nearest to Jesus discern most clearly the frailty and sinfulness of humanity, and their only hope is in the merit of a crucified and risen Saviour.” GC 468-471. (Emphases supplied.)

This wonderful message of the gospel of grace through Jesus’ righteousness was the message that the apostles and early Christians took to the world under the power of the early rain of the Holy Spirit.

“After Christ’s ascension, His enthronement in His mediatorial kingdom was signalized by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.” COL 120.

As soon as the disciples received the outpouring of the Spirit, they were able to preach the gospel with more power and authority and understanding than they had when Jesus was with them, and many people were baptized into the new truth. Peter’s famous sermon which is recorded in Acts chapter two is an example of this new enlightenment of the work of Jesus after His ascension:

“God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. . . .

“When the people heard this they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’’

“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness [KJV – remission] of sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:32-38.

This new light shining from the holy place ministry of Jesus enraged the evil one, and he marshaled his forces against it. Working with the pride that is inherent in human nature, he instituted the rise of the little horn power of Daniel 7:8. Under the inspiration of the devil, the truth of the intercession of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary was replaced with a priestly counterfeit on earth. But in spite of the attempts of the devil to break the connection of Jesus with His people, truth lived on through devout followers such as the Waldenses, and others who carried the torch of truth through the long dark night of trial. During the 1260 years of papal persecution, millions of Christians died for their faith because they would not give up their devotion to Jesus and their connection to Him.

Near the end of the time allotted for the reign of the papacy, there were signs which Jesus and also John the revelator had predicted that came true in the most astonishing manner. The great Lisbon earthquake on November 1, 1755, the dark day on May 19, 1780, and the falling of the stars on November 13, 1833, were all signs to the world that the dark ages of papal power had reached its zenith, and a new day was dawning for the Christian church. The time of the end was about to begin, with the tremendous increase of knowledge that would permit the gospel message to go around the world in one generation. It was time to move into the final phase of the ministry of Jesus—His work of judgment and cleansing the Most Holy Place of all the sins which are recorded in the books of heaven. In order to do this, another facet of the mystery of the sin problem would have to be revealed. This final phase of Jesus’ ministry would address the deepest levels of the human mind—the motives, roots, origins and basic impulses from which the thoughts and feelings flow.

“The Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts.”                   1 Chron. 28:9. (Emphasis supplied.)

“For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Prov. 12:14.

“All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord.” Prov. 16:2.

“Every act of our lives, whether excellent or praiseworthy, or deserving of censure, is judged by the searcher of hearts according to the motives which prompted it.” GW 275.

“In the solemn assembly of the last day, in the hearing of the universe, will be read the reason for the condemnation of the sinner. . . .There will be a general revealing of the secrets and motives of the heart, for that which is hid will be made manifest.” CG 560.

Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul had a knowledge of the future judgment of God’s people during which the hidden motives of the heart would be revealed:

“I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts.” 1 Cor. 4:3-5.

“The secret purposes and motives appear in the unerring register; for God ‘will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.’” (1 Cor. 4:5). GC 481.

I believe Paul is referring in this text to the appointed time of judgment, which we know began in 1844. In Daniel 8:9-19, the vision of the 2300 days and the cleansing of the sanctuary (v. 14) is called the appointed time of the end (v. 19). When Jesus entered the Most Holy Place ministry, He began the last act of the drama of putting an end to sin – that of revealing the motives of men’s hearts. We should have a very positive outlook about this, for Paul adds: “At that time each will receive his praise from God.” (1 Cor. 4: 5.) (Emphasis supplied.)

Please notice that when Jesus came to take the world back out of the hands of Satan, His work would not be complete until He finished cleansing the Most Holy Place, just as the High Priest in the earthly sanctuary had done each year on the Day of Atonement:

“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.”        Dan. 9:24. KJV. (Emphasis supplied.)

As Jesus came to us from the Most Holy Place in the heavenly sanctuary with a mind in perfect harmony with God and His law, so must man be brought back to this same holiness of mind and character in order for the plan of salvation to be finished. Jesus’ ministry must not only pay the price for sin, but also provide the way back from the control that sin has over the life of the sinner.

“Because man fallen could not overcome Satan with his human strength, Christ came from the royal courts of heaven to help him with His human and divine strength combined. . . .In order to bring hope to man, and save him from complete ruin, He humbled Himself to take man’s nature, that, with His divine power, combined with the human, reach man where he is. He obtains for the fallen sons and daughters of Adam that strength which it is impossible for them to gain for themselves, that in His name they may overcome the temptations of Satan. . . .

“Everyone who by faith obeys God’s commandments, will reach the condition of sinlessness in which Adam lived before his transgression.” Maranatha, 224.

In order for Jesus to completely restore mankind to their original state of holiness, He must be able to heal the three areas of the mind which had been affected by the fall of Adam—the behavior, the thoughts and feelings, and the deep inner motives which are the roots of sin. Most Christians believe that we must be circumspect in our behavior, avoiding open sin. Some even understand that the thoughts and feelings are to be guided and influenced by the Holy Spirit. But few comprehend the deep cleansing that is the product of Jesus’ second apartment work, and how necessary it is for the complete removal of sin from the human mind, bringing it into harmony with Jesus’ perfect mind. Today, most expect this to be done at the coming of Christ. But the Bible teaches that before Jesus comes, He will have perfected a people during His work in the second apartment of the heavenly sanctuary.

How will this be accomplished? Let’s go back to Peter’s sermon after the outpouring of the early rain. In the quotation which I used earlier, those who accepted Jesus were to repent and be baptized in order to receive “remission” for their sins. But note this: If you have a disease that is in remission, it means that the symptoms are not evident, but that the disease is still in your body, and can come back at any time. Thus, during the early rain and holy place work of Jesus, sin was mitigated and kept under control by a relationship with Jesus; but the roots of evil in the human heart had not yet been addressed and eradicated forever. This finishing process would be a result of the work of Jesus in the Most Holy Place. Notice what Peter says about the timing when this will take place:

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19. KJV. (Emphasis supplied.)

“The blood of Christ, while it was to release the repentant sinner from the condemnation of the law, was not to cancel the sin; it would stand on record in the sanctuary until the final atonement. . . .

“Then by virtue of the atoning blood of Christ, the sins of all the truly penitent will be blotted from the books of heaven. . . .no more to be remembered or come into mind.” PP 357, 358. (Emphases supplied.)

“The blood of Christ, pleaded in behalf of penitent believers, secured their pardon and acceptance with the Father, yet their sins still remained upon the books of record. As in the typical service there was a work of atonement at the close of the year, so before Christ’s work for the redemption of man is completed, there is a work of atonement for the removal of sin from the sanctuary. This is the service which began when the twenty-three hundred days ended.” GC 421. (Emphases supplied.)

“Are we emptying our hearts of all selfishness, and cleansing them, preparatory to receiving the latter rain from heaven? Now is the time when we are to confess and forsake our sins, that they may go beforehand to judgment, and be blotted out.” 4 BC 1178. (Emphasis supplied.)

Jesus said, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.” Matt. 15:13. All of us have things in our lives that have not been planted by Jesus, but by our adversary the devil. We need to be diligent in searching our hearts under the direction of the Holy Spirit, and letting Jesus reveal everything to us that does not come from God, but from the temptations and lies of the evil one, which gives Satan continuing access to our lives in those areas. Jesus can cleanse us from every stain that these roots have caused us and others!

In recent months, I, and other friends and acquaintances, have had many experiences and even dreams where God has asked us to confess areas in our lives that go back as far as we can remember. Often He sheds light that reveals how these things are rooted in our ancestral lineage, and how this has affected us. I personally have confessed mistakes in my mothering, in my relationship with my husband, character defects that go all the way back to my childhood, memories of sins that still affect my present life—whatever God brings to me in my worship that needs cleansing and blotting out. As I go through these special times with Jesus, I feel cleansed, forgiven, and in tune with the Holy Spirit in a new way.

As a result of these experiences, we have come to believe that Jesus has come to the cases of the living, and is in the process of cleansing His people in preparation for the latter rain and the sealing. (See EW 269-271.) I am sharing this with you so that you will be aware of God’s desire to do the same thing in your life! It is so important to keep in touch with what Jesus is doing in the heavenly sanctuary, so that we will not be like others in past history who did not know when the door of their probation was closing! We must be awake and alert to the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit, calling us to repentance and cleansing!

There is something else that is also written in the books of heaven that will be a part of our judgment and cleansing. This is recorded in Isaiah 65:6, 7:

“See, it stands written before me: I will not keep silent but will pay back in full; I will pay it back into their laps—both your sins and the sins of your fathers.”

Because we are recipients of the sins of our parents, we are to confess and forsake anything that has come down through heredity and cultivation.

“Those of you who left will waste away in the lands of their enemies because of their sins; also because of their fathers’ sins they will waste away.

“But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers. . . .I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.” Lev. 26:40-42. (Emphases supplied.) Lev. 39-42.

By confessing the sins that we have inherited, and also cultivated in our own life, we give evidence that we do not want to continue in the same faults that have been passed on to us.

Are you experiencing trials in your life? It may be just what is needed for you to be cleansed and prepared for what is coming soon upon the earth, and also to be a witness for Jesus!

“The righteous are placed in the furnace of affliction that they may be purified; that their example may convince others of the reality of faith and godliness; and also that their consistent course may condemn the ungodly and unbelieving.” GC 48.

“Christ desires nothing so much as to redeem His heritage from the dominion of Satan. But before we are delivered from Satan’s power without, we must be delivered from his power within.”    COL 174, 175.

“The bottles of God’s wrath cannot be poured out to destroy the wicked and their works until all the people of God have been judged, and the cases of the living as well as the dead are decided.”       TM 446.

“I saw that the four angels would hold the four winds until Jesus’ work was done in the sanctuary, and then would come the seven last plagues.” EW 36.

“With unerring accuracy the Infinite One still keeps account with the nations. While His mercy is tendered with calls to repentance, the account remains open; but when the figures reach a certain amount which God has fixed, the ministry of His wrath begins. The account is closed. Divine patience ceases. Mercy no longer pleads in their behalf.” PK 364.

Dear Friends, the last door of mercy is about to close on the human race. Do you sense it in the things that are now happening around the world? On which side of that door will we be when Jesus ends His intercessory work and steps out of the Most Holy Place? If we are walking with Him now and allowing Him to lead us and cleanse us, we will be eternally safe under the shadow of His wings. May we allow nothing to deter us from making this vital preparation to meet Him with joy at His coming!