Sanctuary
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Sanctuary
A few thoughts on our understanding of the "times" revealed in the earthly Sanctuary by the "types' of the "seven annual feasts".
We had been in the Adventist church for 20 years before we heard anything about the significance of the annual feasts. In a series of meetings in North Vancouver, Elder Orely Berg, briefly commented on their meaning. But it wasn't until 1987 that we were really placed in a position to seriously consider their place in God's Plan of Redemption.
We were presented with a paper called the "Jubilee" that was a very well done presentation of these types. After reading this, we decided we needed to search this out and "see if these things were so" ! While searching the Scriptures and The Testimony of Jesus, we went through the following experience.
In 1987, our church Elder gave us a copy of a study on the Jubilee and the Sanctuary Types. When we received this, we read quite a bit of it, and decided we must go to the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy and search this out for ourselves. The result was a most wonderful and challenging experience.
As we began to study, we soon saw that indeed there was much more to The Sanctuary Doctrine than was being taught from time to time in the Sabbath School Quarterly. We began to share our discoveries with other friends and some did show an interest in this subject. The Church members asked us to share this with those who came to Prayer Meeting. This was just a small church of about 50 people in Trail, B.C. Canada.
The night this was supposed to happen, I drove the few miles to the "pastors" home and rode the rest of the way with him. The meeting proceeded and then came the time for me too share with them what we were finding in our search. But, it was not to be; the "pastor", vigorously protested and forbid me to share anything. He said, "We have all the light we need and this is not a true message". So much for that. Well since I rode part of the way there with him I had to ride back to his home to get my own car. As I drove from his place to my own home, I wept and prayed before the Lord. I asked Him to show me clearly if this understanding I was receiving was true as I did not want to deceive anyone and be found a teacher of error. Well He answered in a wonderful way !
At that time we were reading the book for evening worship, called, The Upward Look which is quotations entirely from the Spirit of Prophecy. One evening, shortly after this experience, as we gathered for worship, it was my Son's turn to read and this is what we begin to hear from Page 199.
“God bids us give our time and strength to the work of preaching to the people the messages that stirred men and women in 1843 and 1844. . . . My brethren, take your position where God bids you. Leave alone those who, after light has been repeatedly given them, have taken a stand on the opposite side. . . . Take up the work which has been given us. With the Word of God as your message, stand on the platform of truth and proclaim the soon coming of Christ. Truth, eternal truth, will prevail."
I was excited, I said, "Rick, do you realize what you just read". Here was a "direct command" from God to teach The Messages of 1843 - 1844. We were doing exactly as Our Heavenly Father commanded us to do. We were not aware of this statement before this experience. As you can well understand, we continued our search with great enthusiasm. But there is more on that page and in case you may not have the book it continues by saying > "
"For more than half a century [I.e., since 1844] the different points of present truth have been questioned and opposed. New theories have been advanced as truth, which were not truth, and the Spirit of God revealed their error. As the great pillars of our faith have been presented, the Holy Spirit has borne witness to them, and especially is this so regarding the Truths of The Sanctuary question. Over and over again the Holy Spirit has in a marked manner endorsed the preaching of this doctrine. But today, as in the past, some will be led to form new theories and to deny the truths upon which the Spirit of God has placed His approval.
Any man who seeks to present theories which would lead us from the light that has come to us on the ministration in the heavenly sanctuary should not be accepted as a teacher. A true understanding of the sanctuary question means much to us as a people. When we were earnestly seeking the Lord for light on that question, light came. In vision I was given such a view of The Heavenly Sanctuary, and the ministration connected with The Holy Place, that for many days I could not speak of it.
I know from the light that God has given me that there should be a revival of the messages that have been given in the past, because men will seek to bring in new theories, and will try to prove that these theories are Scriptural, whereas they are error, which, if allowed a place, will undermine faith in the truth. We are not to accept these suppositions and pass them along as truth. No, no; we must not move from the platform of truth on which we have been established.
“There will always be those who are seeking for something new, and who stretch and strain the Word of God to make it support their ideas and theories. Let us, brethren, take the things that God has given us, and which His Spirit has taught us is truth, and believe them, leaving alone those theories which His Spirit has not endorsed.
Manuscript 125, July 4, 1907,
"Lessons From the Visions of Ezekiel."
Praise God ! But a few days later He gave us further light and encouragement. I dreamed one night that something I heard outside aroused me from my sleep. I got up, went to the front door, turned to the right and looked across the road which was about 100 feet from our house, up at the mountain which began to rise on the very opposite side of the road. As I looked, the mountain was on fire, I could see fire among the trees and smoke, and then a most wonderful site. Out of the smoke, arose beautiful white columns which plumed out at the top like a mushroom ! There was a little dip in the mountain and as I watched, suddenly there was a bright flash of light and a glorious scene appeared. Right over the dip in the mountain there appeared two beautiful pillars which seemed to be standing at the entrance to a tunnel in the clouds, then, out from between the pillars came several angels and I heard one say , "Come, Jesus has come for His people" ! I then heard him call "Twyna" which is the name of our oldest daughter. The dream ended at that point. The whole glorious picture presented before me in that dream looked very much like this >
Before this experience, I had never connected any "pillars" with the Second Coming of Jesus. I shared the dream with My Family at the breakfast table and wondered what it all meant.
At that time I was reading once again the wonderful book, The Desire of Ages; and I had come to chapter 51. It begins like this:
"Then spake Jesus again to them, saying, 'I Am the Light of the world; he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
When He spoke these Words Jesus was in the court of the Temple, specially connected with The Feast of Tabenacles. In the center of this court rose two lofty standards; supporting lamp-stands of great size After the evening sacrifice, all the lamps were kindled, shedding their light over Jerusalem. This ceremony was in commemoration of the pillar of light that guided Israel in the desert, and was also regarded as pointing to the coming of the Messiah. At evening when the lamps were lighted, the court was a scene of great rejoicing ! Gray haired men, the priests of the temple and the rulers of the people, united in the festive dances to the sound of instrumental music and the chants of the Levites.
"In the illumination of Jerusalem, the people expressed their hope of the Messiah's coming to shed His Light upon Israel. But to Jesus, the scene had a wider meaning. As the radiant lamps of the Temple lighted up all about them, so Christ, the source of spiritual light, illumines the darkness of the world. Yet, the symbol was imperfect. That great light which His own hand had set in the heavens, was a truer representation of the glory of His mission. "
The Desire of Ages page 463
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How wonderful is our Heavenly Father. Step by step he was leading me into an understanding of the message of the Sanctuary Prophecy. We now knew that the "pillars" were directly connected with The Great Feast of Tabernacles, and that they "pointed to the coming of The Messiah!" We were thrilled indeed. But there was more ahead to further encourage us . I continued my reading in the Desire of Ages and came to page 575. In my dream I saw something entwined around the "pillars", but did not know what it was though I had at some time previous read page 575. About the middle of the page I read >
"At the entrance to the temple, was a vine of gold and silver, with green leaves and massive clusters of grapes, executed by the most skillful artists. This design represented Israel as a prosperous vine. The gold, silver, and living green were combined with rare taste and exquisite workmanship; as it twined gracefully about the white and glistening pillars, clinging with shining tendrils to their golden ornaments, it caught the splendor of the setting sun, shining as if with a glory borrowed from Heaven."
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Not a doubt remained, we knew now with absolute certainty that Jesus will come at the Feast of Tabernacles ! And He will come exactly according to the "time" that this feast was celebrated in the Sanctuary Service. We believe God sent His Holy Spirit as He has promised in Joel 2: 28 - 32>
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" "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out My Spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens, and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of The Lord come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the Name of The Lord shall be delivered: for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as The Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom The Lord shall call."
Advent Review and Sabbath Herald July 28 1904
Please notice that this is a no nonsense dream. We were led directly to The Bible and The Testimony of Jesus Christ to understand what we had seen !
We have received from time to time fanciful and trifling accounts of dreams claiming to be from The Lord, but , True Dreams will always lead us to The Word of God and To The Testimony of Jesus Christ for the understanding.
"To The Law and to The Testimony, if they speak not according to This Word, there is no light in
them."
Isaiah 8: 20
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Brothers & Sisters; once again, here are our orders :>>
“God bids us give our time and strength to the work of preaching to the people the messages that stirred men and women in 1843 and 1844. . . . My brethren, take your position where God bids you. Leave alone those who, after light has been repeatedly given them, have taken a stand on the opposite side. . . . Take up the work which has been given us. With the Word of God as your message, stand on the platform of truth and proclaim the soon coming of Christ. Truth, eternal truth, will prevail.
Upward Look p. 199
Love in Christ Jesus,
Rich Weber