Episode Transcript
Jesus said in Matthew 28:19, go therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Welcome to go teach all nations, bringing you Christ teachings through australian and international speakers. And here is today's presenter, Pastor Geoff Youlden.
This morning I want to talk to you about the gospel and the sanctuary, and there's a good reason why I have decided to talk on this. Of the last 30 or 40 years, the church has been exposed to what I call evangelical Advent evangelical teaching. What we mean by that is that evangelicals, which are like the Baptists and the Pentecostals and many other good people in these other churches have taught a theology which they got from the reformation very largely.
And the reformation was influenced by Catholicism. And that has seeped into evangelical churches today and it has also seeped into some parts of Adventism. And I want to talk to you this morning about one aspect, obviously in one sermon, we cannot deal with everything, but I want to talk about something that's very, very important so that you are aware.
And when you hear this aspect of evangelicalism that's taught in sometimes in Adventism, you will be aware of it and be able to resist it and oppose it. So let's have a look at it together. You know, I'm going to read a verse from revelation, the 12th chapter, that if this verse wasn't in the Bible and I told you what this verse said, you would never believe me.
Let's open our bibles to revelation, chapter twelve and verse seven. Revelation, the 12th chapter and verse seven. And this is what it says.
You know the verse. But as I said, if I told you this and you had never read the verse, you would find it very hard to believe. This verse, verse seven.
And war broke out in heaven. Now if I try to tell you that the first war was in heaven and you hadn't read this verse, you would find that very difficult to believe. Is that right? I would, because we don't associate heaven with war.
We associate heaven with peace and happiness and so forth. But actually the first war of the universe began in heaven. And Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought and they didn't prevail, nor was place a place found for them any longer.
So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old called the devil and Satan who deceives the whole world, he was cast to the earth and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, now salvation strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ have come for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down, and they overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives to the death.
Therefore rejoice, o heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea. For the devil has come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knows he has but a short time.
In other words, John is picturing here that the rest of the universe. Rejoice, ye heavens, and you that dwell in them are going to have joy in their hearts, because the devil and his angels now have been confined to one little patch in the universe called Earth. And there's a reason for that, because our world was the only world in the entire universe that listened to what Satan was saying.
And that's why we have all the problems in the world today. Now, the thing that I've, the major point that I get from reading the verses that we've just read is that sin is not just a human problem. Is that true? Sin is not just a human problem.
It began a long, long way away from our earth, correct? Yes. And it involves God, it involves the angels, it involves the other worlds that are inhabited, and it involves us. So sin is not just an earthly problem.
It's a universal problem. It's a problem in the universe, including God himself. And when we go back to the book of Job, and I want you to come back with me to the book of Job, we find a microcosm, an illustration of the great controversy of the issue that's involved in the sin problem.
So just come back to job, which is just before psalms. Job, chapter one. And here it's in verse six.
It says this. Now, there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, from where do you come? So Satan answered the Lord and said, from going to and fro on the earth and from walking back and forth on it.
In other words, he's saying, I control the earth, and that's why I'm here, because all this is a representation of all the atoms of all the other worlds came to a council in heaven. And if you please, Satan himself shows up. And so God challenges him and says, why are you here? And he says, because I control the earth.
I'm walking up and down and it's all mine. And verse eight, says, then the Lord said to Satan, have you considered my servant job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil. So Satan answered the Lord and said, does job fear God for nothing? Now, don't talk to me about that fellow job.
He only serves you because you pay him to give a man enough money and of course he'll be your servant and serve you. And so God says to him, you have blessed Satan, saying, you bless the work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land. But now stretch out your hand and touch all that he has and he will surely curse you to your face.
Now, what we read here in the book of Job is that Satan is accusing God before the whole universe. Because remember, they're all listening to what is being said between Satan and God. And right back at the beginning, Satan has made accusations against God, that he wasn't fair, that God has favourites.
And we've got to remember all the unfallen worlds are listening to what's going on. This is simply how the sin problem began and Satan making accusations against God. And then the story shifts to this earth, and in particular about the story of job.
And so a conflict which began in another part of the universe finally comes down to this earth. And the centre of the controversy is that Satan was making accusations against God, that he wasn't fair, just and honest, and that he had favourites. So this is the basis of what we call the great controversy.
And if you come over to one corinthians, the fourth chapter, I want to read here a verse where Paul is talking about this very thing. First Corinthians, chapter four and verse nine. First Corinthians, the fourth chapter and verse nine, where he says, for I think that God has displayed us, the apostles last, as men condemned to death.
For we have been made a spectacle to wear to the world, both to angels and to men. So Paul is indicating here that we, as God's people, are a spectacle to the whole universe, to the angels and to men. I'm going to put a statement on the screen that I want to read you, because this statement is very interesting, comes from patriarchs and prophets.
Listen to this. But the plan of redemption had a yet broader and deeper purpose than the salvation of man. It was not for this alone that Christ came to this earth.
It was not merely that the inhabitants on this little world might regard the law of God as it should be regarded, but it was to vindicate the character of God before the universe. Now let me just unpick that statement because it's possible to read it and not understand really the implications of what is being said there. The plan of salvation.
Most of us consider that the plan of salvation is the most important thing, that you and I are saved. Is that right? But the Bible teaches and spirit prophecy certainly emphasises that that is not the primary reason that Jesus came to die on the cross. The primary reason that Jesus came to this earth was to what? What's that big word in that sentence? Starts with the what is it? And what does that word mean? If something is vindicated, what does that mean? Justified.
That's a good word. That's another big word. Make it simple.
Yes. Truth is revealed. Yes.
Good. Anyone else? One? Yes. Well, all of those answers are good.
In other words, the purpose of Jesus coming to this earth, the primary purpose of Jesus coming to the earth was not to save us. That is a secondary reason. The primary reason is to vindicate God's character before the entire universe, because that's what the controversy, that's what the primary issue in the great controversy is all about.
The wonderful thing is in doing that, he can save you and me too. And that's the wonderful thing as far as our character is concerned and our lives are concerned. So Jesus came to vindicate the character of God before the universe.
Now let me ask you another question. When Jesus died on the cross 2000 years ago, were all the questions regarding God's character answered with Jesus death on the cross? Just think about that for a moment. When Jesus died on the cross, were all the questions answered regarding the accusations that Satan had made against God? Were they all answered? I'm going to suggest to you that it wasn't many were, but not all.
In fact, let me give you some statements that will give you some food for thought. We'll put up the first one where she says there stood. That's the question we're endeavouring to answer.
All right, let's have a look at the first statement from desire of ages. In fact, all of these statements come from desire of ages. Yet there stood men formed in the image of God, joining to crush out the life of his only begotten son.
What a sight for the heavenly universe. Then on the next page, Satan saw that his disguise was torn away. His administration was laid open before the heavenly universe.
He had revealed himself as a murderer by shedding the blood of the Son of God. He had uprooted himself from the sympathies of the heavenly beings. The last link of sympathy between Satan and the heavenly world was broken.
When the rest of the universe saw what Satan did to Christ, that was the final straw that cut their ties with Satan. Yet Satan was not yet then destroyed. The angels did not even then understand all that was involved in the great controversy.
The principles at stake were to be most fully revealed, and for the sake of Satan's existence, must be continued. Satan, as well as angels must see the contrast between the prince of light and the prince of darkness. So why have things continued after the cross? Because, you see, if the cross finished at all, why didn't Jesus come back then? And we're told here that the angels, the universe didn't yet fully, even when Satan killed Jesus, the rest of the universe still didn't understand all the evil that was involved.
In fact, let me read you a verse that supports, that come over to Ephesians, the third chapter, Galatians, Ephesians chapter three, and verse ten. And I would suggest that maybe some of these verses you might like to mark in your bibles, because they're very, very important. Ephesians, chapter three and verse ten.
It says this to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. Now, what's this verse saying? When Paul wrote the statement in Ephesians, 30 years had taken place since the cross, and he's saying at that particular point to the intent that now that is 30 years after the cross, the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church, to whom? Folk, I can tell you this, that unless we understand this, we're going to be swept away. You know, we ought to have our bibles.
I've purposely not put the text up on the screen because that encourages us not to read the Bible. And I want you to read the Bible. And as I go from church to church, I see Adventists now doing what the church that I came out of doing, and that is never bringing their bibles to church.
Just have a look at this verse again. Verse ten to the intent that now, 30 years after the cross, the manifold wisdom of God might be known by the church to the principalities and powers in heavenly places. Who's that? Who's the principalities and powers in heavenly places? Who's that? Yeah.
The angels in the unfallen worlds. In other words, Paul is saying here in Ephesians that God is going to reveal through the church things that the principalities and powers don't yet understand. That's 30 years after the cross.
He's going to use the church. But now he's going to make those things known. Now this doesn't take anything away from the cross, God forbid that.
But the Bible is saying that God is going to use the church. And when we talk about the church, who are we talking about? The building? No, you and me. God is going to use us as individuals, God's people, to reveal to the universe things that still are not known 30 years after the cross.
So all the questions were not resolved when Jesus died on the cross. Now there are even some Adventists, certainly there are evangelicals, who would oppose this understanding. And there are some Adventists, let me say, who do not like the idea that God is using his people to help to vindicate God's character.
That's anathema to these, what we might call the new theology, which is not new, but it's referred to as that because, you see, they emphasise in their preaching and teaching the cross, the cross, the cross. That's what they preach. In fact, I hear church members telling me all we get at church is stories about the cross and about grace and so forth.
We never ever hear any doctrines these days. This is why, because this has been absorbed like blotting paper from evangelicalism. And they talk the cross, the cross, the cross.
Now how can you argue against that? Do we want to argue against the cross? Of course not. The cross is the foundation of everything that we believe. There's nothing more important than the cross.
But error is taught by overemphasising that which is true, not just by teaching error out and out. For example, if I'm interested in health and I find that carrots are very good for me, and I get to the stage where I'm juicing carrots and eating carrots and carrots and carrots. That is not good for health, is that right? Even though carrots are very good for you? Correct, because that's an overemphasis on something which is good, the same as this.
If we overemphasise one aspect of the gospel to the exclusion of the other, it's like eating carrots all the time, and that's where the error comes. It's not so much what is said, that's the problem. It's what is not said, that's the problem.
We can never exhaust the love of our saviour. We can never overemphasise what Jesus did on the cross, but we can exaggerate too much that was accomplished at the cross. For example, if I was to come and teach this morning, once saved, always saved, is that going too far, as far as the cross is concerned, when Jesus died on the cross, did he then teach, once saved, always saved? The idea that when you come to Christ and you accept Christ, doesn't matter what you do for the rest of your life, you're saved.
Is that correct doctrine? Absolutely wrong. What about universalism, which is taught by some where they believe that every person from, say, cain right through to the last great sinner is going to be saved? That's what is called universalism. Does the Bible teach that when Jesus died on the cross, he made it possible for everybody to be saved? Is that true? Yes.
But is everybody going to be saved? No. And so universalism is going too far when it comes to what Jesus did on the cross. And obviously the great controversy is not yet finished because we are still living on the earth and the battle is still going on.
Now, this is where the sanctuary comes in. It is the sanctuary which helps us to understand the balance. And I want to just refer to the fact that the sanctuary has two major points.
I know for some of us, the sanctuary seems to be a big, big subject that we can never get our minds around. The sanctuary is very simple, really, because there are two major teachings of the sanctuary that you've got to remember. Lots of other things come in to support that.
But there are two big major teachings. The first is the death of the animal, the altar of burnt offering. That's the first big teaching of the sanctuary.
The second is the ministration of the blood that was spilt by the animal. That's what the sanctuary is all about. Those two things, as I said, there was a lot of ritual that went on with both of those.
But when we strip all that aside and we get back to the basics, there are two things, the death of the animal and the administration of the blood in the sanctuary. And everyone understands that when Jesus died on the cross, that was represented in the sanctuary by what? What was the symbol in the sanctuary service that reminds us of the fact that Jesus was going to die on the cross. You see the picture on the screen? Now, what do we call that? Where all the flames are? What's that? The altar of what? Sacrifice.
And I don't think anyone will ever challenge you in believing that the altar of sacrifice where the animal was killed represents what? What does that represent? Yes, the sacrifice of Jesus. As I said, no one will question that that's what that represents. But the service didn't end with the death of the animal.
It began with the death of the animal. But something else had to take place, the blood had to then go into the sanctuary, isn't that right? Yes. So there are two aspects to the sanctuary which helps us to understand the plan of salvation.
It's not just the death of the animal that began that which was then followed by the priest administering the blood. And if you don't have both, you don't have the story. The two things have got to go together.
And depending upon who sinned and what sin was engaged in, depended upon what animal was sacrificed and so forth, and where the blood was taken into the sanctuary or put on the horns, that's a detail which we're not going to go into now. But the facts are that there was the death of the animal and then there was the administration of the blood of that animal in the sanctuary. Now it's interesting when you come over to the book of Hebrews, and I'd like you to turn up Hebrews now and notice how this is portrayed by Paul in the Book of Hebrews.
And this is the whole burden of the Book of Hebrews. Let's have a look at this. The sacrifice and then the ministry of the blood.
Hebrews seven and verse 25. Look at this beautiful verse. Most of us here can repeat this by heart, I believe.
Chapter seven and verse 25. It says, therefore he is able also to save to the uttermost those who come unto God through him. What is that referring to? Just pause there.
What's that first part of that verse? What's it referring to? Let's just read it again. Therefore he's able to save to the uttermost those who come unto God by him. What's that referring to? The sacrifice or the death of Jesus, isn't that right? Are we agreed on that? Yes.
All right, notice now the rest of the verse. There's another word that comes in, since he always lives. To what? To make intercession for them.
So is the intercession of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary today important to your salvation and mine? Absolutely. And this emphasis on the cross, the cross, the cross, the cross. And completely ignoring the intercession of Jesus and the heavenly sanctuary is teaching a false gospel, absolutely false.
That's what evangelicalism is teaching today. Let me read you another verse, chapter eight and verse one. Chapter eight, verse one.
It says, now this is the main point of the things we are saying. Now, what is the main point? According to Paul, we have such a high priest who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected and not man. Is it important then to understand that we have a high priest in heaven? Absolutely.
That's what he's saying is the main point. Chapter nine and verse eleven says, but Christ came as high priest of the good things to come, and with the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. And a little further down, in verse 24, it says, for Christ has not entered the holy places, made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself.
Now to appear in the presence of God for us. Now listen, if it all finished at the cross, what do these verses mean? If our salvation was finished at the cross and it was completed when Jesus died on the cross, what do those verses mean? Absolutely nonsense. And that's what happens if you get a distortion and you're eating too many carrots.
To use a simple illustration, what we're saying is that the error is in the overemphasis and the exclusion of other things. Get the idea? And we're not saying that the cross is not important. The cross is very, very important, but it's not the full story.
It's the beginning of the story. Just like in the sanctuary service. It was the beginning of the story of the whole sanctuary service.
And we must understand that there are two parts to the salvation of mankind. It's not only the death on the cross, it's Jesus work in the heavenly sanctuary. For us today, that's just as important as his death on the cross.
Just as important. And I'll read a statement in a moment to support that very big statement. Let's go back to ephesians three and just notice something else that we didn't emphasise before.
Ephesians 310 and eleven. Ephesians 310. Eleven to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.
So this verse is saying that God is going to make known to the principalities and powers in heaven, in the heavenly places, throughout all the non fallen worlds, by the church. The church is going to do that. That's you and me.
God is going to use us to do that. Verse eleven says, according to the eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In other words, this was determined from the beginning of time.
You know, we often talk about the fact that the lamb was slain from the foundation of the world. This verse is saying that from the foundation of the world, God intended to use you and me as the church to help the people in the unfallen worlds and the angels to understand in the great controversy, things that they didn't understand even when Jesus died on the cross. That's what he's saying here in Ephesians.
Now, how is he going to do that? Well, just come back to chapter two of Ephesians and notice verse ten. Ephesians, chapter two and verse ten. It says this, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for what? Good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Now, listen, about the only thing that you hear about good works today is that they're not very good. Is that right? People downplay works. They have nothing to do with our salvation and good works almost.
You're embarrassed to talk about good works. That's not what the Bible teaches. The Bible says that you were his workmanship.
We are created in Christ Jesus for good works. In other words, the purpose that God has in mind for all of us is that we will reveal and manifest in our life good works. Good works are very important.
Now, once again, we've got to keep a balance and make sure that we don't understand that because good works are involved, that that means we get to heaven by doing what we do. That's not what the Bible teaches. But the Bible does teach that it's very important that we have good works in our life.
And the purpose of those good works is to reveal his workmanship. So God planned. We've learned two things from this verse.
God planned from the beginning that he was going to use the church to develop good works. And secondly, he planned that those good works would be revealing God's character before the universe. Let me read you another verse from the Old Testament.
This time Isaiah, chapter 43. And on this matter of good works, Isaiah, chapter 43 and verse seven. Look.
Isaiah, chapter 43 and verse seven. Everyone who is called by my name, who I have created for my what? Glory. In other words, why were you and I created? What's the reason for God's glory? I have formed him.
Yes, I have made him. So this verse is telling me that I am here to glorify God through my good works. You know a verse that everyone can repeat this verse, let your light so shine before men that they may see your.
What? Good works. Isn't that right? See your good works and what glorify your father, which is in heaven. That's exactly what we're finding here from all these verses, that the purpose of good works is to bring honour and glory to God.
Not to bring glory to ourselves, but to bring honour and glory to God, friends, that's the reason why God gave us the health message, because we should be the head and not the tail when it comes to health. We should be so far ahead of the vast majority of people that they come to and say, how is it that you don't get this all that you are living so long? How is it? And that gives us an opportunity not to glorify ourselves and to say, well, I've done this and I do this. No, it's to explain to, to people the wonderful good news of health reform that God has given to us in the Bible.
Because if I'm sick all the time, I'm not bringing much glory to God. Is that right? And that's one of the reasons God has given to us this wonderful message. Come back to John, chapter 15.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, the 15th chapter and verse eight. John 15 and verse eight. By this my father is glorified.
Here it is again, that you bear what much fruit, so you will be my disciples. So once again here Jesus is teaching that God is glorified when we bring forth much fruit. So we were created for good works.
Listen to this statement from this time, desire of ages 671. It says, the honour of God, the honour of Christ is involved in the perfection of the character of his people. Now, there's some words that will start to get your blood pressure up, the word perfection.
Is that right? Yeah. Well, I'm not going to talk to you about that this morning. That's another subject.
But there's a reason why God wants us to live in harmony and to live a life of blessing and overcoming, because we bring honour and glory to God. And so, as we've said before, the salvation of man is a very big issue as far as we're concerned. For most of us, that's the reason Jesus died on the cross, is to save us.
And we have learned this morning, I hope, that that is a secondary reason. The most important reason is because God, Jesus came to vindicate God's character before the entire universe. If I was to liken what we're saying this morning to a wheel, now, the hub of the wheel is the centrepiece and that is the death and the resurrection of Christ.
Without that, there is nothing but a wheel. To be a wheel has got to have spokes, otherwise it would collapse. And one of the spokes of that wheel is the good works that God wants us to manifest in our life, to bring honour and glory to God.
There's a text that you know very well in revelation, chapter 14, where it says, I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven. Maybe you ought to read it. Revelation 14, we've read this many, many times over the years.
Revelation 14 I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the what? Everlasting gospel with its centre, the cross of Christ and his resurrection. The everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue and people saying with a loud voice, fear God and what give glory to him. Here's this glory again.
It's part of the first angel's message is to bring honour and glory to God. It's the everlasting gospel. That's why when we live like this, then revelation 1412 says, here is the patience of the saints.
Here are those who what keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus? I have even met some Adventists who tell me nobody can keep the commandments. Have you ever heard someone say that, well friend, if they say that, they're teaching a wrong, erroneous, false, damnable gospel, because the Bible says, here are my people who keep the commandments and have the faith of Jesus, because when we live in a relationship with Jesus, we want to do the right thing. That doesn't always mean that we always do the right thing, but we have a desire in our hearts to do the right thing.
And we're very thankful that, as first John says, that my little children, these things I write unto you, that you sin not full stop, but if anyone does sin, we have an advocate, a lawyer in heaven today, and thank God for that, because we all recognise that we fail. And in the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary, the articles of the bread and the represented Jesus as the bread of life. The light represented, the candlestick represents Jesus as the light of the world, and the incense represented the prayers of God's people.
That's Jesus ministry for us in the first part of his heavenly ministry. I'm going to make a statement now that is very, very important. 7th day Adventists believe in a complete atonement that was made, but that complete atonement is not completed yet.
Let me illustrate. If I'm building a house, I lay the foundation down and that can be complete, right? Then I build the walls and they're complete, I put the roof on and it is complete. But it's not until all of those factors come in that the house is completed.
See what we're saying? And when Jesus died on the cross, he began the work of completing the story of salvation. But it wasn't yet completed because his ministry in the heavenly sanctuary is so important for us. As it says in Hebrews seven.
You know, we read the verse before. Let me just remind you. Therefore, he's able also to save to the uttermost those who come unto him by Christ, since he ever lives, to make intercession for us.
Let me read you a statement so you won't think that I'm making this up. 7th day adventists believe that on the cross a complete atonement was made for our sins. And nothing, nothing ever needs to be added to it.
It is a complete atonement that is not yet completed. Can you follow that? Listen to the next statement. The intercession of Christ in man's behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was his death upon the cross.
If I could underline that a hundred times in your mind, that the death of Jesus is not the completion of the story of salvation, it requires Jesus intercession. As our high priest, we can never get to heaven without the intercession of Jesus, because Jesus not only died for us as the lamb, but he is the high priest now in the heavenly sanctuary. And you can understand then, why the sanctuary is minimised in the minds of some today that the devil would want to do that, because you are minimising half the work that Jesus is doing for us by de emphasising the sanctuary, by de emphasising the work of Jesus and the heavenly sanctuary.
I heard one proponent of the new theology say, I never preach on the sanctuary. Well, when a man makes a statement like that, you know, he's way, way off. Because that's, that's what some 7th day adventists are.
They are Sabbath keeping evangelicals. That is, they have the theology of evangelicals, but they have the Sabbath. They're nothing more or less than an evangelical with a Sabbath keeping day.
And even that's pretty light, because if you begin to talk to them, you'll find that the way they keep the Sabbath is pretty liberal. Pretty liberal. And so the intercession of Jesus and the heavenly sanctuary is so, so important for us.
Now there's something else that I just want to draw your attention to before we close today. And that is, in the most holy place, there was one article of furniture. What was it? Do you remember? The Ark of the Covenant? That's right.
And on the top of that ark was what? Cherubim. Yes, there were two angels called Cherubim. And those Cherubim are pictured as their wings are touching.
The Bible says, in fact, let me show you on the screen and let's turn it up in the Bible. Exodus. Right back at the beginning of the Bible.
Exodus, chapter 25. Exodus, chapter 25 and verse 18. Exodus 25 and verse 18.
And you shall make two cherubim of gold, of hammered work. You shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub at one end and the other cherub at the other end.
You shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it, of one piece with the mercy seat. And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another. The faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat.
Now, I think we've got a picture of those, have we? No, we haven't. Well, you can. I'm sure you've seen pictures of the cherubim.
Now the question is, what does that represent? Why did God go into that detail? Let me read you the statement now. It says, the cherubim of the earthly sanctuary, looking reverently down upon the mercy seat, represents the interest with which the heavenly hosts contemplate the work of redemption. This is the mystery of mercy, into which angels desire to look that God can be just, while he justifies the repenting sinner and renews his intercourse with the fallen race.
So what do those cherubim represent? It represents the heavenly host, all the angels in the unfallen worlds, and the interest that they have in the salvation mankind. That's what it represents. And notice, where did God put that, those two cherubim? Did he put it back at the burnt offering, the altar of burnt offering, representing the cross? No, he didn't.
Where did he put it? In the most holy place, representing the judgement. Because it's in the judgement that God's actions are revealed before the whole universe. Let me read you quickly two more verses.
Revelation 15. And you'll see why the judgement has been downplayed too. Because of this.
Look, when you begin to study this, you understand why certain things are going on and the chatter that's going on. Revelation 15. And this time we want verse one.
Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous. Seven angels having the seven last plagues. For in them the wrath of God is complete.
And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire. And those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark, and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God, they sing the song of Moses, a servant of God, and the song of the lamb saying great and marvellous are your works, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways.
O king of saints. Why is it important that they say just and true are your ways. Who shall not fear you o Lord and glorify your name? For you alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before you. For your judgments have been what manifested. What does the word manifest mean? Revealed.
God is being praised as a result of the judgement before the whole universe. They are praising God because God's actions now are revealed before the whole universe. Just and true are your ways.
They're not what Satan said. God is just and true. And chapter 16 and verse seven I heard another from the altar saying even so, Lord God almighty, true and righteous are your what? The judgments.
So the purpose of the judgement is to reveal God's actions. You know God doesn't need books. Is that true? You know I have people.
Why do we have to have a judgement? God doesn't need books. Is that true? Does God need books? Has he got a bad memory sometimes? No, God doesn't need books. He doesn't need a record.
But who might need a record? Who might need books? The universe. They don't have omniscience. The ability to know everything about everything.
God has that ability. But not the angels, not all the unfallen worlds. And so God keeps a record so that that record can be demonstrated before the whole universe.
And when that record is made manifest then God is praised. Because we can see now, God that you have acted justly and fairly in all that you have done. That's why the judgement is so important.
Listen, if you were and I were a being, an unfallen being, we'd never sinned in our life. We lived a perfect life. And you heard that there were some people called human beings who were going to come up and live in your environment.
And you knew what had been going on down there on earth. What would you be concerned about? If you're an unfallen world and you heard these human beings were coming up what would you be concerned about? Are they going to bring murder up here? Are they going to bring cancer up here? Are they going to bring adultery up here? These are the questions that unfallen worlds would want to have answered. Isn't that right? What about King David coming up when they heard about King David coming up.
Wowee. I don't know whether we want him up here. What about Moses? Can you see why God has the book? So that God can assure all the unfolden worlds.
He can assure the angels that these people have been saved by grace. Their life has been changed, they have received a new birth, they have got a new nature, they want to do the right thing, and by God's grace they are safe to save. That's why the judgement is so important.
And this is the special message that God has given to us as 7th day Adventists to preach to the world. That's why we are not Baptists, we are not Pentecostals, we are not good christians of other churches, even though there are many, many, many wonderful christians of other churches. But 7th day Adventists have something which is a completion of the reformation.
And that message involves the three messages of revelation 14 going to every nation, kindred downing and people saying the hour of God's judgement has come while people are living on the earth. That message is preached. The hour of God's judgement not is going to happen in the future, but has come now because God is being vindicated and God is counting on you, and he's counting on me to be part of that group who are going to bring glory and honour to God.
And God promises that if you and I will be faithful and ask Jesus every day to come into our life, that he will give us victory over sin. That's why all through the Bible to him that overcomes. To him that overcomes now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before his throne with exceeding joy.
To the woman taken in adultery, go and sin no more. I don't condemn you. That's justification.
And go and sin no more. Meaning sanctification, that's the gospel. Where would he be if we didn't have that hope? Because all of us have made mistakes.
There's not a single one of us that could stand before God in anything but our sinfulness. But God promises that if you and I will be faithful to God, God will grant us that wonderful privilege. Well, may God help us, because the truth that God has given to us in these days is watertight and it's wonderful.
And the devil is going to do everything in his power to water down this message and to take us on a trip that's not going to end in happiness and joy. But let's be faithful and let's continue to study and to read. Brethren, if you haven't read great controversy recently, you ought to start to read it, particularly the latter chapters.
Read them, you will be inspired and help you understand what the Bible is saying. May God bless you. Let's have a prayer.
Father in heaven, I just want to thank you for the wonderful joy that is in knowing you as our saviour. I thank you Lord, for forgiveness of sin, but I also thank you for the privilege that you today are interceding on our behalf in the heavenly sanctuary. Thank you Lord, for a saviour like that.
And keep us faithful until Jesus does come very soon. I pray for Christ's sake. Amen.
This message was made available by the Waitara Seventh-day Adventist Church. For more resources like this, visit waitarachurch.org.au.This programme has been brought to you by 3ABN Australia Radio.
