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TRUTH IN THE BALANCE

AWESOME MOMENTS ON PLANET EARTH IN THE DAY OF FINAL JUDGMENT

"HEARKEN UNTO ME, MY PEOPLE; AND GIVE EAR UNTO ME, O MY NATION: FOR A LAW SHALL PROCEED FROM ME, AND I WILL MAKE MY JUDGMENT TO REST FOR A LIGHT OF THE PEOPLE."
Isaiah 51:4

Thesis:

We are now living in earth’s great judgment hour, that time described over and over again in the Holy Bible as the “Day of the Lord” or the “Day of Judgment”.

In Bible times there was also a day of judgment. It happened once each year and was referred to as the Day of Atonement. It was one of the holiest days of the year. During it the Israelite camp was cleansed of sin. On that day, all was made right between God and man and between man and his fellow men.

Each of the holy days of ancient Israel were symbolic of future events in God’s plan to restore this world to the condition that existed before sin began - to rescue us from this nightmare of evil. The Day of Atonement was no different. It too symbolized an important event in the rescue plan - a final event - the day of final judgment of planet earth.

This book is an attempt to apply the symbolism of that ancient service to our day - a day when not only a single nation, but a whole world is undergoing judgment and cleansing.

Preface:

Ours is the day of God’s final judgment. We - you and I - are privileged to live and be a part of this awesome event. We are honored to join the faithful of all ages eagerly anticipating the completion of judgment and the restoration of all things. (Hebrews 11:39-12:1,2)

God, Creator of the worlds, has been challenged by one of his own creation, now known as the devil or Satan. Satan charges that the basic principles of the government of God are flawed, unfair, and unworkable. He claims that there is a better way. (Genesis 3:1-5; Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:14-18; Revelation 12:7-9)

God has responded to the challenge. For six thousand years he has contested with Satan while permitting him the opportunity to develop and employ this “better” alternative. We, earth’s residents, have been active witnesses, participants to the process. By the choices of our lives we have chosen either to join Satan in the challenge or to champion our God, Creator of all things.

For six thousand years the seeds of true unconditional love and the seeds of self-centeredness (sin) have grown together side by side in the field of humanity. (Matthew 13:25-30) They are now golden brown and ready for harvest. It is a time of judgment - a time of separation of the wheat from the weeds (Matthew 24:32-34) - a time to determine once and for all time if Satan’s idea really is better than God’s original plan? The Judgment will reveal the truth of the matter. (Revelation 15:4; Ezekiel 38:23)

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Introduction:

Fearful things are happening in our world in proportions never before described. There are Earthquakes and floods and devastating hurricanes - AIDS and violence and spreading anarchy - occurring at all levels of society. Thinking people everywhere wonder, “What is the meaning of this”? Sometimes it seems as though the very elements of nature have joined hands to war against us.

In this book I will argue that the Holy Bible anticipates our time and describes it as the day of final judgment for planet earth - a day of final reckoning. When complete, truth and all that is right and good will be made plain, and exonerated. Falsehood and evil will be fully exposed, unmasked and found guilty. Black will then be black. White will be white. There will be nothing gray in between. Then, good and evil - so long a muddy blend - will be spun in the centrifuge of justice and separated one from the other. Truth and error - so often uncertain and indistinguishable - will be polarized completely - drawn or repelled by the magnet of love. Our individual destiny, yours and mine, will then be determined according to the principles of the cause we have chosen by faith to govern our lives - whether the cause of truth and the kingdom of God, or the cause of self-centered human reason and the deceptive counterfeits of the enemy.

We are even now living during this judgment period. It is a process being worked out in the lives of men on earth as the powers of heaven (good) and hell (evil) present their final evidence to the universal court. When in the course of time a judgment has been awarded and duly executed, the universe will again be clean and free of every corrupting influence - restored to its original perfection as symbolized by that service on the Day of Atonement in the ancient Israelite sanctuary.

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Chapter I
Judgment foretold in an ancient feast

Just last week I attended a conference discussing the role of genetics in modern health care. Note was made of the fact that almost all medicinal biologicals are now produced using genetic means of production. Until just a few years ago, insulin was extracted in the slaughterhouse from the pancreas of cattle or swine. It was not an ideal medicine, but it worked. Today we use superior, perfectly matched human insulin produced by genetically altered bacteria. Many other biologicals of similar origin are also now available for every-day use in medical care. Present research seeks to use genetic techniques to cure cancer, to clone organs for human transplantation, and to re-design the world around us for greater efficiency and pleasure.

A few years ago when a baboon heart was transplanted into Baby Faye in exchange for her congenitally malformed heart, the whole world breathed a deep sigh - as if in unbelief. People wondered, “What have we done”? Ethicists and clergy soon quieted the collective conscience, but I was troubled. Scientific research had indeed discovered certain facts regarding natural laws that made this phenomenal procedure possible. I could not question these scientific facts. But, my question was, did this application of the knowledge of these facts accurately portray the truth about God and His purpose for our race in our times? Was this a truly cooperative effort between man and God serving to glorify his name in the earth? Or was it more an independent act, like eating “forbidden” fruit, or building a tower to escape another flood? How should we relate to scientific research? How ought godly men deal with the acquisition and application of knowledge? Is there something more to truth than the mere awareness of fact?

Since earliest childhood I have been confronted over and over again by people asking the same question that Pilot asked Jesus, “What is TRUTH?” It is often asked in honesty and sincerity. Unfortunately, too often we fail to exercise the necessary diligence in our quest to finally arrive at a full understanding of truth. Worse yet, sometimes after years of searching and finally discovering, we refuse to believe the truths that we have discovered. Thus remaining frustrated and uncertain, we, like Pilot, think to “wash our hands” of the issue at hand. In place of the truth that has alluded us or been rejected, we adopt a set of beliefs that we accept as truth and use these as our standard of truth. Is it truth? Is it given credence by the number of people who agree with our conclusions? Is it truth just because it is taught in every synagogue, church and temple?

Last evening I watched a series of religious presentations on video. It was interesting to note once again the wide divergence of understanding and opinion among the speakers, each claiming the same God and the same source of inspiration. Can all be truth - Or all false? How can we know? What is truth?

Many, frustrated in their search, claim that truth is undiscoverable or does not even exist. They argue that all things are relative, dependent upon complex and often unpredictable circumstances. According to them, the best we can do is to carefully weigh the available evidence and hope that our conclusions are correct. Is this good enough? How can we know?

For six thousand years we have been asking the same question. What IS truth? Some, acting by “faith” based upon the evidence they have discovered, have submitted their ways and lives to One they have called God. These have often followed a “narrow”, self-denying path - obedient to a set of principles considered by others to be mere foolishness at the very best. They have done so as pilgrims on earth, believing in and claiming a promise handed down by their fathers of a better city in a better land whose builder and maker is God. (Hebrews 11, whole chapter) Others, failing to read the evidence in the same way, have chosen to splurge and live life to the fullest of indulgence - eating, drinking and making merry, “for tomorrow we die”. Though sometimes it seems that all of the benefits go to those who indulge, finally both go down to the grave together. Who has chosen truth? Who is right?

Two thousand years ago, so the story goes, a baby was born in the town of Bethlehem of Judea, (now in modern Israel). When he grew up he claimed to be the Son of God, equal to him, and co-creator of heaven and earth. Accompanied by a small contingent of followers, he went back and forth across the land, preaching and teaching and healing diseases, and proclaiming, “I am the way, the truth, and the life”, John 14:6. He was crucified and died for such “foolishness.” His followers claimed that he rose from the dead, visited with them, and after forty days returned to God in heaven. He said he’d come again, not as a baby born in a barn, but as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He’d shake the earth and open the graves. Is it true? Who can say? Yet millions of human beings have died a martyr’s death, believing what he said.

Though he died, the world has never been the same since. Many, taking his name, “Christian”, in faithfulness to the great commission have traveled the world over for centuries supporting his cause and spreading “truth”. The trouble is, these followers of his have never seemed to be able to agree upon what he said and meant as truth. Hence, in our world today, we have an innumerable array of “Christian” faiths each claiming to be the TRUE followers of Jesus and to be teaching THE truth that HE taught. Some, convinced and convicted and believing that the end justifies the means, have spared no means in their attempt to convert the world to their understanding of Christ. Others, equally convinced, have yielded their lives to the inquisitor’s sword, choosing to die for their faith rather than to live a lie. Can the truth be known? What is truth?

It is different now. The days of inquisition have been suspended. The word today is “tolerance”. Our world has become “too small” for each one to live by his own private convictions and understanding of truth. We must be able to bend a little in order to fit into the larger community at peace with one another. Nor should we proselytize and steal “sheep” from another’s fold. After all, it is argued, we all worship the same God. Let’s work together to solve some of the world’s problems and forget our differences. Is this truth? Is it necessary that we know? Is it “safe” to “bend”?

Perhaps I should interject one further scenario. God is love. He said so in the Good Book and most Christians and many of other faiths acknowledge the fact. Given this, many believe that as long as they live a “good life” according to the general principles of the “golden rule”, God will be satisfied. Is truth then unimportant?

The questions asked and implied above remain for the most part unanswered. Even the death on Calvary’s cross, central to the whole plan of God, has failed to provide sufficient evidence to convince many. Just one option yet remains. Justice demands it. Love haltingly submits. It is called the Day of Judgment and was symbolized in ancient Israel as the Day of Atonement. It was an awesome event in ancient Israel. Its fulfillment in our day will be immeasurably more awesome in living reality. [Note: Justice is one of the characteristics of love and righteousness, (Psalms 119:137).]

But when complete, truth will be evident to every intelligent being, on earth and in the heavens. The truth about God will be made plain and the God of truth, fully vindicated. The lies and deception of the devil will be forever exposed and unmasked - eliminated. The universe will again be at rest, “clean”, free of all that hurts and destroys. (Isaiah 11:1-10)

Judgment alone can accomplish this, (Matthew 25:31,32) and we are now in the midst of it.

Since it is truth that is being tried and tested in judgment and since God claims to be the author of truth, He is himself in a sense on trial. (Romans 3:4) But, it is not God alone that is on trial. All of those who have accepted and cherished his Lordship in their lives likewise stand or fall based upon the outcome of the Judgment.

Though the trial is an accusation against God and his faithful followers, God, as supreme arbiter of the universe presides in the court. (Daniel 7:9,10; John 5:22,27,30) He also represents his followers as their counsel. (Zechariah 3:1-4) Satan, the prosecuting attorney, represents himself and all of those who have bought into his cause - of angels and men. The charge, “God is unfair. He is arbitrary in dealing with his creatures. The principles of his government are fickle and allow no room for expression of free thought. He lies. He told Adam and Eve that they would die if they disobeyed. Now he claims the power and authority to save them. He speaks love and justice while often expressing his anger, offering threats, and pouring his wrath out upon men, women and innocent children. THIS is truth?” the devil asks!

An ancient autumn feast in Israel - the Day of Atonement, symbolizes this judgment process referred to so often in the Holy Bible. Let me try to explain.

The descendants of Abraham were living as slaves in Egypt where they had been for four hundred years. God had promised to give the land of Canaan to Abraham and his children when the present residents had filled their cup of iniquity. (In other words, they had reached a point where the Spirit of God had been rejected so often that it could no longer have any effect on their lives.) (Genesis 15:16)

That time had now come (Deuteronomy 9:4; Numbers 14:9) and God was ready to lead the “seed” of Abraham (Israelite descendants) to the “promised land”. The problem was, the Egyptians didn’t want their slaves to leave. Even so, God told them to get ready to go.

The Israelites were instructed to kill a lamb the evening before they were to be freed from slavery in Egypt, sprinkle it’s blood upon their doorpost and eat the roasted flesh of the lamb with unleavened (flat) bread, all in preparation for leaving in a hurry. During the night, the “Angel of the Lord” would pass through the land of Egypt. In any home lacking the blood on the doorpost, the eldest son would die. No death would occur in homes protected by the blood. And so it was. The first-born of the unbelieving Egyptians all died that night, creating such anguish that they were happy to see their Israelite slaves go.

Subsequently, this experience was to be remembered through all time by an annual feast re-living that night. It was a memorial of a past event, but it was more than that. The same feast of commemoration was also prophetic or predictive - predictive of the death of Jesus (himself God) as the Lamb of God who would be sacrificed for the sins of the world - his blood then serving as our “Passover” lamb protecting us from eternal death. (I Corinthians 5:7; Ephesians 5:2; I Peter 1:18,19) The feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread (flat bread) occurred in the spring of the year. They were followed by the Feast of First Fruits, a feast celebrating the ripening grain and commemorating their first grain harvest upon entering the land of promise. This feast was also predictive - predictive of the resurrection of Jesus, symbolizing him as the first of those to be “harvested” from death. (I Corinthians 15:20-23) There was one more spring feast each year. It occurred fifty days after the Feast of First Fruits and was known as the Feast of Weeks (Penticost). It commemorated the giving of the Law of God at Mount Sinai as the Israelites journeyed to the promised land, and predicted a time when God, through the Holy Spirit, would again reveal his law and the nature of his kingdom not to Israel alone, but to the whole earth through a supernatural manifestation of his power. (Revelation 18:1; Joel 2:23,28-32).

All of these spring feasts were both commemorative and prophetic. All met their prophetic fulfillment in the events surrounding the life and death of Jesus as our sacrificial lamb two thousand years ago. All of Christianity recognizes this symbolic application.

Now, if the spring feasts symbolized this incomprehensible gift of God given to rescue us from sin - not yet in reality, but in hope only, (Romans 8:24,25) what might the autumn feasts logically represent? If the death of the sacrificial lamb and it’s sprinkled blood provided a way of escape from the slavery of sin for all who would accept and apply the protective measures (the heart of the spring feasts), what must the autumn feasts focusing upon the day of Atonement represent? If in ancient Israel the dominant autumn feast, the Day of Atonement, represented complete cleansing of the camp from sin by judgment at the time of harvest, (Leviticus 16:30,33) what must be the corresponding symbolic prophetic application - if not the final harvest where the grain (goodness) and the tares (evil) are separated in the Judgment in preparation for establishing the reality of the hope at the return of our Lord? (Matthew 13:24-30)

In Israel, the Feast of Trumpets preceded the Day of Atonement by ten days. It was a time of self-examination and repentance in preparation for the most solemn day of the year, the Day of Atonement or the Day of Judgment. (Leviticus 23:22-29) This later feast was followed by the Feast of Tabernacles - a feast commemorative of the years of wandering in the wilderness and dwelling in tents after their release from slavery in Egypt. (Nehemiah 8:14-18)

Some, in studying these ancient symbols, believe that these autumn feasts like the spring feasts are prophetic - prophetic of the end of earth history and the harvest of six thousand years of sowing. Accordingly, the Day of Atonement, the Day of Judgment, may be viewed as symbolizing the separation of the good grain from the weeds - forever separating the true-born and adopted in the family of God from the unwary captives of Satan and those ensnared by his deceptive devices. (Matthew 13:38-43)

But such a process of separating the “sheep” from the “goats”, the family of God from the followers of the rebel Satan (Matthew 25:31-46) can only be accomplished by a process of judgment - a determination of who are indeed of the family of God and who belong to the enemy’s tribe - of removing all masks, disguises and camouflages and identifying the true soldiers of the cross in contrast to those who have faked it as spies and double agents for so long. Thus, while the Day of Atonement is a time of judgment for God’s family and a time of testing of the truths they profess, it can only happen as the harvest of evil is also ripened and exposed for all to see and compare. Truly a day of judgment!

Follow along!

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Chapter II
The Court is Seated

“Thousands upon thousands attended him, ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court was seated, and the books were opened,” Daniel 7:10.

To my right a well-varnished wooden counter curved around in front of the curly, white-haired judge as he sat in his elevated judgment seat viewing the courtroom. To my left sat fifteen jurors, common people from all walks of life who had been listening carefully to the court’s deliberations. Facing me to the right sat the plaintiff, his prosecuting attorney, family and interested friends. My colleague sat at a small table to my left, alone but for the defense attorney.

Sitting in front of the judgment bar, close to my right, the court reporter faithfully recorded each word of testimony. She was now speaking to me! “Raise your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth”? I raised my hand and said, “I do”.

Following these simple formalities, the prosecuting attorney arose from his seat, stood before a small podium upon which he laid out his carefully marked documents, and began to quiz me regarding the matter of dispute. While referring frequently to my own medical records, I responded as best I could to his questions. Not having been present during the previous three weeks of testimony however, I failed to see the relevance of his questions to the matter at hand. In due time, he finished his interrogation and sat down.

The attorney for the defense then rose to the podium. His queries were more direct and to the point. I assumed that he must be touching on some sensitive issues because after nearly every question the plaintiff’s attorney arose, approached the judicial bar and objected to the question being asked. After a sometimes-animated three way “private” discussion between the attorneys and Judge, the objection of the prosecuting attorney was most often sustained. I wondered why.

Having completed my testimony, I left the courtroom with many questions of my own. Will justice be served this day? I wasn’t so sure. As carefully and conscientiously as our court system attempts to maintain impartiality and balanced inquiry, its participants, like all of us, are human and subject to the limitations of men living in a dysfunctional world.

Once outside, my thoughts drifted quite naturally to the court in the heavens upon which sits the judge of the whole universe of whom it is written, “I (God) make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line,” Isaiah 28:17. You may recall that Abraham was not so sure as he pled with God to save Sodom and Gomorrah from destruction, “Far be it from you, shall not the judge of all the earth do right,” Genesis 18:25? Sometimes we too question the justice of God as we look upon the devastating calamities taking place all around us day by day. Will the God of all the earth really do RIGHT? Or am I just some simple fool naively trusting the words of an old, out-dated leather bound book?

Be that as it may, sometimes it seems to us humans that maybe - just maybe - this whole idea of a personal, responsible, loving God is make-believe. If there is a God at all, we reason, it must be an impersonal and unidentifiable energy, unconcerned about what is happening here on planet earth, leaving it to us to determine our own destiny. In fact, sometimes when we look at our achievements, it appears that we are doing a pretty good job at that! What need do we have for a god anyway? Let me cite a few examples to illustrate the effectiveness and power of human beings when they unite their objectives and resources for the benefit of society.

Nearly fifty years ago cigarette smoking was recognized as a mega-health problem. Everybody smoked, or so it seemed. Too well I remember attending scientific sessions of the American Medical Association and the American College of Surgeons where tobacco smoke filled the air so thick that I had difficulty seeing the projection screen. It’s not like that any more. Smoking is no longer the thing to do at such sessions. Nor is lung cancer and pulmonary emphysema any longer the epidemic scourge that it once was in America.

Heart disease has had a somewhat similar response to public out-cry and unified efforts for lifestyle change. Once accounting for more that fifty percent of deaths, coronary heart disease has gradually yielded some of its notoriety to other diseases.

Infectious disease, the scourges of former generations, often devastating whole communities by their lethal germs, have in our day been markedly reduced or completely eliminated. May I mention small pox, diphtheria, tuberculosis, leprosy, whooping cough, polio, just to name a few. Even more recently major strides have been made in combating the AIDS epidemic. Though still a major public health problem with many complicated associated ramifications, dedicated scientists have now developed a battery of medications capable of arresting the disease and extending life.

Nor is our success limited to the world of medical research and public health. Didn’t the “Cold War” give way to determined negotiations? And didn’t the wars with Afghanistan prove the effectiveness of a united military might? Never mind the fact that scrimmages continue. A statement has been made and the world is a different place by these events.

Martin Luther King, the legendary figure who gave his life in the battle for civil rights, did not die in vain. His burden has become the burden of the world society, now lending to the melding of all peoples into one vast color-blind global community.

And lest we forget our success with natural disasters, may I remind you of worldwide monitoring for earthquakes, hurricanes and other violent weather conditions, some of which have almost certainly saved many lives from otherwise certain death.

Given these few examples of what we humans can accomplish when we work together in unison - given our taste of success and our desire for universal peace through tolerance - it would seem that the future ought to be quite bright. Yes, with or even without God. We can do it! Why then this book? Why my quite contrary contention that we are even now living in the time of final Judgment? Why should anyone place stock in ancient writings tucked away in some old book that few find relevant to our modern, high-tech, self-sufficient society? As if God really cares!

Follow along!

A few years ago we had a beautiful wild black-cherry tree growing in our back yard. Since I enjoy working with wood and making pretty things from it, I sometimes daydreamed about what I could do with the lumber of this tree if I could only find some excuse to cut it down. Time passed. I debated, but always decided in favor of letting the tree stand for its esthetic beauty. Then one day a violent storm came through our village. When it had passed, the tree lay flat, its twenty-two inch diameter trunk stretching out for more than fifteen feet on the ground. Finally, no longer would I have to resist the desire to cut it down. I was elated. Images of beautiful pieces of cherry furniture danced wildly in my mind. As one might imagine, at the first available opportunity, I took my saw and began to trim the tree in preparation for the sawmill. I sawed it in two just below the branches, saving as much length as possible. As I finished the cut and rolled the log aside, my heart sank. Straight and perfect on the outside, the log was filled with sawdust on the inside, the result of wood-ants having eaten away its very core.

Need I draw the parallel? Perhaps I might have anticipated my disappointment with the cherry tree had I been paying close attention to the warning signs. Perhaps those branches that rotted and fell to the ground from time to time should have been clues enough. So I must ask, are there similar warning signs in the “bustling” world around us that may alert us to rottenness within our own core?

We relaxed a bit when the “Cold-War” ended. Tensions were lessened. The threat of a nuclear holocaust seemed to have passed forever. But that has now all changed. Now we have not only nuclear weapons, but biological and chemical weapons as well – and rogue nations and terrorists who will use them.

Communism has had its day in the sun. Only a few stubborn holdouts remain. Democracy has defeated the shoe-pounding boast of Nikita Khrushchev. It is now slowly spreading to the nations of the world. Are we better off? Perhaps! Maybe a democracy held together by foreign dollars and military threat is better than none at all? But have you ever noted the tenuous nature of these emerging democracies and the record and practices of many of those who lead? Have you considered the tinder dry explosive qualities of the masses in these societies just waiting for the right moment to demonstrate their anarchical readiness? Have not recent examples in Africa, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia provided clues to the real nature of the human condition?

The actions of the National Defense League, the Sierra Club, the National Audubon Society, the Nature Conservancy, and a myriad of other environmental groups have slowed the rapid destruction of some of our natural resources. The American eagle has been rescued from extinction as one classic example of such achievement. Once again we have some clean rivers, and a few lakes are coming back to life. Air quality has improved in some of our major American metropolitan regions due to strict anti-pollution measures.

But lest we be lulled to sleep by these victories, population growth continues at an explosive rate - especially in those parts of the world that can least support it. As a result we are seeing rapidly increasing deforestation, loss of valuable agricultural land, uncontrolled pollution, and loss of vital resources. War and famine often follow close behind. Some even suspect that many of the so-called “acts of God” have roots not so much as acts of godly vengeance but as the natural consequences of grossly disturbed ecosystems.

Statistically, a look at many big cities suggests that the incidence of major crimes may actually be dropping. A good sign! At the same time, kids are afraid to go to school for fear of getting “shot up” in the classroom. Inner city folk double and triple lock their doors both when at home and when they go out for daily needs. It is little different in Suburbia. A recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association identified violence as America’s number one health problem. All around us we see suicide, homicide, partner abuse, child abuse, molestation, and harassment - to name a few. The picture is not pretty.

Marriage and the family are nearly extinct. More than fifty percent of all marriages end up in heart-breaking divorce. These statistics are bad enough but fail to reflect the real situation. Marriage itself is rapidly becoming replaced by looser relationships of opposite or same sex that may come or go nearly at will, “hang the kids!” - And no wonder. Sex and immorality dominate the communication media. TV, the Internet, and the printed page all exalt the sensual aspects of sexuality.

Health care has become the topic of much serious debate - the cost of high technology exceeding our national willingness to pay the bill. Yet, it is interesting that we spend nearly twice as much on entertainment as we spend on health care. Children, the working poor and the elderly seem most often to be the losers.

What do the lessons of history teach about those nations and societies given to an abundance of pleasure and leisure time? Yet never has there been a society with such ready access to these as has our own.

I could go on and on describing the world of today and listing the reasons for my conclusions regarding the Day of Judgment, but the point has been made. We have some real problems. Thinking people everywhere agree. (Yet not all. Some argue that evil elements have always existed in our global society. In fact, terrible and gruesome things indeed fill the pages of history books. The difference now is not one of kind, but of pervasiveness, magnitude and prevalence. What was once confined to limited geographic regions has now become global in scope.)

If I read the signs correctly, our little world is filled with potential worldwide disasters just waiting to happen, held in check by some unseen hand. And if a loving God should pull back his hand just a bit and let calamity happen from time to time to wake us up, should we be disturbed?

Some have been awakened. Here and there eyes have been opened. Among these are common people burdened with conviction, calling the world to repentance and to a return to the principles of the law of God. Others are men of prominence in the religious world taking a more pragmatic approach. United by common objectives, these religious leaders representing many faiths meet together to discuss and plan strategies for taking control of the world that we live in, FOR GOD. Sensing the urgency of the need, much of this effort has occurred along political lines designed to legislate perceived necessary change.

The question comes quite naturally, “Is God actively involved in what is happening in our world?” I believe the answer to be a certain, yes! The Bible clearly describes a creator God who is intimately concerned with his creation. But, if so, why then our present precarious global condition? My response - we have ignored the instructions and principles that He has graciously supplied in his WORD and have chosen instead to be guided by our own self-centered inclinations, our own wisdom. We are therefore merely reaping the harvest of our own planting. All of us, individually and corporately, tend to defend the course in life that we have chosen, arguing that we have chosen the best way. Who is to say?

All throughout history the law of harvest has applied, we reap what we sow. In every realm of life - political, religious, technical, scientific and social - we have had ample opportunity to observe the results of our thoughts and actions - judgments if you will! We have seen world kingdoms crumble and fall, systems of religion fail, technical and scientific fiascoes when attention to detail ignored, (Can any forget the disintegration of the Columbia Shuttle?) and societies disintegrate in response to moral irresponsibility. These are all forms of judgment. But the Bible describes a time of final, cataclysmic judgment wherein God will let all things be laid out “on the table” for the universe to judge. Then nothing will be hidden, nothing left disguised. Right and wrong, truth and error will then be fully exposed by the consequences (fruit) that they produce. Then the profession of faith will mean nothing, only the effect wrought in the life. Through this process, the true followers of our LORD will be eternally separated from mere professors, agnostics and atheists. (Matthew 25:32; Acts 17:31; Romans 14:12; II Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:12; Malachi 3:17,18)

It is my contention that we are now experiencing this awesome revelation of divine justice. We are now involved in the final judgment.

Chapter III
Chips on the Judgment Table - Truth and the Law of Love Versus Self Determination

We adopted our daughter when she was merely an infant. As loving parents we brought her into our home and trained her to live in obedience to the principles of life that we believed to be effective for providing health, happiness and length of life. She was a great addition to our family - our pride and joy. When late one Friday night some thirteen years later we received a telephone call from a neighboring Police Department notifying us that she had been arrested for disturbing the peace, we were devastated. That night as I went to bail her out of jail, I experienced what I suspect God must have experienced when Lucifer, his closest angel friend, dared to defy him. Released to me, but not mine! Defiant! Pulling away! Hiding in the darkness! Losing her self in dense shrubbery! Cursing and swearing! “Leave me alone you … & …”! How my heart ached. “Where did I go wrong”, I asked myself over and over again. No, this was not the first - nor the last! Little by little the seeds of defiance had taken root and slowly grown in her heart until at times it seemed she was fully “possessed”. And yes, there were times of penitence and joy amidst the turmoil.

But have you considered that “Friday night” in eternity past when Lucifer, God’s pride and joy, most brilliant, most exalted of the angelic host, first dared defy his LORD and CREATOR GOD? Have you tried to picture those tense, heart-wrenching “moments” when this “angel of light” first expressed his doubts about God’s wisdom, goodness and justice that had for some time been bubbling up in his mind? Have you, too, experienced the struggle inside that occurs when your thoughts and desires called you away from that which in your heart you knew to be good and right? And have you also noticed how much easier it becomes to ignore the good and right each time one yields to the heart’s rebellious inclination?

Just think for a moment how God must have reacted when first this, His cherished “child”, began to slip away. Have you loved someone who turned from you? Certainly there were times of penitence and reconciliation interspersed with the “bad” times - at least in the beginning. Knowing LOVE, for GOD IS LOVE, Lucifer must have been offered every possible opportunity for repentance. But pride, once tasted, is so very hard to resist. Unfortunately, the pride and anger of discontent are never content to be contained. They spew out quite naturally at every opportunity. Before long the spark ignited in Lucifer’s heart burst into spreading flames. In almost no time at all rebellion had spread throughout the ranks of heaven, or so the record states. (You may read the brief account as told by symbols in the Bible in the books of Isaiah, chapter 14, beginning at verse 12 through verse 20, Ezekiel, chapter 28, verses 12 through 19, and in Revelation chapter 12.)

Quite obviously, Lucifer’s thoughts evolved to the place where he believed that he had a legitimate case against God. Based upon what we can see of the results of sin in our world, we may do a bit of intelligent speculation as to what course these thoughts must have taken. “God’s government is too limiting, too restrictive. I’ve got good ideas too, but in His kingdom there are no other opportunities for an intelligent, thinking being as myself. I can’t climb any higher. There’s no way that I will ever have any more power or authority. Always I’m subjected to him - and that Son of his. And there are rumblings going around about another world in the making? Why haven’t I had a part in the discussion and planning?” (Isaiah 14)

The Bible says “there was war in heaven. Michael (Christ) and his angels fought against the dragon, (Lucifer turned sour) and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The dragon was hurled down - that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him,” Revelation 12:7-9.

What was the controversy all about? What was it about Satan’s ideas that generated such angst in heaven? Why did God make such an issue of the matter anyway? Why not give in and humor Satan a bit? Has THE “loving” God no tolerance? What if Satan really was right in his allegations about God? Who would ever know?

Such are the questions man might ask - and the angels too – for they are also intelligent beings!

Certainly it was not the fact that Lucifer had attacked God in some personal thing. Love would quickly forgive and forget. What then? TREASON! There could be none other cause than an attack upon and an undermining of the very principles upon which God had established his kingdom, the law of self-renouncing, disinterested agape love. (I John 4:7-9; Matthew 22:36-40) (Note: Agape love has no English equivalent, but is best defined by the example of Jesus who sacrificed his own life to save the lives of even his killers.) Established to assure life and joy and health and happiness among all of his created orders for all eternity, the law must be defended at any cost. Only by the principles of agape love could life exist. Not because of some selfish arbitrary proclamation, but just because nothing else works. Divine wisdom knew that ANY other system must fail simply because of the principle of cause and effect by which the law of love operates. (I John 4:16-17)

Unable and unwilling to accept such a contention - feigning lack of evidence - Satan claimed a better way. “We are all intelligent beings. We can determine our own ways, set our own goals, pursue our own objectives. We don’t need you, God, to hold us back and keep us enslaved. Just wait and see, someday I’ll be sitting in your seat of rule.” (Read the speech in Isaiah 14.)

What options are available for an omnipotent God to exercise in contending with such a burst of arrogant pride? What would you do if you were in God’s shoes? What would agape love do? There is only one option acceptable to love. There are no more.

Lay it all out on the table for all to see. Be perfectly transparent and absolutely fair. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death,” Proverbs 14:12. It’s as if God is saying, “If you can’t believe me, try it out and see for yourself.”

In due time the creation of planet earth was completed. A new order of beings unlike any before created walked the beautiful garden paths of Eden enjoying face-to-face fellowship with God on a regular basis. In Eden they knew only the experience of love and basked in its glory. Life was good. Until! Until Adam and Eve “tasted” the disguised fruit of Satan’s lie. (Read about it in the Bible book of Genesis, Chapter 3.) Then, sucked into the whirlpool of satanic rebellion, they too would die. They too must see for themselves by experience that there is no other path to life than the way of agape love.

So it is that for six thousand years human beings have lived and died on planet earth as active participants of a controversy having it’s origin in the unseen courts of heaven - caught in the skirmishes and fiercest battles that could ever wage between the powers of good and the malignant cunning of the forces of evil. They have been involved in its conflicts, wounded in its battles, maligned and brutally beaten - till “freed” by death.

Oh yes! One crucial piece of evidence was offered two thousand years ago on a hill called Golgotha when Agape love placed the ultimate ransom price on the judgment table - the price of heaven itself! For if Satan would have overcome Jesus, who was very God, love would have been proven inferior to its challenger - selfishness and pride (sin). And all of creation would have become subject to its (sin’s) destructive course till self-annihilation. Think it through! The cross - no magic potion - no pretty dollar-store trinket!

Foreseen by God, yet not preventable, the battle continues until final evidence accrues. His case proven, as certainly it will be, peace will again reign in a universe made clean - but not without those faithful who through the centuries of fearful conflict have fought valiantly beside their God.

You, my reader, may be inclined to doubt my use of Scripture and rational as presented in these pages. I confess that some of the details come from the mind of a simple man. But before you write me off as some deluded fool, please study along with me as we look at a picture painted by God in an ancient land in a different time. A picture portrayed in the scenario of the religious rites of a nomadic people. I speak of the ancient Israelites and the ceremonies and rites associated with their Sanctuary, the dwelling place of God on earth among them.

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Chapter IV
The Final Judgment in Signs and Symbols of the Ancient Israelite Sanctuary System.

Way back in human history, not long after the flood of Noah’s day, God identified a man whom he could trust to be his dependable human ambassador to planet earth which had already again become deeply entrenched with evil. His name was Abram, later changed to Abraham. Through him and his descendants God would establish a command post from which he could communicate the principles of his government to the whole world and from which to stage his warfare. It would be at the crossroads of the then known world, the land that is now modern Israel. In keeping with his purpose, God established a covenant (a guarantee of sorts) promising Abraham that through him and his descendants the war would finally be won and the world would be rescued from its dominance by Satan, the usurped “Prince”. (Genesis 22:18; Psalms 22:27; Isaiah 49:6; 60:3; Hebrews 11:8-10)

When sometime later Abraham’s descendants, the Israelites, were en route from Egypt to claim the land promised to Abraham, God dwelt among them in a special building referred to as the Sanctuary. This building (a tent during their travels and later a temple) replicated Command Central, God’s command center of the universe in heaven. (Exodus 25:8,9; Hebrews 8:1-5) Its religious ceremonies symbolized the various elements of the rescue operation designed to reclaim planet earth.

Through the rituals and ceremonies of the Sanctuary services, God would lay before his trusting followers the whole battle plan - teaching, instructing and guiding them in their role as his representatives to the world. (Hebrews 9:23-26; 10:9-14)

Some who read the Holy Scriptures describing this experience “write it off” as immaterial. Many think that the whole ceremonial system was merely a ritual by which the ancient Jews sought to control their people, nothing more. Others ask, “If this is indeed a valid message from God, why so many strange, out-dated and irrational rituals? Why such sacrifices and slaughtered animals? Why the apparent fixation on cleansing everything with the blood of sacrificed animals?”

We will examine the Bible answer to these questions in a bit. Suffice it for now to say that God is stressing two important essentials. One, sin has smeared “mud” on the face of the whole earth. Everything that in its beauty reflected the goodness of God at the time of creation was adversely affected by sin – contaminated - dirty, when compared to its original state. Let me cite just two examples.

1.) Female reproduction: In its original state, joyful and painless. After sin, accompanied by sorrow in conception and childbirth and, of course, the discomfiture associated with the monthly menstrual cycle as well. Not part of God’s original plan. (Genesis 3:16)

2.) Balance of nature: The plan never called for one species to live and thrive by eating another. Living things were never intended to serve as food. Life forms designed to sustain eternal balance in the whole echo system became altered after the entrance of sin, to become scavengers, carnivores, and carriers of disease. (Genesis 1:30) Again not part of God’s original plan. In the Law of Moses, these altered states are referred to as “unclean” and in need of cleansing. (Please read Leviticus chapter 15 with special attention to verse 31.)

The second important essential concerning God regards the necessity to maintain his HOLINESS. Not for personal reasons. Not to feed his ego. Not even because He needed inferior beings continually giving him recognition and praise. None of these! It was simply for the sake of his creatures. Only in recognizing him for who He really is can intelligent created beings appreciate and enjoy the full benefits that He is ready and waiting to provide for them. There must be a defined authority, an unalterable standard, a universal antidote for sin that is able to free us from all of its power.

A similar truth is easily observed in the human family. When law is maintained with a strong hand of love, children thrive and grow. Left to fend on their own, they and the society around them rapidly find themselves in deep trouble.

In studying Holy Scripture it is wise to keep both of these concepts in mind. But God has had another problem to contend with as well. It is the problem of communication. How does the One who has the power to create the worlds and keep them in order speak with human beings such as you and me who have been “drugged” by the narcotizing effects of sin? How does a god make himself known to such a man? To help put this problem into proper perspective, let me cite a personal example.

From early childhood I had wanted to be a medical missionary. Though never seriously considering that such a thing was possible for me, a poor farm boy, I nevertheless held onto it as a dream. When by providence opportunity did come for me to go to college, I gave it my best and struggled to cram all of the basic sciences possible into my brain. In medical school I diligently applied my energies learning the anatomical and microscopic structure of the human body. The study of physiology introduced me to an understanding of the mechanical functions of those anatomical parts. Biochemistry taught me about the biological-chemical reactions taking place within the body and their complex interrelationships with all organs and body systems. Of course, there was also physical diagnosis, pharmacology, public health, psychiatry, and all the rest. Finally, after many years of supervised experience, I was granted the privilege of serving my fellow men as a qualified surgeon.

As a consequence of this rather intensive education, I have acquired a knowledge base and accompanying vocabulary that is foreign to most of the patients that I see from day to day. Add to this the fearful esteem by which successful physicians are still held by most of the public, and I often find myself in a very challenging communication situation. How does one communicate complex information of a highly technical nature in the language of the masses? How does one find proper words for the one who may be embarrassed, afraid, overwhelmed by pain, preoccupied with family responsibilities or worried about cost - all things that may stand in the way of effective communication? It may be a real challenge.

Before taking a patient to surgery, it is my moral and legal responsibility to obtain “informed” consent. The law attempts to define the term, but its application is sometimes difficult. I may know that without a given surgical procedure performed in a timely matter the patient will die. Yet, there are some fearful patients whom if I blatantly told them all of the potential things that could possibly go wrong would never consent to undergoing the necessary, even life-preserving procedure - being too filled with fear or other limiting emotions to agree. Likely valuable time would be lost before they would consult with another physician. So we tread cautiously, attempting to meet people where they are by couching our explanations in words that we think they might understand. At times we draw simple pictures to symbolize complex concepts, and use other illustrations that might make sense to them - hoping when done that we might have accomplished our objective of really communicating with our patient.

But my communication challenges are as nothing when compared to the challenge God faces in communicating his knowledge to us. For example, how might Jesus have told his disciples about our times? What words might He have used to describe supersonic airplanes, atomic energy, space stations, digital communication technology, etc? You see there are some things that don’t have any words yet to describe them. So we use instead symbols that we hope will at least convey the concept. Should it seem strange that God might do the same?

But yet another challenge faces God. It is one that also faces those who plan crucial military strategies in time of war. How does one communicate secret information with the allied forces without giving hints to the enemy? And though commanded from behind the scenes of human vision, our world remains entangled in combat between the forces of good and those of evil.

So it is that God must communicate with us by secret code, through meaningful symbols, sometimes with hidden messages, by simple illustrations, the written word, and the still small voice. (Jesus often hid his messages in parables, thus avoiding direct statements that might give his enemies information to use against him and his cause. Matthew 13:10,13; Luke 8:10). So as to assure us that he really does exist and that it is he who speaks, he has often accompanied his words with predictive prophecies in order that when we see them come to pass our faith (trust) in him is increased. (John 14:29)

With this background, let us go now and look at the illustrations God used thirty five hundred years ago to describe this, our day in history - the Day of final Judgment.

I refer to the symbols portrayed in real life drama with living actors in the rituals and ceremonies of the ancient Israelite Sanctuary system.

It all revolves around a sacrificial lamb. When Adam and Eve went astray, one of the very first lessons God gave to them to help them understand the terrible, malignant nature of sin was instruction to kill a choice lamb and present its dead, limp body upon an altar before God. The death of the animal symbolized the death that they would experience as a natural consequence of sin. It was a reminder to them that sin kills. But that was only a part of the symbol. The lamb that they killed represented not only them, but rather as well, their creator God who would die in THEIR stead for THEIR sin, thereby making it possible for them to live again in spite of their sin. It was God’s gift of love to them. Each time they sinned, they might repeat the lesson and again be reminded of the magnitude of that love. NEAT!

Abel, the second son of Adam and Eve, apparently recognized not only the value of the gift, but the quality of Being that would even consider such a magnanimous condescension - to die for a mere man! He would devote his life to this God and go with him anywhere he asked him to go or do whatever he asked him to do - even to the point of spilling his own blood if need be to defend his God’s good name. Such was the least response he might make in return for such goodness. (Genesis 4:4; Hebrews 11:4; 12:24)

Not so with Cain, the eldest of the brothers. “BUNK! I don’t need lessons or reminders. Besides, a God who loves me enough to die in my stead will also appreciate the fruit from my garden and forgive my sins just as well as with a lamb.” Nor did Cain’s “sacrifice” generate an attitude of awe and devotion to God, (a recognition of his holiness) – thus opening the door whereby God might mold him again into his un-fallen image. (Genesis 4:3,5,6-12)

Since those early days the majority of the human race has followed the course modeled by Cain. Too proud to accept the gift of eternal life without cost, too self-sufficient - or perhaps unable to believe that God cared enough for them to apply the gift to them. Others viewing such love (symbolized by a defenseless lamb) have seen its power only as limitations and weakness - preferring rather the exhilaration that comes from “being somebody” - enjoying the blessings of wealth through repeated acts of self-indulgence. To them it mattered not that “being someone” might require stepping on someone else. “After all”, they argue, “God didn’t give us all of these great senses to be wasted.”

And always there has been the wily serpent egging them on! “Did God say that? Well, let me tell you how it really is!” (Genesis 3:1-5) Nor did it take long for our ancestors to forget about a God whom one could neither see nor hear. (Genesis 6:5) If there really is a loving God, why doesn’t he show his face? What’s this “faith” thing all about anyway? Where is the justice in his hidden actions? And what’s fair about those “acts of God” that hit us when we are least prepared?

Only a few walked by “faith” believing the promises concerning the LAMB, submitting to the gentle molding of the Spirit and experiencing the victory He came to give. Only a few really ever enjoyed the benefits of heavenly companionship (even though unseen) and answered prayers, recognizing that “they were pilgrims and strangers on earth - longing for a better country, a heavenly one.” (Hebrews 11:13,16) But some did!

All through history intelligent human beings have wondered, “What is God really like? Why so much evil and so many terrible things happening to us humans? Why must God keep us in the ‘dark’ if He really cares?” And all the while Satan adds his own jabs and accusations. With so many religions, philosophies, theories and suppositions, how do we know how to live? “What is truth”?

I suspect that if asked, most people would agree in retrospect that Abel chose more wisely than Cain. It seems plain enough. Yet, most of us, when we are placed in the spotlight and unable to see the future, tend to act more like Cain. Why? Cain was only using his good God-given intellect. What is wrong with that?

It seems strange, but even though it was man who by ignoring God’s admonitions created the gulf that separated himself from God, it is God who has taken the initiative to rescue us and bring us back to him. (Romans 5:8) Stranger still is the fact that we humans have turned even this fact around to make it appear that God must somehow be appeased so as to be acceptable to him. God indeed has had a problem with our tendency to misunderstand his ways.

A little earlier I mentioned that when communication is difficult, we must try all kinds of illustrations to accomplish our objectives, and so must God! He would use the “chosen” people to illustrate his plan. Their Sanctuary, the symbol of his own throne room in the heavens, would provide the setting. Here in beautiful “virtual reality” the truth about God and the truth about Satan - who they each are, what they stand for, and what happens to those who accept their rule and authority would be revealed. Here God’s love would be revealed, expressed in perfect balance of mercy and justice in contrast to Satan’s scheming lies. Before the whole story would be over, the truth about God would prevail over the challenge of Satan. (Isaiah 4:2-6; 5:16)

The Children of Israel were gathered at the foot of Mt. Sinai on their way to the Promised Land. God had just given them a “hard copy” of the law, written on tablets of stone by his own finger. (Exodus 31:18; 32:15,16) Moses was now told to prepare a real, literal place where God would be present among them on earth. “Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them,” Exodus 25:8. It is interesting to note that the very next thing recorded in the text is instruction for the construction of an “ark”, a “mercy seat” (atonement in Hebrew), and two “golden cherubims”, (angels) not the Sanctuary. (Exodus 25:10-22)

The ark was a wooden box overlaid with pure gold. The tablets of the law were to be placed within the box. The mercy seat, made of pure gold, was to be placed on top of the ark. The cherubim, each of solid gold, were to be placed one on each end of the mercy seat facing one another with their wings arching over the mercy seat.

The instruction was, “And there I will meet with you, and I will commune with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the law, …” Exodus 25:21,22.

The ark, the mercy seat and the cherubim were to be placed in the Most Holy room in the sanctuary building.

The building itself was a tent with two rooms. The smaller Most Holy room was perfectly square, ten cubits (about 15 feet) wide and long. The larger room, the holy place, was twice as long as it was wide (about 15x30 feet). The inside walls and the floor were of wooden boards gilded with gold. The ceiling was made of intricately embroidered cloth of crimson, blue and purple interwoven with gold thread - depicting angels as if hovering over the whole inner building. A curtain with a similar appearance hung between the Most Holy and the holy room separating them one from the other, and another at the entrance to the Sanctuary. Several layers of cloth and animal hides composed the outside walls and roof over the building.

A number of pieces of furniture were placed in the sanctuary. We have already noted the furnishings of the Most Holy place, the ark, the mercy seat overlying it and the cherubim. Three pieces of furniture were present in the holy place. There was a golden altar upon which incense was offered. It was positioned just before the curtain separating the holy place from the Most Holy place. There was also a golden candlestick (menorah) with seven lamps. It stood on the south side of the tent. On the north side there was a table upon which bread and wine were placed.

Around the outside of the Sanctuary was a large court surrounded by a fence made of animal skins. Inside the court toward the east was a large brass altar upon which animal sacrifices were made - and between it and the sanctuary there stood a large brass laver or washbasin to be used by the officiating priests.

Priests were assigned to perform the ministries of the Sanctuary. One priest was designated to be the “high priest”. He was clothed with special garments consisting of linen undergarment - a solid blue robe with golden bells and embroidered pomegranates on its hem - a vest-like garment called an ephod - a linen coat - a belt or girdle of scarlet, blue and purple needlework – and a turban made of linen for his head upon which was affixed a golden plate, positioned so as to be over the forehead. It was engraved with the words, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. There was also a breastplate of judgment suspended over his heart by golden chains from the vest. The breastplate contained twelve settings of precious stones, one for each of the tribes of Israel with their names engraved. The suspending shoulder girdle likewise had the names of the twelve tribes inscribed upon two “memorial” stones. The clothing of the other priests was much less elaborate. (See Exodus chapter 28 for the full description)

The Sanctuary was established as a physical place where God could dwell among his people and instruct them in all of his ways. There He would teach them through daily and seasonal rituals the plan that he had for them and enlist their worship and thanksgiving. It provided opportunity whereby God might change his people, forgive their sins and transform them once again into his own likeness - governed by love. Thus cleansed they might be an influence to lift up his name among all peoples. (Isaiah 49:6) The priests, living, visible symbols of Jesus and his work of intercession on our behalf, played a vital role in all of these rituals. (Hebrews 7:22-8:5)

Forgiveness and cleansing of sin was accomplished by shedding the blood of a sacrificial animal such as a sheep, a goat, a bull, or sometimes a bird. (Leviticus 4:31; 5:17,18) For the very poor, an exception was made. For these a grain offering was acceptable. (Leviticus 5:11; Hebrews 9:22) All of these sacrifices symbolized the terrible consequences of sin – the disregard for the laws that give life that naturally results in death. But much more than that - they also symbolized the Lamb of God who would by his own shed blood provide a way to escape eternal death and full restoration as true sons of God.

The rituals in and around the Sanctuary varied depending upon the situation and the need. They were different for the priest than for the common person. They were different for the congregation than for the individual. A sin of ignorance or accident was dealt with differently than a sin of intent. Where loss of personal property was involved, restitution was required.

There were many other indications besides their own evil acts that reminded the people that they were living in a world where things were not quite right - a world poisoned by sin. Some of these were a risk to individual and or to community health. (For example, leprosy, draining sores, and certain other illnesses. In some instances, depending upon the cause of death, handling of dead bodies might also be risky. The flesh of certain living things was never intended to be used as food because doing so would increase risk of disease.) There were other indicators that so far as we know today were not health risks but were never the less signs that the world had been contaminated by sin. We might mention “normal” menses as one, sexual intercourse another, and even childbirth. You will recall that all of these were changed when Adam and Eve were overcome by the devil. (Genesis 3:16) There were still others, but these serve as examples. All were considered to make one ritually “unclean”. (Leviticus 12:1-8; 15:18,19; 15:2) Though they were part of life that could not always be avoided, God obviously saw a need to keep reminding them of their “fallen” state and need for restoration. (Leviticus 15:31; 11:44,45,47)

In nearly all of these rituals where sins were forgiven and ritual filthiness cleansed, the blood of the sacrificial animal was taken by the priest and placed upon the horns of the altar of burnt offerings, (Leviticus 4:30) or into the sanctuary and placed upon the golden alter before the veil to the most holy place. (Leviticus 4:17,18) In this role, the priest was acting as an intercessor between God and man. He was not the one to forgive the sin. He was merely the mediator. Only God could forgive sin. God’s act of forgiveness occurred at the point when the person symbolically gave his sins to the Lord by laying his hand upon its head and killing the animal. (Leviticus 4:31)

So it was that through symbols and rituals God communicated with his people and provided for their restoration. In the process, though forgiven, the sins and the ritual filthiness were symbolically transferred with the blood of the animal by the priest into the Sanctuary. This concept is implied, if not explicitly stated, by the need for the services performed on the Day of Atonement when the sanctuary itself was cleansed. (Leviticus 16: 16,33,34)(* For an in depth study of these rituals, please consult, ALTER CALL by Roy Gane, Reference at end of chapter.)

Though forgiven, the sin now contaminated the sanctuary, accumulating with the sins of all of the other people within those hallowed walls. Thus, though a man was forgiven, or though the whole camp was forgiven, the evil symbol of sin still remained within their sanctuary. Perhaps I can illustrate by a simple example familiar to all. I begin a scandal about my neighbor. It becomes rumored throughout the neighborhood and around the city. It soon destroys my neighbor’s reputation, his credibility, his credit ratings, and eventually wrecks havoc with his family. His life is seriously upset because of my words. In time we make up. I go to him and confess my roll in the whole messy affair, apologize, and offer to make recompense for his loses. We are friends again. My sin is forgiven. Unfortunately, the harm that I did to him, the chain reactions begun, the reputation questioned, can never be completely erased in this lifetime. His life will never be quite the same again, all because of me. But I am forgiven. In symbolic terms, this thing that continues on to cause him pain, though forgiven, is held in the sanctuary. It is history with a price.

A recent working “vacation” in Rwanda, East Africa, burned the reality of this concept deeply into my brain. In the aftermath of genocide and murder all around, how does one go on? How does a society deal with such atrocities? Some by the grace of God are able to forgive those that murdered relative or friend. Some who wielded the knives can accept forgiveness. But the loss remains. The harm has been done. In this lifetime - no - even for generations to come, those scars cannot be erased. Only by the work of Jesus as symbolized by the rituals on the Day of Atonement can such a thing be done.

Praise God for the Sanctuary lesson about God’s forgiving love. One day even the scars will be gone. It happens this way in symbol. We’ll look at the application later.

Once each year the sanctuary itself was cleansed of these accumulated “forgiven” sins. (Leviticus 16:30,34) This day was known as the Day of Atonement - a time not of forgiving the sin, (this had already been done at the time when the sinner killed the sacrificial lamb.) but of actually eradicating it from the whole camp - of erasing all of the scars and consequences of those sins. For the repentant, forgiven sinner, this was a grand experience. Now he/she knew that his/her sin, no matter how gruesome, would be forever done away, it’s horrible consequences eternally resolved. (Leviticus 16:30) For the non-repentant or non-believer however, it was a day of terrible judgment, for he/she was to be separated from the people and the blessings God had for them. (Leviticus 23:29) An awesome thought!

The service on the Day of Atonement happened something like this. (You may read about it in Leviticus 16:1-34 and 23:27-32.) The high priest first offered a sacrifice, (a bull) for himself and his family. The people then chose two goats. By casting lots, one goat became the Lord’s. The other, Azazel’s, was sometimes termed the “scapegoat”. The Lord’s goat was then killed and offered as a sin offering for the congregation. (Note: No confession of sins occurred over this sin offering. Leviticus 16:9) Its blood (along with the blood of the bull, the High Priest’s sin offering) and a censor filled with burning coals and sweet smelling incense were carried by the high priest into the Most Holy place of the sanctuary where some of it was sprinkled before the ark containing the law, and some of it in front of the mercy seat of God’s presence. On the way out further blood was sprinkled on and in front of the golden altar in the holy place, and upon the altar of burnt offerings in the court. By these actions the whole sanctuary was symbolically cleansed of sin.

While this was going on, the people were to be in an attitude of prayer and self-examination, each considering his/her own lives to be certain that they were themselves right with God. (Leviticus 23:27) Having made atonement for the broken law with the blood of the sin offering the high priest returned from the sanctuary, symbolically carrying the accumulated sins of the people out with him. (Please note that the sins of Israel had already been forgiven. Their personal records were clean. As in our example cited above, only the symbols of the sins, the consequences, the personal scars, the gnawing reminders, and the damages done had remained in the Sanctuary.)(Leviticus 16:16-19) It is these that the priest symbolically carried with him from the sanctuary. He then laid his hands upon the head of the still living Azazel goat and confessed these sins and transgressions of the people, thus in symbol taking these sins of the past year from the sanctuary and placing them upon the head of the Azazel goat. (Leviticus 16:21) The goat was then led out of the camp into the uninhabited wilderness, taking the sins far away, in symbol removing all remembrances, all records and all consequences of the sins. (Leviticus 16:21,22)

(Note: Many students of Scripture have trouble with Azazel and the symbolism here described. They reason, if Jesus has born my sins, why the need for another “sin-bearer”? Perhaps this apparent dilemma can best be explained by noting that one’s sins were forgiven when he/she laid them upon the lamb. They were given to God (Jesus) with the lamb of the sin offering. They now belonged to God. He took them upon himself and was at liberty to do with them as He desired. He is our ONLY Savior. (Leviticus 4:31) In the symbolism of Azazel’s goat, the high priest (here symbolizing Jesus – God) is now placing the responsibility of sin and all of the terrible things that it has caused upon the head of him with whom it all began, Satan himself. As will become clear later in our discussion, the judgment process symbolized by these Day of Atonement rituals will finally and completely separate Satan and all of the evil that he has brought into the world from God and his people and the truth that they have professed. (* For further discussion and for identification of Azazel, please refer to ALTER CALL by Roy Gane.)

When at the end of the day the ceremonies had all been performed, the whole camp, the sanctuary and its repentant people were clean and free from sin. This awesome day was followed a few days later by another special day, a day of celebration, called the feast of tabernacles.

NEAT! But the “thinking” person is going to have a few questions about now. If it is so easy to get rid of sin, why was it not available for everyone instead of just a few Israelites? Couldn’t the same rituals be carried out in any land? And just as well? My answer is a certain, YES! For that very purpose Israel was positioned at that strategic geographical location so as to make God’s forgiving grace available to all who would accept. (Genesis 15:7,18; 22:18)

There are even better questions.

Pray tell, by what magic does the sprinkling of a little blood from a lamb or kid goat change human beings from selfish, scheming, hateful bigots into kind, loving, humble patient servants of all mankind (righteous)? You say that it can’t? You are correct. Though ritually forgiven, they were not all changed. We human beings are always free to accept or reject the benefits that God offers us. But it is also true that there were limits to the transforming effects of the blood of the sacrificial animal. Only as people were able to look past the lamb and see in it by faith the promised Son of God who would himself be the true sacrifice - accepting in reality the full consequences of their confessed and forgiven sins - would they be changed people, transformed into the image of God once again. (Hebrews 9:11,12)

In order to better understand all that is involved in the rescue process let us look back into Bible history.

When Adam and Eve ate of the fruit that Satan handed to them, their act of defiance for God’s command not to eat the fruit was much more than a simple misdemeanor that could be easily overlooked by any caring parent - or Creator! In fact, this simple act, as apparently insignificant as it was, somehow linked them with the rebellion of Satan - not just symbolically, but in reality. Because of this willful act their thinking and actions would never again be innocent and centrally focused in unquestioning loyalty and commitment to the Lord, their God and Creator. Even though completely forgiven by God, the human mindset had been changed by this single act. Mere forgiveness would not undo the damage nor transform a race of rebellious individuals into compliant, law-abiding citizens who would now suddenly somehow love one another. The principles of the kingdom of God had been challenged, first by Satan and his followers, and now by this latest of the creative orders, earthlings. Where would it all end? The truth of God had been questioned and now must be answered for all to see, once and for all time. True love could not tolerate the eternal pain and sadness and sorrow resulting from selfish rebellion forever. Not for the un-fallen worlds that get caught in the sidelines, nor less for the victims on earth themselves - still HIS precious children of his own creative genius and love. It must be brought to a halt. But how could this be done? That is the question.

For the universe to be restored to the state that existed before Satan nurtured his thoughts of rebellion, and for earth’s creation to be forever freed of the shackles imposed by the fall of Adam and Eve, the intelligent mind throughout the vast expanse of the universe must be brought back into voluntary alignment with the mind and rule of God - all seeds of rebellion squelched once and for all time - and this accomplished by the principles of love. It is not a mere act of magic performed with the sprinkled blood of the Sacrificial Lamb.

At this point some may be questioning my veracity or perhaps more likely my naiveté’ for trying to demonstrate a rational explanation for the plan of salvation. They say, “Jesus did it all on the cross. He paid the price, presented his blood before the Father, God, won His approval, and now all we who believe are saved by his blood”. Maybe! But please hear me out.

I mentioned earlier that each of the rituals symbolized some portion of God’s plan to rescue this world from it’s contamination with the sinful condition that developed when Adam and Eve fell for Satan’s masterful deceptions. Accordingly, we might examine each portion of the sanctuary building, each piece of furniture, the clothing of the priest and all of his actions, and the ceremonies surrounding each of the various sacrifices and offerings to learn particular aspects of the plan God has formulated and set in place. Whole books have been written describing these. We will not repeat these in depth studies. We will, however, look at a few select symbols that will help us understand Jesus’ role as our High Priest during the judgment process. Nearly every Christian recognizes the slain lamb as a symbol of Jesus, our Savior. The candelabra represented Jesus as the light of the world. The bread on the table represented Jesus as the bread of life.

Before looking at these symbols, it is well to examine the use and meaning of symbols. Look for example at the illustrations just mentioned. The candelabra symbolized Jesus as light of the world. (John 1:4,9; 8:12; II Corinthians 4:6; Revelation 1:12) So? Now we have two symbols, a candelabra and the light of the world instead of one. How has this helped us? I will acknowledge, sometimes even in the secular world, we speak of light as knowledge or understanding, as if the darkness has been removed and we can see that which before didn’t make any sense. The Bible acknowledges this understanding. It goes a step farther though and compares light to love, thereby indicating that knowledge and understanding may not necessarily really enlighten one unless love is also the motivating principle working in his life. (I John 2:6,8) Putting this all together, we may conclude that the light beaming from the candelabra symbolized the effect created by the love of God as expressed through the person and work of Jesus on our behalf.

We may make similar observations about the “show-bread” on the table. It symbolized Jesus, the bread of life. Well, what does this mean? Jesus himself explained. “I am the bread of life. … I am the living bread that came down from heaven: if any man eats (accepts) of this bread, he shall live forever. … The WORDS that I speak unto you, (the things I tell you) they are spirit and THEY ARE LIFE,” (John 6:48, 51, 63) Read the whole passage to understand that it is by the WORDS that Jesus has given to us in Scripture that we are sustained in our walk with God. His words (the bread) sustain our faith. So you see, we do not need to speculate about these things if we are willing to search the Bible to discover it’s own interpretation. Jesus clearly described what he meant by the symbols that he used in his own discourse. But unless we are serious in searching for these meanings - our minds guided by the unseen agency of God, the Holy Spirit himself - we cannot hope to arrive at a true understanding of the intended message. As we approach the study of the Day of Judgment it is crucial to trace these symbols to their very roots if our picture will be accurate and representative of truth. .

We have already examined the rationale for linking earth’s final judgment with the Day of Atonement. Let us then next take a look at the site where the court of Judgment convenes. Each day of the year services were carried on in the first room or holy compartment of the Sanctuary. Here the candles were trimmed and given oil. Bread and wine were placed upon the table each week. Aromatic incense was offered continuously on the golden altar and the blood of the sacrificial lamb was applied to its designated areas as penitent sinners confessed their need of a Savior. On this one special high day of the year however, the Day of Atonement, the high priest donned special clothing and entered the second room behind the veil (curtain). This room, this MOST HOLY place, symbolizing the throne room of God in heaven, became the place where the activities of the Day of Atonement were performed. We will focus our study on this place. You may recall the furnishings of this room. A golden box (ark) covered by a golden plate called the mercy seat, and two golden cherubim (guard angels) standing on the ends of the mercy seat with wings out stretched over the ark. Curtains of red and blue and purple with gold interwoven thread hung from the ceiling. The ark contained three items - two items in memory of the Exodus miracles, a pot of manna and Aaron’s rod - and the Ten Commandments, (tables of the covenant) inscribed by the finger of God. (Exodus 32:16)

Let us look at some of the Biblical statements describing the meaning of these various symbols.

The Israelite Sanctuary: … The Sanctuary was designed after the pattern shown in heaven. It symbolized God’s dwelling place - Capital of the universe. “Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them. According to all that I showed you, after the pattern of the tabernacle…” Exodus 25:8,9 - “A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man. … serve unto an example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for see, he said, that you make all things according to the pattern shown to you in the mount. … For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us,” Hebrews 8:2,5; 9:24. “Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God,” Psalms 77:13?

The Court: … The court was a fenced yard surrounding the Sanctuary wherein was placed the altar of burnt offerings and the laver (wash basin). (Exodus 27:1-19; 30:18-21) Here the animals were sacrificed and offerings made upon the altar. All of the activities carried out in the court symbolized those aspects of the plan of salvation carried out on earth while the Sanctuary itself symbolized those aspects done in heaven. Example: Jesus, the Lamb of God, was sacrificed here on earth (outside of Jerusalem on the Hill of Golgotha) just as the lamb in Israel was sacrificed in the court. (Matthew 27:33-54) On the Day of Atonement, both rooms of the Sanctuary and the court were cleansed by the sprinkled blood. (Leviticus 16:15-19) So in final judgment, all traces of sin will be removed from heaven and earth.

The Most Holy Place: … This symbolized the very throne room of God in heaven. (Exodus 25:21,22; Numbers 7:89; Psalms 80:1; 99:1) It represents his seat (the place of his throne) surrounded by the cherubim. From here God rules and judges the earth. It is Command Central of the Universe. “But the Lord shall endure forever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in righteousness,” Psalms 9:7,8. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need,” Hebrews 4:16. “I will come near to you in judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, says the Lord of hosts,” Malachi 3:5. (See other texts of God’s throne in I Kings 22:19; Isaiah 6:1,2; Ezekiel 1:26-28; Ezekiel 10:1; Daniel 7:9,10.)

The Ark: … A symbol of God’s throne. It was situated between the guarding angels. Myriads of other angels were depicted overhead and round about by the embroidered ceiling and curtains. “I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings … and one cried to another, and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory,” Isaiah 6:1,2.

The Tablets of the Covenant: … Here was symbolized the Constitution of God’s universal government, The Ten Commandments - the tablets of the Law, written by God’s own finger. They were contained in the Ark. They were a concise description of the TRUTH ABOUT LOVE, THE FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLE OF GOD’S THRONE AND GOVERNMENT – the actuating principle of all life and the basis of all justice. “… God is love; and he that dwells in love dwells in God and God in him,” I John 4:16. “For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments, I John 5:3. “If you love me, keep my commandments,” John 14:15. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two hang all the law and the prophets,” Matthew 22:37-40. “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul, …” Psalms 19:7. “…The law is holy and the commandment holy, and just and good,” Romans 7:12. “He is a rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he,” Deuteronomy 32:4. “Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keeps truth forever,” Psalms 146:6. “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom,” Hebrews 1:8. “Righteousness and judgment are the habitation of your throne,” Psalms 97:2. (See also Ps. 145:17; Jeremiah 23:5; Revelation 190:11.) The Law of love is the focus of the whole plan of salvation as God works to replace the law written on tablets of stone with the law written upon the human heart. “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord. I will put my law into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them,” Hebrews 10:16.

All of life is dependent upon law. The moral law is no exception. It is the rule by which intelligent beings live - and without it, life cannot long exist. At the very heart of the law we find instruction regarding holy time, time set apart by God specifically for fellowship with him. Ignored by most, even of Christians, the Sabbath command will play a crucial role in final judgment, in dividing the sheep from the goats. (More about this later)

The Mercy Seat: … This was the covering of the ark containing the law. It was the symbol of God’s mercy as demonstrated by his grace in dealing with all of his creation. These two symbols - the ark containing the law and the mercy seat - symbolize the perfect blending of mercy with justice - grace with law. “In mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness,” Isaiah 16:5. “Mercy and truth preserve the king; and his throne is upheld by mercy,” Proverbs 20:28. “The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom rules over all. … For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth; to hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death. … Who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, …” Psalms 103:19; 102:19,20; 103:3,4. Never before in history will the mercy of God be more needed and yes, more evident than will be manifest during the final stages of the Day of Judgment. When times get hard, when the hand of God is pulled back and Satan is given full reign to wreck his evil thing, the mercy of God will protect all of his faithful followers who call upon him.

The Cherubim: … These are a symbol of God’s cabinet members - special agents for special projects. Lucifer once occupied this position. “You were the anointed cherub that covers. … You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, till iniquity was found in you,” Ezekiel 28:14,15. (See also Ezekiel Chapter 9) (Note: Gabriel apparently now functions in that role. It was Gabriel who was sent to Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, and to Mary, mother of Jesus. (Luke 1:19; 26,27) It was Gabriel too who helped Daniel understand the prophecies given to him, (Daniel 8:16-26; 9:21-27) (See also Revelation 19:5-10.)

Embroidered Angels: … Symbols of the angels of heaven, witnesses, messengers, servants of God to men. An innumerable number surround the throne. “I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings … and one cried to another, and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory,” Isaiah 6:1,2. “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, … and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, …” Revelation 5:11. (See also many Bible references to the personal interaction between angels and men. Psalms 91:11; Daniel 6:22; Acts 12:7)

Placing these various pieces of the Sanctuary puzzle together we may develop a picture of what the command center of the universe looks like and how it works. Certainly words cannot describe it adequately. But listen to Scripture. Ezekiel described it as appearing like a sapphire stone, (blue, the symbol of truth) surrounded as if by fire and a giant rainbow overhead encircling all (symbol of mercy). (Ezekiel 1:26-28; 10:1). Angels, Cherubim and Seraphim, (different orders with differing responsibilities) surround the throne as far as the eye can see, thousands and thousands and thousands of thousands all ready and waiting orders for service throughout the universe. (Daniel 7:10; Revelation 5:11,12). From here He rules the heavens. From here he rules the earth. “Are these not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation, Hebrews 1:14? Unseen to human eyes, yet instantly present in every time of need - acting by direct command from heaven - closest companions in times of trouble. We will welcome their visible presence as judgment finishes its final work.

Given this picture of the seat of God’s government, let us now look at the meaning of the symbols connected with the dress and work of the High Priest (symbol of Jesus Christ) on the Day of Atonement (symbol of the day of final judgment).

The High Priest: … A symbol of Jesus as our High Priest. He was chosen by God and anointed for dedicated service, (Hebrews 2:17; 3:1; 4:15,16) He was of the family of Aaron. (Numbers 3:9,10) He must be physically whole and intact and married to a virgin.

In every aspect and every phase of the rescue plan, Jesus, as our High Priest, is preeminent. As commanding general of the forces of heaven, (Revelation 19:11-15; Daniel 4:35) he directs all aspects of the war and the rescue process. He is in control of the nations of earth. “… The Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomsoever he will, Daniel 4:17,32. … And he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, what do you do,” Daniel 4:25, 35? And he is attentive to the least of men. “Take no thought saying, what shall we eat? Or, what shall we drink? Or, wherewithal shall we be clothed? … For your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things, but seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you,” Matthew 6:31-33. “I say unto you, there is joy in heaven in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents,” Luke 15:10. (See also the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15, a representation of any one of us.)

In ancient Israel it was the responsibility of the judge to rescue his client, if possible, and avoid condemnation. During the final Day of Atonement Jesus as judge of all the earth may be expected to argue effectively in our defense. (Romans 8:1,30-39) He will not leave us unattended in prison cell, in mountain cave or when marching at the point of an AK-47. We are no pawns in the hands of the devil and his angels - or of evil men. (Hebrews 11:39-12:1,2)

Garments:

Full-length, blue robe: … Symbol of truth as defined by the commandments. (Numbers 15:38,39) It was embroidered with pomegranates and bells of gold on the hem. Jesus is clothed with truth. He is just in judgment.

Shorter sleeveless Vest-like garment: … (Ephod) of blue, (truth) purple, (justice) and scarlet linen, (sacrificial love) and gold with onyx stones on each shoulder engraved with the names of the twelve sons of Jacob. These, a symbol of our names too - the true children of Abraham - are written and carried upon the shoulders of Jesus who bears our burdens, our sorrows and pain. “And if you are Christ’s, then are you Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise,” Galatians 3:29.

Breastplate of Judgment: … Foursquare, bearing twelve stones each having the name of one of the sons of Jacob. It was attached to the vest with golden chains, and worn over the heart. (Exodus 28:29; Isaiah 62:2; Revelation 2:17) It was a symbol of God’s ever-present care for his children. “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, they may forget, yet will I not forget you. Behold, I have graven you upon the palms of my hands, …” Isaiah 49:15,16.

Two other precious stones on the breastplate called the Urim and Thummin provided divine guidance in judgment. (Exodus 28:30; I Samuel 30:6-8; Numbers. 27,21) God will not forsake those nor allow them go astray who put their trust in him in time of trial and uncertainty. He will guide us throughout the judgment time.

Embroidered Linen Coat: … Symbol of Christ’s righteous character re-created in us. (Exodus 39:27; Leviticus 16:4; Isaiah 61:10) “… For he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels,” Isaiah 61:10. “And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun and his raiment was white as the light,” Matthew 17:2. “He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, …” Revelation 3:5. The linen coat symbolizes Jesus purity covering our “cleansed” body. He is responsible for removing sin from our persons (cleansing) and he will see us through. (Philippians 1:6) “And to her (the people of God) was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints,” Revelation 19:8.

Girdle of embroidered work: … It was made of blue and scarlet and purple and gold - colors symbolic of the uniting principles contained in love.

Miter: … Engraved signet with the words, Holiness to the Lord covering the forehead, (Exodus 28:36 - 38; Exodus 39:30) Symbol of Jesus’ Holiness. “Who shall not fear you, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you only are holy: for all nations shall come and worship before you; for your judgments are made manifest,” Revelation 15:4. “Who being in the form of God … made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father,” Philippians 2:6-11.

Duties and rituals of the High Priest: … Symbol of Jesus and his work on our behalf in the heavens working out our rescue: “… Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, …” Hebrews 4:14.

Agent for cleansing for the people: … Administering the rituals with the sacrificial lamb, the sprinkling of the blood, eating the flesh, burning certain portions, and disposing of certain portions. He served as a mediator between the person and the Lord. He was NOT mediating an appeasement as generally understood, but instead was performing all of the acts necessary to write the law upon their hearts and be transformed, rescued from sin. Truly CLEANSED) (Hebrews 4:15,16; 10:22,23; Romans 8:31,32; I Timothy 2:4,5)

Jesus as our High Priest: … is also the agent of cleansing the peoples of this world from sin, once and for all eternity. He administers not the symbols, but the functions that those symbols represent in rescuing a race turned renegade. (John 3:17; II Peter 3:9-13; Hebrews 10:16,17)

Offering the incense: … The smoke rising toward heaven from the burning incense represented the prayers of the people ascending to God. The high priest, in burning the incense performed a work of intercession, making the prayers effective. Jesus as our high priest is our intercessor, our advocate, and our attorney. (Hebrews 7:25; Isaiah 51:22,23; Luke 22:32; Luke 17) His role thus is to defend us, to free us from the slavery and imprisonment of sin that holds us bound to the things and ways of this world. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, he takes our prayers, the expressions of our heart, and brings them to fulfillment, (John 16:7-13) not necessarily as we think we need, but as we really need to arrive at the destiny that we desire. (Romans 8:18,28; I Peter 4:12,13; II Corinthians 4:17) Like kids who think that they need candy to be happy, loving parents may give them health-promoting food instead. So is the mode of Jesus’ intercession. “… For we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered. And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God,” Romans 8:26,27.

Public health administrator: … Administering those laws that would protect the people from contagious disease, (leprosy, etc.) (Leviticus chapters 13,14,15)(Note: The laws of Moses that dealt with health issues in ancient Israel were included among the laws of cleansing and holiness. Sin is terrible. It brings pain, suffering and death. All these are contrary to God and his desire for his creation. Seeing these awful consequences of evil, many blame God, giving him a “dirty” name, disparaging his nature (character). Health and healing, physical, mental, social, and spiritual, are all related to compliance with the laws of God that give life. (Exodus 15:26) Protecting the health of his people, and restoring it when lost, are thus “cleansing” exercises that exalt his name in the language of those ancient times.) (I Corinthians 3:16,17; 6:19,20) The priest was responsible for the health of the community. Jesus too is concerned for our health and well-being. In fact, a whole message of healthful living has been outlined in the Bible for the Day of Judgment. It has been augmented and tailored for our day by modern day revelation through the inspiration of Ellen White and medical and technological research. “Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers,” III John 2.

Call assemblies and blows alarms: … The priest sounded the alarm on silver trumpets and holy instruments (Numbers 10:1-10; Deuteronomy 20:3,4) to lead the army to war. Jesus, as our priest is also the Commander in Chief who commands the armies of heaven in battling the evil one. He is there when we are under attack by the forces of evil. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. … He makes wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and cuts the spear in sunder; he burns the chariot in the fire. Be still and know that I am God, …” Psalm 46:1,9,10. (Read the whole Psalm. See also Psalms 91) These Psalms will provide comfort and assurance during the trials of the judgment yet to come. Yet, we are not merely bystanders in the conflict with evil - especially in the days ahead. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all, to stand, …” Ephesians 6:12,13. (See also verses 14-19) Perhaps this is still too symbolic. The bottom line is this. Jesus will direct the forces of heaven and earth, of angels and men, to accomplish for us that which is necessary for our restoration to him. (Joel 2:1; Revelation 14:6-14)

Judges of “hard” matters: … Utilizes the Urim and Thumin for judgment (Numbers 27:21; Deuteronomy 17:8-13; 19:17; 21:5) Usual judicial cases were decided by local judges. Difficult cases were referred to the high priest. Jesus, as our High Priest, is ever present to handle the hard cases that we deal with in our lives and in our world day by day. It is our privilege, and He is waiting for us to call upon his name in every time of need, both small and big. As our Judge during the troubled final days of the Day of Atonement, we can depend upon him to rule in our favor.

Maintains cities of refuge: … In ancient Israel six walled cities were designated as cities of refuge for both Israelites and strangers. These were havens of safety for persons accused of, or guilty of killing another man. One fleeing to one of these cities was protected from acts of revenge until his case had been judged “by the congregation” of Israel. (Numbers 35:11-15) If the death was indeed judged to be accidental as claimed, the accused one was free to return home. If judged to have committed murder, he was sentenced to death, for “Blood defiles the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it”, Numbers 35:33. Jesus, keeper of our city of refuge, shed his blood in our stead. He took our sentence and set us free. When the work of the Day of Atonement is complete, all record of my sins will be forever erased, cleansed.

Responsible for the preserving of the law and keeping its precepts before the people: … (Deuteronomy 31:9-13; vs. 25,26.) Jesus too, very author of the law, has carefully preserved it all through the days of human history. All during this time, though threatened with extinction by the fiercest attacks of the devil, the law has survived intact. Even the Sabbath command, heart and soul of the law, and focus of the most vehement assaults, has survived to bless those, it’s keepers. This law, description of all truth, being the foundation of the government of God, will arise to become the focus of attention as the Day of Judgment progresses to completion. “And he (Satan’s human agent) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him,” Daniel 7:25-27. Jesus said, “I am not come to destroy the law but to fulfill. … till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled,” Matthew 5:17,18.

The rituals:

The animal: … Symbol of Jesus - God condescending to the place of man - his life sacrificed in love to rescue a fallen race. “… Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world,” John 1:29! “For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us,” 1 Corinthians 5:7. “… You were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold … but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot,” 1 Peter 1:18,19. “Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works,” Titus 2:14. “Hereby we perceive the love of God, because he laid down his life for us, …” 1 John 3:16.

The parts of the animal:

Blood: … Symbol of life. It was used to signify that sin enslaves and destroys life – kills - but God, in shedding his blood on our behalf, accepted the consequence of sin – death - for us. “For 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 makes an atonement for the soul,” Leviticus 17:11. “… The blood shall be to you for a token, …” Exodus 12:13. (See also Acts 20:28; Romans 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:22; I Peter 1:19; I John 1:7; Revelation 12:11.)

There is nothing “magic” about the blood of the sacrificed animal, nor of the blood of Jesus. There is, however, great value, first in the symbolic lamb, then in the blood of our Savior:

1.) The blood is of great value as proof of God’s love for us and of his desire to restore that which was lost by sin. No sacrifice was too great. Nothing in all of heaven could compare to the price of his own life to show his love for us. And to think that he would have done the same for just ONE sinner that might repent. (Either you or me!) (Luke 15:7)

2.) Blood also has value as proof of God’s justice and righteousness. Sin and evil are not forever. These are not permanent features of the Kingdom of God. Righteousness demands that these be justly dealt with and finally eliminated. But more than showing his love and righteousness, God has bought back our confidence and loyalty, ransomed us from the evil one. And by his power, will transform us again into his image, granting us status of brotherhood, full heirs of the kingdom of heaven. (Romans 8:17) Assured too are we of the restoration of our earthly home in all of its beauty and glory. Not “magic”

TRUTH IN THE BALANCE

AWESOME MOMENTS ON PLANET EARTH IN THE DAY OF FINAL JUDGMENT

Thesis:

Table of Contents:

Preface:

Introduction:

Chapter I Judgment foretold in an ancient feast

Chapter II The Court is Seated

Chapter III Chips on the Judgment Table - Truth and the Law of Love Versus Self Determination

Chapter IV The Final Judgment in Signs and Symbols of the Ancient Israelite Sanctuary System.

Chapter I
Judgment foretold in an ancient feast

Chapter II
The Court is Seated

Chapter III
Chips on the Judgment Table - Truth and the Law of Love Versus Self Determination

Chapter IV
The Final Judgment in Signs and Symbols of the Ancient Israelite Sanctuary System.