Page 219 - The Faith I Live By (1958)

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Christ Before the Ancient of Days, July 20
I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man
came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days,
and they brought him near before him.
Daniel 7:13
.
After His ascension, our Saviour began His work as our high priest.
Says Paul, “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 9:24
....
For eighteen centuries this work of ministration continued in the first
apartment of the sanctuary. The blood of Christ, pleaded in behalf of
penitent believers, secured their pardon and acceptance with the Father,
yet their sins still remained upon the books of record. As in the typical
service there was a work of atonement at the close of the year, so before
Christ’s work for the redemption of men is completed, there is a work
of atonement for the removal of sin from the sanctuary. This is the
service which began when the 2300 days ended. At that time ... our
High Priest entered the most holy, to perform the last division of His
solemn work—to cleanse the sanctuary....
The coming of Christ as our high priest to the most holy place,
for the cleansing of the sanctuary, brought to view in
Daniel 8:14
;
the coming of the Son of man to the Ancient of days, as presented in
Daniel 7:13
; and the coming of the Lord to His temple, foretold by
Malachi, are descriptions of the same event; and this is also represented
by the coming of the bridegroom to the marriage, described by Christ in
the parable of the ten virgins, of
Matthew 25
.
The cleansing of the sanctuary ... involves a work of investigation—
a work of judgment. This work must be performed prior to the coming
of Christ to redeem His people; for when He comes, His reward is with
Him to give to every man according to his works.
In the day of final reckoning, position, rank, or wealth will not alter
by a hair’s breadth the case of any one. By the all-seeing God, men will
be judged by what they are in purity, in nobility, in love for Christ.
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