Conditions To Our Asking - 4

So it is with every other one of God's requirements. All His gifts are promised on condition of obedience. God has a heaven full of blessings for those who will co-operate with Him. All who obey Him may with confidence claim the fulfillment of His promises.

 
But we must show a firm, undeviating trust in God. Often He delays to answer us in order to try our faith or test the genuineness of our desire. Having asked according to His word, we should believe His promise and press our petitions with a determination that will not be denied.
God does not say, Ask once, and you shall receive. He bids us ask. Unwearyingly persist in prayer. The persistent asking brings the petitioner into a more earnest attitude, and gives him an increased desire to receive the things for which he asks.  COL 145

The State of the Dead

God, in His Word, has placed His stamp [of condemnation] upon the heresies of spiritualism as He placed His mark upon Cain. The godly need not be deceived if they are students of the Scriptures and obedient to follow the plain path marked out for them in the Word of God. Con 90

Which in His times He shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; Whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to Whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:15,16

But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 2 Timothy 1:10

But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God. Romans 2:5-11

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:51-57

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7 (Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Ezekiel 18:4) 

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Ecclesiastes 12:7

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. Genesis 12:7

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun... Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. Ecclesiastes 9:5,6,10

I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength: Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand. Psalms 88:4,5

Thou sendest forth Thy spirit (breath), they are created: 

Thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. Ps 104:30,29

Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Psalms 146:3,4

So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep...His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them. Job 14:12,21

For in death there is no remembrance of Thee: in the grave who shall give Thee thanks? 

Psalms 6:5

These things said He: and after that He saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said His disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that He had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. John 11:11-14

After dying on Friday and resting in the grave over the Sabbath, on Sunday morning Jesus said to Mary Magdalene - Jesus saith unto her, Touch (detain) Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God. John 20:17

Light = Light bulb + electricity.

Living soul = body + breath of life from God.

Dead soul = body – breath that was given by God returned to Him.

See also GC Ch 34

The Divine Shepherd - Part 1

John 10:11,14,15

Again Jesus found access to the minds of His hearers by the pathway of their familiar associations…in a beautiful pastoral picture He represents His relation to those that believe on Him. No picture was more familiar to His hearers than this, and Christ's words linked it forever with Himself. Never could the disciples look on the shepherds tending their flocks without recalling the Saviour's lesson. They would see Christ in each faithful shepherd. They would see themselves in each helpless and dependent flock.

This figure the prophet Isaiah had applied to the Messiah's mission, in the comforting words, “O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! ... He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom.” Isaiah 40:9-11. David had sung, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1. And the Holy Spirit through Ezekiel had declared: “I will set up one Shepherd over them, and He shall feed them.” “I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick.” “And I will make with them a covenant of peace.” “And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen; ... but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.” Ezekiel 34:23, 16, 25, 28.

Christ applied these prophecies to Himself, and He showed the contrast between His own character and that of the leaders in Israel. The Pharisees had just driven one from the fold, because he dared to bear witness to the power of Christ. They had cut off a soul whom the True Shepherd was drawing to Himself. In this they had shown themselves ignorant of the work committed to them, and unworthy of their trust as shepherds of the flock. Jesus now set before them the contrast between them and the Good Shepherd, and He pointed to Himself as the real keeper of the Lord's flock. Before doing this, however, He speaks of Himself under another figure.

He said, “He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.” The Pharisees did not discern that these words were spoken against them. When they reasoned in their hearts as to the meaning, Jesus told them plainly, “I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Christ is the door to the fold of God. Through this door all His children, from the earliest times, have found entrance. In Jesus, as shown in types, as shadowed in symbols, as manifested in the revelation of the prophets, as unveiled in the lessons given to His disciples, and in the miracles wrought for the sons of men, they have beheld “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), and through Him they are brought within the fold of His grace. Many have come presenting other objects for the faith of the world; ceremonies and systems have been devised by which men hope to receive justification and peace with God, and thus find entrance to His fold. But the only door is Christ, and all who have interposed something to take the place of Christ, all who have tried to enter the fold in some other way, are thieves and robbers.

The Pharisees had not entered by the door. They had climbed into the fold by another way than Christ, and they were not fulfilling the work of the true shepherd. The priests and rulers, the scribes and Pharisees, destroyed the living pastures, and defiled the wellsprings of the water of life. Faithfully do the words of inspiration describe those false shepherds: “The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away; ... but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.” Ezekiel 34:4.

In all ages, philosophers and teachers have been presenting to the world theories by which to satisfy the soul's need. Every heathen nation has had its great teachers and religious systems offering some other means of redemption than Christ, turning the eyes of men away from the Father's face, and filling their hearts with fear of Him who has given them only blessing…It is the gospel of the grace of God alone that can uplift the soul. The contemplation of the love of God manifested in His Son will stir the heart and arouse the powers of the soul as nothing else can. Christ came that He might re-create the image of God in man; and whoever turns men away from Christ is turning them away from the source of true development; he is defrauding them of the hope and purpose and glory of life. He is a thief and a robber.

“He that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.” Christ is both the door and the shepherd. He enters in by Himself. It is through His own sacrifice that He becomes the shepherd of the sheep…

As an earthly shepherd knows his sheep, so does the divine Shepherd know His flock that are scattered throughout the world…Jesus knows us individually, and is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He knows us all by name. He knows the very house in which we live, the name of each occupant. He has at times given directions to His servants to go to a certain street in a certain city, to such a house, to find one of His sheep. DA 476-479

The Message Given by the Lord

“Out of the cities; out of the cities!”

—this is the message the Lord has been giving me. 

The earthquakes will come; the floods will come; and we are not to establish ourselves in the wicked cities, where the enemy is served in every way, and where God is so often forgotten. The Lord desires that we shall have clear spiritual eyesight. We must be quick to discern the peril that would attend the establishment of institutions in these wicked cities. We must make wise plans to warn the cities, and at the same time live where we can shield our children and ourselves from the contaminating and demoralizing influences so prevalent in these places. CL 31

Now!

It has been often said in various ways that time does not appear to be of any concern whatsoever to God. Peter informs us that “1000 years is one day” to God in all of eternity.

Looking back through history it seems very clear that, in His great mercy, time has been used consistently to assess individuals, families, churches, nations, the entire world and ultimately the whole universe.

In our case we have the history of a diminishing lifespan, caused by sin, to ascertain what choice will be made by each person -

Enoch 5404 and still alive…

Methuselah 969

Abraham 185

Moses 120

David/Solomon 70

Then this lifespan was locked in for humanity -

For a thousand years in thy sight

are but as yesterday when it is past,

and as a watch in the night.

Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep:

in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.

In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up;

in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.

For we are consumed by thine anger,

and by thy wrath are we troubled.

Thou hast set our iniquities before Thee,

our secret sins in the light of Thy countenance.

For all our days are passed away in Thy wrath:

we spend our years as a tale that is told.

The days of our years are threescore years and ten;

and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years,

yet is their strength labour and sorrow;

for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. 

History is replete with continual examples of what humanity and even Christ's denominated people will DO during the delay of a tarrying time, instead of having their characters perfected, being prepared, ready, watching and patiently waiting on Him to unfold events in His time.

He has warned us and it has all been seen before, 

There is no new thing under the sun

Remember -

the Bride will not be asleep!

They shall not be ashamed that wait for Me.

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 

We have seen that they have to be doing something and have become involved in diversions and all manner of worldly -

Activities

Inventions

Sins

Abominations

Time setting

Anything but what the LORD requires of them.

But, the LORD keeps an account with each person, church, nation and this world, and when they have reached their allotted time, it will be seen if they have used this time correctly or if they have abused His mercy, and lived for self.

The sure result of this choice is often referred to as a surprise in words like sudden, unexpected, etc, -

Suddenly and unexpectedly as would be a thunder peal from an unclouded sky, the tempest broke. The Lord rained brimstone and fire out of heaven upon the cities and the fruitful plain; its palaces and temples, costly dwellings, gardens and vineyards, and the gay, pleasure-seeking throngs that only the night before had insulted the messengers of heaven—all were consumed. The smoke of the conflagration went up like the smoke of a great furnace. And the fair vale of Siddim became a desolation, a place never to be built up or inhabited—a witness to all generations of the certainty of God's judgments upon transgression. PP 162

The professed people of God have always been waiting for something in particular that God or the prophets had said will happen before a particular event, then when that happens they will all of a sudden get ready for the expected event, but, the LORD Himself kept warning us when on this earth and in so many and varied ways that it is now; it is time that is our test -

But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.  

Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 

And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Here is the patience (endurance, constancy) of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Now is our test - it is today. 

There have only ever been the faithful in each era, though perilously few at times, who have actually believed what the LORD has said and have lived their life accordingly. They, along with those who refused to heed the counsel of God, were given as ensamples for us in these closing scenes of this world’s history. 

What if the mentality we have been given as church members that when we see the signs that we have been waiting to see occur first, before we begin to get ready, is actually a lie and if we continue to live with this mentality then we have lost all hope of being saved forever! What if what was indicated to us was the satanic trap, which Christ repeatedly warned us about? What if our test is now!

It may well seem at times that nothing much is happening and really nothing much has changed; but, be assured the steady march of time toward the decisive hour of the close of our probation is coming to its end and the condition of things in our world are continually creeping toward their ultimate, full exposure of evil. We can all see the impossibility of all of a sudden snapping out of the way of the world to be ready to be with the LORD forever. We can and need to have had Him abiding in our hearts every moment, every day, now.

This is our time and like Enoch, in his era of pure evil, each passing day brought him closer and closer to His LORD, until he was taken up to continue that “walk with God” for eternity. So it will be with those of us who see things clearly, with the gift of the eyesalve, and in the light of history and the Inspired Writings. 

We can see that today, each moment is our test! 

Oath

“Swear not at all.”—Matthew 5:34.

The reason for this command is given: We are not to swear “by the heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black.” R.V. MB 66.1

All things come of God. We have nothing that we have not received; and, more than this, we have nothing that has not been purchased for us by the blood of Christ. Everything we possess comes to us stamped with the cross, bought with the blood that is precious above all estimate, because it is the life of God. Hence there is nothing that we have a right to pledge, as if it were our own, for the fulfillment of our word. 

The Jews understood the third commandment as prohibiting the profane use of the name of God; but they thought themselves at liberty to employ other oaths. Oath taking was common among them. Through Moses they had been forbidden to swear falsely, but they had many devices for freeing themselves from the obligation imposed by an oath. They did not fear to indulge in what was really profanity, nor did they shrink from perjury so long as it was veiled by some technical evasion of the law. 

Jesus condemned their practices, declaring that their custom in oath taking was a transgression of the commandment of God. Our Saviour did not, however, forbid the use of the judicial oath, in which God is solemnly called to witness that what is said is truth and nothing but the truth. Jesus Himself, at His trial before the Sanhedrin, did not refuse to testify under oath. The high priest said unto Him, “I adjure Thee by the living God, that Thou tell us whether Thou be the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus answered, “Thou hast said.” Matthew 26:63, 64. Had Christ in the Sermon on the Mount condemned the judicial oath, He would at His trial have reproved the high priest and thus, for the benefit of His followers, have enforced His own teaching. 

There are very many who do not fear to deceive their fellow men, but they have been taught, and have been impressed by the Spirit of God, that it is a fearful thing to lie to their Maker. When put under oath they are made to feel that they are not testifying merely before men, but before God; that if they bear false witness, it is to Him who reads the heart and who knows the exact truth. The knowledge of the fearful judgments that have followed this sin has a restraining influence upon them. 

But if there is anyone who can consistently testify under oath, it is the Christian. He lives constantly as in the presence of God, knowing that every thought is open to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do; and when required to do so in a lawful manner, it is right for him to appeal to God as a witness that what he says is the truth, and nothing but the truth. 

Jesus proceeded to lay down a principle that would make oath taking needless. He teaches that the exact truth should be the law of speech. “Let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil one.” 

These words condemn all those meaningless phrases and expletives that border on profanity. They condemn the deceptive compliments, the evasion of truth, the flattering phrases, the exaggerations, the misrepresentations in trade, that are current in society and in the business world. They teach that no one who tries to appear what he is not, or whose words do not convey the real sentiment of his heart, can be called truthful. 

If these words of Christ were heeded, they would check the utterance of evil surmising and unkind criticism; for in commenting upon the actions and motives of another, who can be certain of speaking the exact truth? How often pride, passion, personal resentment, color the impression given! A glance, a word, even an intonation of the voice, may be vital with falsehood. Even facts may be so stated as to convey a false impression. And “whatsoever is more than” truth, “is of the evil one.” 

Everything that Christians do should be as transparent as the sunlight. Truth is of God; deception, in every one of its myriad forms, is of Satan; and whoever in any way departs from the straight line of truth is betraying himself into the power of the wicked one. Yet it is not a light or an easy thing to speak the exact truth. We cannot speak the truth unless we know the truth; and how often preconceived opinions, mental bias, imperfect knowledge, errors of judgment, prevent a right understanding of matters with which we have to do! We cannot speak the truth unless our minds are continually guided by Him who is truth. 

Through the apostle Paul, Christ bids us, “Let your speech be alway with grace.” “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” Colossians 4:6; Ephesians 4:29. In the light of these scriptures the words of Christ upon the mount are seen to condemn jesting, trifling, and unchaste conversation. They require that our words should be not only truthful, but pure. 

Those who have learned of Christ will “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.” Ephesians 5:11. In speech, as in life, they will be simple, straightforward, and true; for they are preparing for the fellowship of those holy ones in whose mouth “was found no guile.” Revelation 14:5. MB 66-69

Ephesians 4:1-3

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, 
beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all 
lowliness
meekness,
longsuffering, 
forbearing one another in love; 
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

The Two Temples

A close friend must spend several years in a distant land; so he asks you to look after his palatial estate in his absence, even supplying the necessary means. Doubtless you think it over quite seriously, because a large investment will be under your control. Your friend has shown great confidence in you, and you would hate to disappoint him. 

Now suppose that after you have taken charge, you discover that the property is worth ten times more than you had originally thought. I’m sure not only your appreciation of the owner’s confidence would multiply but also your feeling of responsibility. 

The King of the universe has asked you to look after a building of immense value to Him. “Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost” (1 Corinthians 6:19). e more you ponder what He paid for its redemption, the more you appreciate the high honor He has bestowed upon the caretakers of the temple. This concept lifts the study and practice of health habits to a holy level. 

The temple in heaven and the temple of our bodies closely parallel each other. 

1. Each temple has been formed by the Creator for a special purpose— to be His dwelling place. Chapter 8, verse 2, of Hebrews calls the heavenly sanctuary “the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” Concerning the body temple, David says, “Thy hands have made me and fashioned me” (Psalm 119:73). “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well” (Psalm 139:14). 

He who abides “in the high and holy place” (Isaiah 57:15) desires to live in us. “Ye are the temple of God, and...the Spirit of God dwelleth in you” (1 Corinthians 3:16). 

2. Each temple enshrines a law written by God’s finger. “Within the holy of holies, in the sanctuary in heaven, the divine law is sacredly enshrined—the law that was spoken by God Himself amid the thunders of Sinai and written with His own finger on the tables of stone” (GC 434). “The laws of nature are the laws of God—as truly divine as are the precepts of the Decalogue. The laws that govern our physical organism, God has written upon every nerve, muscle, and member of the body” (Ed 196).

 

The mouth provides an example of the laws written in the body. What do you find in the teeth? The law of mastication. Every tooth testifies I am made to cut or chew food. The taste buds add their testimony, telling us that God desires us to enjoy eating. And the salivary glands with their digestive enzymes give additional evidence concerning the importance of the law of mastication. 

The knowledge that God has written His laws “upon every nerve, muscle, and fibre of the body” should lead us to study each organ. As we discover the Creator’s laws, we should bring our lives into harmony with His wonderful plan. We are caretakers of the temple. 

3. Both temples contain a record of sin. Speaking from the temple above, God says, “Behold, it is written before me...your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together” (Isaiah 65:6, 7). Angels record not only our good deeds, thoughts, and words but also every idle word, sinful act, unholy thought, and impure motive. So men are “judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:12). 

Here on earth the violation of physical law leaves its imprint on the body. The poisons of tobacco write their dark story in the lungs, and by and by cancer often develops. Alcohol can destroy thousands of brain cells, and brain cells cannot be replaced. Lack of exercise, overwork, overeating, lack of sleep, anxiety, and guilt—all leave their impressions like the picture on photographic film. 

4. Both temples require cleansing. The Scriptures recount concerning the temple above, “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed” (Daniel 8:14). 

While Christ is cleansing the temple in heaven we are to work in harmony with Him in our body temples on earth. “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). He wants us to clean up inside and out. We need to search out every defiling habit and remove it from our lives during the hour of the cleansing of the sanctuary. 

5. Only the blood of Jesus can truly cleanse both temples. Hebrews 9:22- 26 points out that although the earthly tabernacle was purified with the blood of animals, it is necessary that the heavenly things should be purified with better sacrifices—Jesus’ blood. 

So it is in our minds and bodies. We all come face-to-face with habits the unaided human will cannot break. In addition, the effects of our past sins hinder us. What shall we do? We must come to Christ and ask Him to forgive our past sins and to write His law in our hearts so that in His power we can live as He would. “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). There is no other way. 

6. In these great truths concerning the sanctuary we find the foundation of our faith. “Of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle” (Hebrews 8:1, 2). 

“The correct understanding of the ministration in the heavenly sanctuary is the foundation of our faith” (Ev 221). Jesus told a story about the man who built his house without a foundation, only to have it swept away in the storm. He wants us to be like the wise man who “digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock” (Luke 6:48). The fierce winds of the coming crisis will not move those who understand and appreciate the work of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary. 

Is there something fundamental about understanding the body temple? Yes, indeed. “A knowledge of physiology and hygiene should be the basis of all educational effort” (Ed 195). Physiology tells us how the body works. Hygiene explains how to care for it. What does basis mean? The foundation. As the true understanding of the heavenly sanctuary constitutes the foundation of our faith doctrinally, so a knowledge of physiology and hygiene forms the foundation of our training as caretakers of the body temple.

 

7. The light on these two temples came through the same channel. Moses beheld the heavenly sanctuary on Mount Sinai and was instructed to make the earthly tabernacle like the pattern shown him (see Exodus 25:40). On rocky Patmos John in vision repeatedly saw the temple of God (see Revelation 11:19; 14:15, 17; 15:5; 16:17). 

When the temple of God was opened in heaven in 1844, how did men find out about it? By revelation. On the morning of October 23, 1844, at Port Gibson, New York, Hiram Edson stopped midway in a corn field, where a divine revelation impelled him to further Bible study which opened the great sanctuary truths to our pioneers. A few weeks later Ellen Harmon saw in vision Jesus rise from the holy place and go into the most holy where He began His closing work. Light concerning the heavenly sanctuary has come by revelation. 

What about the light on the earthly temple, the human body? How did the knowledge of health reform come to this people? Ellen G. White writes, “It was at the house of Brother A. Hilliard, at Otsego, Michigan, June 6, 1863, that the great subject of health reform was opened before me in vision” (CD 481). Although a study of science will teach us about the body and how it works, we must never forget that we received the light on health reform through divine revelation. 

8. Now what is the purpose of all this? Why has God given us the light on the sanctuary above? Why has He directed our attention to the care of the temple below? He wants to prepare us for His appearing. 

God is developing a people who will triumphantly go through the great time of trouble. Not one will fail. “The subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgment should be clearly understood by the people of God. All need a knowledge for themselves of the position and work of their great High Priest. Otherwise it will be impossible for them to exercise the faith which is essential at this time or to occupy the position which God designs them to” (GC 488). To go through the time of trouble ahead we need to understand Christ’s work in the most holy place.

 

Now another quotation with that word impossible: “To make plain natural law, and urge the obedience of it, is the work that accompanies the third angel’s message to prepare a people for the coming of the Lord...God...designs that the great subject of health reform shall be agitated and the public mind deeply stirred to investigate; for it is impossible for men and women, with all their sinful, health-destroying, brain-enervating habits, to discern sacred truth, through which they are to be sanctified, refined, elevated, and made fit for the society of heavenly angels in the kingdom of glory” (3T 161, 162).

 

Without a knowledge of our great High Priest’s work it would be impossible for us to exercise the faith we need at this time. So with the body temple—it is impossible for us to develop the character that God has called for in this closing hour if we continue to befog the mind and destroy the body. God wants to live with us and to prepare us to live with Him. R&R WDF