Above I said that we should go back to see what the pioneers originally taught. Most people do not have those resources available at their fingertips, but we all have ready access to the SOP writings. There are about 10 chapters in the Great Controversy that give an accurate history of the development of the sanctuary doctrine and its current application. If nothing else, every Adventist that is able should do a study of those chapters and note the additional important information that is not covered in belief 24.

The way we live our lives, the characters we develop, is what determines our eternal reward and destiny in judgment. During judgment, Jesus merely reveals our destiny, He does not determine it.

ED 109
The harvest of life is character, and it is this that determines destiny, both for this life and for the life to come. {Ed 108.2}

COL 74
He will judge every man according to his words and his works. Profession is as nothing in the scale. It is character that decides destiny. {COL 74.4}

COL 310
It is while men are still dwelling upon the earth that the work of investigative judgment takes place in the courts of heaven. The lives of all His professed followers pass in review before God. All are examined according to the record of the books of heaven, and according to his deeds the destiny of each is forever fixed. {COL 310.2}

COL 356
Thus actions repeated form habits, habits form character, and by the character our destiny for time and for eternity is decided. {COL 356.}

COL 377, 378
"This do, and thou shalt live," Christ said. In His teaching He ever presented the law as a divine unity, showing that it is impossible to keep one precept and break another; for the same principle runs through all. Man's destiny will be determined by his obedience to the whole law. {COL 377.4}

4T 429
They can never be admitted into heaven, for all worthy of an entrance there will love order and respect discipline. The characters formed in this life will determine the future destiny. When Christ shall come, He will not change the character of any individual. {4T 429.2}

TM 429, 430
The deeds done today are transferred to the books of heaven, just as the features are transferred by the artist onto the polished plate. They will determine our destiny for eternity, for bliss or eternal loss and agonizing remorse. Character cannot be changed when Christ comes, nor just as a man is about to die. Character building must be done in this life. {TM 429.3}

Also, everyone, not just the 144,000, must have perfect characters in order to inherit eternal life in heaven and the New Earth.

CSW 112
In the word of God they are to learn that all who enter heaven must have a perfect character; for then they will meet their Lord in peace. {CSW 112.3}

TDG 204
Christ did not leave this world until He had made it possible for every soul to live a life of perfect faith and obedience, to have a perfect character. {TDG 204.3}

UL 184
Christ came to the earth to give to men the pattern of the perfect character that all must obtain who would be welcomed to the future heavenly world. He found His pleasure in unwearied works for the good of men. His object in coming to our world was to leave an example of what the human character must become in order to be fitted for the society of heaven. {UL 184.5}

Good quotes MM.

Colin, here is a bit more from the pioneers:

Not too many months ago we were discussing the impact of the book Questions on Doctrine on two or more other threads. Here is a statement from the book The Doctrine of the Sanctuary on the contrast between the teaching of the pioneers on the atonement and the teaching in QOD.

quote:

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Today Seventh-day Adventists do teach that complete sacrificial atonement was made at the cross (see Seventh-day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrines [Washington DC] 1957 pp. 349-55). But our pioneers did not generally believe that atonement was made at the cross. Uriah Smith emphatically stated their consensus in his book Looking Unto Jesus when he wrote that “Christ did not make the atonement when He shed his blood on the cross. Let this fact be fixed forever in the mind. ([Battle Creek MI 1898] p 237). JH Waggoner expressed the same view when he wrote “there is a clear distinction between the death of Christ and the atonement”. ([Battle Creek MI 1872] p 110). Doctrine of the Sanctuary, Page 201 footnote 17.

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QOD supported its position with one or more quotes from Ellen White, but if you look at these, it seems clear that Ellen White shared the view of the pioneers. When she refers to Christ taking His blood into heaven when He ascended, and made atonement there after raising from the dead she is consistent with scripture that atonement is always and only accomplished by the application of the blood of the sacrifice, never by the act of sacrifice itself. The sacrifical act makes the blood available, but blood is the only agent that atones and atonement is only accomplished when it is applied. So today, in the Day of Atonement, it is the application of the Saviors blood that is our only hope. In the judgement it is the remedy applied to our souls.

Yes, the judgement is Jesus atoning for us in his sanctuary ministry: his blood applied to the mercy seat completely to reconcile us to God in life and character, having renewed the mind already. He likely doesn't exhibit his actual shed blood, but rather holds up his pierced hands, while the ark of the covenant's mercy seat represents his very person, opening the way to God's presence as he does.

That the judgement is making the final atonement for those living today - the deceased having their faith merely confirmed (i.e. Vandeman's incorrectly reduced stonement for the death and the living), Christ's ministry is determinative and revelatory of the Christ-like character of his people.

My brother commented one time that he understood better when he was a child why blood equals life in the Bible. As an adult he found it harder to grasp!

I'm surprized and frankly somewhat troubled that there is not much more participation on this topic. It is vital. The mighty angel of Revelation 18 was depicted to Ellen White as pointing to the sanctuary.

Bumping what I thought was an important topic back then, which is why I am wondering why it stopped dead in its tracks?