It has been suggested that Jesus anointed the Most Holy Place with His blood in AD 31 and that He then retreated to serve in the Holy Place until 1844, at which time He entered the Most Holy Place, on the antitypical day of atonement, to perform the pre-advent, investigative judgment.

My question is this - In light of Rev 13:8 did Jesus actually wait until AD 31 to anoint the Most Holy Place? Does that mean the rest of the heavenly sanctuary was not anointed until then? If so, did the Lamb of God fulfill His outer court duties before He anointed the heavenly sanctuary?

Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Mike

You realize that this is a "dangerous" question; I hope.

I would be curious to know from you Mike; a bit about what has led you to ask such a question re the sanctuary doctrine?

Do you think what you are asking here, may be considered as possible "new light?" Or, has this always been embedded in our theology? (I mean your comment of Rev.3:18).

Also, what are your initial thoughts on how your question may affect the rest of the sanctuary doctrines, that we have traditionally looked at as "established?"

I am presuming Mike, that you are trying to make a particular implication with your question re Rev.13:8; and so I am just "fishing" a bit if it's OK.

I have some thoughts/questions of course, and I am going to take some time to consider my response. The reason being, is mainly because it is such an important subject. I know that we have various leaders, teaching seemingly opposing views on When Christ may have first entered the Most Holy part of the sanctuary.

I think, in beginning a response, we can both be agreed that "His way is in the sanctuary;" and that whatever angle we come up with, should indeed be put to this test.

While I consider an inital response Mike; do you have anything else we should also use as a "test" to sort of ratify any conclusions we reach in this study?

(I guess you could call it "hermeneutics")

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"...you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." Jude 3

DavidTBattler

David, my wife attended a meeting conducted by Pastor Davidson, a prof. from Andrews, and he went to great pains to prove that Jesus anointed the MHP in AD 31 and then served in the HP until 1844.

Apparently his major burden was to somehow reconcile the objections raised by Desmond Ford (back in the 1980's) regarding the sanctuary message advocated by the SDA church. I don't know if Davidson's solution is new or original, but it does deserve some serious consideration.

I realize there has been hot debate in this forum under the Christian Concerns thread, but it looks as though the subject has been dropped by those who discussed the issues. It seems as though most of the participants have concluded that Jesus did indeed anoint the MHP in AD 31. I myself was leaning in that direction until certain questions began to surface, some of which I have already posed in this thread.

RE: Rev 13:8 - It just seems to me that this passage makes it clear that Jesus' blood was available to anoint the entire heavenly sanctuary when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. If this is the case, then why would Jesus wait until AD 31 to specifically anoint the MHP?

But my biggest concern regarding the idea that Jesus waited until AD 31 to anoint the MHP is when did He anoint the outer court and the HP? The reason this concerns me is the implication that Jesus performed His outer court and HP duties in a sanctuary that had not been anointed yet. Which would disqualify His substitutionary sacrifice.

As I understand it, the outer court for the heavenly sanctuary is planet earth. This is where Jesus came to live and die, and to rise on the third day, events associated with the ministry of the outer court at the altar and the laver. From earth Jesus returned to heaven where the HP and MHP are located.

Someone suggested that maybe Jesus anointed the outer court when Adam and Eve sinned, and that perhaps He anointed the HP at His incarnation. But if that is true, then why didn't Jesus wait until 1844 to anoint the MHP? However, even these ideas seem to fly in the face of the type/antitype motif. In other words, Moses did not anoint the earthly sanctuary in time divided stages, so how can we postulate that Jesus did it that way?

Seems to me the most obvious solution to this apparent dilemma is to allow that Jesus must have anointed the entire heavenly sanctuary (the outer court, the HP and the MHP) around the time Adam and Eve sinned.

What do the rest of you think?

Quote by Mike Lowe:

"As I understand it, the outer court for the heavenly sanctuary is planet earth. This is where Jesus came to live and die, and to rise on the third day, events associated with the ministry of the outer court at the altar and the laver. From earth Jesus returned to heaven where the HP and MHP are located."

Hello Mike

I have never heard this angle before, although there are a few similarities to what I understand.

Do you have any Scripture or SOP that might lend support to especially the first sentence of your quote?

Also, in regards to Rev.13:8, I did manage to find a bunch of your old e mails from a year ago, when you & I discussed this text, and some possiblity with the theory of relativity.

One of the chief concerns I have re this view that I think you may be headed for is that the theology, is being made subservient, to the physiology, or physics; and it should be the other way around. I would be careful in forming conclusions that were more based on the theory of relativity, than on plainly revealed Scripture - and I am sure you have some explanation that will help me understand where you are headed here.

I look forward to your reply.

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"...you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." Jude 3

DavidTBattler

David, I am relying mostly on common sense and logical deduction when I say earth is the outer court for the heavenly sanctuary.

1. Earth is where Jesus fulfilled His outer court ministry.

2. The outer court is the only apartment Jesus entered while on earth.

3. When the Bible describes the sanctuary in heaven only the HP and MHP are pictured.

4. The following SOP quotations imply that earth is the outer court:

"Every heavenly intelligence is interested in the assemblies of the saints who on earth meet to worship God. In the inner court of heaven they listen to the testimony of the witnesses for Christ in the outer court on earth...." {6T 366.1}

"Our present position therefore is like that of the Israelites, standing in the outer court, waiting and looking for that blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. . . ." {TMK 73.2}

The "inner court" and the "outer court" doesn't necessarily need to be associated with the Heavenly Sanctuary, doesn't it?

Isn't it an assumption to do that?

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In His Love, Mercy & Grace

Daryl

Also, Rev 11:1,2 seems to insinuate that earth is the outer court.

11:1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.

11:2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty [and] two months.

Daryl, there you go again. Okaym please answer these questions:

1. If the outer court is not earth - then where is it?

2. If Ellen White did not intend for us to associate the two, then why did she use those terms?

3. Please comment on the other 3 points I listed in my last post.

I believe that Jesus was annointed at His baptism, for His work on earth, based on the following quotation:

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In describing His earthly mission, Jesus said, The Lord "hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised." Luke 4:18. This was His work. He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by Satan. There were whole villages where there was not a moan of sickness in any house, for He had passed through them and healed all their sick. His work gave evidence of His divine anointing. Love, mercy, and compassion were revealed in every act of His life; His heart went out in tender sympathy to the children of men. He took man's nature, that He might reach man's wants. The poorest and humblest were not afraid to approach Him. Even little children were attracted to Him. They loved to climb upon His knees and gaze into the pensive face, benignant with love.

Jesus, was very obviously "annointed" BEFORE His death on the cross; and, therefore, the heavenly sanctuary was annointed AFTER Jesus was, as in the type of the earthly.

I think we are stretching it to try and make the earth, literally a part of the heavenly sanctuary; and basing that on just one or two quotes from SOP. I would need to see a good solid Biblical base laid out for the THEORY of earth being the outer court of the heavenly sanctuary, before I could accept it.

Jesus was "slain from the foundation of the world," only refers to the fact that the plan of salvation was planned, but not carried out, "from the foundation of the world."

[ December 05, 2001: Message edited by: DavidTBattler ]

David, what is it about Rev 13:8 that gives you the impression that Jesus was not slain from the foundation of the world? I mean, the language is so clear how can it mean anything else? We can't assume, from our human point of view, that it's impossible for Jesus to be slain from the foundation of the world. God is not a man that He can't accomplish things outside our perspective.

Also, both you and Daryl have avoided addressing the points and questions I listed in previous posts regarding earth and the outer court. Please explain why you believe it's impossible for earth to be the outer court for the heavenly sanctuary. If not earth, then where? Where else did Jesus fulfill His outer court duties?

And please explain Rev 11:2 and the "court" mentioned in that text. If it's referring to the heavenly "outer court" isn't it obvious it's earth?

[ December 05, 2001: Message edited by: Mike Lowe ]