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THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
WAS IT IN 1844 OR AT CHRIST'S ASCENSION?
(Atonement: Savior's blood covering for sin.)
On the Day of Atonement, in the Most Holy Place, all of
the sins of the preceding year were finally disposed of in
the ceremony of the cleansing of the sanctuary (Leviticus
16.)
Ellen White makes the following statements concerning the
place where Christ, at His ascension, went to atone for
the sins of mankind:
"This door was not opened until the mediation of Jesus was
finished in the holy place of the sanctuary in 1844. Then
Jesus rose up and shut the door of the holy place, and
opened the door into the most holy, and passed within the
second veil, where He now stands by the ark, and where the
faith of Israel now reaches. I saw that Jesus had shut the
door of the holy place, and no man can open it; and that
He had opened the door into the most holy, and no man can
shut it." Rev. 3:7,8; Early Writings, p. 42.
"So when Christ entered the holy of holies to perform the
closing work of the atonement, He ceased His ministration
in the first apartment. Great Controversy, p.428.
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The Bible makes the following statements concerning the
place where Christ went to carry out the atonement:
1. Hebrews 9:24- "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." (Note: Dr. Barry Smith's rendition
reads:"...for Christ did not enter the Holy of Holies made
with hands...." The MKJV reads: "...for Christ did not
enter into the Holy of Holies made with hands...." These
renditions are fully consistent with other relevant
scriptures and, therefore, preferable to the confusing KJV
translation.)
2. Mark 16:19- "So then after the Lord had spoken to them,
He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right
hand of God."
3. Acts 7:55- "But he (Stephen) being full of the Holy
Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and
Jesus standing at the right hand of God."
4. Hebrews 8:1- "...We have such a High Priest, who is
seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in
the heavens."
5. Hebrews 10:12-14- "But this Man, after He had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand
of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made
His footstool. For by one offering, He has perfected
forever those who are being sanctified."
CONCLUSION
Scripture and Ellen White disagree on where Christ went at
His ascension. She holds that Christ went into the holy
place upon His ascension; this was where the Aaronic
priests performed their daily ministry. According to this
view, Christ was not able to go into the Most Holy Place
(where the final cleansing took place) until October 22,
1844. However, Scripture teaches that Christ, our High
Priest, went immediately to the Most Holy place upon His
ascension and immediately began mediating as mankind's
full, complete atonement. (Note: the tearing of the temple
veil marked the
end of the Aaronic priesthood; Hebrews 6:19,20. Christ's
flesh became the new veil; Hebrews 10:19,20.)
(CONTACT INFORMATION)
Dr. Fillmer Hevener, Pastor
Guthrie Memorial Chapel
224 Mohele Road, Farmville, Virginia 23901
www.guthriememorial.org
(434) 392-6255
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