It's my privilege
tonight to introduce to you
00:00:34.90\00:00:37.47
and to pray for
the speaker tonight.
00:00:37.50\00:00:40.30
I was also asked to
share a few words about him.
00:00:40.74\00:00:43.10
I could tell you
that he was born in Ohio,
00:00:45.11\00:00:47.41
that he moved to
England at the age of thirteen,
00:00:47.98\00:00:50.98
but that's not the
most interesting thing.
00:00:51.48\00:00:53.48
I could tell you that he went
to Washington Hills Academy,
00:00:54.32\00:00:59.05
that he went to Amazing
Facts Center of Evangelism,
00:00:59.95\00:01:02.49
but that's not the
most important thing.
00:01:03.12\00:01:05.06
I could tell you that
he worked as a Bible worker
00:01:05.56\00:01:07.53
for four years,
00:01:07.56\00:01:08.90
Amazing Facts
evangelist for eight years,
00:01:09.53\00:01:12.07
is currently employed
as a pastor in Michigan,
00:01:12.30\00:01:14.87
but that's not the
most important thing.
00:01:15.30\00:01:17.17
I could tell you he's
married and has three children.
00:01:17.71\00:01:21.31
That's not the
most important thing.
00:01:22.04\00:01:23.38
I could tell you that his
wife and my wife are sisters,
00:01:23.41\00:01:25.81
so we're kind of family,
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that I was his best
man and he was my best man,
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but that's not
really that interesting
00:01:32.09\00:01:34.32
or important.
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The most important
thing I could tell you
00:01:37.89\00:01:39.39
is that after
knowing him for 25 years,
00:01:39.43\00:01:43.26
traveling
together, working together,
00:01:44.10\00:01:46.97
staying in the
same house together,
00:01:48.07\00:01:50.01
having fun together,
00:01:50.74\00:01:52.17
that I've seen him go from
being a rebellious teenager,
00:01:54.18\00:01:57.65
like I was, to a
genuine, Christian, godly man.
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That he has taken this
appointment tonight seriously,
00:02:05.32\00:02:08.99
that he has spent
much time in prayer,
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much time in
study, and that I know God
00:02:11.69\00:02:14.63
will use him tonight.
00:02:14.73\00:02:16.56
So I'd like to
invite you to bow your heads
00:02:17.53\00:02:19.47
as we pray for
the preacher tonight.
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Father in heaven, we thank
You that tonight we have the
00:02:24.24\00:02:28.18
privilege to hear Your Word.
00:02:28.21\00:02:29.88
Tonight, Lord, I pray
for the preacher, that You be
00:02:30.45\00:02:34.25
with Pastor Jason Sliger.
00:02:34.85\00:02:36.89
I pray, Lord, that You
may use him as You have
00:02:37.55\00:02:41.22
done in the past.
00:02:41.26\00:02:42.99
But Lord, we ask and
pray that You would use him
00:02:43.43\00:02:46.29
more mightily than You
have ever used him before.
00:02:46.33\00:02:49.56
I pray, Lord, that tonight
we would know that we have
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spent time with You.
00:02:54.64\00:02:56.14
Use Your manservant tonight.
00:02:56.64\00:02:58.74
Fill him, Lord, we
pray with Your Holy Spirit.
00:02:58.91\00:03:02.04
That he will speak
with boldness, with power,
00:03:02.68\00:03:05.68
with humility, and
the love of Christ.
00:03:06.01\00:03:09.12
We pray in Jesus' name, amen.
00:03:09.15\00:03:11.72
O Lord, You are
my God and my King,
00:03:38.11\00:03:44.75
and I will always
bless Your holy name.
00:03:44.79\00:03:51.29
Singing alleluia. Alleluia.
00:03:51.33\00:03:58.20
Alleluia. Alleluia.
00:03:58.23\00:04:05.04
Upon Your wonders,
Lord, my mind shall dwell,
00:04:09.94\00:04:16.58
and of Your
greatness I will surely tell.
00:04:16.69\00:04:23.36
Singing alleluia. Alleluia.
00:04:23.39\00:04:30.17
Alleluia. Alleluia.
00:04:30.20\00:04:37.24
Lord I will exalt Your
name each and every day.
00:04:38.91\00:04:45.81
You fill my heart with
joy more than I can say.
00:04:45.85\00:04:52.52
Alleluia,
alleluia. Alleluia, alleluia.
00:04:52.62\00:05:01.40
O Lord, You are
my God and my King,
00:05:03.87\00:05:11.04
and I will always
bless Your holy name.
00:05:11.07\00:05:17.91
Singing alleluia. Alleluia.
00:05:17.95\00:05:23.25
Alleluia,
alleluia. Alleluia, alleluia.
00:05:23.28\00:05:31.93
Alleluia. Alleluia.
00:05:32.19\00:05:41.30
Alleluia.
00:05:41.94\00:05:49.74
Good evening, everyone.
00:06:01.32\00:06:02.66
I trust that the Lord
blessed you today, amen?
00:06:04.13\00:06:06.33
What a blessing
it is to be at GYC.
00:06:07.30\00:06:09.86
I know that the Lord
has a blessing in store
00:06:10.37\00:06:12.87
for each one of us, and
I'm glad that I can be part
00:06:12.90\00:06:16.14
of that blessing
with you this evening.
00:06:16.24\00:06:18.81
We are here to
study the Word of God.
00:06:19.57\00:06:21.38
And so I'm going to invite
you to bow your heads with me
00:06:21.78\00:06:24.38
as we start with a
brief word of prayer.
00:06:24.61\00:06:26.75
Loving Father in
heaven, we Thank You, Lord,
00:06:34.49\00:06:39.79
that we can come
into Your presence tonight
00:06:39.83\00:06:42.70
with our Bibles in our
hands, knowing that we serve a
00:06:44.00\00:06:49.04
God who wants to speak to us.
00:06:49.07\00:06:51.77
And Lord, that's
all we ask for tonight.
00:06:53.54\00:06:55.81
Send Your Holy Spirit.
00:06:57.41\00:06:59.01
Thank You, Lord.
00:07:00.42\00:07:01.75
For we ask it in
Jesus' name, amen.
00:07:02.48\00:07:07.16
I want you to
imagine with me tonight
00:07:11.33\00:07:13.50
that everybody here
in this room represents
00:07:14.96\00:07:20.17
the Seventh-day
Adventist Church.
00:07:20.20\00:07:22.74
So all of us here
this evening represent
00:07:23.71\00:07:27.94
the over 19 million
members of our church.
00:07:28.78\00:07:32.91
Now what I want you to do
is quickly look to the person
00:07:35.38\00:07:40.42
on your left-hand side.
00:07:40.86\00:07:42.22
Okay, good.
00:07:42.96\00:07:44.29
Now look to the person
on your right-hand side.
00:07:44.33\00:07:46.86
Okay, great.
00:07:47.50\00:07:48.83
Now look to the person
next to the person on your left.
00:07:48.86\00:07:53.34
Got that?
00:07:53.70\00:07:55.04
Okay.
00:07:56.94\00:07:58.27
According to a study
that was done of over 18,000
00:07:59.97\00:08:04.68
Seventh-day
Adventist young people,
00:08:04.98\00:08:08.05
only one in the four
of you in your group;
00:08:10.15\00:08:14.22
yourself and the three other
people that you just looked at,
00:08:14.76\00:08:17.69
believe in a
distinctive doctrine of the
00:08:18.59\00:08:21.43
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:08:21.46\00:08:23.03
Only one in four of you
00:08:23.06\00:08:26.00
would believe in
that distinctive doctrine.
00:08:26.67\00:08:29.40
According to this study, one
in four Seventh-day Adventist
00:08:30.17\00:08:35.21
young people
believe in the doctrine
00:08:35.24\00:08:40.02
of the investigative judgment.
00:08:41.08\00:08:43.42
One in four Seventh-day
Adventist young people,
00:08:46.32\00:08:50.06
according to this study,
believe in the distinctive
00:08:50.09\00:08:53.93
doctrine of the
investigative judgment.
00:08:53.96\00:08:57.83
Now that's particularly
alarming in light of some
00:08:59.47\00:09:02.50
advice and counsel that we
have from the pen of inspiration
00:09:02.54\00:09:07.31
in the book, Great
Controversy, page 488,
00:09:07.34\00:09:11.88
where the
servant of the Lord says,
00:09:11.91\00:09:13.72
"The subject of the Sanctuary
and the investigative judgment
00:09:13.82\00:09:19.42
should be clearly understood
by the people of God."
00:09:20.12\00:09:24.99
What should be
clearly understood?
00:09:25.03\00:09:26.56
The
understanding of the Sanctuary
00:09:27.93\00:09:29.83
and the investigative judgment.
00:09:29.86\00:09:31.63
She goes on and she says
this, "All need a knowledge..."
00:09:31.67\00:09:35.27
How many need a knowledge?
00:09:35.30\00:09:36.64
"All need a knowledge for
themselves of the position
00:09:37.87\00:09:42.21
and work of their
great High Priest."
00:09:42.24\00:09:46.18
Yet studies reveal only one
in four Seventh-day Adventist
00:09:46.21\00:09:51.45
young people
believe in the doctrine
00:09:51.49\00:09:53.09
of the investigative judgment.
00:09:53.42\00:09:55.02
There is a loss
of their identity.
00:09:55.06\00:10:00.33
I'll be quick to say, though,
that many of these people
00:10:00.96\00:10:03.77
probably have not cognitively or
willing rejected that doctrine,
00:10:03.87\00:10:08.50
but most of them have
probably not been educated
00:10:08.54\00:10:12.51
on this wonderful truth.
00:10:12.54\00:10:14.54
Perhaps they didn't
learn it when they had their
00:10:14.58\00:10:16.78
baptismal class, or
their Sabbath school class,
00:10:16.81\00:10:20.52
or in class in school,
or something like that.
00:10:20.55\00:10:23.49
They are not
willingly ignorant, I might say.
00:10:23.59\00:10:27.36
Perhaps some of you
here this evening know people
00:10:27.39\00:10:29.72
who have left
this great denomination
00:10:29.76\00:10:32.13
because of this teaching.
00:10:32.16\00:10:34.16
Maybe you yourself have
grappled with its biblical
00:10:34.20\00:10:37.90
significance in your own life.
00:10:37.93\00:10:40.64
And this evening I want to
share with you that I believe
00:10:40.67\00:10:44.41
unequivocally that the doctrine
of the investigative judgment
00:10:44.44\00:10:48.74
is biblical.
00:10:48.84\00:10:50.85
Where did this
doctrine come from?
00:10:55.12\00:10:56.79
Was it something that just
was conjured up in the minds of
00:10:58.75\00:11:02.39
early advent believers in
an attempt to cover over the
00:11:02.59\00:11:07.66
seeming mistake of
the great disappointment
00:11:07.76\00:11:11.90
of October 22, 1844?
00:11:11.93\00:11:14.14
Where did this
doctrine of the investigative
00:11:14.17\00:11:15.94
judgment come from?
00:11:15.97\00:11:17.31
Is it something that came
from the pen of Ellen White
00:11:17.34\00:11:21.08
and is a doctrine of hers?
00:11:21.18\00:11:23.48
Perhaps the reason
why this has been rejected
00:11:23.51\00:11:27.45
is because it is a doctrine
of Ellen White and not a
00:11:27.48\00:11:31.85
doctrine of God's Word.
00:11:31.89\00:11:33.49
Again, I submit to you tonight
from my personal study...
00:11:33.52\00:11:37.43
And I'm not suggesting
that you take my study
00:11:37.46\00:11:39.89
as your study.
00:11:39.93\00:11:41.50
But from my personal
study, I believe unequivocally
00:11:41.53\00:11:45.70
that the doctrine of
the investigative judgment
00:11:45.73\00:11:47.90
is biblical.
00:11:48.00\00:11:49.34
Amen?
00:11:49.37\00:11:50.71
There's no question
about it in my mind.
00:11:50.74\00:11:53.68
Coming in as
fundamental belief number 24,
00:11:54.21\00:11:56.31
the doctrine of the
investigative judgment
00:11:56.34\00:11:58.05
formed the foundation of
our faith since the mid 1800's
00:11:58.35\00:12:03.45
with the genesis of the
term, "investigative judgment,"
00:12:03.49\00:12:06.86
first being used in 1856
by an Adventist evangelist
00:12:07.06\00:12:11.99
by the name of Elon Everts.
00:12:12.03\00:12:14.20
Shortly after that,
about a month later,
00:12:14.23\00:12:17.10
James White
adopted the same term.
00:12:17.13\00:12:19.97
And it became a very
common theological expression
00:12:20.07\00:12:23.91
that you and I are
familiar with today.
00:12:23.94\00:12:26.88
Yet history reveals that
the birth of this doctrine
00:12:27.18\00:12:31.51
of the investigative
judgment came out of much work.
00:12:31.55\00:12:35.52
It was a long laborious process.
00:12:35.55\00:12:38.55
Over 13 years of study,
and Bible study, and prayer,
00:12:38.59\00:12:43.36
that finally led to the
conclusion of what you and I
00:12:43.39\00:12:46.96
believe today
according to Scripture to be
00:12:47.00\00:12:49.56
the doctrine of the
investigative judgment.
00:12:49.60\00:12:52.37
Now in order for
this doctrine to exist,
00:12:52.90\00:12:55.34
from a historical standpoint,
there were four biblical facts
00:12:56.20\00:13:02.24
that were
discovered along the way.
00:13:02.44\00:13:05.38
As the early advent believers
studied the Word of God,
00:13:05.65\00:13:09.45
there were four biblical
facts that they discovered
00:13:09.55\00:13:13.49
in their journey that
ultimately led to the conclusion
00:13:13.52\00:13:17.43
of the investigative judgment.
00:13:17.46\00:13:18.96
You can kind of
think of it like a car.
00:13:18.99\00:13:22.13
A car needs to have four wheels
in order for it to be able to
00:13:22.16\00:13:26.47
move in an appropriate
direction given that it has
00:13:26.50\00:13:29.54
all of the other equipment.
00:13:29.57\00:13:30.97
The doctrine of the
investigative judgment
00:13:31.01\00:13:32.91
needed these four
biblical facts to move it
00:13:33.14\00:13:37.41
forward, if you will.
00:13:37.45\00:13:38.85
And tonight I want to
just quickly go over these
00:13:38.88\00:13:42.45
four biblical facts that
have formed the foundation
00:13:42.48\00:13:46.59
of the investigative judgment.
00:13:46.62\00:13:48.72
The first biblical fact,
for those of you that are
00:13:50.16\00:13:52.29
taking notes, is the
fact of the heavenly Sanctuary
00:13:52.33\00:13:57.00
in heaven.
00:13:57.03\00:13:58.37
The day after the
great disappointment of
00:13:59.83\00:14:02.27
October 22, 1844, God began to
give the early advent believers
00:14:02.30\00:14:09.08
an understanding of
what had just taken place.
00:14:09.11\00:14:13.75
Dear Jesus obviously
did not come as they had
00:14:14.98\00:14:18.19
expected Him to
on October 22, 1844,
00:14:18.22\00:14:22.22
which ultimately led to
this great disappointment.
00:14:22.26\00:14:25.83
Obviously you know one
of the reasons that led
00:14:26.33\00:14:28.96
to the disappointment
was the commonly held belief
00:14:29.00\00:14:31.97
that the earth
was the Sanctuary.
00:14:32.17\00:14:35.17
And that on October 22,
1844 Jesus would come and purify
00:14:35.20\00:14:41.61
the earth by fire at
His second appearing.
00:14:41.64\00:14:45.51
However, the very next day
after Jesus did not return,
00:14:47.02\00:14:51.82
God came to a man
who just the day before
00:14:52.15\00:14:56.76
had wept and wept
until the day dawned
00:14:56.79\00:15:00.76
and gave him a word of
encouragement that help lead
00:15:00.93\00:15:04.57
the discouraged flock
into what it is today.
00:15:04.60\00:15:08.00
You've probably
heard of this man.
00:15:09.40\00:15:11.07
His name was Hiram Edson.
00:15:11.31\00:15:13.68
And as Hiram Edson
on October 23, 1844,
00:15:13.94\00:15:18.31
the day after, him and a
friend of his, Owen Crosier,
00:15:18.35\00:15:22.58
were walking through a
corn field on their way
00:15:22.62\00:15:25.95
to go speak some
words of encouragement
00:15:26.05\00:15:28.22
to the disappointed flock.
00:15:28.26\00:15:30.53
According to the history,
as Edson was going through this
00:15:32.36\00:15:35.86
corn field, he was
hit with the realization
00:15:35.90\00:15:39.23
that the Sanctuary and the
cleansing of it wasn't the earth
00:15:39.33\00:15:43.51
but it was the
Sanctuary in heaven.
00:15:43.64\00:15:46.41
In fact, in Hiram
Edson's own words, he says,
00:15:46.78\00:15:50.38
"The Sanctuary I
saw is in heaven.
00:15:50.41\00:15:53.35
And Jesus entered yesterday
upon the work of cleansing it."
00:15:53.52\00:15:58.02
This was the first
theological concept
00:15:58.35\00:16:01.52
that would help form
ultimately the doctrine
00:16:01.62\00:16:04.79
of the investigative judgment.
00:16:04.83\00:16:07.63
This doctrine was fundamental,
it was ground breaking,
00:16:07.66\00:16:11.63
it was ultimately a
paradigm shift for the
00:16:11.73\00:16:15.84
early advent believers.
00:16:15.87\00:16:17.27
For before this, they believed
the Sanctuary was the earth.
00:16:17.31\00:16:20.94
The paradigm shift
from the earth to the
00:16:20.98\00:16:23.91
Sanctuary in the heavens.
00:16:23.95\00:16:25.68
In a special sense we
could actually say that the
00:16:25.88\00:16:30.35
Seventh-day Adventist Church
was born in that corn field.
00:16:30.39\00:16:35.52
That's how fundamental
this understanding of the
00:16:36.32\00:16:39.69
heavenly Sanctuary was.
00:16:39.73\00:16:42.16
Biblical fact number two was the
teaching or the understanding
00:16:43.57\00:16:48.67
of the two
compartment ministry of Jesus
00:16:48.70\00:16:51.61
in the heavenly Sanctuary.
00:16:51.64\00:16:53.01
Sitting around a round table
a couple of days after this
00:16:54.98\00:16:59.85
experience in the corn field,
Hiram Edson, Owen Crosier,
00:16:59.88\00:17:07.19
and another friend by
the name of Dr. F. B. Hahn
00:17:07.96\00:17:11.33
were there with their
Bibles open, two copies of the
00:17:11.99\00:17:15.60
Cruden's Concordance, and
a mess of Millerite material.
00:17:15.63\00:17:21.10
As they began to pour
themselves over the study
00:17:21.14\00:17:23.94
of God's Word to get
a better understanding
00:17:23.97\00:17:26.91
of this new found belief or
this new found understanding
00:17:26.94\00:17:30.15
of the Sanctuary being
the Sanctuary in heaven.
00:17:30.18\00:17:32.95
As they poured
themselves over Scripture,
00:17:33.11\00:17:35.48
they came over some
fascinating passages
00:17:35.52\00:17:37.79
such as Hebrews
chapter 8 and chapter 9.
00:17:37.82\00:17:40.66
And as they began to go
through these Bible passages,
00:17:40.69\00:17:43.49
prayerfully studying them,
gaining a deeper understanding
00:17:43.59\00:17:47.06
of this Sanctuary in
heaven, they began to understand
00:17:47.10\00:17:51.17
that if they wanted to
understand what Jesus was
00:17:51.20\00:17:53.40
doing in the heavenly Sanctuary,
they needed to go back and
00:17:53.44\00:17:56.67
look at what happened
in the earthly Sanctuary.
00:17:56.71\00:17:59.11
For the earthly was a
reflection of the heavenly.
00:17:59.14\00:18:03.08
As they began to
read the books of Moses,
00:18:05.21\00:18:07.68
it did not take them long,
these three lay Bible scholars,
00:18:08.62\00:18:12.82
to come to the understanding
that with the earthly Sanctuary
00:18:13.49\00:18:19.29
there was two
compartments in the Sanctuary;
00:18:19.59\00:18:21.90
the Holy and the Most Holy.
00:18:21.93\00:18:23.26
Of course, there
was the court place too.
00:18:23.30\00:18:24.63
But the Holy and the Most Holy.
00:18:24.67\00:18:26.00
And in the Holy Place
and the Most Holy Place,
00:18:26.03\00:18:28.10
there were two services;
the daily and the yearly.
00:18:28.20\00:18:33.14
And as they began to delve into
the daily and yearly services
00:18:33.51\00:18:36.88
and what the significance
of those two services were,
00:18:36.91\00:18:40.02
it began to give them
a broader understanding
00:18:40.22\00:18:43.59
of the ministry
of Jesus in heaven.
00:18:43.62\00:18:46.52
Because as
Seventh-day Adventists, we know
00:18:46.86\00:18:50.23
what Jesus is doing in heaven.
00:18:50.26\00:18:51.63
Would you say amen?
00:18:51.66\00:18:52.99
So as they study their Bibles,
they came to the realization
00:18:54.26\00:18:57.53
that from the ascension
of Jesus to October 22, 1844
00:18:57.63\00:19:02.30
Jesus was doing His
work in the Holy Place
00:19:02.34\00:19:05.11
of the heavenly Sanctuary;
doing the work of forgiveness.
00:19:05.14\00:19:08.51
But on October 22,
1844, He shifted His ministry
00:19:08.54\00:19:12.88
from the Holy to the
Most Holy, and began this work
00:19:13.05\00:19:16.69
of purification of
the heavenly Sanctuary.
00:19:16.79\00:19:19.95
Now this was a
significant finding.
00:19:21.02\00:19:22.96
For if you understand
that many evangelical churches,
00:19:22.99\00:19:26.80
they mainly focus on, not
the ministry that we understand,
00:19:26.90\00:19:31.83
but rather what Jesus
has done in the court place.
00:19:31.87\00:19:35.27
Now we believe in
the sacrifice of Jesus.
00:19:35.30\00:19:38.37
We understand the
significance of the cross
00:19:38.41\00:19:40.78
and what happened there.
00:19:40.88\00:19:42.34
But many
evangelicals stop there.
00:19:42.38\00:19:44.78
But Seventh-day Adventists
who are biblical follow Jesus
00:19:44.81\00:19:48.98
from the courtyard
into the Holy Place.
00:19:49.02\00:19:51.75
And then they follow
Jesus from the Holy Place
00:19:51.79\00:19:54.06
into the Most Holy Place.
00:19:54.16\00:19:55.49
Would you say amen?
00:19:55.52\00:19:56.86
So as Seventh-day Adventists,
we have a broader understanding
00:19:57.03\00:20:00.80
of the ministry of
Jesus, praise the Lord,
00:20:00.83\00:20:03.67
based off of the
study of these godly men.
00:20:03.70\00:20:06.80
So the first biblical
fact that they learned was
00:20:07.17\00:20:10.74
the understanding of
the heavenly Sanctuary.
00:20:10.77\00:20:13.04
The second biblical fact
was the understanding of the
00:20:13.07\00:20:16.01
two phased ministry in
the Holy and the Most Holy.
00:20:16.04\00:20:20.02
The third biblical
fact that they came to,
00:20:20.18\00:20:23.92
or the third biblical fact that
they gained an understanding of
00:20:23.95\00:20:27.19
was the understanding of
the blotting out of sins.
00:20:27.29\00:20:31.43
The blotting out of sins.
00:20:31.66\00:20:33.43
In February of 1846,
Owen Crosier was approached
00:20:33.83\00:20:42.37
by his two friends, F.
B. Hahn and Hiram Edson.
00:20:42.40\00:20:47.01
Owen was a gifted
writer, and so they asked him,
00:20:47.71\00:20:51.68
"Listen, we've been studying
the Bible for quite some time.
00:20:51.71\00:20:55.32
We've gained a
deep understanding.
00:20:55.52\00:20:57.35
And now it's time
to write this stuff out
00:20:57.39\00:20:59.95
and to get it out there.
00:20:59.99\00:21:01.36
So they asked Owen to begin
to write down their findings
00:21:02.09\00:21:05.66
in an article that would be
published in a small publication
00:21:05.69\00:21:09.80
called, The Day-Star.
00:21:10.47\00:21:11.90
And Owen Crosier
took their advice and he
00:21:12.43\00:21:16.94
wrote this article out.
00:21:16.97\00:21:18.31
Now it's a lengthy article.
00:21:18.34\00:21:19.67
We don't have time
to go into all that.
00:21:19.71\00:21:21.04
You can go back and
dig it up in your study.
00:21:21.08\00:21:23.24
And it's well worth your read.
00:21:23.28\00:21:24.81
But in that article, he
made a fascinating connection
00:21:25.21\00:21:30.12
between the earthly
Sanctuary's two phase ministry
00:21:30.15\00:21:34.52
in the Holy and the Most
Holy and that connection and
00:21:34.56\00:21:37.09
application to what is happening
in the heavenly Sanctuary.
00:21:37.13\00:21:41.23
And this is what Owen
Crosier said in his article
00:21:41.26\00:21:44.50
in, The Day-Star.
00:21:44.53\00:21:45.87
He said, "The atonement which
the priest made for the people
00:21:45.90\00:21:49.90
in connection with the
daily ministration was different
00:21:49.94\00:21:53.74
from that made on the
tenth day of the seventh month."
00:21:53.78\00:21:56.34
Or on the Day of Atonement.
00:21:56.38\00:21:57.85
"The first, or the daily
service, was made for the
00:21:59.05\00:22:03.62
forgiveness of sins.
00:22:03.65\00:22:05.75
The second, or the latter,
for the blotting of them out."
00:22:06.22\00:22:12.23
So Owen came to
this connection that the
00:22:13.03\00:22:15.76
first phase ministry
of Jesus in the Holy Place
00:22:15.80\00:22:19.10
was the ministry of
forgiving people of their sins.
00:22:19.13\00:22:22.74
But when Jesus moved from
the Holy into the Most Holy,
00:22:22.77\00:22:26.27
He began the work
of blotting sins out,
00:22:26.31\00:22:29.51
of cleansing the
Sanctuary of sin.
00:22:29.54\00:22:33.11
That was a pivotal
understanding in the development
00:22:33.21\00:22:37.49
of the
investigative judgment doctrine.
00:22:37.52\00:22:41.02
Now it so happened that
it appears like Ellen White
00:22:41.06\00:22:44.69
was either on their mailing
list or somehow she got a copy
00:22:44.73\00:22:48.60
of Crosier's article.
00:22:48.63\00:22:50.33
And when she read it,
the historical account is
00:22:50.83\00:22:53.77
that she was thrilled by
what she heard Crosier say.
00:22:53.80\00:22:57.57
She was excited as she
read the writing of Crosier.
00:22:57.71\00:23:01.91
Her visions that she received
confirmed Crosier's findings
00:23:01.94\00:23:09.68
that he wrote about
the heavenly Sanctuary.
00:23:09.72\00:23:12.25
Now it's important to
note here that Owen Crosier,
00:23:12.29\00:23:15.56
F. B. Hahn, and Hiram
Edson did not know about
00:23:15.59\00:23:19.39
Ellen White's
visions at this point.
00:23:19.43\00:23:21.30
At this point, it was a
lot of blood, sweat, and tears
00:23:21.46\00:23:24.23
pouring over the Bible, pouring
over the Cruden's Concordance,
00:23:24.27\00:23:27.80
and obviously spending
a lot of time in prayer.
00:23:27.90\00:23:30.71
Later, after Ellen White
read this article by Crosier,
00:23:34.01\00:23:37.61
this is what she said:
00:23:38.01\00:23:39.35
In, Word to the Little
Flock, page 12, she said,
00:23:39.55\00:23:44.99
"The Lord showed me in
vision...that Brother Crosier
00:23:45.02\00:23:49.66
had the true light..."
00:23:49.69\00:23:51.79
What did he have?
00:23:51.83\00:23:53.16
Does God lead His people
in the study of His Word?
00:23:53.73\00:23:56.13
Come on now.
00:23:56.67\00:23:58.00
Does God lead His people
in the study of His Word?
00:23:58.33\00:24:00.87
Amen. Amen.
00:24:00.90\00:24:02.47
"The Lord showed me in
vision...that Brother Crosier
00:24:03.41\00:24:06.71
had the true light on the
cleansing of the Sanctuary,
00:24:06.74\00:24:09.58
and that it was His will,"
God's will, "that Brother C."
00:24:09.81\00:24:15.32
or Brother Crosier,
"should write out the view which
00:24:15.35\00:24:19.45
he gave us in the Day-Star,
Extra, February 7, 1846."
00:24:19.55\00:24:24.26
Listen to this:
00:24:24.29\00:24:25.63
Ellen White says, "I feel
fully authorized by the Lord
00:24:25.66\00:24:30.17
to recommend that
Extra to every saint."
00:24:30.20\00:24:35.64
Full endorsement of what
Crosier wrote in that article.
00:24:37.14\00:24:42.74
Now, the doctrine of
the blotting out of sins
00:24:42.78\00:24:46.01
in the heavenly
Sanctuary was another truth,
00:24:46.05\00:24:48.68
it was one of the four truths,
that lead to the ultimate
00:24:48.72\00:24:51.92
conclusion of the
investigative judgment.
00:24:51.95\00:24:54.79
But at this point they
still did not quite connect
00:24:55.66\00:25:00.06
their findings
with the judgment.
00:25:00.26\00:25:02.66
The Lord was still leading them,
the Lord was still guiding them
00:25:02.70\00:25:05.37
in their study
of the Word of God.
00:25:05.40\00:25:08.50
But they still had
not made that connection.
00:25:08.54\00:25:10.81
In fact, it wasn't
for another seven years
00:25:10.84\00:25:14.48
until they finally made
the definitive connection
00:25:15.28\00:25:18.25
with what they had studied being
connected with the judgment.
00:25:18.28\00:25:21.28
In fact, it's interesting,
in 1845 history shows that
00:25:23.59\00:25:29.92
William Miller
actually made the connection.
00:25:29.96\00:25:32.66
But most of the
early advent believers
00:25:33.63\00:25:35.90
missed that connection.
00:25:35.93\00:25:37.67
It wasn't until years
later that J. N. Loughborough,
00:25:38.53\00:25:42.37
the great
historian, made the connection.
00:25:42.40\00:25:44.07
And this was the connection:
00:25:44.11\00:25:45.44
Two key passages
that we understand as
00:25:46.04\00:25:48.44
Seventh-day Adventists.
00:25:48.48\00:25:49.81
In fact, you've got
them rooted and grounded
00:25:49.84\00:25:51.95
in your long-term memory.
00:25:51.98\00:25:53.62
You and I, as Adventists
today, we take it for granted
00:25:53.65\00:25:58.82
the knowledge that
we have in our mind.
00:25:58.85\00:26:00.96
But that knowledge that we
have today came out of many
00:26:00.99\00:26:05.29
hours of Bible study and prayer.
00:26:05.33\00:26:07.46
And we should treasure
the knowledge that we have.
00:26:07.50\00:26:09.86
That was a weak, "amen."
00:26:10.83\00:26:12.23
Come on now.
00:26:13.70\00:26:15.04
Amen? Amen.
00:26:15.30\00:26:17.31
Two Bible passages.
00:26:18.37\00:26:19.91
This is the two Bible passages.
00:26:20.78\00:26:23.58
Daniel 8:14
00:26:25.38\00:26:28.22
"Unto two thousand
and three hundred days,
00:26:29.12\00:26:30.99
then shall the
sanctuary be cleansed."
00:26:31.02\00:26:33.66
See, you've got it in there.
00:26:33.86\00:26:35.19
Revelation 14:7,
"The hour of His..."
00:26:35.82\00:26:41.00
What? "...is come."
00:26:42.06\00:26:44.47
It took years for the
early advent believers
00:26:45.30\00:26:49.00
to make the connection that
the cleansing of the Sanctuary
00:26:49.04\00:26:52.71
in Daniel 8:14 and
the hour of God's judgment
00:26:52.74\00:26:56.11
in Revelation 14:7 is talking
about the same exact event.
00:26:56.14\00:26:59.61
It took years of Bible study.
00:27:02.12\00:27:04.42
The fourth biblical fact
was the fact of the judgment.
00:27:04.75\00:27:10.16
And when they finally
had all of these pieces
00:27:10.46\00:27:13.26
and these ingredients put
together, they were able to
00:27:13.29\00:27:16.70
come to the conclusion
that on October 22, 1844
00:27:16.73\00:27:21.44
Jesus entered in to the work
of the investigative judgment.
00:27:21.54\00:27:27.01
It was a long process
that led to this conclusion.
00:27:27.04\00:27:31.11
This brief analysis of
the history of the development
00:27:31.91\00:27:36.38
of this doctrine...
00:27:36.42\00:27:37.75
I don't want you
to miss this point.
00:27:39.02\00:27:40.89
...came out of much
Bible study and prayer.
00:27:41.62\00:27:43.99
Where did it come from?
00:27:44.03\00:27:45.36
Much Bible study...
00:27:46.33\00:27:48.43
Years of Bible study and prayer.
00:27:48.46\00:27:51.73
Pouring
themselves over Scripture.
00:27:52.80\00:27:54.30
Listen, today we
are lazy when it comes
00:27:54.34\00:27:58.37
to studying God's Word.
00:27:58.41\00:27:59.74
These brothers and
sisters back in the day,
00:27:59.77\00:28:01.91
they would
spend countless hours.
00:28:01.94\00:28:03.98
And they didn't have the fancy
equipment that we have today.
00:28:04.01\00:28:06.78
They didn't have the computer.
00:28:06.82\00:28:08.98
They weren't able
to do a word search,
00:28:09.02\00:28:11.32
and all that kind of stuff.
00:28:11.35\00:28:12.69
All they had was the Bible,
and the Cruden's Concordance,
00:28:12.72\00:28:15.46
and the Holy Spirit.
00:28:15.49\00:28:16.83
And that's all you
need to study God's Word.
00:28:16.86\00:28:18.73
Come on now.
00:28:19.66\00:28:21.00
I don't want you
to miss this point.
00:28:24.03\00:28:25.43
The doctrine of the
investigative judgment
00:28:27.44\00:28:29.17
was birthed out of Bible study.
00:28:29.20\00:28:31.07
The doctrine of the
investigative judgment...
00:28:32.14\00:28:34.88
If you forget everything
that I've said this evening,
00:28:34.91\00:28:37.18
don't forget this.
00:28:37.21\00:28:38.55
The doctrine of the
investigative judgment
00:28:39.35\00:28:41.88
is not a doctrine
of Ellen G. White.
00:28:41.92\00:28:44.92
Ellen White teaches it,
Ellen White writes about it,
00:28:47.16\00:28:50.73
and Ellen White believed in it.
00:28:50.76\00:28:52.43
But it was not a
doctrine of Ellen White.
00:28:52.46\00:28:55.76
The doctrine of the
investigative judgment
00:28:57.43\00:28:59.77
is a doctrine of Scripture.
00:28:59.80\00:29:02.17
And tonight I submit to
you again that this doctrine is
00:29:04.34\00:29:09.24
one hundred percent biblical.
00:29:09.34\00:29:13.21
And if anybody tells you that
it is a doctrine of Ellen White,
00:29:14.15\00:29:18.22
they are
misinformed and they are leading
00:29:18.32\00:29:21.12
you in the wrong direction.
00:29:21.16\00:29:22.56
And that is not the
spirit that we want to
00:29:22.82\00:29:24.76
follow as God's people.
00:29:24.79\00:29:26.13
Now tonight I want to
take just a few moments
00:29:28.46\00:29:30.17
to quickly share
with you from Scripture
00:29:30.20\00:29:32.57
how this doctrine is biblical.
00:29:33.84\00:29:35.60
And for that I want
you to quickly turn with me
00:29:36.14\00:29:37.81
in your Bibles to the book
of Ecclesiastes chapter 12.
00:29:37.84\00:29:40.71
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
00:29:45.81\00:29:49.05
Again, this is another
passage that we have rooted
00:29:49.08\00:29:52.55
in our minds, in
our long-term memory.
00:29:52.59\00:29:54.92
The Bible says this,
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14,
00:29:56.29\00:29:59.59
"Let us hear the
conclusion of the whole matter:
00:29:59.63\00:30:02.96
Fear God, and
keep his commandments;
00:30:04.67\00:30:08.10
for this is the
whole duty of man."
00:30:08.37\00:30:10.14
You cannot miss
the connection with the
00:30:10.17\00:30:11.94
first angel's message there.
00:30:11.97\00:30:13.31
Verse 14, "For God shall
bring every work into judgment,
00:30:14.48\00:30:20.52
with every secret
thing, whether it be good
00:30:20.78\00:30:23.79
or whether it be evil."
00:30:24.02\00:30:25.55
Will there come a
time that God will judge?
00:30:25.59\00:30:28.59
Yes or no?
00:30:28.62\00:30:29.96
You can't deny it.
00:30:30.19\00:30:31.53
Scripture says that God
is going to judge our works,
00:30:31.56\00:30:35.50
whether they're good
or whether they're evil.
00:30:35.53\00:30:37.63
They will be brought
into this time of judgment.
00:30:37.67\00:30:40.44
There is no question
about it that the Bible teaches
00:30:40.47\00:30:43.84
a judgment that is to come.
00:30:43.87\00:30:45.64
And by virtue of a judgment,
00:30:45.67\00:30:48.64
there must exist
an investigation.
00:30:48.68\00:30:52.01
Have you ever heard of a court
case that had no investigation?
00:30:52.58\00:30:56.82
By its very existence
the concept of a judgment,
00:30:57.42\00:31:01.09
by its very existence
there is an investigation
00:31:01.12\00:31:03.99
into the evidence so
that a decision can be made.
00:31:04.03\00:31:06.96
So when the Bible introduces
this idea of a judgment,
00:31:07.50\00:31:10.50
it's already assumed
that there's going to be
00:31:10.53\00:31:13.17
an investigation
into the evidence.
00:31:13.20\00:31:15.27
And Solomon tells us
what the evidence is.
00:31:15.30\00:31:18.04
The good and the bad works.
00:31:18.07\00:31:20.41
I want to pose to you
two questions tonight.
00:31:23.01\00:31:24.95
I'm going to do my
best to answer them
00:31:26.35\00:31:27.68
in the time that I have.
00:31:27.72\00:31:29.05
Two questions.
00:31:30.82\00:31:32.15
When does the investigative
judgment take place?
00:31:32.79\00:31:36.32
And who is the
investigative judgment for?
00:31:38.03\00:31:40.13
For the first one, I invite you
to turn with me in your Bibles
00:31:41.06\00:31:43.33
to the book of Daniel.
00:31:43.37\00:31:44.70
Daniel the 7th chapter.
00:31:47.00\00:31:48.57
The case for a pre-advent
investigative judgment
00:31:48.67\00:31:51.24
is anchored in our
chronological understanding
00:31:51.27\00:31:53.54
of the book of Daniel.
00:31:53.58\00:31:54.91
You can't get around it.
00:31:55.74\00:31:57.08
You have to have
the book of Daniel.
00:31:57.11\00:31:58.91
The book of
Daniel just reveals to us
00:31:58.95\00:32:01.38
when it happens
and how it happens.
00:32:01.42\00:32:05.52
Now as you're turning there,
you know that Daniel chapter 7,
00:32:06.19\00:32:09.82
the first part of it
we're very familiar with.
00:32:09.86\00:32:11.49
You've heard it in evangelistic
series multiple times.
00:32:11.53\00:32:14.06
You have this
succession of earthly kingdoms.
00:32:14.16\00:32:16.87
Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece,
Rome, division of Europe,
00:32:17.00\00:32:21.44
and then the Papacy.
00:32:21.47\00:32:22.80
But it's what happens
after that which often times
00:32:23.41\00:32:26.41
is not really elaborated on.
00:32:26.44\00:32:28.28
And that's where we want to take
a look at in our study tonight.
00:32:28.81\00:32:31.78
Daniel chapter 7
beginning in verse 9,
00:32:31.81\00:32:35.08
this is the part that's
of interest to us tonight.
00:32:35.12\00:32:38.35
Daniel says this...
00:32:39.49\00:32:40.82
"I beheld till the
thrones were cast down..."
00:32:44.76\00:32:47.20
Some translations
say, "put in place."
00:32:47.30\00:32:49.43
"...and the Ancient of
days did sit, whose garment was
00:32:50.27\00:32:54.77
white as snow, and the
hair of his head like pure wool.
00:32:54.80\00:32:59.24
His throne was like a
fiery flame, and his wheels
00:32:59.54\00:33:03.14
as burning fire.
00:33:03.18\00:33:04.58
A fiery stream issued and
came forth from before him.
00:33:04.61\00:33:09.75
Thousand thousands
ministered unto him,
00:33:09.85\00:33:12.29
and ten thousand times
ten thousand stood before him.
00:33:12.32\00:33:15.79
The judgment was set,
and the books were opened."
00:33:15.82\00:33:21.20
Now notice what
it says in verse 13.
00:33:21.23\00:33:22.80
"And I saw in the
night visions, and behold,
00:33:22.90\00:33:25.93
one like the Son of man
came with the clouds of heaven,
00:33:25.97\00:33:29.07
and came to the Ancient
of days, and they brought
00:33:29.30\00:33:33.07
him near before him."
00:33:33.11\00:33:36.44
In Daniel chapter
7, there is a sequence
00:33:39.31\00:33:43.32
that is repeated three times.
00:33:43.35\00:33:45.49
And if you're not
familiar with the terminology
00:33:46.09\00:33:48.56
and what's going on there,
you might miss that sequence.
00:33:48.59\00:33:51.99
And that sequence is
critical to understand
00:33:52.03\00:33:55.33
to the understanding of
the investigative judgment.
00:33:55.53\00:33:57.63
The sequence that
is repeated three times
00:33:58.13\00:34:01.44
is this: fourth beast, ten
horns, little horn, judgment.
00:34:01.47\00:34:09.68
Fourth beast, ten
horns, little horn, judgment.
00:34:10.18\00:34:16.02
Fourth beast, ten
horns, little horn, judgment.
00:34:16.38\00:34:21.69
Did you catch it? Yes or no?
00:34:21.72\00:34:23.06
That sequence is repeated
three times in Daniel chapter 7.
00:34:23.96\00:34:28.16
Don't take my word for it.
00:34:28.20\00:34:30.17
Go back and check
it out for yourself.
00:34:30.20\00:34:32.00
It is there.
00:34:32.03\00:34:33.37
Three times
Daniel goes through that.
00:34:33.40\00:34:35.07
And he does it for a reason.
00:34:35.17\00:34:36.87
Because he's trying to
help us see in point of time
00:34:36.91\00:34:40.14
when the investigative
judgment or when this judgment
00:34:40.34\00:34:43.14
that he talks
about would take place.
00:34:43.18\00:34:45.48
And according to
Daniel's sequence, the judgment
00:34:45.51\00:34:48.78
in heaven would
take place after what?
00:34:48.82\00:34:52.55
After the little horn.
00:34:55.29\00:34:57.69
Did you catch the sequence?
00:34:59.66\00:35:01.00
Fourth beast, ten
horns, little horn, judgment.
00:35:02.16\00:35:07.64
So the judgment,
according to Daniel,
00:35:08.14\00:35:09.87
according to the sequence,
would happen sometime after
00:35:09.90\00:35:14.41
the arise of the little horn.
00:35:14.44\00:35:16.24
But the great thing is,
Daniel doesn't just leave us
00:35:16.28\00:35:18.81
hanging there.
00:35:18.85\00:35:20.18
He gives us more information.
00:35:20.22\00:35:21.68
He hedges it in a little
bit more for us so that we can
00:35:21.72\00:35:25.35
better identify when
this thing would happen.
00:35:25.39\00:35:28.16
And that happens
in the third sequence
00:35:28.19\00:35:31.49
in Daniel 7:26.
00:35:31.53\00:35:34.06
This is what Daniel says.
00:35:34.10\00:35:35.43
He says, "But the
judgment shall sit..."
00:35:35.46\00:35:38.70
The judgment what?
00:35:38.73\00:35:40.07
Will sit.
00:35:40.37\00:35:41.70
"...and they shall take
away his," or the little horn,
00:35:42.44\00:35:47.01
the antichrist,
"dominion, to consume
00:35:47.04\00:35:50.88
and to destroy it unto the end."
00:35:51.08\00:35:53.55
So now what Daniel does
is he says, "Listen, not only
00:35:53.58\00:35:56.58
is the judgment happening after
the arise of the little horn,"
00:35:56.62\00:35:59.99
but now he tells us
that it's going to happen
00:36:00.52\00:36:03.22
before its demise.
00:36:03.32\00:36:05.83
So he says the
judgment happens after the arise
00:36:06.36\00:36:09.83
of the little horn
but before its demise.
00:36:09.86\00:36:13.23
Did you catch that?
00:36:13.34\00:36:14.67
It happens before the
arise of the little horn...
00:36:14.70\00:36:17.37
Or after the arise of the little
horn, but before its demise.
00:36:18.37\00:36:22.61
Now according to Paul's writings
in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2,
00:36:22.64\00:36:26.48
Paul tells us when it
is that the little horn
00:36:27.95\00:36:30.69
will be destroyed.
00:36:30.72\00:36:32.05
Notice this, just jot it down
in your notes real quickly here,
00:36:32.99\00:36:35.22
2 Thessalonians 2:8
00:36:35.26\00:36:36.86
This Bible says this,
"And then shall that Wicked,"
00:36:36.89\00:36:40.26
or the man of sin, the
antichrist, "be revealed,
00:36:40.46\00:36:43.20
whom the Lord shall consume
with the spirit of his mouth,
00:36:43.23\00:36:47.44
and shall destroy..."
00:36:47.47\00:36:49.47
Finish it for me.
00:36:49.50\00:36:50.84
"...with the
brightness of his coming."
00:36:51.04\00:36:54.18
What do we call His coming?
00:36:54.21\00:36:55.84
The second coming.
00:36:56.38\00:36:57.71
So Paul really
narrows it down for us.
00:36:57.98\00:37:00.72
And as we compare these
two passages of Daniel 7 and
00:37:00.75\00:37:03.55
Paul's writings
in 2 Thessalonians,
00:37:03.59\00:37:05.39
we conclude that
the judgment in Daniel 7
00:37:05.42\00:37:08.89
would happen after the
arise of the antichrist
00:37:08.99\00:37:11.93
but before the
second coming of Jesus.
00:37:11.96\00:37:14.40
Therefore, the
judgment in Daniel 7
00:37:14.43\00:37:17.57
is a pre-advent judgment.
00:37:17.60\00:37:20.10
Come on, somebody say amen.
00:37:21.30\00:37:22.80
Listen, we don't follow
cunningly devised fables.
00:37:23.61\00:37:26.27
We don't listen to
the teachings of men.
00:37:26.74\00:37:28.78
If you don't understand
this, Ellen White tells us
00:37:28.81\00:37:32.08
everybody should
have a clear understanding
00:37:32.11\00:37:34.42
of the investigative judgment.
00:37:34.45\00:37:36.99
And if you don't have a
good understanding of it,
00:37:37.02\00:37:39.39
I appeal to you
tonight, when you get home
00:37:39.42\00:37:42.62
make it your study.
00:37:42.66\00:37:43.99
Because this is what's
going on in heaven right now.
00:37:45.36\00:37:47.66
I don't want you to miss
something here in Daniel 7.
00:37:55.00\00:37:56.94
It's easy to go over it.
00:37:56.97\00:37:58.64
But the other thing
that Daniel mentions here
00:38:00.31\00:38:02.94
is that there will be
books that will be opened.
00:38:04.98\00:38:07.15
Everything that
anybody has ever said or done
00:38:08.62\00:38:11.75
will be reviewed in
this time of great judgment.
00:38:11.79\00:38:15.02
And that should give you
some pause to think about
00:38:16.06\00:38:18.03
as you are reflecting upon
the study here this evening.
00:38:18.59\00:38:22.26
Now as I've mentioned tonight,
we've seen in Daniel 7 that the
00:38:23.70\00:38:27.07
judgment happens after
the rise of the antichrist
00:38:27.10\00:38:29.90
but before the second coming.
00:38:29.94\00:38:31.27
But it's in Daniel chapter
8 that we're really able to
00:38:31.41\00:38:33.64
pinpoint when
this thing happens.
00:38:33.68\00:38:35.08
And I've got a chart,
they're going to flash it
00:38:35.11\00:38:36.44
up on the screen
here for you tonight.
00:38:36.48\00:38:38.08
You can take a picture
of it with your smartphone
00:38:38.11\00:38:39.78
and go back and study it.
00:38:39.81\00:38:41.15
Listen, we need to be
Bereans here and go back
00:38:41.18\00:38:43.49
and study this
stuff for ourself.
00:38:43.52\00:38:44.85
Not just because some presenter
at GYC has said these things.
00:38:44.89\00:38:47.99
We need to have this in our
own minds and understand it.
00:38:48.02\00:38:51.89
But as you compare
Daniel 7 with Daniel 8,
00:38:51.93\00:38:55.16
you will find that
again Daniel is following
00:38:55.20\00:38:58.07
the same sequence of
events that he already
00:38:58.10\00:39:01.07
talked about in
Daniel chapter 7.
00:39:01.10\00:39:02.67
He's repeating it
again in Daniel chapter 8.
00:39:02.70\00:39:04.67
He's doing this method of what
we call, repeat and enlarge.
00:39:05.07\00:39:08.74
He repeats what he said
and then he enlarges upon it
00:39:08.78\00:39:11.21
in Daniel chapter 8.
00:39:11.25\00:39:12.58
So what we find is
that in Daniel 7 there's the
00:39:13.98\00:39:17.42
lion, the bear, the leopard,
the dragon, the ten horns,
00:39:17.45\00:39:19.92
the little horn,
and then the judgment.
00:39:19.95\00:39:21.42
In Daniel 8 you have the
ram, the goat, the little horn,
00:39:21.52\00:39:24.23
or Rome, and then the little
horn again, which is the Papacy,
00:39:24.39\00:39:27.23
and then the
cleansing of the Sanctuary.
00:39:27.26\00:39:28.80
As you compare these
two chapters, you've got to
00:39:28.83\00:39:31.70
go at this
yourself and hammer it out
00:39:31.73\00:39:33.44
so that it's clear in your mind.
00:39:33.47\00:39:34.84
But as you compare these
two chapters, what you find
00:39:34.87\00:39:37.34
is that the judgment in
Daniel chapter 7 in heaven
00:39:37.37\00:39:40.94
is the same as the cleansing
of the Sanctuary in Daniel 8.
00:39:40.98\00:39:44.25
It's the same thing.
00:39:45.05\00:39:46.38
And from that we can
pinpoint when that judgment
00:39:47.08\00:39:50.69
would take place.
00:39:50.72\00:39:52.05
And we don't have time
to go into that tonight,
00:39:52.09\00:39:53.42
but there are lots
of great Bible studies
00:39:53.46\00:39:55.82
that you can take
or that you can look at
00:39:55.92\00:39:57.96
that go through the 2300 days.
00:39:57.99\00:39:59.83
I must hasten on.
00:40:00.80\00:40:02.40
The second question I want
to pose to you tonight is this:
00:40:02.66\00:40:05.37
Who is the
pre-advent judgment for?
00:40:05.80\00:40:09.47
Who is the pre-advent
investigative judgment for?
00:40:10.91\00:40:13.81
Critics of the investigative
judgment will say this:
00:40:15.04\00:40:17.25
"There's no need for
the investigative judgment
00:40:17.28\00:40:19.45
because God knows everything."
00:40:20.48\00:40:23.18
God is omniscient.
00:40:24.55\00:40:26.12
He knows all things.
00:40:26.15\00:40:27.56
He knows the end
from the beginning.
00:40:27.59\00:40:29.42
He knows all the decisions
that people are going to make;
00:40:29.46\00:40:32.36
who's going to be saved
and who's going to be lost.
00:40:32.39\00:40:34.50
If God is
omniscient, why is there a need
00:40:34.53\00:40:39.13
for an investigative judgment.
00:40:39.17\00:40:40.94
What's the point in it anyways?
00:40:40.97\00:40:42.57
Now I don't think any Bible
believing Seventh-day Adventist
00:40:43.94\00:40:46.04
would argue with the
fact that God is omniscient.
00:40:46.07\00:40:48.01
God does know everything.
00:40:48.04\00:40:49.51
So what is it for?
00:40:49.88\00:40:51.21
What's the purpose of
the investigative judgment?
00:40:51.25\00:40:53.25
Now there is a number
of text we could go to,
00:40:53.98\00:40:56.65
but we're already in Daniel 7.
00:40:56.69\00:40:58.02
And I just want to use
what we've already looked at
00:40:58.05\00:40:59.82
to answer this question.
00:40:59.85\00:41:01.22
As we look at the
judgment in Daniel 7,
00:41:01.56\00:41:04.06
we find that the Bible
describes who is there.
00:41:04.09\00:41:07.10
We have the Ancient of
Days, God the Father Himself,
00:41:07.40\00:41:10.10
we have the Son of Man,
Jesus Christ, who is there,
00:41:10.27\00:41:13.20
and then we have this
great throng of heavenly beings.
00:41:13.30\00:41:17.81
Ten thousand times ten thousand,
and thousands of thousands.
00:41:18.01\00:41:21.54
Now we already
know God is omniscient.
00:41:21.58\00:41:23.61
We already know
that Jesus is omniscient.
00:41:23.65\00:41:25.91
But I'm here to tell you this
evening that the angels are not.
00:41:25.95\00:41:29.38
The angels are not omniscient.
00:41:31.15\00:41:33.05
And during the
investigative judgment
00:41:33.22\00:41:35.22
God is revealing to them why He
made the decisions that He made.
00:41:35.42\00:41:41.36
He's showing them the
records of why He has chosen
00:41:41.80\00:41:47.00
certain individuals to be
saved based on the evidence,
00:41:47.04\00:41:50.31
not arbitrarily, but
based on their evidence,
00:41:50.34\00:41:52.74
and why others have been lost.
00:41:53.64\00:41:57.48
And this is why we
have statements like this
00:41:58.61\00:42:00.18
in Revelation 3:5
where the Bible says,
00:42:00.22\00:42:02.42
"And he that
overcometh, the same shall be
00:42:02.65\00:42:06.22
clothed in white raiment;
00:42:06.25\00:42:07.62
and I will not blot out his
name out of the book of life..."
00:42:07.66\00:42:10.73
Listen to this, "...but I
will confess his name before
00:42:10.76\00:42:13.70
my Father, and
before the angels."
00:42:13.73\00:42:17.20
Luke 12:8, Jesus says this:
00:42:18.77\00:42:21.00
"Also I say unto you,
whosoever shall confess
00:42:21.04\00:42:24.87
me before men, him
shall the Son of man also
00:42:24.91\00:42:27.88
confess before
the angels of God."
00:42:27.91\00:42:32.61
The investigative judgment
does not decide who will be
00:42:33.88\00:42:36.08
saved or who will be lost.
00:42:36.12\00:42:37.55
The investigative
judgment reveals why God made
00:42:38.35\00:42:41.22
the decisions that He made.
00:42:41.26\00:42:42.59
Listen to me carefully.
00:42:44.89\00:42:46.23
God has to show
these heavenly beings
00:42:48.63\00:42:51.53
that there is a group
of people in Houston, Texas
00:42:53.27\00:42:57.87
who have been so thoroughly
transformed into His image
00:42:59.04\00:43:03.75
that although they at one
point were infected with sin
00:43:04.31\00:43:08.38
they have so much the
atmosphere of heaven in them
00:43:09.28\00:43:13.76
that they are safe to bring
into the kingdom of heaven.
00:43:14.06\00:43:17.66
God has to show...
00:43:20.50\00:43:21.93
Listen, the angels are
not interested in seeing
00:43:21.96\00:43:24.17
Lucifer's story repeated again.
00:43:24.20\00:43:26.20
And they want to see
us saved just as much as
00:43:28.40\00:43:30.61
God wants to see us saved.
00:43:30.64\00:43:32.34
But God wants them to be
convinced that yes there are
00:43:32.74\00:43:37.55
young people in Houston, Texas
who are so serious and dedicated
00:43:37.58\00:43:42.35
to God that they are like Enoch.
00:43:42.38\00:43:44.69
They walk with
God day after day.
00:43:44.72\00:43:47.36
They live in
the presence of God.
00:43:47.39\00:43:49.82
They live for Him,
they breathe for Him,
00:43:49.86\00:43:53.53
they work for Him.
00:43:53.56\00:43:55.33
Everything in their
life is revolving around God
00:43:55.36\00:43:58.77
and His soon coming.
00:43:58.80\00:44:00.14
And God wants to show
the angels that these people
00:44:00.17\00:44:03.67
are safe to take into
heaven without tarnishing
00:44:03.71\00:44:07.11
the atmosphere of heaven.
00:44:07.14\00:44:08.58
The question is,
will I be one of them?
00:44:10.48\00:44:13.78
The decision on behalf of the
dead has already taken place.
00:44:22.69\00:44:29.43
When man dies, his
destiny is already decided.
00:44:30.27\00:44:34.30
But for those of us
that are still alive,
00:44:35.67\00:44:37.84
that destiny is yet to be made.
00:44:39.91\00:44:41.91
It's unequivocal.
00:44:44.81\00:44:46.18
The Bible tells us in Acts 17:31
that God has appointed a day
00:44:47.65\00:44:54.16
in which He
will judge the world.
00:44:55.46\00:45:01.13
And that includes you.
00:45:02.76\00:45:04.17
And that includes me.
00:45:04.97\00:45:06.33
God has appointed a
time in which He will
00:45:07.47\00:45:11.51
judge the world.
00:45:11.91\00:45:14.41
And Peter brings
it home even more.
00:45:14.44\00:45:16.78
In 1 Peter 4:17 he
says, "For the time is come
00:45:17.71\00:45:21.78
that judgment must
begin at the house of God."
00:45:22.32\00:45:27.82
Every man, every
woman, every boy, every girl,
00:45:28.76\00:45:31.89
rich, poor, free, bond,
everybody who's ever existed
00:45:31.93\00:45:36.36
in this world who has
professed the name of Jesus
00:45:36.40\00:45:40.40
is the house of God.
00:45:40.44\00:45:41.94
And the Bible tells us that
judgment will start with them.
00:45:43.14\00:45:46.44
God reached back into
the recesses of history
00:45:46.47\00:45:50.41
and started with the very
first man at the beginning of
00:45:50.45\00:45:54.65
the investigative
judgment in October 22, 1844.
00:45:54.68\00:45:57.82
And since then, it has
progressed through time.
00:45:57.85\00:46:01.19
And we know not when it
will switch from the judgment
00:46:01.22\00:46:04.73
of the dead to the
judgment of the living.
00:46:04.76\00:46:07.70
And that, my young
friends, should give you
00:46:07.73\00:46:10.47
pause in your life.
00:46:10.50\00:46:12.37
It was 1821, there was a
young man by the name of Charles
00:46:19.07\00:46:25.35
who landed a
job in a law office.
00:46:26.45\00:46:29.58
He wanted to be a lawyer.
00:46:30.55\00:46:31.89
He was getting
training how to do that.
00:46:32.19\00:46:34.46
And one morning
Charles was in this law office
00:46:35.92\00:46:39.09
before anybody
arrived for work that day.
00:46:39.13\00:46:41.86
He was there alone
sorting out his papers.
00:46:41.90\00:46:44.87
And as he was sitting
there in the quietness
00:46:48.20\00:46:50.11
of his office, the
Lord started speaking to him
00:46:50.14\00:46:54.61
and asking him some questions.
00:46:55.34\00:46:57.28
"Charles, what are you
going to do after your training?
00:46:58.15\00:47:02.38
What are you going to
do after your schooling?"
00:47:02.68\00:47:04.25
He said, "Well, I suppose
I'll start my own law office
00:47:06.05\00:47:09.22
and start practicing law."
00:47:09.26\00:47:10.63
"And then what?"
00:47:12.46\00:47:13.80
"Well I suppose I'll make
a lot of money and get rich."
00:47:14.80\00:47:17.20
"And then what?"
00:47:19.30\00:47:20.64
"Well I guess I'll
retire and enjoy my wealth."
00:47:21.24\00:47:24.84
Sounds like today's
society, doesn't it?
00:47:24.87\00:47:26.78
"And then what?"
00:47:28.64\00:47:29.98
"I suppose I'll die."
00:47:31.88\00:47:33.21
"And then what?"
00:47:36.02\00:47:37.35
And it hit him
like a lightning bolt.
00:47:38.85\00:47:40.89
And then the judgment.
00:47:41.82\00:47:44.86
Instantly, texts flashed through
his mind from his childhood
00:47:46.80\00:47:50.97
that "it is
appointed unto man once to die,
00:47:51.07\00:47:55.94
and afterwards the judgment."
00:47:55.97\00:47:59.74
Instantly, Charles
leapt out of his chair.
00:48:00.51\00:48:03.08
He ran out of the
front door of his law office,
00:48:03.11\00:48:05.81
and he ran down the
road for half a mile
00:48:05.85\00:48:08.45
until he found a grove of trees.
00:48:08.48\00:48:10.49
And there he went
into that grove of trees
00:48:10.52\00:48:13.42
and he had it out with God.
00:48:13.46\00:48:15.19
He knelt down on his
knees and he was determined
00:48:15.22\00:48:18.13
that he would not leave until
he had peace with his Creator.
00:48:18.16\00:48:22.76
After the long
struggle, that evening Charles
00:48:24.77\00:48:29.24
found that peace.
00:48:29.34\00:48:31.07
He surrendered his will to God.
00:48:31.37\00:48:33.51
He came out of that
grove of trees a different man.
00:48:35.48\00:48:39.88
Not ambitious after worldly
fame and wealth and prosperity,
00:48:40.78\00:48:46.39
but ambitious to
be a servant of God.
00:48:46.42\00:48:51.19
Charles went into
that grove a lawyer.
00:48:54.93\00:48:58.70
After a day of prayer
and wrestling with God,
00:49:01.14\00:49:04.47
he came out of that grove the
mighty evangelist and revivalist
00:49:06.07\00:49:12.68
who served the Lord for
50 years; Charles Finney.
00:49:12.71\00:49:18.19
Leading untold
multitudes of people to the Lord
00:49:19.99\00:49:24.93
and to Jesus to
give their hearts to Him.
00:49:24.96\00:49:29.16
He went into
that grove a lawyer.
00:49:29.20\00:49:31.47
He came out of that
grove a worker for God.
00:49:31.50\00:49:34.10
And brothers and sisters,
I want to tell you tonight,
00:49:34.14\00:49:36.37
you might do well to
go into a grove of woods
00:49:36.47\00:49:39.04
and have it out with the
Lord for a day in prayer.
00:49:39.07\00:49:41.08
God might change the
entire trajectory of your life.
00:49:42.11\00:49:46.41
You might think you're
going in this direction,
00:49:46.65\00:49:49.02
and God says, "No, I don't
want you to go that direction.
00:49:49.05\00:49:52.15
This is the way
I want you to go.
00:49:52.19\00:49:53.92
Yeah, you want to get wealthy,
you want your education,
00:49:53.96\00:49:57.19
you want all the
fame, all the popularity,
00:49:57.23\00:49:59.49
all that kind of stuff.
00:49:59.53\00:50:00.86
Yes you want that, but I
have something better for you.
00:50:00.90\00:50:03.80
Yes you want
wealth here on this earth,
00:50:04.77\00:50:06.74
but I want you to lay
up treasures in heaven.
00:50:06.77\00:50:08.94
where moth does not
corrupt and where thieves do not
00:50:08.97\00:50:11.54
break through and steal."
00:50:11.57\00:50:12.91
You might do well to
have it out with the Lord
00:50:14.91\00:50:16.68
in the grove of woods sometime.
00:50:16.71\00:50:18.41
Because He might change
the course of your life.
00:50:19.41\00:50:21.82
And your life may
never be the same.
00:50:22.65\00:50:24.72
Maybe when you
think about the judgment,
00:50:29.16\00:50:31.79
you tremble at the thought
00:50:33.96\00:50:37.17
that, "Everything
that I've ever done,
00:50:38.03\00:50:39.87
everything that I've ever said,
00:50:40.44\00:50:42.14
everything that
I've ever thought
00:50:42.50\00:50:44.47
is documented in heaven."
00:50:45.41\00:50:49.48
We don't like to
feel uncomfortable.
00:50:52.88\00:50:54.78
And so we tend to push
these kinds of thoughts
00:50:55.75\00:50:57.72
out of our mind, and we keep
ourself busy doing other things.
00:50:57.75\00:51:00.89
Even ministry.
00:51:00.92\00:51:02.66
As long as we
can soothe that mind.
00:51:03.36\00:51:06.66
But I want to take you
tonight and the next two nights,
00:51:06.70\00:51:09.80
and I want you to look right
into the investigative judgment.
00:51:09.83\00:51:13.34
The Bible tells us about a
man who, when he heard about
00:51:17.97\00:51:21.64
the judgment, he trembled.
00:51:21.68\00:51:23.11
You've heard about him.
00:51:23.14\00:51:24.48
Paul, in the book of
Acts, was standing before this
00:51:24.65\00:51:29.02
mighty man, Felix.
00:51:29.45\00:51:31.59
And the Bible tells us
in Acts 24:25 that as Paul
00:51:32.92\00:51:36.22
reasoned of righteousness,
temperance, and judgment
00:51:36.26\00:51:40.73
to come, Felix trembled.
00:51:40.93\00:51:45.33
Now here's the amazing thing
to me about this Bible passage.
00:51:46.70\00:51:49.30
Felix trembled at the
thought of a future judgment.
00:51:50.74\00:51:54.71
Yet you and I today are living
in the hour of God's judgment.
00:51:56.14\00:52:00.85
It is not future anymore.
00:52:01.58\00:52:03.42
It is current.
00:52:03.45\00:52:04.79
And we would do
well to think about that.
00:52:04.82\00:52:07.52
Trembled, the Bible says.
00:52:09.29\00:52:11.59
And he told Paul, he
said, "Go thy way for this time.
00:52:12.53\00:52:15.93
When I have a convenient
season, I will call for thee."
00:52:16.67\00:52:24.21
Inspiration tells us in
the book, Acts of the Apostles,
00:52:25.37\00:52:28.28
that Felix never was to
receive another call from God.
00:52:28.84\00:52:35.35
We're not guaranteed tomorrow,
but we do have right now.
00:52:38.52\00:52:42.66
And God is wanting to reach
into the depths of your heart
00:52:44.89\00:52:48.76
and get you ready
for His soon coming.
00:52:50.87\00:52:54.80
He wants to change your life
00:52:56.34\00:52:58.67
so that it is a
reflection of Him.
00:52:59.01\00:53:02.81
Today, right now as we
speak, in the kingdom of heaven
00:53:03.85\00:53:08.32
names are being accepted
and names are being rejected.
00:53:08.52\00:53:12.82
Is it a reality to you that
one day in the heavenly court
00:53:12.85\00:53:17.69
there will be some angelic
being who will pick up the
00:53:17.89\00:53:21.76
books of record and they
will leaf through the pages
00:53:21.80\00:53:25.10
that are written about you?
00:53:25.13\00:53:27.84
That one day some angelic
being, some heavenly messenger
00:53:28.90\00:53:33.81
will form on their
lips the name of you.
00:53:33.84\00:53:38.75
That your name will reverberate
through the courts of heaven.
00:53:39.61\00:53:43.62
How will it be
when your name rings
00:53:43.65\00:53:46.89
through the courts of heaven?
00:53:46.92\00:53:48.26
What will be seen,
what will be heard,
00:53:48.29\00:53:50.99
what will be
observed about your life
00:53:51.03\00:53:54.83
that you have created?
00:53:56.00\00:53:58.47
This has to
become a reality to us.
00:53:59.93\00:54:02.30
This is not a future
thing, brothers and sisters.
00:54:02.60\00:54:05.17
This is not something that
we've got time to gamble with.
00:54:05.27\00:54:08.44
The time is running short.
00:54:08.74\00:54:11.38
Jesus wants to finish this thing
up, and He wants to use you
00:54:11.41\00:54:16.12
to help finish it.
00:54:16.15\00:54:17.49
So I ask you tonight...
00:54:19.69\00:54:21.02
Or maybe,
rather, we can say this:
00:54:21.59\00:54:23.96
Maybe as you have
listened to the message
00:54:25.76\00:54:27.76
you realize that
you are not ready
00:54:28.33\00:54:31.13
for the investigative judgment.
00:54:32.47\00:54:34.24
Have it out with
the Lord in prayer.
00:54:35.60\00:54:37.51
"God, what is
Your will for my life?
00:54:37.54\00:54:39.91
I want this way,
but I want Your way.
00:54:39.94\00:54:42.48
What is Your will for me?"
00:54:42.51\00:54:43.85
Don't follow
Felix's example and wait
00:54:43.88\00:54:46.21
for a more convenient season.
00:54:46.25\00:54:47.58
The devil is happy when you
put things to the side and say,
00:54:47.62\00:54:50.19
"I'll do it later."
00:54:50.22\00:54:51.55
Because he knows
that later never comes.
00:54:52.89\00:54:56.06
The more we put it off,
the more we push it away,
00:54:56.09\00:54:59.29
the less that
conviction is there.
00:54:59.33\00:55:01.60
Tonight you're
saying, "I'm not ready
00:55:02.43\00:55:03.77
for the investigative judgment.
00:55:03.80\00:55:05.13
I know that, in
the depth of my heart,
00:55:05.47\00:55:07.04
I know I'm not ready for it."
00:55:07.07\00:55:08.54
Listen, as I
prepared these messages,
00:55:08.57\00:55:10.37
I had to get on my knees
and weep at the feet of Jesus.
00:55:10.41\00:55:14.08
I would go on long
walks in my prayer time
00:55:14.61\00:55:17.41
and say,
"Father, I can't do this.
00:55:17.45\00:55:20.12
This is too big.
00:55:20.48\00:55:21.82
The stakes are too high."
00:55:21.88\00:55:24.49
Have it out with God in prayer.
00:55:28.09\00:55:29.92
Tonight you're saying in
the depths of your heart,
00:55:32.69\00:55:34.66
"I'm not ready for it.
00:55:35.10\00:55:36.43
But by God's strength,
I'm willing to let Him do
00:55:36.83\00:55:41.27
whatever it takes
to prepare me for it."
00:55:41.30\00:55:43.10
Is that fair?
00:55:44.37\00:55:45.71
If that's your desire,
I'm going to ask you to
00:55:47.58\00:55:48.91
stand tonight with me.
00:55:48.94\00:55:50.28
Just let the Lord know.
00:55:50.51\00:55:51.85
If it's not your
desire, don't stand up.
00:55:51.88\00:55:53.21
Don't just do this because
everybody else is doing it.
00:55:53.25\00:55:55.62
But you're saying
tonight before God, before the
00:55:57.52\00:56:01.49
heavenly intelligences,
and before the fellow attendees
00:56:01.52\00:56:05.76
here at GYC, "I want to be
ready when the courts of heaven
00:56:05.79\00:56:11.57
ring with my name.
00:56:11.60\00:56:13.30
I want the angels to
look at the books of record
00:56:14.74\00:56:17.47
and see that I have the
character of God in my life.
00:56:17.51\00:56:22.14
That I've been
transformed into His image."
00:56:22.41\00:56:25.98
Let's pray.
00:56:26.41\00:56:27.75
Father in heaven, oh
God, my heart is heavy,
00:56:27.78\00:56:36.52
for the work is great.
00:56:38.23\00:56:39.76
Not only is
there a work without,
00:56:41.66\00:56:43.87
but there's a great work
that needs to be done within.
00:56:45.90\00:56:48.84
And oh Lord, tonight we
stand before You on our feet,
00:56:50.71\00:56:54.08
not because we can,
but because we recognize
00:56:55.01\00:57:01.25
that in our
humanness we're not ready.
00:57:01.72\00:57:05.69
But Lord, deep in our hearts
we have a passionate desire
00:57:08.36\00:57:14.66
to be ready.
00:57:15.30\00:57:16.63
And Father, if that means
we need to find a quiet place
00:57:17.97\00:57:21.70
and clear our
schedule for a day,
00:57:22.04\00:57:24.37
to weep at the feet of
Jesus and ask for peace,
00:57:25.27\00:57:31.25
may that be the case.
00:57:31.28\00:57:32.95
And may we be willing
to make whatever sacrifice
00:57:33.65\00:57:35.88
that may need to be
made to achieve that.
00:57:35.92\00:57:39.45
Oh Lord, help us.
00:57:40.72\00:57:43.06
For we cannot do it on our own.
00:57:44.06\00:57:46.23
Thank You, Jesus.
00:57:47.20\00:57:48.96
Thank You, Jesus.
00:57:49.76\00:57:51.57
Thank You, Jesus, for hearing
and answering this prayer.
00:57:52.13\00:57:57.27
For we pray it in the almighty
and all powerful name of Jesus.
00:57:58.14\00:58:03.68
Amen.
00:58:05.65\00:58:06.98