Note from Martin Weber: The following 1994 dialogue between Dr.
Desmond Ford and me has never before been published. It was
intended as a chapter for my book, Whos Got the Truth, which
contained my discussions about the gospel with five Adventist
thought leaders. But Robert S. Folkenberg, General Conference
president at the time, requested that I put my dialogue with Dr.
Ford on hold for a future book I would write on the sanctuary and
the judgment. I complied with his request, and Dr. Ford graciously
understood. But now, 15 years later, the time has come for me to
release this dialogue. It contains five sections:Section I: Martin
Webers analysis of Desmond Fords Theology Section II: Fords
critique of Weber Section III: Weber responds to Ford Section IV:
Ford back to Weber Section V: Weber back to Ford
The dialogue begins with Dr. Fords personal statement on
salvation and then transitions into my analysis as Section I.
Desmond Ford's Statement on Salvation Man is as helpless as
Satan himself to escape from sin's power, presence, and penalty.
But what humanity could not do, God has done. "If one died for all,
then all died" (2 Cor. 5:14). All have paid in Christ the penalty
for their sins--all sins, past, present, future (John 1:29; 1 John
1:7). And as the guilt of all was imputed to Christ, so now legally
His righteousness is imputed to the whole race (Rom. 5:19). We were
ruined by a representative without our personal participation, and
we have been redeemed the same way (2 Cor. 5:21). The only barrier
to salvation is unbelief. Saving faith is not mere assent, but
whole-hearted committal to Christ as Saviorr and Lord. At the
Palmdale Conference in the seventies, Seventh-day Adventist leaders
agreed that righteousness by faith as set forth in the New
Testament is not justification plus sanctification, but
justification only. But God justifies none that He does not
sanctify. Holiness of life is the evidence one has been justified.
When one learns that we are "not under the law but under grace"
(Rom. 6:14), that law remains as a standard but was never intended
as a method, the shackles of sin are broken. Until the guilt of sin
is removed, sin retains its power. The way is "looking unto Jesus,"
for no one ever loves God (as demanded by the law) until convinced
that God loves him or her. Rejoicing in the assurance of eternal
life already possessed by faith, and
2
Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I the certainty that Paradise is
ours now, sin loses its charms (John 5:24; Luke 23:43). But while
sin no longer reigns, it does remain (James 3:2; Luke 17:10; Matt.
6:12; Rom. 7:14-25). Only at the coming of Christ are believers
glorified and the sinful nature removed (1 Cor. 15:54; Rom. 8:23).
Yet there is no condemnation to those in Christ, for the law can no
more condemn us than it can condemn Him (Rom. 8:1; Col. 2:10; Eph.
2:6-10; 1:7). Even in the last judgment Christ is the substitute
for the believer, and that judgment has no terrors (1 John 4:17).
In summary, the righteousness of justification is 100 percent, but
it is imputed, not within; the righteousness of sanctification is
within by the Spirit, but it is not 100 percent; but at
glorification righteousness will be both 100 percent and within.
For time and eternity the saved will glory only in Christ, who has
been made "our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption" (1
Cor. 1:30). Alleluia!
3
Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I
"Meltdown after Glacier View"Section I: Martin Webers analysis
of Desmond Fords Theology
The most hated and feared man in recent Adventist history is
Desmond Ford. Just the mention of his name causes necks to redden
and nostrils to flare. At the least, arms are folded and eyebrows
raised. Perhaps Dr. Ford is so disliked that some Adventists drive
Chevys and Toyotas because they despise his very name. Writing this
chapter brought bitter flashbacks of friends leaving the ministry.
First they listened to Dr. Ford's tapes. Next they read Verdict, a
defunct publication of Robert Brinsmead, an ex-Adventist layman.
After reading Verdict it seemed they had no use for the law of God
or the Sabbath. Out with the fourth commandment went the seventh
commandment. Along with the way, Ellen White was pushed off the
wagon as it rolled toward perdition. Some people I know eventually
forfeited faith in God's existence along with their spouses and
their church. Thousands of Adventists abandoned their church during
that sad chapter of church history known to many as "the Ford
controversy." Some were forced out by crusading members armed with
scores of Ellen White quotations but precious few Scriptures.
Because the ashes of that controversy have now begun to cool, some
will question my including Desmond Ford in this book. "Let sleeping
dogs lie," a friend advised me. Well, the problem is that these
"sleeping dogs" are precious souls, many of whom might be brought
back into Adventist fellowship. Others who stayed in the church and
in the ministry still don't believe that a celestial judgment began
in 1844. They doubt whether one can believe vintage Seventhday
Adventist doctrine and also believe the gospel. To them I dedicate
this chapter. A decade and a half has passed since the
investigative judgment of Desmond Ford's teachings at Glacier View,
Colorado,1 yet he remains a thought leader among many
Seventh-dayGlacier View is an Adventist campground in the Colorado
Rockies. Its peaceful setting belies the turbulence of August,
198O, when a jury of some 120 church administrators, scholars and
pastors convened there to discuss the doctrines of Dr. Ford. Ten
months previously he had challenged the prophetic heritage of
Adventism in a speech before a forum at Pacific Union College. The
effects were immediate and devastating. Dr. Ford was suspended from
teaching responsibilities at Pacific Union College and given six
months to prepare for a thorough evaluation of his theology at
Glacier View.1
4
Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I Adventists. The 1992 General
Conference annual council issued an official statement of warning
and entreaty regarding independent ministries, and the list
included Dr. Ford's organization, Good News Unlimited. Although
back in 1980, church leaders removed Desmond Ford's ministerial
credentials, he so far has managed to maintain membership in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church. My goal here is to address those
under Dr. Ford's influence, both members and ex-members who have
unanswered questions about Adventist teachings. More effective than
warnings or even entreaties will be pure and simple Bible truth.
Please remember, this book is not a discussion of personalities or
church politics. Whether Dr. Ford made political mistakes or even
spiritual blunders is not our concern here. I can tell you that
nobody I've publicly expressed disagreement with has been as
gracious and kind to me as Dr. Ford. That's all the personal
observation I need to make. This chapter is about one thing alone:
How do Desmond Ford's teachings that involve the gospel harmonize
with the Bible? Law and gospel Numerous rumors abound about what
Dr. Ford's theology. Let us stick with the facts. As you read his
position statement at the beginning of the chapter, did you find
anything to disagree with? The only problem I saw was his assertion
that "righteousness by faith in the New Testament is not
justification plus sanctification, but justification only." The
Bible says we are "sanctified by faith." According to Acts 26:18,
God sent Paul to the Gentiles "to open their eyes, in order to turn
them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God,
that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among
those who are sanctified by faith in Me." Since faith in Christ
brings His victorious presence along with His forgiveness,
righteousness by faith must include sanctification along with
justification. However, let's not confuse the two. There is a clear
distinction between forgiveness through the gospel (the life and
death of Christ for us) and victory through the fruit of the gospel
(what Christ now does within us). Desmond Ford does not deny God's
power to transform sinful lives. On the contrary, he says: "God
justifies none that He does not sanctify. Holiness of life is the
evidence one has beenThere, church leaders conceded certain points
to Dr. Ford but rejected his basic premise that the 1844 preadvent
investigative judgment is unbiblical.
5
Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I justified. When one learns that
we are 'not under law but under grace' (Rom. 6:14), that law
remains as a standard but was never intended as a method; the
shackles of sin are broken."2 So Dr. Ford definitely teaches that
sanctification and holiness always accompany faith and that they
break the shackles of sin. To him, "saving faith is not mere
assent, but whole-hearted committal to Christ as Savior and Lord."3
We all can say Amen to that, right? To the surprise of many
Adventists, Desmond Ford enthusiastically defends the law of God
and the importance of obedience: "Think of some of the symbols that
our Lord used in connection with His gospel. Not cake, not
strawberries and cream, not the pie. What did He speak about? I'll
tell you. He spoke about a yoke. ... It is true that He said, 'Come
and I'll give you rest.' Troubled lives need comfort, but where you
only have comfort, you don't have the gospel. Jesus gives
disturbance as well as comfort. ... The Lord is continually
disturbing us to humble us, we proud Laodiceans who think we have
need of nothing! ... So, He offers us a yoke as well as rest.
Wherever you have rest promised alone, that's not the gospel."4
Such a statement needs no clarification. We look in vain for easy
excuses in Dr. Ford's teaching on salvation. During the doctrinal
controversy of the early 1980s, those Adventists who threw away the
law ignored the warnings and entreaties of Desmond Ford. They were
disciples of Robert Brinsmead who read Verdict and Evangelica
magazines. Dr. Ford resisted their antinomianism: "Brinsmead did
and does teach that the Ten Commandments are replaced by the new
law of love. ... [But] the New Testament still maintains the Ten
Commandments as a moral norm (see 1 Cor. 7:19; Eph. 6:1-3; Rom.
13:9; James 2:8-12). ... That which is no longer a method of
righteousness forever remains its standard."5 Dr. Ford often
admonishes his audiences that those who truly love God will
wholeheartedly obey His laws, including the principles of health
reform. He warns that there is no excuse for transgressing God's
commandments, and that anyone who rejects victory over sin2
Desmond Ford's salvation statement at the beginning of this
chapter. Ibid.
3
Desmond Ford, Adventist Crisis of Spiritual Identity (Newcastle,
Calif.: Desmond Ford Publications, 1982), pp. 300, 301.4 5
Desmond Ford, "Ford Responds," Spectrum, vol. 12, no. 2, p.
64.
6
Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I simply isn't a Christian. And,
of course, he also reminds us to look beyond our good works to
trust in the blood of Jesus. Defending the Sabbath It may come as a
surprise to many Adventists that Desmond Ford also believes in the
seventh-day Sabbath. In fact, he wrote a book, The Forgotten Day,
that solidly supports the Sabbath as a symbol of both gospel rest
and fidelity to God's law. It is one of the most comprehensive
defenses of the seventh-day Sabbath written in this century. Anyone
who discarded the Sabbath wasn't following the teaching or example
of Desmond Ford. Once again, it was Robert Brinsmead who waged war
against the Sabbath. In the pages of Spectrum magazine, Dr. Ford
vigorously disputed with him: "Not one syllable He [Christ] uttered
downgraded the fourth commandment or suggested its coming demise.
He affirms the Sabbath to have been made at the beginning as God's
gift to mankind, and claims to be its interpreter and protector."6
"All mystical statements about Christ's fulfilling the Sabbath for
us, thereby making observance of the day unnecessary, are as
fulsome as the thought that His refraining from adultery makes our
abstinence outmoded."7 "The evidence of Scripture is that the
fourth commandment has been used by God as a test of His professed
people from the very beginning.8 "God does call the Sabbath His
test (Ex. 16:4)."9 So there we have it--Desmond Ford regards the
Sabbath as God's testing truth and symbol of both faith in Christ
and faithfulness to God's law. Defending Ellen White Well, what
about Dr. Ford's attitude toward Ellen White? He always has
defended her prophetic ministry. In the book The Adventist Crisis
of Spiritual Identity, he admonishes "those who urge me to join
them in their rejection of the ministry of Ellen G. White,"10 "who,
in my6
Desmond Ford, "The Sabbath: Brinsmead's Polemic," Spectrum, vol.
12, no. 1, p. 69. Ibid. Ibid. Spectrum, vol. 12, no. 2, p. 64.
7
8
9
7
Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I mind, fall off the straight path
into an abyss."11 He offers them no less than 60 reasons to regain
their confidence in her inspiration. Here's a sampling: "Would this
church ever have emerged and consolidated but for the influence of
Ellen G. White?"12 "Suppose there had been no Ellen White at the
Minneapolis conference of 1888 ... ?"13 For those who reject Ellen
White through allegations of inaccuracy and plagiarism, he asks:
"Did Jesus, in some of His expressions, fall short of technical
precision, as when He declared the mustard seed to be the least of
all seeds?"14 "Was Jesus absolutely original in His oral
presentations...?"15 And he suggests the thought-provoking
question: "If you were choosing a surgeon, or a real estate agent,
or a banker, would you feel most comfortable with one who valued
the writings of Ellen G. White, or one who rejected them?"16 He
concludes his 60 points with this: "If I find, as in the case with
Ellen G. White, one who leads me to Christ and His Word as supreme
in all things, and who exhorts to holiness, I should accept the
messenger, but without surrendering the right to exercise the
canonical test of Scripture."17
10
Crisis, p. 330. Ibid., p. 326. Crisis, p. 326. Ibid. Ibid., p.
327. Ibid. Ibid., p. 329. Ibid., p. 330.
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
8
Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I Problems with the sanctuary The
law of God, the Sabbath, the prophetic gift of Ellen White, the
second coming of Christ and the unconscious state of the dead--all
these Adventist distinctives Desmond Ford proclaims fervently,
relentlessly, and eloquently. Numerous times during the last 14
years, opponents of Adventism in the evangelical world have
interviewed him, prodding him to denounce Ellen White or the
Sabbath. Unfailingly and persuasively, Dr. Ford has defended these
and other Adventist beliefs. Please understand, this is not a
defense of all that Desmond Ford believes. As in our Ralph Larson
chapter, I'm just trying to be fair before discussing
disagreements. I do believe that major problems exist in Dr. Ford's
teaching regarding the judgment and the sanctuary as well as
prophetic interpretation. Since this book is devoted to analyzing
the gospel implications of what our six men teach, this chapter
will not scrutinize the prophetic aspects of Dr. Ford's challenge,
for example, the validity of the year 1844 in Daniel 8 and 9 (which
I believe is established by four simple facts.18Sufficient evidence
supports all the above four statements, compelling the conclusion
thatThese four prophetic principles have convinced me that the year
1844 is a legitimate fulfillment of Daniel 8 and 9: 1) One
prophetic day equals a literal year. Adventists did not invent this
principle of prophetic interpretation; it is the historic
Protestant position held by the Protestant Reformers 500 years ago.
Far more effective than proof texts is the contextual evidence for
the day/year principle in the time prophecies of Scripture.
Ironically, Desmond Ford himself offered a persuasive defense of
the day/year principle in his 1978 commentary on Daniel: "Inasmuch
as short-lived beasts are employed as symbols of long-existent
empires, it is most likely that the times mentioned are also
presented to scale, with a small time unit representing a larger
one."(Desmond Ford, Daniel, [Nashville, TN: Southern Publishing
Association, 1978], p. 302.) "Are there any indications in the rest
of Scripture that God has ever chosen such [day for a year]
symbolism? In Num. 14:34 and Eze. 4:6 we find evidence that such is
the case. God has chosen on other occasions to use precisely this
symbolism; one of these occasions was during the time of Daniel's
captivity, and its use was in connection with a contemporary
prophet." (Ibid.) 2) Linkage exists between Daniel chapters 8 and
9. Chapter 8 ends with the Daniel's perplexing testimony: "I was
appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding" (Dan. 8:27).
In the next chapter an angel arrives in answer the prophet's
prayers, announcing: "I have now come to give you insight and
understanding ... Therefore consider the message and understand the
vision" (Dan. 9:22,23). What vision was the angel referring to? The
only possible answer is the vision left unresolved by the previous
chapter. Thus the explanation of Daniel 9 solves the mystery of
Daniel 8. 3) The 490 years of Daniel 9 are "cut off" from the
longer time span of 2300 years. Notice what Desmond Ford himself
wrote in his 1978 commentary on Daniel: "All Hebraists assert that
its literal meaning is 'cut off.' The seventy weeks of years are
'cut off' from the longer period of 2300 years, and they commence
with 'the going forth of the word to restore and build Jerusalem.'"
(Ibid., p. 207.) Dr. Ford added: "The pragmatic test should now be
applied and the question asked: Have any of Daniel's prophecies
already met with a precise fulfillment that accords with the
[day/year] principle we18
9
Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I the year 1844 is the legitimate
fulfillment of Daniel 8 and 9. Bible-believing Seventh-day
Adventists can rest secure in our prophetic heritage regarding the
year 1844.) Dr. Ford's prophetic assertions are examined one by one
in my book Some Call It Heresy, available at Adventist Book
Centers. Others whose scholarly expertise far surpasses mine also
have addressed them.19 In the brief confines of this chapter, our
concern is Dr. Ford's belief that Christ's completed atonement at
Calvary is betrayed by the notion of an investigative judgment and
an atoning work in heaven. We need not insist that everything our
pioneers ever taught about the judgment was the gospel truth. On
the contrary, we know they were deficient in their understanding of
salvation; that's what sparked the revolution of 1888. During the
decades when they emphasized the law, the law, the law, we could
hardly expect to find clear gospel teaching about the sanctuary and
the judgment. Indeed, after a century and a half of existence as
Adventists, legalism regarding the sanctuary continues to be a
sledgehammer in the hands of Satan to dismantle faith in Christ. He
has succeeded smashingly. As proof, what comes to your mind when
thinking of the Most Holy Place, the second compartment of the
sanctuary? Automatically, you think of the law, right? How come?
All the action in the second apartment took place at the mercy
seat, that slab of gold where the bloodare studying? Dan. 9:24-27,
the prophecy of the seventy weeks, seems to offer just such a
fulfillment. . . . Inasmuch as other evidence shows that this
period of 49O years is cut off from the longer period of the 2300,
it is obvious that the latter must consist of years also. Thus here
in Dan. 9 we have the pragmatic test met, and the year-day
principle justified, despite the fact that the word day is nowhere
used in this passage. (Ibid., p. 302.) 4) The starting date for the
2300 year prophecy is 457 B.C. Archeology has now documented the
Adventist timetable for the historic decree to rebuild Jerusalem. A
recent Zondervan book widely advertised and acclaimed among
evangelicals, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, also sets 457
B.C. as Daniel 9's prophetic starting date, although no connection
is made with Daniel 8. (See Gleason L. Archer, Encyclopedia of
Bible Difficulties, [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1982], p.
290.) During the past thousand years, literally hundreds of
illustrious Protestant, Catholic and Jewish scholars have
interpreted Daniel's 2300 days as literal years, many of them
placing its starting date in the fifth century B.C. (See LeRoy E.
Froom et al., Seventh-day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine,
[Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald, 1957], p. 311.). On the
prophetic time spans of Daniel, see William Shea in Selected
Studies on Prophetic Interpretation, pp. 132-137, along with
Gerhard Hasel in The Sanctuary and the Atonement, pp. 177-227. On
the book of Hebrews, I recommend William Johnsson's In Absolute
Confidence. My favorite book on the sanctuary and judgment, now out
of print, is Edward Heppenstall's Our High Priest--there might be a
copy in your church library. Two fine books from Roy Adams are
currently available: the scholarly dissertation The Sanctuary
Doctrine: Three Approaches in the Seventh-day Adventist Church
(Berrien Springs, Mich: Andrews University Press, 1981), and also
the more easily read The Sanctuary, available from Adventist Book
Centers.19
10
Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I was sprinkled. God specifically
said He would meet with His people from above the mercy seat. See
Exodus 25:22. Then why do we always think only of the law in that
second compartment? Legalism, that's why. The fact is that God
cannot relate to unworthy sinners on the basis of how well we are
fulfilling His law, so we must meet with Him at the mercy seat.
After 150 years of telling the world about the sanctuary, isn't it
about time we got that clear? Shouldn't we now flush away all
remaining legalism and teach the pure gospel truth about the
sanctuary? Some of the most depressing, faith-destroying fallacies
in the history of Christianity have infiltrated the Adventist
Church through misunderstanding the sanctuary and the judgment. I
remember as a child being threatened week after week in church and
day after day in church school. The goal was good behavior,
motivated by an incessant bombardment of guilt and fear: "Unless
you become absolutely perfect in character, you cannot be saved
when Jesus comes. Even now your name might have come up in
judgment, and you might already be past the close of probation."
Several classmates were convinced that their probation was past and
they had committed the unpardonable sin. "What's the use even
trying," they would lament. So they gave up hope and gave up God.
More than 20 years later most of them are out of the church. Thanks
to legalism. What a shame. Other students, myself included, gritted
our teeth and kept climbing those steep stairs to sinlessness. We
hoped someday to deserve being saved by grace. Unfortunately,
everything we did for God was corrupted by guilt and fear,
amounting to dead works. Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep my
commandments" (John 14:15). "There is no fear in love, but perfect
love casts out fear, because fear has torment. But he who fears has
not been made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18). It should not
surprise us that some Adventists, seeking spiritual security, have
rejected the whole concept of a celestial pre-advent judgment in
the heavenly sanctuary. In fact, no Adventist today believes what
the earliest pioneers did about the sanctuary--that when Jesus
entered the second apartment He shut the door of probation on
everyone who hadn't accepted the Millerite message. We hear a lot
these days about "historic Adventism," but nobody's Adventism is so
historic that they believe what our pioneers all did in the late
1840s and early 1850s.
11
Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I
The earliest Adventists after 1844 did have a conviction that
remains at the core of our sanctuary truth--that Jesus began a new
dimension of his work in heaven in 1844. This is the unique and
indispensable pillar of Adventist doctrine; without it we might as
well belong to some other sabbatarian group. Unfortunately, it is
this core belief about Christ's high priestly ministry that Dr.
Ford rejects. Why be judged? Let us consider the dilemma raised by
his objections: "Why should we who are already 'accepted in the
Beloved' have to face the scrutiny of judgment in the heavenly
sanctuary?" Didn't Jesus Himself say that 'he who hears My word,
and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not
come into judgment'? (John 5:24). "No," protest those who defend
traditional Adventist doctrine. "Our King James Bible teaches that
believers are judged. We escape 'condemnation,' but there is still
a judgment all must face." Then those who reject the 1844 judgment
inform us that the King James, while normally reliable, is
inconsistent here. In John 5:22 the Greek noun "krisis" is
correctly translated "judgment," but two verses later the same word
in the same context is changed to "condemnation." Even that
favorite Adventist passage, Revelation 14, employs "krisis" to
proclaim that 'the hour of His judgment is come.' Not the hour of
His condemnation-His judgment. A judgment that, apparently
according to the words of Jesus, does not involve believers. The
late Walter Martin, who was the world's foremost authority on
cults, charged that "in John 5:24 the Greek deals a devastating
blow to the Seventh-day Adventist concept of Investigative
Judgment."20 Can we ignore the challenge of this evangelical
Goliath? Those who dismiss Adventist doctrine press their point
with another perplexing passage: "He who believes in Him is not
judged" (John 3:18, NASB). "This only makes sense," they assert.
"Why must God spend more than a century investigating records when
already 'the Lord knows those who are His'?" (2 Tim. 2:19). These
important questions raised by Dr. Ford and others bring
considerable consternation. Usually we try to escape them by
finding refuge in those safe and familiar20
Walter R. Martin, The Kingdom of the Cults, (Minneapolis, Minn.:
Bethany House, 1965), p. 406.
12
Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I passages that cement our
doctrinal structure, texts like James 2:12: "So speak and so do as
those who will be judged by the law of liberty." "The work of
Christ," we contend, "does not release us from accountability. We
are told to 'give an account of your stewardship' (Luke 16:2).
Wherever there is accountability, there is judgment. Paul warns
that 'we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ' (2
Cor. 5:10). Surely these Scriptures all show that Christians must
face judgment." "Wait a minute!" the challenge comes back. "You
can't quote Paul to prove the investigative judgment. He tells us
Christ is the judge. You say He's your defense attorney. How can
Jesus both judge believers and represent them at the same time? You
can't have it both ways." So back we go to Revelation 14. In verse
7 it clearly states that during earth's final gospel proclamation
"the hour of His judgment has come."21 And so it goes. Honest
seekers of truth, thoroughly confused, wonder what to do. For a
while, I found myself perplexed about those questions. I'm so happy
to have them completely settled in my mind. I can testify that the
gospel truth about the judgment going on in heaven's sanctuary
inspires me with hope and assurance, confident of my salvation in
Christ. Judgment is no threat The key to my new understanding is
the ancient Hebrew meaning of judgment, which differed greatly from
our Western legal system. Our society requires judges and juries to
be strictly neutral; if they harbor a bias either in favor or
against the accused, our law demands that they disqualify
themselves. Not so in Bible times. Back then the legal code
required judges to abandon neutrality and take the side of the
defendant. The defense of the accused was a duty so sacred that the
judge refused to delegate it to a defense attorney. Instead, he
himself served as the defender of the accused. The Jewish
Encyclopedia explains that "attorneys at law are unknown in Jewish
law."22 Their legal code required judges to "lean always to the
side of the defendant and give him theNotice the timing of this
judgment. Christ will not come until after the close of the gospel
proclamation (see Matt. 24:14). Since this judgment accompanies the
preaching of the gospel it must precede the return of Jesus--a
pre-advent judgment.21
Isidore Singer, ed., The Jewish Encyclopedia (New York: Funk
& Wagnalls, 1904), Vol. II, p. 293. Hereafter cited as Jewish
Encyclopedia.22
13
Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I advantage of every possible
doubt."23 Witnesses of the crime pressed charges, while the judge
promoted the case of the defendant, biased in favor of acquittal.24
Of course, the judge also had to execute justice. If evidence of
guilt could not be controverted, he reluctantly abandoned his
defense of the accused and pronounced condemnation. But the whole
Old Testament system was predisposed toward vindication, not
condemnation. A wonderful concept, but it leaves us with a
question: If God is defending us in the heavenly judgment, who
would dare withstand Him? Actually, it's the devil who raises
questions about our salvation in the judgment. The Bible calls him
the "accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day
and night" (Rev. 12:10). More about this later. Now, in certain
situations the Hebrew judge appointed an advocate to assist him in
defending the accused. The Jewish Encyclopedia states that the
husband could represent his wife and help the judge defend her if
the verdict involved his personal rights.25 Here we have a
thrilling parallel with our position in Christ in the heavenly
judgment. Jesus, Bridegroom of the church, purchased us with His
precious blood. As the head of redeemed humanity, He serves as our
court-appointed advocate to help the Father defend us from
Satan-and to defend His own right to take us up to heaven and share
His home forever. Wonderful news! God in the judgment takes our
side against Satan. Jesus our advocate assists Him by interceding
for us. God sees in the sacrifice of His Son our death that the law
demanded, and in Christ He accepts us and counts us perfect. Now we
see how Jesus, our judge, can also serve as our defender. There is
no conflict in His dual role; it is required that judges defend the
accused. Another evidence of God's love for His children is shown
by a further provision of the23
W.M.Chandler, The Trial of Jesus, Vol. 1, pp. 153,154.
See Taylor Bunch, Behold the Man! (Nashville: Southern
Publishing, 1946), pp. 64,66. Now we understand why David in the
Psalms longed to be sentenced by divine judgment: "Judge me, O Lord
my God, according to Thy righteousness, and do not let them rejoice
over me" (Ps. 35:24). Throughout the Old Testament God's people
found joy in His judgment: "A father of the fatherless and a judge
for the widows, is God in His holy habitation" Ps. 68:5).24 25
Jewish Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 294.
14
Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I Hebrew legal system: "In the
nature of things some parties can not plead for themselves.
Infants, boys under thirteen or girls under twelve, the deaf and
dumb, and lunatics can plead only through a guardian; and it is the
duty of the court to appoint a guardian for such, if they have
none."26 We are helpless, unable to defend ourselves from the
devil's accusations. So our loving Father in heaven has appointed a
sympathetic High Priest to intercede for His children against the
vicious charges of our adversary. He is our advocate, the agent of
redeemed humanity; our hope is in Him. The judgment is good news
because of the blood of Christ. Satan disputes our right to rest in
Jesus, accusing us of unfaithfulness and unfitness for heaven. He
works through his earthly agency, the little horn of Daniel
chapters 7 and 8, to harass and persecute us.27 The restoration of
the sanctuary includes recovering the truths that were "trampled"
(Dan. 8:13) for so long. This enables the saints, in the freedom of
forgiveness without penance, to "keep the commandments of God and
their faith in Jesus" (Rev. 14:12). We long for God to deliver us
and vindicate our relationship with Him. Therefore, we welcome
judgment.Jewish Encyclopedia, X, p. 204. The Father gave Jesus
"authority to exercise judgment also, because He is the Son of Man"
(John 5:27). Both Father and Son work together to defend us, so
both are considered our judge (Compare Heb. 12:23,24 with Acts
10:40-42.). Both are also called "Savior" (Titus 1:3,4) and creator
(compare Mark 13:19 with John 1:3). All three members of the
Godhead work concertedly.26
Symbolized by the little horn in Daniel 7 and 8, Satan attacked
the sanctuary, which represents God's system of saving all who are
in Christ and punishing all who reject Him. The devil's war against
the sanctuary involves disputing our acceptance and also God's
fairness in accepting us. In the simple restoration of the damage
done by the little horn, we see every principle of the Daniel 7
judgment: 1) Christ's right to rule is vindicated as He receives
the kingdom; 2) The little horn has its challenge defeated--its
dominion is taken away when the kingdom is restored to Christ and
given to the saints; 3) The saints receive a favorable verdict and
officially become part of His kingdom. Each of these points is
repeated in Daniel 8, where the little horn challenged the whole
process of salvation by faith with a system of works through a
human priesthood. This amounted to rejection of Christ's
intercession in heaven's sanctuary. The restoration of the
sanctuary must therefore bring the following results: 1) God's
government of grace in the sanctuary is vindicated as the challenge
against Christ's right to be the only mediator is defeated; 2) The
establishment of God's system of salvation displaces the little
horn's rival counterfeit. Salvation by works is condemned, along
with its adherents; 3) The saints, who were condemned and
persecuted by the little horn, are automatically vindicated with
their mediator when their accuser loses his case in court.27
15
Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I In spite of our confessed
sinfulness, we need not feel frightened by God's judgment. He is
predisposed in favor of our vindication, and all the evidence He
needs is in the cross to which we cling. This judgment vindicates
our position in Christ as recorded in the Lamb's book of life. God
does not question our relationship with Him; He defends and
ratifies it. He does not initiate a favorable standing with us but
displays and endorses the security in Christ we have enjoyed since
we accepted Him. We see then that judgment is a favor not a threat
to the enlightened Christian. What refreshing, revitalizing power
this concept of judgment has for the Adventist Church! Although our
pioneers may have overlooked the full gospel perspective of the
pre-advent judgment, it is genuine biblical truth that evangelical
members can cherish. Why face a judgment? Nevertheless, Desmond
Ford has raised the question: Why even have a judgment if God
already knows who believers are? Obviously it isn't for the sake of
informing God of something He doesn't know, so it must be to
enlighten His creation. This brings us to the beginning of that
great controversy between good and evil. Satan, father of lies,
long ago raised doubts about God's fairness and integrity. He
repeated these charges during Christ's days on earth: "This man
receiveth sinners!" In other words, "How can the Holy One accept
those who are unholy? And if He can forgive sinners, why cast me
and my angels out of heaven, yet build mansions there for fallen
humanity?" A number of texts show that celestial beings are
intensely interested in questions concerning our salvation.28 God
can't brush aside the devil's accusations; since His government
operates through the loving trust and loyalty of His creation, He
must settle doubts about His trustworthiness. The Bible reveals
that God will allow Himself to be audited: "Let God be found true,
though every man be found a liar, as it is written, 'That Thou
mightest be justified in Thy words, and mightest prevail when Thou
art judged'" (Rom. 3:4, NASB). Another point to remember about the
investigative judgment: sometimes people feel bad about having
their sins recorded in the sanctuary. But actually, as long as we
remain in Christ our sins are forgiven. Guilt is gone! So it's not
a record of our sins God is keeping up there; it's the record of
His forgiveness, His mercy in our lives.
28
Consider 1 Peter 1:12, Ephesians 3:10, 1 Corinthians 4:9 and
Exodus 25:20.
16
Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I So there we have the biblical
meaning of judgment for sincere believers. God is on our side,
defending our salvation. Many Sadventists are becoming Gladventists
through discovering this truth about our heavenly Father. Now they
can rejoice despite of--no, because of--the reality of a celestial
pre-advent judgment. Judged at the cross In God's work of
vindicating our salvation, certain facts are predetermined, fixed
in a previous judgment at Calvary: "Now is the judgment of this
world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out" (John 12:31).
At that time this sinful world and all that is of Adam received the
just verdict of death. The sentence was executed upon us through
the punishment received by our representative, Jesus Christ, the
second Adam. But the same cross that decreed our guilt in the old
Adam likewise established our corporate righteousness in Christ.
The resurrection placed beyond question the validity of that our
new humanity in Christ. He "was raised because of our
justification" (Rom. 4:25). Whoever truly follows Jesus need not
maintain a scrapbook of progress in the Christian life. And we
completely forget about keeping score of personal attainments.
Confident of salvation, we are freed from anxiety about our
faults-set free to live unto God and love our neighbors and
enemies. This is a lifestyle that honors God's holy law. But our
hope is not in attaining an immaculate record, since our personal
righteousness was already judged and condemned on the cross. The
investigative judgment today is not God's quest for worthy human
beings; He is examining the sincerity of our claim to trust in
Jesus and belong to His new humanity. From the world of baseball
comes an illustration to help us understand the judgment: As our
representative, Jesus pinch-hit a home run, the game-winning hit
for all humanity. But our run will not count for us unless we
circle the base paths with Him; He will hold our hand. In Adam's
sinful flesh, we are born into the devil's dugout and there is
plenty to keep us preoccupied. God must first get our attention to
inform us of Adam's game-losing error and our inability to even the
score. Next He proclaims the wonderful work of Jesus. Having
acquainted us with these saving facts, He then seeks to persuade us
that what He offers in Christ is worth more than Adam's toys of sin
and tools of self-improvement. He urges us to repent of our
foolishness, exchange what Adam offers for what Christ offers, and
circle the "straight and narrow" base paths with Jesus. But we must
stay out of the batters' box; there's no need for us to manufacture
a righteous batting average. For us to swing a bat would be to deny
Jesus. Having already struck out for eternity in Adam, we cannot
now compete with Christ's accomplishments for us. We accept
salvation as a gift and keep God's commandments in love.
17
Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I
So these are the crucial questions in the judgment regarding our
salvation: Do we consider what God offers us in Christ to be worth
more than what the devil offers us in Adam? Are we willing to
accept all the benefits of living in Christ, which includes our
victory in Him? If so, we are considered corporately perfect in
Christ despite our personal imperfections. There is no reference
whatever to our individual "batting average." Still accountable
under grace Let us, however, keep in mind that freedom in Christ
does not lower but instead raises the standard of Christian living.
Obedience is not legalism when our hearts are charged with love for
Him who first loved us in appreciation for forgiveness we follow
Him fully. Our church desperately needs to see Christian standards,
such as diet and dress, in the light of the gospel. No, the
glorious reality that Christ conquered Satan and the world on the
cross does not release us from responsibility today. We are obliged
to accept that reconciliation and will be judged accordingly. All
depends upon whether we choose to live a life of faith in Jesus
rather than living in Adam's rebellion. Saving faith values His
sacrifice above everything this world offers, even life itself. For
us, then, the judgment is concerned with whether or not we yield
ourselves to live this kind of faith. Here is a personal experience
that illustrates the meaning of judgment for Christians. One sunny
day I rode the Amtrak rails from Los Angeles to San Diego. As the
train skimmed the beautiful Pacific coastline, the conductor began
his judgment of who was worthy to ride his train. Since I held a
ticket, I felt no threat to secure passage. It was predetermined
that my worthiness was based exclusively on that ticket. Thus the
investigation was not of my achievements or failures, but of my
claim to hold the ticket. The inspection did not threaten my
security, but manifested it. Likewise with us before God. We must
all give account of what we did with our ticket, which is
redemption through accepting our position in Jesus. But our
personal worthiness from Adam, which was condemned at Calvary, does
not even qualify for investigation.29 Only our claim to have lived
by faith in Jesus is evaluated. We choose our verdict in the
judgment by identifying ourselves with Christ's act of
justification instead of Adam's act of condemnation.
29
Now we may see harmony between 2 Corinthians 5:10 and John
5:24.
18
Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I If we have chosen to receive
Jesus, we need not fear the judgment. But if we have rejected Him
through rebellion or neglect, we are already condemned. This world
is considered sinful, Christ taught, "because they do not believe
in Me" (John 16:9). Passengers can't purchase tickets and then
discard them, or they have no claim to the train. For us as well,
since it's possible to rebel and leave Jesus, there is no such
thing as once saved, always saved. Our initial acceptance of Him
does not guarantee that we want His life today. Day by day we must
receive renewal in Christ, "who is even at the right hand of God,
who also makes intercession for us" (Rom. 8:34). Atoning punishment
Having finished His atoning sacrifice on the cross, Jesus ascended
to heaven to intercede with His atonement on behalf of His people.
While Adventists recognize that Christ's atoning sacrifice was
complete at Calvary, we also know that the word atonement is an
umbrella that covers the whole business of dealing with sin. Not
until the universe is cleansed of sin will the work of atonement
cease. Desmond Ford disagrees with that. He sees atonement as
limited to Christ's sacrifice at Calvary: "The Day of Atonement was
the day of the atonement and that atonement everywhere in the New
Testament is set forth as finished on the cross."30 Perhaps Dr.
Ford's concept of atonement is too limited. Many Christians would
be surprised to learn from the Bible that not all atonement is
salvation atonement. Punishment of sinners also is called
atonement. When an Israelite leader brought a prostitute into his
tent, Phinehas, grandson of Aaron the high priest, took a spear and
killed them both. By punishing the sinner for his crime he "made
atonement for the sons of Israel" (Num. 25:13). Divine justice was
expiated by the death of the guilty. A similar example is the
"atonement" made for the murder of the Gibeonites (2 Sam. 21:1-3).
The stoning of greedy Achan is another exhibit of divine disfavor
being atoned for in the execution of the evildoer. Evidently all
punishment for sin is considered atonement. Those who refuse the
atoning sacrifice of Christ will receive their own punishment and
provide their own atonement at the end of the world. Not until
hell's cleansing fire turns to ashes will atonement finally be
finished. We don't like to think about hell being a place of
atonement, but that's the main purposeDesmond Ford, Daniel 8:14 the
Day of Atonement and the Investigative Judgment (Casselberry, Fla.:
Euangelion Press, 1980), p. 133.30
19
Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I of resurrecting sinners for
their second death. Christ already experienced that hell for the
whole world at the cross; only His sacrifice provides saving
atonement. But whoever rejects Calvary's atonement of salvation
will suffer hell's atonement of damnation. Therefore the
anti-typical Day of Atonement cannot be finished until unbelievers
receive their final punishment and the universe is cleansed of
every trace of sin. Three functions of atonement In the Hebrew
sanctuary, atonement included three distinct operations: 1)
inauguration of the sanctuary system, 2) the daily sacrifice for
covering sin and 3) finally cleansing the sanctuary of sin. In
promoting heaven's new sanctuary system, the book of Hebrews needed
to show Christ involved in each of these functions of atonement.
First, His inauguration. When the Old Testament sanctuary was
inaugurated, the priesthood was anointed in a consecration ceremony
that included entering the most holy place.31 This startup ceremony
also dedicated the building itself for service. "For seven days you
shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it" (Ex. 29:37).
Even the most holy place was entered for this atonement by
anointing (Ex. 3O:26). See also Ministry, October 1980, p. 18. So
in Hebrews we read that our heavenly High Priest was anointed by
the Father (see Heb. 1:9). The old covenant inauguration is
contrasted with the new: "But when Christ appeared as a high priest
of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more
perfect tabernacle, not made with hands that is to say, not of this
creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but
through His own blood, He entered the holy places once for all,
having obtained eternal redemption for us" (Heb. 9:11,12). How do
we know Jesus made this entrance into the presence of God for
inauguration and not, as Dr. Ford suggests, to fulfill the Day of
Atonement? Because calves were sacrificed with goats for atonement
on inauguration, not on Yom Kippur.32 Christ is here beginning His
heavenly priesthood.33
First came a seven day inauguration of the sanctuary system.
This was for Aaron and his sons "to anoint them and ordain them and
consecrate them, that they may serve Me as priests" (Ex. 28:41).
"Atonement was made at their ordination and consecration" (Ex.
29:33).31 32
Ministry, October 1980, pp. 50, 51. The New Brown, Driver, and
Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, p. 497.
33
20
Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I To apply not repeat On the cross
Jesus had been "displayed publicly as a propitiation [atonement] in
His blood through faith" (Rom. 3:25). Calvary was the complete
sacrifice, providing an infinite reservoir of atonement "that He
might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God, to make propitiation [atonement] for the sins of
the people" (Heb. 2:17). Right there it seems quite clear:
Calvary's once-for-all sacrifice did not finish Christ's ministry
of atonement. His work now as our High Priest is also called making
atonement--not to repeat but to apply His sacrifice for our
salvation. In welcoming Christ's eternal sacrifice, let us not
reject His next phase of atonement in the heavenly sanctuary.34 The
ongoing intercession of Jesus in heaven was foretold in the daily
work of the Old Testament priests, who did "serve the copy and
shadow of the heavenly things" (Heb. 8:5). Everything in the old
sanctuary system was "according to the pattern" (Heb. 8:5) of what
Christ would be doing. So far in this chapter we have seen this
pattern evident in both the inaugural anointing and the continual
intercession of Christ's priesthood. What about the final function
of atonement--would Christ cleanse the heavenly sanctuary?
Cleansing heaven's temple How could it be otherwise? Cleansing the
sanctuary on the day of judgment was the most important function of
the high priest. Christ could not fulfill the priestly symbol if He
omitted this essential act. Besides, "intercession inevitably
points to judgment,"35 for warnings abound in Hebrews that we will
be judged by our response to Christ's intercession: "Of how much
worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has
trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the
covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted
the Spirit of grace? ... The Lord will judge His people" (Heb.
10:29,3O). Clearly, there must be a final phase to consummate
Christ's ministry of intercession. But is the future cleansing of
the sanctuary explicitly stated in Hebrews? Yes: "Therefore it was
necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be
cleansed with these, but the heavenlyIn the Old Testament sanctuary
service, twice daily sacrifices, representing Calvary, provided
atonement and individual guilt offerings appropriated atonement.
The individual believer's appropriation of forgiveness through the
corporate sacrifice belonged to the atoning process. (Verses 20,
26, and 35 of Leviticus 4 provide additional evidence that the
daily service involved atonement.) Both provision and appropriation
were required for the sinner to receive atonement.34 35
See Questions on Doctrine, p. 341.
21
Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I things themselves with better
sacrifices than these" (Heb. 9:23, NASB). First, notice that "the
heavenly things" of the sanctuary would be cleansed. This is not
what happened on the cross, but what would happen in the heavenly
temple during Christ's priesthood. And the cleansing of the earthly
is said to be a copy of the way the heavenly would be cleansed.36
This explicitly requires a parallel between the two sanctuaries
regarding their cleansing.37 The whole camp was summoned to set
aside their work and gather together around the tabernacle. Next
came a judgment between rival systems, symbolized by lots cast
between goats. The blood of the winner was brought inside to
cleanse the sanctuary. After sprinkling this blood throughout the
building, the priest emerged to bless the waiting people and invite
them to the harvest celebration. "The context is clear--Christ has
now appeared in the presence of God ministering in our behalf
(verse 24) to put away sin, which is made possible by the benefits
of His atoning sacrifice (verse 26)."38 "It is here that the Day of
Atonement imagery in Hebrews is most profound and justified, having
its relevance in the complete removal of sin, after which Christ
will appear a second time--not as a sin bearer, but without sin to
them who expect Him for salvation (verse 28)."39 After this
cleansing of heaven's sanctuary is completed, just as ancient
Israel waited for their high priest to emerge after purifying the
sanctuary, so with our High Priest: "to those who eagerly wait for
Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation"
(Heb. 9:28). Atonement, in summary, is based upon the finished
sacrifice of Christ and includes a36
Edward Heppenstall, Our High Priest (Washington, D.C.: Review
and Herald, 1972), p. 25.
If everyday atonement is occurring through the intercession of
Christ, why have a separate final Day of Atonement? Consider the
operation of a business corporation. In their offices, executives
frequently hold informal conferences as a necessary function of
business. Yet there remains a special conference room where
scheduled, systematic meetings make official, final decisions
touching the universal range of business matters. Likewise with the
Day of Atonement. Atonement continued throughout the year as a
necessary function of salvation. Yet a special time and place was
reserved for a systematic, final ceremony to settle the universal
aspects of atonement. This Day of Atonement, being the climax of
all religious activity, was appropriately placed near the end of
the yearly cycle. It was a solemn time of judgment--investigation,
vindication and punishment. How was all this accomplished?37 38
Ministry, October 1980, p. 21. Desmond Ford, Daniel 8:14, the
Day of Atonement, ms. p. A-60, in Ministry, October 1980, p.
52.
39
22
Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I continuous process of
forgiveness culminated in a final ceremony that cleanses the
sanctuary. "On the positive side atonement includes the restoration
of oneness and harmony throughout the universe. On the negative
side atonement is the elimination of sin to the satisfaction of the
moral universe."40 Pomegranate bells? What should be our attitude
during the final stages of the judgment in this anti-typical Day of
Atonement? I confess I used to be reluctant to really rejoice in
the Lord in such an awesome time as this. Old covenant shadows
darkened my thinking: worshippers convening quietly at the
sanctuary as their priest ventured timidly into the Holy of Holies.
Then the light of the gospel dawned on me. Old covenant people had
to be afraid as they listened quietly for the pomegranate bells,
since at any moment their priest could be struck dead. But our
Priest is the living Savior who triumphed over sin, death, and
hell! And something wonderful is happening in heaven since the 1844
pre-advent judgment began. As the enemy raises accusations against
us, we triumph over them through the blood of the Lamb and our
joyful testimony (see Rev. 12:10,11). Please ask yourself, fellow
Adventist, as we close this chapter: Are you still listening for
the pomegranate bells of the old covenant sanctuary service? Does
your worship of God reflect medieval uncertainty masked under the
guise of reverence? Then please come out of the shadows to bask in
the Sonshine of the cross. Boldly go to heaven's Most Holy Place
and rejoice at God's throne of grace, the celestial mercy seat. Let
the word go forth in sermon and in song: Worthy is the Lamb! God
help us quit fretting about the time of trouble and start trusting
His salvation. No more Waconian images of doomsday; our most
glorious days are ahead. We can lift up our heads and our hearts,
for our redemption is drawing near! "Blessed are those who dwell in
Your house; they will still be praising You" (Ps. 84:4). An
economic boycott? Yes, but we will still be praising Him. A death
decree? Yes, and we will still be praising Him. Next comes a small
black cloud in the eastern sky. We will still be praising Him. The
cloud will get brighter and brighter until the loving face of Jesus
appears! We will still be praising Him. The trumpet will sound and
the dead in Christ will rise. We willWilliam G. Johnsson, The
Significance of the Day of Atonement Allusions in the Epistle to
the Hebrews," in Wallenkampf, ed., The Sanctuary and the Atonement,
p. 389.40
23
Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I still be praising Him. We who
are alive will be changed and caught up in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air. We will still be praising Him. Evermore we will be
with the Lord, evermore still praising Him! Serious concerns In
summary, Desmond Ford dismisses the doctrine of a celestial
judgment beginning in 1844 as an unbiblical and legalistic threat
to assurance in Christ. While we may appreciate his firm stand on
the law, the Sabbath and the gospel, why must he reject the
two-phase ministry of Christ and the 1844 judgment? Perhaps he can
help us with the following: * As our representative at Calvary,
Christ bore the judgment of our condemnation from Adam and
established our corporate righteousness based upon His doing and
dying. Heaven's pre-advent judgment does not investigate whether we
are good enough but whether we have accepted our position in
Christ's new humanity. God does not question our salvation but
displays and defends it against the accusations of the devil.
Therefore the judgment for believers is not a threat but a favor. *
Symbolized by the little horn in Daniel 7 and 8, Satan attacks the
sanctuary, which represents God's system of saving all who are in
Christ and punishing all who reject Him. The devil's war against
the sanctuary involves disputing our acceptance and also God's
fairness in accepting us. Additionally, the devil wages war against
the knowledge of the gospel that establishes us in Christ, setting
up a counterfeit system of human works. * Any punishment of sin is
called atonement in the Bible. On the positive side, atonement
provides salvation for believers through the punishment received by
their Savior. Negatively, atonement involves damnation for
unbelievers through their own punishment in hell. Atonement is not
complete until the entire universe is cleansed of sin and sinners.
* The message of Hebrews is that Christ ascended to the presence of
God and began a new priesthood in the celestial sanctuary,
replacing the earthly system. The dual compartments of the old
sanctuary represent the two phases of Christ's heavenly ministry
that followed His inauguration at God's throne. * Faith in Christ
brings both His forgiveness and His victorious presence, so
righteousness by faith must include sanctification. We are
"sanctified by faith" (Acts 26:18). The gospel, however, is limited
to what Christ has done for us 2,000 years ago, because what He
24
Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I does within us now is called the
fruit of the gospel. Next Section: Ford responds to Weber