Is the Investigative Judgement Scriptural?

[reddogs]

Hiram Edson and certain other members of the Adventist movement were guided into the belief that the event predicted by Daniel 8:14 was not the return of Christ, but rather Christ's entrance into the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary. Adventists came to believe that the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary involves a work of judgment. This new conviction formed the foundation of the Adventist doctrine of the sanctuary and the investigative judgement. Adventist began to teach that a judgment had begun in 1844 when Christ entered the Most Holy Place. Subsequently, in 1857, James White wrote in the Review and Herald (now the Adventist Review) that an "investigative judgment" was taking place in heaven, in which the lives of professed believers would pass in review before God.




The investigative judgment is one of the most contested doctrines of the Adventist church. So why is it not made crystal clear in scripture so that it is accepted by all Christians, is there a reason.

• Well if Christ's first advent and death on the Cross was so important, why was it not stated clearly in the Old Testament so that even a Jewish child could have recognized Jesus as the Messiah.
• Why did the prophets before Christ came, not make a clear, pronounced declaration to remove all doubts from the minds of Jews and Gentiles about the time and purpose of Christ's first advent.
• Why didn't the best of the Jewish theologians and scholars recognize the Christ as the Messiah, since they had studied scripture extensively?
• Why was it so obscure that even the disciples, after walking with Christ for three and a half years, couldn't see what His real mission was as He hung on the cross?

Why, because even if the very prophets were standing before them, evil would prepare and do everything in its power to turn people from it into unbelief, and have them attack the truth and twist it so as to cloud what was from God. People tend to look to self first and people see what they want to see, many of the Jews wanted a Messiah to save them from the Romans and other local problems. But Israel really wanted only the glory and prestige of a Messiah King, they didn't want Him asking them to surrender their hearts and wills to Him. They didn't want to give up their greedy ambitions, or power, wealth and pleasures, they didn't want to part with sin. They wanted a free ride and instant gratification that didnt make them give up any sin, indulgence of self pleasure or lust, so to submit themselves to the divine was not what they wanted.

When the Messiah came, they wanted no atoner for sins, they wanted a conquering king! The sanctuary message brings with it the message that we must surrender our lives to Christ and part with our pet sins. That is not a popular message especially in these last days.

So we will be judged? Lets take a look at scripture:

Daniel 7.9-10
I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. (22) the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given in favor of the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
Matthew 12.36-37
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
John 5.22
For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment unto the Son:
5.27 And has given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
Romans 14.10-12
We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
2 Cor. 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to what he has done, whether it be good or bad.
Acts 3.18-19
But those things, which God foretold by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he has so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Acts 17:30-31
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men every where to repent: Because he has appointed a day, (can also be translated, time) in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom he has ordained; He has given assurance of this to all men, by raising him from the dead.
Romans 2:15-16
. . .Which show the work of the law written in their hearts,...In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments" for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

• Some say it's only the wicked that are judged, but the Bible clearly indicts that all will appear before the judgment throne of God, some will receive the judgment of condemnation, others will be judged worthy by the blood of the Lamb.

2 Thess. 1.5
Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, 1 Peter 4.17,18
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

• There are judgment texts all through the New Testament as well as the Old Testament. The apocalyptic books of Daniel and Revelation tell us when and where judgment will take place, and need to be studied in order to see God's plan of dealing with sin in the full scope of history.

The Judgment Books and Their Records
The idea of books in heaven with our deeds and names recorded in them is also all through the Bible.
Daniel 7 --which is the most graphic judgement scene declares that thrones are set up, everyone takes their seats, God Himself takes His seat, then the BOOKS ARE OPENED THE JUDGEMENT IS SET. Christ appears in the clouds at that judgment. He is our Advocate, our lawyer according to THE APOSTLES, He is also the One who gives the final sentence on each person.

Revelation also presents books of record which contain the evidence for judgment:
Revelation 20.12
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Malachi tells us about heavenly books containing our records:
Malachi 3.16-17
Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spares his own son that serves him.

Either our Sins or our Names will be blotted out of the Lambs Book of Life....
Exodus 32.33





And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever has sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

• David understood this — He desperately wanted his sins blotted out of those books and his life cleansed so he could stand uncondemned in judgment while God remained JUST in His dealings.

Psalm 51.1-4
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
Psalm 51.9-10
Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

The apostle Peter urges us:
Acts 3.19
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;




Jesus, shows how important it is for our names to be brought up in the judgment. Notice the parallels in His words, with Daniel 7, as names are brought up before the God and before the angels.
Matthew 10.32-33
Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
Luke 12.8,9
Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.
Revelation gives us this promise:
Revelation 3.5
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.



Yes, these texts, all taken together, fill in the details as we once again look in on that heavenly court scene in Daniel 7:

Daniel 7:9
I beheld till the thrones were set up, and the Ancient of days took His seat. His garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

Daniel 7.22 The little horn wars against the saints, Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was made to vindicate the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom."

When Christ stands up, investigative judgment is complete. The book of life contains all the names of the saved.

Daniel 12:1
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

Then the declaration will go forth as found in Revelation.

Revelation 22:11-15
The time is at hand! He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

"As the books of record are opened in the judgment, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus come in review before God. Beginning with those who first lived upon the earth, our Advocate presents the cases of each successive generation, and closes with the living. Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted, names rejected. When any have sins remaining upon the books of record, unrepented of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book of life, and the record of their good deeds will be erased from the book of God's remembrance. The Lord declared to Moses: "Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book." Exodus 32:33. And says the prophet Ezekiel: "When the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, . . . all his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned." Ezekiel 18:24.

All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have had pardon entered against their names in the books of heaven; as they have become partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and their characters are found to be in harmony with the law of God, their sins will be blotted out, and they themselves will be accounted worthy of eternal life. The Lord declares, by the prophet Isaiah: "I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." Isaiah 43:25. Said Jesus: "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels." "Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven." Revelation 3:5; Matthew 10:32, 33." (GC.483)

 

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Seventh-day Adventists teach that phase one, the investigative phase, of the Judgment began in 1844 at the end of the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14, and that this phase will conclude just before the seven last plagues are poured out and Christ returns. This is a judgment that only considers the cases of professed believers, and is the antitype to the ancient Day of Atonement when the sanctuary was annually cleansed. Is there a Biblical basis for these views?

• There will be a separation of true believers from those who profess to follow but cling to sin.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: 48Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. 49So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Mat. 13:47-50)

Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. . . .As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Mat. 13:30, 40-43)

• Before God either hands down a sentence or executes judgment, He always investigates the facts of the case, even though He already knows everything. First He searches hearts, then He rewards.

And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? (Gen. 3:9-11)

And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? (Gen. 4:9)
And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. (Gen. 11:5)
And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; 21I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. (Gen. 18:20, 21)

And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. (Rev. 2:23)

• True to the way God operates, we would expect Him to investigate before He separates the wheat and the tares, the good fish from the bad. An investigation of professed believers does in fact take place just prior to Christ's wedding.

So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14For many are called, but few are chosen. (Mat. 22:10-14)

• Since the Judgment begins before Jesus receives His kingdom, the Judgment must also begin before He returns to this earth.

I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 10A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. . . .

I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. (Dan. 7:9, 10, 13, 14)

• The first angel said, "Fear God and give glory to Him," in the context of a judgment already begun. The first angel of Revelation 14 uses the past tense (aorist tense) in describing the beginning of the Judgment: "The hour of His judgment came." The angel is proclaiming that the Judgment has already commenced. Since the first angel precedes the third angel's warning about the mark of the beast, the Judgment must be already in progress by the time the mark of the beast becomes an issue.

And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. . . .And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand. (Rev. 14:6, 7, 9)

• If there is one of the ten (Commandments) that most people ignore today and refuse to keep literally, it is the fourth. How appropriate then for the first angel, in calling attention to the Judgment already being in progress, to quote from the Fourth Commandment, asking people to worship the Creator. And the one specific way given in Scripture to worship the Creator God is the observing of the Fourth Commandment.

Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. (Rev. 14:7)
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. (Ex. 20:8-11)

• Daniel 7 and 8 give similar sequences of the kingdoms that would hold sway upon earth: Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. While Daniel 7 has the Judgment following Rome, Daniel 8 has the cleansing of the sanctuary following Rome. This implies that the cleansing of the sanctuary and the Judgment are related events.

Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 24And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. 26But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. (Dan. 7:23-26)

And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. 10And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. 11Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. 12And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered. 13Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? 14And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. (Dan. 8:9-14)

• The book of Daniel was to be sealed until the time of the end. The time of the end begins at the conclusion of the 1260 day prophecy.

But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. 5Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river. 6And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? 7And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. 8And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? 9And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. (Dan. 12:4-9)

• In chapter 8 Daniel was also told that his vision was to be shut up. He tells us that none understood the vision. However, Gabriel had explained every part of the vision except the 2300 days of verse 14, so it was only the 2300 days that were not understood, and not to be understood, until the time of the end. This point is made even stronger by the fact that in the Hebrew the 2300 days are literally 2300 "evenings-mornings." When Gabriel refers to the "vision of the evening and the morning," saying that the vision is to be shut up, he is specifically talking about the 2300 days.

And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. 27And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. (Dan. 8:26, 27)

Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. . . .

And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. . . .Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. . . .
And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. . . .
The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. 21And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. 22Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power. 23And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. (Dan. 8:3, 5, 8, 9, 14, 20-23)

• The being who predicted that the time of the end would commence at the end of the 1260 days in Daniel returns in Revelation 10 to give another message. Daniel was to be sealed until the end of the 1260 days, and the specific part that was sealed was the 2300 days. In Revelation 10 the angel holds a little book opened, signifying that Daniel has been unsealed and that the 1260 days have ended. The 2300 days must now be able to be understood, and the angel's declaration that "there shall be time no longer" must be an announcement of the soon ending of the 2300 days.

And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: 2And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth. . . .

And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, 6And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer. (Rev. 10:1, 2, 5, 6)

• After consuming the book of Daniel, John has a sweet taste in his mouth and a bitter feeling in his belly. Somehow, understanding the 2300 days was to be a bittersweet experience, after which those going through this experience were to give another message from God to all the world.

And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. (Rev. 10:11)

• This new message had something to do with the temple in heaven and the measuring of God's professed people.

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

• The measuring of God's professed people has something to do with a judgment. Thus we have directly connected in these passages the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14 and the commencement of an investigative judgment.

Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. (Mat. 7:1, 2)

For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. (2 Cor. 10:12)

• In the final phase of the Judgment, the book of life is opened.

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (Rev. 20:12)

• 
  [*]The unbeliever does not have life. Therefore his name cannot be entered in the Book of Life.
  

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)
He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (1 Jn. 5:12)

• It is possible to have one's name removed from the Book of Life. True to the way God operates, such an event should only come at the conclusion of an investigative judgment.

Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. 33And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. (Ex. 32:32, 33)

Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous. (Ps. 69:28)

He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. (Rev. 3:5)

And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (Rev. 22:19)

• When Christ concludes the Investigative Judgment, the destiny of all is forever fixed. He then returns to give everyone their reward.

He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. 12And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 13I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 14Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (Rev. 22:11-14)

Excerpts from several studies including "A Biblical Basis for The Doctrine of the Investigative Judgment" by Bob Pickle

 

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Here is a good explanation of how it was shown in the earthly sanctuary:

This yearly Day of Atonement,was when the sins deposited there every day all year were then cleansed meaning erased. This shows the Atonement was not fully completed until the Cleansing Day of Atonement each year. The question for most Christians would be,how can the sinner who brought the sacrifice go away being forgiven of his sin,how can the priest administer the atonement for him,when it is clear that the atonement was not completed until Day of Atonement, once per year?

The answer is: The sinner was reconciled to God by the blood of the sacrifice,was made "at one" with God, but the this did not make the Atonement fully completed in God's eyes. Not until the sins were erased from the sanctuary once per yr was it fully completed.

Leviticus 4:35
... and the priest shall burn them upon the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him.

By the mediatation of the priest, the sinner goes away forgiven of his sin, and the priest administers the blood making an atonement for the sinner. Yet, the atonement was not fully completed until the end of the year.

As the sins of each repentant sinner were "deposited" so to speak in the sanctuary daily,and needed to be cleansed or erased,on yearly Day of Atonement, we know that the true Heavenly Sanctuary where Christ as High Priest mediates for us(Heb 8:2), needs to be cleansed on the "Day of Atonement" which per Daniel started on Oct 22,1844 (10th day of 7th month). This cleansing is the investigative judgement,where sins are erased that have the blood of Jesus covering them.

Day of Atonement The 10th day of the 7th month (Ethanim, or Tishri), the most solemn day of the year. On it all were not only to refrain from work but also to afflict their souls (Lev 23:27-32). This probably included fasting, since in NT times it is evidently this day that is referred to as "the fast" (Acts 27:9). On this day all the sins of the preceding year were finally disposed of in the ceremony of cleansing the sanctuary (16). All who did not afflict their souls on that day were cut off from Israel (ch 23:29). The Day of Atonement was to the Jews a day of judgement. As their tradition later describes it, all are judged on New Year's Day, but those who are not outstandingly good or hopelessly wicked have 9 days more, until the Day of Atonement, before their doom is finally sealed (Talmud Rosh Hashanah 16a).
Another important event connected with the Day of Atonement was the blowing of the trumpet on that day to announce the 50th year of the sabbatical year cycle, the year of jubilee (Lev 25:9, 10). Presumably, then, the sabbatical years, running in the same series with the jubilee years, also began at that time. The Day of Atonement services represented cleansing from sin and reconciliation to God (ch 16:16, 33, 34). The ritual began with the high priest bathing his body and putting on the holy linen garments (v 4). For himself and his house he offered a bull for a sin offering (v 6). After this personal preparation a goat designated "for the Lord," previously chosen by lot from two acquired for the service (vs. 5, 7, 8), was sacrificed (v 9). Then, amid clouds of incense ascending from the altar before the second veil (vs. 12, 13) the high priest entered the Most Holy Place and sprinkled the blood first of the bull, then of the goat, upon and before the mercy seat (v 15), which covered the ark containing, among other things, the tables of the Decalogue (Heb 9:4). In this manner the holy place was cleansed, and atonement made for the sins of the people (Lev 16:16). In a similar manner the altar was cleansed (vs. 18, 19). Later, but not until the work of reconciliation for the holy place, the altar, and the people was ended (v 20), the transgressions of the people were transferred ritually to the goat, described as being "for Azazel," (v 10, RSV). This goat was then led into the wilderness (vs. 20-22).
The high priest was a type of Christ, the high priest in the heavenly sanctuary (Heb 8:1). The earthly priest performed his services "unto the example and shadow of heavenly things" (v 5). The author of Hebrews explains that by the high priest’s entering only once a year into the second apartment the Holy Spirit signified that "the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing" (ch 9:8) -- (Seventh-day Adventist Bible Dictionary.)

Now compare the Day of Atonement to the daily process of atonement at the tabernacle...

Atonement Hebrew kippurém, from kaphar, "to make atonement," generally believed to have the basic meaning of "to cover." The Greek katallageµ, "reconciliation," is translated "atonement" once (Rom. 5:11) in the KJV. Theologically atonement is the process by which a sinner is reconciled to God or brought into a state of at-one-ment with Him. Christ ‘s vicarious sacrifice upon the cross is the central, decisive, effective act in this process, and without it all else would be insufficient to atone for sin. The atonement there provided was perfect and complete. It was "once for all" in the sense that it would never have to be repeated. Having made the atonement on the cross, Christ ascended to heaven as our great high priest, there to be our intercessor and to minister on our behalf the benefits of the atonement made available at the cross (Heb. 7:27; 9:12, 26; 10:10). Since His ascension Christ ever lives to make intercession for us, and this intercession is part of the work of reconciliation, or atonement, in its larger sense (Heb. 7:25; 8:1, 2; 9:11, 12; 10:12,14, 21, 22). Accordingly He invites us to draw near to the throne of grace with confidence, "that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 4:16).

Some early Adventists, basing their definition of the term on its OT meaning with reference to the ancient sanctuary service, and believing that the ancient priests served "unto the example and shadow of heavenly things" (Heb. 8:5), stressed this high-priestly aspect of Christ ‘s atoning ministry to the point of seeming to deny that His sacrifice on the cross could properly be called a work of atonement. William Miller, for instance, wrote that Christ ‘s shedding of His blood on Calvary for a sinful world was "the propitiatory sacrifice to God," but that the atonement "is made by his life and intercession in heaven (Heb. 7:25)," "so that through his intercession we can be saved by his life (Rom. 5:10; 1 John 5:11)" (letter of Nov. 22, 1844, in Western Midnight Cry 4:26, Dec. 21, 1844).
The misunderstanding arising from the denial by Miller and by some early SDA writers that atonement was made on the cross is a matter of semantics. None of those who denied this denied either the fact or the efficacy of Christ ‘s sacrifice made on the cross, nor did they believe that He offered another sacrifice in heaven. They were simply using the word "atonement" in its original, biblical sense rather than in the popular theological sense. They pointed out that in the ancient sanctuary service atonement was made for the sinner, not by the slaying of the sacrificial offering, but by the priestly ministry performed within the sanctuary after the sacrifice had been slain: "And he [the penitent] shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering.
"And the priest shall take of the blood thereof. . . . And the priest shall burn it [the fat] upon the altar for a sweet savour unto the Lord; and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him" (Lev. 4:29-31; cf. v. 27).
They contended that the atoning ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary since His ascension and not His sacrifice on Calvary” was the biblical counterpart of the atoning ministry of the priest in the earthly sanctuary after the sacrifice had been slain (Heb. 9:11-15, 23-26; 10:11-14; cf. Lev. 4:27-31, etc.). Thus when Miller and other early Adventists spoke of the atonement as being made not on the cross, but by Christ after His ascension to heaven, they were technically correct insofar as the use of the word "atonement" in ritual law was concerned. However, contemporary theological usage of the word "atonement" does not include its biblical application to the priestly ministration of the blood of a sacrifice that had already been slain. This is the reason the Seventh-day Adventist position on the atonement has sometimes been misunderstood and misrepresented. In any discussion of the atonement, it is important that this distinction between biblical and modern theological use of the word be recognised.
The relationship between Christ ‘s sacrifice on the cross and His priestly ministry in heaven since His ascension is explained thus by Ellen G. White: "The intercession of Christ in man ‘s behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross. By His death He began that work which after His resurrection He ascended to complete in heaven" (GC 489).
"The great sacrifice had been offered, and had been accepted, and the Holy Spirit which descended on the day of Pentecost carried the minds of the disciples from the earthly sanctuary to the heavenly, where Jesus had entered by His own blood, to shed upon His disciples the benefits of His atonement" (EW 260; first published in 1858 in 1SG 170).
But that this position in no sense depreciates the atonement provided at the cross is evident from her further comments: "The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster" (Ellen G. White, in SDACom 5:1137).
"The cross must occupy the central place because it is the means of man ‘s atonement and because of the influence it exerts on every part of the divine government" (6T 236).
"Christ ‘s words on the mountainside [in Galilee after the Resurrection] were the announcement that His sacrifice in behalf of man was full and complete. The conditions of the atonement had been fulfilled; the work for which He came to this world had been accomplished" (MS 138, 1897).
When SDAs speak of Christ ‘s work of atonement in the heavenly sanctuary, they refer to the application to each individual believer, according to his/her need, of the benefits of salvation provided for all at Calvary.
In the ancient sanctuary the solemn services of the annual Day of Atonement brought the yearly ritual cycle to a close (Lev. 16). The work of atonement, or reconciliation, performed on that day brought to completion all that the sanctuary and the priests could do for repentant sinners, and cleansed the sanctuary and the people. On the basis of the clear analogy drawn by the inspired writer of Hebrews between the earthly sanctuary and that in heaven, SDAs recognise in the final phase of the heavenly ministry of Christ a counterpart of the earthly Day of Atonement service. SDAs refer to this concluding phase of Christ ‘s ministry of reconciliation as the "great antitypical day of atonement," and the "investigative judgement" (see also Sanctuary).
The need for a reconciliation, or atonement, between God and humanity derives from the fact that when Adam sinned "sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Rom. 5:12; cf. 3:23). Disobedience separated human beings from their Maker, and the outraged divine law demanded the death of the transgressors. God ‘s justice required that all imperfection must be eradicated. But since humans were the offspring of a loving Creator, almighty love planned a way of escape for those who had fallen into the trap of sin set for them by Satan.
Being a reflection of the character of God, the moral law is immutable. There is nothing sinners can do to recommend themselves to God or to bring about reconciliation. Accordingly God made provision for reconciling sinners to Himself should the need arise. The plan was devised before the creation of Adam (1 Peter 1:20), and explained to him before his expulsion from Eden (Gen. 3:15). This plan called for the Son of God to lay aside His divine power, to be clothed with a human body, to meet temptation as humans must meet it, yet without sin, and to die a vicarious death in the sinner ‘s place. He would be treated as the worst of sinners, and experiencing separation from the love and presence of the Father, He would suffer for all sinners. He paid the price of sin and offered humanity His righteousness.
John 3:16 summarises the plan of the atonement: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The love of God is free, but it must be believed and accepted voluntarily. It is available to all, but not all accept it. There can be no atonement for those who "neglect so great salvation" and refuse to "live by faith" (Heb. 2:3; Rom. 1:17). A complete atonement must not only afford pardon for past sins but also provide human beings with power to overcome temptation. For this reason Christ lived among humans as their example and also offers them the Holy Spirit to enable them to live sinless lives -- (Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopaedia.)

Now where does the sin from the atonements ultimately end up, lets look back at the tabernacle service........

Scapegoat ("escape goat"). The KJV term for the goat sent away into the wilderness on the Day of Atonement. The term was derived from the Vulgate caper emissarius, "goat sent away." In Lev. 16:8 the KJV marginal reading for scapegoat is "Azazel," a transliteration of the Hebrew. The verse may be translated literally as in the RSV: "And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for Azazel." Among Christian scholars there have been and still are wide variations of opinion as to the significance of the scapegoat in its relationship to the services of the Day of Atonement, in both type and antitype. One view, among many others, holds that the scapegoat is a type of Christ. Another and opposite view is that the scapegoat is a type of Satan. Although the Adventists in 1844 preached much about the Day of Atonement, they apparently gave little attention to such details as the significance of the scapegoat.
As later Seventh-day Adventists studied the sanctuary, they gave more thorough consideration to the details of the Day of Atonement ritual by which the ancient sanctuary was cleansed. The unanimous conclusion of Seventh-day Adventist scholars has been that the scapegoat, or Azazel, represented Satan.
The many reasons for this conclusion are discussed rather extensively by the early SDA writers. (See Uriah Smith, The Sanctuary [Battle Creek, Mich., 1877], p. 308; J. H. Waggoner, The Atonement [Oakland, Calif., 1884], p. 232.) Inasmuch as the atonement for the sanctuary was already completed before the confessed sins were transferred, in figure, to the scapegoat (Lev. 16:20, 21), they concluded that Christ must therefore have completed the work of atonement before Satan”the antitypical scapegoat”could suffer the fate reserved for him as set forth in Rev. 20:9, 10.
The identification of the scapegoat also involved the meaning of the word "Azazel" (ibid., pp. 234,237). On this point many non-Adventist scholars, such as Jenks, Spencer, Charles Beecher, and Matthew Henry, were quoted extensively. It was pointed out that both the Hebrews and the early Christians considered Azazel as the name of the devil, or a demon, and that the Syriac Azzail paralleled this usage. It was pointed out, further, that the use of the preposition "for," in the Hebrew of Lev. 16:8, implies that the lots were cast for a person”one for YHWH and one for Azazel. This would rule out Azazels being an impersonal name for evil. Also, it was pointed out that the Targums treated Azazel as a proper name, and that the Septuagint rendered it by apopompaios, a Greek word applied to a malign deity. This was also the position of the early Church Fathers. Origen said, "He who is called in the Septuagint apopompaios, and in the Hebrew Azazel, is no other than the devil."
A brief note in the Review and Herald (32:48, July 7, 1868) cites Irenaeus (c. A.D. 185) as quoting "that divine elder," who characterised him as "that fallen and yet mighty angel" (Against Heresies 1. 15).
Ancient Jewish writers consistently cast Azazel in the role of an evil spirit being. The pseudepigraphical Book of Enoch, for instance, comments: "Azazel . . . hath taught all unrighteousness on earth" (9:6). "The whole earth has been corrupted through the works that were taught by Azazel: to him ascribe all sin" (10:8).
The first discussion of the scapegoat appearing in an SDA publication was the reprint of O.R.L. Crosier's treatise on the sanctuary (Day-Star Extra 9:43, Feb. 7, 1846, reprinted in the Advent Review 1:62, 63, September 1850). Probably the first discussion by a Sabbathkeeping Adventist writer was an editorial by James White (Review and Herald 9:28, Nov. 27, 1856), giving essentially the same explanation, identifying the scapegoat as Satan.
In the Review and Herald for July 3, 1883 (60:424), Uriah Smith develops the subject at considerable length, listing reasons for considering Azazel as Satan: "The scape-goat having once been selected, it never after performed any office involving dignity or honour, or calling for any thing which would symbolise perfection of life or character. . . . The atonement is all made, sins are remitted, the records of the evil deeds of God's people are blotted out, and they are forever freed from them, and these sins are all borne from the sanctuary, before ever Satan is called into requisition at all. God then simply uses him as the vehicle by which to make a final disposition of these sins in the lake of fire. Thus, so far as the work of atonement itself is concerned, the plan and work of mercy by which God's people are forgiven their sins, Satan has no part to act."
Years later A. T. Jones emphasised the fact that Azazel must be considered a personal spirit being who stands in opposition to the Lord, and therefore is Satan. He bases this on the fact that lots are cast for two goats, one "for the Lord" and one "for Azazel," who must therefore be as real a personality as the Lord. Jones cites a number of contemporary sources for this view (ibid. 76:460, July 18, 1899).
Seventh-day Adventist belief (note Smith's statement above) that the scapegoat represents Satan does not in any way involve him in the atonement for sins. Christ's atonement was full and complete for all, and He alone bore the sins of the righteous and atoned for them. Even theologians who omit Satan from the picture of the Day of Atonement, and thus restrict the symbolism of both goats to Christ, agree that the expiation was effected by the blood of the first goat and that the ceremony with the other goat appears as a mere addition made for special reasons, a kind of complement to the wiping away of sins that had already been effected by the means of the sacrifice.
In summary, Seventh-day Adventists believe that the scapegoat, or Azazel, is a type of Satan. As, anciently, the sins of repentant Israelites were placed on the head of the scapegoat before it was sent away into the wilderness, so "when the work of atonement in the heavenly sanctuary has been completed, then in the presence of God and heavenly angels, and the host of the redeemed, the sins of God’s people will be placed upon Satan; he will be declared guilty of all the evil which he has caused them to commit. And as the scapegoat was sent away into a land not inhabited, so Satan will be banished to the desolate earth, an uninhabited and dreary wilderness" (GC 658). -- (Seventh-day Adventist Bible Dictionary.)


Here is another study of the Investigative Judgement verses in scripture with some Spirit of Prophecy going over them.

"After this I looked, and, behold, a [door] was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.

"And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and [one] sat on the throne." {Rev.4:1,2.} ​

"And, behold, one like the son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him......"I beheld til the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit,......The judgement was set, and the books were opened." {DAN.7:13,9,10.}​

"And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals." {Rev.5:1.} ​

"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: And the dead were judged out of these things which were written in the books, according to their works." {REV.20:12}​

"The subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgment should be clearly understood by the people of God. All need a knowledge for themselves of the position and work of their great High Priest. Otherwise it will be impossible for them to exercise the faith which is essential at this time or to occupy the position which God designs them to fill. Every individual has a soul to save or to lose. Each has a case pending at the bar of God. Each must meet the great Judge face to face. How important, then, that every mind contemplate often the solemn scene when the judgment shall sit and the books shall be opened, when, with Daniel, every individual must stand in his lot, at the end of the days." {GC 488.2}​

"The books of record in heaven, in which the names and the deeds of men are registered, are to determine the decisions of the judgment. Says the prophet Daniel: "The judgment was set, and the books were opened." The revelator, describing the same scene, adds: "Another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." Revelation 20:12. {GC 480.2}​

"The book of life contains the names of all who have ever entered the service of God. Jesus bade His disciples: "Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." Luke 10:20. Paul speaks of his faithful fellow workers, "whose names are in the book of life." Philippians 4:3. Daniel, looking down to "a time of trouble, such as never was," declares that God's people shall be delivered, "everyone that shall be found written in the book." And the revelator says that those only shall enter the city of God whose names "are written in the Lamb's book of life." Daniel 12:1; Revelation 21:27." {GC 480.3}​

"At the time appointed for the judgment--the close of the 2300 days, in 1844--began the work of investigation and blotting out of sins. All who have ever taken upon themselves the name of Christ must pass its searching scrutiny. Both the living and the dead are to be judged "out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." {GC 486.1}​

 

[reddogs]

Here is some the background of the Investigative Judgement...

The Investigative Judgement is a Seventh-day Adventist term for the preliminary phase of the great final judgement by which God intervenes in human affairs to bring the reign of sin to a close and to inaugurate Christ's eternal reign of righteousness (see Dan. 7:9, 10, 13, 14). This opening phase is called an investigative judgement because it consists of an examination of the life records of all who have ever professed to accept salvation in Christ and whose names are therefore inscribed in "the Lamb's book of life." Its purpose is to verify their eligibility for citizenship in God's eternal kingdom. At the close of the investigative judgement the sins of those who have endured to the end are "blotted out" from the books of record and the names of all others are stricken from the book of life (Ex. 32:32, 33; Rev. 3:5; 20:12, 15; 22:19). Seventh-day Adventists teach that in view of the fact that at His second coming Christ rewards "every man according as his work shall be" (Rev. 22:12; cf. Rom. 2:511), it is evident that this investigation of the life record takes place before He returns to earth to gather the elect. The divine proclamation "Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgement is come," is specifically presented as preceding the Advent (Rev. 14:7; cf. v. 14).

To be sure, God does not need to investigate the records in order to learn or to determine who is eligible to be saved. It is for the benefit of all created beings that the facts with respect to each person's fate should be known, as an assurance to all that justice has been done and as a guarantee of the eternal stability of the divine government. The Bible writers speak of "books" in which God keeps a record of character-of good and evil deeds as measured by a person’s knowledge of, and voluntary relationship to, divine grace and God's revealed will (Ex. 32:32; Mark 16:16; Phil. 4:3; James 4:17; Rev. 20:12, 13; 22:11, 12).

The doctrine of the investigative judgement is an integral part of the sanctuary doctrine, and relates especially to the fulfillment in antitype of the ancient Day of Atonement service. In brief, the Day of Atonement consisted, in figure, of a review of the individual records of God's people-of their personal relationship to God through the sanctuary ministration. At the close of the special service of the day a final disposal of all sins that had been confessed, forgiven, and transferred in figure to the sanctuary during the preceding year was made; the sanctuary was "cleansed" of the record of these sins removed (see Lev. 16).

Persons whose sins were included in this work of cleansing were released from further responsibility for their past record of sin, and their status under the covenant relationship was revalidated. Those no longer eligible to continue in the covenant relationship were to be "cut off" from Israel. The ancient Day of Atonement was thus a day on which the eligibility of each individual Israelite to continue under the covenant relationship was reviewed, and it was therefore a day of judgement (see SB, Nos. 111118; SDADic, "Atonement, Day of").

Development of Seventh-day Adventist View. William Miller based his 1843/1844 message chiefly on the text (Dan. 8:14) "Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed," holding that the period of time here specified terminated in that year (see Sanctuary; Twenty-three Hundred Days). He understood this cleansing of the sanctuary to involve a work of judgement and to consist in the purification of this earth by the fires of the last day, at the second coming of Christ in power and glory. When, after the disappointment of 1844, those who later became Seventh-day Adventists reviewed Miller's interpretation of Dan. 8:14, they became convinced of the validity of Miller's exposition of the time period, but concluded that the sanctuary here referred to is the sanctuary in heaven, mentioned in the book of Hebrews, where Christ now ministers as our great high priest. Inasmuch as the earthly sanctuary and its services were types of the heavenly sanctuary (Heb. 8:2, 5; 9:69, 23; cf. Ex. 25:8, 9), as the earthly sanctuary was cleansed on the ancient Day of Atonement (Lev. 16), and as the earthly sanctuary ceased to exist in A.D. 70, early SDAs concluded that the cleansing of the sanctuary foretold in Dan 8:14 must refer to a counterpart of the ancient Day of Atonement to be conducted in the heavenly sanctuary. The SDA understanding of a cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, of a great antitypical day of atonement, and of an investigative judgement is based on this analogy drawn in the book of Hebrews between the earthly and heavenly sanctuaries.

The view that the sanctuary to be cleansed in 1844 is the one in heaven was first written out by Owen R. L. Crosier, in the Day-Dawn in 1845 and in the Day-Star Extra of Feb. 7, 1846. Crosier emphasised two aspects of the antitypical cleansing-the blotting out of sins and the disposal of sins by placing them, in figure, on the head of the scapegoat. This he based on Acts 3:19: "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord."

Crosier connected this blotting out of sins with the cleansing of the sanctuary from the sins of the people on the ancient Day of Atonement. "A little attention to the law will show that the sins were borne from the people by the priest, and from the priest by the goat. 1st, They are imparted to the victim. 2nd, The priest bore them in its blood to the Sanctuary. 3rd, After cleansing them from it on the 10th day of the seventh month, he bore them to the scape-goat. And 4th, The goat finally bore them away beyond the camp of Israel to the wilderness. This was the legal process, and when fulfilled the author of sins will have received them back again, (but the ungodly will bear their own sins,) and his head will have been bruised by the seed of the woman" (ibid. 43).

About the time Crosier was first writing his view concerning the heavenly sanctuary William Miller wrote a letter (Mar. 20, 1845) in which he applied the judgement-hour message to the closing ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary: "That the prophetic numbers did close in 1844, I can have but little doubt. What then was there worthy of note that could be said to answer to the ending of the periods under these numbers so emphatically describing the end? I answer. The first thing I will notice is, The hour of his Judgement is come. I ask, is there any thing in the scriptures to show that the hour has not come, or in our present position to show, that God is not now in his last Judicial character deciding the cases of all the righteous, so that Christ (speaking after the manner of men) will know whom to collect at his coming or the angels may know whom to gather when they are sent to gather together the elect, whom God has in this hour of his Judgement justified? Rom. 8:33. . . . It also seems by John's description of this event, Rev. 19:1, 2, 11, that the scene of the Judgement begins in heaven, and the first thing mortals on earth will see will be the messenger of God, Rev. 20:1, who is Jesus Christ, descending from God, to execute the Judgement written in heaven, and fulfil the decrees and promises made in heaven by him who sitteth on the great white throne. . . . If this is true, who can say God is not already justifying his Sanctuary, and will yet justify us in preaching the time?" (Day-Star 5:31, Apr. 8, 1845).

Judging by their writings, Adventists who later formed the Seventh-day Adventist Church did not notice William Miller's suggestion relating the judgement of Rev. 14:6, 7 to the cleansing of the sanctuary mentioned in Dan. 8:14.
In his initial explanation of the October 1844 disappointment, Hiram Edson had spoken of Christ’s having "a work to perform" in the heavenly sanctuary after the end of the 2300 days and before His return, but he gave no further explanation. Crosier's expanded discussion of the sanctuary in his 1846 article did not connect the cleansing of the sanctuary with the judgement. The nearest approach to the idea was an allusion to "the breast-plate of judgement" worn over the heart of the high priest when he went into the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, "that he may bear their judgement" (Day-Star 9:40, Extra, Feb. 7, 1846).

He may or may not have derived this from Enoch Jacobs, who in November 1844 spoke of the names of the children of Israel on the "breast-plate of judgement" as typifying the people whose sins are put away before Christ personally returns, and suggested the possibility that on the antitypical Day of Atonement, the tenth day of the seventh month, Jesus had begun to sit in judgement and was on His way to execute the judgement in person (Western Midnight Cry 4:19, Nov. 29, 1844).
Neither is it clear whether Jacobs derived this idea of the final putting away of sins from a letter he had received from William Miller (dated Nov. 22) in which Miller, replying to an inquiry, wrote that Christ would come as judge, to bear our sins away; "that our sins cannot be blotted out until Christ comes to judge His people is evident from . . . Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 2:6" (ibid. 4:26, Dec. 21, 1844).

Nor is it possible to find a connection between the SDA view and the earlier reference by Josiah Litch (Prophetic Expositions [1842], vol. 1, pp. 4954) to a preliminary phase of the judgement-the examination, or trial, of every person preceding the resurrection, and the execution of the judgement at the Second Advent. The various elements-the blotting out of sins, the putting away of sins, the examination of the books, the cleansing of the sanctuary from the sins-were all present in Millerite thinking, but the synthesis cannot be traced exactly.

By 1849, when the early Seventh-day Adventist group had well established its identity, Ellen White wrote: "I saw that Jesus would not leave the Most Holy Place until every case was decided either for salvation or destruction" (Present Truth 1:22, August 1849; reprinted in EW 36), yet she did not call it the judgement.

In the same year David Arnold (Present Truth 1:4345, December 1849) and the next year Joseph Bates (Review and Herald 1:22, December 1850) echoed the phrase "breast-plate of judgement," and carried the idea further, to equate the coming of the Bridegroom to the wedding with the entrance of the high priest into the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, blotting out the sins of those whose names are on the breastplate (in the antitype, the Israel of God), but neither mentions the judgement. James White did not mention the breastplate of judgement in his article in Present Truth 1:7579, May 1850; and in another discussion of the sanctuary doctrine (Review and Herald 1:29, January 1851), he mentioned only the removal of sins by placing them on the head of the scapegoat. In 1853 J. N. Andrews wrote a series of articles on the sanctuary. When he came to the cleansing on the Day of Atonement, he mentioned only the blotting out of sins and the transfer of sins to the scapegoat (Review and Herald 3:147, 148, Feb. 3, 1853).

However, in 1854 J. N. Loughborough, like William Miller in 1845, connected the cleansing of the sanctuary as a work of judgement with the message of the first angel of Rev. 14: "The hour of his judgement is come." He asked: "What was that work of cleansing? Is the work of cleansing the Sanctuary fitly heralded by the first angel';s message? in other words, Is it a work of judgement? For light on this subject, we shall be obliged to go to the type. Let us look at the type. See the high priest preparing himself to cleanse the Sanctuary; almost the first thing he did was to gird upon him the breast plate of judgement. For what does he put that on? It certainly looks as though he was going to do a judgement work. . . .

"Now read 1 Pet. iv. Verse 5 declares that Christ is ready to judge the quick and the dead. Verse 7. But the end of all things is at hand. Verse 11. If any man speak let him speak as the oracles of God. (Oraclesten commandments. See Acts vii, 38.) Why speak as the oracles of God? Because the oracles are the duty brought out by the third angel' message. Verse 17. The time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God. Verse 19. Commit the keeping of your souls to God. 1 Tim. v, 24. Some men's sins are open before-hand going before to judgement. We see by this what the judgement is that the first angel of Rev. xiv refers to" (ibid. 4:30, Feb. 14, 1854).

 

[reddogs]

The next year Uriah Smith formally developed the idea of judgement, building also on the connection between the cleansing of the sanctuary and the judgement-hour message: "The work of cleansing the earthly sanctuary was a work of judgement. The high priest went into the most holy place, bearing the breast-plate of judgement, and on that breast-plate the names of the twelve children of Israel, to make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and for all the people of the congregation. Lev. xvi, 33. This prefigured a solemn fact; namely, that in the great plan of salvation, a time of decision was coming for the human race; a work of atonement, which being accomplished, God's people, the true Israel, should stand acquitted, and cleansed from all sin. . . . We read in Dan. vii, 10, that the judgement was set, and the books were opened. Again in Rev. xx, 12, the books were opened, and the dead were judged out of those things written in the books, according to their works. From this we learn that a record is kept of the acts of all men; and from that record, their reward is given them according to their deserts. There is no judgement in this sense of the term, independent of these books of record; but we read [1 Pet. iv, 17] that there is a time when judgement must begin at the house of God; when some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgement; [1 Tim. v, 24;] and if, says Peter, it first begin at us what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God. This must be a judgement of the same nature and can refer to no other work than the closing up of the ministration of the heavenly Sanctuary, hence that work must embrace the examination of individual character; and we conclude that the lives of the children of God, not only those who are living, but all who have ever lived, whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life, will during this time pass in final review before that great tribunal. We see, therefore, how in this respect, the work of the type is infinitely surpassed by that of the antitype. . . .

"The first angel proclaimed, Fear God and give glory to him; for the hour of his Judgement is come. At the end of the 2300 days, when that message closed, had that time come? If the judgement scene which takes place in the second apartment of the Sanctuary, to which this proclamation doubtless refers, did not then commence, it had not come; and the first angel with his message, was too fast. But we believe that work did there commence; that there was the time when judgement began at the house of God, and the time came when Daniel, and all the righteous in the person of their Advocate should stand in their lot" (ibid. 7:5254, Oct. 2, 1855).

Finally, in 1857, James White rounded out the doctrine, using "investigative judgement": "The time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God, and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 1 Pet. iv, 17, 18.
"This text we must regard as prophetic. That it applies to the last period of the church of Christ seems evident from verses 57, 12, 13. In the judgement of the race of man, but two great classes are recognised-the righteous and the sinner, or ungodly. Each class has its time of judgement; and, according to the text, the judgement of the house, or church, of God comes first in order.

"Both classes will be judged before they are raised from the dead. The investigative judgement of the house, or church, of God will take place before the first resurrection; so will the judgement of the wicked take place during the 1000 years of Rev. xx, and they will be raised at the close of that period.

"It is said of all the just, Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection, therefore all their cases are decided before Jesus comes to raise them from the dead. The judgement of the righteous is while Jesus offers his blood for the blotting out of sins. Immortal saints will reign with Christ 1000 years in the judgement of the wicked. Rev. xx, 4; 1 Cor. vi, 2, 3. The saints will not only participate in the judgement of the world, but in judging fallen angels. See Jude 6.
Some men’s sins [the righteous] are open before hand, going before to judgement, and some men [the wicked] they follow after. 1 Tim. v, 24. That is, some men lay open, or confess their sins, and they go to judgement while Jesus blood can blot them out, and the sins be remembered no more; while sins unconfessed, and unrepented of, will follow, and will stand against the sinner in that great day of judgement of 1000 years.

"That the investigative judgement of the saints, dead and living, takes place prior to the second coming of Christ seems evident from the testimony of Peter. Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick [living] and the dead. . . . 1 Pet. iv, 57.

"It appears that the saints are judged while some are living and others are dead. To place the investigative judgement of the saints after the resurrection of the just, supposes the possibility of a mistake in the resurrection, hence the necessity of an investigation to see if all who were raised were really worthy of the first resurrection. But the fact that all who have part in that resurrection are blessed and holy, shows that decision is passed on all the saints before the second coming of Christ. . . .

"When will the cases of the living saints pass in review in the investigative judgement of the house of God? This is a question worthy the candid and most solemn consideration of all who have a case pending in the court of heaven, and hope to overcome. In the order of heaven, we must look for their judgement to follow that of the dead, and to occur near the close of their probation" ("The Judgement," ibid. 9:100, Jan. 29, 1857).

This comes from the current lesson...

Summary: The Day of Atonement pointed to the consummation of Christ's work of salvation. It will result in the cleansing of the universe from sin and evil. That consummation begins with the vindication of the people of God and their removal from the presence of sin and Satan. The cosmic impact of the problem of sin will be dealt with through the millennial judgment and will result in the extermination of the forces of evil. After that, there will be a permanent union with God and the heavenly family, all made possible only through the atoning death of Christ. God's love will be triumphant.

We know sin originated in heaven with Satan. When he was forced to leave, he left the angels of heaven with a war in their past in their home and boatloads of questions about God. The death of Jesus answered all of those questions because it proved that Satan is a liar and a murderer.

However, while the death of Jesus answered all questions about God, it did NOT answer all questions about the controversy of good and evil. Here is one reason why this is true.

In your mind, go back in time to just hours after Jesus died. Pretend that you are an angel in heaven, and you have just witnessed his death. What are your thoughts? Well, you would be thinking that it is so good that He has died because now you know for certain that Satan is a liar and a murderer. He lied about God. Jesus proved that because He was willing to sacrifice Himself. He does care about his creation and it really does cost him something. And Satan has just killed Jesus, so you now know that was his intent all along. So, you feel satisfaction.

Now, go forward a few days. Jesus comes back up to heaven to see the Father and there is a joyous celebration upon his return. After a short visit he returns to earth. Jesus is going to appear to his disciples over a period of days to prepare them for what lies ahead for them. Meanwhile, your mind begins to think about what has happened - and what is coming.

Suddenly you are struck with the thought that now that Jesus has died, there really will be people from earth who will be coming to live in heaven. They will be your new neighbors someday! As you contemplate this, you begin to have this nagging feeling of fear in your mind. Why? Well, because you recall the war that took place when Satan rebelled and how a third of your friends were lost to Satan. You remember the pain of their war and their leaving.

Then you recall the terrible hold sin has upon people on earth. You begin to realize that just maybe these people who are coming to live in heaven someday may not be safe to save after all. God may say they are safe and you know he isn't a liar. But, how do you shake that feeling that these people might someday choose to return to sin? You have some very valuable things in your home and how do you know that one of those people might someday decide that they want one of those items and take it from your home? Or worse yet, make a weapon and blow your brains out if you try to stop the theft?

If I were an angel in heaven, I am sure these types of thoughts would pass through my mind soon after Jesus died because, as soon as Jesus was resurrected, I would then know that soon I was going to have new neighbors, people who have a history of loving sin most of their life. Do I REALLY want to trust them in heaven as my neighbors? Can I really be sure they have repented of their sins and will no longer turn back to them and cause the same rebellion all over again, with all the pain and heartache that came with it the first time?

This is why God does not just announce who is to be saved and who is to be lost. He does an investigative judgment just before Jesus comes again to clear up any nagging questions like these which the angels in heaven have about those who are about to become the new neighbors of the angels.

You see, the investigative judgment is not just about us. Rather, its about the angels in heaven and even people in other worlds. They want to be sure that they are safe and sin will not come back to destroy their home and happiness, and maybe even their very lives. God gives them the chance to be sure that this won't happen again by allowing them to go over the records of the lives of every person who may be saved. At the end of this, it will come down to the list that God had in mind all along, but this way the trust between the angels and the new residents will be complete. It could never be that way without the investigative judgment.

Jesus says, "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works."

So some kind of determination has taken place in heaven before Jesus returns since He is rewarding every man according to their works.
This is what the Investigative Judgment, or Pre-Advent Judgment is all about.

A major objection to this belief is from the idea by some that such a judgment makes their assurance of salvation unsure. The judgment however shows that God is just and is good news and very assuring.
Our Advocate or Defense Attorney is Christ. The True Witness on the stand is Christ. The only way one can lose in the judgment is to go it alone, without Christ, being our own attorney. I think when people can see that the judgment of true believers is in our favor it takes on new meaning, and one that leads to deeper repentance and love for God. For it is the goodness of God that leads to true, lasting, and transforming repentence, not the fear of if whether or not I am saved.

 

[Jimlarmore]

Great study Red. These posts are a good compilation of the work/s I have been looking at for the last year or so. Do you have a copy of the book "Doctrine of the Sancturay" by Frank B. Holbrook? It's part of the Daniel and Revelation Series Volume 5. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in a deep study of the sanctuary and it's relevance to the investigative judgement.

God Bless you brother for your witness here,

Jim Larmore

 

[reddogs]

Great study Red. These posts are a good compilation of the work/s I have been looking at for the last year or so. Do you have a copy of the book "Doctrine of the Sancturay" by Frank B. Holbrook? It's part of the Daniel and Revelation Series Volume 5. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in a deep study of the sanctuary and it's relevance to the investigative judgement.

God Bless you brother for your witness here,

Jim Larmore

He is one of my old teachers, will have to look it up.

 

[reddogs]

I came across this article that EGW wrote, and it struck me that this was related to the conclusion of the Investigate Judgement, how most in the world would carelessly get stuck in their rejection and refuse to go forward with the light being shown by Christ.....

In February, 1845, I had a vision of events commencing with the Midnight Cry.

I saw a throne and on it sat the Father and the Son. I gazed on Jesus' countenance and admired his lovely person. The Father's person I could not behold, for a cloud of glorious light covered him.

I asked Jesus if his Father had a form like himself. He said he had, but I could not behold it, for said he if you should once behold the glory of his person you would cease to exist.

Before the throne I saw the Advent people, the church, and the world. I saw a company, bowed down before the throne, deeply interested, while the most of them stood up disinterested and careless. Those who were bowed before the throne would offer up their prayers and look to Jesus; then he would look to his Father, and appeared to be pleading with Him.

A light would come from the Father to the Son, and from the Son to the praying company. Then I saw an exceeding bright light come from the Father to the Son, and from the Son it waved over the people before the throne. But few would receive this great light; many came out from under it and immediately resisted it; others were careless and did not cherish the light, and it moved off from them; some cherished it, and went and
bowed down with the little praying company. This company all received the light, and rejoiced in it, as their countenances shone with its glory.

And I saw the Father rise from the throne, and in a flaming Chariot go into the Holy of Holies, within the veil, and did sit. There I saw thrones that I had never seen before. Then Jesus rose up from the throne, and the most of those who were bowed down arose with Him; and I did not see one ray of light pass from Jesus to the careless multitude after he arose, and they were left in perfect darkness.

Those who rose up when Jesus did, kept their eyes fixed on Him as He left the throne and led them out a little way. Then He raised His right arm and we heard his lovely voice saying, "Wait here--I am going to my Father to receive the Kingdom; keep your garments spotless, and in a little while I will return from the wedding and receive you to myself."
And I saw a cloudy chariot, with wheels like flaming fire, and Angels were all around it as it came where Jesus was. He stepped into the chariot and was borne to the Holiest where the Father sat.

There I beheld Jesus, as He was standing before the Father, a great High Priest. On the hem of His garment was a bell and pomegranate.

Then Jesus shew me the difference between faith and feeling. And I saw those who rose up with Jesus send up their faith to Him in the Holiest, and pray--my Father give us thy Spirit. Then Jesus would breathe upon them the Holy Ghost.

In the breath was light, power, and much love, joy and peace.

Then I turned to look at the company who were still bowed before the throne; they did not know that Jesus had left it.— Satan appeared to be by the throne, trying to carry on the work of God; I saw them look up to the throne and pray, my Father give us thy Spirit; then Satan would breathe upon them an unholy influence; in it there was light and much power, but no sweet love, joy and peace.

Satan's object was to keep them deceived, and to draw back and deceive God's children. I saw one after another leave the company who were praying to Jesus in the Holiest, and go and join those before the throne, and they at once received the unholy influence of Satan.

About four months since I had a vision of events all in the future. I saw the time of trouble, such as never was. Jesus told me it was the time of Jacob's trouble, and that we should be delivered out of it by the voice of God.

Then I saw the four angels cease to hold the four winds. And I saw famine, pestilence and sword--nation rose against nation, and the whole world was in confusion. Then we cried to God day and night for deliverance, until we began to hear the bells on Jesus' garment.

And I saw Jesus rise up in the Holiest, and as he came out we heard the tinkling of the bells and knew that our High Priest was coming out. Then we heard the voice of God which shook the heavens and the earth, and gave the 144,000 the day and hour of Jesus coming. Then the saints were free, united, and full of the glory of God, for he has turned their captivity.

And I saw a flaming cloud come where Jesus' stood. Then Jesus laid off his priestly garment and put on his Kingly robe, and took his place on the cloud which carried him to the East, where it first appeared to the saints on earth— a small black cloud which was the sign of the Son of Man.

While the cloud was passing from the Holiest to the East, which took a number of days, the synagogue of Satan worshipped at the saint's feet.....Early Writings, pp. 55, 56

 

[Tigger Boy]

Here is some the background of the Investigative Judgement...

The Investigative Judgement is a Seventh-day Adventist term for the preliminary phase of the great final judgement by which God intervenes in human affairs to bring the reign of sin to a close and to inaugurate Christ's eternal reign of righteousness (see Dan. 7:9, 10, 13, 14). This opening phase is called an investigative judgement because it consists of an examination of the life records of all who have ever professed to accept salvation in Christ and whose names are therefore inscribed in "the Lamb's book of life." Its purpose is to verify their eligibility for citizenship in God's eternal kingdom. At the close of the investigative judgement the sins of those who have endured to the end are "blotted out" from the books of record and the names of all others are stricken from the book of life (Ex. 32:32, 33; Rev. 3:5; 20:12, 15; 22:19). Seventh-day Adventists teach that in view of the fact that at His second coming Christ rewards "every man according as his work shall be" (Rev. 22:12; cf. Rom. 2:511), it is evident that this investigation of the life record takes place before He returns to earth to gather the elect. The divine proclamation "Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgement is come," is specifically presented as preceding the Advent (Rev. 14:7; cf. v. 14).

To be sure, God does not need to investigate the records in order to learn or to determine who is eligible to be saved. It is for the benefit of all created beings that the facts with respect to each person's fate should be known, as an assurance to all that justice has been done and as a guarantee of the eternal stability of the divine government. Re

Reddog, you quote Dan. 7:9-14, as the text in support of the beginning investigative judgement. I agree. But as you understand it, when in time did it begin?

Vss. 23-29 is the angels explanation of the vision. The angel explains in vs. 25, " He [the papacy/horn power] will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people... the holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time. [1260 literal yrs./538-1798] Vs 26, "But the court will sit and his [horn power/ papacy] power will be taken away... "

You mention "the Lamb's book of life". Who wrote that book, why, and when?