Sauf précision, tous les passages tirés des Saintes Écritures sont extraits de la Version Ostervald révisée édition de 1996. 

Cette brochure fut expressément préparée afin de discuter des jours de fête que l'Éternel ajouta au Sabbat du septième jour déjà existant (Genèse 2:1-3; Exode 16:23).  Renseignez-vous également sur notre brochure intitulée « Le jour sanctifié par l'Éternel ». Pour en savoir plus sur la Pâque juive (Exode 12:6), veuillez lire notre brochure intitulée « La Pâque juive et le Repas du Seigneur ».

Les sept jours de fête furent ajoutés suite aux transgressions d'Israël (Galates 3:19).  Rappelez-vous, alors que Moïse recevait les tables de pierre sur lesquels se trouvaient exclusivement les Dix Commandements reçus directement de Dieu, le peuple était en train de commettre un grave péché (Exode 32:7).  Les tables de pierre furent « écrites du doigt de Dieu » (Deutéronome 9:9-10).  La loi sacrificielle ou cérémonielle, aussi appelée loi mosaïque, fut retranscrites par Moïse dans un livre (Deutéronome 31:24).

Il est important de comprendre que les sept jours de fête sont une « feuille de route » menant Israël à Jésus. Ceux qui acceptent Jésus Christ comme étant leur Seigneur, leur Sauveur et leur futur Roi n’ont nul besoin d'observer ces fêtes. Nous ne sommes pas spirituellement des Juifs. Nous n’avons pas été aveuglés. À l’inverse, ceux qui furent aveuglés doivent « observer toute la loi » (Galates 5:1-3).

En Nombres, chapitres 13 et 14, Israël ne crut pas en Dieu (Nombre 14:11). Israël n'a pas écouté Moïse et les prophètes (Luc 16:31), et ils ne crurent pas en Jésus (Jean 8:45-46). Lisez Matthieu 21:33-46.  Israël était devenu aveugle et sourd, non aux voies de Dieu, mais à Son Fils (Actes 28:23-31). Veuillez lire Actes, chapitres 25 à 27, ainsi que Jean 5:37-40.  Jésus utilisa et utilisera ces fêtes pour se révéler au peuple d’Israël.

LES FÊTES D’ISRAËL

Le sujet des fêtes d'Israël est un sujet extrêmement intrigant. Comme tous les sujets ayant trait à la Bible, ces fêtes doivent être étudiées afin de comprendre pourquoi elles furent pratiquées en premier lieu. Quelques-unes des questions qui se posent aujourd’hui à ce sujet sont les suivantes : « Ces fêtes ont-elles toujours existées ? Devrions-nous encore les garder aujourd’hui ? Ne sont-elles pas seulement pour Israël ? Puisque Dieu en aurait fini avec Israël, le peuple de Dieu ne devrait-il pas observer ces fêtes aujourd'hui ? » Nous pourrions continuer indéfiniment tant la liste de questions et de commentaires est longue. Ces quelques questions donnent cependant un aperçu des défis auxquels fait face un étudiant de la Bible lorsqu’il aborde ce sujet. Rappelez-vous cependant que la vérité de Dieu est vraiment simple. L’être humain a rendu compliqué ce qui ne devrait pas l’être. De fait, la vérité est tellement simple que nombreux sont ceux qui la rejettent (Proverbes 1:1-4). L’objectif de cette brochure est d'éclairer, d'informer et d'instruire le lecteur sur le qui, le quoi, le quand, le où, le comment et le pourquoi de ces jours de fête. Lorsque Dieu créa l’être humain, il nous faut croire que Dieu instruisit Adam et Eve concernant Ses commandements, autrement, comment auraient-ils pu pécher ? Il les instruisit, ils désobéirent, et pour cela ils furent chassés du Jardin d'Éden. Nous savons qu'Adam pécha, parce qu'en Romains 5:12 nous lisons : « C'est pourquoi, comme par un seul homme le péché est entré dans le monde, et par le péché la mort; de même la mort s'est étendue sur tous les hommes, parce que tous ont péché. »

De plus, le terme « péché » est utilisé huit fois (selon la Concordance Strong) avant Exode 20. Qu'est-ce que le péché ?  1 Jean 3:4 nous l’explique de la manière suivante : « Quiconque pèche, transgresse aussi la loi; CAR LE PÉCHÉ EST UNE TRANSGRESSION DE LA LOI ». La loi de Dieu alors en vigueur était celle des Dix Commandements. Nous apprenons également qu'Abraham, le père des croyants,  fut loué pour son caractère. En Genèse 18:19 nous lisons : « Car je l'ai connu, afin qu'il commande à ses enfants, et à sa maison après lui, de garder la voie de l'Éternel, pour faire ce qui est juste et droit; afin que l'Éternel fasse venir sur Abraham ce qu'il a dit de lui ». Si les Dix Commandements n'avaient pas été en vigueur, Caïn n'aurait pas péché (Genèse 4:7). Les hommes de Sodome n'auraient pas été méchants et pécheurs (Genèse 13:13), et le roi Abimélec ne se serait pas autant inquiété de la possibilité du péché (Genèse 20:9). Lorsque Dieu libéra la nation d'Israël, Il leur réitéra les Dix Commandements. Ils avaient après tout été réduits en esclavage en Égypte et s’étaient accoutumés aux pratiques pécheresses de cette nation où ils vécurent ainsi plus de 400 ans. En Exode 20:1-20, Dieu écrivit de Son propre doigt dans la pierre les Dix Commandements. Moïse déclare au verset 20 de ce même chapitre, « Ne craignez point, car Dieu est venu pour vous éprouver, et afin que sa crainte soit devant vous, en sorte que vous ne péchiez point ». Il s’agit en cet instant d’un moment crucial, puisque l'intention de Dieu était de donner les Dix Commandements et rien d’autre. C’est ce que nous confirme Deutéronome 5:22, « L'Éternel prononça ces paroles [versets 6 à 21] à toute votre assemblée, sur la montagne, du milieu du feu, de la nuée et de l'obscurité, d'une voix forte, ET IL n’Y AJOUTA RIEN; puis il les écrivit sur deux tables de pierre, qu'il me donna ». Comme vous le voyez, Dieu ne donna alors seulement que les Dix Commandements à Moïse. Mais qu'arriva-t-il donc ?  Pendant que Moïse recevait de Dieu les tables de pierre, les Israélites se plaignaient auprès d’Aaron, s’inquiétant de ce qu’il était advenu de Moïse. Ils demandèrent à Aaron : « Viens, fais-nous des dieux qui marchent devant nous » (Exode 32:1). En Exode 20:19-20, ils déclarèrent à Moïse qu'ils écouteraient : « Et ils dirent à Moïse: Parle-nous toi-même, et nous écouterons; mais que Dieu ne parle point avec nous, de peur que nous ne mourions. Et Moïse dit au peuple: Ne craignez point, car Dieu est venu pour vous éprouver, et afin que sa crainte soit devant vous, en sorte que vous ne péchiez point ». Avant même que Moïse ne soit revenu de sa rencontre avec Dieu, les Israélites réclamaient « des dieux qui marchent devant nous » en violation directe avec le premier commandement qu’ils avaient acceptés d’ « écouter ». Nous constatons en Exode 32:7-10 que Dieu s’est adressé à Moïse exprimant Sa volonté de détruire Israël. « Alors l'Éternel dit à Moïse: Va, descends, car ton peuple, que tu as fait monter du pays d'Égypte, s'est corrompu; Ils se sont bientôt détournés de la voie que JE LEUR AVAIS PRESCRITE; ils se sont fait un veau de fonte, se sont prosternés devant lui, lui ont sacrifié, et ont dit: Voici tes dieux, ô Israël, qui t'ont fait monter du pays d'Égypte ». Nous savons que Moïse est intervenu auprès de Dieu pour le peuple, et Dieu changea d’avis (Exode 32:14).  Suite à ces transgressions, Dieu ajouta les sept jours de fête (Galates 3:19-24).  Au verset 24, nous lisons : « la loi a été notre conducteur pour nous mener à Christ ».

Dieu savait qu’il leur serait difficile d’accepter Jésus comme étant le Messie. Il planifia alors un moyen pour eux pointant vers Son Fils pour qu’ils le reconnaissent. Les lois sont devenues tellement importantes qu'ils ne l'ont finalement pas reconnu. Jésus s’exprime très clairement devant eux en Jean 5:39-40, et, à l'exception des disciples, la plupart des Pharisiens et des Sadducéens l'ont rejeté.

Les jours de fête étaient une partie très importante de leurs vies. Il est par conséquent logique que Jésus ait agit en accord avec ces pratiques.

Rappelez-vous, nous ne connaissons que très peu de l'enfance et de l'adolescence de Jésus. Par ailleurs, à au moins deux reprises, il indiqua que son temps ou que son heure n'était pas encore venu (Jean 2:4; 7:6). Il intéressant de remarquer que c’est ici, en Jean chapitre 7, que nous commençons à percevoir la transition ou la transformation dans sa vie. En Jean 7:2-10 nous lisons : « Or, la fête des Juifs, appelée des Tabernacles, approchait. Et ses frères lui dirent: Pars d'ici, et va en Judée, afin que tes disciples voient aussi les œuvres que tu fais. Car personne ne fait rien en cachette, quand il cherche à être connu. Si tu fais ces choses, montre-toi toi-même au monde. Car ses frères même ne croyaient pas en lui. Jésus leur dit: Mon temps n'est pas encore venu; mais votre temps est toujours venu. Le monde ne peut vous haïr; mais il me hait, parce que je rends de lui le témoignage que ses œuvres sont mauvaises. Pour vous, montez à cette fête; pour moi, je n'y monte pas encore, parce que mon temps n'est pas encore venu. Et leur ayant dit cela, il demeura en Galilée. Mais, lorsque ses frères furent partis, il monta aussi à la fête, non pas publiquement, mais comme en cachette ». Aux versets 14 à 18, nous lisons également : « Vers le milieu de la fête, Jésus monta au temple, et il enseignait. Et les Juifs étaient étonnés, et disaient: Comment cet homme connaît-il les Écritures, ne les ayant point apprises. Jésus leur répondit: Ma doctrine n'est pas de moi, mais de celui qui m'a envoyé. Si quelqu'un veut faire la volonté de Dieu, il connaîtra si ma doctrine est de Dieu, ou si je parle de mon chef. Celui qui parle de son chef cherche sa propre gloire; mais celui qui cherche la gloire de celui qui l'a envoyé, est digne de foi, et il n'y a point d'injustice en lui ». Même après qu’il ait dit cela, ils cherchèrent encore à le tuer. Au verset 19, nous lisons : « Moïse ne vous a-t-il pas donné la loi? et aucun de vous n'observe la loi. Pourquoi cherchez-vous à me faire mourir? » Plus loin, au verset 28, il tenta de clairement leur dire qui il était et d'où il venait. Finalement aux versets 37 et 38, Jésus se révéla lui-même à ceux qui était là : « Le dernier et le grand jour de la fête [voir Lévitique 23:36], Jésus se trouvait là, et s'écriait: Si quelqu'un a soif, qu'il vienne à moi, et qu'il boive. Celui qui croit en moi, des fleuves d'eau vive couleront de son sein, comme dit l'Écriture ». Certains réalisèrent qui il était, d'autres non. « Plusieurs de la foule, ayant entendu ces paroles, disaient: Celui-ci est véritablement le prophète. D'autres disaient: C'est le Christ. Et d'autres disaient: Mais le Christ vient-il de Galilée? L’Écriture ne dit-elle pas que le Christ sort de la postérité de David, et du bourg de Bethléhem d'où était David » (versets 40 à 42). Jésus utilisa donc l’un des jours de fête pour essayer de faire comprendre au peuple d’Israël qu'il était celui qu'ils attendaient : Le Messie. Dans l'Évangile de Jean, chapitre 12 versets 12 à 15, Jésus accomplit la prophétie de Zacharie 9:9 : « Réjouis-toi avec transports, fille de Sion! Jette des cris de joie, fille de Jérusalem! Voici, ton roi vient à toi; il est juste et vainqueur, humble et monté sur un âne, sur le poulain d'une ânesse ». Souvenez-vous, Jean le Baptiste avait déjà identifié Jésus comme étant l'Agneau de Dieu. Lire Jean 1:29 et 1:36. Le peuple d’Israël choisissait maintenant l'Agneau de Dieu comme étant leur Roi. En Exode 12:3, nous lisons : « Parlez à toute l'assemblée d'Israël et dites: Qu'au dixième jour de ce mois ils prennent chacun un agneau ou un chevreau par maison de leurs pères, un agneau ou un chevreau par maison ». Alors que le peuple choisissait l'agneau pour la Pâque annuelle, Jésus se présentait lui-même comme l'Agneau ultime. L'apôtre Paul déclare clairement en 1 Corinthiens 5:7 : « Nettoyez donc le vieux levain, afin que vous deveniez une nouvelle pâte, comme vous êtes sans levain; car Christ, notre PÂQUE, a été immolé pour nous ». Il ne s’agit pas d’une coïncidence, mais de l’accomplissement du plan de Dieu. Approximativement au même moment où chaque famille en Israël préparait l’agneau pascal pour cette célébration annuelle,  Jésus versait son sang au poteau. Voir Jean 18:28. Les hommes qui emmenèrent Jésus à Pilate n'avaient pas encore mangé la Pâque - Jésus avait déjà institué les emblèmes la veille au soir, au début du 14ème jour du premier mois. Jésus a accompli la Pâque à sa mort.

En Lévitique 23:6 et 8, nous lisons au sujet du premier et du dernier jour des pains sans levain. L’objectif de ces jours de fête était de marquer le début et la fin du festival de printemps, mais, et cela est plus important, d’identifier également le Sabbat hebdomadaire après lequel devait être offerte la gerbe, prémices de la moisson. En Lévitique 23:9-11, nous lisons, « L'Éternel parla encore à Moïse, en disant: Parle aux enfants d'Israël, et dis-leur: Quand vous serez entrés au pays que je vous donne, et que vous en ferez la moisson, vous apporterez au sacrificateur une gerbe, prémices de votre moisson. Et il agitera la gerbe devant l'Éternel, AFIN QU’ELLE SOIT AGRÉÉE POUR VOUS; le sacrificateur l'agitera le lendemain du sabbat [hebdomadaire] ».

En 1 Corinthiens 15:23 (première partie du verset), nous lisons : « Mais chacun en son propre rang; Christ est les prémices … ».

Nous enseignons, et les Écritures le confirment, que la crucifixion eut lieu un mercredi et la résurrection un samedi. En accord avec cela, Jean, au chapitre 20 et au verset 1 nous dit que Marie de Magdala arriva au sépulcre le premier jour de la semaine, le dimanche, c’est-à-dire au lendemain du Sabbat hebdomadaire. Jésus était alors déjà ressuscité d’entre les morts. Marie de Magdala trouva le tombeau vide. Son arrivée au tombeau ne nous permet de déterminer quand advint la résurrection. Ce récit confirme seulement que la résurrection avait déjà eut lieu. Au verset 16, « Jésus lui dit [elle ne l’avait pas encore reconnu]: Marie! Et elle, s'étant retournée, lui dit: Rabbouni! c'est-à-dire, mon Maître! » Jésus nous apprend maintenant, ainsi qu'à Marie, quelque chose d’importance. Jésus lui dit : « Ne me touche point, car je ne suis pas encore monté vers mon Père; mais va vers mes frères, et dis-leur que je monte vers mon Père et votre Père, vers mon Dieu et votre Dieu ». Voyez-vous le parallèle?  Jésus, les prémices, se présenta lui-même au Père le même jour où que le sacrificateur agitait la gerbe des prémices de la moisson devant l'Éternel. Plus tard, en Luc 24:36-39, nous apprenons que Jésus apparut sous une différente forme. « Comme ils tenaient ces discours, Jésus lui-même se présenta au milieu d'eux, et leur dit: La paix soit avec vous. Mais eux, frappés de stupeur et d'épouvante, croyaient voir un esprit. Et il leur dit: Pourquoi êtes-vous troublés, et pourquoi s'élève-t-il des pensées contraires dans vos cœurs? Voyez mes mains et mes pieds, car c'est moi-même. Touchez-moi et regardez-moi; car un esprit n'a ni chair ni os, comme vous voyez que j'ai. »

Séquence des évènements :

1. Jésus est ressuscité.

2. Il demande à Marie de ne pas le toucher.

3. Il se présente lui-même comme étant les prémices. De façon similaire, la gerbe des prémices est présentée par le sacrificateur au Temple.

4. Plus tard, ces disciples peuvent le toucher.

Une fois que la fête de printemps a commencé, le Sabbat hebdomadaire qui est utilisé afin de déterminer le moment de l'offrande de la gerbe est le même Sabbat qui est utilisé pour le décompte des semaines menant à la fête d’été, la Pentecôte. Nous lisons en Lévitique 23:15 : « Vous compterez aussi, à partir du lendemain du sabbat, dès le jour où vous aurez apporté la gerbe qui doit être agitée, sept semaines entières [49 jours]. Vous compterez cinquante jours jusqu'au lendemain du septième sabbat [1 Jour]; et vous offrirez une nouvelle offrande à l'Éternel ». Pentecôte signifie cinquante. En ce jour-là, le Saint Esprit fut répandu sur l'Église, marquant ainsi l’accomplissement de la fête de la Pentecôte. Cela avait été prédit en Jean 14:16-18; 15:26-27; 16:7-15. 

Ce fut promis en Actes 1:1-5, et se réalisa en Actes 2:1-4. Jésus, en ces jours de fête, a accompli des événements de grande portée. Un changement est désormais advenu puisqu’Israël n’accepta pas Jésus. Paul nous l’indique en 1 Corinthiens 1:23 : « Nous, nous prêchons Christ crucifié, scandale pour les Juifs, et folie pour les Grecs ». Lire également Matthieu 21:42-43.  Parce qu'ils rejetèrent Christ, ils furent aveuglés et devinrent sourds (Actes 28:25-28). Il en sera ainsi pour Israël jusqu'au retour du Seigneur. Paul fait référence à lui-même « comme à un enfant né hors terme » (1 Corinthiens 15:8, version Segond 21). Jésus est retourné auprès de son Père pour nous « préparer une place » (Jean 14:2).  Il reviendra pour les saints.  « Pour ce qui est du jour et de l'heure, personne ne le sait, non pas même les anges du ciel, mais mon Père seul » (Matthieu 24:36). Lors de son retour, il reviendra premièrement pour les saints (1 Corinthiens 15:23, 2ème partie). « ensuite ceux qui sont de Christ, à son avènement ». Voir également Apocalypse 14:14; 15:1-3. Après qu’il ait moissonné les saints, les sept derniers fléaux seront versés sur les méchants (Psaume 91:8). Ensuite, après cela, les saints reviendront avec Jésus afin d’établir son royaume éternel sur terre. Il reviendra alors comme Roi des rois. Lire Apocalypse 11:15; 19:11-16; 17:14. Cette phase-ci, la seconde partie de son retour, inaugurera son royaume ici sur terre. La seconde phase de son retour sera annoncée au son des trompettes, accomplissant ainsi la fête des trompettes. Veuillez lire Nombres chapitre 10 et notez l’usage qui y est fait des trompettes. Prêtez une attention particulière aux versets 7 et 9. Jésus ne viendra pas seulement pour y établir le royaume, mais aussi pour rétablir sa relation à Israël. En Zacharie 12 :10, nous apprenons qu’Israël va expier pour son rejet de Jésus. « Et je répandrai sur la maison de David, et sur les habitants de Jérusalem, l'Esprit de grâce et de supplications: ils regarderont vers moi, celui qu'ils ont percé; ils en feront le deuil comme on fait le deuil d'un fils unique, et ils pleureront amèrement sur lui, comme on pleure sur un premier-né. » En ce jour-là, il y aura des pleurs et de grandes lamentations dans Jérusalem (Zacharie 13:1-2, 6).

Plus tard, en Zacharie 14:16, nous apprenons que la fête des Tabernacles sera observée.  Rappelez-vous, ces jours de fête furent ajoutés pour Israël, et durant le millénium les nations (à l’exception des saints) auront encore une existence physique, et ils célébreront cette existence temporaire dans l’attente d’une vie permanente et spirituelle.

Jésus utilisa ces jours de fête comme une feuille de route afin de le trouver. La direction reste la même. Il est nécessaire de porter une attention particulière à ces fêtes, et d’en comprendre l’accomplissement.

The Church of God - Publishing House - Salem, West Virginia

Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are from the King James Version.

This tract has been prepared to expressly discuss the seven festivals that YHVH added to the already existing 7th Day Sabbath (Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 16:23).

It is important to understand that these feast days are a “road map” to Jesus for Israel. In Numbers, chapters 13 and 14, some among Israel do not believe God (see Numbers 14:11). Some Hebrews did not hear Moses and the prophets (Luke 16:31), and they did not believe Jesus (John 8:45-46). Read Matthew 21:33-46. Except for a remnant, Israel has become blind and deaf, not to the ways of God but, to the Messiah (Acts 28:23, 31). Read also Acts 25-27, and John 5:37-40. Jesus has used and will use these days to reveal Himself to them.

THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL

The feasts of Israel are a very intriguing subject. Like all subjects of the Bible, they must be studied to understand why they existed in the first place. Some of the questions that are asked today are: “Haven't they always existed? Shouldn't we be keeping them now? Aren't they only for Israel? Since God is finished with Israel, shouldn't God's people keep them today?” We could go on and on about the comments and questions, but that gives you, the reader, an idea of what a Bible student faces today. Always remember, God's truth is very simple. Man has complicated it. In fact, the truth is so simple that many reject it (Proverbs 1:1-4). It is the purpose of this essay to enlighten, inform and instruct the reader as to the who, what, when, where, how and why regarding these feast days. When God created man, we have to believe that He instructed them, Adam and Eve, about His commandments; otherwise they could not have sinned. He taught them, they disobeyed and therefore, were cast out of the garden. We know that Adam sinned, because we are told in Romans 5:12, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” In addition, the word sin is used eight times (Strong’s Concordance) before Exodus 20. What is Sin? I John 3:4 tells us, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: FOR SIN IS THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW.” We also learn that Abraham, the father of the faithful is commended for his character, in Genesis 18:19, “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” If God's commandments were not in effect, Cain could not have sinned (Genesis 4:7). The men of Sodom would not have been wicked and sinners (Genesis 13:13), and King Abimelech would not have been so troubled by the possibility of committing sin (Genesis 20:9). When God brought forth the nation of Israel, He reintroduced the people to His commandments, because, after all, they had been reduced to slaves, the “flesh pots of Egypt” and had lived this way for over 400 years. In Exodus 20:1-20, God wrote the Ten Commandments with His finger (etched in stone) and Moses states in verse 20, “Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.” We are told in Deuteronomy 5:22, “These words [verses 6 to 21] the Lordspake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.” You see, God only gave the Ten Commandments to Moses at this time. But, what happened? While Moses was receiving the tablets from God, the Israelites were complaining to Aaron that they did not know what happened to Moses, and they told Aaron, “Up, make us gods, which shall go before us” (Exodus 32:1). They said to Moses they would hear in Exodus 20:19-20, “Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not”. Before Moses had returned from sojourning with God, they wanted to have “others gods before them” in direct violation of the first commandment which they agreed to “hear”. We find that YHVH spoke to Moses in Exodus 32:7-10 and wanted to destroy Israel, “And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I COMMANDED THEM: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.” We know that Moses intervened on behalf of the people, and God changes His mind (Exodus 34:14). 

God knew that they were going to have difficulty accepting Jesus as the Messiah, so He planned a way to point out His Son. The laws had become so important, that they missed Him. Jesus spoke very plainly to them in John 5:39-40, and except for the disciples, most of the Pharisees and Sadducees rejected Him.

The feast days were an important part of their lives, so it makes sense that Jesus would do things in accordance with these practices.

Remember, we do not know too much of Jesus' early life and He indicates on at least two occasions that His time or hour had not yet come. John 2:4 and 7:6. It is interesting to note that here in John 7 we start to read of the transition or transformation. John 7:2-10 tells us, “Now the Jew's feast of tabernacles was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren believe in him. Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast: for my time is not yet full come. When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.”  In verses 14 to 18, we read, “Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.” Even after this, they sought to kill him. Verse 19 states, “Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?” Late in verse 28 He tried to tell them plainly who He was and where He came from. Finally in verses 37 and 38, Jesus revealed Himself. “In the last day, that great day of the feast (ref. Leviticus 23:36), Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” Some people realized who He was, and some did not. “Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?” So Jesus used one of the feast days to try to show the people of Israel that He was the one that they awaited for - the Messiah. In the gospel of John chapter 12:12-15, Jesus fulfills Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” Remember, John the Baptist had already identified Jesus as the Lamb of God. SeeJohn 1:29 and 1:36. Now, the people were selecting God's Lamb as their King. In Exodus 12:3, we read, “Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house” While the people were selecting their lamb for the annual Passover, Jesus was presenting Himself as the ultimate Passover Lamb. The Apostle Paul clearly states in I Corinthians 5:7, “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our PASSOVER is sacrificed for us.” This is not coincidence, this is completing a plan. At approximately the same time Israel prepared its household lamb for the yearly feast, Jesus shed His blood on the stake. See John 18:28. The men who brought Jesus to Pilate had not eaten the Passover yet - Jesus had already instituted the emblems on the evening before, the start of the 14th day of the first month. Jesus fulfilled the feast of the Passover at His death.

In Leviticus 23:6 and 23:8 we learn of the first and last day of unleavened bread. The purpose of these days were to mark the beginning and end of the spring festival but, more importantly to identify the weekly Sabbath after which the wave sheaf was to be offered. In Leviticus 23:9-11, we read, “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest. And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, TO BE ACCEPTED FOR YOU: on the morrow after the [weekly] sabbath the priest shall wave it.”  

In I Corinthians 15:23 (first part), we read, “But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits …”

We teach and scripture supports a Wednesday crucifixion and Saturday resurrection. In keeping with this, John's Gospel tells us in chapter 20:1 that Mary Magdalene arrived at the sepulchre on the first day of the week, Sunday, the morrow after the weekly Sabbath. Jesus had already risen from the dead. And she found the tomb empty. Her arrival does not indicate when the resurrection happened. It just confirms that it did happen. In verse 16 “Jesus [whom she did not recognize] saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.” Now Jesus tells us as well as Mary something significant. Jesus said unto her, “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” Do you see the parallel? Jesus, the firstfruits, presented Himself to the Father on the same day the Priest was waving the sheaf of firstfruits before the LORD. Later on in Luke 24:36-39, we read about Jesus who appeared in a different form. “And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”

Sequence:

1. Jesus is resurrected.

2. He tells Mary not to touch Him.

3. He presents Himself as the firstfruits. Similarly the firstfruits are being presented by the priest.

4. Later, it is alright for the disciples to touch Him.

Once the spring festival is under way, the weekly Sabbath that was used to precede the wave sheaf offering is the same Sabbath that is used to start counting for the summer festival, Pentecost. We read in Leviticus 23:15, “And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: [49 days] Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath [1 day] shall ye number fifty days.”  Pentecost means fifty. On this day, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the Church as a fulfillment of the feast of Pentecost. This was foretold in John 14:16-18; 15:26-27; 16:7-11, 12-15.

It was promised in Acts 1:1-5 and was fulfilled in Acts 2:1-4. Jesus has now done something of great significance on these days. Most of Israel did not accept Jesus. Paul indicates in I Corinthians 1:23, “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness.” Read also Matthew 21:42-43. Because they rejected him, and except for a remnant, they became blind and their hearing dull (Acts 28:25-28). Mots of Israel will remain in this condition until the return of the Messiah. Paul referred to himself as being “born out of due time” (I Corinthians 15:8). Jesus returned to His Father “to prepare a place for us.” He will return for the saints, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36). In this return, He first returns for the Saints (I Corinthians 15:23, last part). “afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.” See alsoRevelation 14:14, 15:1-3. After He reaps the saints, the seven last plagues will be poured out on the wicked (Psalm 91:8). After this, the saints return with Jesus to set up His everlasting kingdom. Now He returns as King of Kings. See Revelation 11:15, 19:11-16, 17:14. This phase, the second part of His coming, will usher in His kingdom here on the earth. The second phase of His coming will be heralded with trumpets, thus fulfilling the feast of Trumpets. See Numbers10 and the uses of the trumpets. Pay particular attention to verses 7 and 9. Jesus will not only return to set up the kingdom but also to reestablish His relationships with Israel. In Zechariah 12:10, we learn that Israel will atone for its rejection of Jesus. “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn [blindness removed] for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” In that day, there shall be great mourning in Jerusalem (See Zechariah 13:1, 2, 6.).

Later on in Zechariah 14:16, we learn that the feast of tabernacles will be kept. Jesus used these feast days as a road map to find Him. The directions remain the same. It is necessary to pay attention to these feasts, and understand their messianic meaning.

Sauf précision, tous les passages tirés des Saintes Écritures sont extraits de la Version Ostervald révisée édition de 1996.

Jamais Dieu n’a détruit une ville ou une nation sans tout d’abord envoyer Son messager afin que celui-ci  ne prévienne le peuple, pour lui donner l’opportunité d’échapper au jugement divin. Ce messager de Dieu a prévenu le monde avant que n’advienne le déluge. En Matthieu 24 :37-40, Jésus nous avertit que de la même manière, lorsqu’il reviendra le monde sera dans l’état dans lequel il se trouvait du temps de Noé. Dieu a également prévenu les habitants de Sodome et Gomorrhe avant qu’Il ne fasse descendre du ciel sur eux une pluie de feu qui les détruisit. Jésus nous avertit que cela se passera de même à son retour (Luc 17 :27-30). L’Éternel avisa Babylone de sa volonté de la détruire. Il envoya Son messager afin de prévenir Ninive, Tyr et Sidon de Ses intentions. Encore une fois et de la même façon, nous sommes avisés qu’un messager viendra annoncer au monde entier la seconde venue du Messie. Le message du troisième ange est un message d’avertissement.

En Apocalypse 14: 6-9, trois messages nous sont délivrés, chacun étant symbolisés par un ange volant au milieu du ciel.  Le premier de ces anges nous annonce l’Évangile éternel, le second nous apprend la chute de Babylone, et enfin le dernier ange porte un message d’avertissement au monde entier, afin que nul ne reçoive la marque de la bête sur son front ou sa main, auquel cas les conséquences en seraient terribles pour cette personne.

Avant que Jésus ne monte au ciel, il annonça, en Matthieu 24 :14, que la Bonne Nouvelle du Royaume devait être proclamée en témoignage à toutes les nations, et qu’ensuite viendrait la fin. Plus loin, dans le passage d’Apocalypse que nous avons mentionné ci-dessus, nous apprenons que cette Bonne Nouvelle comprend trois parties distinctes. La première partie, c’est-à-dire la propagation de l’Évangile éternel, s’est réalisée puisque ce message est désormais disponible dans le monde entier; le Message de Réforme, lequel était en fait un appel dénonçant la corruption de Babylone, fut lui aussi annoncé au monde entier. Enfin, le dernier message, l’avertissement final à l’encontre  de « la marque de la bête », se propage désormais à grande vitesse et avec des répercussions certaines. Babylone nous est décrite en Apocalypse 17 sous la forme d’une femme, symbole d’une Église, cette même Église qui gouvernait le monde du temps de la Réforme, cette Réforme dont le message était celui de la chute spirituel de Babylone, dès lors lieu d’habitation de démons et de fausses doctrines.

Le thème du Message du Troisième Ange est en fait celui des « commandements de Dieu, et la foi de Jésus » (Apocalypse 14 :12). Il s’agit d’un thème d’actualité aujourd’hui.

Ce message précède le retour du Seigneur Jésus Christ, et, puisque les signes de notre temps déclarent l’imminence de ce retour, ce Message est celui qui nous concernent plus particulièrement aujourd’hui, celui qui va prévaloir jusqu’à ce que n’advienne la fin de ce monde tel que nous le connaissons.

Le livre de Daniel, qui est clé pour comprendre Apocalypse 7 :17-23, nous décrit une bête symbolisant un royaume terrestre. Le même symbolisme s’applique à d’autres passages de la bible, et en Apocalypse 17 :3-5, lorsqu’une bête nous est décrite mené par une femme, nous comprenons alors qu’il s’agit d’une figure de l’Église apostate dirigeant les princes de ce monde. C’est exactement ce qui survint pour une durée de 1260 ans alors que la l’Église Romaine, la Papauté unie aux pouvoirs civils, persécutait l’Église de Dieu.  La Religion Catholique était ainsi imposée aux populations sous la menace de la loi, ceux qui refusaient de s’y soumettre étaient exécutés. Selon ce que nous apprenons en Apocalypse 17 :8-11, cette bête, blessée à mort, doit revenir à la vie. Ceci adviendra avant qu’elle ne s’en aille définitivement vers sa perdition et vers sa destruction.  Nous pouvons sonder l’histoire humaine et déterminer à peu près lorsque cela se produira, « car elle était, et elle n’est plus, bien qu’elle soit » comme nous l’annonce le Seigneur en Apocalypse 17 :8.  Elle montera de l’abîme, un lieu d’isolement, et va « s’en allé en perdition ». Le Message du Troisième Ange constitue tout spécialement un avertissement à son encontre, alors qu’elle fera sa dernière apparition.  Ces événements sont en train de se produire à présent.

En Apocalypse 13:1, il nous est écrit : « Et je vis monter de la mer une bête qui avait sept têtes et dix cornes, et sur ses cornes dix diadèmes, et sur ses têtes un nom de blasphème ».  Ce nom de blasphème constitue la marque de la bête. Tout ce qui contrevient à la Parole de Dieu est un blasphème. Les contradictions sont omniprésentes dans notre monde aujourd’hui.  Nombres de ces inconséquences nous sont présentés sous le couvert de la religion, il est donc de notre devoir de connaître la vérité et de dissiper les mensonges par une étude consciencieuse de la Parole de Dieu.

Ainsi, la marque de la bête est clairement décrite associé au Message d’avertissement du Troisième Ange. Ceux qui désirent échapper aux événements à venir et ainsi bénéficier de la protection divine pour leurs bien-aimés, doivent pleinement comprendre ce qui nous fut révélé par Dieu et placer ce message au cœur de leurs existences.

A study to determine when Christ entered the most holy place in the heavenly sanctuary, whether: at His ascension or some 1,813 years later.

There are two contradictory teachings regarding where Christ went immediately after His ascension. It goes without saying that both positions cannot be correct. One supports the idea that following His ascension Christ went to the first apartment, or holy place, of the heavenly sanctuary (providing there is more than one apartment there) to reside, and that God, the Father, at that time moved with His throne from the second apartment, or most holy place, out into the first apartment to be there with Christ until 1844. At this time, according to this position, God, with Christ, moved back into the second apartment where Christ began an investigative judgment.

The other position is that Christ ascended immediately to the presence and right hand of His Father in the most holy place in heaven, and that the idea of an investigative judgment is spurious.

In other words, in this study we will be concerned with these two questions: (1) Did God come out (of an inner, or most holy place) to meet Christ at His ascension and live with Him there (in an outer apartment, or holy place) for some 1,813 years? Or (2) did Christ go immediately to the right hand of His Father in the holiest place there to become man’s advocate and intercessor?

Which teaching shall we accept, and does it make any difference? The teaching to be accepted is, of course, the one which can be sustained by Holy Writ, and having the correct knowledge of this matter is important, because without it one cannot understand or appreciate the mediatorial work of Christ.

In addressing these lines to our friends who differ with our position, we appeal to the mind rather than to the emotions.

Cherished doctrines and long-standing beliefs are not easily relinquished, we know, and any argument submitted against old teachings is usually looked upon as heresy. We ask the reader, therefore, to regard this writing as both a challenge and an appeal to follow what reason guided by Scripture tells him is right, no matter what his feelings may be. We now proceed to review the conflicting positions suggested in the foregoing statements.

A Widely Promulgated Theory

The following quotations are taken from leading Seventh-day Adventist writers:

“When Christ commenced His ministry above, on the throne of His Father, that throne was in the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary” (Uriah Smith, in Looking Unto Jesus, page 134).

On pages 54 and 55 of Early Writings is recorded a vision in which Mrs. White states, “I saw a throne, and on it sat the Father and the Son. . . .I saw the Father rise up from the throne, and in a flaming chariot go into the holy of holies within the vail, and sit down. Then Jesus rose up from the throne, and the most of those who were bowed down arose with Him. 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 arose 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.’ Then a cloudy chariot, with wheels like flaming fire, surrounded by angels, came to where Jesus was. He stepped into the chariot and was borne to the holiest, where the Father sat.”

“This necessitates a removing of God’s throne and the ministry of Christ from the first to the second apartment” (Bible Text Book, by 0. A. Johnson, page 120).

These passages are clearly intended to teach that at the ascension God vacated the most holy part of His sanctuary, removed His throne, and came out to be with Christ in the first apartment. It is then claimed that a further “removing of God’s throne” back again to the most holy was necessary in the year 1844 A.D., and that it was there and then that Jesus entered into the holiest. It calls for serious reflection that these supposed movements of God’s throne, from one apartment to another and then back again, are an accommodation intended to prove a theory. An appeal to Scripture should put the issue beyond doubt. The theory necessitating these accommodating moves is that Christ at His ascension entered into only the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary.

As the Scriptures abundantly show that Christ, after His sacrifice, “sat down on the right hand of God,” it is necessary, in order to harmonize this fact with the Adventist sanctuary theory, to remove God’s throne from the most holy place in heaven into the holy place, or first apartment, for a period of over 1,813 years. The result is that we are asked to accept the following positions:

Moving the Throne of God

1. That the most holy place was vacant for 1,813 years.

2. That for that long period the holy place accommodated God, and the throne of God, so that Christ might be sitting on the right hand of God while still in the first apartment; and

3. That in 1844 God and Christ and the throne and the ministry were all transferred to the most holy place.

Where, in the typical service, do we find this “removing of God’s throne” from the most holy into the first apartment and then its removal back to the most holy place? Everyone knows that such movements simply did not take place in the earthly sanctuary. God dwelt in the holiest, and the high priest went in to be with God, “alone, once every year” (Hebrews 9:7).

So Christ also “entered in once into the holy place” - to the very presence of God typified in the earthly service.

The question as to whether or not God’s throne is movable is quite beside the point. The important consideration is, DID GOD thus move His throne at the time of the ascension and again on October 22nd in 1844?

The earthly sanctuary was a place for God to dwell in. “Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them,” was the divine commandment. But the true dwelling place of God is heaven itself (Heb. 9:24). There is a difference between the heavenly and the earthly dwelling place. In the earthly it was necessary to veil off a certain portion in order that the priests might draw near daily to the divine presence without fear of death. The immediate presence of God was therefore confined to a small portion, termed the most holy. God’s presence is not so confined in heaven. There is no need for that in the ministry of such a priest as Jesus Christ.

From these facts we must recognize that in the earthly sanctuary there were degrees of holiness, indicated by an intervening veil; but it would not be correct to assume from this that in heaven it is necessary to so divide God’s dwelling place into a holy and a most holy portion. In heaven, the approach to God is “through the veil, that is to say, his [Christ’s) flesh” (Heb. 10: 20).

If we accept the position that Christ at His ascension entered into only a first apartment of heaven, it becomes necessary to bring God out of the most holy place into the first apartment to be with Christ. And here, according to the teaching, God was with Christ for 1,813 years. Then in 1844 the Father returned to the most holy, whither Christ followed. This theory, therefore, indisputably attempts to prove that GOD CAME OUT TO BE WITH CHRIST. Let us now look at the second proposition THAT CHRIST WENT IN TO BE WITH GOD.

Mrs. E. G. White says, “And what was done in type in the ministration of the earthly sanctuary, is done in reality in the ministry of the heavenly sanctuary” (Great Controversy, edition of 1911, p. 420).

Nowhere in Scripture are we taught that God’s throne or His immediate presence dwelt in the first apartment of the earthly sanctuary, or that He at any time vacated the most holy to be with the high priest in the first apartment. Therefore, if “in reality in the ministration of the heavenly sanctuary” God vacated the most holy in order to be with Christ in the first apartment, it was accomplished CONTRARY TO TYPE.

Is not the knowledge of this blunder alone sufficient to shake the faith of all in the accepted Seventh-day Adventist interpretation? Can the reader accept the teaching that “what was done in type in the ministration of the earthly sanctuary is done in reality in the ministration of the heavenly sanctuary” and at the same time accept also that God vacated the most holy in heaven and came out to be with Christ, a supposition directly contrary to the type?

Would it not be more harmonious for those who insist on type meeting antitype to recognize that the heaven of God’s immediate presence IS itself the most holy place?

To emphasize “what was done in type” calls for equal emphasis upon what was NOT done in type. In the type God did not come out to be with Christ in 4he first apartment in heaven.

“Heaven Is God’s Throne”

Christ, Himself, has spoken on this important subject. He identifies heaven with the throne of God. “Swear not at all”; He commands, “neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne.”

The epistle to the Hebrews harmonizes, as all Scripture does, with the teaching of Christ. Where did Christ enter, “after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever”? Paul tells us that it was “into heaven itself.” Christ “sat down on the right hand of God” (Heb. 10:12; 9:24). Is not this sufficient? Is it not sufficient to know that Jesus entered into heaven itself to be with God as our Mediator? Is it necessary to remove God from one apartment to another, as it is taught, just to prove that Christ only entered a first apartment at His ascension? The Scriptures do not sanction such tamperings with God’s throne, but instead make it definitely clear that, at the time of His ascension,

Christ Went In to Be With God.

“Who…when he [Christ] had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb. 1:3).

“Christ . . . by his own blood . . . entered in once into the holy place...” (Chap. 9:12). It is one of the great facts of the gospel that Christ, after His death and resurrection, ascended to heaven and took His place at the Father’s right hand. That place, in the immediate unveiled presence of almighty God is plainly taught in the Scriptures to be the highest and holiest in all the universe. A scheme of prophetic interpretation which teaches that Christ did not enter upon His ministry in the Holy of Holies until 1844 is out of harmony with this important fact.

When Jesus Christ went in “to appear before the face of God for us,” had He reached the place of ultimate holiness? Or had He not? To teach that Christ did not take up His ministry in the Holy of Holies until 1844 obscures or minimizes the fact that He had unrestrained access to the presence of the Father from the time of His ascension.

If there is one teaching about which the Bible is clear, it is the teaching that at His ascension He went directly to the presence of God. Note how clearly this is brought out in the following verses:

“But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55).

“Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Rom. 8: 34).

“Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:20).

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God” (Col. 3:1).

“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God” (Heb. 10:12).

“Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him” (1 Peter 3:22).

“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne” (words italicized bolded for emphasis) (Rev. 3:21).

In each of the above statements, all of which were recorded under the direction of the Holy Spirit, we notice the fact that they were written in the past tense. These writers were not trying to convey to us that at some far-off distant date Christ would approach the throne of the Father. To the contrary, they convey to us the fact that at the time they were writing that Christ was already in the immediate presence of God, there to plead the merits of that sacrifice in their behalf. Their faith and hope rested upon the finished work of the Cross.

That this is the most highly exalted place in the universe, the place of the greatest power and influence, is stated over and over again. The place of the immediate presence of God must also be, beyond question, the place of the greatest holiness. We cannot conceive of any place more holy than that of the immediate presence of God.

The Scriptural record clearly shows that the supreme holiness of the inner portion of the earthly sanctuary was due to the personal presence of God. “…for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat” was the reason urged upon Aaron and his Sons for not coming at all times into the most holy place. (See Lev. 16:1, 2.)

“…there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat” (Ex. 25:22).

In the epistle to the Hebrews that which is spoken of in one place as the “sanctuary which the Lord pitched” is elsewhere described as “heaven itself” (see Heb. 8:2 and Heb. 9:24). There is, of course, no reason why the two terms: “heavenly sanctuary” and “heaven itself” might not be applied to one and the same place. The tabernacle which the Lord pitched must be inconceivably greater than that pitched by man; and while we may think of it as being in heaven, we are bound also to regard it as being, in itself, the heaven of heavens. The place where God dwells must be the highest and holiest of heaven.

That the apostle is thinking of the heavenly sanctuary when he speaks of “heaven itself” is evident from the fact that he uses the term in making a direct comparison with the earthly sanctuary: “For Christ entered not into a holy place made with hands, like in pattern to the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear before the face of God for us” (Heb. 9:24, R.V.). And we are assured in the epistle to the Ephesians that this ‘heaven itself” is “far above all heavens” (see Eph. 4: 10 and also 1: 20, 21). This seems to be in direct conflict with the idea of a still holier place to which Christ could go some 1,813 years later.

We have sometimes reasoned that as God’s throne is represented in the Scriptures as a living, moving thing, it is not to be thought of as being confined to the inner apartment of the sanctuary. At times the Lord met with both Moses and the children of Israel at the door of the tabernacle. This, however, does not by any means free our accepted teaching from the difficulties and objections referred to above. Whatever exceptions there may be, it cannot be denied that in the days of the earthly tabernacle the most holy place was regarded as the place of God’s presence, and that the whole sanctuary service centered there. The occasions when the holy Shekinah was manifested elsewhere were the exceptions and not the rule. If in the antitype the presence of God was manifested continually in the first apartment of the sanctuary for a period of 1,813 years, then what was a rare exception in the type became the rule in the antitype. Not only is such a position unscriptural, it is likewise opposed to the direct statement of Mrs. White: “And what was done in type in the ministration of the earthly sanctuary, is done in reality in the ministry of the heavenly sanctuary” (Great Controversy, p. 420, ed. 1911).

In the earthly sanctuary the presence of God was always represented to be in the Most Holy place of the tabernacle. Whether we call it the holy place, the most holy, or the holiest, it matters little. Christ entered into the very presence of God - to His throne - at His ascension. There is no teaching more plainly stated than that grand truth.

The writers of that portion of the Bible from Matthew through Revelation do not definitely designate one apartment in distinction from another. It is, nevertheless, quite clear that where it is stated that Christ went to “the holy place,” the immediate presence of God is intended, which in type corresponded to the most holy place. To this location Christ went in to be with God. This fact is disputed by the Adventist teaching. The position is maintained that God came out of the most holy to be with Christ in the first apartment, and therefore the expression “holy place” in the epistle to the Hebrews must always signify the first apartment.

That the reference in Hebrews 9:12 to “the holy place” could mean the equivalent of the second apartment of the earthly sanctuary, or the most holy, is well illustrated by similar references by leading Seventh-day Adventist writers. Of the two following quotations the first is from the pen of Mrs. E. G. White, and the second from the pen of her husband, James White, when he was editor of The Present Truth.

“The slumbering church must be aroused, awakened out of its spiritual lethargy, to a realization of the important duties which have been left undone. The people have not entered into the holy place, where Jesus has gone to make an atonement for His children” (Mrs. E. G. White, in The Review and Herald, Feb. 25, 1890; quoted by A. G. Daniels in Christ Our Righteousness, page 118).

“But the sinner, to whom Jesus stretched out His arms all the day long, and who had rejected the offers of salvation, was left without an advocate, when Jesus passed into the Holy Place, and shut that door in 1844” (Editorial on “The Sanctuary, 2300 days, and The Shut Door,” in The Present Truth for May, 1850).

It cannot be denied that both these writers, while using the expression “holy place,” refer specifically to what they would call the second apartment in heaven, or the most holy place. If, however, it is consistent for Adventist writers to thus call the second apartment the holy place, without having to use the superlative degree in order to avoid being misunderstood, it cannot be consistently denied that Paul might speak of “the holy place” and mean exactly the same location.

The “Vail” or “Veil”

The word vail (or veil, as it is also spelled) referring to the temple is found six times in the writings of the apostles of the Christian era. In Matthew 27:51, Mark 15: 38, and Luke 23:45 we find the account of the rending of the veil at the death of Christ. That the veil in these gospels refers to the curtain between the first and second apartments no loyal Seventh-day Adventist will deny, for Mrs. White teaches that it refers to the curtain between the two apartments. Notice how clearly this is brought out in the following:

“With a rending noise the inner veil of the temple is torn from top to bottom by an unseen hand, throwing open to the gaze of the multitude a place once filled with the presence of God. In this place the Shekinah had dwelt. Here God had manifested His glory above the mercy-seat…The most holy place of the earthly sanctuary is no longer saved.” Desire of Ages, page 909, 1898 ed.

These citations show that Mrs. White taught that when the term “the veil” was used by these writers it meant the curtain between the two apartments. And let no one try to dodge the force of this fact by affirming that the temple in the time of Christ had but one curtain, for Mrs. White, at least twice, speaks of the curtain that was rent at the time of Christ as “the inner vail.” (See Desire of Ages, pages 184 and 909.)

The other three references to “the vail” are found in the writings of the apostle to the Hebrews. We now come to the climax of the controversy: What does “within the vail” mean in Hebrews 6:19, 20? It reads:

“Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melehisedec.”

In every other place where the phrase, “within the vail,” is used in the entire Bible, it always, without exception, refers to the most holy place. Wherever the word “vail” or “veil” is found in the entire Bible and used in connection with the sacrificial services, it also means the curtain between the first and second apartments, unless it is this one in Hebrews 6: 19. Mrs. White, herself, defines “the veil,” when used without qualification, as the curtain dividing the two apartments.

Commenting on Hebrews 6:19, Moses Stuart, the great scholar and authority on both the Hebrew and Greek languages, has this to say:

“And which enters into that within the vail, i.e., which hope enters into the inner sanctuary, the sanctum sanctorum where God dwells. The meaning, as I explain the passage, is, that the objects of hope are in heaven where God dwells” (Stuart’s Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, page 363).

In his book, Hebrews Verse by Verse, William R. Newall comments thus: “Notice that ‘within the veil’ indicates Heaven itself, the very presence of God” (page 207).

The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, by James Strong, has this to say on the meaning of the word “veil” in Heb. 6: 19: “the door screen (to the Most Holy

Place) in the Jewish Temple:—vail”

In their Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, Jamieson, Fausset and Brown add this thought to their comments on the verse under study:

“veil—Greek, catapetasma; the second veil which shut in the Holiest place. The outer veil was called by a distinct Greek term, calumma.”

With all this array of evidence what authority has anyone to teach that “within the vail,” in Heb. 6: 19, refers to the first apartment? There is not a teaching in all the religious world so hopelessly without Bible foundation as the teaching that “with in the veil” means in the first apartment.

Its True Meaning

Since “within the vail” means in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, then Christ was in the most holy place when Paul wrote the letter to the Hebrews. And since Christ was in the most holy place in the days of Paul, then He did not move from the holy to the most holy on October 22nd, 1844.

The idea that Christ waited until 1844 to go into the presence of the Father is not only an error but it is contrary to the united teachings of the Scriptures. Whenever the position of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary is mentioned, He is always placed in the holy of holies. Mark says: “...he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God” (chap. 16:19). Peter places Him “by the right hand of God exalted” (Acts 2:23 and 1 Peter 3:22). Stephen saw Him “standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55). Paul, no less than seven times, recognized Christ at “the right hand of God” (see Rom. 8:34; Eph. 1:20; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; and 12:2).

We turn again to the ninth chapter of Hebrews. A careful reading of this chapter should be sufficient for anyone who can understand to see that Paul is referring to the most holy place in several instances where he speaks of it as the holy place. See this in verses 8 and 24 of the R.V. as well as in verses 12 and 25 in both versions. The reader is asked to notice the following parallel, which constitutes an important feature of the apostle’s argument:

In verse 7 it is clearly stated that the earthly high priest went into the second apartment once every year. Why was it necessary for him to go in every year? Verse 8 tells us that it was because “the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest.” Notice that while it was necessary for the Aaronic priests to enter once every year, Christ is said to have entered immediately, once for all. What the Aaronic priests did often, Christ did once.

The argument is not that the priests of the Aaronic order entered once every year into the first apartment but into the second. The parallel is that Christ entered once for all, and it would be absurd to turn the apostle’s reasoning to refer to Christ’s entrance into a first apartment, as it is attempted.

The Aaronic Order

But Into the second went the high priest alone once every year... (Heb. 9:7).

The Melchisedec Order

Through his own blood, [Christ entered in once for all into the holy place... (Heb. 9:12, R.V.).

As with the Aaronic order, so with the order of Melchisedec; except that whereas the Aaronic priests entered the second apartment continually, or once a year, Christ entered the second once only.

Furthermore, Paul shows clearly that it was necessary that the yearly entry of the Aaronic priests should continue until Christ had made open the way into the holiest in heaven. Had Christ not entered the most holy in heaven at the time of His ascension, then it would be necessary for the earthly high priests to have continued their yearly entry until “the way into the holiest of all” (i.e., “heaven itself”) was “made manifest”; which, according to theory was in 1844 AD. But Paul assures us that Christ had already entered that holy place in his day, so that the yearly or continual entry of the typical service was no longer necessary, and that doubtless was the reason why in the providence of God the earthly temple was destroyed not many years afterward.

Within the Veil

In Hebrews 6:19, 20 we have a sure guide as to what Paul understood in this matter:

“Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”

Our hope is WITHIN THE VEIL. According to Exodus 26:33, “within the veil” was the portion where the ark of the testimony rested. “...the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.”

Jesus, according to Paul, had not entered the first apartment only, as our forerunner, but “within the veil,” “into the holiest,” into “heaven itself.” The word “forerunner” is very significant, and proves beyond doubt that Paul understood Christ had already reached the presence of the Father, or the equivalent of the second apartment of the typical sanctuary. If we refer to Heb. 9:7 we find that the Aaronic high priest entered the most holy alone. He entered as a representative only of those who were outside. No one could follow him; he went ALONE.

Christ entered the corresponding holy place in heaven (call it what you may) as our FORERUNNER. The significance of this, says a certain commentator, is the suggestion that the way was open for others to follow Him. So the apostle continues this thought in Hebrews 10: 19, 22: “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus…let us draw near.” As Christ has already entered there as our forerunner, it is now possible for us also to enter, with confidence or boldness, through His blood.

Paul knew this entrance of Christ “within the veil” to be an accomplished fact in his day. There was no possible conception of waiting 1,813 years for the event, because Christ had already entered heaven, itself, to be with God.

There is nothing confusing in this issue. The Scriptures are clear that Christ, after He had purged our sins upon the cross, entered heaven, itself, to the very presence of God, as our forerunner. God did not vacate a most holy place and come from behind a veil to be with Christ in a first apartment for 1,800 years, and then retire with His Son and the throne “within the veil” after

1844 AD. No, indeed! Christ went in to be with God at His ascension, and has been sitting there on God’s right hand ever since. The following paragraph from the American Signs of the Times for October 4, 1938, written by the editor, shows where our confidence should be during these changing times:

“Though we cannot remove ourselves physically from the scene, though we must needs feel, as it were, the wash of the waves upon us, and behold the desolation all around, yet we may have our souls’ anchor embedded deep ‘within the veil’ of the temple of God above” (Hebrews 6:19).

No one will dispute the fact that the editor of the “Signs,” in quoting Heb. 6:19, refers to the most holy place. It is indeed a blessed truth, that “our souls’ anchor must be embedded deep ‘within the veil” of the most holy of the temple of God, as the editor above-quoted has written, but this was already true in the days of the apostle, Paul, when the epistle to the Hebrews was written.

“Within the veil” means “the most holy” to present-day writers, including even a Seventh-day Adventist editor. “Within the veil” meant “the most holy” to all the prophets, without exception. How inconsistent, then, to interpret Paul’s use of the expression, “within the veil,” to mean a supposed first apartment in heaven, when present-day usage, the most ancient usage from the time of Moses, and the unvaried usage of Paul’s own day indisputably refers to it as the holiest of all!

“How readest thou?” Are you willing to follow the Scriptures entirely, even though this means relinquishing some views held in the past and perhaps involves some suffering for Christ’s sake? And, have you also entered into the holiest of all “within the veil” through the blood of Christ? We need now the full light of the gospel, an important part of which is the teaching that Christ entered the most holy place of the Father’s unveiled presence at His ascension. “Search the Scriptures,” and “prove all things,” for it is only by so doing we can be assured of knowing the truth so essential for these times.

(We gratefully acknowledge assistance from a brother, A. P. Ward, of the Fiji Islands who made available to us his tract on this subject, much of which is embodied in the foregoing study.)