i I5 Coi i F.C.I ate Quarterly A North American Youth Ministries Publication October-December 1984 HIS MAJESTIC r Studies in Christ’s Mediation MERCTIiÜHia Fringe Benefits •Ï' Vv - ? Backpacking, snow skiing, camping and a host of otheijJ^ recreational opportunities are some of the "fringe benefits' eni? ( joyed by those who live and work in Denver. But having the Rockies in your own back yard is just one* reason to consider employment at Porter Memorial Hospiti# Hundreds of nurses, technologists, therapists and other health care professionals from all parts of the country have come to Porter to advance their careers in a progressive environment of Christian caring. In addition to general acute-care services. Porter provides specialties in cardiac c are, pediatrics,^ ophthalmology, psychiatry, orthopedics and oncology. Contact our personnel office about joining a leader in health f care! "Caring Is Part of Life Itself" > • V""\ Porter Memorial Hospital 2525 S. Downing St. \mmmJ Denver, Colorado 80210 (303) 778-56) 1 Photo by Grafton Smith Look What Your World Budget Offering Helped Us Accomplish Shown above is the new addition to Sagunto College in Spain, the special project you supported with your Thirteenth Sabbath Special Projects Offering, second quarter, f982. Shown above are the projects you helped make possible, second quar­ ter, 1982, when the Special Projects portion of your mission giving amounted to $302,425.04. Shown at left is the girls’ dormitory in Sagunto, Spain; at right, the French chapel, part of the reconstructed evangelistic center in Brussels, Bel­ gium. This could not have been undertaken without your help. The special projects for this quarter include a badly needed seminary building for Mozambique Adventist Seminary in Africa, and another for French Adventist Seminary, Col- longes, France. We thank you for your generosity and for your prayers on our behalf. *£ . — Edwin Ludescher, President Euro-Africa Division “There is that scattereth,and yet increaseth” (Prov. 11:24). \ere looking for 10,000 healers. ( Medical background optional.) Of course there’s only one Great Healer. But He can always use help. And the chance to pro­ vide that help is the spe­ cial reward of a career with the Adventist Health System. Of course, we also offer the excitement of joining one of the fastest-growing firms in one of the fastest- growing fields in the country. A choice of over 100 locations from small towns to big cities all over America. And a very competitive compensation and benefits package. But what’s really gratifying about a career with us is that whether or not you’re directly involved in medi­ cine, you’ll be working toward a higher goal. The goal of healing. That alone is worth all the paychecks in the world. For more information please call 1-800-447-9001. A Adventist Health System A Way of Caring. A Way of Life. COLLEGIATE QUARTERLY HIS MAJESTIC MERCY October-December 1984 Vol. 7, No. 4 Editorial Office: Union College Lincoln, Nebraska 68506 Place orders with Pacific Press Publishing Assoc., P.O. Box 7000, Boise, Idaho 83707 Staff Collegiate Publications Director: Richard Carlson Editorial Director: Douglas F. Morgan Editor: Evert R. McDowell Associate Editor: L. Rodney Colburn Business/Advertising Manager: Chad Seltman Printing: Pacific Press Nampa, Idaho Collegiate Publications Board Chairman: Charles E. Bradford Secretary: Dean Hubbard Members Thomas Ashlock Paul Monk Richard Carlson Douglas Morgan Fred Harder Les Pitton Jim Hardin RayTetz Craig Heinrich JohnThurber Evert McDowell Norman Woods Malcolm White Reading Committee Thomas Ashlock William Johnsson Bonnie Casey Ralph Neall H. Ward Hill RayTetz Frank Holbrook Lilya Wagner Warren Johns Ivan Warden Edwin Zackrison The Collegiate Quarterly is written by fac­ ulty, students, and friends of the Seventh- day Adventist colleges and universities in North America. Organized under the Union College Board of Trustees, it is coordinated by Campus Ministry and published with the approval of the North American Division Church Ministries Committee. Copyright © 1984 by the Collegiate Quarterly. Unless otherwise indi­ cated, all articles except those ap­ pearing in the Testimony sections are copyrighted by the Collegiate Quar­ terly. 1. The Chasm ......................................... 8 2. The Bridge........................................... 18 3. The Universal Need.......................... 26 4. The Mediator’s Role.......................... 34 5. Worthy Is the Lamb.......................... 42 6. Insight From the Old Covenant .... 52 7. An Illustration for the Present Time.................................. 62 8. Types of the Transcendent ............. 72 9. Our Advocate ...................................... 82 10. At the Father’s Right Hand 94 11. Judgment From the Sanctuary ..... 102 12. The Final Crisis ................................ 110 13. The Consummation .......................... 118 Scripture quotations used in this quarterly, other than the King James Version, are as follows: RSV from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Second Edition. Copyright © 1971 by Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. NIV from the Holy Bible: New International Version. Copyright © 1978 by the New York International Bible Society. Used by permission ofZondervan Bible Publishers. NEB from The New English Bible. Copyright © The Delegates of the Oxford University Press and the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press 1961,1970. CNB from the Good News, The Bible in Today's English Version. Copyright© 1976 by the American Bible Society. Collegiate Quarterly (ISSN 0744-2939). Published quarterly by Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1350 North Kings Road, Nampa, ID 83653, U.S.A. One year subscription in U.S.A., $5.80; single copy, $1.45. One year subscription to countries outside U.S.A., $7.20; sin­ gle copy, $1.80. All prices at U.S.A. exchange. Second-class postage paid at Nampa, ID. When a change of address is desired, please send both old and new addresses. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Collegiate Quarterly, P.O. Box 7000, Boise, Idaho, 83707. Send editorial inquiries to Union College, 3800 South 48th Street, Lin­ coln, Nebraska 68506, U.S.A. Send circulation inquiries to Pacific Press Publishing Association, P.O. Box 7000, Boise, Idaho, 83707, U.S.A. COLLEGIATE QUARTERLY PROFILE Walla Walla College Lessons 1-5 Chaplain: Winston DeHaven Campus Editor: Myron Widmer Contributors: Beverly Beem Ed Boyatt Darold Bigger Ernest Bursey Deanna Davis Jon Dybdahl Morna Golke Joy Lynne Graves Rick Jordan Hollibert Phillips Thane Plummer Gayle Saxby Charles Scriven Brent Stanyer Loma Linda University Lessons 6-11 Chaplain ¡Campus Editor: Steve Daily Contributors: Niels-Erik Anderson Cordell A. Briggs Alfred Brown Dorothy Minchin-Comm Steve Dally John Elder Heather Evelyn Bailey Gillespie David P. Harris Frank Knittel David Larson Kenneth Matthews Calgary Central SDA Church Lessons 12,13 Local Editor: John McDowell Contributors: Karen Bottomley Richard Bottomley Richard Ferguson Gary Jordheim Lynette Jordheim Jaelene Mannerfeldt John McDowell Gary Tetz Alden Thompson Gregory Valaez Myron Widmer Kelly Wilson Julie Lenee Woods J Niswonger Kevin Paulson Richard Rice Charles Teel, Jr. Rick Williams Lynn Neumann McDowell Grace Fedak Saruk Sharron Schaber Special Contributor: Edward w. h. vick Louis Johnson was reared and currently resides in southern Cali­ fornia. He is a design-illustrator for the Loma Linda University Medical Center. He studied figure and design at Art Center Design in Pasadena and Ottis Parson School of Design in Los Angeles. His technical and graphic skills were developed at Santa Monica City College and Loma Linda University, La Sierra campus. Louis has always had a strong interest in art. He was the senior class artist at Pacific Palisades High School and won the outstand­ ing senior artist award. He has received honors for his sculpting, with pieces displayed locally as well as in Sweden. Louis would like one day to bring the biblical accounts alive through his art. He has a deep conviction that the characters of Bi­ ble times can teach us truths for today’s world. Introduction to the Quarter AFTER THE LAST CARD It is stating the obvious, besides being clicheish, to say that everyone needs a close relationship with God. Yet this reality, often verbally expressed, is given practical expression less frequently. One of the most perceptive observers of hu­ manity commented on this problem. “This only have I found: God made mankind upright, but men have gone in search of many schemes” (Eccl. 7:29, NIV). God created in man the need to respect a higher authority, the need to worship. But men “go in search of many schemes” rather than recognize God. And it is by these “schemes” that they try to fill the void created by a Godless existence. Francis Thompson (1859-1907), a medical school dropout, reformed opium ad­ dict, and poet, eloquently expressed this condition in his poem, “The Hound of Heaven." In it he related his life of running from God, only to find that what he was running from was what he wanted and needed most. I fled Him, down the nights and down the days; I fled Him, down the arches of the years; I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears I hid from Him, and under running laughter. Up vistaed hopes I sped; And shot, precipitated, Adown Titanic glooms of chasmed fears, From those strong Feet that followed, followed after. But with unhurrying chase, And unperturbed pace, Deliberate speed, majestic instancy, They beat—and a Voice beat More instant than the Feet— “All things betray thee, who betrayest Me.”. . . “Naught shelters thee, who wilt not shelter Me.”. . . “Lo! naught contents thee, who content’st not Me.”. . . Now of that long pursuit Comes on at hand the bruit; That Voice is round me like a bursting sea: . . . “Strange, piteous, futile thing! . . . Whom wilt thou find to love ignoble thee, Save Me, save only Me? . .. Rise, clasp My hand, and come . . . Ah, fondest, blindest, weakest, I am He whom thou seekest!” So God meets man and man’s emptiness is filled. But is this the whole story? Man's greatest need is God, but what happens when man and God meet, human­ ity to divinity? C. S. Lewis, in his book Perelandra, suggests the following sce­ nario. I had no doubt at all that I was seeing an eldil.* . . . My sensations were, it is true, in some ways very unpleasant. ... I felt sure that the creature was what we call “good,” but I wasn’t sure whether I liked "goodness” so much as I had supposed. This is a very terrible experience. As long as what you are afraid of is something evil, you may still hope that the good may come to your rescue. But suppose you struggle through to the good and find that it also is dreadful? How if food itself turns out to be the very thing you can’t eat, and home the very place you can’t live, and your very comforter the person who makes you uncomfortable? Then, indeed, there is no rescue possible: the last card has been played. . . . Here at last was a bit of that world from beyond the world, which I had always supposed that I loved and desired, breaking through and appearing to my senses: and I didn’t like it, I wanted it to go away. I wanted every possible distance, gulf, curtain, blan­ ket, and barrier to be placed between it and me (pp. 18, 19). Is there a paradox here? Is man’s greatest need something he cannot stand to have, the comforter that causes great uncomfort, the food that "he cannot eat.” Yes, I believe so. How then is it possible to commune with God? This is the topic of this quarter, and it is hoped that as you study God’s majestic mercy you will find some answers. “We have one who speaks to the Father in our defense." "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence” (1 John 2:1; Heb. 4:16, NIV). Evert McDowell Editor *An eldil Is a perfect being—the embodiment of goodness. Lesson 1, September 30-October 6 The Chasm “ ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts’ ” (Isaiah 55:9, NIV). Hide and Seek by Deanna Davis m Remember hide and seek— hiding in dark closets, stand­ ing motionless behind doors, crouching behind the sofa, hoping you wouldn’t be found? But what if you weren’t found, at least not right „ away? The dark closets could become frightening. Standing motionless or crouching for long periods of time could cause small muscles to ache. The hope to remain hidden could easily give way to hoping to be found. *> The tension between needing to hide and needing to be found has been an elemental part of human existence since the fall of Adam and Eve. Pride causes the desire to hide. In its competitive nature, pride constantly makes com- * parisons, seeking to exalt self above others. An attempt to exalt self at God’s expense brought sin into our world. The knowledge of evil which - man gained through disobedi­ ence was the recognition of evil as the essence of his changed nature. To hide from ►, the weight of this self-knowl­ edge, proud man consoles him­ self with the thought that he may be bad, but others are worse. Eve felt superior to the serpent, and Adam felt more righteous than Eve. But the prideful grasp at * self-exaltation also gave Adam and Eve a sense of shame at being naked, which they quickly tried to remedy by making aprons out of fig leaves. Hiding from God, still wearing his leafy loincloth, ^ Adam tried to explain his fee­ ble cover-up. "I was afraid, because I was naked” (Gen. 3:10). In the presence of God, Adam found his clothes left him naked and afraid. Pride is, as C. S. Lewis noted, "the complete anti- God state of mind.”1 All other sins are part of its baggage. Pride belittles, but God uplifts. To admit God’s righteous and perfect character requires humans to deny their own proud self-centeredness, a task which of themselves they can­ not accomplish. Unable to restore them­ selves to God’s image, Adam and Eve created a distorted image of God, imputed to him the blame for their transgres­ sion, thus casting doubt on his wisdom and love for them. A vast gulf of enmity now separated God and the human race. Sin is as abhorrent to God as God’s perfection is to human pride. Adam and Eve were driven out from God’s presence, but not before he made durable clothing for them and clothed their nakedness of soul with faith in a promise of reconcili­ ation. The Son of God would reveal God’s character and vin­ dicate his justice. One day in another garden he would take the deserved punishment for sin. Sinless, he would suffer our penalty of death and sep­ aration from God. He would bridge the chasm with a cross, making available to all humankind a robe of his per­ fect righteousness, that being hid in him we might be found. Deanna Davis writes from Portland, Ore. She is a graduate of Walla Walla College and Andrews University. INTRO­ DUCTION 1. Lewis, C. S., Mere Christianity, 1960, p. 109. Sunday, September 30 9 The Chasm That Terrifies The concept of an emotional "chasm” is difficult to grasp except through experience. Unless one has gone through a divorce or a similar permanent estrangement between loved ones, its depth of meaning is inaccessible. It can only be described as utter and com­ plete hopelessness. "Chasm” can also be encountered in a physical sense. My deepest appreciation of this sort of chasm came while growing up in the Far East. Our family would often go hiking in the mountains of Taiwan. And more often than I cared for we would come upon deep gorges spanned only by ancient swinging bridges of questionable integrity. It was there, swaying in the wind, hundreds of feet above the rocky rapids, that the terrifying meaning of "chasm” struck home. It is this terrible combination of hopelessness and terror that characterizes the estrangement of man from God. Sin made man the antithesis of God. God is holiness personified—as the seraphs in Isaiah’s vision attest. “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isa. 6:3, NIV). This holiness is expressed in God’s perfect character which is wholly other than erring human character. “ ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts’ ” (Isa. 55:, 8, 9, NIV). And what are God’s ways? “Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages” (Rev. 15:3, NIV). This creates the most marked contrast conceivable; the sanctity of God versus the profanity of man. For among humans “there is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Rom. 3:10-12, 15-18, NIV). Man is set against God with an intrinsic hostility. And so a great gulf is set, the impassable chasm fortifies itself for eternity. The plight of man was desperate. He could not survive for long, and yet he was powerless to reverse the situation he himself had created. Only God could engineer a rapprochement. Across the infinite chasm, God detected man’s helplessness. Even though man had put himself at enmity, the God of love came to the rescue. He sent his Master Bridgebuilder to throw a span across the chasm. The Bridgebuilder died in the attempt—but not before he completed his mission. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, NIV). The chasm—as wide and deep and terrifying as ever—is still there. But so is the bridge. L. R. C. 10 Monday, October 1 i n e Vsim sm selected by Beverly Beem and the Cord •* While at Battle Creek in August, 1868,1 dreamed of being with a TESTIMONY large body of people. A portion of this assembly started out pre- «ey text: pared to journey. We had heavily loaded wagons. As we journeyed, 2 Corinthians 5:7 the road seemed to ascend. On one side of this road was a deep precipice; on the other was a high, smooth, white wall, like the hard finish upon plastered rooms. As we journeyed on, the road grew narrower and steeper. In some „ places it seemed so very narrow that we concluded that we could no longer travel with the loaded wagons. We then loosed them from the horses, took a portion of the luggage from the wagons and placed it upon the horses, and journeyed on horseback. As we progressed, the path still continued to grow narrow. We were obliged to press close to the wall, to save ourselves from fall­ ing off the narrow road down the steep precipice. As we did this, the luggage on the horses pressed against the wall, and caused us to *> sway toward the precipice. We feared that we should fall, and be dashed in pieces on the rocks. We then cut the luggage from the horses, and it fell over the precipice. We continued on horseback, greatly fearing, as we came to the narrower places in the road, that we should lose our balance, and fall. At such times, a hand seemed to take the bridle, and guide us over the perilous way. As the path grew more narrow, we decided that we could no longer go with safety on horseback, and we left the horses and went *' on foot, in single file, one following in the footsteps of another. At this point small cords were let down from the top of the pure white wall; these we eagerly grasped, to aid us in keeping our balance upon the path. As we traveled, the cord moved along with us. The path finally became so narrow that we concluded that we could travel more safely without our shoes; so we slipped them from our feet, and went on some distance without them. Soon it was decided that we could travel more safely without our stockings; these were removed, and we journeyed on with bare feet. ►> We then thought of those who had not accustomed themselves to privations and hardships. Where were such now? They were not in the company. At every change, some were left behind, and those only remained who had accustomed themselves to endure hard­ ships. The privations of the way only made these more eager to press on to the end. Our danger of falling from the pathway increased. We pressed close to the white wall, yet could not place our feet fully upon the * path, for it was too narrow. We then suspended nearly our whole weight upon the cords, exclaiming: "We have hold from above! We have hold from above!” The same words were uttered by all the company in the narrow pathway. As we heard the sounds of mirth and revelry that seemed to come from the abyss below, we shud­ dered. We heard the profane oath, the vulgar jest, and low, vile songs. We heard the war song and the dance song. We heard instru- , mental music, and loud laughter, mingled with cursing and cries of Beverly Beem is professor of English at Walla Walla College. Tuesday, October 2 11 Excerpted from Life Sketches, pp. 190-193. anguish and bitter wailing, and were more anxious than ever to " keep upon the narrow, difficult pathway. Much of the time we were compelled to suspend our whole weight upon the cords, which in­ creased in size as we progressed. I noticed that the beautiful white wall was stained with blood. It caused a feeling of regret to see the wall thus stained. This feeling, however, lasted but for a moment, as I soon thought that it was all as it should be. Those who are following after will know that others m have passed the narrow, difficult way before them, and will con­ clude that if others were able to pursue their onward course, they can do the same. And as the blood shall be pressed from their aching feet, they will not faint with discouragement; but, seeing the blood upon the wall, they will know that others have endured the same pain. At length we came to a large chasm, at which our path ended. There was nothing now to guide the feet, nothing upon which to <* rest them. Our whole reliance must be upon the cords, which had increased in size, until they were as large as our bodies. Here we were for a time thrown into perplexity and distress. We inquired in fearful whispers, "To what is the cord attached?” My husband was just before me. Large drops of sweat were falling from his brow, the veins in his neck and temples were increased to double their usual size, and suppressed, agonizing groans came from his lips. The sweat was dropping from my face, and I felt such anguish as I " have never felt before. A fearful struggle was before us. Should we fail here, all the difficulties of our journey had been experienced for naught. Before us, on the other side of the chasm, was a beautiful field of green grass, about six inches high. I could not see the sun, but bright, soft beams of light, resembling fine gold and silver, were resting upon this field. Nothing I had seen upon earth could com­ pare in beauty and glory with this field. But could we succeed in reaching it? was the anxious inquiry. Should the cord break, we r* must perish. Again, in whispered anguish, the words were breathed, "What holds the cord?” For a moment we hesitated to venture. Then we exclaimed: "Our only hope is to trust wholly to the cord. It has been our dependence all the difficult way. It will not fail us now.” Still we were hesitating and distressed. The words were then spoken: "God holds the cord. We need not fear.” These words were repeated by those behind us, accompanied with: "He will not fail us 4' now. He has brought us thus far in safety.” My husband then swung himself over the fearful abyss into the beautiful field beyond. I immediately followed. And oh, what a sense of relief and gratitude to God we felt! I heard voices raised in triumphant praise to God. I was happy, perfectly happy. 12 WhO S Blocking by Alden Thompson the Bridge? A mediator has come to bridge the gulf between God and man. EVIDENCE "Mediator” suggests alienation—and that "help” is needed to re- |(ey text: store peace, to bring about "atonement,” to use the theological Romans 5:6-11 term. The crucial question is: Does the hindrance to peace lie with God or with man? Or is the chasm simply the "natural” result of sin? In attempting to answer that question we find a tension in Scripture and opposing theories of the atonement in Christian his­ tory. On the one hand, the "objective” view of the atonement sees the death of Christ as pointing Godward; the mediator pleads with God before he pleads with man. This view is rooted in the Pauline epis­ tles and emphasizes the legal metaphor (God as Judge). Building on the foundation laid by Augustine (d. 430) and Anselm (d. 1109), John Calvin (d. 1564) developed the "penal substi­ tutionary” theory of the atonement, taking the "objective” view to its so-called logical extreme. In this view the mediator must first remove the obstacle to peace that lies on God’s side of the chasm. The gulf between God and man results from the reaction of God’s heavy- holiness to sin. "Wrath” is God’s inevitable response to sin, direct- handed empha- ing itself either against the rebel or a substitute (Christ). Christ’s *18 on the death "satisfies” God’s wrath, making peace possible between God ‘objective’ and man. atonement runs By contrast, the "subjective” view of the atonement sees the the risk of death of Christ pointing manward; the mediator pleads with man, depicting God not God. This view is rooted in the Gospel of John and emphasizes as a harsh the family metaphor (God as Father). taskmaster.” In the history of Christian thought, Abelard (d. 1142) and Ritschl (d. 1889) are known for taking this "subjective” view of the atone­ ment to its so-called logical conclusion in what is often known as the "moral influence” theory of the atonement. Here the hindrance to peace lies on man’s side of the gulf. Radically formulated, this view of the atonement sees sin merely as ignorance. The death of Christ "educates” man, demonstrating God’s love. Most Adventists prefer to avoid the more extreme interpretations of Christ’s role as mediator. Our "statements of belief’ are deliber­ ately ambiguous on the point. And that’s good. For if we set up housekeeping too tidily at one end of the bridge, we will distort the biblical witness, robbing God’s Word of its power to meet man­ kind’s varied needs. Both views of the atonement in their extreme formulations run the risk of distorting the truth about God and his kingdom. A heavy-handed emphasis on the "objective” atonement runs the risk of depicting God as a harsh taskmaster who demands his full pound of flesh as the price of peace; the "Father” is seen as tough and the "Son” gentle, when both should be seen as working together in per­ fect harmony. A one-sided emphasis on the subjective "atonement” also has its dangers, tending to minimize both the horrors of sin and the threat Alden Thompson Is professor of religion at Walla Walla College. Wednesday, October 3 13 “A one-sided emphasis on the ‘subjective’ atonement tends to minimize the horrors of sin.” that sin poses to the very foundation of God’s government. Sin could all too easily be seen as a light matter with God, something readily overlooked with no serious consequences. For our benefit, Scripture portrays obstacles on both sides of the chasm. Man is at war with God and has blockaded his end of the bridge. Rebel hearts know that blockades only come down at great cost. And precisely here the gospel shines forth—while we were still rebels and enemies, Christ paid the price and brought the bar- „ ricades crashing down (see Romans 5:6-11). Whatever price had to be paid was paid by God—unilaterally, at his end of the bridge, and at his initiative. That, you see, is the cross on the divine side of the chasm (the objective atonement). But then we turn to John (especially chapters 14-17) and find the bridge on man’s side of the chasm (the subjective atonement). From John we learn that the magnificence of the mediator’s gift means we no longer need him to stand between God and man. For he is God, and through him we finally know that the Father loves us just as much as the Son (see John 16:26, 27). The chasm has been bridged and the barricades are down—at both ends. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1, RSV). 14 Prayer and Pizza by Joy Lynne Graves * Every night Jack Smith kneels down by his bed, folds his hands, HOW TO and closes his eyes. He says the same prayer every night, even when gey text: he indulges in his favorite pastime—the midnight mushroom and |sajah 55:8 9 olive pizza. With a bulging stomach he kneels down in his usual spot, folds his hands, and clears his throat. His prayer crawls out of his throat, turns around, and thuds down to his toes. Somewhere be- ► tween his last prayer and that midnight snack, Jack senses that God has turned his back, and he is alone with nothing but loneli­ ness. He sees his sins mounting up to Orion, separating him from the healing power of God. He looks up to the comer of the ceiling and wonders what life is all about. God seems to be a universe away, as unapproachable as a star and as immense as the galaxy. ***** Like many Christians, Jack Smith has forgotten the key to a Christian’s life. He bases his experience on a bloated stomach and a foggy mind. Instead of losing his faith every time he sneezes or bangs his head, Jack should concenterate on five basic Christian qualities. 1. Christ has already resolved sin’s power. When Jesus defeated Satan at Calvary, he smashed all of Satan’s control over a Chris- tian’s life. Now is the time Jack Smith should be rejoicing, for God is in command; Satan is overthrown (Gal. 3:13; Rom. 8:31). 2. Hiding from God is dangerous. Jack should be open with him­ self and with God. No matter what happens Jack should keep talk­ ing to God, even when he’s stuffed. Jack should also recognize that he will have slow spiritual times; even Jonah had off days (Jonah 1 and 2). 3. Ask for help. God is as far away as a whisper and as near as a thought. Not only is he willing to give all the help needed, but an­ gels are ready and waiting to assist. However, they do need permis- *> sion to interfere. All Jack needs do is ask, and he will receive (Matt. 7:7, 8). 4. Separate faith from feeling. A midnight pizza hangover can deter anyone’s positive attitude about life, people, or God. While faith believes in spite of feelings, feelings seesaw on an empty stomach. Faith is a gift from God, but feeling comes from our emo­ tions. Faith is active; feeling is passive (Eph. 2:8, 9). 5. Master the techniques of prayer and Bible study. Prayer is more than mumbling dutiful words to an unseen power. The magic in prayer comes from talking to the universe’s King and the closest friend anyone in the world could ever have. God is not a slot ma­ chine, nor is prayer the coin that will win all of Jack’s dreams, pre­ vent his nightmares, or smooth out his problems. It is a long-dis­ tance call from an old friend. Bible study returns the call Earth’s way so God can talk back. Both go together and are vital for com- 29 His humanity, Christ touched humanity; by His divinity, He lays hold upon the throne of God.”' Thus uniting humanity and divinity in his own nature he is uniquely able to restore us to a right rela­ tionship with God. Only by becoming fully human could he be the ► sacrificial lamb who takes away our sins. "The image of Satan was upon men, and Christ came that He * might bring to them moral power and efficiency. He came as a helpless babe, bearing the humanity we bear. 'As the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same.’ He could not come in the form of an angel: for unless He met man as man, and testified by His connection with God that di­ vine power was not given to him in a different way to what it will be * given to us, He could not be a perfect example for us. He came in humility, in order that the humblest being upon the face of the ” earth could have no excuse because of his poverty, or ignorance, and say, because of these things, I cannot obey the law of Jehovah. Christ clothed His divinity with humanity, that humanity might touch humanity; that He might live with humanity, and bear all the trials and afflictions of man. He was tempted in all points like ^ as we are, yet without sin. In His humanity He understood all the temptations that will come to man.”2 » "Christ was the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. To many it has been a mystery why so many sacrificial offerings were required in the old dispensation, why so many bleeding victims were led to the altar. But the great truth that was to be kept before men, and imprinted upon mind and heart, was this, 'Without shed­ ding of blood, there is no remission.’ In every bleeding sacrifice was typified 'the lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’ ”3 ► "The infinite sufficiency of Christ is demonstrated by His bear­ ing the sins of the whole world. He occupies the double position of ” offerer and of offering, of priest and of victim. He was holy, harm­ less, undefiled, and separate from sinners. 'The prince of this world cometh,’ He declares, 'and hath nothing in me.’ He was the lamb without blemish and without spot.”4 1. The Desire of Ages, p. 24. 2. Manuscript 21, 1895. 3. Signs of the Times, Jan. 2,1893. 4. Letter 192,1906. * Rick Jordan is a theology major at Walla Walla College. Tuesday, October 30 45 “We Shall One by Ernest Bursey Day ...” EVIDENCE Key text: Revelation 5:9,10 “Humanity is enslaved and cannot claim its royal prerogative. Who can open the scroll?” 1. C. S. Lewis, Reflec­ tions on the Psalms, pp. 90-98. See also Kenneth Strand’s Per­ spectives in the Book of Revelation. Taken in vision through an open door into heaven, John de- ** scribes what looks like a stage set for some sort of magnificent per- „ formance. The centerpiece is a throne whose occupant radiates a Vermillion glow. A rainbow of luminous green arches over the throne. Four Creatures covered with eyes station themselves on the four sides of the throne. And encircling it are twenty-four kings en­ gaged in a ritual bestowal of endless adoration of its occupant. At the signal of a song from the Creatures, they descend their thrones and fall before him. Given his incontestable right to praise from the whole of the uni- * verse, the clutch of kings and the four animals around the throne amount to the tiniest fraction of the cast its occupant deserves. Where are the angels and why are they silent? And where are the rest of his subjects? With the rest of the stage darkened, the tab­ leau around the throne creates a scene of splendid isolation. We sense the gap between God’s worth and the size of the worshiping ' group, notable though it may be. The lamblike Lion changes all that. The one occupying the " throne holds in hand a scroll, the written title deed that insures mankind its inheritance. But the scroll is sealed up. Humanity is enslaved and cannot claim its royal prerogative. Who can open the scroll? Until someone else opens it, the future remains only a tan­ talizing possibility. When the Lamb takes the scroll, the immensity of his achievement moves the Four Creatures and the twenty-four Elders to prostrate before him and to issue a fresh song in his * honor. (See Rev. 5:9,10.) Now all the lights come on. John looks again, and this time he hears the voices of millions upon millions of angels declaring the Lamb-Lion’s right to receive "Power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing” (Rev. 5:12, RSV). At last every living being from the heights of heaven to the depths below the seas unite in one vast issue of praise both to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. Now the story can continue. Thanks to < Jesus, all the actors, including the supporting cast are on stage. As Redeemer he has given the inhabitants of earth the right to claim * their inheritance and reign as kings. In so doing he has given to God a kingdom of priests who offer their praise. Redemption—the slain Lamb shows us how it happens. But the deeds and songs of the Four Creatures and the twenty-four Elders show us why. We shall need to remember that redemption is for God’s sake, too. As for us, we are redeemed to worship. If the Scot- ' tish catechism is correct in its insistence that man’s chief end is to _ glorify God and enjoy him forever, then, in the words of C. S. Lewis, "we shall one day discover that these are the same thing.”1 Ernest Bursey is an associate professor in the School of Theology, * Walla Walla College. 46 Wednesday, October 31 How to Deal With Your Destiny r If Jesus (the Lamb) has secured hope for our destinies through the cross, then we should let the cross shape the way we live out * those destinies. We fulfill our personal destinies by following the Lamb wherever he goes (Rev. 14:4). That means his way of winning our redemption (the cross) becomes our way of relating to the world. Fulfilling your destiny by following Jesus in the way of the cross „ means you can: 1. Face your destiny with confidence. Because of the Lamb’s r death in the past (Rev. 5:9), you have been brought into his king­ dom in the present and are assured that you will reign in the future (vs. 10). Setbacks like financial loss, personal tragedy or failure, or disrupted relationships may at times rob you of a sense of joy and hope. But so long’ as you are allied with the Lamb, neither these things nor anything else can rob you of your destiny. You need not * be menaced by anxiety, terror, or chaos as you face the future. You can face your destiny every day with confidence, not because of v what you have accomplished or will accomplish, but because of what Jesus accomplished at Calvary. 2. Deal with obstacles to your destiny peacefully. The cross does more than win our salvation. It gives us a pattern for dealing with evil, that which threatens our destinies. If the cross is your pattern, you will deal with obstacles through the patient, peaceful love revealed at the cross, rather than retali- „ ating with violence or coercion. So, confront the teacher or boss that is unfair with kindness, truth, and compassion rather than malice or revenge. Seek reconciliation with the friend who hurts you, rather than holding a grudge. Stand up to the government that oppresses with a living witness to peace and justice rather than with bullets or bombs. As John Howard Yoder points out, "the cross and not the sword, suffering and not brute power determines the meaning of history. ... The triumph of the right is assured not by the might that comes to the aid of right. . . [but] is sure because of the power of •* the resurrection 3. See redemptive purpose in your destiny. Taking the cross as your pattern means that you participate in its redemptive purpose. Because of what the Lamb has done you have been made a "priest” (Rev. 5:10) or minister, whether or not you’ve ever taken a theology course in your life! This doesn’t mean you preach next Sabbath (necessarily!). It means you make every decision based on how it will affect the ' redemptive purposes of the Lamb. No one can dictate to you just how sharing in his purpose will affect your decisions. The key is that that purpose become your preoccupation as you seek to fulfill your own destiny. "Our lamb has conquered; him let us follow.”2 D. F. M. * HOW TO Key text: Revelation 14: 1-5 1. John Howard Yoder, The Politics of Jesus, p. 238. 2. Ibid., p. 250. Thursday, November 1 47 OPINION Part 1 Key text: 1 Peter 2:21-24 The Qualification by Hollibert E. Phillips Question Perhaps, as a preliminary comment, it should be borne in mind ^ that the objective of this week’s lesson is not to settle the question ^ whether Jesus is qualified to be the Redeemer, but rather to under­ stand why, according to Scripture, he is qualified to be the Re­ deemer. The two questions appear similar at first glance, but a lit­ tle reflection should reveal that they are different in a very important way. The first question, from a purely human standpoint, is unan- „ swerable because it would require knowledge, understanding, and standards of judgment which no human is in a position to come by. To answer this question would require that man occupy a vantage point which is identical to God’s! Only so could he act the role of divine judge of the suitability of Christ. The second question, on the other hand, requires simply that an individual come to know or understand that which only God is in a position to reveal to him or her. Put another way, the first requires 4 the kind of firsthand knowledge which the second does not. One reason the two questions are sometimes confused is that when one "* learns the answer to the second question, it is all too easy for one to come to the conclusion that one has the answer to the first as well, an altogether different question. In pursuing the second or "why” question, since we must draw upon human analogies to assist our understanding, it is helpful to call to mind a few noteworthy things regarding what is involved when we say of a person that he or she is qualified for a particular „ position or role. We may say, for example, that Princess Margaret is qualified to represent the queen of England on a given occasion primarily or solely because she belongs to a specific lineage—mem­ bership in the lineage being a precondition for appointments of a certain kind. This is not normally understood to be an earned qualification. On the other hand, we can say that Paulo is qualified to practice medicine because he has fulfilled all the requirements necessary for the practice of a given branch of medicine. To be qualified in this case is to have earned the right to practice medicine. *• There is also a third possibility. We may say that Pedro is quali­ fied to speak or act on behalf of the treasurer since he was duly ap­ pointed to do so. For all we know, Pedro’s name might have been arbitrarily plucked from a hat. He is qualified solely because he was selected for the role. So far, we see that birth or origin, attainment, or arbitrary selec­ tion may qualify one. These possibilities, which are not exhaustive (need of some kind, or a special quality, for example, may also * qualify an individual), can also appear in a variety of combina­ tions. Just what qualified Jesus to be the Lamb of God? Was it his ori­ gin, achievement, an arbitrary choice, a combination of these, or something else? Hollibert Phillips is professor of philosophy and education at * Walla Walla College. 48 Friday, November 2 The Qualifying Death Key text: Revelation 5: w In Revelation 5, Jesus is qualified to open the scroll that holds OPINION our destiny because of an action he has taken in history. He has pg^t 2 ’'redeemed, or bought, us by his blood. Why does his blood qualify him to be our redeemer and open the scroll of destiny? As William Barclay points out, the reasons are summed up in the doxology of praise in verses 9 and 10. 9,10 "The praise rendered to the Lamb by the four living creatures and the elders is rendered because he died. In this song there is summed up the results of the death of Jesus Christ. ^ "(i) It was a sacrificial death. That is to say, it was a death with purpose in it. It was not an accident of history; it was not even the tragic death of a good and heroic man in the cause of righteousness and of God; it was a sacrificial death. The object of sacrifice is to restore the lost relationship between God and man; and it was for that purpose, and with that result, that Jesus Christ died. -> "(ii) The death of Jesus Christ was an emancipating death. From beginning to end the New Testament is full of the idea of the liber- *■ ation of mankind achieved by him. He gave his life a ransom (lutron) for many (Mark 10:45). He gave himself a ransom (antilutron) for all (1 Timothy 2:6). He redeemed us—literally bought us out from (exagorazein)—from the curse of the law (Gala­ tians 3:13). We are redeemed (lutrousthai) not by any human wealth but by the precious blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:19). * Jesus Christ is the Lord that bought us (agorazein) (2 Peter 2:1). We are bought with a price (agorazein) (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23). * The New Testament consistently declares that it cost the death of Jesus Christ to rescue man from the dilemma and the slavery into which sin had brought him. The New Testament has no "official” theory of how that effect was achieved; but of the effect itself it is in no doubt whatever. "(iii) The death of Jesus Christ was universal in its benefits. It was for men and women of every race. There was a day when the , Jews could hold that God cared only for them and wished for noth­ ing but the destruction of other peoples. But in Jesus Christ we •- meet a God who loves the world. The death of Christ was for all men and, therefore, it is the task of the Church to tell all men of it. "(iv) The death of Jesus Christ was an availing death. He did not die for nothing. In this song three aspects of the work of Christ are singled out. "(a) He made us kings. He opened to men the royalty of sonship of God. Men have always been sons of God by creation; but now there is a new sonship of grace open to every man. * "(b) He made us priests. In the ancient world the priest alone had the right of approach to God. When an ordinary Jew entered the Temple, he could make his way through the Court of the Gentiles, through the Court of the Women, into the Court of the Israelites; but into the Court of the Priests he could not go. It was thus far and no farther. But Jesus Christ opened the way for all men to -t Friday, November 2 49 1. From The Revelation of John, vol. 1, Trans­ lated with an Introduc­ tion and Interpretation by William Barclay (The Daily Bible Study se­ ries. Revised edition). Copyright © 1976 Wil­ liam Barclay. Used by permission of the Westminster Press, Philadelphia, PA. God. Every man becomes a priest in the sense that he has the right ^ of access to God. "(c) He gave us triumph. His people shall reign upon the earth. * This is not political triumph or material lordship. It is the secret of victorious living under any circumstances. 'In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33). In Christ there is victory over self, victory over circum­ stances and victory over sin. "When we think of what the death and life of Jesus Christ have done for men, it is no wonder that the living creatures and the el- ders burst into praise of him.”1 Jesus is the Lamb qualified to secure our destinies, not just be­ cause of his divine-human origin or because of an arbitrary selec­ tion, but because of the effective, universal, emancipating effect of his sacrificial death. 50 r 1. Revelation 5 pictures Jesus as being the only one worthy to open REACT the scroll that symbolically contains human destiny. What Lesson 5 * makes him uniquely worthy to take the scroll? 2. Why do you think the death of Jesus has had such a powerful impact on human history? _ 3. Do you literally picture Christ as your "brother” (see Logos, Heb. 2:11)? In what ways is the "brother” concept of Christ ^ valid? Could it in any way lead to a distorted understanding? 4. Does Jesus’ way of winning our redemption (the cross) have any implications for your life-style? How is the conflict between the Beast and the Lamb being played out in today’s world? What, in your life situation, does it mean to follow the Lamb wherever he =» goes? r5. If our destinies are secure in Jesus, then how should that fact influence our attitudes and priorities? How should it affect how we feel about world concerns such as catastrophes, hunger, and even nuclear war? 6. What implications does the scene described in Revelation 4 and 5 have for our worship (see also Evidence)? Does our worship to­ day tend to bring one closer to the end of glorifying God and en­ joying him forever? How might it better accomplish this? Lesson 6, November 4-10 insight From the Old Covenant “ ‘But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written’ ” (Exodus 32:32, NIV). The Betrayed Covenant by Steve Daily f There is no room in Heaven r for you, All others will be damned; We are the chosen few, The kingdom won’t be crammed. This little poem reflects an attitude of spiritual arrogance * adopted by countless religious groups and organizations throughout history. These have perceived themselves to be the exclusive recipients of God’s covenant promise. "God’s peo- > pie” have always found it easier to understand the word * covenant in terms of exclusive­ ness and privilege, rather than service and responsibility. The word covenant (berith) signifies not only loyalty to God, but also commitment to the service of humanity. Ac- K cording to the Mosaic or Sinaitic covenant, it was im­ possible to demonstrate loy­ alty to God while one was apa­ thetic about issues relating to social justice, specifically the needs of the poor, widows, or­ phans, and strangers or for­ eigners (Exodus 22). Today we will set the stage for our * study by briefly discussing the Old Testament conflict be­ tween kingship and covenant. Then, during the remainder of this week, we will discuss the intercessory functions of prophet and priest, as well as some individual figures in the Old Testament, in the context of our personal and corporate needs for 1984-85. Why did Samuel plead with Israel to reject her desire to choose a king (1 Sam. 8:1-18)? Steve Dally Is the chaplain at Campus. More important, why did God warn his people against such a move? The answer lies in a close examination of the Old Testament covenant. The Mo­ saic laws which grew out of the Sinaitic covenant provided Is­ rael with a religious and socio­ political system that was equalitarian. They included a number of protective ordi­ nances (such as the year of Ju­ bilee, Lev. 25:11,50, etc.) which were intended to prevent or limit the practices of rac­ ism, sexism, classism, and pa­ rochialism, which were com­ mon in the ancient world (as they are today). The covenant was opposed to any religious, political, or social hierarchi­ cal structure or caste system that would encourage pov­ erty, idolatry, or prejudice in the minds of the people. Kingship, on the other hand, tended to produce a host of inequities in Israel which led to these very extremes. By the time of Solomon there was an economic and social aris­ tocracy in Israel, which pro­ duced a wealthy elite, while the masses became increas­ ingly poor. The priesthood was included in this aristoc­ racy as it served to offer "di­ vine” legitimation to the politi­ cal status quo. Under the new system of kingship Israel wor­ shiped the god of nationalism more than the God of heaven. Though a few kings were faithful to the covenant, the monarchy contributed in large degree to Israel’s twofold transgression: 1) idolatry and 2) social injustice. Loma Linda University, La Sierra Sunday, November 4 53 INTRO­ DUCTION Mediation Illuminated LOGOS Upon learning of the Lord’s intention to destroy Sodom, Abra- 1 ham asked, “ ‘Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city?’ ” (Gen. 18:23,* NIV). Because he cared deeply about people, Abraham persisted in his mediatorial efforts until the Lord agreed to spare the city if there were only ten righteous ones in it. Because of his intense con­ cern for people, Christ, too, persists in mediation. The judgment the world deserves is thus deferred so that as many as will respond _ to the gospel may be brought to salvation (2 Peter 3:9). Moses demonstrated a similar concern for people in a very im-# pressive fashion. When his people rebelled against God, Moses of­ fered to forfeit his own salvation as an atonement for them. “ ‘But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written’ ” (Ex. 32:32, NIV). Surely this is the su­ preme human illustration of Christ’s mediation on our behalf, which is made possible by his substitutionary death. t The prophet and judge Samuel declared, “ ‘As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for* you’ ” (1 Sam. 12:23, NIV). Samuel continually brought the needs and concerns of his people before God. What a source of assurance that Christ does the same for us, only from his exalted position at the right hand of the Father (Heb. 1:3). The offices of prophet, priest and king in Israel were all mediatorial—means of linking the people with their God. The New ' Testament depicts Christ fulfilling each role in the ultimate sense. Jesus was that great prophet foretold by Moses. “ ‘ “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you” ’ ” (Acts 3:22, NIV). The prophets had continually mediated revelation from God to Israel (Jer. 7:25), and Jesus mediates the clearest and most com­ plete revelation. In carrying out their sacred rites of intercession and atonement, the priests were acting as representatives of the entire community > of Israel. As our high priest, Christ is our permanent representa­ tive in heaven, and is “able to save completely those who come to - God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Heb. 7:25, NIV). Kings also performed a mediatorial function because they were channels through which God’s rule could partially be realized in Is­ rael. “ ‘I have installed my King in Zion, my holy hill! I will pro­ claim the decree of the Lord: He said to me, ‘You are my Son; today t I have become your Father’ ” (Psalm 2:6, 7, NIV). Jesus was de­ clared "with power” to be this reigning Son by virtue of his resur- * rection from the dead (Rom. 1:4). In him God’s Kingdom is inaugu­ rated on earth and becomes accessible to everyone—right now! That’s mediation in the highest sense. D. F. M. 54 Monday, November 5 Figures of the One to Come by Kevin Paulson T Using Scripture as a guide, Ellen White relates the story of cer­ tain Old Testament mediators with direct application to the antitype, Jesus Christ. As she depicts Abraham pleading that Sodom be spared if but ten righteous people could be found, the picture of Christ as mediator comes to view: "The spirit of Abraham was the spirit of Christ. The Son of God . is Himself the great Intercessor in the sinner’s behalf. He who has paid the price for its redemption knows the worth of the human % soul. With an antagonism to evil such as can exist only in a nature spotlessly pure, Christ manifested toward the sinner a love which infinite goodness alone could conceive.”1 While the wicked influence of Sodom grew in the land, threaten­ ing to engulf all in corruption, Abraham still exerted his efforts and those of his household to rescue the city’s possessions from for- ’ eign invaders (Gen. 14:14-16). And when finally God purposed to de­ stroy them, his servant was seen once more to plead in their behalf. So would Christ, till the end of history, plead for the suspension of justice "just a little longer.” In the same way we find Moses, as Israel repeatedly falls into sin, pleading with God to spare them, even if it meant his own dam­ nation (Ex. 32:32). Ellen White declares: "Moses realized how . dreadful would be the fate of the sinner; yet if the people of Israel were to be rejected by the Lord, he desired his name to be blotted ► out with theirs; he could not endure to see the judgments of God fall upon those who had been so graciously delivered. The interces­ sion of Moses in behalf of Israel illustrates the mediation of Christ for sinful man.”2 We often wonder why God so severely forbade the entrance of Moses and Aaron into Canaan. Is he so inflexible that a single mo­ mentary collapse under pressure calls for such a devastating ver­ dict? The answer lies in the fact that persons chosen to lead the * community are to stand not only as examples, but as representa­ tives of Christ. Says Ellen White: "God intended that these great leaders of His people should be representatives of Christ. Aaron bore the names of Israel upon his breast. He communicated to the people the will of God. He entered the most holy place on the Day of Atonement, 'not without blood,’ as a mediator for all Israel. He came forth from that work to bless t the congregation, as Christ will come forth to bless His waiting people when His work of atonement in their behalf shall be ended. T It was the exalted character of that sacred office as representative of our great High Priest that made Aaron’s sin at Kadesh of so great magnitude.”3 1 Kevin Paulson is a graduate student in religion at Loma Linda Uni­ versity. Tuesday, November 6 55 TESTIMONY Key text: Genesis18:22-32 “The intercession of Moses in behalf of Israel illustrates the mediation of Christ.” 1. Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 140. 2. Ibid., p. 326. 3. Ibid., p. 426. The Covenantal by Steve Daily Triangle EVIDENCE Key text: 1 Kings 18:17,18 “In Scripture we find a healthy tension in the church.” Sources: Johannes Lindblom, Prophecy in Ancient Is­ rael (Philadelphia: For­ tress, 1962), pp. 148-165. James Limburg, The Prophets and the Power­ less (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1977). Max Weber, The Soci­ ology of Religion (Bos­ ton: Beacon Press, 1956,1963). Most of us are familiar with the truism which says, "power cor- 1 rupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” History certainly., bears witness to the fact that power is a dangerous thing in the hands of sinful human beings. The founding fathers of the United States demonstrated wisdom and sensitivity in regard to this prob­ lem when they suggested a political structure which contained a system of checks and balances. The introductory article this week briefly discusses some of the - abuses of power which Israel suffered when she insisted on having a king. God in his wisdom, however, provided a system of checks# and balances for his people which often served as a triangle against tyranny. While the king represented and controlled the political es­ tablishment, he was not always able to exercise absolute power, be­ cause he was dependent upon the priesthood or religious establish­ ment for "divine authentication” of his policies, and he was vulnerable to the rebukes of the prophets who often enjoyed a char- v ismatic authority with the people that could frighten the most dic­ tatorial king. The respective roles of prophet and priest merit our attention as we examine this triangle more closely. In Scripture we find a healthy tension that existed in the church, by divine arrangement, between the institutional establishment and the prophetic spirit. In the convenantal community of Old Tes­ tament times, God placed both priests and prophets together to ex- „ ercise their respective gifts in a manner that would balance the tra­ ditional teachings of the past, which were contained in the sanctuary and cared for by the priesthood, and the progressive un­ derstanding of truth given by the Spirit and proclaimed by a pro­ phetic minority in Israel. We need both the traditional word and the new light of the Spirit in the community of faith. The word without the Spirit is dead, but the Spirit without the word is dumb. In Old Testament times the priesthood represented the religious establishment and performed a necessary function. It maintained the Levitical system that was inclined to protect the status quo. y The prophet, in contrast to the priest, was a charismatic person who spoke out against the abuses and sins of the nation and the '* people. He would come down from the hills and attempt to reform the corrupted church of the Old Testament. He was often a dis­ turber in Israel and was generally regarded as an enemy of the "system,” that is, the religious establishment. Men like Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos and nearly all f of the minor prophets comprised a line of disturbing voices that was stifled after the Babylonian captivity ended, but revived again + under John the Baptist and Christ. These men who nourished the prophetic spirit and provided a healthy dissent in their religious communities were also persecuted, rejected, and often martyred by the establishment they longed to reform. God ordained this tension between prophet, priest, and king to benefit his people and to pro­ tect them from the abuses that accompany position and authority. * Steve Daily is the chaplain at Loma Linda University, La Sierra * campus. 56 Wednesday, November 7 Where Have All by Steve Daily the Prophets Gone? f A careful reading of Ephesians 4, Romans 12, and 1 Corinthians HOW TO ^12 will not support the notion that spiritual gifts comprise a Key text: *hierarchial structure of authority in the church. Paul does not re- ^ Thessalonians fer to the gifts as if they represent a kind of military rank within g.19 2q the community, but rather he stresses the unity, harmony, ' ’ cooperation, and equality of the gifts, which are all to build up the church and glorify Christ. The gifts are like various parts of the . body which maintain different functions, but harmoniously coop­ erate to achieve the same goal. Therefore, the prophet is not to be % elevated above all other recipients of the gifts. Just as all authority in the church belongs to Christ, so the fruit of every gift must be measured against the message of Christ. How can the crucial prophetic gift be kept alive and functioning in its proper role in today’s church? In the Old Testament, the prophet is a charismatic figure who assumes many diverse roles. ' The prophet is the moral conscience of the community. He boldly points out sin. He reveals specific messages from God and chal- r lenges every kind of false reigion. In a few cases, the role of the prophet includes foretelling the future, but this is a relatively rare and limited role for the prophet, generally speaking. According to Abraham Heschel,1 there are three traits that seem to characterize nearly all the prophets in Scripture. First, there is a sensitivity to evil. The prophets are deeply disturbed over social injustice and moral indifference. They make sweeping allegations to awaken ^ conscience. No sin is trivial to them. They are just as sensitive to sin in their own lives as to the sin they see in the community. The prophets seem to be an octave above the rest of the human race in their moral sensitivity. Second, the prophets are known for their extreme personalities. Some of the prophets are visionaries like Ezekiel, other prophets like John the Baptist proclaim a message without dreams or vi­ sions, but they all seem to have a dual personality which is both - stern and yet compassionate, explosive at one moment and in deep depression the next. Their lives seem to be characterized by ecstasy r on the one hand and loneliness and misery on the other. Finally, the prophets are known for being radicals. They are willing to challenge the most holy and sacred traditions of their day. It is no wonder that the prophets were persecuted and mar­ tyred by political and religious leaders alike, for they condemned both with uncompromising force. The prophets are intolerant of a sterile religion which consists simply in forms and meaningless tra­ ditions. T The schools of the prophets played a vital role in Israel’s history. It is through the ongoing prophetic ministry that God’s Spirit is kept alive in the community of faith. This is why Paul says, "Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings” (1 Thess. 5:19, 20). So how do we go about trying to better nourish the prophetic Spirit in our own lives and in the church today? Steve Daily is the chaplain at Loma Linda University, La Sierra campus. Thursday, November 8 57 1. Abraham Heschel, The Prophets, pp. 3-26. 1. We must realize the importance of the Spirit’s voice. There ^ can be no proper interpretation of the Word where there is not genuine sensitivity to the Spirit. Spiritual things are spiritually dis­ cerned (1 Cor. 2:10-14). Conversely, the Scriptures give us an au­ thoritative basis for testing the validity of what we perceive to be the Spirit’s voice. 2. We must allow God’s Spirit to speak to us in an authoritative way. This is done by meditating on the nature of justice as it is . found in the prophetic writings of Scripture, and speaking out as our consciences convict us when we see injustice on a local, na- # tional, or international scale in our contemporary church or world. 3. Finally, we need to see to it that we do not “quench” the pro­ phetic spirit which presently exists in the church. While we should ever be responsive to the prophetic voice in our church’s past, we should also be open to the new ways in which God’s Spirit is speak­ ing to his church today. And, we should remember that one way to ' quench the Spirit is to give absolute or undue authority to any one "prophetic” voice in the church. When these practical guidelines are followed the church may see a revival of the prophetic spirit in its midst, and the schools of the prophets may again serve their function in modem Israel. 58 Priests and Prophets: byK.»m A Necessary Tension? Pauls<,n r "Jesus, Saviour, reigneth forever and ever; Crown Him! Crown Him! Prophet, and Priest and King!” So runs a well-known gospel song. Therein we find the theme of our lesson—Jesus Christ fulfills through his Messiahship the triple role of Prophet, Priest, and King. The various Old Testament fig- . ures who performed these functions were intended by God to repre­ sent Jesus, however flawed their representation proved to be. * But in this writer’s view, this relation between type and antitype holds a deeper meaning for the church. Often in the history of the­ ology, the framers of Christian thought have supposed that the roles of priest and prophet were established by God to be in tension one with the other. Using a sociological perspective, they see priests as representing the establishment, prophets as representing 1 creative challenges. Priests tend to be viewed as defenders of con­ servative orthodoxy, while prophets are seen as the proclaimers of 'fresh, new ideas. Both elements are seen as essential to the com­ munity. In the modem church this tension is perceived in confron­ tations between scholars and administrators. We will not dispute the logic of this reasoning in many situa­ tions. Yet this mentality not only helps to blur the distinction be­ tween truth and error, it ignores the facts of sacred history. Most of the time the prophets were not carriers of "new light,” challeng- >. ing a rigid, conservative establishment. Rather, they sought to bring the community back to the old doctrines while the establish­ ment desired to forsake them and devise something new. Moreover, some prophets, like Elisha and Isaiah, became part of the estab­ lishment, giving support in times of faithfulness, withdrawing it in days of disobedience. This is the real issue. God is not interested in counterbalancing priests and prophets, scholars and administra­ tors, underdogs and establishments. He is concerned only that in­ spired truth, which alone reveals himself, be given its rightful pre­ eminence. r If in fact Christ is prefigured, not only by priests and prophets, but by the function of every spiritual gift (Eph. 4:11), surely it is God’s plan that such work in harmony, not in tension, beneath the unfailing banner of divine truth. i| Kevin Paulson is a graduate student in religion at Loma Linda University. Friday, November 9 59 OPINION Key text: Deuteronomy 18:15; Hebrews 8:1 “God is not interested in counter­ balancing priests and prophets, scholars and administrators.” What Our Priest- by William G. Johnsson King Means to Us SUPPLE- Our study this week has taken us in two directions. Vie have briefly 1 ME NT seen how Old Testement characters and functions foreshadowed^ K . Chrisfs mediatorial work. And we’ve discussed what the roles of H h prophet, priest, and king mean for the life of our church. Hebrews 1.13, j<0 conciucie this week’s study, here are some comments by William 10.12,13 johnsson on what Christ’s fulfillment of the offices ofpriest and king means for our outlook on life today. As we study the references in Hebrews to Christ as King, we note . a significant qualification. [Psalm 110:1] calls the Son to sit at the place of honor "till I make thy enemies a stool for thy feet” t ([Heb]l:13). In the allusion in [Hebrews] chapter 10 the apostle un­ derscores the point (though without elaboration): "But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, then to wait until his enemies should be made a stool for his feet” (10:12, 13). So a tension arises here. Christ is King but is not yet fully ac- ' knowledged as King. The author of Hebrews balances what He has accomplished, what He now is, and what is yet to be. The flow of ’ history cannot alter what He already has done—the One Sacrifice, once for all. Nothing can add to or diminish its superlative worth. Nor can the years as they roll change His status. He is the Son, once incarnated, now exalted and reigning. What the passage of “One event in the years can bring is but the full recognition of His act and His time has sealed person.... the future and So the Christian lives in a curious relationship to time. On the ^ made it certain one hand he looks back to an event that is the midpoint of history, beyond all The cross has determined the course of the future, the certain, question.” eventual triumph of the reign of the good and the removal of evil. On the other, he looks ahead to the consummation, to the day when he who is King by right will be King indeed. . .. ... But, as Christians, we have not only the "already” and the "not yet” but the "now”—Jesus is our High Priest. Because He is our Sympathetic Mediator as well as King awaiting the realization of the kingdom in its fullness, the present is filled with meaning. The waiting time between cross and Parousia is also the period of * heavenly high priesthood.... Our hope in the Return is not a blind optimism. It is based on a happening. One event in time has sealed the future and made it cer­ tain beyond all question. Because the Son now sits at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens, all the universe must one day come to bow at His feet and acknowledge His Lordship.... But ours is not an idle waiting, a fervent expectation for things to improve. Every present moment has meaning. Even now our Lord is High Priest in the "real” world, mediating on our behalf 1‘ ifamGPjohnssonW/n an^ sympathetic to every need, every struggle, every test. And even Absolute Confidence now the doors of the temple above stand wide open for us. By faith PubNshing'AssocYaSon! we draw near, in full assurance of purification of our sins and our 1979), pp. 128-133! welcome home.1 William G. Johnsson is editor of Adventist Review. 60 f 1. Discuss Abraham, Moses and Samuel as mediators. In what REACT ways was their intercession similar and/or dissimilar to that of Lesson 6 * Christ? 2. What personal significance do you find in thinking about Jesus as Prophet? Priest? King? 3. Steve Daily (Evidence) compares the roles of prophet, priest and king in Israel to the checks and balances in the U.S. govern- ^ ment. What is your reaction to this comparison? Is, or should there be, a similar balance of power in the Adventist church to­ day? 4. Are the roles of prophet, priest, and king functioning in the church today? If so, how and in what form? Are they function­ ing in proper balance? What is the relationship between these roles in the church today and the mediation of Christ? r 5. Steve Daily (Evidence and How To) sees the prophetic spirit in Israel and in the church today as a radical force that challenges lifeless tradition and an inflexible establishment. Kevin Paulson (Opinion) argues that the prophets were actually a conservative force, bringing the community back to old doctrines. Which view do you think is more accurate? Explain. 6. True or False. The life and ministry of Ellen White constitutes the entire fulfillment of the prophetic gift in God’s last church. 7. If you answered "false” to question No. 6, in what other ways do you think the prophetic gift manifests itself? How would you distinguish Ellen White’s gift from the way the prophetic gift is exercised in today’s church? Lesson 7, November 11-17 An Illustration lor the Present Time “ ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ ” (John 1:29, RSV). On Celebrating Judgment Day by Kenneth Matthews 1 You stand accused of a cap­ ital crime. Worse yet, you are guilty. At your trial, the pros­ ecuting attorney barrages the jury with a litany of argu­ ments, evidence, witnesses. You know that only a techni- . cality of the law can save you. Finally, it is over. The jury % leaves. You wait. How do you feel? Do you feel like cele­ brating as the hours pass while twelve people decide your fate? Do you believe so strongly in the abstraction ' "Justice” that you can cele­ brate the fact that justice is 9 about to be done? The bailiff reads the verdict: "We find the defendant NOT GUILTY on all counts.” NOW you celebrate! We all face the coming Judgment Day of God. Can , that prospect be a positive force in our lives? Not just positive because fear of it makes us walk straight and narrow, but positive as in something we celebrate? Some­ thing we want to hasten, rather than put off as long as possible? Something that makes us want to sing and 9 shout and dance for joy? Can such a thing be? Only if we know the verdict in advance. Only if we know that we are acquitted. Only idiots celebrate imminent doom. Nobody celebrates be­ forejudgment is rendered. After, not before: after the bailiff pronounces "Not Guilty.” Then we celebrate. Ancient Israel did not cele­ brate while the high priest stood before God in the most ^ Kenneth Matthews is University. holy apartment on Atone­ ment Day. They were terrified. They put bells on his garment so they could know if he were still alive. They tied a rope around his ankle so they could drag his body out if things went poorly. But when God ac­ cepted the high priest’s medi­ ation, when he emerged into the courtyard alive, when the people knew their sins were forgiven and that the judg­ ment was over, and they were acceptable to God once again, they threw a party so huge the music and dancing and sing­ ing reverberated through the whole year. They knew when to celebrate judgment: after— not before. How then, can we celebrate judgment, since it still lies ahead? But does it? When we contemplate Christ’s empty tomb, a great light dawns: Christ, our High Priest, has come out alive! The atone­ ment has been made. Judgment has been rendered. And, as we are constantly reminded in the book of Hebrews, Jesus is better than the ancient high priests, because whereas they had to go through this terror yearly, he did it once for all time. We can celebrate judgment because, while we are hidden in Christ, the outcome is al­ ready decided for us. Our sins are already expiated. Judg­ ment has already been rendered, and the sentence of death carried out. We do not look forward to the day of God’s judgment—we look back to the day of God’s judgment at Loma Linda Sunday, November 11 63 INTRO­ DUCTION on Calvary, when all who ac­ cept ChristTs righteousness in place of their own, and his death in place of their own, were judged, acquitted, and set free in the person of Christ. Only our own choice to depart from Christ can cause us to lose the favorable ver­ dict. Judgment Day holds no ter­ ror for us who accept this ar­ rangement, for we know the result. We live as if in the pe­ riod after the high priest emerged from the most holy.1 So, where’s the party? 1. Editor's note: This is true even though Christ’s “Day of Atone­ ment” ministry in heaven has yet to be completed. The pre-ad­ vent judgment which this ministry involves does not jeopardize the assur­ ance of salvation that those who are in Christ may have. Christ has already made the full atonement symbolized in the most holy place. The only question that remains is how, in the fi­ nal analysis, we have related to him. 64 Communicating the Holy * Effective communication can be defined as expressing oneself in LOGOS ^such a way that one is readily understood. Since the fall of man one of God’s primary concerns has been to make himself understood. Despite God’s omniscience this has not been an easy task. How is the finite to understand the infinite? Or, as Job was asked, “ ‘Can you fathom the mysteries of God?’ ” (Job 11:7, NIV). Through the centuries God has endeavored to make answering this question easier. To do this he has largely used signs and sym­ bols, metaphors which we humans can readily comprehend, such as 4 the Israelite sanctuary services. “ ‘Then have them make a sanctu­ ary for me, and I will dwell among them.’ ” (Ex. 25:8, NIV). Lest the Israelites become casual about the presence of God in their midst, these symbols were constant reminders of his holiness. Inside the tabernacle there were the holy and most holy places. “ ‘Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the Testi­ mony behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place’ ” (Ex. 26:33, NIV). The most holy place * was where the presence of God, in the form of a cloud, hovered over the ark. Strict rules and rituals regulated how and when the high priest could enter this part of the tabernacle. (Ex. 28:36-43). The center of the tabernacle services was the daily sacrifices. “ ‘This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day: Two lambs a year old. Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight’ ” (Ex. 29:38, 39, NIV). These were offered by the priests „ on behalf of the people. Also when an individual sinned, he was to bring a sin offering, a lamb without blemish, to sacrifice. After the lamb was killed the priest sprinkled blood on the horns of the altar and poured the rest beneath the altar. Then the animal was offered as a burnt offering. “ ‘In this way the priest will make atonement for him for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven’ ” (Lev. 4:35, NIV). These ceremonies were the promise of that which was to come— the atoning life and death of Christ. The author of Hebrews points this out. After outlining the ceremonies he says: “This is an ’ illustration . . . indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being of­ fered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. They are only . . . external regulations applying until the time of the new order” (Heb. 9:9, 10, NIV). This new order, the author goes on to say, is the sacrifice of Christ made with his own blood and not with the blood of goats and bulls. “For this reason Christ is the me­ diator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom” '(Heb. 9:15, NIV). The sacrificial system acted as a harbinger of Christ. Now the re­ ality is with us, and though we may not fathom the mysteries of God we know we can receive the promised inheritance. E. R. M. Monday, November 12 65 A Shadow of Heavenly Things TESTIMONY Key text: Hebrews 8:5 “The claims of the law, which demanded the life of the sinner, were satisfied.” Not only the sanctuary itself, but the ministration of the priests, 1 was to "serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things” , (Heb. 8:5). Thus it was of great importance; and the Lord, through Moses, gave the most definite and explicit instruction concerning every point of this typical service. The ministration of the sanctu­ ary consisted of two divisions, a daily and a yearly service. The daily service was performed at the altar of burnt offering in the court of the tabernacle, and in the holy place; while the yearly ser- . vice was in the most holy. No mortal eye but that of the high priest was to look upon the ^ inner apartment of the sanctuary. Only once a year could the priest enter there, and that after the most careful and solemn prepara­ tion. With trembling he went in before God, and the people in rev­ erent silence awaited his return, their hearts uplifted in earnest prayer for the divine blessing. Before the mercy seat the high priest made the atonement for Israel: and in the cloud of glory, God met ' with him. His stay here beyond the accustomed time filled them with fear, lest because of their sins or his own he had been slain by ’ the glory of the Lord. The daily service consisted of the morning and evening burnt of­ fering, the offering of sweet incense on the golden altar, and the special offerings for individual sins. And there were also offerings for sabbaths, new moons, and special feasts. Every morning and evening a lamb of a year old was burned upon the altar, with its appropriate meat offering, thus symbolizing the , daily consecration of the nation to Jehovah, and their constant dependence upon the atoning blood of Christ. . . . Once a year, on the great Day of Atonement, the priest entered the most holy place for the cleansing of the sanctuary. The work there performed completed the yearly round of ministration... . Important truths concerning the atonement were taught the peo­ ple by this yearly service.... On the Day of Atonement the high priest, having taken an offering for the congregation, went into the most holy place with the blood, and sprinkled it upon the mercy seat, above the tables of the law. Thus the claims of the law, which * demanded the life of the sinner, were satisfied. Then in his charac­ ter of mediator the priest took the sins upon himself, and leaving the sanctuary, he bore with him the burden of Israel’s guilt. At the door of the tabernacle he laid his hands upon the head of the scape­ goat, and confessed over him "all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them ' upon the head of the goat.” And as the goat bearing these sins was . sent away, they were with him regarded as forever separated from the people. Such was the service performed "unto the example and shadow of heavenly things” (Heb. 8:5). Excerpted from Patri­ archs and Prophets, pp. 351-356. 66 Tuesday, November 13 i n e varcm u compiled by J Niswonger Inquisitor Fyodor Dostoevski’s often anthologized chapter from The Broth­ ers Karamazov entitled, "The Grand Inquisitor,” illustrates some important points about human nature. The setting is Seville, Spain, in the sixteenth century, during the Spanish Inquisition. Jesus returns to earth "unobserved,” and begins healing the sick. The cardinal, or Grand Inquisitor, recognizes him and arrests him. What follows is a monologue by the Grand Inquisitor as he visits Jesus in prison. The Inquisitor begins by telling Jesus that the freedom he brings ^man is too much for man to bear: " 'Thou wouldst go into the world . . . with some promise of freedom which men in their sim­ plicity and their unruliness, cannot even understand, which they fear and dread—for nothing has ever been more unsupportable for a man and a human society than freedom.’ ” The Inquisitor then tells Christ that it is the Church that gives men what they want: "And we alone shall feed them in Thy name, ^declaring falsely that it is in Thy name. O, never, never can they feed themselves without us! No science will give them bread so long as they remain free. In the end they will lay their freedom at our feet, and say to us, 'Make us your slaves, but feed us. . . .’ They will be convinced, too, that they can never be free, for they are weak, vicious, worthless and rebellious. Thou didst promise them the bread of Heaven, but, I repeat again, can it compare with earthly bread in the eyes of the weak, ever sinful and ignoble race K)f man? "... I tell Thee that man is tormented by no greater anxiety than to find some one quickly to whom he can hand over that gift of freedom with which the ill-fated creature is born. . . . Instead of taking men’s freedom from them, Thou didst make it greater than ever! Didst Thou forget that man prefers peace, and even death, to freedom of choice in the knowledge of good and evil? Nothing is more seductive for man than his freedom of conscience, but noth­ ing is a greater cause of suffering. . .. Instead of taking possession of man’s freedom, Thou didst increase it, and burdened the spiri­ tual kingdom of mankind with its sufferings for ever. Thou didst desire man’s free love, that he should follow Thee freely, enticed and taken captive by Thee. In place of the rigid ancient law, man must hereafter with free heart decide for himself what is good and what is evil, having only Thy image before him as his guide. ".. . Thou wouldst not enslave man by a miracle, and didst crave faith given freely, not based on miracle. Thou didst crave for free «love and not the base raptures of the slave before the might that has overawed him for ever. But Thou didst think too highly of men therein, for they are slaves, of course, though rebellious by nature. ".. . Too, too well they know the value of complete submission! And until men know that, they will be unhappy. . . . Oh, we shall allow them even sin, they are weak and helpless, and they will love us like children because we allow them to sin. We shall tell them J Niswonger received an M.A. in English from Loma Linda Uni­ versity in 1983. He currently teaches there part-time. EVIDENCE Key text: Isaiah 1:11-19 “Didst Thou forget that man prefers peace, and even death, to freedom of choice?” Wednesday, November 14 67 “We shall tell them that every sin will be expiated, if it is done with our permission.” that every sin will be expiated, if it is done with our permission,1 that we allow them to sin because we love them, and the punish-, ment for these sins we take upon ourselves!. . . The most painful secrets of their conscience, all, all they will bring to us, and we shall have an answer for all. And they will be glad to believe our answer, for it will save them from the great anxiety and terrible ag­ ony they endure at present in making a free decision for themselves.. .. Peacefully they will die, peacefully they will ex­ pire in Thy name, and beyond the grave they find nothing but death.. . . For their happiness we shall allure them with the re-A ward of heaven and eternity. Though if there were anything in the other world, it certainly would not be for such as they.” "The Grand Inquisitor” is a commentary on organized religion. Dostoevski employs the machinery of the Catholic Church, but the import can also apply to the Israelite sanctuary services. God had no interest in sacrifices that did not flow from contrition freely of-' fered, and were unaccompanied by a commitment to integrity in society (see key text). Likewise today, when we lose sight of God's* original purpose and see only rituals and other religious trappings, we die spiritually. Celestial Comfort by Heather Evelyn Claimed — ' Even when broken down into simple, contemporary language, HOW TO 9 the concept of the judgment is still a complex idea to understand. Key text: We may grasp the beauty and vitality of this celestial service, but nebrews g-24 remain at a loss as to how to transfer its much needed grace and power to our immediate sin-ridden and confused lives. Our cry is, "Yes, the truth of the sanctuary is a theological marvel, but Lord, I need help right now.” Our gracious Father did not leave us hanging in midair. His word itself is a reservoir of practical instruction. 1. Educate yourself about Christ’s work of judgment and inter- % cession. At a time in our church’s history when so many contrast­ ing and confusing ideas about judgment and the intercessory work being done in heaven are being tossed about, we can still claim a solid biblical foundation for our beliefs. 1 Timothy 2:5 and Hebrews 7:25 are only two of numerous texts which verify that we have a mediator in heaven, none other than the glorious Son of God, who ' is able to save us to the uttermost. This mediation process of for­ giveness is being accomplished right now, and we need to have a T positive awareness of this reality in order to apply it to our lives and reap its benefits. 2. Examine yourself. We may have gained an appreciation of the judgment and of Christ’s intercessory work, but until we can con­ fess specific sins and ask for power for victory over these sins, we will merely be performing a ritual. It may be a good idea to make a written list of our weaknesses and "the sin which doth so easily be- „ set us” (Heb. 12:1) in order to enhance our awareness of the weaknesses we really have to agonize with God about in prayer. We will have specific sins to confess, specific victories to ask for, and specific spiritual goals to reach. 3. Confess and accept forgiveness. The progressive decadence of human nature imposes upon man countless ills which are accepted with increasing ease today. The battlefields of yesterday are slowly becoming the playgrounds of tomorrow. Equal to our acceptance of the harsh realities of sin should be our acceptance of him who "ever liveth” to pardon us from sin and its rancid effects. The same *■ God who granted man virtue, vigor, nobility, and unutterable con­ tentment longs at this very moment to restore him to the same. 4. Walk in victory. Those cleansed of sin are to be the recipients of God’s greatest gifts. "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever” (John 14:16). The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives enables us to walk in newness of life. He will remind us of the contamination vwe are free from, the righteousness we have procured, and the judgment day in which we shall stand blameless (John 16:8). The Holy Spirit will give us power to be free from sin as we claim the promises of God and look forward to that day in which we shall ex­ claim: "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation” (Isa. 25:9). Heather Evelyn and Alfred Brown are graduate students in the Department of English at Loma Linda University. Thursday, November 15 69 OPINION Key text: John 15:13 1. The Desire of Ages, p. 25. Two Heroes The summer I was fifteen I discovered Charles Dickens. Always an avid reader, I buried myself in Victorian England. The vivid per- • sonalities from Dickens’ great gallery of characters became as real to me as anyone I’d ever know in twentieth-century America. I laughed with Mr. Pickwick, loved with David Copperfield, and wor­ ried with Scrooge. Still, I gave in to few emotional reactions. That is, until I read A Tale of Two Cities. All through the last sul­ try days of August I contemplated the intrigues of the French Rev­ olution. I followed the fortunes of Charles Darnay, Marquis St. Evremonde, and of Dr. Manette and his daughter Lucie. They were 1 all inexorably drawn from the relative safety of London into the lu­ natic violence of Paris in 1789. Ultimately, Darnay is imprisoned in the Bastille, and for the sins of his ancestors, sentenced to join the long train of victims going daily to the guillotine. Meanwhile, his old friend, Sydney Carton, the sometime lawyer’s clerk, arrives. With a long history of failure and indolence, Carton has traced a doleful path through the book. But now, in a single decisive moment, he manages to reach Darnay’s prison cell where he persuades him to change places. For the love of Lucie Manette, the girl who will never be his, Sydney Carton will give up his life. Thus the drama plays itself out. Together with a little seam­ stress, Carton rides the death cart to the place of execution. Fear­ lessly taking her leave of him, the pale girl goes to the guillotine, Number Twenty-two. Next the crowd looks upon Sydney Carton, transfigured. They see "the peacefullest man’s face ever beheld there . . . sublime and prophetic.” Then "the murmuring of many voices, the upturning of many faces, the pressing on of many foot­ steps in the outskirts of the crowd, so that it swells forward in a mass, like one great heave of water, all flashes away. Twenty- three” (pp. 376-377). In an epilogue Dickens probes the doomed man’s last thoughts: I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy, in that England which I shall see no more. I see her with a child upon her bosom, who bears my name. ... I see that I hold a sanctuary in their descendants, generations hence. I see that child . .. who bore my name, a man winning his way up in that path of life which once was mine. I see him winning it so well, that my name is made illus­ trious there by the light of his. I see the blots I threw upon it faded away. ... It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known” (pp. 377-378). , Not until I closed the book on these last sentences did I realize that I had been in tears—for how long, I couldn’t tell. One man going to the guillotine for another! The idea overwhelmed. I’d never com­ prehended the theme so clearly before. "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13, RSV). Dorothy Minchin-Comm is a professor of English at Loma Linda University. A Tale of by Dorothy Minchin-Comm 70 Friday, November 16 ' Yet Jesus took the act of substitution two steps further. First, ^Christ, unlike Syndey Carton, didn’t make the sacrifice to give a noble ending and future fame to a wasted life. Rather, he made the substitution in total innocence, wholly without taint of self-inter­ est. Second, he came not to friends. He died for hostile rebels who, from Adam’s fall to the end of time, would set themselves at enmity with God. "He was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves.”1 The King of Heaven laid himself open to a risk that few, if any, Shumans have had to take up. He risked having his sacrifice—his magnificent gift—ignored, doubted or even rejected, out of hand. - 1. How effective was the Israelite sanctuary system as a communi­ cation device? What made it effective or ineffective? Did it lend , itself to any distortions of truth? 2. What was God trying to teach by making the holy and most holy places off limits (on pain of death!) to the common person? Was the sanctuary intended to evoke fear (see Testimony)? '3. What emotions does the thought of the Day of Atonement stir within you? Are your feelings grounded in a balanced concep­ tion of the biblical teaching? 4. Can we truly celebrate a favorable outcome from the Day of Atonement now, as this week’s Introduction suggests? 5. Why did God desire blood sacrifice in the sanctuary? 6. What three things does the sanctuary system teach about God that are most important to you? 7. Do most people really prefer the peace of submitting to a reli­ gious system over freedom of thought and choice (see Evi- i dence)? What point do you think Dostoevski was trying to make in "The Grand Inquisitor” passage? Are there lessons here for how one relates to a religious system, such as ancient Israel’s or that of the church today? REACT Lesson 7 71 Lesson 8, November 18-24 Types of the Transcendent “Love and Loyalty now meet, Righteousness and Peace now embrace” (Psalm 85:10, Jerusalem Bible). of Life Some symbols are so basic to human experience, so timeless and INTRO- so universal that we call them archetypes. The "meaning of food” niJCTION constitutes a powerful symbolic cluster. We’re never more relaxed, more civilized, or more open to benevolent impulses than when we sit down together to eat. We exchange dinner invitations with friends and acquaintances. Birthday and anniversary celebrations call for food. The bride and groom’s first act after the wedding ceremony is to entertain their guests at a reception. The funeral feast gathers the mourners together after the burial. In short, the significance of food goes far beyond its material function of sus­ taining life. That Judas could sit with his brethren at the Last Sup­ per, be Christ’s guest at the table, and then go out to collect the silver shekels of his Lord’s betrayal—this ironic blend of symbols emphasizes the enormity of his sin. Mexican tortillas, Indian chapatis, English muffins, Scottish scones, Irish soda bread, Persian lavash, mid-Eastern pita, Jewish challah, Chinese rice cakes, Russian black rye, American corn- bread, French croissants, German pumpernickle, Italian grissini and Australian damper—the breads of the world declare cultural uniqueness as clearly as do the flags of the nations. They come in an endless variety of shapes, sizes and textures. Some time between 3000 and 2000 B.C. the Egyptians discovered yeast and invented ovens. They turned breadmaking into an art, creating round, cubical, braided and animal-shaped loaves in more than fifty varieties. When the Hebrews left Egypt, they carried these bread secrets with them. Bread was enshrined in the sanctu­ ary on the table of showbread (Ex. 25:30). By the time of Christ, all the cities of Palestine had commercial bakeries. In all its marvelous variety, bread is such a vital part of life that in both reality and symbol it speaks to some of our deepest needs. A golden-crusted loaf coming from the oven breathes a fragrance and goodness that stirs our most ancient hungers. It signifies suste­ nance and security. No other food can arouse reverence, nostalgia, and even passion more readily. In the Lord’s prayer, both our phys­ ical and spiritual survival are imaged by bread: "Give us this day our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). In John 6, following the feeding of the 5000 with two fishes and five loaves, Christ gave his disciples a painstaking discourse on bread, concerned that they not miss the vital meaning of the sym­ bol: "For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry.” "If a man eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:33, 35, 51, NIV). Thus the word bread synthesizes all aspects of food, physical and spiritual. It amplifies the daily and the mundane to the level of uni­ versal truth. In his poem, "Everlasting Mercy,” John Masefield Dororthy Minchin-Comm is a professor of English at Loma Linda University. The Bread by Dorothy Minchin-Comm Sunday, November 18 73 celebrates the elevation of bread from the material to the mystical. The character Saul Kane has found Christ in the night. Now in the clear morning he leans on the farm gate and watches the plowman: O Christ who holds the open gate! 0 Christ who drives the furrow straight!. .. Lo, all my heart’s field red and torn. And thou will bring the young green corn . . . And when the field is fresh and fair, Thy blessed feet shall glitter there. And we will walk the weeded field And tell the golden harvest’s yield. The corn that makes the holy bread, By which the soul of man is fed, The holy bread, the food unpriced, Thy everlasting mercy, Christ. Bread is just one of the powerful physical symbols found in the sanctuary. In the remainder of this week’s lesson, we’ll also discuss some of the others, including light, incense and blood. ' The Transcendent - Made Tangible This week we continue our study of the Israelite tabernacle wor- LOGOS ship system by looking at some of its specific elements. K The Bread of Presence “ ‘Put the bread of presence on this table to be before me at all t times’ ” (Ex. 25:30, NIV). This command was not given to alleviate God’s hunger, but rather as a tangible object lesson. The loaves represent Christ, the supplier of every need. “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, * and he who believes in me will never be thirsty’ ” (John 6:35, NIV). The Lamp » “ ‘Then make its [the lampstand’s] seven lamps and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it’ ” (Ex. 25:37, NIV). > These lamps were also a symbol of Christ, a light to those in dark­ ness. Simeon recognized this when Mary brought Jesus to the tem­ ple to be dedicated. On seeing the babe he exclaimed, “ ‘A light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel’ ” (Luke 2:32, NIV). And Jesus himself later declared, “ ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, *■ but will have the light of life’ ” (John 8:12, NIV). The Altar of Incense * “ ‘Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense’ ” (Ex. 30:1, NIV). The incense burned on this altar represents Christ’s interces­ sion, which assures reconciliation with God. K The Ark “ ‘Then you shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. . . . The cherubim shall spread out their wings above. . . . And you shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark; and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. There I will meet with you’ ” (Ex. 25:17-22, RSV). The placement of the law in the ark shows that it is ► the eternal, moral foundation of God’s system. But on top is the mercy seat, symbolizing the unmerited grace continually available to those who have broken that law. The Day of Atonement - The importance of this annual event, a special consecration of the whole Israelite nation, is revealed in the ceremony involving * the two goats. One goat was set free and the other sacrificed. “ ‘He shall then slaughter the goat for a sin offering for the people and ’ take its blood behind the curtain. ... He shall sprinkle it on the atonement cover [mercy seat] and in front of it. In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the unclean­ ness and rebellion of the Israelites’ ” (Lev. 16:15, 16, NIV). Of all the Israelite ceremonies the Day of Atonement held the greatest H significance, for it represented the final removal of sin by the means of a more perfect sacrifice (see Hebrews 9 and 10). “So % Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salva­ tion” (Heb. 9:28, NIV). E. R. M. * Monday, November 19 75 The Light of the World TESTIMONY Key text: 2 Corinthians 4:6 ‘Religion is not to be confined between the covers of a book.” 1. Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 348. 2. The Desire of Ages, p. 463. 3. Ibid., pp. 463,464. 4. Ibid., pp. 366,367. 5. Ministry of HealingThe expression "the light of the world” has its metaphoric roots in several biblical symbols. First, there was the seven-branched candlestick in the original sanctuary of the Israelites. Ellen White describes it as being "orna­ mented with exquisitely wrought flowers, resembling lilies,” and being "made from one solid piece of gold.” But more important, it was an eternal flame: "There being no windows in the tabernacle, the lamps were never all extinguished at one time, but shed their light by day and by night.”1 Jesus himself helped develop this symbolism when he referred to himself as "the light of the world.” As Ellen White says, "when He spoke these words, Jesus was in the court of the temple specially connected with the services of the Feast of Tabernacles. In the cen­ ter of this court rose two lofty standards, supporting lampstands of great size. After the evening sacrifice, all the lamps were kindled, shedding their light over Jerusalem. This ceremony was in com­ memoration of the pillar of light that guided Israel in the desert, and was also regarded as pointing to the coming of the Messiah. At evening when the lamps were lighted, the court was a scene of great rejoicing.. .. "In the illumination of Jerusalem, the people expressed their hope of the Messiah coming to shed his light upon Israel. But to Jesus the scene had a wider meaning. As the radiant lamps of the temple lighted up all about them, so Christ, the source of spiritual light, illumines the darkness of the world.”2 Jesus also brought the sun into the symbolism about being a light for the world. Ellen White comments, "That great light which His own hand had set in the heavens was a truer representation of the glory of his mission.” And she goes on to portray dramatically one setting for its use: "It was morning; the sun had just risen above the Mount of Olives, and its rays fell with dazzling brightness on the marble palaces, and lighted up the gold of the temple walls, when Jesus, pointing to it, said, 'I am the light of the world.’ ”3 This expansion of the symbol was necessary for the Jews who "thought to confine the benefits of salvation to their own nation; but Christ showed them that salvation is like the sunshine. It be­ longs to the whole world. The religion of the Bible is not to be con­ fined between the covers of a book, nor within the walls of a church. It is not to be brought out occasionally for our own benefit, and then to be carefully laid aside again. It is to sanctify the daily life, to manifest itself in every business transaction and in all our social relations.”4 If Christ is figuratively light, then "followers of Christ are to be the light of the world; but God does not bid them make an effort to shine. He does not approve of any self-satisfied endeavor to display superior goodness. He desires that their souls shall be imbued with the principles of heaven; then, as they come in contact with the world, they will reveal the light that is in them.”5 76 Tuesday, November 20 . Christ— , Our Mercy Seat by Karl Barth In Romans 3:25, Paul describes Christ as the one "whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith” (RSV). The Greek word for expiation or propitiation, is hilasterion. This was the term Greek-speaking Jews used for the "mercy seat’ in the sanctuary. So Paul seems to be saying that the cross of Christ is our mercy seat. In the following comments on Romans 3:25, Barth devel­ ops this theme. In the Old Testament cultus the covering of propitiation (EV. mercy seat; Hebr. Kapporeth; LXX Hilasterion) was the sheet of gold, overshadowed by the wings of the two angel-flgures (cheru­ bim), which covered and marked the place where the contents of . the ark, the oracles of God, were deposited (Exod. 25:17-21). In 1 Sam. 4:4, 2 Sam. 6:2, Ps. 80:1, it is the place above which God himself dwells; in Exod. 25:22, Num. 7:89, it is the place from which God speaks to Moses; it is pre-eminently, however, the place where, on the great day of Atonement, the people were reconciled to God by the sprinkling of blood (Lev. 16:14, 15). The analogy with Jesus is especially appropriate, because the mercy seat is no more than a particular, though very significant, place. By the express counsel of God, Jesus has been appointed from eternity as the place of propitiation above which God dwells and from which He speaks; now, however, He occupies a position in time, in history, and in the presence of "'en. The life of Jesus is the place in history fitted by God for propitiation and fraught with eternity—God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself (2 Cor. 5:19). At this place the Kingdom of God is come nigh: so near is it, that here His coming and His redeeming power are recognized; so near, that here God dwells with men and His communing is unmistakable; so near, that here the pressure of faith is a commanding necessity. But, just as in the Old Testament the Kapporeth covered the testimonies of God as well as marked their presence among men, so here the Kingdom of God, His atoning activity, and the dawning of the day of redemp­ tion (3:24), are in Jesus covered as well as displayed. Jesus is pre­ sented to us unmistakably as the Christ, but His Messiahship is also presented to us as a sharply defined paradox. It is a matter for faith only. The propitiation occurs at the place of propitiation— 1 only by blood, whereby we are solemnly reminded that God gives life only through death. Consequently, in Jesus also atonement oc- ■ curs only through the faithfulness of God, by his blood: only, that is to say, in the inferno of His complete solidarity with all the sin and weakness and misery of the flesh; in the secret of an occur­ rence which seems to us wholly negative; in the extinguishing of all the lights—hero, prophet, wonder-worker—which mark the bril­ liance of human life, a brilliance which shone also in His life, * whilst He lived a man amongst men; and finally, in the absolute scandal of His death upon the Cross. By His blood, then, Jesus is proved to be the Christ, the first and last word to men of the faith­ fulness of God. By His death He declares the impossible possibility EVIDENCE Key text: Romans 3:25 “His Messiahship is also presented to us as a sharply defined paradox... » Karl Barth was one of this century’s leading Protestant theolo­ gians. Wednesday, November 21 77 “Atonement occurs only in the inferno of His complete solidarity with all the sin and weakness and misery of the flesh.” Excerpted from Karl Barth, The Epistle to the Romans (London: Oxford University Press, 1933), pp. 104-106. of our redemption, and shows Himself as the light from light uncreated, as the Herald of the Kingdom of God. 'In the picture of the Redeemer the dominant colour is blood’ (Ph. Fr. Hiller), be­ cause, in the way of the Cross, in the offering of His life, and in His death, the radical nature of the redemption which He brings and the utter novelty of the world which He proclaims are first brought to light. Brought to light—nay, rather, put in the shade, when once we recognize that to comprehend either the radicalism or the nov­ elty of God’s world or the necessary transformation of the hearts of men, lies beyond our competence—Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising up of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against—yea and a sword shall pierce through thine own soul—that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed (Luke 2:34, 35). The secret of redemption by the blood of Jesus is, and remains, the secret of God. Its manifestation also, which is the invisibility of God becoming visible, is always the action of God, an act of His faithfulness, or, what is the same thing, an act of faith. In so far as this occurs and His faithfulness persists, in so far as the hazard of faith is ventured, the dawn of the new world, the reality of the mercy of God and of our salvation, of our future being-clothed- upon with our habitation not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens (2 Cor. 5:1 ff.), is displayed and announced, secured and guaranteed to us, in the blood of Jesus. We stand already, here and now, in the reflection of the things which are to come; we are per­ plexed, but not hopeless; smitten by God, but nevertheless, in this krisis, under His healing power. 'Therefore we must nestle under the wings of this mother-hen, and not rashly fly away trusting in the powers of our own faith, lest the hawk speedily tear us in pieces and devour us’ (Luther). 78 The Throne of by Cordell A. Briggs God Within Us God’s desire to dwell among his children today is just as strong, I HOW TO believe, as his desire was to dwell among the children of Israel. The Key text: commands that God gave to the children of Israel were clear: he Exodus 25:17 20 wanted the Israelites to "make [him] a sanctuary; that [he] may ‘ ’ dwell among them” (Ex. 25:8). In his commands, God gave not only the specifications of the edifice but also the specific details of the furnishings, particularly about how the mercy seat (God’s throne) should be made. God wanted the best materials and furnishings that the Israelites could offer for his dwelling place among them. God’s commands remain clear today. In fact, God still wants his children to provide him with their best materials and furnishings. He does not want his children to build a physical sanctuary to sym­ bolize their unique relationship with him. (Jesus’ death on the cross provides the means by which God’s children today may re­ ceive eternal life, in spite of their propensity to sin.) Instead, what God wants is for his children to build him a throne in their hearts and to establish firmly God’s presence in their lives. In two ways at least, God’s children may accomplish this dual purpose. First, His children must willingly give their youth and their dedicated commitment to serve him. Some of the most vigor­ ous workers for God are youthful Christians because they have so much energy to expend. Joseph, Samuel, the three Hebrew boys, David, Ruth, and Timothy are several biblical examples of young people whose religious beliefs were their guiding lights. Second, if God is to reign in his children’s lives, he requires that they should build Christlike characters in an age when people are far less likely than ever to think of others before they think of themselves. Referring to this dilemma of modern man, Francis A. Schaeffer writes: Anyone with sensitivity and concern for the world in which he lives can see that man is in a great dilemma. Man is able both to rise to great heights and to sink to great depths of cru­ elty and tragedy. Modem man is strongly struggling with the concept of man in his dilemma. Most of the paintings of the crucifixion today... are not of Christ dying on the cross in history. They are using the Christ symbol to exhibit man in ag­ ony. Of course it is possible to try not to get involved in man’s di­ lemma; but the only way not to get involved in the dilemma of man is by being young enough, well enough, have money enough, and being egotistic enough to care nothing about other human beings.1 The ability to care about other human beings is a quality that God requires of his children. Other people’s problems should be­ come our problems; their pain our pain; their joy, our joy. Then, we shall have the throne of God within us. is There, p. 100. Cordell A. Briggs is an assistant professor of English at Loma Linda University. Thursday, November 22 79 A Day for Coming Home by Frank Knittel ■* -4 OPINION Key text: Luke 15:11-32 “For everyone ultimate cleansing was provided by the Cross.” A friend of mine was badly mangled in Vietnam during a helicop­ ter crash and lay in the jungle, certain of death. Suddenly from no­ where there appeared at his side a fellow squad member, whom for ’ numerous reasons my friend detested and had often belittled in the past. The despised man took no thought of past insults but instead * offered physical help on the spot and then assisted in pulling the injured man to safety despite great personal risk. Moreover, the * disdained squad companion made frequent hospital visits to my friend, wrote letters back home for him, and, in short, was the truest buddy possible. In fact, his instinctive desire to help an in- t jured man demonstrated a Christian commitment that reached out to a hospital bed and broke down personal rejection and introduced „ the wounded man to Jesus Christ. By the time both men came back home, all personal differences were resolved by bonds of everlast- r ing love, and each was united with Jesus. These two men not only found friendship together, but they both came to an at-one-ment with Christ, and that is, in experiential terms, what the Day of Atonement is all about. Hosts of people get t so bogged down in the ritualistic details of the ancient Jewish tab­ ernacle and temple ceremony that they miss the glorious meaning "" of it all—the promise that because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross we can eventually come to an at-one-ment with him. The past * is blotted out, our indiscretions are forgiven, the hates and angers are erased—we stand before Jesus as pure as the day we were born. For the ancient Jews the Day of Atonement meant that God had taken away the sins of the past year—they were relegated to the y wilderness, they were taken out of the camp by God’s planning. For everyone down the corridors of time the ultimate cleansing was provided by the Cross. We, the mangled souls torn by the spiritual „ crashes of our own misdeeds are given a new lease on existence— eternal life—by a Friend whom we have often spurned and be- „ trayed. Once we understand this, we also understand that the Day of Atonement does not have its ultimate meaning in statistics, dia­ grams, arguments, and suppositions. It is found in how we relate to j God; it is found when we, like the prodigal son, return from feeding the swine of evil passions; it is found when we come back to Jesus and say, "I am no longer worthy to be called your child.” It is also found in the translation of these emotions into our relationships •* with people—even those who despise and spurn us—when those people need our help. The benefits of Christ’s mediation in the - heavenly Day of Atonement thus becomes ours. For in all this we become partners with Jesus in the same stature as Paul and Abra- ' ham and Mary and Rahab. We will all be at-one-ment—we will be at home. Frank Knittel teaches in the English department at Loma Linda * University, La Sierra Campus. 80 Friday, November 23 1. What do each of the following symbols from the sanctuary sug­ gest about how Christ meets your needs as an individual and those of the church as a whole? What does each symbol suggest about the church’s outreach to the world? ^ For you For the church For the world Bread » Light * Altar -* Mercy seat Day of Atonement 2. Ellen White comments (see Testimony) that Jesus used the sym­ bol of sunshine in order to show the Israelites that the light didn’t belong to them alone, but to the whole world. Are we sometimes guilty of trying to confine the light to our own church? How can we avoid this? 3. What do you think Karl Barth means in saying that in Jesus the Kingdom of God and the dawning of the day of redemption are both displayed and hidden? Do you agree with him? •- 4. Do the truths symbolized by the sanctuary in any way meet the human dilemma described by the Francis Schaeffer quote in the How To section? If so, how? REACT Lesson 8 81 Lesson 9, November 25-December 1 Our Advocate “We have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” (1 John 2:1, NIV). * Thinas That Go Between When two things are in­ compatible, we need something to go between them, to smooth out the differences. Mechanics, when putting metal against metal (a screw against a metal sheet, for ex­ ample) use a washer so that in the motion of the machine, sparks won’t be created and cause a fire. Chemists, when working with acids and bases, use a buffer, made from the base and its salt or the acid and its salt, to maintain a proper pH. Computer programmers who write in a higher level lan­ guage (a language closer to English), require a compiler to translate the words that they have written into machine lan­ guage (language that the computer can understand). When diplomats from two by David P. Harris foreign powers engage in ne­ gotiations, they usually re­ quire a translator to correctly convey the thoughts of one am­ bassador to the other. Sin and our anti-sinful God are incompatible alone. Therefore, since we are impli­ cated in sin, we need some­ body who can act as a washer, controlling the possibilities of sparks flying during the divine- human encounter, somebody who can act as a buffer, keep­ ing a proper balance of jus­ tice and mercy flowing be­ tween the two. We need somebody who can put perfect divine ideas into thoughts and ideas that we can under­ stand. We need somebody who can communicate cor­ rectly God’s will to us, and our need to God. Jesus, our Ad­ vocate is that somebody. David P. Harris was campus ministries director and a junior biomathematics major at LLU/La Sierra at the time of this writing. Sunday, November 25 83 INTRO­ DUCTION The Technicality LOGOS The scene is distinctly reminiscent of a Perry Mason episode. The case unfolds with much the same drama and flair for the unex- , pected. The setting seems very similar to an earthly courtroom. Ex­ cept the stakes are much higher. Instead of such paltry punish- « ments as life in prison or a sentence to temporary death, this court deals with eternal fates: life or death. Every human being who has <• entered a plea of "not guilty” to Satan’s charge of sedition is slated to appear before the cosmic tribunal. The "not guilty” plea, how­ ever, is farcical—the best the defendants can hope for is to be freed on a technicality. * Enter the supremely important counsel for the defense. “But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our de- * fense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole r world” (1 John 2:1, 2, NIV). Jesus is the one who enables our cases to be heard at all. Were it not for his argument of a "technicality” (based on what he himself has done), all could be forced to plead guilty, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” ' (Rom. 3:23, NIV). Instead anyone can seek his assistance and plead „ "not guilty,” trusting in his expertise to successfully argue their case. No case is too difficult for this lawyer—he accepts them all. He declares that “whoever comes to me I will never drive away. . . . And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me” (John 6:37, 39, NIV). When each case is heard before the court of the universe, Jesus , brilliantly argues his technicality. He points out that since the de­ fendants were originally under his own jurisdiction as their Cre­ ator, the ultimate responsibility must be transferred to him. Since he himself has already paid the penalty for their sin, the defen- * dants must be released and the charges dropped. The technicality is thus not an abrogation of justice, but a creative way of meeting jus- - tice in view of the fact that the defendants, in themselves, are indis­ putably guilty. Jesus’ closing statement echoes his Old Testament defense of Joshua the high priest—“ ‘The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a ‘ burning stick snatched from the fire?’ ” (Zech. 3:2, NIV). v The defense emerges victorious. “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his ^ Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” (Rev. 12:10,11, NIV). i The outcome was never really in doubt—and it never will be. The defense counsel has constructed a foolproof case that can guaran- w tee victory to any defendant who seeks his aid. It’s only a technicality—an awfully expensive one at that. But it » makes an eternity of difference. L. R. C. 84 Monday, November 26 Fenced From Satan "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus TESTIMONY Christ, the righteous.” How careful is the Lord Jesus to give no oc- «ey |ext: casion for a soul to despair. How He fences about the soul from Sa- ■) j0bn 2-1 2 tan’s fierce attacks. If through manifold temptations we are sur- ' ’ prised or deceived into sin, He does not turn from us and leave us to perish. No, no, that is not our Saviour. Christ prayed for us. He was tempted in all points like as we are; and having been tempted, He knows how to succor those who are tempted. Our crucified Lord is pleading for us in the presence of the Fa­ ther at the throne of grace. His atoning sacrifice we may plead for our pardon, our justification, and our sanctification. The Lamb slain is our only hope. Our faith looks up to Him, grasps Him as the One who can save to the uttermost, and the fragrance of the all- sufficient offering is accepted of the Father. Unto Christ is com­ mitted all power in heaven and in earth, and all things are possible to him that believeth. Christ’s glory is concerned in our success. He has a common interest in all humanity. He is our symphathizing Saviour.... Let us remember that our great High Priest is pleading before the mercy seat in behalf of His ransomed people. He ever liveth to make intercession for us. . . . The blood of Jesus is pleading with power and efficacy for those who are backslidden, for those who are rebellious, for those who “He has never sin against great light and love. Satan stands at our right hand to lost a case that accuse us, and our Advocate stands at God’s right hand to plead for has been us. He has never lost a case that has been committed to Him. We committed may trust in our Advocate; for He pleads His own merits in our be- jQ Him.” half. Hear His prayer before His betrayal and trial. Listen to His prayer for us; for He had us in remembrance. He will not forget His church in the world of temptation. He looks upon His tried and suffering people, and prays for them.. . . Yes, He beholds His people in this world, which is a persecuting world and all seared and marred with the curse and 'He knows that they need all the divine resources of His sympathy and His love. Our Forerunner hath for us entered within the veil, and yet by the golden chain of love and truth, He is linked with His people in clos­ est sympathy. He is making intercession for the meek, lowly, the most op­ pressed and suffering, for the most tried and tempted ones. With upraised hands He pleads, "I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands. God loves to hear, and responds to the pleadings of His Son.” Excerpted from SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 948. Tuesday, November 27 85 The Threefold by John R. W. Stott Provision EVIDENCE The provision which God has made for the sinning Christian is Key text- now unfolded [in 1 John 2:1, 2]. It is the One, who is described first 1 John 2-1 2 as an advocate with the Father, secondly as Jesus Christ the righ- ' teous, and thirdly (in verse 2) as the propitiation for our sins. In form the word advocate in both its Latin and Greek equiv­ alents (advocatus andparakletos) is passive not active. It means lit­ erally not 'comforter’ but 'called alongside’ and describes anybody summoned to the assistance of another. It was particularly used in the law courts of a barrister, whose responsibility it is, as counsel for the defence, to plead the cause of the person on trial. Although the verb parakalein, to encourage, to exhort or to comfort, is used quite frequently in the New Testament, the noun parakletos occurs only in the Johannine literature. Indeed, apart from this verse its “Justice pleads use is restricted to the upper room discourses in the Fourth Gospel with love for where Jesus made it a title for the Holy Spirit (Jn. xiv. 16, 26, xv. our release!’’ 26, xvi. 7). A comparison of the two uses is instructive. If we have an advocate in heaven, Christ has an advocate on earth. The Holy Spirit is Christ’s Paraclete, as the Lord Jesus is ours. But whereas the Holy Spirit pleads Christ’s cause before a hostile world, Christ pleads our cause against our 'accuser’ (Rev. xii. 10) and with the Father, who loves and forgives His children. . . .The person who be­ lieves in Christ already 'has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life’ (Jn. v. 24, RSV; cf. 1 Jn. iii. 14, v. 12 and Rom. viii. 1, 33, 34). Once the sinner has been justified by God his Judge, he has entered the family of God and become related to God as his Father. If he should sin, he does not need another justification from the divine Judge. He is a child of God; he needs the Father’s forgiveness. This is assured to him through the advocacy of Jesus Christ the righteous, a composite ex­ pression indicating His human nature (Jesus), Messianic office (Christ) and righteous character. In the picture of a righteous Ad­ vocate standing before the Father on our behalf, 'the case is not that of love pleading with justice.’ Rather the opposite: 'Justice pleads with love for our release!’ (Findlay). . . . John . . . proceeds to describe our righteous Advocate as the propitiation for our sins, since it is this alone which qualifies Him for the position. . . . The notion of the propitiation of God by the death of His Son is not at all inconsistent with the revelation we have been given of His character in His Son and in His Word, if it is rightly understood. It needs to be safeguarded, and distinguished from heathen concep­ tions, in two particulars. First, God’s wrath is not arbitrary or capricious. It bears no re­ semblance to the unpredictable passions and personal vengefulness , of the pagan deities. Instead, it is His settled, controlled, holy an­ tagonism to all evil. Secondly, the means by which His wrath is averted is not a bribe, either from us or from a third party. On the contrary, the initiative in the propitiation is entirely God’s. In the John R. W. Stott is a widely published evangelical pastor and theologian. 86 Wednesday, November 28 w LXX frequently He is Himself the subject of the verb to 'propi­ tiate’—a usage unknown in pagan writing. Similarly, in this Epis­ tle the whole initiative is ascribed to God. 'The action of which, in some sense, God is Himself the object, has God Himself as its ori­ gin’ (Law). This origin is His love, the spontaneous, uncaused love of Father and Son together. We must not imagine either that the Father sent His Son to do something which the Son was reluctant to do, or that the Son was a third party intervening between the sinner and a reluctant God. Both these views are excluded by the ► teaching of this Epistle. It is not reluctance but love which is at­ tributed to both Father and Son. 'Herein is love, not that we loved * God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins’ (iv. 10, AV). 'By this we know love, that he laid down *r his life for us’ (iii. 16, RSV). Having distinguished between the pagan and Christian concepts of propitiation in these two major respects, we must now ask: what was or is the propitiation? John’s answer is that it is 'Jesus Christ r the righteous’ Himself (ii. 2), the Father’s sent Son (iv. 10). In both verses He is described not as the 'propitiatory offering. ... A *“ propitiator might make use of a means of propitiation outside Him­ self. But Christ is our propitiation . . .’ (Westcott), which is im- *’ plied by the prominent he (autos). But in what sense is He the propitiation for our sins? No direct answer is given in this verse, but if John writes of'propitiation’ here and in iv. 10, and of forgiveness in i. 9, it is because he has stated in i. 7 that what cleanses sinners from their guilty stains is the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, that is the laying down of His life in a violent death. 'In these passages we have a concatenation of ideas—propitiation, blood, cleansing, for- * giveness—which are directly derived from the sacrificial system of the Old Testmaent, which are expressed, indeed, in technical <* Levitical terms’ (Law; cf. Lv. xvi. 30, Heb. ix. 22 and notes on i. 7). Moreover, Christ still is the propitiation, not because in any sense He continues to offer His sacrifice, but because His one sacri­ fice once offered has an eternal virtue which is effective today in - those who believe.. . . Thus, the Father’s provision for the sinning Christian is in His * Son, who possesses a threefold qualification: His righteous charac­ ter, His propitiatory death and His heavenly advocacy. Each de- "*■ pends on the others. He could not be our advocate in heaven today if He had not died to be the propitiation for our sins; and His propitiation would not have been effective if in His life and charac­ ter He had not been Jesus Christ the righteous. “We must not imagine that the Son was a third party intervening between the sinner and a reluctant God.” Excerpted from John R. W. Stott, The Epistles of John: An Introduc­ tion and Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1960), pp. 80-84. Used by permission. 87 As He Walked HOW TO Writing a "how to” on "Our Advocate” presents its difficulties as Key text: the practical application appears nebulous. After all, it’s not "how 1 John 2-1 2 advocate” or "how to be an advocate” or "how to get an advo­ cate.” The whole point of this week’s lesson is that Christ is our advocate, the one who answers Satan’s charges against us, the one who stands beside us to give aid. So where do pragmatics come in? Some understand that since Christ is our advocate/savior, our role in salvation is strictly passive. Perhaps this is correct. How­ ever, the danger here is that sin might be taken too lightly. In to­ day’s key text (1 John 2:1, 2) John says two things about sin. First, if we sin we have an advocate with the Father. And second, sin is universal. Both points can be used as excuses to brush over sin. Since we have an advocate for when we sin, and since sin is univer­ sal, why worry? John says he is writing a call against sin. "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin” (1 John 2:1, NIV). But then he adds: "If anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” (1 John 2:1, NIV). The tone is almost casual. Don’t sin, but if you do don’t worry. We have an advocate—the one who paid the penalty for our sin and the whole world’s. Is this taking sin too lightly? I think not. What John seems to be saying is that sin is not something which we should be preoccupied with because we have a representative before God and he will take care of sin for us and the whole world (vs. 2). Is salvation passive, then? Yes, as far as sin is concerned. We have an advocate who takes care of the sin problem in our lives. This is the message of the gospel—saved by grace. Yet, as pre­ viously pointed out, John is writing this so that his readers will not sin. Therefore, though removing sin is not our responsibility, we cannot ignore it. The key to our dealing with it successfully is found a little earlier in this letter John wrote so that his readers would not sin. "This is the message . . .: God is light; in him there is no dark­ ness at all. ... If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, puri­ fies us from all sin” (1 John 1:5, 7, NIV). And verse three of the same chapter points out that we also have fellowship "with the Fa­ ther and with his Son, Jesus Christ” (NIV). So, is salvation passive from our perspective? Yes. We are saved by what God has done. But yet, No, since we must seek fellowship with God. This is where the pragmatics come in. Having an advo­ cate in heaven means that we can have a friendship with divinity. This is the basic point of all "how to’s” ever written: Be friends with God. And how is this done? "By this we may be sure that we are in him: he who says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:5, 6, RSV). E. R. M. 88 Thursday, November 29 The Analogy by Edward W. H. Vick of Judgment This week’s Audy of Christ as our advocate in a judicial setting leads to reflection on a broader issue, addressed by Dr. Vick in to­ day’s lesson: How can we best understand the Christian doctrine of judgment? A Basic Analogy A Christian doctrine of judgment depends upon the plausibility of using a basic analogy. We define the basic analogy by speaking of two human activities: 1) the act of discrimination; 2) the act of putting into effect the discriminating decision. For example a col­ lege admissions officer decides who is qualified to embark on a par­ ticular course and who is not (act No. 1). Then that officer accepts those who are and rejects those who are not (act No. 2). Decision leads to appropriate action. However complex the elaboration in Christian doctrine, this is the basic analogy which supports it. We move from the process of passing and putting judgment into effect in human affairs to speak about the ultimate process of discriminating between what is and is not worth preserving, ("saving” being the more familiar term), and the act of preserving it. The detailed working out of the analogy is relatively important. Once admit that the basic analogy is workable, then you elaborate the details as best you can. Then all kinds of considerations arise: e.g. the relation of Father and Son; soul, immortality, death, res­ urrection; whether there is a moral norm which the ultimate dis­ crimination exemplifies; reward, punishment. Possible Paradigms So what is the relationship we shall take as the starting point of our doctrine? What relationships can we draw upon which might help us to understand that God is judge and is engaged in an activ­ ity of judgment? It makes all the difference where we start as to the kind of teaching we shall end up with. What have we got for possi­ ble choices? What are paradigmatic uses of the idea of judgment in our experience? I suggest the following: 1. The formal activity of judge and judgment in a Western law court. 2. The less formal approval or disapproval of others, such as friends, family, acquaintances, colleagues. 3. The act of self-evaluation (conscience), which, disapproving, produces guilt; and approving, produces satisfaction. 4. Any act of discrimination which expresses itself in producing consequences: for example, I’m moving to a new house. I ask, "What shall I keep?” I then put my decision into practice, taking this and leaving that. Significant relationships which come to expression in the Bible suggest how we might select and present the analogy. We must, of course, ask of them as we are asking of our own, Are they appropri­ Edward Vick, formerly a professor of theology at the S.D.A. The­ ological Seminary, is chairman of the department of religious studies at Forest Fields College in Nottingham, England. Friday, November 30 89 OPINION Key text: Matthew 25:37-39, 44 “Jesus Christ already represents the decision of God in the world.” “If God, Judge, is God, Loving Father, then we have hope.” ate and helpful? Following are two biblical paradigms which speak of God as judge. These use the analogy in particular ways. 5. God is defender, protector. He is active to put wrongs right and does so. His relationship to his creation is like the relation of the judge (of the book of Judges) to his people. The judge (shofet) is both warrior, political leader, arbitrator, administrator and friend: a many-sided rather than a specialized figure. He does not only de­ cide what is right. He gets it done. God’s judgment is saving, re­ deeming. It purifies and renews (Isa. 30:18). 6. Jesus Christ already represents the decision of God in the world. God’s judgment has already come with the coming of Jesus (John 9:39). The Paraclete, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, places the world under judgment (John 16:7-11). God’s judgment is now present in the activity of the Spirit. Jesus discriminated between the worthy and the unworthy. What is worth conserving is the openness of the poor, the receptiveness of the needy, the thirst of those whom the world passed by. Here we learn that, when God re­ veals himself, God reveals what is worthy in the human, what is worthy in history. We learn that that which is destroyed is con­ served and transformed; that there is death before resurrection, but that resurrection follows death; that the meek suffer and die before they inherit the earth. Preferential Treatment What happens in the working out of a doctrine of the Last Judg­ ment is that one of these themes becomes the dominant one. One form of analogy gets preferential treatment. Some doctrines of judgment press analogy No. 1 and go on to elaborate the imagery of Last Judgment in terms of process of investigation, the accused in the dock, God the Father on the Bench, God the Son on the counsel for the defense, the broken law, the consultation of the recorded evidence, the observers in the public gallery, the pleading of the chief witness, the solemn pronouncing of the verdict when the pro­ cess is over. The emphasis is on vindication, justice, law, media­ tion, offended honor, payment, satisfaction. It is clear that such a presentation has serious weaknesses and limitations. For one thing it is modern and therefore it is anachro­ nistic to impose it upon the ancient context and claim that this is what the biblical sources meant. Secondly, strict justice is incom­ patible with mercy. Thirdly, to speak of the Father as just and the Son as merciful introduces a dualistic opposition into the Godhead. Fourthly, the defendant never appears before God. Since most are dead, the talk of "appearing before the judgment seat” is obviously a metaphor. Fifthly, the analogy taken in this way leads to a highly individualistic interpretation of the relationship between God and the human, even if that is not the intention. The problem that gets the limelight is, "How do I stand?” rather than "What is God’s pur­ pose?” But the ultimate decision may (for all I think otherwise) go 90 against me and my history. Finally, the more details the approach draws from Western Law court process the more obscure becomes the appropriateness of the analogy. The more negations you need to make the more equivocal the language of judgment becomes: God the Father is not like a judge in respects a, b, c. God the Son is not like a barrister in respects a, b, c. Investigation is not judgment because a, b, c. We must conclude that analogy No. 1 is severely limited in its ca­ pacity to express a genuine Christian understanding. While in a „ full-length treatment we would need to say a great deal more on each of these major points, and to take up the possible alternatives, *> we shall conclude with a sketch of a promising use of the judgment analogy. fcr A Promising Alternative So we consider analogy No. 4. Someone with authority makes a , decision and carries it out. Having authority means that he who makes an act of discrimination can carry it out. Evaluation leads *- to and is expressed in executive action. Christians speak of God as "the Father, Almighty” (two more analogies). God who is judge is * also omnipotent. That means he can, does and will carry out the purpose which his decision expresses. What would be the signifi­ cance of such judgment unless it were followed up, unless there were the possibility of "life everlasting”? That means that some- thing significant hangs on the evaluative decision: The fulfilment of God’s creative purpose. If judgment involves affirmation, saying an ultimate "Yes!” to human history, and conservation of what is good, it requires an ac­ tivity of re-creation. The conservation of what is good, once that K has been decided on, discriminated from what is not good, involves the power to bring good out of what is now past. History is over but God judges it and conserves from it what is worth conserving. But what in history is worth conserving? In the end, the ultimate , discrimination, God’s judgment, judges our judgment. We already see this happening in the New Testament (see No. 6 above). The ¥ process of God’s judgment was taking place in the world. It led to surprise, shock, anger and murder, grief and the bitterness of ab- *■ ject disappointment. But it also led to joy, satisfaction and grati­ tude. Just think of the exclamation, "But when did we ever see it so?” in the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matt. 25:37-39, 44). As it was, so shall it be. What was revealed through Jesus is a i prolepsis of what will be. But at the "Last Judgment” the good will of God is done. *■ What is the ultimate verdict on the human enterprise? There are, as we have seen, two relevant questions: 1) Is anything worth pre- * serving?; and (assuming the answer is "Yes!”), 2) How will what is worth preserving get preserved? 91 The very fact that we can raise the first question shows we have serious reservations about the enterprise we call human history, or the existence we call the self. Both are replete with unrealized pos­ sibilities, heavy with failure, with glimpses here and there of what might have been. When history comes to its end will there be any­ thing good which should be conserved? The Christian answer to that question is that God is Judge and will effect fulfilment, if there is to be fulfilment. Fulfilment comes from beyond history, from beyond the limits of the human. Fulfil­ ment is not a human but a divine possibility. God is the goal as he is the ground of all human existence. So a Christian doctrine of Judgment is a doctrine of God. It is therefore under the control of quite fundamental principles. In an­ swer to the question, What constitutes an adequate understanding of God?, a systematic theology is necessary. God is one, active, moral, creative, gracious, powerful. These are touch-points. They qualify any understanding of God as Judge. Taking these as reference points, it is then possible, by drawing out and filling in aspects from the analogy we choose as basic, to give a suggestive and symbolic account. We can then construct a narrative symbolism which indicates a process leading to the mak­ ing and putting into effect of the discrimination that is ultimate. This is the function of classical Christian doctrine of the Last Judgment, called the doctrine of the Last Things or Eschatology. In answer to the question, "How will what is ultimately worth preserving get preserved ultimately?” we can, and shall if we un­ derstand aright, admit our human dependence on God. So, the "thrust” of the Christian theme of Last Judgment is to drive us to acknowledge our limitations and to shift our perspective and our prospect from ourselves to God. If God, Judge, is God, Loving Fa­ ther, then we have hope. As it was in the beginning, so shall it be at the end: beginning and end of all things—God. 92 1. Why do we need Christ as our "advocate” with the Father? Do REACT we need someone to persuade the Father to love or pardon us? Lesson 9 2. If we are acquitted in the heavenly court on the basis of Christ’s perfect life and sacrificial death, then do our deeds come into consideration in the judgment at all (see 2 Cor. 5:10)? 3. How does the promise that if we sin we have an advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1) affect your everyday living? Does it lead to a casualness about sin, knowing that the advocate is always there? Explain. 4. Is Satan our only accuser (see Rev. 12:10) or does our sin place us under the wrath of God as well? 5. Does God get angry? If so, what makes him angry and how does he express it? If not, how do you explain the many Bible pas­ sages that refer to his anger and wrath? 6. Are there limitations to the courtroom analogy of how God re­ lates to us? Are there ways in which God is not like a judge? Are there ways in which Christ is not like an attorney for the de­ fense? 7. Edward W. H. Vick (Opinion) discusses six possible ways of de­ veloping the analogy of judgment. Discuss the validity and/or weakness of each paradigm. What is the basis for deciding some analogies are better than others when we think about the Last Judgment? Lesson 10, December 2-8 At the Father’s Right Hand “Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (Romans 8:34, NIV). - Poor Sam? by John Elder Poor Sam. Junior executive in charge of the janitor closet. * He always felt like he was at ^ the bottom of the corporate to­ tem pole. He had no voice in ^ what happened around him. He was powerless. He was inse­ cure. Poor Sam. He worried a lot. Whenever the economy suffered he worried about be- v ing laid off. When the economy boomed he worried that he *• wouldn’t produce enough to compete and would get fired. He worried about being de­ moted. He worried about get- ’ ting reprimanded (the com­ pany had such high standards—who could ever live up to them all?) * Poor Sam. He was at the verge of a nervous break­ down. Then, one day, he met ^ Joshua at the employee lunch counter. Gradually, their friendship grew. One day, in the course of conversation over *■ a sandwich, Sam began to tell him about his fears. He ex- ►- plained how frightened he was that the Chairman of the Board would review his work record, find it inadequate, and - fire him. Poor Sam. That’s when he * found out that Joshua was the only son of the Board * Chairman. He had left his privileged position voluntarily, and was working for the cor­ poration as just another em- ' ployee. As Sam understood it, this had something to do with showing all the employees what kind of person the Chairman of the Board really was. Sam wasn’t so sure he wanted to find out. Poor Sam. He knew his goose was cooked. But as he listened, Joshua described his father. Gradually, it dawned on him that if the Chairman cared about him as much as Joshua, maybe he didn’t need to worry any more. Poor Sam. After striking up a friendship with Joshua, he discovered that Joshua would soon leave. Sam was absolutely dejected. His closest friend would soon go and leave an empty void in his life. No, Joshua explained, they could still keep in touch—and later, Joshua would come back to pick up all his friends in fam­ ily limousines and they could all have a great party at the family estates. Poor Sam. He still couldn’t understand why Joshua had to leave. So, Joshua explained that he had to go to the Em­ ployee Evaluation Meeting. There he would sit down at his father’s right-hand side and help him evaluate employee records. Of course he wouldn’t let any of his friends get fired. Poor Sam? No. He had a friend, seated at the right- hand side of the Board Chair­ man. And you? *■ K ' John Elder is currently studying math at Loma Linda University and holds a B.A. in ministerial studies. Sunday, December 2 95 INTRO­ DUCTION A Right-handed God The Bible’s apparent bias toward the right over the left in spatial relationships intrigues me. Without exception the right side of any­ thing seems to take precedence. Jesus placed the sheep on his right and the goats on his left (Matt. 25:33)—and it is the right arm of God which is represented as possessing saving strength (Ps. 20:6). The angel which appeared to Zechariah in the temple stood on the right side of the altar—indicating favor (Luke 1:11). Although these examples are undoubtedly symbolic, it might be concluded that the right side of God is the right side to be on. If so, then Christ—our mediator—occupies the position of optimum ac­ cessibility and influence. “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (Heb. 1:3, NIV). Thus we can be assured that our petitions and confessions are always given highest priority. Furthermore, we can be confident that our mediator—or priest— possesses the highest possible credentials. For Christ is “one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ances­ try but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. For it is declared: ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek’ ” (Heb. 7:16, 17, NIV). Through his intercession, our status changes so dramatically that it can only be described as entering a new world. “When anyone is united to Christ, there is a new world; the old order has gone, and a new order has already begun” (2 Cor. 5:17, NEB). “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13, 14, NIV). As citizens of this new order, we, incredible as it may seem, are accounted as having the same privileged position as Christ at God’s right hand. “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6, 7, NIV). But the magnanimity doesn’t end there. Christ aids in our daily struggles as well as our eternal destinies. “When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men” (Eph. 4:8, NIV). Two of the most important gifts he gave are the Holy Spirit and the continual forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:33; 5:31). Without these, the benefits of his hard-won victory for us at the cross and his constant intercession to the Father might be easily lost in our lives. But instead we possess the priceless security of knowing that all the divine capabilities are constantly being exercised in our be­ half. Christ gives his solemn promise: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28, NIV). L. R. C. 96 Monday, December 3 Protection From the Throne In his own strength, man cannot meet the charges of the enemy. In sin-stained garments, confessing his guilt, he stands before God. But Jesus, our Advocate, presents an effectual plea in behalf of all who by repentance and faith have committed the keeping of their souls to Him. He pleads their cause, and by the mighty arguments of Calvary, vanquishes their accuser. His perfect obedience to God’s law has given Him all power in heaven and in earth, and He claims from His Father mercy and reconciliation for guilty man. To the accuser of His people He declares: "The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan. These are the purchase of My blood, brands plucked from the burning.” And to those who rely on Him in faith, He gives the assurance, "Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment” (Zech. 3:4). All who have put on the robe of Christ’s righteousness will stand before Him as chosen, and faithful, and true. Satan has no power to pluck them out of the hand of the Saviour. Not one soul who in penitence and faith has claimed His protection, will Christ permit to pass under the enemy’s power. His word is pledged: "Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me” (Isa. 27:5). The promise given to Joshua is given to all: "If thou wilt keep My charge, ... I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by” (Zech. 3:7). Angels of God will walk on either side of them, even in this world, and they will stand at last among the angels that surround the throne of God. . . . But while the followers of Christ have sinned, they have not given themselves up to be controlled by the satanic agencies. They have repented of their sins, and have sought the Lord in humility and contrition; and the divine Advocate pleads in their behalf. He who has been most abused by their ingratitude, who knows their sin and also their penitence, declares: "The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan. I gave My life for these souls. They are graven upon the palms of My hands. They may have imperfections of character; they may have failed in their endeavors; but they have repented, and I have forgiven and accepted them.” TESTIMONY Key text: John 10:28 “He claims from His Father mercy and reconciliation for guilty man.” Exerpted from Proph­ ets and Kings, pp. 586- 589. Tuesday, December 4 97 The Exalted Lord by F. F. Bruce EVIDENCE Key text: Psalm 110:1 Excerpted from F. F. Bruce, Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), pp. 115-119. Used by per­ mission. The oracle of Psalm 110:1, "Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool,” is one of the most primitive Christian testimonia. If, as was widely held, this oracle was addressed to the Messiah, then, since in the eyes of his followers Jesus was the Messiah, the oracle was fulfilled in him. Paul does not often use the expression about the right hand of God; when he does so, it is probably because it had already become familiar to Christians when they confessed their faith in the Christ "who died, . . . who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, . .. ”—as Paul puts it in Romans 8:34, apparently quoting such a confession of faith. (That is the only place where the expression occurs in his "capital” epistles; it appears also in Colossians 3:1 and Ephesians 1:20.) Like his fellow-Jews, he knew "the right hand of God” to be a metaphor denoting supreme au­ thority, but he may have preferred to use it sparingly lest some of his Gentile hearers or readers should imagine that it had physical or local significance. It is, of course, difficult to think or speak of exaltation or supremacy without the use of spatial imagery. Chris­ tian astrophysicists who recite the historic creeds are not charged with inconsistency for employing the terminology of the three- decker universe; this terminology provides serviceable metaphors for the expression of transcendence, or of communication in both directions between God and man. Even in the first century such terminology was recognized by many thinking people as meta­ phorical, and among those thinking people Paul is entitled to be in­ cluded. . . . Although Paul makes infrequent use of the metaphor "the right hand of God,” he takes the oracle of Psalm 110:1 seriously as a messianic testimonium, and in fact in 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 he gives a fuller exposition of it than does any other New Testament writer. "Sit at my right hand,” ran the oracle, "till I make your en­ emies your footstool”—and Paul undertakes to identify these en­ emies. They are not flesh-and-blood enemies; they are "principal­ ities and powers,” forces in the universe which work against the purpose of God and the well-being of man. It is to forces of this or­ der that Paul has referred earlier in 1 Corinthians as the "rulers of this age” who, in ignorance of the hidden wisdom decreed by God from ages past for his people’s glory, "crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:6-8). Pontius Pilate and others may have played their historic part in this, but without realizing it they were agents of those hostile forces in the spiritual realm. Now, thanks to the victory of the cross and the reign of the risen Lord, those forces are being progressively destroyed. The last and most intractable of those forces is death, which is to be destroyed at the final resurrec­ tion of which the resurrection of Christ is the first instalment. F. F. Bruce is a prominent English New Testament scholar. 98 Wednesday, December 5 ■ Let’s Get by Rick Williams ■ Practical Imagine that suddenly you become the dean of students at one of HOW TO: ► our Adventist colleges. Seriously, take a moment and think what it «ey text- would be like. In one moment you become the individual who Ephesians V "should know” why all the rules are good for students. In the night 4-8.-]6 you begin begging to sit near your Father, to gain understanding, * so that you may represent his world of order in the proper way to the students. Jesus has that opportunity! He sits at the right hand of God and lovingly, through his Spirit, will mediate the advan­ tages of making good choices to all of us who see a rather distorted ' picture of things. He sees and understands clearly how all things work together to ultimately indicate that God is love and that liv­ ing life his way truly brings peace. We will someday soon sit with God our Father and share with others in the universe the joys of living life God’s way. However, in a little different way, through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, that life can happen now as well. There are areas in your life in which you , have gained and will gain special insight into the advantages of making choices which fit with God’s overall plan. You can mediate * or reveal to those around you what the Holy Spirit has helped you learn. There are at least three broad ways in which this can hap- t, pen. 1. Life work. Every profession has something to say about God’s world! I worked with a carpenter one summer who was able to draw many lessons of God’s world from his daily work. He would tell me, - "Make a straight cut, draw a straight line, even though it appears unclear at the moment how this is necessary to the success of the project.” As we began to finish the house, the reasons for the straight cuts and lines became clear. It is often like this in life—we are frequently asked to do things God’s way at a time when the beneficial and healing results are not evident to us. Only later do we see the benefits or the pains of our choices. 2. Hobbies. How about a hobby like bird watching? I once spent a few hours on Walney Island in England with a professional bird watcher. He explained how and why the sea gulls lived, loved and fought in their unique ways. The lessons for life that he could draw ^ from his insights were dramatic. All hobbies can say something about God’s world. Be sensitive to what God would have you learn + so that you can share it with others. 3. Special life experiences. Anyone who has read many Reader’s Digest "Drama in Real Life” articles knows that God often uses special life experiences to teach us what is genuinely important. s Each of us has stories that we like to share with others about unique times in our lives and what God meant to us then. Each of us has a special opportunity to "sit quietly with God through His Holy Spirit.” What we learn about God’s world we can 8 share with others so that they will want to be with him for eternity. Rick Williams is dean of students at Loma Linda University, La Sierra Campus. Thursday, December 6 99 So What? by John Elder * OPINION We’ve just spent the week studying another doctrine, another ap- Key text- Proach to Christ, the Mediator. More theology, more ideas, even a . Romans 8:28-39 few practical suggestions (see How To) Practical suggestions? More like glittering generalities! Mediat- ing God to the world through our work, hobbies, and special experi­ ences—that’s rather vague. We read, concur, then forget. If that’s -t all that Christ at the Father’s right hand has to say to us, who cares? An essential problem with humankind (even converted Chris­ tians) is insecurity. We are all too ready to rise up and defend our egos—even at the expense of another. No matter how committed my life is to God, no matter how much I care for you, if you * threaten my ego, I will lash out in self-defense. It’s a part of human nature—underlying insecurity which poi- ' sons our mortal attempts to love. Mediate God through our work and hobbies? We are mortal. We are fallible. We are vulnerable. We are afraid. What we show of God is veiled beneath our own existen­ tial insecurity. But, Christ at the Father’s right hand is indeed a doctrine which t can bring us hope. In the midst of our insecurity, we find security: Christ at the right hand of the Father. Does our mortality, our human fallibility worry us? In Christ our future is assured. Do we feel vulnerable? Our Christ is invulnera­ ble. Are we afraid? If God be for us, what is there to fear? Ulti­ mately, we are secure. As we come to understand this, not only with our minds, but also with our emotions, we become free to mediate God—through our work, our hobbies, and even our special life experiences—to a world that needs him desperately. ' John Elder is currently studying math at Loma Linda University and holds a B.A. in ministerial studies. 100 Friday, December 7 1. Has anything, other than the fact of his divinity, merited Christ REACT his position at the Father’s right hand? Explain. What are the Lesson 10 implications of this for our lives? 2. What do you think the apostle Paul means in saying that when a person is "united to Christ, there is a new world” (2 Cor. 5:17, NEB, see Logos)? Is there a relationship between this "new world” and the concept of Christ being at the right hand of the Father? 3. Paul also says that through Christ’s intercession we are rescued from the "dominion of darkness” and "brought into the king­ dom of the Son” (Col. 1:13, 14). In specific, experiential terms how would you contrast what it means to be in the dominion of darkness with what it means to be in the kingdom of the Son? Indicate below the things that are involved in being in each kingdom. Dominion of Darkness Kingdom of the Son 4. Do you view Jesus’ close accessibility to the Father as making a practical difference to you personally? If that link was less cer­ tain, would your life-style and attitude change? In what ways? 5. Was Christ’s installment as our mediator at God’s right hand truly necessary in the redemptive process? Why does the all­ knowing God need constant reminders of his own merciful ac­ tion? Have we overspecialized the roles of the Godhead? Lesson 11, December 9-15 Judgment From the Sanctuary “ He has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed’ ” (Acts 17:31, NIV). A Call to Judgment by Charles Teel, Jr. "Yes, Virginia, there is a judgment!” says I. "So what?” responds Vir­ ginia. "So we must live in light of the judgment,” says I. "So what does that mean?” responds Virginia. How to answer Virginia’s question? What does it mean to live in light of justice/judg­ ment? How does the teaching of the sanctuary call us to live in light of justice/judg­ ment? One Answer. The sanctuary teaching of judgment tells us that there is a goal toward which history moves. We live for something. We are a part of something bigger. There is purpose to our lives. Human­ kind is not merely lost at sea. Martin Luther King, Jr., put it this way: I refuse to believe that man is no more than flotsam and jetsam on the ocean of life. The "isness” of man is ever confronted by the divine "oughtness.” The arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice. Another answer. If history indeed "moves” toward some­ thing, we are all caught up in this cosmic sweep of history now. The universe "bends to­ ward justice” no«;. The divine oughtness confronts us now. As the earth spins and as night becomes day and as minutes extend into hours God’s people have opportunity to demon­ strate that they are on God’s side. Justice/judgment hap­ pens this very day. Another answer. The nature of that justice/judgment which the people of God are called to make happen is wrapped up in how we view God acting in history. The Ju- deo-Christian picture of God is not one of who stands apart from the action: God is not merely a blindfolded muse holding scales in one hand and a sword in the other. Rather, God is seen as a part of the ac­ tion: the sanctuary doctrine in fact pictures our Lord as priest who is very much on our side. This sanctuary teach­ ing of God as part of the sav­ ing action is like the Swiss sculpture of Justice in which Justice holds a chick protec­ tively in her hands while im­ planting her heel firmly on the neck of a serpent. Beneath the sculpture are the words: "Justice is protecting the de­ fenseless weak from the preda­ tory strong.” So what, Virginia? So proclaiming a God who is actively involved in this type of justice/judgment is good news to many. So enacting this type of justice/judgment in God’s world will be welcomed by many as good news. So liv­ ing in light of judgment/justice is to echo the cry of those prophets who peopled history during centuries past and in decades present: "Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” Now. But keep reading, Virginia. There’s more to come. Charles Teel, Jr. is chairman of the Department of Christian Eth­ ics at Loma Linda University. INTRO­ DUCTION Sunday, December 9 103 A Call to by Niels-Erik Andreasen Moral Seriousness "It cannot be that I ought to die. That would be too terrible,” wrote Tolstoy, thereby summing up the modern response to death. Ancient people responded in much the same way. For example, the people in Amos’ time (750 B.C.) considered themselves quite secure from misadventure because they were God’s chosen. Then the word of the Lord came: “ ‘You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities’ ” (Amos 3:2). This sentence is elliptical, perhaps left that way for greater dramatic effect. The missing middle sentence would have read something like this: "with you I established my covenant which you broke.” Understood this way a relationship is set up be­ tween God’s call, his covenant, our obligation, and the judgment. God’s call leading to a covenant relationship brings with it ethical obligations (Amos 2:2-6), and when they are neglected, judgment follows. This brings us to the prophet Micah who spoke of God’s judgment from the heavenly sanctuary (l:2f.) upon his own people Israel (6:1- 8). Why does God judge his people? Because they have failed to serve him with sacrifices and other religious obligations? Certainly not, for no amount and quality of gifts would be adequate in any case, not even "thousands of rams” and "ten thousand rivers of oil” (vs. 7). Rather the judgment is based upon the degree to which God’s people have met their ethical obligations of justice, kindness, and humility (vs. 8). The first of these refers to the fair and honest treatment we give each other, the second to the kindness with which we treat those who have failed us, and the third to such hu­ mility in us that we consider fairness and kindness to be nothing but God’s normal and reasonable expectations of us. Now we can turn to Ezekiel 9 where God again is seen judging his people, beginning at the sanctuary after he has marked by a mark of ownership those who will be spared (vss. 4f). Who will bear this mark? Those who "sigh and groan” over the abominations in the city (vs. 4). Their mark (seal) indicates that they belong to God (Rev. 7:1-3), and they are spared because of their loyalty. Now we come to the conclusion. What does it mean to live in the time of God’s judgment, the judgment from the sanctuary, the one that separates those who belong to God from those who do not? Does it mean to live in fear of death, as Tolstoy wrote? Does it mean to live in complete confidence of religious superiority that nothing can happen to us? Neither answer is adequate. We must face the judgment of God with neither terror nor arrogance. Rather the judgment calls us to moral seriousness. So we will ap­ proach the judgment bar of God to seek his forgiveness, to renew our loyalty to him, and last but not least, to accept anew the ethi­ cal demand placed upon God’s covenant people. Niels-Erik Andreasen is professor of Old Testament and the as­ sociate dean of the Division of Religion at Loma Linda University. 104 Monday, December 10 A Call to Tabernacle by David Larson Ellen White saw the sanctuary as a symbol of God’s nearness, a symbol that became even richer with the coming of Jesus. Speaking of the journeys of the people of Israel, she wrote: "Through all their weary wandering in the desert, the symbol of His presence was with them. So Christ set up His tabernacle in the midst of our human encampment. He pitched His tent by the side of the tents of men, that He might dwell among us, and make us familiar with His divine character and life. 'The word became flesh, and tabernacled among us (and we beheld His glory, glory as of the Only Begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth.’ John 1:14, R.V., mar­ gin.”1 The practical benefits of understanding God to be so near were clear to Ellen White. "Since Jesus came to dwell with us,” she wrote, "we know that God is acquainted with our trials, and sym­ pathizes with our griefs.” One significant thought here is that, contrary to the opinions of many traditional religious thinkers, El­ len White held that God’s own life is changed by God’s participa­ tion in human events, a thought that should put to rest the idea that God is wholly unaffected by what happens in our existences. The divine judge is not a foreigner but a friend, one who under­ stands very well the deserts through which we all wander. "Every son and daughter of Adam may understand that our Creator is a friend of sinners. For in every doctrine of grace, every promise of joy, every deed of love, every divine attraction presented in the Sav­ iour’s life on earth, we see 'God with us.’ ”2 In another place, Ellen White developed the same thought. "God has bound our hearts to Him by unnumbered tokens in heaven and in earth. Through the things of nature, and the deepest and tenderest earthly ties that human hearts can know, He has sought to reveal Himself to us. Yet these but imperfectly represent His love. Though all these evidences have been given, the enemy of good blinded the minds of men, so that they looked upon God with fear; they thought of Him as severe and unforgiving. Satan led men to conceive of God as a being whose chief attribute is stern jus­ tice,—one who is a severe judge, a harsh, exacting creditor. He pic­ tured the Creator as a being who is watching with jealous eye to discern the errors and mistakes of men, that He may visit judg­ ments upon them. It was to remove this dark shadow, by revealing to the world the infinite love of God, that Jesus came to live among men.”3 God tabernacled with us to encourage us with Good News about the kind of judge God really is. The sanctuary as a reminder that God tabernacles with each one of us also indicates that there is no sharp distinction between the common and the sacred. "Religion and business are not two sepa­ rate things; they are one. Bible religion is to be interwoven with all we do or say. Divine and human agencies are to combine in tempo­ ral as well as in spiritual achievements.”4 David Larson is associate professor of Christian ethics at Loma Linda University and associate director of the Center for Bioethics. Tuesday, December 11 105 TESTIMONY Key text: John 1:1-17 “God tabernacled with us to encourage us.” 1. The Desire of Ages, pp. 23, 24, emphasis sup­ plied. 2. Ibid., p. 24. 3. Steps to Christ, pp. 10,11. 4. Christ's Object Les­ sons, pp. 349. A Call to Accountability by Richard Rice EVIDENCE Key text: 2 Corinthians 5:10 “God tolerates no opposition to Himself.” 1. Emil Brunner, The Christian Doctrine of the Church, Faith, and the Consummation, Dogmatics: Volume III; translated by David Cairns in collaboration with T. H. L. Parker (Philadelphia: The West­ minster Press, 1962), pp. 418,419. Emil Brunner is one of the great "neo-Reformation” theologians of this century. With Karl Barth, he emphasized the importance of divine revelation and helped the Christian world recover a sense of God’s transcendence. In the following comments Brunner argues that the idea of judgment is indispensable to an adequate under­ standing of both God and man. "What is the theological foundation of the thought of judgment? It is a necessary inference from the knowledge of the holiness of God. God is the One who takes His Will in deadly earnest. ... The holy God tolerates no opposition to Himself. He sets His face against all opposition to Himself and asserts His absolute author­ ity------ "The God who makes Himself known to us in the revelation of the scriptures is not light and darkness, life and death. The thought of judgment brings to light the original God-given connec­ tion between obedience and life. To be with God is life, to be against God is death. As unity with the divine will is salvation, so resistance to it is perdition. . . . "In the same way the foundation of our responsibility comes to light in the thought of judgment. When man really recognizes his responsibility, he knows that it is not merely a human responsibil­ ity. Responsibility means to be summoned to give an account, to be reckoned responsible. What could this authority be, which calls us to account, if not God? and for what should we be reckoned respon­ sible if not for our whole life? To take our responsibility seriously means nothing else than to stand before the face of the divine Judge. To have to answer for oneself before God is the highest ex­ pression of moral responsibility. Only this thought of judgment gives ultimate depth to the concept of responsibility and therefore makes clear the relationship between God and man.. . . "Only if we understand responsibility literally as the necessity of giving an account to the Judge who judges impartially and knows everything—only then do we understand ourselves as really respon­ sible. . . Brunner’s thoughts raise a number of important questions. To begin with, what do you think of the claim that we need a concept of divine judgment in order to understand our responsibility? Are people who don’t believe in God inevitably irresponsible? And is "fear of judgment” a praiseworthy motive for doing something? Second, how does the idea of judgment affect our understanding of God? If we ignored this divine activity, what would it do to our overall view of God? Would it make him more or less worthy of our worship? Is there an important connection, as Brunner suggests, between the ideas of God as creator and God as judge? Finally, how does the thought that you are personally account­ able to God affect you? Without it, would you feel more, or less, important as a human being? Richard Rice is professor of theology and Christian philosophy at Loma Linda University. 106 Wednesday, December 12 A Call to Respond by V. Bailey Gillespie The so-what questions are always the hardest. Moving from the­ ology to praxis or the practice of theology into life itself is where the "rubber meets the road.” But if living with the knowledge of the judgment of God against evil is a theological/historical reality, and that judgment is being declared by the voices of God’s people now, then the practical im­ plications become obvious. 1. Some of the realities of the judgment are cosmic in nature. For example, we live in a new world today in many ways. We have a broader view of the nuclear family. Family does not now mean Mom and Dad and 1.5 children with one dog called Spot. Family includes the interdependency of all the peoples on earth. We are a global village—a world community—a common family, "humani- tas.” Our interdependency is shown when Arab oil ministers regu­ late our gas prices and garbage collectors modify the quality of our lives in the cities. Proclaiming judgment/justice means sensitivity and involvement in global issues. Concerns such as hunger, pov­ erty, and human rights involve the saints in judgments against such global evils. Global issues are often the easiest to identify, and often the hardest to cure. 2. The proclamation begins now. More personally, Jesus sug­ gested that he "came and proclaimed the good news: peace to you who were far off, and peace to those who were near by; for through him we both alike have access to the Father. ... You are no longer aliens in a foreign land, but fellow-citizens with God’s people, members of God’s household” (Eph. 2:17-19, NEB). This text moves concern for others closer to home. We can now say, "I choose to be involved with issues I can change and influence.” From local church policy to school administrative structures to neighborhood action, the Christian proclaims the new-age mentality that cannot cope with evil winning any longer! Oppression is eliminated and caring fills its void, if the saints are proclaiming God’s judgments now and are working for God’s peace. 3. We begin somewhere. Recognizing the unique time of judg­ ment in which we live, we also recognize what God is trying to teach us through the events of the world. These meanings become clear when we see the real world with its problems, its challenges, and its varied textures and needy faces. The meaning in these things becomes clear when we get involved sometime, somewhere. Action is needed, decisions must be made, game-plans clarified, proposals written, arguments honed, and progress begun. These how-to suggestions are only theory until you begin to make judg­ ment/justice happen. You must communicate the good news that God has won and that God keeps winning. Then maybe, just maybe, the good news will be received as just that! V. Bailey Gillespie is professor of theology and Christian person­ ality at Loma Linda University. Thursday, December 13 107 HOW TO Key text: Ephesians 2:17-19 A Call to by Charles Teel, Jr. Responsibility OPINION Key text: Exodus 25:8 “Worship involves ‘communal devotion.’ ” Four days ago my eleven-year-old daughter brought home Les­ son 28 of her fifth-grade Bible workbook entitled "Making a Model of the Sanctuary.” She can earn one hundred points for this proj­ ect. Let me share with you how this week’s articles are going to in­ form our sanctuary-building endeavors. First, we are going to shape two clay tablets representing the Decalogue. We will be writing "worship” on one tablet and "eth­ ics” on the other. Second, we will build the sanctuary as an example of how tablet one of the covenant was given hands and feet and made to walk in the experience of God’s people. Through holy days (holidays) and priesthood and feasts and offerings it is abundantly clear that the worship tablet of the covenant makes demands on social struc­ tures. Worship is not merely "private devotions.” Worship involves "communal devotion.” Third, we will try building that type of society which tablet two calls God’s people to fashion around the sanctuary. To take the model sanctuary to school and have it nakedly displayed on the teacher’s desk or sitting atop the upright piano is to miss the whole point of sanctuaryness. The sanctuary cannot rightly be viewed apart from the society within which the God of the covenant was to dwell. What type of buildings will my daughter and I construct near the sanctuary to demonstrate that the demands of the ethics tablet are no less social in nature than the demands of the worship tablet? For starters, we will build a Boaz family farm by way of noting that any people who take the sanctuary seriously will need to pro­ vide a social welfare system for the Ruths of this world—the de­ fenseless weak that the covenant singled out as "the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the resident alien.” We will build sewers by way of symbolizing that the covenant has much to say about public health. A title company building will lead us into a discussion of the Sabbatical years (and in grand fashion, the year of Jubilee) when property was to be returned to its original owner as a means of keeping a check on inherited wealth. A chamber of commerce building will offer opportunity for us to review the covenant de­ mands upon Israel’s business community, and a bank will be neces­ sary as well if we are to understand the usury laws of God’s people. It is thus my fond hope that my daughter and her classmates come to see that God tabernacles among us in human history; that the sanctuary calls us to personal trustworthiness as well as to so­ cial ethics. In short, the sanctuary is set in the midst of commerce and in­ dustry and congress and agriculture and conference office and medical center and university. The sanctuary calls us to personal and corporate responsibility as we structure our individual and so­ cial lives in light of God’s righteous judgment. Charles Teel, Jr. is chairman of the Department of Christian Eth­ ics at Loma Linda University. 108 Friday, December 14 1. In the Logos section Niels-Erik Andreasen quotes Amos and REACT other Old Testament prophets in viewing the sanctuary message Lesson 11 as "a call to moral seriousness.” What does he perceive Amos to be calling for? What might Dr. Andreasen and Amos be calling you to be morally serious about? 2. God "tabernacled” or dwelt with Israel in a physical structure. Does he "tabernacle” with us today? If so, how? 3. Discuss the questions raised by Richard Rice at the end of the Evidence section. 4. Sanctuary news is the news that God has won and that God keeps winning, according to Bailey Gillespie (How To). What persons or groups of persons especially need to get this good news? 5. Charles Teel (Opinion) argues that "to take the model sanctuary to school and have it nakedly displayed on the teacher’s desk or sitting atop the upright piano is to miss the whole point of sanctuaryness.” Why? Do you agree with him? Explain. 6. What specific things can you be involved in to enhance "sanctuaryness”? 7. If it is God who ultimately will bring about justice, do you think this week’s lesson authors are correct in saying that the sanctu­ ary teaches us that we must work for social justice? 109 Lesson 12, December 16-22 The Final Crisis “ ‘There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the begin ning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered’ ” (Daniel 12:1, NIV). Inquest of a Deceiver by Lynn Neumann McDowell So you’re back again, Word. I saw you today, fording a stream that looked like blood to soothe the boils of a man who hates you. We’ve been putting you out for cen­ turies, one inquest after an­ other. But you never seem to learn. The Judean Inquisition was amateurish, I admit—one man hung up on some crude boards outside Jerusalem. We didn’t realize then that your contagion could spread through eleven cowards. Now we know. It’s a disease of the mind you spread. "Come, let us reason together,” you say, but you’re not reasonable. "Turn the other cheek” is madness not reason when Romans are bloodying up the streets of your hometown. No wonder they hung you up! See, your approach is all wrong. You ask them to reason, to think, but when they do that they become re­ sponsible—and uncomfort­ able. Ethics, issues, serious dis­ cussion—they’re not for the work-a-day man! And many of the pious realize this—even some who think they’re the remnant. Rather than risk making a wrong choice, they let their leaders decide what is right. After all, they’re Spiri­ tual Specialists. To put it an­ other way, why talk to a G.P. about your heart condition when you can consult a spe­ cialist? Your "freedom”—the responsibility to reason and choose—is really an uncom­ fortable, antiquated yoke. My way, on the other hand, is easy: Just respond. No end­ less discussions, no big moral decisions, just instinctive action. It’s so easy my way. So why is your corruption still spreading? Your goodie-two-shoes "rea­ soning” is sickening. We put you out in Judea, in Spain, in the Swiss-Italian Alps, but brighter than ever I see you shining in people’s eyes. Wake up to the real world! If you look at the evidence, you’ll see you have no right on this planet. You pose as Saviour of the Earth, but here’s the real test: What dif­ ference did you make in the course of human history? You’ve been leading people on for centuries, and it’s got to stop. As champion of the People, it’s my duty to expose your lies and ineffectiveness. You didn’t make any differ­ ence. I don’t care if the sun is scorching or if the rivers are bloody, they’re going to see that you didn’t make any dif­ ference. Your reason is ineffec­ tual and you have no right to their love. I’m going to unmask you, Deceiver. This is the Final Inquisi­ tion! Lynn Neumann McDowell is a free-lance writer living in Calgary, Alberta. Sunday, December 16 111 INTRO­ DUCTION Coming, Coming Soon I Know When I was a child, my friends and I would sometimes add an Adventist twist to the old hide-and-seek game. The "Adventists” would hide while the "bad people” would hunt us down. We called the game "Cattle-ticks against the Protestants.” It was fun and we had little concern for the inappropriateness of the name or for the events that inspired the game. Oh, the heated sermons, with their hellfire and brimstone hue, did at times trouble our childish dreams, but our fears evaporated with morning when everything became a game once more. In the seeming timelessness of youth the future was a long way away. The game is probably not familar to all, but to some the attitude may be. We have all heard the sermons, read the books, and even seen some signs that herald the events prefacing Christ’s second coming. But each new day brings with it a comfortable, habitual sameness, and we project the future further into the distance. And slowly an unconscious apathy begins to loiter in the fringes of our minds. Misunderstanding God’s slowness (see 2 Peter 3:9), we live the routine of the passing days which diminishes a call that was once louder in our minds. “Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on earth. ... He said with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come’ ” (Rev. 14:6, 7, NIV). God’s patience will not last forever. When that patience is forced to desist, the results of apathy or blasphemy against the Spirit will become clear. “ ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image and re­ ceives his mark . . . he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury. . . . There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast’ ” (Rev. 14:9-11, NIV). Finally to those who looked beyond daily rou­ tine and to those who muffled the loud cry (Rev. 14:6, 7) will come the words: “ ‘Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; ... let him who is holy continue to be holy’ ” (Rev. 22:11, NIV). Final decisions for or against God having been made by all, Christ’s work of mediation will cease. Then, “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such has not happened from the beginning of na­ tions until then. But at that time . . . everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered” (Dan. 12:1, NIV). So the question is raised: How does one avoid the restlessness and torment resulting from devotion given to the beast, and receive the deliverance of those whose names are written in the book? “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus” (Rev. 14:12, NIV). With patient endurance apathy is avoided and hope is kept alive, despite the passage of time. And with patient endurance the ques­ tions "when?” and "how soon?” lose their significance to remain­ ing faithful to Jesus. E. R. M. 112 Monday, December 17 wwlldl by Grace Fedak Saruk Mediation Ceases Christ, our mediator, is in the heavenly sanctuary pleading for TESTIMONY each one of us. "God, far from actively willing the death of the sin- Key tex{. ner, has done all in His power to save him from death (John 3:16).”' Revelation 23-11 But, salvation is not forced upon us. "The free will of man is not to be interfered with. Men are to be permitted to live the life of their own choosing, so that their true character may become apparent.”2 Time is short, and we will not know when intercession ceases, until it is too late. "When the third angel’s message closes, mercy no longer pleads for the guilty inhabitants of the earth. The people of God have accomplished their work . . . and they are prepared for the trying hour before them. . . . An angel returning from the earth announces that his work is done; the final test has been brought upon the world, and all who have proved themselves loyal to the divine precepts have received 'the seal of the living God.’ Then Jesus ceases His intercession in the sanctuary above. He lifts His hands and with a loud voice says, 'It is done;’ and all the an­ gelic host lay off their crowns as He makes the solemn announce­ ment: '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.’ Revelation 22:11. Every case has been decided for life or death. Christ has made the atonement for His people and blotted out their sins. . . . “yye should be "When He leaves the sanctuary, darkness covers the inhabitants drawinq nearer of the earth. In that fearful time the righteous must live in the (o |_orcj {o sight of a holy God without an intercessor. . . . God’s long-suf- enabie us to fering has ended. The world has rejected His mercy, despised His sjan{j » love, and trampled upon His law. The wicked have passed the boundary of their probation. . . . Unsheltered by divine grace, they have no protection from the wicked one. Satan will then plunge the inhabitants of the earth into one great, final trouble. As the angels of God cease to hold in check the fierce winds of human passion, all the elements of strife will be let loose.”3 The seven last plagues have begun. Preparation to rescue souls and to purify our character must take place now. "I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the time of 'refreshing’ and the 'lat­ ter rain’ to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord. . . . Those who refuse to be hewed by the prophets and fail to purify their souls in obeying the whole truth, and who are willing to believe that their condition is far better than it really is, will come up to the time of the falling of the plagues, and then we see that they needed to be hewed and squared for the building. . . . We should, therefore, be drawing nearer and nearer to the Lord and be earnestly seeking that preparation necessary to enable us to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. Let us remember that God is holy and that none 1. sda Bible Com- i i i i * l n • tt' »a mentary, vol. 7, p. 615. but holy beings can ever dwell in His presence. * 2. ibid., p. 896 3. The Great Contro­ versy, pp. 613, 614. 4. tarty Writings, p. 71. Grace Fedak Saruk is a horticulturist living in Calgary, Alberta. Tuesday, December 18 113 Persecuting Saints by Richard Bottomley EVIDENCE Key text: Matthew 13:24-30 “The usefulness of doctrine is that it paints a picture of God.” The book of Revelation and several parables of Christ paint a stark portrait of the end of time. Some Adventists deal with the vivid imagery by making charts of the events and worrying about the terrors foretold. Some just ignore thinking about end-time events, while others try to come to grips with the issues raised and apply them to our present lives and times. One striking characteristic of the biblical apocalyptic picture is its ethical simplicity. There are only two types of people: the sheep and the goats. Perhaps it is not surprising then that some true be­ lievers of all ages have yearned for the simple polarization depicted in Revelation. Spurred on by the belief that they were living in the last days, these saints tried to help God along by persecuting those they identified as goats. They would not rest until the goats either recanted or were put to the sword. No longer comfortable with the sword, our generation seeks to accomplish the task by driving our foes from the church. Oddly, this energy is not focused on the consciously wicked—the cruel and greedy—but upon other believers, our brothers and sisters whom we perceive as having dangerous doctrine. In our zeal to fulfill prophecy and God’s will, we have strangely turned the tables on the scenes of Revelation. In our age, it is sometimes the saints who per­ secute the "wicked.” But does God call us to polarize ourselves in this way? Several of Christ’s parables speak to this point (Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43; and Matt. 25:31-46) as does Christ’s tolerance of diversity among The Twelve. We can respond to opposing ideas within a flock in two general ways: (1) We can tolerate divergent but related views and allow free dialogue, trusting that truth and logic will eventually prevail, or (2) we can attempt to dispose of opposing views and limit dialogue and public access to discussion. The first option is more difficult to choose because it goes against human nature. It is human nature to see divergent views as a negative judgment on our position. But tolerance requires intro­ spection, confidence in our own beliefs, and Christian self-esteem not to feel threatened by the beliefs of our brothers and sisters. Doctrinal differences often make it hard for us to trust each other. Yet these differences may not be all that important. The use­ fulness of doctrine is that it paints a picture of God which makes a Spirit-filled life easier to live. Good doctrine is simply a better pic­ ture of God that is bad doctrine. As Christ points out in Matt. 25:31- 46, it is not right doctrine but just and loving behavior that is the test of a Christian life. We often ask, "Why does Christ wait?” No church has yet been able to combine a belief in tolerance with a strong sense of mission and change. If these two traits were as fully manifest in our lives as they were in Christ’s, then we truly would be a people who reflect God’s character. Richard Bottomley is a geophysicist living in Calgary, Alberta. 114 Wednesday, December 19 » God’s Assurance by Richard D. Ferguson , in the Final Crisis "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46, HOW TO NIV). Jesus’ words on the cross reflect his inner turmoil. God’s ac- «ey text; tions torment him with doubt. Yet at the moment of death, he j0hn 5-24-27 trusts his Father’s care (Luke 23:46). Jesus’ crisis at Calvary is re- k lated to our final crisis. How can we trust God to save us and love us despite our mortality and corruptibility? 1. Recognize that the Good News, manifested by his Son, is the ► basis on which God’s acts must be understood. God is clear about his intentions, for the testimony of the Word and the Spirit are un- ► equivocal (Rev. 22:12-17). But because we look to ourselves and see failure or labor under the delusion of self-righteousness, we are , susceptible to a distorted picture of God. Our fear of death and judgment alienates us from him. Therefore it is critical, especially at this time in earth’s history, to understand that the Father’s ob­ jective is to give us life and heaven, if we so choose (John 3:16-18). v 2. Realize that the execution of God’s judgment means a time when truth and righteousness will finally triumph, and not a time *” of terror for deserted saints without a mediator. The Father let his only Son die, so we could choose heaven. In this light, Revelation 22:11 is a declaration of hope for us. To understand this and the im­ plications of Christ’s mediatorial work, we must view it from its fo­ rensic (legal) context. * In the heavenly court, our Lawyer, by his intercession, obtains a verdict for us: NOT GUILTY. Our case is decided. We no longer ^ need a lawyer (mediator). But more follows than a simple verdict. The judge of all people is also the King of the universe, whose word is law, unalterable. By royal decree, he speaks: The righteous ARE righteous; The holy ARE holy. (Rev. 22:11, adapted) Not only do we have a verdict in our favor, but the force and strength of divine law pronounces everlasting righteousness and holiness for us. God is always with us and for us, even at the end of earth’s time (Matt. 28:20). 3. Remember that we are loved and judged in Jesus Christ (John *- 5:24-27). Who we are, what we are, and what we do merit us noth­ ing. Our right to eternal life is solely dependent on knowing the Fa- * ther and his Son. By faith, we exercise that right, believing what God has accomplished for us, in spite of our failure and success. Our earthly experience is not our salvation, but a time to trust ^ Christ’s promised deliverance. "Now we can look forward to the salvation God has promised us. There is no longer any room for doubt, and we can tell others that salvation is ours, for there is no * question that he will do what he says” (Heb. 10:23, LB). f Richard Ferguson is an electrician in Calgary, Alberta. Thursday, December 20 115 Facing the End by Jaelene Mannerfeldt OPINION Key text: Matthew 28:20 (last part) “I have envied people who were dying now because they would never have to live through the ‘seven last plagues.’ ” As far back as my memory allows me to recall, I have feared the end of time. It is a fear that grips me every time "The End” is men­ tioned. Ministers who enthusiastically preach sermons on "The End,” admonishing me to pray for the closing of time, all seem a touch masochistic with their apparent pleasure in describing the "final events.” To me it seems that some people actually enjoy the thought of pain, torture, and discomfort. Personally, I have envied people who were dying now because they would never have to live through the "seven last plagues.” There are many1 ways of dealing with this fear. One of these is to avoid the issue. Don’t speak directly about "The End” but jest and talk as if it doesn’t affect you. I shall never forget the friend in Switzerland who casually mentioned that during the "time of trou­ ble” I could come and stay with her. By then her parents would be gone and she would have inherited the family chalet, in what she referred to as a remote area of Switzerland. The chalet did not seem a refuge or sufficiently remote to me with a village only two kilometers away. Another way of dealing with the end is to develop survival skills for remote areas. Not only are Christians doing this, but there are a number of people outside the Christian community that fear the end. After the movie "The Day After” was televised, individuals be­ gan stockpiling copious amounts of dehydrated food in their ga­ rages and basements along with other necessary survival equip­ ment. Possibly, how one deals with the end directly corresponds with how one relates to God. If my relationship is not what it should be, then I could be the recipient of sores, third-degree sunburns, and with all of this discomfort, be plunged into darkness, as described by Revelation 16. Those who don’t know God face an even bigger time of trouble than those who do know him, and maybe that is what my fears are all about. Will I be on the right side? My relationship with God will be right if I know him as a friend. As a friend he will indeed protect me, maybe not physically, but he will protect me emotionally, from the trials of the end. And with my inner self at peace with God, I will truly have a calm, rejoicing heart, looking forward to the end. I hope someday to find that calm expectancy, if indeed the feel­ ing is real, for predictably my child will soon express her own fears of "The End.” I am preparing now to reassure those fears in a way mine never were. Jaelene Mannerfeldt is pursuing a graduate degree in biochem­ istry in Calgary, Alberta. 116 Friday, December 21 1. How do you react to the thought of living without a mediator in REACT the last days? What exactly does this concept mean? Are the con- Lesson 12 ditions of salvation different for those who die before Christ re­ turns than for those who live through the final crisis? 2. How can we avoid the "unconscious apathy” about the end re­ ferred to in the Logos section? Is it by being continually hyped up on last-day events, looking diligently for signs in contempo­ rary events? Or is it some other way? Explain. 3. In the first part of the Opinion section the author discusses two coping mechanisms for dealing with "The End.” Are these valid? Is "The End” something we have to "cope” with? 4. Some "Last-Day Events” charts and books are extremely de­ tailed. Are such attempts to chart the last days valid? How de­ tailed a scenario of the final events of the earth’s history does the Scripture give us? Explain. 5. Should we be making special preparation now for the time when Christ’s mediation will cease? How? 6. Is it really persecution to seek to remove from church office or employment those whose theological views we consider hereti­ cal (see Evidence)? Doesn’t the church have a responsibility for seeing that the integrity of its basic doctrines is maintained? 117 Lesson 13, December 23-29 The Consummation “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light” (Revelation 21:23, NIV). Heavenly Hash by Lynette Jordheim I took the carton out of the freezer. The grocery store had advertised the product as the hot new best-seller of the month. I looked at the fancy lettering on the side of the box: "Heavenly Hash.” I scooped a large helping of the chocolate ice cream, marbled with marshmallows and peppered with chocolate covered al­ monds into a bowl. Letting it soften just enough to prevent the cold from numbing my taste buds, I set about to see what heaven was really like. Going back for my third bowlful, I noticed the box was nearly empty while my stom­ ach was ballooning. Oh, but the experience was heavenly! It suddenly occurred to me that perhaps the ice cream was misnamed. Here I was en­ joying myself, being a glut­ ton, and worst of all—I was keeping the Heavenly Hash all to myself. I honestly admit, I would have done the exact same thing if the carton bore the name "Satanic Stew,” except perhaps with a twinge more guilt. But I began to think how we are al­ ways trying to conjure up im­ ages of heavenly happenings when such things are unimag­ inable to us. We can only com­ pare and magnify what we know here on earth and realize that we are still way off in left field, stargazing. But we do know some facts about heaven. Heaven is where Christ has prepared a home for those he lived and died for on earth. Heaven is what Christ has prepared for Lynette Jordheim works in the staff nurse. all those who thirst after truth enough to come at his in­ vitation. Heaven is where Christ is waiting to accept us into his heavenly family. Heaven is where the largest and longest-lasting wedding will take place, and we are all invited guests. Heaven is where pain and sorrow and hate are eliminated. Heaven is where communication with the Godhead is face to face without fear. There is no harm in trying to compare the streets of gold and the sea of glass to a scene from the Czarist era of Rus­ sian history. Perhaps, how­ ever, we wouldn’t have to over­ load our already bombarded minds with these feeble com­ parisons if we were in closer communion with God each day. When we are in heaven we won’t have to get on our knees and screw our fists into our eyes until we see a beauti­ ful figure to whom we can pour out our hearts. We won’t have to get up in the wee hours of the morning to bury our noses in our Bibles for a few short minutes just to fit him into our busy schedules. We won’t have to dress up and go out to fight Saturday morning traffic on our way to and from church. We won’t have to depend on stilted gimmicks to provide a sense of divine glory. God the Father, and the Son will be visible to us, acces­ sible to our minds, and close to our hearts. Heaven will be very, very real. No more hashing. Foothills Hospital, Calgary, as a Sunday, December 23 119 INTRO­ DUCTION Happily Ever After As a senior anticipating graduation several months from the time of this writing, I am presently engaged in a number of activities characteristic of people in this position—-job hunting, contingency planning, and general contemplation of goals and the meaning of life. All of this is hinged upon one basic assumption: that I will in­ deed graduate on schedule. Now this probably should not be taken for granted considering the enormity of the requisite work yet to be done as well as my natural propensity for overlooking minor de­ tails. Even so, an assessment of my past indicates an excellent chance that all the prerequisites for graduation will be ultimately completed—in however haphazard a fashion—and that I will in­ deed graduate on schedule. I do not know it for a fact, but all my planning is based on this extrapolation of the future from the past. The collective attitude of God’s people should be much the same as they await the impending consummation of the conflict over sin. The future is guaranteed only by the past—the "already” insures the "not yet.” “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ will all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:20-22, NIV). So we can conduct ourselves with the certainty of knowing the future. Knowing that the mediator will indeed become the victorious warrior (Rev. 19:16)—knowing that an eternal kingdom of justice, peace, and righteousness will soon replace this nightmarish detour into sin (Isa. 11:4, 5; Micah 4:2, 3). The joyful anticipation and celebration of the graduation experi­ ence also parallels the consummation of the cosmic conflict—when raised by an infinite factor. In John’s words: “Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: ‘Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready’ ” (Rev. 19:6, 7, NIV). There certainly will be infinite reason for celebration, for all of heaven and earth will be made new (Rev. 21:1). Furthermore, God promises, “He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son” (Rev. 21:7, NIV). This inheritance has no expiration date, no restrictive clauses, no limitations at all. It cannot be revoked—nothing will tarnish it. “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Rev. 21:27, NIV). Heaven can be an indisputable fact in our future. Better yet it can be that way today. Starting now we can live happily ever after. L. R. C. 120 Monday, December 24 Excitement Plus by Sharron Schaber There it is—that little turned-up nose pressed against the windowpane, waiting, watching. Suddenly, he runs to the front door shouting, "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy’s home!” Oh, the excitement of a little child waiting for his favorite person to come home and share affection and fun times. As we anticipate entering the heavenly kingdom, we should also be filled with a powerful, all-consuming excitement. We have the prospect of total peace: Satan will no longer be able to deceive and tempt the inhabitants of the earth. And God is much more eager to share face-to-face fellowship with us than a father is eager to re­ turn home to an expectant child. The excitement that awaits us is beyond imagination. "Human language is inadequate to describe the reward of the righteous. It will be known only to those who be­ hold it. No finite mind can comprehend the glory of the Paradise of God.”1 The fears of falling prey to Satan’s devices are forever done away with. "One reminder alone remains: Our Redeemer will ever bear the marks of His crucifixion. Upon His wounded head, upon His side, His hands and feet, are the only traces of the cruel work that sin has wrought.”2 What joy, love, and peace the inhabitants will share in commu­ nion with each other and with the Saviour. "And the years of eter­ nity, as they roll, will bring richer and still more glorious revela­ tions of God and of Christ. As knowledge is progressive, so will love, reverence, and happiness increase. The more men learn of God, the greater will be their admiration of His character. As Jesus opens before them the riches of redemption and the amazing achievements in the great controversy with Satan, the hearts of the ransomed thrill with more fervent devotion, and with more raptur­ ous joy they sweep the harps of gold; and ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of voices unite to swell the mighty chorus of praise. . . . "The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation. From Him who created all, flow life and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable space. From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love.”3 We’ll, at long last, be truly home. Sharron Schaber is working as a community health nurse in Cal­ gary, Alberta. Tuesday, December 25 121 TESTIMONY Key text: Isaiah 26:3 “Human language is inadequate to describe the reward of the righteous.’’ 1. The Great Contro­ versy, p. 675. 2. Ibid., p. 674. 3. Ibid., p. 678. Your New Jerusalem b, Mortgage Policy Bo,,0",'e, EVIDENCE Key texts: Isaiah 11:4-6; Revelation 22:1-5 “Heaven teaches us how to live on this earth.” My friend cried bitterly when she became a Seventh-day Advent­ ist. She was convinced she was following the truth, but the Chris­ tian life was so difficult and required so many sacrifices she did not expect to find much personal happiness until the second coming. Have you ever thought this is what heaven stands for, compensa­ tion for a life of troubles here on earth? The idea that a Christian’s life is bleak in this world, but will im­ prove enormously when we move into our heavenly mansions has been prevalent in Christian circles for centuries. For millions of people who face a grim struggle to find adequate food, clothes, and housing, or endure irrational suffering and death, the Bible holds out the promise of a New Earth where material wealth will be abundant, and death and sorrow will be eliminated forever. But if we limit our understanding of heaven to this idea of compensation, religion does become "the opiate of the masses,” for it only offers a means of escaping this world, not of living within it. For Seventh-day Adventists, heaven does offer more than an es­ cape route. We believe that when God creates a new heaven and a new earth, he will also establish a new society based on love and justice. Here we will be able to commune with God, and we will be free to live creatively, joyfully. This suggests two important ways heaven affects our lives on this earth. First, heaven teaches us how to live on this earth. If the society on the New Earth is to function, its citizens must be totally con­ vinced that the principles of God’s Kingdom offer the best way to live happy, fulfilled lives. Christ summed up these principles by stating we must love God and our fellowman. When we internalize this guideline, we become citizens of the Kingdom even while we continue to live on this earth. This is one of the things Christ meant when he preached, "The Kingdom of God is at hand.” Fur­ thermore, when we live by the principles of the Kingdom, we find that Christ’s promise of an abundant life is as true for our lives on this earth as it is for our future lives in heaven. Second, heaven offers us a model for our communities on earth. We may be entranced by visions of streets of gold and friendly lions, but what really captures our imagination is the promise of a just society. In the New Jerusalem neither our sex nor the color of our skin will determine our opportunities, no one will starve to death while others squander food, and tanks will not be used to set­ tle disputes. If we long for this future, can we do less than to strive to mold our communities on its pattern today? Can we be indiffer­ ent about the quality of life of our neighbors on this earth? My friend was wrong. God does not expect us to mortgage our present lives in exchange for eventual happiness in heaven. The promised New Earth is more than a reward. It is the model for our lives on earth today. Karen Bottomley works for a seismic exploration firm in Calgary, Alberta. 122 Wednesday, December 26 Life Before and by Gary Jordheim After Consummation The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines the word "consummation” HOW TO as "the desired end.” What is your desired end? Ke„ text; What do you want out of life? John 1 n 11 What do you want after life? I know what I want. I want to enjoy myself now and forever. I can’t tell you exactly how to do this, but I can share some ideas that may help. 1. Derive joy from service. Christ told his disciples that if they obeyed his commandments their joy would be complete. His com­ mand is that we love each other as he loves us (John 15:10-12). How did Jesus love? He lived not to be served but to serve (Matt. 20:28). And how is this joyful? It is joyful in that it gives us a sense of pur­ pose. Problems caused by the lack of love and caring are all around us. What greater purpose can life offer us than to love and care for others? Life is a bit like a roller-coaster ride. We rise in moments of ecstasy and then sink as the stimulation fades. For me the sense of purpose I derive from service fills in my low points and makes the ride much smoother. 2. Develop a relationship with God (Matt. 7:22, 23). This admoni­ tion has become a Christian cliché. We’ve also been told that we develop a relationship with God by prayer, Bible study, meditation, confession, and removal of cherished sins, and by sharing what Christ has given us. Although we’ve heard this all before we must remember that God is omnipotent, and that his name has been equated with love. If we really want to enjoy life, can we afford not to develop this relationship? 3. Think for yourself. Some time ago a friend described Advent­ ists as "people who have trouble thinking.” I’m sure we hold no monopoly here, but many people, Christian or otherwise, often let the "experts” make their decisions for them. This can lead to two problems. First, if we don’t think for ourselves we run the high risk of repeating the mistakes of the past. Second, conviction comes from within, not from without. God gave us minds, and he expects us to use them (Matt. 25:14-30). 4. Don’t fear your doubts, face them. God told Israel they would find him when they searched for him with all their hearts (Jer. 13:29), and I believe this holds true for us. But in order to search one has to admit that he has a need (Rev. 3:17). Rather than equat­ ing doubts with a lack of faith, admit your doubts, search, and thus increase your faith. 5. Be happy (Ps. 100:1, 2). "An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up” (Prov. 12:25, NIV). We too often fail to realize that one of the greatest gifts we have to offer is a pleasant personality. Happiness and joy, with a faith that comes from true conviction, will be what we can take with us to the consummation of Christ’s kingdom, where, with Christ, we will be ready to enjoy eternity. Gary Jordheim is a third-year education major at the University of Calgary. Thursday, December 27 123 Metaphors of Deliverance by John McDowell OPINION Key text: Revelation 22:1,2 “In the New Earth no temple of stone is needed.” 1. For a fuller discussion of metaphors in the Bi­ ble see Northrop Frye, The Great Code: The Bible and Literature (To­ ronto: Academic Press, 1982), pp. 137,138. The story of the final consummation of Christ’s Kingdom in the last chapters of Revelation is a story of victory. Christ’s function as a mediator has ended, the human and the divine are reunited. To tell the story of "a new heaven and a new earth” the apostle brings together images that have been a part of the biblical story from Genesis on. These images help us to understand the central mean­ ings of Scripture. The consummation is really a restoration, what man lost in Eden is restored. The tree of life is returned (Rev. 22:14). The patterning of images in the last part of Revelation is com­ plex.1 There is no room here to discuss them all, but one of the im­ ages that speaks of deliverance is that of water, "the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God” (Rev. 22:1, RSV). Water, fountains, wells, seas, and rivers form an important metaphoric pattern throughout Scripture. The water imagery can be both good and bad. In both cases the images climax in the last part of Revelation. The water of life comes from the throne of God. The demonic side of the water metaphor, the water of death, begins with the Flood and ends with "the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:10,14). The positive images of water are many. Genesis 2:6 speaks of a "mist” or "flood” ("fountain” in the Septuagint). This is possibly the soure of the river which flows out of Eden (Gen. 2:10). Isaac’s wife, Rebekah, is found by a "spring of water” (Gen. 24:13). At Ma- rah, the bitter water is made sweet. A little later Moses strikes the rock at Rephidim so that the "people may drink” (Ex. 17:6). This incident connects water with another important biblical meta­ phor—the rock. Christ’s body becomes identified with the rock. He is the "stone rejected by the builders” (Acts 4:11; see also Ps. 118:22). On the cross Christ’s body is pierced, and out of his body water flows (John 19:34). This metaphorically connects Christ with both "water” and "rock.” Ezekiel, like the book of Revelation, is concerned with judg­ ment. And the prophet has a vision of water that is similar to the one in Revelation. The prophet sees a vision of a restored temple from which water flows that forms a mighty river, and this river heals the land (Eze. 47:1-12). Again the images link this with Christ, who in Revelation becomes the temple. In the New Earth no temple of stone is needed for Christ has become the living stone (Rev. 21:22). This takes us back to 1 Peter where the apostle speaks of Christ as our cornerstone, and we are to become united with Christ by becoming "living stones ... built into a spiritual house” (1 Pet. 2:5, RSV). With the woman at the well, Christ speaks of water that "will be­ come in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14, RSV). On the last day of the feast of Tabernacles Christ declares that if any are thirsty they should come to Him. "He who believes in me . .. out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38, RSV). John McDowell Is working on his doctorate in English at the Uni­ versity of Calgary. 124 Friday, December 28 * Thus, by Revelation, Christ is strongly linked with both "water” and "stone.” In victory Christ is now the "living temple” and the * "water of life.” This metaphorical linking makes the final invita­ tion of the Bible particularly moving: "And let him who is thirsty come, let him who desires take the water of life without price” (Rev. 22:17, RSV). The images of rock and water underscore the essential story of * the Bible: the story of deliverance. United with Christ in the King­ dom reality will replace metaphor. What we know now by images, t we’ll know "face to face” (1 Cor. 13:12). r 1. Some Christians in almost every generation since Christ’s as- REACT cension have expected Christ to return in their lifetime. What Lesson 13 effect does this have on you? How do you deal with this? 2. What if Christ doesn’t come for another century? What effect would this have on your faith, Christian witness, and service? - 3. Is putting aside Christian service (feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, peacemaking) ever excused by the belief in Christ’s imminent return? Is the second coming ever a deferral of re­ sponsibility in your life? 4. Does the Adventist understanding of heaven have anything spe­ cial to offer other churches? 5. If you were explaining your concept of heaven to a non-Chris­ tian friend what would you emphasize? How would this change with a Christian friend? Would your focus be on material splen­ dor? 6. What do you look forward to in heaven? 7. Is it possible to make Christ’s second coming happen sooner? 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During the first six weeks you’ll engage in specific learning assign­ ments as you become comfortable with routines, policies and proce­ dures. You’ll spend the last four weeks of your internship on the unit of permanent assignment grad­ ually assuming normal job responsibilities. Let us help make your diea/tu reality For nursing positions or information on the nurse intern program call collect: 312/887-2475 For job opportunities other than nursing call collect: 312/887-2476 = - v "iiini Hinsdale Hospital 120 North Oak Street Hinsdale, Illinois 60521 , You could always count on .family for a helping hand... Remember the warm sense of security you felt as a child...when you turned to the family for help and support? You get the same feeling when you start your career with Hialeah Hospital's family of professionals. We realize that a new job, oftentimes Involving relocation, can be a bit unsettling. That’s why we take the time to fully orient our new employees, provide extensive continuing education, offer a variety of social and community activities and help you find your most comfortable role in our state-of-the-art environment. Whatever your area of interest...from Business and Finance to Environmental Manage­ ment to Nursing and Medicine...it's smooth skating at Hialeah Hospital. If you’d like to be a part of our family of professionals, let us know. A Division of Associated Medical Institutions, Inc. A not-for-profit, health care corporation. Hialeah Hospital MMtiab TamJly ®| '•Q'usjeumah Hialeah Hospital, 651 East 25th Street, Hialeah, Florida 33013. (305)835-4737 HEAD — TO = HEAD Their decisions come quick. The purpose is the same — to improve a life. And through the technology, the touch of Christianity is felt. And healing begins. Heads come together often at Florida Hospital. And whether the setting is surgical or spiritual, physicians work together with a common goal in mind: to not only impart the best medical skills and know-how, but to provide the added impact of a spiritual medical ministry. And the patients take notice. If you'd like to be part of this kind of caring, write: 601 E. Rollins, Orlando, FL 32803. FLORIDA HOSPITAL 75 years of care. 75 years of caring. A Seventh-dan Adventist hospital owned and operated bu Adventist Health Sustem Sunbelt. - 4