FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:
September 29
THE SANCTUARY DOCTRINE EXPLAINS THE WAY OF SALVATION OF THE GOSPEL (Part 14)
The Ark in the Most Holy of the Earthly Sanctuary Contained the Law of God: Exo. 25:16; EW 32, 33:
Moses wrote: “At that time the Lord said unto me, HEW THEE two tables of stone LIKE UNTO THE FIRST, and come up unto Me in the Mount [Sinai], and make thee an ARK of wood. And I [God] will write on the tables of stone the WORDS THAT WERE IN THE FIRST TABLE WHICH THOU BREAKEST, and thou a shalt PUT THEM INTO THE ARK.
And I [Moses] made an ark of shittim [acacia] wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount having the two tables of stone in mind hand. And He [God] wrote on the tables, according for first writing, the TEN COMMANDMENTS, which the Lord SPAKE unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the DAY OF ASSEMBLY: [Exo. 20:1] and the Lord gave them unto me[the second time]. And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and PUT THE TABLES IN THE ARK which I had made; AND THERE THEY BE, AS THE LORD COMMANDED ME.” Deut. 10: 1-5, KJV.
“And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying. . . . “And thou shalt PUT INTO THE ARK THE TESTIMONY which I shall give thee.” Exo. 25: 1, 16.
God’s servant wrote: “The Lord gave me the following view in 1847, and while the brethren were assembled in the Sabbath, at Toosham, Maine. . . . In the holiest I saw an ARK; on the tops and sides of it were purest gold. On each of the ark was a lovely cherub, with its wings spread out over it. Their faces were turned toward each other, and they looked downward. Between the angels was a golden censer. Above the ark, where the angels stood, was an exceeding bright glory, that appeared like a throne where God dwelt.
“Jesus stood by the ark, and as the [living, not dead] saints’ prayers came up to Him, the incense in the censer would smoke, and He would offer up their prayers with the smoke of the incense to the Father.
In the ark was the golden pot of manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the TABLES OF STONE WHICH FOLDED LIKE A BOOK. Jesus opened them and I saw the TEN COMMANDMENTS WRITTEN ON THEM WITH THE FINGER OF GOD.
“On one table were four, and the other six BUT THE FOURTH, THE SABBATH COMMANDMENT SHONE ABOVE THEM ALL; for the Sabbath was set apart to be kept in honor of God’s HOLY NAME.
“The holy Sabbath looked glorious—a halo of glory was all around it. I saw the Sabbath commandment WAS NOT NAILED to the cross. If it was, THE OTHER NINE COMMANDMENTS WERE; and we are at LIBERTY to break them all, as well as break the fourth!
I saw that GOD HAS NOT CHANGED THE SABBATH, FOR HE NEVER CHANGES [‘the same yesterday, today, and forever’], But the POPE HAD CHANGED IT from the seventh to the first day of the week; for he ‘was to change times and seasons.’ [that is, attempt to, according to prophecies of Daniel and Revelation].”- E. G. White, Early Writings, pp. 32, 33.
(To be continued). Bless all, NMF.