Question: How important are the two laws?
Answer: A young mother stands in the doorway and calls her son in for supper. The boy rushes in and heads upstairs to clean up, juggling his ball as he goes. Suddenly the ball is airborne and all watch in horror as it arcs perfectly for the piano where it strikes one of his mother’s prize porcelain waterfowl, breaking the head off of one. Daddy, watching from his big chair, folds his newspaper and calls his son over to remind him of Daddy and Mother’s rules and the consequences for not following them. In an instant Mother is kneeling beside her son in front of Daddy, pleading his case. Oh Daddy! He did not mean to do it. It was an accident. Besides, I haven’t liked those geese ever since we redecorated. We’ll just throw that broken one in the trash and give the good one to Aunt May. With that she gives her son a kiss and sends him on his way to clean up. Daddy looks at Mommy and smiles, remembering the times his mother stood up for him. The family’s law has been set aside, abrogated, and the little boy is off the hook.
Oh how I wish our creator could have rushed to the side of Adam and Eve to plead their case. Oh Father, they really didn’t mean to do it. And that snake, we all know what a trouble maker he is. We have plenty of fruit and I could just give them what they took, then everything would be ok. But alas, the law of God is immutable and cannot be set aside. The Family of God had prepared in advance a redemption system that could run concurrently with God’s law, if Adam and Eve failed to remain true. This second law would not change the first law or its penalty, but rather would make a way for a substitute to pay the penalty instead of the transgressor.
The law of God written in stone at Mt. Sinai cannot be abrogated. It is the character of God written down and as such it exists ...even from everlasting to everlasting, Psalms 90:2. God’s Law is perfect and is administered perfectly. A transgressor will not find grace or sympathy within this law, no means of redemption or reconciliation is found; life for those who obey and death for those who transgress. The penalty for breaking this law is separation from God, the One from whom all life emanates. Before the creation of our world, (...Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8.) Christ authored the Laws also known as “the law of Moses”. It is within these statutes and judgments that redemption is found. By following the “law of Moses” and accepting Jesus as our lamb, we are able to put on Christ’s righteousness just like Adam and Eve put on the coats of skin. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. John 15:10. For all who wish to live out from under the penalty of death, keeping the Ten Commandments is not just important, it is mandatory. For all transgressors of the Father’s law, who live at the time in this world’s history where they will face the judgment throne while living, keeping “the law of Moses” is very important. Standing before the Judge without first putting on their Messiah’s righteousness is not a wise decision. We are told...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved...Acts 16:31, but we are living in a time where there is hope for being translated without tasting death. Jesus is our only hope for redemption but we have a modest role. Following our Lamb as He performs His work in the Heavenly Sanctuary is how we accept His free gift. All who come before the Throne will be judged as to whose righteousness they are wearing. Faith, believing on Jesus, without works is dead.
...Christ, to enforce the will of his Father, became the author of the statutes and precepts given through Moses to the people of God. Christians who extol Christ, but array themselves against the law governing the Jewish church, array Christ against Christ. RH, May 6, 1875
In Malachi, instruction is given for the generation of people living just before the “great and dreadful day of the Lord”. This great and dreadful day is none other than the Day of Judgment and it is at this time in Earth’s history that God says “remember”. What is it that they are to remember? They are admonished to remember the statutes and judgments that allow them to be covered with Christ’s righteousness. They are also promised Elijah the Prophet. Elijah the Prophet orchestrated the showdown on Mt. Carmel that proved conclusively to all, that the LORD was GOD, and it was the “law of Moses” which must be kept.
The closing words of Malachi are a prophecy regarding the work that should be done preparatory to the first and the second advent of Christ. This prophecy is introduced with the admonition, “Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. SW, March 21, 1905
Question: Wasn’t the ceremonial law nailed to the cross?
Answer: In actuality if we could look back in time and see the cross we would behold the author of what is known as the “law of Moses” nailed there, not the law. The ceremonial is a small part of this law and governs the Sanctuary. The Earthly Sanctuary with its services and sacrifices was designed after the Heavenly pattern. The idea that this entire law was nailed to the cross comes from a misunderstanding of what Paul wrote in Colossians 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; To believe or teach that the entire ceremonial law was against us, shows a complete misunderstanding of the law Jesus authored as a way to bring fallen humanity back into compliance with His Father’s law. There is no way this law can be construed as being against us. Beginning with Adam and Eve and continuing until Jesus, a system of substitute sacrifices was given to us as a lesson book to teach us what our Messiah would do for us when He came to be our Priest and Sacrifice. It is the substitute sacrifice, and the necessity to be repeated over and over without bringing remission of sins, that was against us. The Earthly Sanctuary was cleansed with the blood of bulls and goats, but the Heavenly Sanctuary is cleansed with blood that can bring true remission of sins. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. Hebrews 9:23.
If we believe and teach that Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God came into this world, born of Mary, to be our substitute. That He placed His blood upon the lintel and door post of our door, (I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved... John 10:9), to be our sacrificial lamb, shielding us from the death angel, while He was in the garden. That He died upon the cross to close out the Earthly sanctuary (...And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom... Matthew 27:51), on the morrow after the Passover. Also that He rose from the grave, on the morrow after the Sabbath, to open the Heavenly sanctuary, and was inaugurated into His Heavenly Priesthood fifty days later at Pentecost. That He came in judgment of the dead on Atonement in 1844. If we hold these facts to be true, how can we with a straight face tell the world, the ceremonial law was nailed to the cross?
All of the laws Jesus authored are needed for Him to bring about our salvation and adopt us into His kingdom. But the leadership (firstborn) of God’s church has decided it is too risky to uphold these “Jewish” laws in this Christian dispensation for fear of being despised by other Christian churches. This Cain like class of leaders, believes by virtue of their numbers, if they can convince the whole of Christendom to turn their backs in unison on these laws, God will be forced to come to their terms. Unfortunately they have overlooked the fact that there will be an Abel-like class (laity, second born) that is determined to worship God according to His directions. When the firstborn realizes they cannot convince the second born by virtue of their lofty position and education, they will seek death for all who appose them.
In the case of Cain and Abel we have a type of two classes that will exist in the world till the close of time; and this type is worthy of close study. There is a marked difference in the characters of these two brothers, and the same difference is seen in the human family today. Cain represents those who carry out the principles and works of Satan, by worshiping God in a way of their own choosing. Like the leader whom they follow, they are willing to render partial obedience, but not entire submission to God. Man, in the pride of his heart, would like to believe that he can confer some favor upon God; that our heavenly Father may be the receiver, and not always the giver. But God will not be bribed. He says: “Every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.” “If I were hungry, I would not tell thee; for the world is mine, and the fullness thereof.” Man has nothing to give that he has not first received from God. ST, December 23, 1886
Because iniquity abounds, the love of many waxes cold. There are many who have outgrown their advent faith. They are living for the world, and while saying in their hearts, as they desire it shall be, “My Lord delayeth His coming,” they are beating their fellow servants. They do this for the same reason that Cain killed Abel. Abel was determined to worship God according to the directions God had given. This displeased Cain. He thought that his own plans were best, and that the Lord would come to his terms. Cain in his offering did not acknowledge his dependence upon Christ. He thought that his father Adam had been treated harshly in being expelled from Eden. The idea of keeping that sin ever before the mind, and offering the blood of the slain lamb as a confession of entire dependence upon a power outside of himself, was torture to the high spirit of Cain. Being the eldest, he thought that Abel should follow his example. When Abel’s offering was accepted of God, the holy fire consuming the sacrifice, Cain’s anger was exceedingly great. The Lord condescended to explain matters to him; but he would not be reconciled to God, and he hated Abel because God showed him favor. He became so angry that he slew his brother. TM 77.
To teach that the whole Jewish economy came to an end at the cross leaves us with no last message to be preached to the world. The calls, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; and, the hour of His’ judgment is come, are part of the message that announce the soon to be established Kingdom of Glory. Jesus taught us to pray for this kingdom, so God’s will could be done on earth, like His will is done in heaven. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. Matthew 24:14.
God chose Israel to reveal His character (Ten Commandments) to men. He desired them to be as wells of salvation in the world. To them were committed the oracles of heaven, the revelation of God’s will. In the early days of Israel the nations of the world, through corrupt practices, had lost the knowledge of God. They had once known Him; but because “they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations,... their foolish heart was darkened.” Romans 1:21. Yet in His mercy God did not blot them out of existence. He purposed to give them an opportunity of again becoming acquainted with Him through His chosen people. Through the teachings of the sacrificial service, Christ was to be uplifted before all nations, and all who would look to Him should live. Christ was the foundation of the Jewish economy. The whole system of types and symbols was a compacted prophecy of the gospel, a presentation in which were bound up the promises of redemption. AA 14.
The specific hours, days, weeks, months, and years, outlined in the “law of Moses” upon which the substitute priest would offer the diverse substitute offerings, was to be a lesson book (compacted prophecy) of the gospel. This is the same gospel that must be preached to the world before the end of probationary time. If we nail these hours, days, weeks, months, and years to the cross there is no good news message, of Jesus’ Kingdom to preach.
The belief that Israel’s failure to complete this task means that it will never be accomplished is wrong! Christian believers are also given the opportunity to lift Christ up to the world. With each new message starting with the reformation, the church has been given a clearer understanding and better tools to assist them in this endeavor. When the Spirit is poured out and the “another” angel joins his voice with the third angel, Christ will finally be lifted up as the author and foundation of the Jewish economy. When the shaking begins the Abel class of people will remain steadfast and continue following their Lamb as they keep His Laws. This is the true “faith of Jesus” and it displays Jesus and His Father to the world in the favorable light in which Israel was asked to show them.
Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Revelation 14:12.
It is easy to see that the church has not yet lifted Jesus up to the world as the author and foundation of the “law of Moses” because they are still confused as to the difference between “the faith in Jesus” and “the faith of Jesus. “The faith in Jesus” is to believe like Abel, the offerings Jesus makes, will save us from our sins. “The faith of Jesus” is to obey the law given to govern the nation into which He was born.
When we truly hold Jesus up, the world will see that He came and lived His own law.
1. The faith of Jesus required that He be born on the 18th day of the 7th month.
2. The faith of Jesus required that, as Heaven’s first born, He be dedicated in the temple after the forty days of His Mother’s ritual uncleanness had ended.
3. The faith of Jesus required that He travel with His parents at age 12, to the temple, for the Passover week.
4. The faith of Jesus required that He be baptized into His ministry about the age of 30.
5. The faith of Jesus required that He depart into the wilderness to begin His ministry on the 18th day of the 7th month.
6. The faith of Jesus required that He keep the Sabbath days with His disciples, as his custom was.
7. The faith of Jesus required that He be set apart, as the “Lamb of God”, on the 10th day of the first month.
8. The faith of Jesus required that He eat the Passover supper with His disciples on the 14th at even.
10. The faith of Jesus required that He be crucified and put on the cross closing out the earthly sanctuary.
11. The faith of Jesus required that He rested in the tomb on the Sabbath.
12. The faith of Jesus required that He rise from the dead on the 18th day of the 1st month.
13. The faith of Jesus required that He present Himself as the “wave sheaf”, to open the Heavenly Sanctuary, on the morrow after the Sabbath.
Jesus said. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. Matthew 5:17. It is obvious that in coming to save humanity Jesus could not break or destroy the law or He too would fall under the condemnation of the Law. So it is redundant to imply “fufil” means He came to keep the Ten Commandments. Jesus came into this world for one purpose, to bring mankind into compliance with His Father’s law. If a person fulfils the law it means he complies with all requirement so as not to come under the condemnation of the law. Since Jesus came to restore mankind to perfection, His work will not be complete until His followers can live as free moral agents without need of an intercessor. In other words, this will not happen until we receive the new birth and God’s laws are written upon our hearts. Jesus speaking to His disciples, said He must leave them and go away to prepare a place for them. This does not mean build homes for them because He just spoke of all the mansions that are all ready there. The fact He is bringing to their attention, is that there is more for Him to accomplish in His role as our High Priest. The Christian world is at a disadvantage in understanding this work because we have not listened to our tutors and governors on the subject of the “law of Moses”. We have learned that symbols cannot save, but we have not learned that ALL of the symbols point to Jesus and His family and their role in our salvation.
With love and prayers that we may be sealed with The seal of God, New Jerusalem, and a Glorious Star containing Jesus’ New Name.
Athen Slawson
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