Athen's Library

THE SECOND ADVENT

THE COMING OF “ONE LIKE THE SON OF MAN”

Letter #9 In The Series

April 1999

The Earthly Tabernacle In Symbols

Type met antitype in the death of Christ, the Lamb slain for the sins of the world.  Our great High Priest has made the only sacrifice that is of any value in our salvation.  When He offered Himself on the cross, a perfect atonement was made for the sins of the people.  We are now standing in the outer court, waiting and looking for that blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”  The Signs of the Times June 28, 1899.

The law and the gospel are in perfect harmony.  Each upholds the other.  In all its majesty the law confronts the conscience, causing the sinner to feel his need of Christ as the propitiation for sin.  The gospel recognizes the power and immutability of the law.  “I had not known sin, but by the law,” Paul declares... Review and Herald April 22, 1902.

In that ancient ritual [the tabernacle system] which is the gospel in symbol, no blemished offering could be brought to God’s altar.  The sacrifice that was to represent Christ must be spotless.  The word of God points to this as an illustration of what His children are to be, “a living sacrifice,” “holy and without blemish.” Romans 12:1, Ephesians 5:27.  Prophets and Kings 489.

...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. Acts of the Apostles 14.

...The gospel of Christ sheds light upon the Jewish economy and gives significance to the ceremonial law.   As new truths are revealed, and that which has been known from the beginning is brought into clearer light, the character and purposes of God are made manifest in His dealings with His chosen people.  Every additional ray of light that we receive gives us a clearer understanding of the plan of redemption, which is the working out of the divine will in the salvation of man.  We see new beauty and force in the inspired word, and we study its pages with a deeper and more absorbing interest.  Patriarchs and Prophets 368.

That which God purposed to do for the world through Israel, the chosen nation, He will finally accomplish through His church on earth today.  He has “let out His vineyard unto other husbandman,” even to His covenantkeeping people, who faithfully “render Him the fruits in their seasons.”  Never has the Lord been without true representatives on this earth who have made His interest their own.  These witnesses for God are numbered among the spiritual Israel, and to them will be fulfilled all the covenant promises made by Jehovah to His ancient people.  Prophets and Kings 713-714.

The Earthly Tabernacle system is the Gospel in symbols.  “The whole system of types and symbols was a compacted Prophecy of the gospel”. The outer court represents the work that was and is to be done here on this earth.  When Jesus hung on the cross He was in the outer court, where the offering was made, before the blood was taken into the holy or most holy.  The Laver or brazen altar was also in the outer court.  Because the offering that Jesus made in the outer court had to do with the Altar of burnt offering and the Laver, the Promise of the Comforter, at the first advent, incorporates both the Altar and the Laver.  The Spirit told me that the Second Advent would have to do with the One the Laver points to in the literal, not in symbols, as it did in the first advent.  The altar of burnt offering pointed to Jesus’ work as our sacrifice, the first coming, so the laver in the outer court points to, and has to do with, the second coming here on Earth.  The laver is where the Priest did the washing, showing the cleansing work that is done for us during the time of the kingdom.

When Jesus hung on the cross and the spear was put into His side, the fountain of blood and fountain of water came out together.  This, with the two pieces of furniture in the outer court and the two tablets of stone that were broken, all shows the first two symbols of the tabernacle, Jesus and His Helpmeet.

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15-22. The symbols in Adam are His rib (woman) and his seed.  The second Adam also has His other self, His Spirit, His Helpmeet and His seed (Isaiah 53:10).  Both, the first and Second Adam(s), go into a deep sleep.   Adam awoke to His woman and Christ awakened to His Helpmeet, (the Spirit) as evidenced by breathing on His disciples.  (John 20:22).  Like Cain, the harvest of sin passes on to his brothers the wages of sin for all of humanity, however, Christ’s Child (the heir; Jesus’ literal firstborn) passes on to His brothers His Righteousness. What we haven’t understood is that when God created this world He was making a living picture of the birth that was given by the Spirit.

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Romans 1:20.

Here we see that the invisible (Spirit Family) things of Him are seen in His creation.  All creation is male and female.  When sin came, and the woman’s conception was multiplied, there was no more a living picture to show the birth given by the Spirit.  Then it was that the plan that had been made in case of sin went in to motion.  The Son of God said I’ll become human and do the work that Adam failed to do.  So in Christ shall all be made alive by the work that was given to the first Adam.  That is why John saw the man on the white horse with a bow.  The bow is the same shape as the rib and He conquers with His bow and His arrows.

And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow, and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.  Revelation 6:2.  Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.  As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.  Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.  Psalms 127:3-5.

Symbols are often used to describe or explain something that cannot yet be seen.  An image is a representation of a person, place or thing.  For instance if a person or item is missing, it is customary to pass out a picture (symbol/image) when asking if anyone has information about this lost person or item.  Because symbols stand in the place of or point to the literal while images and likenesses are either pictures, paintings or sculptures of the literal, these terms can be used interchangeably.  The Law (the Mosaic Law, or the part of the Jewish Scriptures containing it, specifically, the Pentateuch) is filled with symbols.

God said, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.  Exodus 20:46.

In this command forbidding us from making and worshiping symbols we find God reserving for Himself, the right of providing and defining the symbols (images and likenesses) that will be used to illustrate and teach the Plan of Salvation.  If we will accept and teach the symbols provided, we will show honor and worship to God.  If we create our own or accept those created by others we will be worshiping idols and this will show honor to the enemy, the accuser of the brethren.

When Jesus was here on Earth He said, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.  But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.  So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?  He said unto them, An enemy hath done this.  The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?  But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.  Matthew 13:24-30.  He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.  As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.  The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.  Matthew 13:37-43.

I was shown that the good seed are God’s Images, or symbols, that the children of the kingdom embody, and that the tares are the Devil’s images, gods, whom the children of the world embody.  The field is the world, when God created this world He formed man from the Earth.  The Earth becomes a symbol for where the seed was planted, the minds of man.  The enemy also fills the mind with his symbols so he can receive honor. 

Ellen G. White says in Fundamentals to Christian Education 321, talking about the (un)holy days of the world ...these days are Satan’s special harvest seasons...  By observing these worldly holy days we give honor to the one that planted the tares and we will receive his mark.  The prophecy of Daniel 8 and 9, the longest prophetic time prophecy, ends with the cleansing of the Sanctuary, the judgment of the dead.  This brought about the revealing of the symbols that point to the plan of salvation with the Sanctuary system.  The repeat of this prophecy (Daniel 8 and 9) in literal time also ends with the cleansing of the Sanctuary, the judgment of the living. 

Jesus said,   The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend... Matthew 13:41

The things that offend God is the symbols that do not honor and uplift His Name and the change in the times and laws. The giving of the true understanding of His symbols will bind into bundles the false symbols.

For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.  Isaiah 14:13-14.

Jesus said, When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)... Matthew 24:15.

The “one” standing “in the holy place” has more than one meaning or application, but to be “like” the most High is to give symbols.  These symbols (counterfeits) are to weaken or confuse the people into believing that they are all right when they are all wrong.

Every revelation brings an enlargement of the plan that God has for His people.  There are many symbols for the work of the Spirit, in fact, the word Spirit is a symbol.  Because the Spirit is “His Spirit”, the translators used the word “He” when they were talking about the Spirit.  If you, in the English language, do not know the gender, it is right to use “He”.  In both Hebrew and Spanish the gender of the Spirit is feminine.  The revelation of the feminine Holy Spirit came in 1977 to Lois I. Roden, a woman who received an honorary award for her work.

Jesus said, Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.  John 16:13.

So because of this revelation, the word “She” is the word to us in this verse.  The repeat of the prophecy of the 70 weeks also brings us to the literal application of Revelation 12.

John said, And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman... Revelation 12:1.

The reason that there appeared a great wonder in heaven is because God’s Spirit lives in Heaven and man lives on Earth.  John knew Jesus was human and He went to Heaven.  When God created man in His image male and female it was to populate Earth.  This Woman is Jesus “Helpmeet” and because Jesus was 100% God and 100% human, so is She.

She flees into the wilderness, And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.  Revelation l2:6.

Like Jesus’ ministry was for three and one half years, so She will finish that ministry of the week of years.  In doing so, She will guide you into all truth taking away all false symbols.  The place She flees to is shown to us in Isaiah.

And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.  And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.  Isaiah 2:2-3.  Jerusalem!  Yes even the New Jerusalem.

These ‘two’ three and one half year ministries are symbolized by the two pieces of furniture in the outer court of the sanctuary system.  According to Daniel 9:24, the seventy weeks are for “thy people”, so this last half of the week of years is to bring salvation to the Jews.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  Rom. 1:16.

Speaking of “another” Comforter, the Bible uses “the Holy Spirit” and the “Holy Ghost”, therefore some people think that one is the Mother and the other the Daughter. “I don’t know”, but I think it is like the “Father” Jesus is called “the everlasting Father”.  Some times the Bible is talking about Jesus’ Father and sometimes it is talking about Jesus and His work with His Son, the “Child”.  For example.

Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.  For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.  John 5:19-20.  Here Jesus said His Father showed Him all that His Father did.  John 3:16  “He gave His only begotten Son.”

By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.  Hebrews 11:17.  Abraham and his seed ... which is Christ received the promises. (Galatians 3:16).

So Abraham offered Isaac and Christ offered His Son because He saw His Father offer Him, the Son of God.

In the story of the kinsman redeemer the child is born and given to the grandmother.  And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.  Ruth 4:16.

When the child of Revelation 12 is born, it is caught up to God, to the Grandmother, and the Mother flees into the wilderness.  In the Bible type there were two child kings, Josiah and Joash.  Joash was hidden in the temple, the House of the Lord, then brought out and crowned king.  The tabernacle has two parts, the Holy and the Most Holy; these are symbols.  Josiah, after reading the “Book of the Law”, reinstituted God’s feasts days and kept the Passover.

When Josiah heard the words of warning and condemnation (contained in the Book of the Law), because Israel trampled upon the precepts of Heaven, he humbled himself.  He wept before the Lord.  He made a thorough work of repentance and reformation, and God excepted his efforts.  The whole congregation of Israel entered into a solemn covenant to keep the commandments of Johovah.  This is our work today.  We must believe that God means just what He says, and make no compromise with evil in any way.  2 Bible Commentary 1038.

In Josiah’s day, the Word of the Lord was as binding, and should have been as strictly enforced, as at the time it was spoken.  And today it is as binding as it was then. 3 Bible Commentary 1133.

But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber.  So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest, (for she was the sister of Ahaziah,) hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not.  And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land. 2 Chronicles 22:11-12.  John in Revelation says And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.  Revelation 21:22.  Paul tells us that Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  2 Corinthians 3:17.

John called Jesus the “Lamb of God”.  The tabernacle is a symbol of Jesus and the Woman of Revelation 12 -- Jesus wife, His Other Self.  Thus we have the living Temple that the Child king is hidden in, and when He is brought out He is crowned king.

I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.  Daniel 7:13-14.  And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Genesis 3:17.

The war in Revelation 12 shows the binding in bundles the tares, the counterfeit symbols, to be burned.  The tree of good and evil has good and evil symbols.  The restoring of man unto God’s relationship (fellowship) has to do with the removing the evil, counterfeit symbols.

The Most Holy apartment had the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark was the symbol of the place of safety, the kingdom.  The two tablets of Stones, “like” the ones that Moses broke, were in the Ark, the kingdom.  Like the boy that was hid in the Temple, so the tablets represent or symbolize the Child king and the Most Holy place represents, or is the symbol of, the woman of Revelation 12 that was with Child, the Child that is to rule all nations.  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him- male and female created he them.  Genesis 1:27.  The two tablets of Stone represent, or are a symbol of, the creation of man, which points to the Messiah, male and female.

The Holy place is a symbol of Jesus.  In the Holy place was the table of shew bread; Jesus said “I am the Bread of life”.  Also, pertaining to the menorah candlestick, Jesus said, “I am the Light of the World”.  The altar of incense is a symbol of the prayers of the people that go through Jesus to the Father.

The furniture in the outer court is a prophecy of the work on Earth of the Messiah male and female, the two comings.  The Tabernacle represents the Temple in Heaven, the living Temple.  The work of the Priest, on Earth, represents Jesus work, in Heaven, as Priest and intercessor.  In the Most Holy place of the tabernacle is contained the “one like” (Deuteronomy 10:1) the One that was broken in behalf of sinful man.  This “one like” “Son” is represented in the Most Holy of the Sanctuary.  The Most Holy shows the Woman with Child of Revelation 12 in Heaven.

And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.  Revelation 12:5.  We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that Wicked one toucheth him not.  1 John 5:18.

The “cut off” in the midst of the week relates to being cut off from “sin”, so we see that this “one like” is like Jesus after His resurrection when He was “cut off” from sin in the midst of the week.

Like the story of the Mary and Jesus, (Mother and Son), at the first advent, so there is a Mother and Son story for the Second Advent.  And they both are brought to view in the prophecy of the 70 weeks, the first coming in the prophetic and the second coming in the literal.

As the message of Christ first advent announced the kingdom of His grace, so the message of His second advent announces the kingdom of His glory.  And the second message, like the first is based on the prophecies.  The words of the angel to Daniel relating to the last days were to be understood in the time of the end... Desire of the Ages 234.

The Jews had boasted to the Gentiles of His coming, and had dwelt largely upon the great deliverance which He would bring them, that He would reign as king, and put down all authority.  Every kingdom and Nation would bow to Him, and the Jewish Nation would reign over them.  They had the events of the first and second coming of Christ confounded together.  4aSG 115

And the child (Jesus) grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.  Luke 2:40.  So the Child, “one like”, grows up, as Zechariah saw, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.  Zechariah 6:12-13.

This Temple is not the Temple that we saw in Heaven, it is “one like” that Temple in Heaven.  This story is the antitype of the story of David, who did not build the temple, because He (Jesus) had blood on His hands.  But, Jesus was given the plans to build the temple.  Jesus, the Son of God, passes on to His Son the plans to build the antitypical temple.  David’s son, Solomon, whom Sister White spoke of as a “type of Christ”, was indeed the one who was honored and given the privilege and duty of building the temple of the Lord.  So, the temple Solomon built is a picture of the temple the “man whose name is The BRANCH” builds.  And He shall bear the glory.  Paul tells us that the glory of the man is the woman (1 Corinthians 11:7-8).  With this ‘bearing of the glory’ He uncovers this great revelation of the birth that has been hidden.  The birth of the male and the dividing male and female is that birth that God wanted to show through Adam had they not sinned.  These stories are symbols so we can understand about the literal.

When Moses struck the Rock, we are shown a story picture of the Messiah who was smitten in behalf of sinful man.  When Moses struck the Rock twice he spoiled the picture of the plan of salvation and had to die.  In striking the rock twice Moses was saying that both Messiahs would die.  The law says that One escapes death.  We too, if we spoil the picture of the plan of salvation, we will have to die.  In striking the rock twice he made a prophecy showing that the second coming of Messiah would be rejected.  In other words, not being able to understand the symbols we haven’t been able to teach the Second Advent without spoiling the picture of the plan of salvation, but God says,

When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.  Deuteronomy 4:30-31.

To turn to the LORD is to be willing to keep His Sabbaths and to learn about His symbols.

Yours to meet Christ in His Kingdom

Athen Slawson