Note from Martin Weber: The following 1994 dialogue between Dr. Desmond Ford and me has never before been published. It was intended as a chapter for my book, Whos Got the Truth, which contained my discussions about the gospel with five Adventist thought leaders. But Robert S. Folkenberg, General Conference president at the time, requested that I put my dialogue with Dr. Ford on hold for a future book I would write on the sanctuary and the judgment. I complied with his request, and Dr. Ford graciously understood. But now, 15 years later, the time has come for me to release this dialogue. It contains five sections:Section I: Martin Webers analysis of Desmond Fords Theology Section II: Fords critique of Weber Section III: Weber responds to Ford Section IV: Ford back to Weber Section V: Weber back to Ford

The dialogue begins with Dr. Fords personal statement on salvation and then transitions into my analysis as Section I.

Desmond Ford's Statement on Salvation Man is as helpless as Satan himself to escape from sin's power, presence, and penalty. But what humanity could not do, God has done. "If one died for all, then all died" (2 Cor. 5:14). All have paid in Christ the penalty for their sins--all sins, past, present, future (John 1:29; 1 John 1:7). And as the guilt of all was imputed to Christ, so now legally His righteousness is imputed to the whole race (Rom. 5:19). We were ruined by a representative without our personal participation, and we have been redeemed the same way (2 Cor. 5:21). The only barrier to salvation is unbelief. Saving faith is not mere assent, but whole-hearted committal to Christ as Saviorr and Lord. At the Palmdale Conference in the seventies, Seventh-day Adventist leaders agreed that righteousness by faith as set forth in the New Testament is not justification plus sanctification, but justification only. But God justifies none that He does not sanctify. Holiness of life is the evidence one has been justified. When one learns that we are "not under the law but under grace" (Rom. 6:14), that law remains as a standard but was never intended as a method, the shackles of sin are broken. Until the guilt of sin is removed, sin retains its power. The way is "looking unto Jesus," for no one ever loves God (as demanded by the law) until convinced that God loves him or her. Rejoicing in the assurance of eternal life already possessed by faith, and

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Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I the certainty that Paradise is ours now, sin loses its charms (John 5:24; Luke 23:43). But while sin no longer reigns, it does remain (James 3:2; Luke 17:10; Matt. 6:12; Rom. 7:14-25). Only at the coming of Christ are believers glorified and the sinful nature removed (1 Cor. 15:54; Rom. 8:23). Yet there is no condemnation to those in Christ, for the law can no more condemn us than it can condemn Him (Rom. 8:1; Col. 2:10; Eph. 2:6-10; 1:7). Even in the last judgment Christ is the substitute for the believer, and that judgment has no terrors (1 John 4:17). In summary, the righteousness of justification is 100 percent, but it is imputed, not within; the righteousness of sanctification is within by the Spirit, but it is not 100 percent; but at glorification righteousness will be both 100 percent and within. For time and eternity the saved will glory only in Christ, who has been made "our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption" (1 Cor. 1:30). Alleluia!

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Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I

"Meltdown after Glacier View"Section I: Martin Webers analysis of Desmond Fords Theology

The most hated and feared man in recent Adventist history is Desmond Ford. Just the mention of his name causes necks to redden and nostrils to flare. At the least, arms are folded and eyebrows raised. Perhaps Dr. Ford is so disliked that some Adventists drive Chevys and Toyotas because they despise his very name. Writing this chapter brought bitter flashbacks of friends leaving the ministry. First they listened to Dr. Ford's tapes. Next they read Verdict, a defunct publication of Robert Brinsmead, an ex-Adventist layman. After reading Verdict it seemed they had no use for the law of God or the Sabbath. Out with the fourth commandment went the seventh commandment. Along with the way, Ellen White was pushed off the wagon as it rolled toward perdition. Some people I know eventually forfeited faith in God's existence along with their spouses and their church. Thousands of Adventists abandoned their church during that sad chapter of church history known to many as "the Ford controversy." Some were forced out by crusading members armed with scores of Ellen White quotations but precious few Scriptures. Because the ashes of that controversy have now begun to cool, some will question my including Desmond Ford in this book. "Let sleeping dogs lie," a friend advised me. Well, the problem is that these "sleeping dogs" are precious souls, many of whom might be brought back into Adventist fellowship. Others who stayed in the church and in the ministry still don't believe that a celestial judgment began in 1844. They doubt whether one can believe vintage Seventhday Adventist doctrine and also believe the gospel. To them I dedicate this chapter. A decade and a half has passed since the investigative judgment of Desmond Ford's teachings at Glacier View, Colorado,1 yet he remains a thought leader among many Seventh-dayGlacier View is an Adventist campground in the Colorado Rockies. Its peaceful setting belies the turbulence of August, 198O, when a jury of some 120 church administrators, scholars and pastors convened there to discuss the doctrines of Dr. Ford. Ten months previously he had challenged the prophetic heritage of Adventism in a speech before a forum at Pacific Union College. The effects were immediate and devastating. Dr. Ford was suspended from teaching responsibilities at Pacific Union College and given six months to prepare for a thorough evaluation of his theology at Glacier View.1

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Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I Adventists. The 1992 General Conference annual council issued an official statement of warning and entreaty regarding independent ministries, and the list included Dr. Ford's organization, Good News Unlimited. Although back in 1980, church leaders removed Desmond Ford's ministerial credentials, he so far has managed to maintain membership in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. My goal here is to address those under Dr. Ford's influence, both members and ex-members who have unanswered questions about Adventist teachings. More effective than warnings or even entreaties will be pure and simple Bible truth. Please remember, this book is not a discussion of personalities or church politics. Whether Dr. Ford made political mistakes or even spiritual blunders is not our concern here. I can tell you that nobody I've publicly expressed disagreement with has been as gracious and kind to me as Dr. Ford. That's all the personal observation I need to make. This chapter is about one thing alone: How do Desmond Ford's teachings that involve the gospel harmonize with the Bible? Law and gospel Numerous rumors abound about what Dr. Ford's theology. Let us stick with the facts. As you read his position statement at the beginning of the chapter, did you find anything to disagree with? The only problem I saw was his assertion that "righteousness by faith in the New Testament is not justification plus sanctification, but justification only." The Bible says we are "sanctified by faith." According to Acts 26:18, God sent Paul to the Gentiles "to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me." Since faith in Christ brings His victorious presence along with His forgiveness, righteousness by faith must include sanctification along with justification. However, let's not confuse the two. There is a clear distinction between forgiveness through the gospel (the life and death of Christ for us) and victory through the fruit of the gospel (what Christ now does within us). Desmond Ford does not deny God's power to transform sinful lives. On the contrary, he says: "God justifies none that He does not sanctify. Holiness of life is the evidence one has beenThere, church leaders conceded certain points to Dr. Ford but rejected his basic premise that the 1844 preadvent investigative judgment is unbiblical.

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Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I justified. When one learns that we are 'not under law but under grace' (Rom. 6:14), that law remains as a standard but was never intended as a method; the shackles of sin are broken."2 So Dr. Ford definitely teaches that sanctification and holiness always accompany faith and that they break the shackles of sin. To him, "saving faith is not mere assent, but whole-hearted committal to Christ as Savior and Lord."3 We all can say Amen to that, right? To the surprise of many Adventists, Desmond Ford enthusiastically defends the law of God and the importance of obedience: "Think of some of the symbols that our Lord used in connection with His gospel. Not cake, not strawberries and cream, not the pie. What did He speak about? I'll tell you. He spoke about a yoke. ... It is true that He said, 'Come and I'll give you rest.' Troubled lives need comfort, but where you only have comfort, you don't have the gospel. Jesus gives disturbance as well as comfort. ... The Lord is continually disturbing us to humble us, we proud Laodiceans who think we have need of nothing! ... So, He offers us a yoke as well as rest. Wherever you have rest promised alone, that's not the gospel."4 Such a statement needs no clarification. We look in vain for easy excuses in Dr. Ford's teaching on salvation. During the doctrinal controversy of the early 1980s, those Adventists who threw away the law ignored the warnings and entreaties of Desmond Ford. They were disciples of Robert Brinsmead who read Verdict and Evangelica magazines. Dr. Ford resisted their antinomianism: "Brinsmead did and does teach that the Ten Commandments are replaced by the new law of love. ... [But] the New Testament still maintains the Ten Commandments as a moral norm (see 1 Cor. 7:19; Eph. 6:1-3; Rom. 13:9; James 2:8-12). ... That which is no longer a method of righteousness forever remains its standard."5 Dr. Ford often admonishes his audiences that those who truly love God will wholeheartedly obey His laws, including the principles of health reform. He warns that there is no excuse for transgressing God's commandments, and that anyone who rejects victory over sin2

Desmond Ford's salvation statement at the beginning of this chapter. Ibid.

3

Desmond Ford, Adventist Crisis of Spiritual Identity (Newcastle, Calif.: Desmond Ford Publications, 1982), pp. 300, 301.4 5

Desmond Ford, "Ford Responds," Spectrum, vol. 12, no. 2, p. 64.

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Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I simply isn't a Christian. And, of course, he also reminds us to look beyond our good works to trust in the blood of Jesus. Defending the Sabbath It may come as a surprise to many Adventists that Desmond Ford also believes in the seventh-day Sabbath. In fact, he wrote a book, The Forgotten Day, that solidly supports the Sabbath as a symbol of both gospel rest and fidelity to God's law. It is one of the most comprehensive defenses of the seventh-day Sabbath written in this century. Anyone who discarded the Sabbath wasn't following the teaching or example of Desmond Ford. Once again, it was Robert Brinsmead who waged war against the Sabbath. In the pages of Spectrum magazine, Dr. Ford vigorously disputed with him: "Not one syllable He [Christ] uttered downgraded the fourth commandment or suggested its coming demise. He affirms the Sabbath to have been made at the beginning as God's gift to mankind, and claims to be its interpreter and protector."6 "All mystical statements about Christ's fulfilling the Sabbath for us, thereby making observance of the day unnecessary, are as fulsome as the thought that His refraining from adultery makes our abstinence outmoded."7 "The evidence of Scripture is that the fourth commandment has been used by God as a test of His professed people from the very beginning.8 "God does call the Sabbath His test (Ex. 16:4)."9 So there we have it--Desmond Ford regards the Sabbath as God's testing truth and symbol of both faith in Christ and faithfulness to God's law. Defending Ellen White Well, what about Dr. Ford's attitude toward Ellen White? He always has defended her prophetic ministry. In the book The Adventist Crisis of Spiritual Identity, he admonishes "those who urge me to join them in their rejection of the ministry of Ellen G. White,"10 "who, in my6

Desmond Ford, "The Sabbath: Brinsmead's Polemic," Spectrum, vol. 12, no. 1, p. 69. Ibid. Ibid. Spectrum, vol. 12, no. 2, p. 64.

7

8

9

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Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I mind, fall off the straight path into an abyss."11 He offers them no less than 60 reasons to regain their confidence in her inspiration. Here's a sampling: "Would this church ever have emerged and consolidated but for the influence of Ellen G. White?"12 "Suppose there had been no Ellen White at the Minneapolis conference of 1888 ... ?"13 For those who reject Ellen White through allegations of inaccuracy and plagiarism, he asks: "Did Jesus, in some of His expressions, fall short of technical precision, as when He declared the mustard seed to be the least of all seeds?"14 "Was Jesus absolutely original in His oral presentations...?"15 And he suggests the thought-provoking question: "If you were choosing a surgeon, or a real estate agent, or a banker, would you feel most comfortable with one who valued the writings of Ellen G. White, or one who rejected them?"16 He concludes his 60 points with this: "If I find, as in the case with Ellen G. White, one who leads me to Christ and His Word as supreme in all things, and who exhorts to holiness, I should accept the messenger, but without surrendering the right to exercise the canonical test of Scripture."17

10

Crisis, p. 330. Ibid., p. 326. Crisis, p. 326. Ibid. Ibid., p. 327. Ibid. Ibid., p. 329. Ibid., p. 330.

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12

13

14

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16

17

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Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I Problems with the sanctuary The law of God, the Sabbath, the prophetic gift of Ellen White, the second coming of Christ and the unconscious state of the dead--all these Adventist distinctives Desmond Ford proclaims fervently, relentlessly, and eloquently. Numerous times during the last 14 years, opponents of Adventism in the evangelical world have interviewed him, prodding him to denounce Ellen White or the Sabbath. Unfailingly and persuasively, Dr. Ford has defended these and other Adventist beliefs. Please understand, this is not a defense of all that Desmond Ford believes. As in our Ralph Larson chapter, I'm just trying to be fair before discussing disagreements. I do believe that major problems exist in Dr. Ford's teaching regarding the judgment and the sanctuary as well as prophetic interpretation. Since this book is devoted to analyzing the gospel implications of what our six men teach, this chapter will not scrutinize the prophetic aspects of Dr. Ford's challenge, for example, the validity of the year 1844 in Daniel 8 and 9 (which I believe is established by four simple facts.18Sufficient evidence supports all the above four statements, compelling the conclusion thatThese four prophetic principles have convinced me that the year 1844 is a legitimate fulfillment of Daniel 8 and 9: 1) One prophetic day equals a literal year. Adventists did not invent this principle of prophetic interpretation; it is the historic Protestant position held by the Protestant Reformers 500 years ago. Far more effective than proof texts is the contextual evidence for the day/year principle in the time prophecies of Scripture. Ironically, Desmond Ford himself offered a persuasive defense of the day/year principle in his 1978 commentary on Daniel: "Inasmuch as short-lived beasts are employed as symbols of long-existent empires, it is most likely that the times mentioned are also presented to scale, with a small time unit representing a larger one."(Desmond Ford, Daniel, [Nashville, TN: Southern Publishing Association, 1978], p. 302.) "Are there any indications in the rest of Scripture that God has ever chosen such [day for a year] symbolism? In Num. 14:34 and Eze. 4:6 we find evidence that such is the case. God has chosen on other occasions to use precisely this symbolism; one of these occasions was during the time of Daniel's captivity, and its use was in connection with a contemporary prophet." (Ibid.) 2) Linkage exists between Daniel chapters 8 and 9. Chapter 8 ends with the Daniel's perplexing testimony: "I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding" (Dan. 8:27). In the next chapter an angel arrives in answer the prophet's prayers, announcing: "I have now come to give you insight and understanding ... Therefore consider the message and understand the vision" (Dan. 9:22,23). What vision was the angel referring to? The only possible answer is the vision left unresolved by the previous chapter. Thus the explanation of Daniel 9 solves the mystery of Daniel 8. 3) The 490 years of Daniel 9 are "cut off" from the longer time span of 2300 years. Notice what Desmond Ford himself wrote in his 1978 commentary on Daniel: "All Hebraists assert that its literal meaning is 'cut off.' The seventy weeks of years are 'cut off' from the longer period of 2300 years, and they commence with 'the going forth of the word to restore and build Jerusalem.'" (Ibid., p. 207.) Dr. Ford added: "The pragmatic test should now be applied and the question asked: Have any of Daniel's prophecies already met with a precise fulfillment that accords with the [day/year] principle we18

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Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I the year 1844 is the legitimate fulfillment of Daniel 8 and 9. Bible-believing Seventh-day Adventists can rest secure in our prophetic heritage regarding the year 1844.) Dr. Ford's prophetic assertions are examined one by one in my book Some Call It Heresy, available at Adventist Book Centers. Others whose scholarly expertise far surpasses mine also have addressed them.19 In the brief confines of this chapter, our concern is Dr. Ford's belief that Christ's completed atonement at Calvary is betrayed by the notion of an investigative judgment and an atoning work in heaven. We need not insist that everything our pioneers ever taught about the judgment was the gospel truth. On the contrary, we know they were deficient in their understanding of salvation; that's what sparked the revolution of 1888. During the decades when they emphasized the law, the law, the law, we could hardly expect to find clear gospel teaching about the sanctuary and the judgment. Indeed, after a century and a half of existence as Adventists, legalism regarding the sanctuary continues to be a sledgehammer in the hands of Satan to dismantle faith in Christ. He has succeeded smashingly. As proof, what comes to your mind when thinking of the Most Holy Place, the second compartment of the sanctuary? Automatically, you think of the law, right? How come? All the action in the second apartment took place at the mercy seat, that slab of gold where the bloodare studying? Dan. 9:24-27, the prophecy of the seventy weeks, seems to offer just such a fulfillment. . . . Inasmuch as other evidence shows that this period of 49O years is cut off from the longer period of the 2300, it is obvious that the latter must consist of years also. Thus here in Dan. 9 we have the pragmatic test met, and the year-day principle justified, despite the fact that the word day is nowhere used in this passage. (Ibid., p. 302.) 4) The starting date for the 2300 year prophecy is 457 B.C. Archeology has now documented the Adventist timetable for the historic decree to rebuild Jerusalem. A recent Zondervan book widely advertised and acclaimed among evangelicals, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, also sets 457 B.C. as Daniel 9's prophetic starting date, although no connection is made with Daniel 8. (See Gleason L. Archer, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1982], p. 290.) During the past thousand years, literally hundreds of illustrious Protestant, Catholic and Jewish scholars have interpreted Daniel's 2300 days as literal years, many of them placing its starting date in the fifth century B.C. (See LeRoy E. Froom et al., Seventh-day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine, [Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald, 1957], p. 311.). On the prophetic time spans of Daniel, see William Shea in Selected Studies on Prophetic Interpretation, pp. 132-137, along with Gerhard Hasel in The Sanctuary and the Atonement, pp. 177-227. On the book of Hebrews, I recommend William Johnsson's In Absolute Confidence. My favorite book on the sanctuary and judgment, now out of print, is Edward Heppenstall's Our High Priest--there might be a copy in your church library. Two fine books from Roy Adams are currently available: the scholarly dissertation The Sanctuary Doctrine: Three Approaches in the Seventh-day Adventist Church (Berrien Springs, Mich: Andrews University Press, 1981), and also the more easily read The Sanctuary, available from Adventist Book Centers.19

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Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I was sprinkled. God specifically said He would meet with His people from above the mercy seat. See Exodus 25:22. Then why do we always think only of the law in that second compartment? Legalism, that's why. The fact is that God cannot relate to unworthy sinners on the basis of how well we are fulfilling His law, so we must meet with Him at the mercy seat. After 150 years of telling the world about the sanctuary, isn't it about time we got that clear? Shouldn't we now flush away all remaining legalism and teach the pure gospel truth about the sanctuary? Some of the most depressing, faith-destroying fallacies in the history of Christianity have infiltrated the Adventist Church through misunderstanding the sanctuary and the judgment. I remember as a child being threatened week after week in church and day after day in church school. The goal was good behavior, motivated by an incessant bombardment of guilt and fear: "Unless you become absolutely perfect in character, you cannot be saved when Jesus comes. Even now your name might have come up in judgment, and you might already be past the close of probation." Several classmates were convinced that their probation was past and they had committed the unpardonable sin. "What's the use even trying," they would lament. So they gave up hope and gave up God. More than 20 years later most of them are out of the church. Thanks to legalism. What a shame. Other students, myself included, gritted our teeth and kept climbing those steep stairs to sinlessness. We hoped someday to deserve being saved by grace. Unfortunately, everything we did for God was corrupted by guilt and fear, amounting to dead works. Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18). It should not surprise us that some Adventists, seeking spiritual security, have rejected the whole concept of a celestial pre-advent judgment in the heavenly sanctuary. In fact, no Adventist today believes what the earliest pioneers did about the sanctuary--that when Jesus entered the second apartment He shut the door of probation on everyone who hadn't accepted the Millerite message. We hear a lot these days about "historic Adventism," but nobody's Adventism is so historic that they believe what our pioneers all did in the late 1840s and early 1850s.

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Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I

The earliest Adventists after 1844 did have a conviction that remains at the core of our sanctuary truth--that Jesus began a new dimension of his work in heaven in 1844. This is the unique and indispensable pillar of Adventist doctrine; without it we might as well belong to some other sabbatarian group. Unfortunately, it is this core belief about Christ's high priestly ministry that Dr. Ford rejects. Why be judged? Let us consider the dilemma raised by his objections: "Why should we who are already 'accepted in the Beloved' have to face the scrutiny of judgment in the heavenly sanctuary?" Didn't Jesus Himself say that 'he who hears My word, and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment'? (John 5:24). "No," protest those who defend traditional Adventist doctrine. "Our King James Bible teaches that believers are judged. We escape 'condemnation,' but there is still a judgment all must face." Then those who reject the 1844 judgment inform us that the King James, while normally reliable, is inconsistent here. In John 5:22 the Greek noun "krisis" is correctly translated "judgment," but two verses later the same word in the same context is changed to "condemnation." Even that favorite Adventist passage, Revelation 14, employs "krisis" to proclaim that 'the hour of His judgment is come.' Not the hour of His condemnation-His judgment. A judgment that, apparently according to the words of Jesus, does not involve believers. The late Walter Martin, who was the world's foremost authority on cults, charged that "in John 5:24 the Greek deals a devastating blow to the Seventh-day Adventist concept of Investigative Judgment."20 Can we ignore the challenge of this evangelical Goliath? Those who dismiss Adventist doctrine press their point with another perplexing passage: "He who believes in Him is not judged" (John 3:18, NASB). "This only makes sense," they assert. "Why must God spend more than a century investigating records when already 'the Lord knows those who are His'?" (2 Tim. 2:19). These important questions raised by Dr. Ford and others bring considerable consternation. Usually we try to escape them by finding refuge in those safe and familiar20

Walter R. Martin, The Kingdom of the Cults, (Minneapolis, Minn.: Bethany House, 1965), p. 406.

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Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I passages that cement our doctrinal structure, texts like James 2:12: "So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty." "The work of Christ," we contend, "does not release us from accountability. We are told to 'give an account of your stewardship' (Luke 16:2). Wherever there is accountability, there is judgment. Paul warns that 'we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ' (2 Cor. 5:10). Surely these Scriptures all show that Christians must face judgment." "Wait a minute!" the challenge comes back. "You can't quote Paul to prove the investigative judgment. He tells us Christ is the judge. You say He's your defense attorney. How can Jesus both judge believers and represent them at the same time? You can't have it both ways." So back we go to Revelation 14. In verse 7 it clearly states that during earth's final gospel proclamation "the hour of His judgment has come."21 And so it goes. Honest seekers of truth, thoroughly confused, wonder what to do. For a while, I found myself perplexed about those questions. I'm so happy to have them completely settled in my mind. I can testify that the gospel truth about the judgment going on in heaven's sanctuary inspires me with hope and assurance, confident of my salvation in Christ. Judgment is no threat The key to my new understanding is the ancient Hebrew meaning of judgment, which differed greatly from our Western legal system. Our society requires judges and juries to be strictly neutral; if they harbor a bias either in favor or against the accused, our law demands that they disqualify themselves. Not so in Bible times. Back then the legal code required judges to abandon neutrality and take the side of the defendant. The defense of the accused was a duty so sacred that the judge refused to delegate it to a defense attorney. Instead, he himself served as the defender of the accused. The Jewish Encyclopedia explains that "attorneys at law are unknown in Jewish law."22 Their legal code required judges to "lean always to the side of the defendant and give him theNotice the timing of this judgment. Christ will not come until after the close of the gospel proclamation (see Matt. 24:14). Since this judgment accompanies the preaching of the gospel it must precede the return of Jesus--a pre-advent judgment.21

Isidore Singer, ed., The Jewish Encyclopedia (New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1904), Vol. II, p. 293. Hereafter cited as Jewish Encyclopedia.22

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Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I advantage of every possible doubt."23 Witnesses of the crime pressed charges, while the judge promoted the case of the defendant, biased in favor of acquittal.24 Of course, the judge also had to execute justice. If evidence of guilt could not be controverted, he reluctantly abandoned his defense of the accused and pronounced condemnation. But the whole Old Testament system was predisposed toward vindication, not condemnation. A wonderful concept, but it leaves us with a question: If God is defending us in the heavenly judgment, who would dare withstand Him? Actually, it's the devil who raises questions about our salvation in the judgment. The Bible calls him the "accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night" (Rev. 12:10). More about this later. Now, in certain situations the Hebrew judge appointed an advocate to assist him in defending the accused. The Jewish Encyclopedia states that the husband could represent his wife and help the judge defend her if the verdict involved his personal rights.25 Here we have a thrilling parallel with our position in Christ in the heavenly judgment. Jesus, Bridegroom of the church, purchased us with His precious blood. As the head of redeemed humanity, He serves as our court-appointed advocate to help the Father defend us from Satan-and to defend His own right to take us up to heaven and share His home forever. Wonderful news! God in the judgment takes our side against Satan. Jesus our advocate assists Him by interceding for us. God sees in the sacrifice of His Son our death that the law demanded, and in Christ He accepts us and counts us perfect. Now we see how Jesus, our judge, can also serve as our defender. There is no conflict in His dual role; it is required that judges defend the accused. Another evidence of God's love for His children is shown by a further provision of the23

W.M.Chandler, The Trial of Jesus, Vol. 1, pp. 153,154.

See Taylor Bunch, Behold the Man! (Nashville: Southern Publishing, 1946), pp. 64,66. Now we understand why David in the Psalms longed to be sentenced by divine judgment: "Judge me, O Lord my God, according to Thy righteousness, and do not let them rejoice over me" (Ps. 35:24). Throughout the Old Testament God's people found joy in His judgment: "A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, is God in His holy habitation" Ps. 68:5).24 25

Jewish Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 294.

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Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I Hebrew legal system: "In the nature of things some parties can not plead for themselves. Infants, boys under thirteen or girls under twelve, the deaf and dumb, and lunatics can plead only through a guardian; and it is the duty of the court to appoint a guardian for such, if they have none."26 We are helpless, unable to defend ourselves from the devil's accusations. So our loving Father in heaven has appointed a sympathetic High Priest to intercede for His children against the vicious charges of our adversary. He is our advocate, the agent of redeemed humanity; our hope is in Him. The judgment is good news because of the blood of Christ. Satan disputes our right to rest in Jesus, accusing us of unfaithfulness and unfitness for heaven. He works through his earthly agency, the little horn of Daniel chapters 7 and 8, to harass and persecute us.27 The restoration of the sanctuary includes recovering the truths that were "trampled" (Dan. 8:13) for so long. This enables the saints, in the freedom of forgiveness without penance, to "keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus" (Rev. 14:12). We long for God to deliver us and vindicate our relationship with Him. Therefore, we welcome judgment.Jewish Encyclopedia, X, p. 204. The Father gave Jesus "authority to exercise judgment also, because He is the Son of Man" (John 5:27). Both Father and Son work together to defend us, so both are considered our judge (Compare Heb. 12:23,24 with Acts 10:40-42.). Both are also called "Savior" (Titus 1:3,4) and creator (compare Mark 13:19 with John 1:3). All three members of the Godhead work concertedly.26

Symbolized by the little horn in Daniel 7 and 8, Satan attacked the sanctuary, which represents God's system of saving all who are in Christ and punishing all who reject Him. The devil's war against the sanctuary involves disputing our acceptance and also God's fairness in accepting us. In the simple restoration of the damage done by the little horn, we see every principle of the Daniel 7 judgment: 1) Christ's right to rule is vindicated as He receives the kingdom; 2) The little horn has its challenge defeated--its dominion is taken away when the kingdom is restored to Christ and given to the saints; 3) The saints receive a favorable verdict and officially become part of His kingdom. Each of these points is repeated in Daniel 8, where the little horn challenged the whole process of salvation by faith with a system of works through a human priesthood. This amounted to rejection of Christ's intercession in heaven's sanctuary. The restoration of the sanctuary must therefore bring the following results: 1) God's government of grace in the sanctuary is vindicated as the challenge against Christ's right to be the only mediator is defeated; 2) The establishment of God's system of salvation displaces the little horn's rival counterfeit. Salvation by works is condemned, along with its adherents; 3) The saints, who were condemned and persecuted by the little horn, are automatically vindicated with their mediator when their accuser loses his case in court.27

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Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I In spite of our confessed sinfulness, we need not feel frightened by God's judgment. He is predisposed in favor of our vindication, and all the evidence He needs is in the cross to which we cling. This judgment vindicates our position in Christ as recorded in the Lamb's book of life. God does not question our relationship with Him; He defends and ratifies it. He does not initiate a favorable standing with us but displays and endorses the security in Christ we have enjoyed since we accepted Him. We see then that judgment is a favor not a threat to the enlightened Christian. What refreshing, revitalizing power this concept of judgment has for the Adventist Church! Although our pioneers may have overlooked the full gospel perspective of the pre-advent judgment, it is genuine biblical truth that evangelical members can cherish. Why face a judgment? Nevertheless, Desmond Ford has raised the question: Why even have a judgment if God already knows who believers are? Obviously it isn't for the sake of informing God of something He doesn't know, so it must be to enlighten His creation. This brings us to the beginning of that great controversy between good and evil. Satan, father of lies, long ago raised doubts about God's fairness and integrity. He repeated these charges during Christ's days on earth: "This man receiveth sinners!" In other words, "How can the Holy One accept those who are unholy? And if He can forgive sinners, why cast me and my angels out of heaven, yet build mansions there for fallen humanity?" A number of texts show that celestial beings are intensely interested in questions concerning our salvation.28 God can't brush aside the devil's accusations; since His government operates through the loving trust and loyalty of His creation, He must settle doubts about His trustworthiness. The Bible reveals that God will allow Himself to be audited: "Let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, 'That Thou mightest be justified in Thy words, and mightest prevail when Thou art judged'" (Rom. 3:4, NASB). Another point to remember about the investigative judgment: sometimes people feel bad about having their sins recorded in the sanctuary. But actually, as long as we remain in Christ our sins are forgiven. Guilt is gone! So it's not a record of our sins God is keeping up there; it's the record of His forgiveness, His mercy in our lives.

28

Consider 1 Peter 1:12, Ephesians 3:10, 1 Corinthians 4:9 and Exodus 25:20.

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Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I So there we have the biblical meaning of judgment for sincere believers. God is on our side, defending our salvation. Many Sadventists are becoming Gladventists through discovering this truth about our heavenly Father. Now they can rejoice despite of--no, because of--the reality of a celestial pre-advent judgment. Judged at the cross In God's work of vindicating our salvation, certain facts are predetermined, fixed in a previous judgment at Calvary: "Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out" (John 12:31). At that time this sinful world and all that is of Adam received the just verdict of death. The sentence was executed upon us through the punishment received by our representative, Jesus Christ, the second Adam. But the same cross that decreed our guilt in the old Adam likewise established our corporate righteousness in Christ. The resurrection placed beyond question the validity of that our new humanity in Christ. He "was raised because of our justification" (Rom. 4:25). Whoever truly follows Jesus need not maintain a scrapbook of progress in the Christian life. And we completely forget about keeping score of personal attainments. Confident of salvation, we are freed from anxiety about our faults-set free to live unto God and love our neighbors and enemies. This is a lifestyle that honors God's holy law. But our hope is not in attaining an immaculate record, since our personal righteousness was already judged and condemned on the cross. The investigative judgment today is not God's quest for worthy human beings; He is examining the sincerity of our claim to trust in Jesus and belong to His new humanity. From the world of baseball comes an illustration to help us understand the judgment: As our representative, Jesus pinch-hit a home run, the game-winning hit for all humanity. But our run will not count for us unless we circle the base paths with Him; He will hold our hand. In Adam's sinful flesh, we are born into the devil's dugout and there is plenty to keep us preoccupied. God must first get our attention to inform us of Adam's game-losing error and our inability to even the score. Next He proclaims the wonderful work of Jesus. Having acquainted us with these saving facts, He then seeks to persuade us that what He offers in Christ is worth more than Adam's toys of sin and tools of self-improvement. He urges us to repent of our foolishness, exchange what Adam offers for what Christ offers, and circle the "straight and narrow" base paths with Jesus. But we must stay out of the batters' box; there's no need for us to manufacture a righteous batting average. For us to swing a bat would be to deny Jesus. Having already struck out for eternity in Adam, we cannot now compete with Christ's accomplishments for us. We accept salvation as a gift and keep God's commandments in love.

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Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I

So these are the crucial questions in the judgment regarding our salvation: Do we consider what God offers us in Christ to be worth more than what the devil offers us in Adam? Are we willing to accept all the benefits of living in Christ, which includes our victory in Him? If so, we are considered corporately perfect in Christ despite our personal imperfections. There is no reference whatever to our individual "batting average." Still accountable under grace Let us, however, keep in mind that freedom in Christ does not lower but instead raises the standard of Christian living. Obedience is not legalism when our hearts are charged with love for Him who first loved us in appreciation for forgiveness we follow Him fully. Our church desperately needs to see Christian standards, such as diet and dress, in the light of the gospel. No, the glorious reality that Christ conquered Satan and the world on the cross does not release us from responsibility today. We are obliged to accept that reconciliation and will be judged accordingly. All depends upon whether we choose to live a life of faith in Jesus rather than living in Adam's rebellion. Saving faith values His sacrifice above everything this world offers, even life itself. For us, then, the judgment is concerned with whether or not we yield ourselves to live this kind of faith. Here is a personal experience that illustrates the meaning of judgment for Christians. One sunny day I rode the Amtrak rails from Los Angeles to San Diego. As the train skimmed the beautiful Pacific coastline, the conductor began his judgment of who was worthy to ride his train. Since I held a ticket, I felt no threat to secure passage. It was predetermined that my worthiness was based exclusively on that ticket. Thus the investigation was not of my achievements or failures, but of my claim to hold the ticket. The inspection did not threaten my security, but manifested it. Likewise with us before God. We must all give account of what we did with our ticket, which is redemption through accepting our position in Jesus. But our personal worthiness from Adam, which was condemned at Calvary, does not even qualify for investigation.29 Only our claim to have lived by faith in Jesus is evaluated. We choose our verdict in the judgment by identifying ourselves with Christ's act of justification instead of Adam's act of condemnation.

29

Now we may see harmony between 2 Corinthians 5:10 and John 5:24.

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Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I If we have chosen to receive Jesus, we need not fear the judgment. But if we have rejected Him through rebellion or neglect, we are already condemned. This world is considered sinful, Christ taught, "because they do not believe in Me" (John 16:9). Passengers can't purchase tickets and then discard them, or they have no claim to the train. For us as well, since it's possible to rebel and leave Jesus, there is no such thing as once saved, always saved. Our initial acceptance of Him does not guarantee that we want His life today. Day by day we must receive renewal in Christ, "who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us" (Rom. 8:34). Atoning punishment Having finished His atoning sacrifice on the cross, Jesus ascended to heaven to intercede with His atonement on behalf of His people. While Adventists recognize that Christ's atoning sacrifice was complete at Calvary, we also know that the word atonement is an umbrella that covers the whole business of dealing with sin. Not until the universe is cleansed of sin will the work of atonement cease. Desmond Ford disagrees with that. He sees atonement as limited to Christ's sacrifice at Calvary: "The Day of Atonement was the day of the atonement and that atonement everywhere in the New Testament is set forth as finished on the cross."30 Perhaps Dr. Ford's concept of atonement is too limited. Many Christians would be surprised to learn from the Bible that not all atonement is salvation atonement. Punishment of sinners also is called atonement. When an Israelite leader brought a prostitute into his tent, Phinehas, grandson of Aaron the high priest, took a spear and killed them both. By punishing the sinner for his crime he "made atonement for the sons of Israel" (Num. 25:13). Divine justice was expiated by the death of the guilty. A similar example is the "atonement" made for the murder of the Gibeonites (2 Sam. 21:1-3). The stoning of greedy Achan is another exhibit of divine disfavor being atoned for in the execution of the evildoer. Evidently all punishment for sin is considered atonement. Those who refuse the atoning sacrifice of Christ will receive their own punishment and provide their own atonement at the end of the world. Not until hell's cleansing fire turns to ashes will atonement finally be finished. We don't like to think about hell being a place of atonement, but that's the main purposeDesmond Ford, Daniel 8:14 the Day of Atonement and the Investigative Judgment (Casselberry, Fla.: Euangelion Press, 1980), p. 133.30

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Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I of resurrecting sinners for their second death. Christ already experienced that hell for the whole world at the cross; only His sacrifice provides saving atonement. But whoever rejects Calvary's atonement of salvation will suffer hell's atonement of damnation. Therefore the anti-typical Day of Atonement cannot be finished until unbelievers receive their final punishment and the universe is cleansed of every trace of sin. Three functions of atonement In the Hebrew sanctuary, atonement included three distinct operations: 1) inauguration of the sanctuary system, 2) the daily sacrifice for covering sin and 3) finally cleansing the sanctuary of sin. In promoting heaven's new sanctuary system, the book of Hebrews needed to show Christ involved in each of these functions of atonement. First, His inauguration. When the Old Testament sanctuary was inaugurated, the priesthood was anointed in a consecration ceremony that included entering the most holy place.31 This startup ceremony also dedicated the building itself for service. "For seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it" (Ex. 29:37). Even the most holy place was entered for this atonement by anointing (Ex. 3O:26). See also Ministry, October 1980, p. 18. So in Hebrews we read that our heavenly High Priest was anointed by the Father (see Heb. 1:9). The old covenant inauguration is contrasted with the new: "But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy places once for all, having obtained eternal redemption for us" (Heb. 9:11,12). How do we know Jesus made this entrance into the presence of God for inauguration and not, as Dr. Ford suggests, to fulfill the Day of Atonement? Because calves were sacrificed with goats for atonement on inauguration, not on Yom Kippur.32 Christ is here beginning His heavenly priesthood.33

First came a seven day inauguration of the sanctuary system. This was for Aaron and his sons "to anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve Me as priests" (Ex. 28:41). "Atonement was made at their ordination and consecration" (Ex. 29:33).31 32

Ministry, October 1980, pp. 50, 51. The New Brown, Driver, and Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, p. 497.

33

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Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I To apply not repeat On the cross Jesus had been "displayed publicly as a propitiation [atonement] in His blood through faith" (Rom. 3:25). Calvary was the complete sacrifice, providing an infinite reservoir of atonement "that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation [atonement] for the sins of the people" (Heb. 2:17). Right there it seems quite clear: Calvary's once-for-all sacrifice did not finish Christ's ministry of atonement. His work now as our High Priest is also called making atonement--not to repeat but to apply His sacrifice for our salvation. In welcoming Christ's eternal sacrifice, let us not reject His next phase of atonement in the heavenly sanctuary.34 The ongoing intercession of Jesus in heaven was foretold in the daily work of the Old Testament priests, who did "serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things" (Heb. 8:5). Everything in the old sanctuary system was "according to the pattern" (Heb. 8:5) of what Christ would be doing. So far in this chapter we have seen this pattern evident in both the inaugural anointing and the continual intercession of Christ's priesthood. What about the final function of atonement--would Christ cleanse the heavenly sanctuary? Cleansing heaven's temple How could it be otherwise? Cleansing the sanctuary on the day of judgment was the most important function of the high priest. Christ could not fulfill the priestly symbol if He omitted this essential act. Besides, "intercession inevitably points to judgment,"35 for warnings abound in Hebrews that we will be judged by our response to Christ's intercession: "Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? ... The Lord will judge His people" (Heb. 10:29,3O). Clearly, there must be a final phase to consummate Christ's ministry of intercession. But is the future cleansing of the sanctuary explicitly stated in Hebrews? Yes: "Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenlyIn the Old Testament sanctuary service, twice daily sacrifices, representing Calvary, provided atonement and individual guilt offerings appropriated atonement. The individual believer's appropriation of forgiveness through the corporate sacrifice belonged to the atoning process. (Verses 20, 26, and 35 of Leviticus 4 provide additional evidence that the daily service involved atonement.) Both provision and appropriation were required for the sinner to receive atonement.34 35

See Questions on Doctrine, p. 341.

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Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I things themselves with better sacrifices than these" (Heb. 9:23, NASB). First, notice that "the heavenly things" of the sanctuary would be cleansed. This is not what happened on the cross, but what would happen in the heavenly temple during Christ's priesthood. And the cleansing of the earthly is said to be a copy of the way the heavenly would be cleansed.36 This explicitly requires a parallel between the two sanctuaries regarding their cleansing.37 The whole camp was summoned to set aside their work and gather together around the tabernacle. Next came a judgment between rival systems, symbolized by lots cast between goats. The blood of the winner was brought inside to cleanse the sanctuary. After sprinkling this blood throughout the building, the priest emerged to bless the waiting people and invite them to the harvest celebration. "The context is clear--Christ has now appeared in the presence of God ministering in our behalf (verse 24) to put away sin, which is made possible by the benefits of His atoning sacrifice (verse 26)."38 "It is here that the Day of Atonement imagery in Hebrews is most profound and justified, having its relevance in the complete removal of sin, after which Christ will appear a second time--not as a sin bearer, but without sin to them who expect Him for salvation (verse 28)."39 After this cleansing of heaven's sanctuary is completed, just as ancient Israel waited for their high priest to emerge after purifying the sanctuary, so with our High Priest: "to those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation" (Heb. 9:28). Atonement, in summary, is based upon the finished sacrifice of Christ and includes a36

Edward Heppenstall, Our High Priest (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald, 1972), p. 25.

If everyday atonement is occurring through the intercession of Christ, why have a separate final Day of Atonement? Consider the operation of a business corporation. In their offices, executives frequently hold informal conferences as a necessary function of business. Yet there remains a special conference room where scheduled, systematic meetings make official, final decisions touching the universal range of business matters. Likewise with the Day of Atonement. Atonement continued throughout the year as a necessary function of salvation. Yet a special time and place was reserved for a systematic, final ceremony to settle the universal aspects of atonement. This Day of Atonement, being the climax of all religious activity, was appropriately placed near the end of the yearly cycle. It was a solemn time of judgment--investigation, vindication and punishment. How was all this accomplished?37 38

Ministry, October 1980, p. 21. Desmond Ford, Daniel 8:14, the Day of Atonement, ms. p. A-60, in Ministry, October 1980, p. 52.

39

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Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I continuous process of forgiveness culminated in a final ceremony that cleanses the sanctuary. "On the positive side atonement includes the restoration of oneness and harmony throughout the universe. On the negative side atonement is the elimination of sin to the satisfaction of the moral universe."40 Pomegranate bells? What should be our attitude during the final stages of the judgment in this anti-typical Day of Atonement? I confess I used to be reluctant to really rejoice in the Lord in such an awesome time as this. Old covenant shadows darkened my thinking: worshippers convening quietly at the sanctuary as their priest ventured timidly into the Holy of Holies. Then the light of the gospel dawned on me. Old covenant people had to be afraid as they listened quietly for the pomegranate bells, since at any moment their priest could be struck dead. But our Priest is the living Savior who triumphed over sin, death, and hell! And something wonderful is happening in heaven since the 1844 pre-advent judgment began. As the enemy raises accusations against us, we triumph over them through the blood of the Lamb and our joyful testimony (see Rev. 12:10,11). Please ask yourself, fellow Adventist, as we close this chapter: Are you still listening for the pomegranate bells of the old covenant sanctuary service? Does your worship of God reflect medieval uncertainty masked under the guise of reverence? Then please come out of the shadows to bask in the Sonshine of the cross. Boldly go to heaven's Most Holy Place and rejoice at God's throne of grace, the celestial mercy seat. Let the word go forth in sermon and in song: Worthy is the Lamb! God help us quit fretting about the time of trouble and start trusting His salvation. No more Waconian images of doomsday; our most glorious days are ahead. We can lift up our heads and our hearts, for our redemption is drawing near! "Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they will still be praising You" (Ps. 84:4). An economic boycott? Yes, but we will still be praising Him. A death decree? Yes, and we will still be praising Him. Next comes a small black cloud in the eastern sky. We will still be praising Him. The cloud will get brighter and brighter until the loving face of Jesus appears! We will still be praising Him. The trumpet will sound and the dead in Christ will rise. We willWilliam G. Johnsson, The Significance of the Day of Atonement Allusions in the Epistle to the Hebrews," in Wallenkampf, ed., The Sanctuary and the Atonement, p. 389.40

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Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I still be praising Him. We who are alive will be changed and caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. We will still be praising Him. Evermore we will be with the Lord, evermore still praising Him! Serious concerns In summary, Desmond Ford dismisses the doctrine of a celestial judgment beginning in 1844 as an unbiblical and legalistic threat to assurance in Christ. While we may appreciate his firm stand on the law, the Sabbath and the gospel, why must he reject the two-phase ministry of Christ and the 1844 judgment? Perhaps he can help us with the following: * As our representative at Calvary, Christ bore the judgment of our condemnation from Adam and established our corporate righteousness based upon His doing and dying. Heaven's pre-advent judgment does not investigate whether we are good enough but whether we have accepted our position in Christ's new humanity. God does not question our salvation but displays and defends it against the accusations of the devil. Therefore the judgment for believers is not a threat but a favor. * Symbolized by the little horn in Daniel 7 and 8, Satan attacks the sanctuary, which represents God's system of saving all who are in Christ and punishing all who reject Him. The devil's war against the sanctuary involves disputing our acceptance and also God's fairness in accepting us. Additionally, the devil wages war against the knowledge of the gospel that establishes us in Christ, setting up a counterfeit system of human works. * Any punishment of sin is called atonement in the Bible. On the positive side, atonement provides salvation for believers through the punishment received by their Savior. Negatively, atonement involves damnation for unbelievers through their own punishment in hell. Atonement is not complete until the entire universe is cleansed of sin and sinners. * The message of Hebrews is that Christ ascended to the presence of God and began a new priesthood in the celestial sanctuary, replacing the earthly system. The dual compartments of the old sanctuary represent the two phases of Christ's heavenly ministry that followed His inauguration at God's throne. * Faith in Christ brings both His forgiveness and His victorious presence, so righteousness by faith must include sanctification. We are "sanctified by faith" (Acts 26:18). The gospel, however, is limited to what Christ has done for us 2,000 years ago, because what He

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Desmond Ford / Martin Weber - I does within us now is called the fruit of the gospel. Next Section: Ford responds to Weber