Larry Kirkpatrick

A Positive Place on the Web for the Third Angel's Message

Is the Atonement Completed or In-Process?

He entered the most holy place on the Day of Atonement, 'not without blood,' as a mediator for all Israel. He came forth from that work to bless the congregation, as Christ will come forth to bless His waiting people when His work of atonement in their behalf shall be ended (PP 426).

[W]hen the ransomed of the Lord shall have been safely gathered into the heavenly Canaan, forever delivered from the bondage of the curse, under which 'the whole creation groaneth ans travaileth in pain until now' (Romans 8:22), they will rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Christ's great work of atonement for men will then have been completed, and their sins will have forever been blotted out (PP 542).

Jesus is our great High Priest in heaven. And what is He doing? He is making intercession and atonement for His people who believe in Him (TM 37).

Then ["when the third angel's message closes" 613] Jesus ceases His intercession in the sanctuary above. . . Every case has been decided for life or death. Christ has made the atonement for His people and blotted out their sins. . . In that fearful time the righteous must live in the site of a holy God without an intercessor (GC 613-614).

Now, while our great High Priest is making the atonement for us, we should seek to become perfect in Christ (GC 623).

For eighteen centuries this work of ministration continued in the first apartment of the sanctuary. The blood of Christ, pleaded in behalf of penitent believers, secured their pardon and acceptance with the Father, yet their sins remained upon the books of record. As in the typical service there was a work of atonement at the close of the year, so before Christ's work for the redemption of men is completed there is a work of atonement for the removal of sin from the sanctuary. This is the service which began when the 2300 days ended. At that time, as foretold by Daniel the prophet, our High Priest entered the most holy, to perform the last division of His solemn work--to cleanse the sanctuary (GC 421).

Thus those who followed in the light of the prophetic word saw that, instead of coming to the earth at the termination of the 2300 days in 1844, Christ then entered the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary to perform the closing work of atonement preparatory to His coming (GC 422).

It is those who by faith follow Jesus in the great work of the atonement who receive the benefits of His mediation in their behalf, while those who reject the light which brings to view this work of ministration are not benefited thereby. . . . In the typical service, when the high priest entered the most holy place, all Israel were required to gather about the sanctuary and in the most solemn manner humble their souls before God, that they might receive the pardon of their sins and not be cut off from the congregation. How much more essential in this antitypical Day of Atonement that we understand the work of our High Priest and know what duties are required of us (GC 430-431).

The sanctuary in heaven is the very center of Christ's work in behalf of men (GC 488).

We are now living in the great Day of Atonement. In the typical service, while the high priest was making the atonement for Israel, all were required to afflict their souls before God by repentance of sin and humiliation before the Lord, lest they be cut off from among the people. In like manner, all who would have their names retained in the book of life should now, in the few remaining days of their probation, afflict their souls before God by sorrow for sin and true repentance. . . (GC 489-490).

Preparing for the Harvest - Symposium Resources ML Andreasen Audio Recordings