JESUS IS A LEVITICAL PRIEST LIKE AARON

The entire Adventist theory of an "Investigative Judgment" is based on a slavish dependency upon Old Testament typology to interpret New Testament truths. They insist that "as in the type, so in the anti-type". The Investigative Judgment theory hinges on Jesus being a priest after the order of Aaron, meticulously performing all of Aaron's duties. The New Testament declares that Jesus is NOT like Aaron. Aaron's work was incomplete, and thus he could never sit down. Jesus IS a priest, but not a carbon copy of Aaron. He is better than Aaron, and so the New Testament contrasts Jesus' perfect ministry with Aaron's ineffective ministry. Jesus is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

MRS. WHITE DESCRIBES JESUS AS BEING DRESSED LIKE AARON THE LEVITICAL PRIEST

"Jesus then clothed Himself with precious garments. Around the bottom of His robe was A BELL AND A POMEGRANATE, a bell and a pomegranate. A BREASTPLATE of curious work was suspended from His shoulders. As He moved, this glittered like diamonds, magnifying letters which looked like names written or engraved upon the breastplate. UPON HIS HEAD was something which had the appearance of a CROWN. When fully attired, He was surrounded by angels, and in a flaming chariot He passed within the second veil."

Early Writings, p. 251 (emphasis added)

"There I beheld Jesus, a great High Priest, standing before the Father. On the hem of His garment was a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate."

Early Writings, p. 55 (emphasis added)

"As Jesus moved out of the most holy place, I heard the tinkling of the bells upon His garment ..."

Early Writings, p. 280

"I was taken off in vision to the most holy place, where I SAW JESUS STILL INTERCEDING FOR ISRAEL. On the bottom of His garment was a bell and a pomegranate....The wrath of God could not come until Jesus had "Jesus then clothed Himself with precious garments. Around the bottom of His robe was A BELL AND A POMEGRANATE, a bell and a pomegranate. A BREASTPLATE of curious work was suspended from His shoulders. As He moved, this glittered like diamonds, magnifying letters which looked like names written or engraved upon the breastplate. UPON HIS HEAD was something which had the appearance of a CROWN. When fully attired, He was surrounded by angels, and in a flaming chariot He passed within the second veil."

Early Writings, p. 251 (emphasis added)

"There I beheld Jesus, a great High Priest, standing before the Father. On the hem of His garment was a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate."

Early Writings, p. 55 (emphasis added)

"As Jesus moved out of the most holy place, I heard the tinkling of the bells upon His garment ..."

Early Writings, p. 280

"I was taken off in vision to the most holy place, where I SAW JESUS STILL INTERCEDING FOR ISRAEL. On the bottom of His garment was a bell and a pomegranate ... The wrath of God could not come until Jesus had finished His work in the most holy place, laid off HIS PRIESTLY ATTIRE, and clothed Himself with the garments of vengeance."

Early Writings, p. 36 (emphasis added)

THE BIBLE SAYS

"So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest; but He who said to Him, "Thou art My Son, today I have begotten Thee", just as He says also in another passage, "Thou art A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK."

Hebrews 5:5-6 (emphasis added)

"Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), WHAT FURTHER NEED WAS THERE FOR ANOTHER PRIEST TO ARISE ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK, and NOT BE DESIGNATED ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF AARON? For when THE PRIESTHOOD IS CHANGED, of necessity there takes place a change of law also."

Hebrews 7:11-12 (emphasis added)

"And this is clearer still if another priest arises ACCORDING TO THE LIKENESS OF MELCHIZEDEK, who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of Him, "THOU ART A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK."

Hebrews 7:15-16 (emphasis added)

"And EVERY [Levitical] PRIEST STANDS DAILY ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; BUT HE having offered on sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD,"

Hebrews 10:11-12 (emphasis added)

JESUS DID NOT ASCEND TO THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD

Mrs. White teaches that Jesus did not go to the right hand of God until A.D. 1844.

"Thither the faith of Christ's disciples followed Him as He ascended from their sight ... For eighteen centuries this work of ministration continued in the first apartment of the sanctuary."

Christ in His Sanctuary, p. 98

"This is the service which began when the 2300 days ended [in 1844]. 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."

Christ in His Sanctuary, p. 98

"I was shown what did take place in heaven at the close of the prophetic periods in 1844. As JESUS ENDED HIS MINISTRATION IN THE HOLY PLACE AND CLOSED THE DOOR OF THAT APARTMENT ... HE PASSED WITHIN THE SECOND VEIL ...

The veil was lifted, and I looked into the second apartment....Above the place where Jesus stood before the ark, was exceedingly bright glory that I could not look upon; it appeared like the throne of God."

Early Writings, pp. 252-253 (emphasis added)

MRS. WHITE TAUGHT THAT NOT UNTIL OCTOBER 22, 1844 DID JESUS GO TO THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE MOST HOLY PLACE OF THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY. She insists that Jesus did not sit at the right hand of the Father until 1844. She says,

"... THAT WAS...TO TAKE PLACE ... IN 1844. Attended by heavenly angels, our great High Priest enters the holy of holies and there appears in the presence of God to engage in the last act of His ministration in behalf on man -- to perform the work of investigative judgment and to make an atonement for all who are shown to be entitled to its benefits"

The Great Controversy, p. 480 (emphasis added)

THE BIBLE SAYS

Note that these New Testament passages indicate that when Jesus ascended He went directly into the presence of God and sat down at His right hand. The work of salvation was finished. Levitical priests could never sit down because their work was never completed. Jesus did not move from the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place in 1844.

"... When He made purification of sins, HE SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE MAJESTY ON HIGH;"

Hebrews 1:3b (emphasis added)

"But to which of the angels has He ever said, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, ..."

Hebrews 1:13 (emphasis added)

"And EVERY PRIEST STANDS DAILY ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; BUT HE having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD,"

Hebrews 10:11-12 (emphasis added)

"fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of faith, who for the joy before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and HAS SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE THRONE OF GOD."

Hebrews 12:2 (emphasis added)

"He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and SAT DOWN WITH MY FATHER ON HIS THRONE"

Revelation 3:21 (emphasis added)

"David himself said in the Holy Spirit, 'The Lord said to my Lord "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, ..."

Mark 12:36a (emphasis added)

"But being full of the Holy Spirit, he [Stephen] gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and JESUS standing AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD; and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD."

Acts 7:55-56 (emphasis added)

THE PLAN OF SALVATION WAS DEVISED AFTER MAN'S FALL

"Sorrow filled heaven, as it was realized that man was lost ... I saw the lovely Jesus and beheld an expression of sympathy and sorrow upon His countenance. Soon I saw Him approach the exceeding bright light which enshrouded the Father. Said my accompanying angel, He is in close converse with His Father....Three times He was shut in by the glorious light about the Father, and the third time He came from the Father, His person could be seen. ... He then made known to the angelic host that a way of escape had been made for lost man. HE TOLD THEM THAT HE HAD BEEN PLEADING WITH HIS FATHER, AND HAD OFFERED TO GIVE HIS LIFE A RANSOM, to take the sentence of death upon Himself ... Jesus bade the heavenly host be reconciled to THE PLAN THAT HIS FATHER HAD ACCEPTED ..."

Early Writings, pp. 149-151 (emphasis added)

"While Moses was shut in the mount with God, the plan of salvation, DATING FROM THE FALL OF ADAM, was revealed to him in a most forcible manner."

Selected Messages, bk. 1, pp. 231-232 (emphasis added)

"The kingdom of grace was instituted immediately AFTER THE FALL OF MAN, WHEN A PLAN WAS DEVISED for the redemption of the guilty race."

The Great Controversy, p. 347 (emphasis added)

THE BIBLE SAYS

"Just as HE CHOSE US IN HIM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, that we should be holy and blameless before Him ..."

Ephesians 1:4 (emphasis added)

"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD."

Matthew 25:34 (emphasis added)

"Who verily WAS FOREORDAINED BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, but was manifest in these last times for you."

1 Peter 1:20 KJV (emphasis added)

"And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, every one whose name has not been written FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain."

Revelation 13:8 (emphasis added)

MRS. WHITE TAUGHT THAT THERE WAS ONLY ONE HEROD

Mrs. White taught that the apostle James was executed by the same Herod who tried Christ. She says, "Herod's heart had grown still harder; and when he heard that Christ had risen, he was not much troubled. He took the life of James, ..."

Early Writings, pp. 185-186

Bible scholars know that it was Herod Antipas who participated in Jesus' trial and Herod Agrippa I who executed James the apostle. It is interesting to note how the Adventist officials explain away Mrs. White's mistake. They claim that Mrs. White meant that "It was the same Herodian spirit" Early Writings, p. 185. This appears to be the same kind of spiritual rationalization that the Mormons and the Jehovah's Witnesses use to justify their false prophets' mistakes.

MRS. WHITE SAID HER WRITINGS NEVER CONTRADICT THE BIBLE!

"The Bible must be your counselor. Study it and THE TESTIMONIES God has given; for they NEVER CONTRADICT HIS WORD."

Selected Messages, bk. 3, p. 32