Question: You have objected to Ellen G. White’s teaching on the “investigative judgment” ...

Question: You have objected to Ellen G. White’s teaching on the “investigative judgment” concerning Christ’ s ongoing work as High Priest in the sanctuary in heaven. Then why is He called our “great high priest” in Hebrews, and what function does He perform as our High Priest in the “sanctuary” (Heb:8:2A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
See All...; 9:1-2; 13:11)? And why is there a temple in heaven (Rv 14:17; 15:5-8, etc.) with the “ark of his [God’s] testament” in it?

Response: This teaching is presented in her book, The Great Controversy (pp 479-91). She claims that in 1844 Christ entered “the holy of holies...to make an atonement for all who are shown to be entitled to its benefits” (p 480). Atonement is defined in the dictionary as a reconciliation that comes about by expiation of or satisfaction for whatever brought enmity between the parties. It is clear from both the Old and New Testaments that our sins have alienated us from God (Is 59:2) and that “atonement” means “reconciliation with God” through forgiveness of sins. The Old Testament priests “made reconciliation with [animal] blood upon the altar, to make an atonement for all Israel” (2 Chr:29:24And the priests killed them, and they made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar, to make an atonement for all Israel: for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.
See All...).

Of course, the sacrificial animals were but types and shadows of Christ, through the shedding of whose blood alone (Heb:10:1-18 [1] For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. [2] For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. [3] But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. [4] For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. [5] Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: [6] In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. [7] Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. [8] Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; [9] Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. [10] By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. [11] And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: [12] But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; [13] From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. [14] For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. [15] Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, [16] This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; [17] And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. [18] Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
See All...) this reconciliation/atonement could be accomplished: “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Eph:1:7In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
See All...; Col:1:14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
See All...; Heb:9:12Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
See All..., etc.). The Bible is clear: “without shedding of blood there is no remission [of sins]” (Heb:9:22And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
See All...).

Christ’s blood was shed on the cross; therefore that has to be the place where atonement/reconciliation/remission of sins was accomplished. His blood is not being shed in heaven, so there can be no work of atonement going on there. E. G. White’s error is similar to that of Catholicism’s mass (or Eucharist), which has Christ being offered continually as a sacrifice for sins.

Obviously, then, reconciliation/atonement could not possibly have begun in 1844 in heaven, nor could it be in process in heaven now, having been accomplished once and for all time by Christ upon the cross. Paul argues that because we have been “reconciled to God through the death of his Son,” we “joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement” (Rom:5:10-11 [10] For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. [11] And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
See All...). When Christ cried in triumph, “It is finished” (Jn:19:30When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
See All...), He meant that the work of our redemption /atonement had been accomplished.

What function, then, does He perform as our High Priest in the “sanctuary” (Heb:8:2A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
See All...; 9:1-2; 13:11)? And why is there a temple in heaven (Rv 14:17; 15:5-8, etc.) with the “ark of his [God’s] testament” in it? Hebrews:7:27Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.
See All... clearly tells us that as our High Priest he is not involved in the repetition of sacrifices as was the case with priests under the old covenant (which involved keeping the Saturday sabbath): “Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice...for this he did once [by one sacrifice], when he offered up himself.” His high priestly ministry in heaven does not involve sacrifice or shedding of blood and thus does not involve atonement/reconciliation, which was accomplished on the Cross. Then what does it involve?

Scripture declares that having died once for our sins, “he ever liveth [never to die again in sacrifice for sins] to make intercession” (Heb:7:25Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
See All...) for His own. Paul argues that there can be no condemnation for the Christian because Christ, who is appointed judge of the world (Jn:5:22For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
See All...; Rv 20:11-15, etc.) and is the One who condemns the lost, is “at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Rom:8:34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
See All...). Why does He need to intercede with His Father for His own? John explains that if Christians sin, “we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins” (1 Jn:2:1-2 [1] My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: [2] And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
See All...). How so? Not through some act of atonement or sacrifice or shedding of blood that is ongoing now in heaven, but because of His blood shed upon the cross: “[N]ow once...hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself...Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many;...For by one offering [of Himself] he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Heb:9:26For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
See All...,28; 10:14).

This Seventh-day Adventist teaching denies the finished work of Christ. Mrs. White declares that Christ is still involved in making atonement “for all who are shown to be entitled to its benefits”! Entitled on what basis? She doesn’t explain, but the very idea denies that salvation is by grace alone, on the basis of Christ having paid the full penalty for our sins. That payment is repudiated by White’s declaration that “Our acts, our words, even our most secret motives, all have their weight in deciding our destiny. ...[T]hough...forgotten by us, they will bear their testimony to justify or condemn” (pp 486-90). This is salvation by works, which is explicitly denied in Scripture. All Seventh-Day Adventists who have embraced this teaching have thereby rejected the gospel that saves.