Reflections on Revival and Reformation, Part 2 of 3 - Secrets ...

enly sanctuary.
Heresy #3: The papacy usurped the intercessory
role of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary
by establishing a rival intercessory
system on earth composed of priests, the
Virgin Mary and the departed saints.
Message of the Reformers
The Protestant Reformers discovered
that the Scriptures clearly contradicted
these three heresies. We provide the following
examples with explanatory notes
in brackets:
Hebrews 7:25-27: “Therefore He is also
able to save to the uttermost those who
come to God through Him, since He always
lives to make intercession [He can apply
the benefits] for them. 26 For such a High
Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners
[has perfect righteousness to offer], and
has become higher than the heavens; 27 who
does not need daily, as those high priests, to
offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and
then for the people’s, for this He did once
for all [not over and over again] when He
offered up Himself.”
2 Corinthians 5:21: “For He made Him
who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we
might become the righteousness of God in
Him.”
Titus 3:4-5: “But when the kindness and
the love of God our Savior toward man
appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to His
mercy He saved us.”
1 Timothy 2:5-6: “For there is one God
and one Mediator between God and men,
the Man Christ Jesus.”
1 John 2:1-2: “My little children, these
things I write to you, so that you may not
sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
When the protestant reformers studied
Scripture they saw that the papacy had
hidden the work of Jesus in the camp, the
court and the holy place of the sanctuary.
They clearly discerned that what Jesus was
doing in heaven for His people, the papacy
had usurped and placed on earth. The
church had gone astray from the present
truth message of the apostles!
In the Light of Prophecy
But the Reformers saw more than this.
They also discerned that prophecy had
predicted that this apostasy was going to
take place. As they studied the prophecies
about the antichrist, they clearly saw that
he was in their very midst, counterfeiting
the work of Christ from within the
Church, just as prophecy had predicted.
When we think of the work of the Protestant
Reformers, certain expressions
come to mind such as Sola Gratia, Sola
Scriptura, Solo Cristo and Sola Fide. But
these expressions did not appear in a vacuum.
They were the result of a profound
study of Bible prophecy.
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