Discovering the New Covenant by Greg Taylor - exAdventist Outreach

THE INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT
this. Some continued to set dates for the return of Christ. The
Adventists who would later become Seventh-day Adventists,
initiated by an idea/vision that occurred to Hiram Edson,
changed their focus from the earth being cleansed by the
coming of the Lord to the heavenly sanctuary. They began to
teach that all the events that took place on October 22, 1844,
took place in Heaven. There, they believed, Jesus started for
the first time his Day of Atonement ministry in heaven. It
was then that He went into the Most Holy Place for the first
time. This meant that the judgment had begun on that date
and not before. This led the early Adventists to study the Old
Testament sanctuary in great detail. They believed this held
the key to their identity as a people. 3
One reason the doctrine of the sanctuary, (another way
of saying the investigative judgment in Adventist circles) is
so important to Adventists (many ministers and other
denominational workers have lost their positions because of
their scriptural concerns in relation to this teaching) is that
the very identity of the church as the “one true remnant
church” hinges on this point. The focus on the Old Covenant
sanctuary furniture caused them to look at the Ark of the
Covenant containing the Ten Commandments. This, in turn,
became a central focus for them. It caused them to place
great emphasis on the keeping of the Law. 4 The sacredness
of the seventh-day Sabbath came from the sanctuary
(investigative judgment) focus. The doctrine of soul sleep
was developed from this as well. Adventists realized that the
investigative judgment would have no significance if the
saints from the past were already in heaven and the lost were
already in hell. If this were the case, an investigative judgment
would have no significance.
3 Dale Ratzlaff, The Cultic Doctrine of Seventh-day Adventists, (Glendale
AZ, Life Assurance Ministries, 1996) For further study on the history
and doctrinal development of the Adventist church read this careful
analysis of the centerpiece of SDA theology and worldview.
4 Ellen G. White, Early Writings, p 33.
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