本期视频，魏泰德牧师就基督在天上的服务作了部分的讨论，这是复临安息日会基本信仰第二十四条的部分内容。

在耶稣升天之前，祂向门徒保证会回来。祂说：“我去原是为你们预备地方去。我若去为你们预备了地方，就必再来接你们到我那里去；我在那里，叫你们也在那里。”（约翰福音14:2，3）

在耶稣升天期间，天使们重申了这个应许，告诉门徒们：“加利利人哪，你们为什么站着望天呢？这离开你们被接升天的耶稣，你们见他怎样往天上去，他还要怎样来。”

的确，我们确信耶稣会再来。但与此同时，祂在天上做什么呢?

当做重大的决定时，上帝总是会在行动之前察看，并表明祂愿意宽恕，并给我们机会成为祂计划中的一部分。

在伊甸园，上帝寻找亚当和夏娃，向他们提出问题并让他们回答。

在巴别塔发生语言混乱之前：“耶和华降临，要看看世人所建造的城和塔。”（创世记11:5）

此外，在把以色列人从奴役中解救出来之前，上帝告诉摩西，“我的百姓在埃及所受的困苦，我实在看见了；他们因受督工的辖制所发的哀声，我也听见了。我原知道他们的痛苦。我下来是要救他们脱离埃及人的手 。”

最后，在毁灭所多玛和蛾摩拉之前，上帝决定察看这些人。“所多玛和蛾摩拉的罪恶甚重，声闻于我。我现在要下去，察看他们所行的，果然尽像那达到我耳中的声音一样吗？若是不然，我也必知道。”

同样地，在等待耶稣第二次降临时，祂正在察看地球每一个曾经活过的人，每一个人所做的每一个选择等等。上帝希望我们和宇宙中的旁观者清楚地知道，没有人会被置于他无法选择的命运之中。

但是上帝将如何决定谁留在天国或离开呢?我们怎么能确定祂的作为是公正的呢?

在但以理书7:9-11，我们读到查案审判，人们的欲望和行为将被考查，看他们是否想成为上帝国度的一份子。上帝不是一对一地去查看，而是在所有人面前打开历史的书记录册，让他们看到。祂希望每个人都能参与审判过程，确保公正、诚实和透明。

此时此刻，耶稣在天上的圣所中致力使人类与上帝和好，并审判渴望成为上帝国度中的一份子的人。这工作一完成，祂就会回来。

基督复临安息日会基本信仰24条，这么描述查案审判的工作：“天上有一个圣所，是主所支的，不是人手所支的真帐幕。基督在其中为我们服务，为了使信徒能获得祂在十字架上只一次献上的赎罪祭的好处。”

它继续说：“祂升天时，即就任我们的大祭司，并开始祂代求的工作。”

 “在主后1844年，在二千三百日预言时期结束之时，祂进入了祂赎罪工作的第二阶段，也是最后的阶段。”

 “查案审判的工作，是对一切罪恶最终处置工作的一部分，由赎罪日洁净古时希伯来圣所的仪式所预表。在那预表性的崇祀中，圣所是由所献祭牲的血所洁净，但是天上的物件却是用那完全的祭，耶稣的血所洁净。”

 “查案审判向天上的生灵显明，死去的人中，那些在基督里睡了的，因此是在祂里面的人，是配在第一次复活中有分的。”

 “它也显明，在活人中，那些住在基督里的，遵守上帝诫命和耶稣真道，并在祂里面，因此，已预备好可以变化升天，进入祂永恒的国。”

它总结说：“这项审判显明了上帝拯救那相信耶稣的人，乃是公义的。它宣称，那些保持忠于上帝的人，应承受国度。基督这项工作的完成就是标明基督复临前人类恩典时期的结束。”

赞美主，祂是一位公平公正的神，祂爱我们，关心我们，有一天祂会使一切都变好!

下星期，魏泰德牧师将继续讨论这个圣经信条。同时，深入上帝的话语，进一步了解基督的这项重要工作。

This week, Pastor Ted Wilson gives a partial discussion of Christ’s ministry in the heavenly sanctuary as part of the twenty-fourth fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventists.

Before He ascended back to heaven, Jesus assured His disciples that He would return. He said, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2, 3).

During Jesus’ ascension, the angels reiterated this promise, telling the disciples, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, Who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

Indeed, we have an assurance that Jesus will return. But what is He doing in heaven in the meantime?

When it comes to major decisions, God would always investigate before acting, demonstrating His willingness to forgive and giving us an opportunity to be part of His plan.

In the Garden of Eden, God looked for Adam and Eve, asking them questions and letting them respond.

Before the confusion of languages took place at the Tower of Babel, “the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built” (Genesis 11:5).

Also, before delivering the Israelites from slavery, God told Moses, “I have surely seen the oppression of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians” (Exodus 3:7, 8).

Lastly, before destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, God decided to investigate the people. He said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know” (Genesis 18:20, 21).

Similarly, awaiting His second coming, Jesus is now investigating the earth—everyone who has ever lived, every choice each person has made, and so on. God wants it to be clear to us and to the onlookers of the universe that no one will be put into a fate he didn’t choose.

But how will God determine who to take to heaven and who to leave? How can we be sure His actions will be just?

In Daniel 7:9-11, we read about the investigative judgment wherein people’s desires and actions will be considered to see if they want to be part of God’s kingdom or not. Instead of doing it one on one, God will open the history books before all people for them to see. He wants everyone to be part of this judgment process, ensuring justice, honesty, and transparency for all.

At this moment, Jesus is in the heavenly sanctuary reconciling humanity with God and determining who desires to be part of God’s kingdom. Once this work is done, He will come.

This work of judgment is described in the Seventh-day Adventist Fundamental Belief #24 as follows: “There is a sanctuary in heaven, the true tabernacle that the Lord set up and not humans. In it, Christ ministers on our behalf, making available to believers the benefits of His atoning sacrifice offered once for all on the cross.”

It continues, “At His ascension, He was inaugurated as our great High Priest and began His intercessory ministry, which was typified by the work of the high priest in the Holy Place of the earthly sanctuary.”

“In 1844, at the end of the prophetic period of 2300 days, He entered the second and last phase of His atoning ministry, which was typified by the work of the high priest in the Most Holy Place of the earthly sanctuary.”

“It is a work of investigative judgment, which is part of the ultimate disposition of all sin, typified by the cleansing of the ancient Hebrew sanctuary on the Day of Atonement. In that typical service, the sanctuary was cleansed with the blood of animal sacrifices, but the heavenly things are purified with the perfect sacrifice of the blood of Jesus.”

“The investigative judgment reveals to heavenly intelligences who among the dead are asleep in Christ and therefore, in Him, are deemed worthy to have part in the first resurrection.”

“It also makes manifest who among the living are abiding in Christ, keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and in Him, therefore, are ready for translation into His everlasting kingdom.”

It concludes, “This judgment vindicates the justice of God in saving those who believe in Jesus. It declares that those who have remained loyal to God shall receive the kingdom. The completion of this ministry of Christ will mark the close of human probation before the Second Advent.”

Praise the Lord for being a fair and just God Who loves and cares about us, and a God Who will make all things right one day! Next week, Pastor Ted Wilson will continue the discussion of this biblical belief. In the meantime, dive into the Word of God to understand further this important work of Christ.