"When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath SHUT TO THE DOOR, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:" (Luke 13:25).
This is an exhaustive and much needed article detailing the close of probation, its purpose, events and importance. The close of probation, in other words, is the closing of the door of salvation. It is a very real and Biblical concept that is entirely neglected in churches today. Few people are aware of this or what it means. Noah preached and warned the people of the world for more than 100 years of God's coming judgement, and the day came when the door the Ark was closed. The day is soon coming when the offer of Grace will end. Jesus will not be an intercessor forever, and there will be a time between the end of His mediation for our sins in Heaven and the time He comes to the earth to get us. If you have no concept or familairity with how this will happen or why, this is your chance to understand what the Bible teaches about The Close of Probation. This is a four-part sermon by Larry Kirkpatrick. Its exhaustive, but also the most detailed and helpful I've found.
The Close of Probation, Pt.
1
Presenter: Larry Kirkpatrick
Delivery: 2007-11-10 23:16Z
Type: Sermon
URL: http://www. greatcontroversy. org/gco/ser/kir-cop1. php
Introduction
Let's face it. Some people are interested in God's truth, and some aren't. Some are satisfied with what they have, no matter its poverty. Some want to understand what is coming and how God would like to bless them. Some prefer to wait and see. Perhaps their trust in God is on the thin side. We don't want to fault them. We want ourselves to grow, and to see others blessed in growing.
There are those who would like you to think of them as being very broad-minded, who are themselves a bit narrow. They take certain aspects of our faith and discover things to complain about. For some reason, they take it upon themselves to portray us as holding to a strange set of beliefs. One of our teachings that for many years has received little positive attention, is what Seventh-day Adventists call "The Close of Probation.
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Even some of our own people might look at the topic and ask, How can anyone present an idea like this—the approaching end of mercy—as any kind of good news? How can there be any gospel encouragement in dwelling on such a topic?
We would offer the following. First, God's mercy, as His justice, is unending. His goodness is always expressed in permitting us the freedom of our choices. Mercifully He draws us to Himself and permits us to consider repenting. He even grants us the gift of repentance if we are willing to desire it. Mercifully He grants a man also the freedom to choose rebellion; He will force no one to "be saved." If a person is willing to be renewed and transformed, God facilitates that. If he is not willing, He will not.
There is no end of God's mercy when Probation Closes. Rather, the Deity has shepherded His creation to the point where everyone has made a free and clear-cut decision. As we will see, the sanctuary, which was never more than a temporary system, is obsoleted. God simply recognizes that fact and discontinues its operation.
There is another issue. Suffering has continued for thousands of years. When the universe reaches a point where no purpose is achieved in allowing suffering to continue, then to permit it to last even one moment longer than necessary would be out of character for Him. So He won't. Sin and suffering will not be continued longer than necessary in order that the Great Controversy War achieve its purposes in securing the creation for time and eternity against the continuation of sin.
Thus, while His mercy does not end with the Close of Probation, and even sin and suffering continue a short while longer, the Close will only come when we are very near to the end of all suffering. If we could know the moment of probation's close, we would understand that it signals the imminent discontinuation of suffering. In that sense too then, the Close of Probation is an enormously hopeful event.
Origins of the Doctrine
Adventists have almost no original doctrines, and that holds true for this one. But probably, the first we find with it, William Miller, took his understanding from the Scripture.
Revelation 22:11, 12 says
He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Here then we find linkage between the end of Jesus intercession with the immediacy of His Second Coming. Notice that God is not forcing anyone to be anything. He is simply pronouncing His acceptance of their decisions to be what they would be. He does not force a character change on the unjust. He does not demand a cleansing of the filthy. He accepts the decision of those who have cultivated selfishness to cling to it.
Likewise, He makes clear that those who have decided to be righteous can continue to be. those who have embraced holiness will not be impeded. God accepts the decisions. and will soon bring His reward. When Miller came to the last chapter of His Bible, he saw that God brings the war between good and evil to a conclusion. There will be reward. There will be consequence. There will be righteousness and holiness.
We received this concept from Miller. Miller drifted from a religious childhood to become a Deist. After an unanticipated Christian conversion experience, Miller's Deist associates pressed him about his change of viewpoints, and he set out to either see if what he had before understood to be Bible contradictions could be reconciled, or to abandon it all for Deism again. In the process, Miller developed a strong interest in Bible prophecy, and after an extended study and the relentless urging of others that he share his views, began to give lectures on rightly understanding the prophecies. It was thus that Miller began to teach the Close of Probation.
Miller's study led him to the view that on the basis of Bible chronology, the literal Second Coming of Jesus was just a few years away. A holy life, a very serious spiritual preparation, was understood as necessary in order to be ready for the event. When, in the Fall of 1844 Jesus did not come to the earth in flaming fire as anticipated, for a time a group held that the "door of mercy" had been closed and that the work of Christians for the conversion of others was ended and that in a very short space Jesus would return. This came to be known as the "Shut-door" theory.
It was soon abandoned as further study revealed the true position of God's people. Jesus had, in 1844 entered the Most Holy Place in the heavenly sanctuary, there to cleanse it, there to conduct what we call the Investigative Judgment. Only when this is concluded will Probation Close and a short time afterward Jesus will return for the Second Coming.
Kooky Like Everyone Else
Since the Close of Probation teaching is one which some include in the Adventist "kook" factor, ponder for a moment how many ways that our view is the same as that of others. Maybe Christians are all kooks—and not just Seventh-day Adventists.
Few other groups may use the term "probation" but their understanding of God's salvation system includes the same concept. Namely, the fate of every individual remains open until their choices are manifest in rebellion or submission to the divine will. An individual chooses either the way of God or the way of man during an "open" period. Other groups may have a lower expectation for what can happen in fallen man and thus expect the attainment of only a significantly lower behavioral threshold. They might lay their emphasis on a moment of decision in intellectual assent to the idea that they are a sinner and Jesus is God come in human flesh who lived and died and rose again. Such assent may be viewed as the making of a binding and irrevocable contract with God. Differences in expectation aside, the root idea is the same.
Another shared concept, is closure. Virtually all groups include in their system a point beyond which one's salvation is not jeopardized. There is a time when your case is closed.
When you add these concepts (free will/choice, limited opportunity/closure), you have most of the essential ideas of the Seventh-day Adventist concept of the Close of Probation. At the bottom line then, virtually all Christians are drawing the same lines; we just draw some of them in different places. Thus viewed, it seems there is a double-standard in operation. The idea of a Close of Probation for Lutherans, or Baptists, is socially acceptable, but for Adventists it is a sign of strangeness. As advocates of a minority religious viewpoint, this is to be expected. We should not become hung up or self-conscious concerning such issues. We should expect to be treated thus and not waste energy on hurt feelings.
What Are the Basics?
I would like to have someone to help me out for a few minutes. Michael, would you come up here? He didn't know this was coming at all. Michael is one of our deacons. He is also a chef. Michael, stand up here. Now Michael, I brought something in this morning and I don't think even my wife saw me bring it with me. This cleaver is from our kitchen. You know how to use these pretty well, don't you? Mike, I want you to take this knife, and stand right here directly behind me.
What are the basics of the concepts we call the Close of Probation?
The word "probation" itself begins as a Latin word, probare. It simply means to "test.
" Here is the idea of probation as used by a certain University here in California:
In criminal courts, probation usually follows, or may be required instead of, jail time. At Cal Poly Pomona, it serves as an official warning that something you have done has required the University to pay special attention to your behavior lest that behavior be repeated. In effect, you are being 'tested' to show that you have learned from your prior experience and will not repeat it. Your time at the University is conditional on your good behavior; pass the test and you're welcome as a member of the community.
If you fail the test, you will not be allowed to remain here:
(http://www. dsa. csupomona. edu/judicialaffairs/probation. asp, accessed 2007-11-07 23:29Z).
So the basic idea is "to test." Pass the test, be welcomed as a member of the community; fail the test, be removed from the community. Free will is a big part of the question.
If you create beings and give them free will, reasoning powers, and a conscience, they can be accountable, responsible people. Now that you have given them these god-like faculties and powers, are you going to take those powers away for eternity? Is being "saved" being reduced to something less than the man God made in the beginning? How strange that the God many Christians worship is one who refuses to maintain their free will after they exercise their free will to choose Him.
Testing benefits the community as well as the individual. What about Jesus' followers in the gospels? He tested them over and over again. When others failed, He asked His core group, "Will you leave me also?" There is nothing wrong with testing, evaluation. Would you want to live in a world where you buy a car that explodes, or a microwave oven that irradiates you, or a house that immediately burns to the ground? These things still happen, but very rarely today, because people are kept accountable and so there is testing.
We have all seen the television commercials where an automobile manufacturer wrecks its expensive car by running it into a wall. What impression (pardon the pun) are they trying to make on you? "At XYZ Motors, we put a lot of energy into quality. Our cars are safe." One company says that the quality goes in before the name goes on. And that is the way it is with Christianity too. God says He can save fallen humans, that is, change them. The universe watchs for proof of this. They are fairly certain that God is right, but they would like to see Him demonstrate that it is right.
For several minutes now, Michael has been standing behind me. I could not see what he was doing. He could have knifed me in the back, shot me in the back, rabbit-punched me, possibly stolden my wallet, put a kick-me sign there. Did he do any of these things? No. He was tested. You are witnesses. Michael, Thank you, you can be seated.
God gave us each free will. He "armed" us so to speak. If you can choose intelligently between two options, then you are equipped, you are armed. Michael was armed. He was holding a knife near my back. I could not see him. Preventing a fatal wound would have been almost impossible for me if Michael had intended it. Michael was armed.
But a question: Was he dangerous?
He was safe. He had a fallen nature and free will. And I felt it was safe for him to stand behind me with a sharp knife. But when he chose not to stab me, was he acting out of character? No, Mike was just being Mike. And the universe needs to know that we, who they have witnessed committing quite a long list of sins, are now safe to save. As we will see, this is one of the things the Investigative Judgment and the Close of Probation are all about.
Examples of Close of Probation
The idea of a close of probation is thoroughly biblical. Examples abound.
1. Adam and Eve (Gen 2:17).
2. Noah's Flood (Gen 6:13; 17:1, 7, 10).
3. Belshazzar's Feast (Dan 5:17-31).
4. Israel's 490 Years (Dan 9:24-27).
5. Apostasy of the Ancient Leaders (Ezekiel 8-11).
6. Ten Virgins (Matt 25:1-13).
7. End-time Sealing and Mark (Rev 13, 14).
Five Basic Parts of the Close of Probation Sequence
The periods involved are (1) the sealing time, (2) the moment when probation closes, (3) the first phase of closed probation, (4) the second phase, or "Time of Jacob's Trouble" Phrase, and (5) the Second Coming of Jesus.
The Sealing
The sealing time is the present. Inspiration tells us that the sealing is "a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be moved" (Ellen G. White, Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 1161). There are changes to be made in a person, intellectually and spiritually. These occur through the ideas and doctrines we adopt. These modify our faith and practice. Truth sanctifies, error corrupts. This is why sound doctrine is important.
Our business right now is to cooperate with God so that we can be sealed. Here is another description of being sealed, although it does not use the exact word. But I think you will agree.
Oh, pay special attention to the first and last sentences:
Now, while our great High Priest is making the atonement for us, we should seek to become perfect in Christ. Not even by a thought could our Saviour be brought to yield to the power of temptation. Satan finds in human hearts some point where he can gain a foothold; some sinful desire is cherished, by means of which his temptations assert their power. But Christ declared of Himself: 'The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me.' John 14:30. Satan could find nothing in the Son of God that would enable Him to gain the victory. He had kept His Father's commandments, and there was no sin in Him that Satan could use to his advantage. This is the condition in which those must be found who shall stand in the time of trouble (The Great Controversy, p. 623).
When? "Now." Seek what? "to become perfect in Christ." What does it mean to become perfect in Christ? "Not even by a thought could our Saviour be brought to yield to the power of temptation." What is Satan looking for in us? "Satan finds in human hearts some point where he can gain a foothold; some sinful desire is cherished, by means of which his temptations assert their power." When Satan came to Jesus did he find any place for a foothold? any cherished sinful desire? "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me." When we read that Satan could find nothing in the Son of God that would enable Him to gain the victory, what are we reading? That There was no place in Jesus' mind or heart where Satan could gain leverage. He had kept His Father's commandments. There was no object for Jesus that He desired more than doing right. What condition must we be found in if we would stand in the time of trouble? "This [the condition of Jesus] is the condition in which those must be found who shall stand in the time of trouble.
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Sealing is, again, settling into the truth intellectually and spiritually so that you cannot be moved. The paragraph from Great Controversy p. 623 is a description of that. Jesus provides the ultimate Example. It is interesting that this, one of the best descriptions of what the sealing entails, is found right in the midst of the chapter of the book that describes most closely the experience of living without a Mediator.
We call ourselves Christians. But many who call themselves that today are more interesting in watching Jesus be righteous than embracing His example for themselves. He does righteousness for them so that they don't have to. Or so they think. While our doing righteousness does not carry merit to save us, it does show who has the heart. It shows whether we are truly Christians or pretenders. Bad theology produces a crop of pretenders. When the testing time comes, the pretenders will be evident.
Short Answers
Here are some short answers, teasers actually. We will discuss them at greater length in the other parts of this message when they are presented.
We will give evidence starting with our next presentation…
1. Is every case decided before probation closes? Yes.
2. Does that mean that after probation's close everything will be easy for us? No.
3. Will we be tempted after the close of probation? Yes.
4. Could we sin after the Close of Probation? Yes.
5. Will we face our greatest spiritual test before or after probation closes? After.
6. Will the faithful sin after the Close of Probation? No.
7. Will some who have been sealed before probation closes sin after it closes? No.
Conclusion
We have settled some background today, outlined the basic sequence, offered other biblical examples of probation in operation, and discussed the sealing. There is much more, and we will address the topic carefully in the next few presentations before we finish.
How imperative that we seek now to bring under our God-given control the way we think, the things we do, the patterns of behavior we copy, and develop a familiarity with the fluid exercise of faith. Character is not formed in a moment. If we want to be like Jesus we must be intentional about it. He stands ready to help but too often we do not stand ready to receive His help. God wants to make us into Christians.
Do we give our consent?
Times of intensity are on the way. It is amazing that some are today dropping out of the church, turning from Bible-confirmed Present Truth to fables.
Jeremiah warns us:
If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?
The topic of the Close of Probation is a call to action, a spur to faith. Now, while our great High Priest is making the atonement, is the time for us to prepare. If we are faithful, Jesus will receive all the honor. What a privilege! Onward fellow soldiers! Make ready.
Continue reading this article...
The Close of Probation, Part 2
The Close of Probation, Part 3
The Close of Probation, Part 4
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