Complete Offering [qualitatively] and Incomplete Atonement [time phases] of Christ

Koot van Wyk (DLitt et Phil; ThD)

Visiting Professor

Kyungpook National University

Sangju Campus

South Korea

Conjoint Lecturer of Avondale College

Australia

19 May 2011

Slowly some are beginning to understand Adventism and their contribution to Christianity. Whether they accept it, is another issue.

Yes, Atonement is not only at the cross. Whoever says that is not reading the whole bible or the bible holistically.

First, atonement was not only at the cross.

Says Paul in Ephesians 1:4

"in Him He has chosen us before the fall [downcasting = literal Greek] of the world".

For the Trinity, atonement was completed already before the Fall.

It is for the unfallen worlds, angels, us that the cross had to be the accomplished fact that secured the essence of atonement. It is the nucleus of atonement.

There are actually about 8 phases of the atonement.

1. Trinity's accomplished atonement before the Fall

2. Promise of the atonement applied with focus on the coming Messiah

3. Essence of the atonement secured at the cross

4. Meditorial atonement between 31-1844 in first Heavenly Apartment

5. High Priestly function of atonement or Investigative Judgement or stigma removal in the eyes of the heavenly "jury" aspect of the Heavenly process of atonement [John 14:1-3 "I go and prepare a place for you" [still to be done] as opposed to "there are many houses in my Father's house" [already a fact].

6. Glorification aspect of the atonement when in resurrection new bodies are created perfect

7. Confirmatory atonement for a 1000 years or millennium when books are opened and saints confirmed why their loved ones are not there and Christ will wipe the tears from their eyes

8. Executive aspect of the atonement when all evil will be eradicated and new heavens and new earth will be created

In similar vein the word salvation in the Bible should be applied. It goes through all eight phases before it is de facto. Before that it is all de iure. Not to be philosophical, but the de facto, de iure distinction is only applicable to creatures [angels, unfallen worlds, humans] but not to the Trinity since they know everything for certain from the beginning to the end.

Says Peter in 1 Peter 2:2

Long for the pure Word of God and truths in it so that "in Him you may grow unto salvation".

In Christ but grow unto salvation.

Christ our Substitute

Christ our Example

Salvation de iure will definitely then become de facto salvation in the eschaton. Although saved, you grow unto salvation.

This is why we must guard against placing frames around verses and dogmatize about their content brushing aside a holistic approach of the Bible.

Adventism since 1844 has done just that.

Christ's offering or sacrifice was qualitatively the best and a complete fact. It forms the essential part of atonement. But, atonement was not completed at the Cross since it occurs in periods and phases in a time continuum that stretches from Eden to Eden. The function of Christ change during each phase and a new name is given to that phase ending in about eight different phases for the Atonement. Some non-Adventists are misunderstanding the article by Seth Pierce in Adventist Review January 27 (2011) :21, in this regard, thinking that he is claiming that atonement was completed at the cross. They view the article as an editorial slip of the Adventist Review Editor [private communication to me by a member of the mega-church of John McArthur in California].