The Promise

Darkness Precedes the Dawn

Picture: Darkness Precedes the Dawn 2TC 335.1

Through the long centuries, from the day our first parents lost their Eden home to the time the Son of God appeared as the Savior, the hope of the fallen race centered in the coming of a Deliverer to free men and women from the slavery of sin and the grave. 2TC 335.2

Adam and Eve first received hope in Eden when the Lord declared to Satan, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” Genesis 3:15. As the guilty pair listened, hope filled their hearts, for they saw in this a promise of deliverance from ruin. They did not have to yield to despair. With His own blood the Son of God would atone for their transgression. Through faith in the power of Christ to save, they could become the children of God once more. 2TC 335.3

By turning our first parents from obedience, Satan became “the god of this world.” 2 Corinthians 4:4, NRSV. But the Son of God proposed not only to redeem the human race but to recover the dominion they had lost. “O Tower of the flock, ... to You shall it come, even the former dominion.” Micah 4:8. 2TC 336.1

This hope of redemption has never become extinct. From the beginning there have been some whose faith has reached out beyond the present to the future—Adam, Seth, Enoch, Methuselah, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Through these the Lord has preserved His revealed will. To the chosen people through whom the promised Messiah would come, God gave a knowledge of salvation to be provided through the atoning sacrifice of His beloved Son. 2TC 336.2

At the call of Abraham God promised, and later repeated, “In you all families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:3. The Sun of Righteousness illuminated Abraham’s heart, scattering his darkness. When the Savior Himself walked the earth, He spoke of the patriarch’s hope: “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” John 8:56. 2TC 336.3

The blessing that Jacob pronounced on Judah foreshadowed the same “blessed hope”: 2TC 336.4

“The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.” Genesis 49:10 2TC 336.5

Again, Balaam foretold the coming of the world’s Redeemer: 2TC 336.6

“A Star shall come out of Jacob;
A Scepter shall rise out of Israel.” Numbers 24:17 2TC 336.7

Through Moses also, God kept Israel aware of His purpose to send His Son as the Redeemer. Moses declared, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear.” Deuteronomy 18:15. 2TC 336.8

How the Sanctuary Services Revealed the Savior

The sacrificial offerings constituted a perpetual reminder that a Savior was coming. Throughout Israel’s history types and shadows taught the people each day the great truths of Christ as Redeemer, Priest, and King. And once each year the Day of Atonement services carried their minds forward to the closing events of the great controversy between Christ and Satan. The earthly sanctuary was “symbolic for the present time.” Its two holy places were “copies of things in the heavens,” for Christ is today “a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.” Hebrews 9:9, 23; 8:2. 2TC 337.1

When Adam and his sons began to offer ceremonial sacrifices designated as a type of the coming Redeemer, Satan recognized in these a symbol of a close relationship between earth and heaven. During the long centuries he has constantly tried to intercept this relationship, to misrepresent God and misinterpret the rites that point to the Savior. The chief enemy of the human race has portrayed God as one who delights in destroying people. God designed the sacrifices to reveal His love. But Satan has perverted them into a means by which sinners have hoped—in vain—to appease the wrath of an offended God. At the same time, he has worked to strengthen evil passions so that, through repeated transgression, he can lead multitudes far from God and keep them hopelessly bound with the chains of sin. 2TC 337.2

In the parchment rolls of the Old Testament Scriptures Satan read the words that outlined Christ’s work among us as a suffering sacrifice and as a conquering king. He read that the One who was to appear was to be “led as a lamb to the slaughter,” “His visage ... marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.” The promised Savior was to be “despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief ..., smitten by God, and afflicted.” Isaiah 53:7; 52:14; 53:3, 4. These prophecies caused Satan to tremble, yet he determined to blind the people to what they really meant in order to prepare the way for them to reject Christ at His coming. 2TC 337.3

Before the Flood, success had crowned Satan’s efforts to bring about a worldwide rebellion against God. After the Flood, with sly insinuations he again led humanity into bold rebellion. He seemed about to triumph, but through the descendants of faithful Abraham, God intended to raise up messengers to call attention to the meaning of the sacrificial ceremonies, and especially to the promise of the One toward whom all the services pointed. 2TC 338.1

God carried out His plan, but not without determined opposition. In every way possible the enemy worked to cause Abraham’s descendants to forget their holy calling. For centuries before Christ’s first advent, darkness covered the earth, and deep darkness the people. Multitudes were sitting in the shadow of death. 2TC 338.2

The True Character of the Messiah Revealed

With prophetic vision David had foreseen that the coming of Christ would be “like the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds.” 2 Samuel 23:4. And Hosea testified, “His going forth is established as the morning.” Hosea 6:3. Quietly and gently the daylight breaks on the earth, dispelling the darkness and waking the earth to life. Isaiah exclaimed: 2TC 338.3

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 2TC 338.4

The loyal ones among the Jewish nation strengthened their faith by dwelling on these and similar passages. They read how the Lord would anoint One “to preach good tidings to the poor,” “to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives,” and to declare “the acceptable year of the Lord.” Isaiah 61:1, 2. Yet with sadness and deep humiliation of soul they noted the words in the prophetic scroll: 2TC 338.5

He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted... .
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:3-6 2TC 339.1

As the substitute and the One taking responsibility for sinful humanity, Christ was to suffer under divine justice. Through the psalmist the Redeemer had prophesied concerning Himself: 2TC 339.2

Reproach has broken My heart,
And I am full of heaviness; I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none;
And for comforters, but I found none.
They gave Me also gall for My food,
And for My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink. Psalm 69:20, 21 2TC 339.3

He prophesied: “They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” Psalm 22:16-18. 2TC 339.4

These portrayals of the bitter suffering and cruel death of the Promised One, sad though they were, were rich in promise; for “it pleased the Lord to bruise Him” and put Him to grief, so that He could become “an offering for sin.” Isaiah 53:10. 2TC 339.5

Love for sinners led Christ to pay the price of redemption. No one else could ransom men and women from the power of the enemy. His life bore no taint of self-assertion. The world honors position, wealth, and talent, but the Son of God would present none of these. The Messiah was not to use any of the means that people employ to win allegiance. The Bible foretold his renunciation of self: 2TC 339.6

He shall not cry out, nor raise His voice,
Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench. Isaiah 42:2, 3 2TC 340.1

The Important Work: Deliverance From Sin

The Savior was to conduct Himself on earth entirely differently from the teachers of the day. His life would reveal no noisy arguing, no act to gain applause. The Messiah was to be hid in God, and God would be revealed in the character of His Son. Without divine help, men and women would sink lower and lower. He who made the world must give them life and power. 2TC 340.2

The Son of God was to “exalt the law, and make it honorable.” Verse 21. He was to free God’s commandments from the burdensome rules people had placed on them, which had discouraged many in their efforts to serve God. 2TC 340.3

“The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. ... With righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth.” Isaiah 11:2-4. 2TC 340.4

A fountain was to be opened “for sin and for uncleanness.” Zechariah 13:1. Sinners were to hear the blessed invitation: 2TC 340.5

“Incline your ear, and come to Me.
Hear, and your soul shall live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—
The sure mercies of David.” Isaiah 55:3 2TC 340.6

In word and deed the Messiah was to reveal the glory of God the Father, to make known to fallen humanity the infinite love of God. 2TC 340.7

He will feed His flock like a shepherd;
He will gather the lambs with His arm,
And carry them in His bosom,
And gently lead those who are with young. Isaiah 40:11 2TC 341.1

“These also who erred in spirit will come to understanding,
And those who complained will learn doctrine.” Isaiah 29:24 2TC 341.2

Thus God spoke to the world concerning the coming of a Deliverer from sin. Inspired prophecy pointed to the advent of “the Desire of All Nations.” Haggai 2:7. God had even specified the place of His birth and the time of His appearance. The Son of David must be born in David’s city. Out of Bethlehem “shall come forth ... the One to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2. 2TC 341.3

“But you, Bethlehem, ...
Out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.” Matthew 2:6 2TC 341.4

God revealed the time of the first advent to Daniel. “Seventy weeks,” said the angel, “are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.” Daniel 9:24. 2TC 341.5

The Time of Christ’s First Coming Specified

A day in prophecy stands for a year. See Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6. The 70 weeks, or 490 days, represent 490 years. The prophecy gives a starting point for this period: “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks” (Daniel 9:25)—69 weeks, or 483 years. The command to restore and build Jerusalem by the decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus went into effect in the autumn of 457 B.C.. See Ezra 6:14; 7:1, 9. From this time, 483 years extend to the autumn of A.D. 27. According to the prophecy, this period was to reach to the Messiah, the Anointed One. In A.D. 27, at His baptism, Jesus received the anointing of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 4:27; John 1:33), and soon afterward He proclaimed the message, “The time is fulfilled.” Mark 1:15. 2TC 341.6

Then, said the angel, “He shall confirm a covenant with many for one week [seven years].” For seven years after the Savior entered on His ministry, the gospel would be preached especially to the Jews—for three and a half years by Christ Himself, and afterward by the apostles. “In the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.” Daniel 9:27. In the spring of A.D. 31, Christ, the true Sacrifice, was offered on Calvary. Then the veil of the temple was torn (see Mark 15:38), showing that the time had come for the earthly sacrifices to end. 2TC 342.1

The one “week”—seven years—ended in a.d. 34. By the stoning of Stephen the Jews sealed their rejection of the gospel. The disciples “went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4), and shortly after, Saul the persecutor became Paul the apostle to the Gentiles. 2TC 342.2

The prophecies concerning the Savior led the Hebrews to live in a state of constant expectancy. Many believed and “confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” Hebrews 11:13. The promises repeated through patriarchs and prophets had kept alive the hope of His appearing. 2TC 342.3

God had not at first revealed the exact time of the first advent; and even when the prophecy of Daniel made this known, not everyone interpreted the message correctly. 2TC 342.4

Century after century passed. Finally there were no more prophets. As the Jews departed from God, hope almost ceased to brighten the future. Those whose faith should have continued strong were ready to exclaim, “The days are prolonged, and every vision fails.” Ezekiel 12:22. But heaven’s council had determined the hour for the coming of Christ. “When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman.” Galatians 4:4, 5. 2TC 342.5

God must give lessons to humanity in the language of humanity. People must hear the Messenger of the covenant in His own temple. The author of truth must separate truth from the chaff of human opinion. God must clearly define the plan of redemption. 2TC 343.1

When the Savior finally appeared “in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7), Satan could only bruise His heel, while by every act of suffering Christ was bruising the head of His adversary. The anguish that sin has brought was poured into the heart of the Sinless One. Yet Christ was breaking the slavery that had held humanity. Every pang of anguish, every insult, was working out the deliverance of the race. 2TC 343.2

If Satan could have gotten Christ to stain His perfect purity by one act or even one thought, the prince of darkness would have triumphed and gained the whole human family. But while Satan could distress, he could not contaminate. He could cause agony, but not defilement. He made the life of Christ one long scene of conflict and trial, yet with every attack he was losing his hold on humanity. 2TC 343.3

In Gethsemane and on the cross, our Savior went personally to battle with the prince of darkness. When Christ hung in agony on the cross, then indeed Satan bruised His heel. But that very act was crushing the serpent’s head. Through death Jesus destroyed “him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.” Hebrews 2:14. This act made the plan of salvation secure forever. In death, in rising again, Jesus opened the gates of the grave for all His followers. Our Redeemer has opened the way so that the most sinful, the most needy, the most oppressed and despised, may find access to the Father. 2TC 343.4