The Great Controversy The Great Controversy | Page 425

Both the prophecy of Daniel 8:14, “Unto two thousand and three
hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed,” and the first angel’s
message, “Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment
is come,” pointed to Christ’s ministration in the most holy place, to
the investigative judgment, and not to the coming of Christ for the
redemption of His people and the destruction of the wicked. The mistake
had not been in the reckoning of the prophetic periods, but in the event
to take place at the end of the 2300 days. Through this error the
believers had suffered disappointment, yet all that was foretold by the
prophecy, and all that they had any Scripture warrant to expect, had been
accomplished. At the very time when they were lamenting the failure
of their hopes, the event had taken place which was foretold by the
message, and which must be fulfilled before the Lord could appear to
give reward to His servants.
Christ had come, not to the earth, as they expected, but, as
foreshadowed in the type, to the most holy place of the temple of God in
heaven. He is represented by the prophet Daniel as coming at this time
to the Ancient of Days: “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like
the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came”—not to the
earth, but—“to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before
Him.” Daniel 7:13.
This coming is foretold also by the prophet Malachi: “The Lord,
whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger
of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come, saith the
Lord of hosts.” Malachi 3:1. The coming of the Lord to His temple
was sudden, unexpected, to His people. They were not looking for Him
there. They expected Him to come to earth, “in flaming fire taking
vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel.”
2 Thessalonians 1:8.
But the people were not yet ready to meet their Lord. There was still
a work of preparation to be accomplished for

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