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Saturday, July 23, 2011

DAYS OF PRAISE-OUR ADVOCATE IN HEAVEN

Days of Praise
Our Advocate in Heaven
July 23, 2011
"Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on
high." (Job 16:19)
It is significant that here, in what is probably the oldest book in
the Bible, two vitally important New Testament truths are
anticipated. Job somehow knew that he (and, by implication,
every other person as well) has a "record" in heaven. This is
the only occurrence of this word (sahed) in the Bible, but it
basically means that our works, good or bad, have been
recorded by God in heaven concerning how we have used
or abused our stewardship here on earth.
And the record, inevitably, testifies against us, "for there is
not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth
not" (Ecclesiastes 7:20). At God's future throne of judgment,
when "the dead |are| judged out of those things which were
written in the books, according to their works," then "whosoever
|is| not found written in the book of life |is| cast into the lake
of fire" (Revelation 20:12, 15).
But how can we know that our names will be in God's book of
life in that day? Thankfully, even Job knew, in his long-ago time,
that "my witness is in heaven." Here the word (Hebrew ed)
speaks of a formal personal witness who can testify on our
behalf, one who "might plead for a man with God, as a man
pleadeth for his neighbor!" (Job 16:21).
Job somehow knew that such a witness was there, for he could
also say, "I know that my redeemer liveth" (Job 19:25). In the
light of the New Testament record, we know that this Redeemer
and Witness is none other than the Lord Jesus. "If any man sin,
we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
And he is the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 2:1-2). That is, He
is the "sacrifice" for our sins, and thus can redeem us from sin's
penalty, and thereby serve as our defense witness in heaven. Our
record of sin and guilt has been washed clean with the precious
blood of Christ. HMM
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