The Vision of “Justification by Faith”

The Angel of Revelation 18 which lighteneth the earth with His glory:
"He had bright beams coming out of His side: and there was the hiding of His
power." Habakkuk 3:4, margin.

Habakkuk 2:2-4 “And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make
it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an
appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry,
wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, his soul which is
lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.”

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A vision of Christ for the end of time

We have a solemn vision of the Lord in His glory, recorded for us in the book “The
Great Controversy” by Ellen G. White on page 674. The vision and the importance
she places upon it makes it a necessity of our study and contemplation now, in
these waning hours before Christ’s return:

She begins by saying that, in the New heaven and New earth, where all is made
new, “One reminder (of the curse of sin) alone remains : Our Redeemer will ever
bear the marks of His crucifixion. Upon His wounded head, upon His side, His hands
and feet, are the only traces of the cruel work that sin has wrought. Says the
prophet, beholding Christ in His glory: "He had bright beams coming out of His side:
and there was the hiding of His power." Habakkuk 3:4, margin. That pierced side
whence flowed the crimson stream that reconciled man to God--there is the
Saviour's glory, there "the hiding of His power." "Mighty to save," through the
sacrifice of redemption, He was therefore strong to execute justice upon them that
despised God's mercy. And the tokens of His humiliation are His highest honor;
through the eternal ages the wounds of Calvary will show forth His praise and
declare His power. {GC 674.2}

In the everlastingly pierced side of Christ we will behold there, the Savior’s Glory
and where His Power is hiding. In vision Habakkuk the prophet saw bright beams of
light shining from Jesus’ side. This is the same side where flowed the crimson
stream of His sacred blood, poured out for our redemption; and we are told this is
also His Glory.

It was the Spirit of the Lord which caused this to become such a great object of
attraction and study and contemplation. If there, in His pierced side, we are plainly
told that there is the Savior’s Glory and the Hiding of His Power… would we not do
well to behold and contemplate this glorious representation and be changed into
Christ’s image?

Habakkuk’s vision

This is the manifest purpose for which the vision was revealed. As we turn to the
book of Habakkuk to learn more about what God spoke to Habakkuk about
concerning this vision, we see more eternally interesting things which cause us to
know that this is hidden manna for these last days.

Habakkuk complained to God about the coming judgments God was planning to
send upon Jerusalem, and that He was going to use the nation of Babylon to punish
God’s heritage of Israel – using a wicked nation and army to punish God’s people…
Habakkuk questioned God’s methods…

But God is Merciful and Gracious, and answered Habakkuk and (in Hab. Chapter 2:2-
4) told Him that though He will now (at that time) use Babylon as His instrument to
declare His wrath, the time would come when God would stand up for His chosen
people and reveal Himself as their Savior in the end time. In connection with this
instruction, Habakkuk was told that he would receive a vision and that the vision
was to be written and also made plain upon tables. The vision was of such a
character as that, once it was made plain upon tables, the Holy Spirit could cause a
person to run the race of faith if that person would chance and behold it, mingling
faith with his looking. Habakkuk was further told that the vision is yet to be used at
an appointed time in the future and when it shall speak and that it will not lie, but
declare the Truth of God.

It is manifest that the vision God was referring to is the vision we are now studying,
for the vision of the bright beams shining out of Christ’s side was revealed to
Habakkuk in the very next chapter (Hab. 3:4). But what does all this mean? We
know the things of God are very deep, but God said that the purpose for all of this
was to be made plain upon tables, which means it was to be made simple.

We read that after God told Habakkuk that he would receive a vision, to be made
plain upon tables and that in the in end of time it would speak, God then inspires
Habakkuk to utter these immortal words, “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not
upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.” Hab. 2:4

This is Justification by Faith: “The Third Angel’s message, in verity”

Justification by faith is the great theme of the Gospel, yea the whole Bible and the
apostle Paul directly quotes this passage in Habakkuk three times in his New
Testament letters to show the force of these words. We believe that the vision to be
made plain upon tables of Christ pierced in His side and having bright beams
shining out there is directly related to the message of “Justification by faith”.

It is at this point where we need to come to our day, and receive help from the
prophet of the Lord in the last remnant of time. Let’s look at some words of Ellen G.
White, manifested in the Spirit of Prophecy to help us see the connection of this
vision with Jesus’ last message of mercy to the world and its importance to us as we
prepare to co-labor with God to complete His finishing work in the earth.

When the message of “Justification by faith” was brought to the Seventh-day

Adventist church by God’s appointed messengers in 1888, Ellen G. White declared
that this message was the beginning of the latter rain Power of the Holy Spirit,
which is symbolized in the Bible as the angel of Revelation 18:1:
“The time of test is just upon us, for the loud cry of the third angel has already
begun in the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sin-pardoning
Redeemer. This is the beginning of the light of the angel whose glory shall fill the
whole earth. For it is the work of every one to whom the message of warning has
come, to lift up Jesus, to present Him to the world as revealed in types, as
shadowed in symbols, as manifested in the revelations of the prophets, as unveiled
in the lessons given to His disciples and in the wonderful miracles wrought for the
sons of men. Search the Scriptures; for they are they that testify of Him.
If you would stand through the time of trouble, you must know Christ, and
appropriate the gift of His righteousness, which He imputes to the repentant
sinner.”--The Review and Herald, Nov. 22, 1892. {1SM 363.1}

In the above quote EGW is speaking about the presentation of the message of
Justification by faith at the 1888 General Conference of Seventh Day Adventists. She
said that this message is the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophecy in
Revelation chapter 18 of the Angel Who descends from heaven and lightens the
earth with His glory. In many places EGW said that this Angel in Revelation 18 is a
representation of the latter rain God’s people have so long been waiting to receive
so that by receiving we may grow up into Christ.

And again in another place concerning the light from heaven which was brought in
the message of “Justification by faith”, EGW declared:
“Several have written to me, inquiring if the message of justification by faith is
the third angel's message, and I have answered, "It is the third angel's message, in
verity."-- The Review and Herald, April 1, 1890. {1SM 372.2}

Here EGW plainly says that the message of “Justification by faith” is in fact the Third
Angel’s message which our church was raised up to give to the world as the last
message of mercy from God, to prepare a people to receive Christ, shortly before
Jesus’ second coming in Glory.

The vision made plain upon Tables

Now, how do we put it all together? We believe that Habakkuk’s vision is an Old
Testament vision of the Angel of Revelation 18...which then is a vision of Christ. It is
Jesus Who lightens the earth with His own Glory! And this glorious light is shining
from the awful wound in His side where He was pierced for our salvation - it is HIS
glory which lightens the earth! And what is more, this is revealed to be the latter
rain of the Holy Spirit which shall give us the perfecting fullness of God and prepare
us for the final conflict ahead of us, which closes the Great Controversy between
Christ and Satan.

Now this is the vision, which was prophesied that at the end shall speak and not lie.
How then do we make it plain upon tables?
The Hebrew word which in Habakkuk 2:2 translated as tables is “luach”; in every
instance in which “luach” was translated as “tables” in the Old Testament it was
referring to the two tables of the Ten Commandments. These are the “tables” upon
which the vision is to be made plain.
But there are two tables for the Ten Commandments. How do we make one vision
plain upon these two tables? We know that the Ten Commandment law can be
summed up into two commandments, namely Love to God (the first table) and Love
to man (the second table).

Concerning the vision which Habakkuk saw of Christ in His glory with bright beams
shining out of His pierced side, EGW wrote in the book “The Great Controversy”,
right after quoting Habakkuk 3:4, “That pierced side whence flowed the crimson
stream that reconciled man to God--there is the Saviour's glory, there "the hiding of
His power."

So we see in the one vision of Habakkuk two manifestations of Jesus’ pierced side.
Christ’s pierced side is where both His blood and water was poured out upon the
Cross of Calvary and also, later, we see bright beams coming out of His side in His
Glory. It is these two images of Christ which we are to make plain upon the two
tables of the Ten Commandments, representing Love to God and Love to man.

It is manifest that the picture of Christ pouring out His blood and flowing water upon
the Cross, is the image and greatest manifestation of Love to man. The embodiment
of the Law of the second table (as well as the first) is at once presented in a plain
picture. “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his
friends.” (John 15:12,13) The picture of Christ shedding His blood upon the Cross is
to be made plain on the Second table representing “Love to man”; therefore the
picture of the bright beams shining out of Christ’s side is to be made plain upon the
first table, representing Love to God.

Now we have a vision, made plain upon tables, in obedience to God’s instruction –
which the beholding and contemplation of, through the agency of the Holy Spirit,
will teach us many things in the way of Christ’s Righteousness for the finishing of
God’s work in earth.

An important revelation of Christ for the end time: “LOOK AND LIVE”

Can this really be so important? YES, so much so that it is essential for those who
hope to go through and endure until the end…each one of us must come to a
decision concerning this vision and whether we shall believe this is truly “Thus saith
the Lord”. The first principle of why this is true is because “man shall not live by
bread alone, but BY EVERY WORD that proceedth out of the mouth of God” (Matt.
4:4). When God sends us a message of light, He does it for a reason which has
eternal consequences. We cannot with safety, disregard any message God should
send us, especially not one which was prophesied that “at the end it shall speak and
not lie”…

But there is another reason which we can more readily comprehend why this vision
is so important for us “upon whom the ends of the world are come”. In many
instances, EGW likened the message of Justification by faith to the experience of the
children of Israel when Moses lifted up the serpent upon a pole in the wilderness.
God chose to save them and heal them in this strange way, and it was left with the
people to, as EGW declared it many times, “LOOK AND LIVE”.

We believe that this vision is a last days declaration of the gospel to accompany the
other testing truths for this time, made plain upon tables in pictures, which speak to
every nation, tongue, tribe and people.

We are to behold Christ and be changed into His image, from glory to glory even as
by the Spirit of the Lord. Beholding Christ by faith as embodied in this vision, made
plain upon the two tables of the Ten Commandments, creates a channel whereby
we are tested as the children of Israel were anciently, and those of us who accept
God’s simple provision by faith receive rich currents of saving grace from the throne
of Heaven.

To receive Christ’s “Righteousness by Faith” is to “Look and Live”

Here are some quotes from the Spirit of Prophecy which are helpful in this study of
faith:
“Moses was bidden to lift the brazen serpent on the pole, and make the
proclamation that whosoever should look upon it should live. And all who looked,
did live. They recovered health at once. . . . What a strange symbol of Christ was
that likeness of the serpents which stung them. This symbol was lifted on a pole,
and they were to look to it, and be healed. So Jesus was made in the likeness of
sinful flesh. He came as the sin-bearer. . . .
The same healing, life-giving message is now sounding. It points to the
uplifted Saviour upon the shameful tree. Those who have been bitten by that old
serpent, the devil, are bidden to look and live. . . . Look alone to Jesus as your
righteousness and your sacrifice. As you are justified by faith, the deadly sting of
the serpent will be healed.” {SD 222.3}

Represented in the experience of the Serpent Moses raised in the

Wilderness

In EGW’s book about the life of Christ, in the chapter in which she describes Jesus’
conversation with Nicodemus about the Son of Man being lifted up, even as Moses
raised the serpent in the wilderness, she repeats many times that this means to
“look and live”:
“When the people of Israel were dying from the sting of the fiery serpents, God
directed Moses to make a serpent of brass, and place it on high in the midst of the
congregation. Then the word was sounded throughout the encampment that all
who would look upon the serpent should live.”
…“It was to lead their minds to the Saviour. Whether for the healing of their wounds
or the pardon of their sins, they could do nothing for themselves but show their faith
in the Gift of God. They were to look and live.”
… “Those who had been bitten by the serpents might have delayed to look. They
might have questioned how there could be efficacy in that brazen symbol. They
might have demanded a scientific explanation. But no explanation was given. They
must accept the word of God to them through Moses. To refuse to look was to
perish.
Not through controversy and discussion is the soul enlightened. We must look
and live.” (found in DA pg.s 174-175)

The Message of 1888, another experience of “Look and Live”

In the following quote EGW links the experience of the serpent on the pole to the
message of Christ’s Righteousness which is “Justification by Faith”:

“I spoke to the brethren and sisters, seeking to present Jesus, that they might
look and live. . . .I bore a decided testimony to the people assembled [at a
morning meeting], and there were precious testimonies that followed. All related
their experience the past year as being of a more spiritual character than they have
had before, since embracing the truth (here she is speaking about embracing the
truth of the “Justification by faith” message given in 1888). The light of
justification through faith, and that the righteousness of Christ must become our
righteousness, else we cannot possibly keep the law of God, is the testimony of all
who speak, and the fruit is peace, courage, joy, and harmony. There is danger of
making even these subjects a theory, and not practicing the truth that is expressed.
Those who bear this message must carry with them the pure character of Christ
Jesus.--Manuscript 22, 1889, pp. 8,10. (Diary, October 24, 1889.) {9MR 332.2}

Now, in the following quote she says that this message will be proclaimed again just
before Jesus returns in like manner to the serpent on the pole which Moses raised:
“When the children of Israel were journeying through the wilderness, the Lord
protected them from venomous serpents; but the time came when, because of
Israel's transgression, impenitence, and stubbornness, the Lord removed His
restraining power from these reptiles, and many of the people were bitten and died.
Then it was that the brazen serpent was uplifted, that all who repented and looked
to it in faith might live.
In the time of confusion and trouble before us, a time of trouble such as has not
been since there was a nation, the uplifted Saviour will be presented to the people
in all lands, that all who look to Him in faith may live.” {8T 50.3}

Beholding Christ, by faith, in the vision made plain upon tables

In the vision of Habakkuk made plain upon tables, God has ordained an agency
whereby we may “look and live”. This means to receive His own “everlasting Life”
Christ made an eternal sacrifice to give us. Jesus wants us to become partakers of
His own divine nature; our characters to be created anew by His Holy Spirit. The
Bible teaches us that by beholding “the glory of the Lord, [we] are changed into the
same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Cor. 3:18)

We behold His glory and receive His life by meditating on the character of God we
find in the Holy Word, the scriptures of the Bible. Now concerning the vision of
Christ pierced in His side, made plain upon the tables of the Ten Commandments,
we believe that God has made an ensign to be lifted up that the various nations can
behold and contemplate His glory through these pictures He caused to be brought
to you, even now. Through the use of these divinely ordained pictures the gospel is
preached; and “There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.”
Ps.19:3 We have discussed that the two representations of Jesus make plain in
visual images the two great precepts of the Ten Commandment Law: Love to God
and Love to man. Jesus Himself teaches us that “On these two commandments
hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matt. 22:40) Therefore in these two simple
pictures, God’s character which is revealed in the Bible, is verily revealed in the two
images of Christ’s pierced side made plain upon the Ten Commandment tables.

The Divine attributes of Christ’s character made plain

We reviewed earlier how EGW wrote under inspiration of the Holy Spirit in the book
“The Great Controversy” the following words concerning Habakkuk’s vision of
Christ; she wrote that Jesus was "Mighty to save," through the sacrifice of
redemption, He was therefore strong to execute justice upon them that despised
God's mercy…” We see here that in the vision of Christ’s pierced side from which
shine forth bright beams of light and also from whence flowed the crimson stream
of His blood, EGW here shows how the divine attributes of God’s character: Justice
and Mercy are there revealed.

EGW declared that Habakkuk saw Christ in His glory, and “He was therefore strong
to execute Justice…” This points to the time when Christ will close His ministry in
the Heavenly sanctuary and put “off His priestly attire, and clothe Himself with the
garments of vengeance” {EW 36.1} and return in His glorious second coming to
earth! Standing next to the image of Justice is the image of Christ’s pierced side
pouring out His flowing blood and water clearly demonstrating His Mercy; thus
teaching through pictures, the divine attributes. By contemplating these things
even the simple of the earth, yet pure in heart, will be imbued with the character of
our Redeemer through faith. Those who shall be justified shall receive the Life of
Christ by beholding Him in faith, even as the children of Israel were to look in faith
unto the serpent on the pole and live.

This is testing truth for the last days… “Look and Live”

We have followed the Lord’s direction in making the vision of Christ pierced in His
precious side, from whence flows the crimson stream and bright beams of His Glory,
plain upon the tables of the Ten Commandments. We are all now bidden to, IN
FAITH – LOOK AND LIVE!

Also, this is now a testing truth, which shall stand as a banner which the Lord
prophesied should be lifted up in the last days as an ensign or standard to all
nations… A simple, understandable sign which beacons all people to gather under
the banner of Truth and directs their minds to the Savior. All who are true hearted,
who have received the oil of grace and the gift of faith and have also learned to
exercise it, now range under the banner.
Study, pray and contemplate the message and vision of Christ now revealed; then
accept and promulgate this Truth. To announce the fall of Babylon in the last days,
God commands us to set up a standard of His Righteousness (Jer. 50:2). The army
of God’s last day people is to declare our loyalty to Him, even amidst the opposition
of many who will question whether what we believe is Truth; this will be even as
many of the children of Israel refused to believe that God directed Moses to raise
the serpent upon the pole. In faith let us now look and live; this is a great test to
show ourselves approved that we might receive the latter rain. At this point, look
only to Jesus; only ask the Lord if He has truly wrought this. This stands not in man’s
wisdom; we believe we have done this by Biblical command of God for the end time.

The world must be brought to see the “exceeding sinful”ness of sin

It is only by beholding Christ’s infinite sacrifice that we gain the true conception that
“sin is the most fearful thing in the whole universe” {RH, August 9, 1898 par. 16}. It
doesn’t matter if people think it is very small, the world must learn that sin is
“exceeding sinful” and heinous in character. In lifting up the vision of Christ’s
pierced side, revealed to Habakkuk the prophet to be declared in the end time, God
has commanded that the bright beams of His character of “self-sacrificing
love” be shined into our dark world. The scripture declares that “The law worketh
wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.” Romans 4:15 The
vision is to be made plain upon the two tables of the Ten Commandments. That
great moral code is a transcript of “the law of life for earth and heaven;
(declaring) that the love which "seeketh not her own" has its source in the heart of
God.” {DA 19.2} In Habakkuk’s vision made plain upon tables is clearly depicted
“the Glory of self-sacrificing love” … in these heaven ordained images of Christ
“is set forth the great principle which is the law of life for the universe”; and that
law consists of receiving from God so that we can in turn give and live in
complete selflessness. {The Desire of Ages 19.2, 21.2}

This is the vision of Christ which God has ordained as a bright and shining light amid
a world of moral darkness and it shall be as a detector of sin and hidden selfishness.
This light from heaven: the bright beams coming from Christ’s pierced side, will by
the agency of the Holy Spirit convince of us our selfishness and serve to either drive
us to the Savior, our great Sacrifice, so that we might go to Him and find pardon, or
men will be provoked to turn from the light “because their deeds were evil... For
every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds
should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may
be made manifest, that they are wrought in God”... (John 3:19-21)

At this time God has commanded us to lift up the vision of Christ and let the His
Light shine:

Habakkuk 2:3,4 “And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and
make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet
for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry,
wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
 Behold, his soul which is lifted up (and unbelieving) is not upright in him: but the
just shall live by His faith.”

bright beams coming out of His side: and there is the

"He had
hiding of His POWER."
Habakkuk 3:4, margin
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Additional information and studies under this topic

- Is this violating the second commandment? What about pictures / images?
- Was the vision of Habakkuk fulfilled in the Pioneer’s chart of 1843? See {GC
392.2} and then see what EGW tells us to “ever hold in remembrance” in {PK
387.2}
- “To make an image of God dishonors Him.” {4BC 1145.7} : the difference
between creating images “of their own fanciful imagination” and following
the express command of God as in Moses and the serpent on the pole (if God
hadn’t commanded Moses, it surely would have been idolatry) or as in
Abraham and Isaac (if God didn’t command it would have been murder and
an abomination – in following the practices of the heathen)
- The vision teaches: compare Habakkuk 2:3 to 2:18,19
- The purpose of an ensign/ banner, or lifting up a standard.
- Testing Truth
- “The Faith of Jesus” (Rev. 14:12) foreshadowed in Habakkuk 2:4