Background
The investigative judgment doctrine has been criticized, in part or whole, by key figures in Adventism since the late nineteenth century. These figures include D. M. Canright, A. F. Ballenger, W. W. Fletcher, W. W. Prescott, Louis R. Conradi, L. E. Froom and Raymond Cottrell. Many of these individuals ultimately left the Adventist church. Issues with the traditional Adventist interpretation of Daniel 8:14 were acknowledged by a number of North American theologians in the 1950s, with the result that a special committee was formed to discuss "problems in the book of Daniel".
In the 1970s, dissident Australian church member Robert Brinsmead attempted to convince leading Adventist theologians Desmond Ford and Edward Heppenstall to write a refutation of it. Brinsmead said he hesitated "blasting this theology because I thought someone from within Adventism should do it." After Ford and Heppenstall declined his request, Brinsmead returned to Australia and wrote the critical work 1844 Re-Examined.
Desmond Ford, described by Time magazine as "a prominent Australian theologian", had been lecturing in theology at Avondale College in Australia. However due to criticisms of his theology the church moved him to the United States in 1977, where he began lecturing at Pacific Union College.
On 27 October 1979 Ford delivered an address to the Association of Adventist Forums (now Adventist Forums), held at Pacific Union College, in which he outlined the major problems that he perceived with the doctrine. The speech was entitled, The Investigative Judgment: Theological Milestone or Historical Necessity?. Ford claims that he had been granted immunity to speak his views publicly at this conference. Even so, the church’s leadership responded by summoning Ford to a meeting of 111 theologians and church administrators to evaluate his views. Before the meeting, he was given 6 months of paid leave during which time he prepared a 991-page document entitled Daniel 8:14, the Day of Atonement, and the Investigative Judgment (which he later summarised in an article for Spectrum). It is also known as the "Glacier View manuscript".
Read more about this topic: Sanctuary Review Committee
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