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CHAPTER IV
THE GREAT "DAY OF
ATONEMENT"
`LEVITICUS 16:3-33`
The Order of the Type and Its Antitypical Significations--The Bullock-- The Priest--The Entrance of the Holies with the Blood--The Incense, the Sweet Odor and the Stench--Entering the Most Holy--The Lord's Goat--The Scapegoat--The Blessing of the People.
THE Day of Atonement as a type should be considered as
separate from and yet a part of and related to other Tabernacle
types. Indeed, these types are each separate pictures,
so to speak; each has its own subject and teaches its own
lessons, and yet all are in agreement--parts of one gallery, and
harmonious as the work of one great Artist. In all of them we are
to look first for the Head and then for his Body, the
under-priests, the Church.
To understand the significance of the Day of
Atonement and its work, we must realize that while our Lord Jesus
personally is the Chief Priest to the under-priesthood, the
Gospel Church, "his Body," yet in the more full and
complete sense he is the Head and we are the members of the Body
of the world's High Priest. Just so Aaron was chief over his
under- priesthood, while really in its general and proper sense
and representing the under-priests, he was ordained to minister
as High Priest "for all the people" of
Israel--the typical representatives of all humanity desirous of
having atonement made for their sins and to return to Divine
favor and obedience.
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As the consecrating of the antitypical priesthood
includes all the members of the Body, and requires all of the
Gospel age to complete it, so also with the sin-offering, or the
sacrifice of atonement: it commenced with the Head, and we, the
members of his Body, fill up the measure of the sufferings of
Christ which are behind. And these sufferings require all of the
Gospel age to complete them. `1 Pet. 4:13`; `Rom. 8:17`; `2 Cor.
1:7; 4:10`; `Phil. 3:10`; `Col. 1:24`; `2 Tim. 2:12`; `1 Pet.
5:1,10`
The "Day of Atonement," which in the type
was but a twenty-four hour day, we see then in antitype to be the
entire Gospel age. And with its close the sacrificing ceases, the
glory and blessing begin, and the great High Priest of the world
(Jesus and his Bride, made one, Head and members
complete) will stand forth crowned a King and Priest after the
Melchisedec order, a King of Peace--a Priest upon his throne.
`Heb. 5:10`
There he will stand before the world (manifest,
recognized, but unseen by natural sight), not only as
King and Priest, but also as the great Prophet--"A Prophet
shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like
unto me [Moses];...and it shall come to pass that every soul
which will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among
the people." When, during the Millennium, under the
government and teaching of this great Prophet, Priest and King,
mankind is brought to perfect knowledge and ability, perfect
obedience will be required and all who will not render it will be
cut off from life without further hope--the second death. `Acts
3:22,23`
In the end of the Jewish age Jesus offered himself
individually to Israel as prophet, priest and king, typical or
illustrative of the offering of the whole Body, the complete and
glorified Christ, to the whole world. As Prophet he taught
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them; as Priest "he offered up himself" (`Heb. 7:27`);
and as King he rode into their city at the close of his ministry.
But they did not receive him in any of these offices. During the
Gospel age his Church or Body has acknowledged him as "a
teacher sent from God"--the great Prophet; as the "High
Priest of our profession"; and as the rightful King. The
Word of God teaches, however, that it is not by the Church only
that he is to be accepted, but that he (together with his Body,
the Church) will be the Prophet for all the people, the
Priest for all the people and the King over "all
peoples, nations and tongues"; "Lord of all,"
Priest of all and Prophet or teacher of all.
In the consecration of the typical priests we saw
Aaron and his sons representing our Lord Jesus and his Body as
"new creatures," and a bullock representing their
humanity; but in the type now to be considered we find Aaron
alone representing the entire Anointed One (Head and Body), and
two different sacrifices, a bullock and a goat, are here used to
represent the separateness, yet similarity in suffering, of the
Body and its Head, as the "sin-offering."
The First Atonement Day Sacrifice
The Bullock
The bullock represented Jesus at the age of
thirty years-- the perfect MAN who gave himself and died
on our behalf. The High Priest, as we have already seen,
represented the "new" nature of Jesus, the anointed
Head and all the members of his Body foreknown of God. The
distinction which is here made between the human and
"new creature" should be clearly understood
and remembered.* "The man Christ Jesus who gave
himself" at thirty years of age, was he who
----------
*See Scripture Studies, Vol. I, Chap. X, and Vol. II, p.
126.
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previously was rich (of a higher nature), but who for our sakes
became poor; that is, became a man, that he might give
the only possible ransom for men--a perfect man's life. `1 Cor.
15:21`
Since the penalty of man's sin was death, it was
necessary that our Redeemer become a man, be "made flesh,"
otherwise he could not redeem mankind. A man had sinned, and the
penalty was death; and if our Lord would pay the penalty
it was essential that he should be of the same nature (but
undefiled, separate from sin and from the race of sinners), and
die as Adam's substitute, else mankind could never be
liberated from death. To do this the man Jesus made sacrifice
"of all that he had"--glory as a perfect man,
honor as a perfect man could claim it, and, finally, life as
a perfect man. And this was all that he had, (except God's
promise of a new nature, and the hope which
that promise generated); for he had exchanged his spiritual being
or existence for the human, which he made "a
sin-offering," and which was typified by the Atonement Day
bullock. `John 1:14`; `Isa. 53:10`
But since "the man Christ Jesus"
gave himself as our RANSOM-PRICE, it follows that he
cannot be restored to that manhood which he gave. If he
were to take back the ransom-price, we, the redeemed, would again
relapse under the condemnation of death. But, thanks be to God,
his sacrifice remains forever, that we may be forever free from
Adamic guilt and its death penalty. If, then, the Father would
ever confer upon Jesus any honor, glory or life as a reward
for his obedience even unto death, it must be a glory, honor and
life on some other plane of being than the human.
Such was the design of Jehovah for Jesus, viz., that
he would highly exalt him above the human plane, and above his
prehuman condition; above all angels, principalities and powers,
to his own right hand (condition of chief favor,
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next to Jehovah) and make him a partaker of immortality-- the
divine nature. For these and other joys set before him, Jesus
"endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at
the right hand of the majesty on high." `Heb. 12:2`; `Phil.
2:9`; `Heb. 1:3,4`
The new nature which our Lord received
instead of the human nature, and as a reward for its sacrifice,
is what is here typified by the Priest. While it is true that the
sacrifice of the human was not finished until the cross,
and that the reward, the divine nature, was not fully
received until the resurrection three days later, yet, in God's
reckoning--and as shown in this type--the death of Jesus (the
bullock) was reckoned as complete when Jesus presented
himself a living sacrifice, symbolizing his death in
baptism. There he reckoned himself dead--dead to all
human aims, to hopes of human glory, honor or life--in the same
sense that we, his followers, are exhorted to reckon ourselves
dead indeed to the world, but alive as new creatures
unto God. `Rom. 6:11`
This acceptance of Jesus' sacrifice by Jehovah, at
the time of his consecration, as though it were finished, and he
dead indeed, was indicated by the anointing with the holy
Spirit--"the earnest" or guaranty of what he would
receive when death had actually taken place.
Thus considered, we see that the death of the
bullock typified the offering by Jesus of himself, when he
consecrated himself. This is in harmony with the Apostle's
statement respecting Jesus' consecration or offering of himself.
He quotes the Prophet, saying, "Lo I come to do thy will, O
God, as in the volume of the Scriptures it is written of
me"-- to die and redeem many. There, says the
inspired writer, "He took away the first [i.e., set aside
the typical sacrifices] that he might establish [or fulfil] the
second [the antitype, the real sacrifice for sins]." `Heb.
10:7,9,14`
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Yes; there the slaying of the sin-offering, typified
by the bullock, occurred; and the three years and a half of
Jesus' ministry showed that all human will was dead, and
the human body reckoned so, from the moment of consecration. The
anointed Jesus, filled with the holy Spirit at the moment of
baptism, was the divine "new
creature" (though not perfected as divine until the
resurrection): and that relationship he always claimed, saying,
"The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself [as a
man] but the Father that dwelleth in me [by his Spirit], he doeth
the works. The word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's
which sent me." (`John 14:10,24`) "Not my will [as a
man] but thine [Father--the divine] be done" in and to this
"earthen vessel" consecrated to death. `Luke 22:42`
The Bullock was slain in the "Court,"
which we have seen typified the condition of faith in and harmony
with God, the highest attainment of the flesh, the human nature.
Jesus was in this condition, a perfect man, when he offered
himself (the bullock in the type) to God.
Let us bear in mind these distinctions while we
examine carefully the work of the typical Atonement Day, that we
may more clearly understand the antitypical realities. Aaron was
washed, in order fitly to represent the purity, the sinlessness,
of the "new creature"--the Head and his Body-members.
("No one who has been begotten by God practices sin; because
his seed abides in him, and he cannot sin because he has been
begotten by God." `1 John 3:9`,Diaglott) The new
creature cannot sin, and its duty is to keep a constant watch
over the old nature, reckoned dead, lest it come to life again.
For the old will to divide the control with the new implies that
the old is not dead, and that the new is not
"overcoming." For the old to triumph would
signify the death of the "new
creature"--"Second Death."
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Aaron was clothed for the service of the "Day
of Atonement," not in his usual "garments of glory and
beauty," but in garments of sacrifice, the
"linen garments," emblems of purity--the righteousness
of saints. The robe of linen was an earnest of the
glorious robe to follow; the "linen girdle" represented
him as a servant, though not so powerful as when, at the close of
the "Day of Atonement," he would be girdled with the
"curious girdle" of the ephod; the mitre of linen,
being the same as that belonging to the glorious apparel,
proclaims the perfect righteousness of our Head during the
sacrifice, as well as after it. So the antitypical High Priest,
the divine-minded, spirit-begotten one, though not yet born of
the Spirit, was ready and able to accomplish the sacrifice of the
atonement at the first advent, and proceeded to do it, as
typified in Aaron.
"Thus shall Aaron come into the Holy [and Most
Holy] with a young bullock for a sin-offering, and a ram for a
burnt-offering. And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the
sin-offering which is for [represents] himself, and make an
atonement for himself [the members of his body--the
under-priests] and for his house [all believers, the entire
"household of faith"--the Levites]. And he shall kill
the bullock of the sin-offering which is for [represents]
himself. And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire
from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet
incense beaten small [powdered], and bring it within the veil
[the first veil or "door"]. And he shall put the
incense upon the fire before the Lord [the censer of coals of
fire was set into the top of the golden altar in the
"Holy," and the incense crumbled over it gradually
yielded a smoke of sweet perfume], that the cloud of the incense
[penetrating beyond the second veil] may cover the mercy seat,
that is upon [covers] the testimony [the Law], that he die not
[by infracting
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these conditions, upon which alone he may come into the divine
presence acceptably]." `Verses 3,6,11-13`
Looking through the type to the antitype, let us
now, step by step, compare the doings of Jesus with this
prophetic picture of his work. When the man Christ Jesus had
consecrated himself he immediately, as the new creature, begotten
by the holy Spirit, took the sacrificed human life (blood of the
bullock) to present it before God as the ransom-price "for
our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins
of the whole world." Spirit-begotten, he was no longer in
the "Court" condition, but in the first
"Holy," where he must tarry and offer his incense upon
the fire of trial--he must demonstrate his loyalty to God and
righteousness by the things suffered as a begotten Son, before
entering the "Most Holy," the perfect spiritual
condition. `Heb. 5:8`
The High Priest took with him (along with the blood)
fire from off the altar, and his two hands full of sweet incense
to cause the perfume; and so our Lord Jesus' fulfilment of his
vow of consecration, during the three and a half years of his
ministry, was a sweet and acceptable perfume to the Father,
attesting at once the completeness of the consecration and the
perfection of the sacrifice. The sweet incense beaten small
represented the perfection of the man Jesus. The fire from the
"Brazen Altar" represented the trials to which he was
subject; and its being carried along by the Priest signifies that
our Lord must, by his own course of faithfulness, bring his
persecutions upon himself. And when the perfections of his being
(incense) came in contact with the trials of life (fire), he
yielded perfect obedience to the divine will--a sweet perfume.
Thus is shown his temptation in all points, yet without sin. As
the incense must be all consumed in the fire, so he yielded his all
in obedience. It was the Priest's "two hands full"
which he offered, thus representing
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our Lord's full capacity and ability of righteousness-- required
and yielded.
But while Jesus, as a "new creature," was
thus within the "Holy," enjoying the light of the
golden candlestick, fed by the bread of truth, and offering
acceptable incense to Jehovah, let us look out into the
"Court," and yet farther out, beyond the
"Camp," and see another work progressing
simultaneously. We last saw the bullock dead, in the
"Court," representing the man, Jesus, consecrated at
thirty years of age, at his baptism. Now the fat of it has been
placed upon the "Brazen Altar," and with it the kidneys
and various life-producing organs. They are burning furiously,
for a bullock has much fat. A cloud of smoke, called a
"sweet savor to God," rises in the sight of all who are
in the "Court," the Levites--the household of faith,
believers.
This represents how Jesus' sacrifice appeared to believing
men. They saw the devotion, the self-sacrifice, the
loving zeal (fat) ascending to God as a sweet and acceptable
sacrifice, during the three and a half years of our Lord's
ministry. They well knew that with him the Father was ever well
pleased. They knew from what they saw in the "Court"
(in the flesh) that he was acceptable, though they could not see
the sacrifice in its full grandeur and perfection as it appeared
in Jehovah's sight (in the "Holy"), a sweet incense on
the "Golden Altar."
And while these two fires are burning (in the
"Court" the "fat," and in the
"Holy" the "incense," and their perfumes
ascending at the same time) there is another fire
"outside the camp." There the body of flesh is being
destroyed. (`Verse 27`) This represents Jesus' work as viewed by
the world. To them it seems foolish that he should spend his life
in sacrifice. They see not the necessity for it as man's
ransom-price, nor the spirit of obedience which prompted it, as
the Father saw these. They see not our Lord's loving perfections
and
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self-denials as the believers (in the "Court"
condition) see them. No, nor did they in his day or since see in
him their ideal hero and leader; they saw chiefly only those
elements of his character which they despise as weak, not being
in condition to love and admire him. To them his sacrifice was
and is offensive, despised: he was despised and rejected of men,
and as it were they blushed and hid their faces from him, as, in
the type the Israelites turned disgusted from the stench of the
burning carcass.
We see, then, how Jesus' life for three and a half
years filled all three of these pictures: His sacrifice of
perfect manhood was, in the sight of the world, foolish and
detestable; in the sight of believers, a sacrifice acceptable to
God; in the sight of Jehovah, "a sweet incense." They
all ended at once--at the cross. The bullock was entirely
disposed of, the fat fully consumed, and the incense all offered,
when Jesus cried, "It is finished!" and died.
Thus the man Christ Jesus gave himself a ransom for all.
The incense from the "Golden Altar" having
preceded him and been satisfactory, the High Priest passed under
the second "Veil" into the "Most Holy." So
with Jesus: having for three and a half years offered acceptable
incense in the "Holy," the consecrated and
spirit-begotten condition, he passed beyond the "Second
Veil," death. For three days he was under the
"Veil" in death; then he arose in the perfection of the
divine nature beyond the flesh, beyond the Veil, "the
express image of the Father's person." He was "put to
death in the flesh, but quickened [made alive] in spirit,"
"sown a natural [human] body, raised a spiritual body."
Thus our Lord reached the "Most Holy" condition,
the perfection of spirit being, at his resurrection. `1 Pet.
3:18`; `1 Cor. 15:44`
His next work was to present the blood of atonement
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(`verse 14`)--the price of our redemption--to God, for "Ye
were redeemed...with the precious blood (sacrificed life) of
Christ." (`1 Pet. 1:19`) The Priest, in the presence of
Jehovah, represented by the Shekinah light between the Cherubim
on the "Mercy Seat," sprinkled or presented the blood
to Jehovah--sprinkling it on and before the Mercy Seat. So our
Lord Jesus, after forty days, ascended up on high, "there to
appear in the presence of God FOR US," and presented on our
behalf, and as the price of our redemption, the value and merit
of the sacrifice just finished at Calvary. `Heb. 9:24`
The Second Atonement Day Sacrifice
The Lord's Goat
We now leave the High Priest before the
"Mercy Seat" while we go out to the Court to witness
another work. We quote:
"And he shall take of the congregation of the
children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin-offering. And
he shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at
the door of the Tabernacle. And Aaron shall cast lots upon the
two goats; one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat.
And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the Lord's lot fell and
offer him for a sin-offering. But the goat on which the
lot fell to be the scape-goat shall be presented alive before the
Lord to make an atonement with him, to let him go for a
scape-goat into the wilderness." `Verses 5-10`
These two goats, taken from Israel and brought into
the "Court," typified or represented all who, coming
from the world, and accepting Jesus' redemption, fully consecrate
their lives even unto death, to God's service, during this Gospel
age. First taken from the "Camp" or world condition,
"sinners, even as others," they were brought into the
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"Court," the faith or justified condition.
There they present themselves before the Lord (represented by the
goats at the door of the Tabernacle), desiring to become dead
with their Redeemer, Christ Jesus, as human beings; and
to enter the heavenly or spiritual conditions as he did: first,
the spirit-begotten condition of the spiritual mind, and
secondly, the spirit-born condition of the spiritual
body--represented in the "Holy" and the "Most
Holy," respectively.
But our Master declares that not all who say, Lord!
Lord! shall enter into the Kingdom; so, too, this type shows that
some who say, "Lord, here I consecrate my all," promise
more than they are willing to perform. They know not what they
promise, or what it costs of self-denial, to take up the cross
daily and to follow the footsteps of the man Jesus [the bullock]--to
"go to him without the camp [to the utter disregard and
destruction of the human hopes, etc.] bearing the reproach with
him." `Heb. 13:13`
In this type of the two goats, both classes of those
who covenant to become dead with Christ are represented:
those who do really follow in his footsteps, as he hath set us an
example, and those who, "through fear of [this] death
are all their lifetime subject to bondage." (`Heb. 2:15`)
The first class is the "Lord's goat," the second is the
"scape-goat." Both of these classes of goats, as we
shall see, will have a part in the atonement work--in
bringing the world into complete harmony with God and his Law,
when this "Day of Atonement," the Gospel age, is ended.
But only the first class, "the Lord's goat," who follow
the Leader, are a part of the "sin-offering,"
and ultimately members of his glorified Body.
The casting of lots to see which goat would be the
"Lord's goat" and which the "scape-goat,"
indicated that God has no choice as to which of those who present
themselves shall
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win the prize. It shows that God does not arbitrarily
determine which of the consecrated shall become partakers of the
divine nature, and joint-heirs with Christ our Lord, and which
shall not. Those who suffer with him shall reign with him: those
who succeed in avoiding the fiery trials, by a compromising
course, miss also the joint-heirship in glory. `Rom. 8:17`
Every believer, every justified
one (Levite) in the "Court," who presents himself
during the Atonement Day, the Gospel age, is acceptable as a
sacrifice--Now is the acceptable time. And he who keeps his
covenant and performs the sacrifice is typically represented in
the "Lord's goat." Those who do not yield themselves
willing sacrifices, "loving the present world," are
represented in the "scape-goat."
To return to the High Priest: After having sprinkled
the "Mercy Seat" (literally, the Propitiatory,
or place where satisfaction is made) with the blood of the
bullock seven times (perfectly), "Then shall he kill the
goat of the sin-offering, that is for the people, and
bring his blood within the Veil, and do with that blood as he
did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the
Mercy Seat and before the Mercy Seat." (`Verses 14,15`) In a
word, all that was done with the bullock was repeated with the
"Lord's goat." It was killed by the same High Priest;
its blood was sprinkled just the same; its fat, etc., were burned
on the altar in the "Court" also. (It is worthy of
notice that while a prime bullock is always very fat, a goat is a
very lean animal. So our Lord Jesus, as represented by the
bullock, had a great abundance of the fat, of zeal and love for
his sacrifice, while his followers, represented by the goat, are
lean in comparison.) The body of the "Lord's goat" was
burned in like manner as that of the bullock--"outside the
camp."
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The Apostle Paul explains that only those animals
which were sin-offerings were burned outside the camp.
And then he adds, "Let us go to him,
without the camp bearing the reproach with him." (`Heb.
13:11-13`) Thus is furnished unquestionable evidence not only
that the followers of Jesus are represented by this
"Lord's goat," but also that their sacrifice, reckoned
in with their Head, Jesus, constitutes part of the world's
sin-offering. "The reproaches of them that reproached thee
are fallen upon me." `Psa. 69:9`
As with the bullock so with the goat in the
sin-offerings: the burning "outside the camp"
represents the dis-esteem in which the offering will be viewed by
those outside the camp--not in convenant relationship with
God--the unfaithful. (1) Those who recognize the sacrifice of the
Body of Christ from the divine standpoint, as sweet incense to
God, penetrating even to the mercy seat, are but few--only those
who are themselves in the "Holy"--"seated with
Christ in the heavenlies." (2) Those who recognize the
sacrifices of the saints, represented by the fat of the
"Lord's goat" of the sin-offering on the Brazen Altar,
and who realize their self-denials as acceptable to God, are more
numerous--all who occupy the "Court" condition of
justification--"the household of faith." (3) Those,
outside the camp, who see these sacrificers and their
self-denials only as the consuming of "the filth and
offscourings of the earth" are a class far from God--his
"enemies through wicked works." Those are the ones of
whom our Lord foretold, "They shall say all manner of evil
against you falsely for my sake."
What lessons do these things inculcate? That so long
as we ourselves are true sacrificers in the "Holy," or
true members of the "household of faith" in the
"Court," we will not be revilers of any that are true
sacrificers of this present time. Nor will we be blinded by
malice, hatred, envy or
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strife--so as to be unable to see the sacrifices which God
accepts. What, then, shall we say of those, once
"brethren," sharers in the same sacrifices and offerers
at the same "Golden Altar," and fellows of the order of
royal-priesthood, who become so changed, so possessed of an
opposite spirit, that they can speak evil of their fellow-priests
continually! We must surely "fear" for them
(`Heb. 4:1`) that they have left the "Holy,"
and the "Court," and gone outside of all relationship
to God--into "outer darkness." We should do all in our
power to recover them (`James 5:20`); but under no consideration
must we leave the "Holy" to render evil for evil,
reviling for reviling. No, all who would be faithful
under-priests must follow in the footsteps of the great High
Priest and love their enemies and do good to those who persecute
them. They must copy him "Who, when he was reviled, reviled
not again, when he suffered threatened not; but committed his
cause to him who judgeth righteously." `1 Peter 2:23`
The Lord's goat represented all of the Lord's
"little flock" of faithful followers. They are all
alike; they all come by the same "narrow way";
so what is true of the company as a whole is true of each one of
it. Therefore the "Lord's goat" typified each one and
his sacrifice, except that the whole must be completed and the
sacrifice of all ended before the "blood" of the goat
(representative of the entire Body of Christ) will be presented
on the "Mercy Seat."
The blood sprinkled on and before the "Mercy
Seat" was in the design of a cross, with the top or head of
the cross on the "Mercy Seat." This is shown by the
description: "He shall sprinkle it with his finger upon the
Mercy Seat eastward [toward the "Veil"] and before
[across, in front of] the Mercy Seat." Thus were completed
the sin-offerings for the sins of Israel--the bullock for the under-priests,
the High
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Priest's "body," and for the Levites, the
"household of faith" of the present age; the goat
"for the people," Israel-- type of all the world who,
under the knowledge and opportunities of the future, will become
God's people.
Thus we see clearly that this entire Gospel age is
an age of suffering and death, to those who sacrifice the human,
earthly, nature, in order to become partakers of the spiritual,
the heavenly. Just as soon as the sacrifice of Jesus on behalf of
his "Body" and "house" was complete and
presented before the Father after his ascension, the evidence of
the Father's acceptance of his sacrifice was sent--the
Pentecostal baptism upon the representatives of his Church, his
Body and his house. There his anointing, the holy Spirit
(symbolized by the holy anointing oil), came upon the Church, and
continues ever since on all the living members of the High
Priest's Body, and needs no repetition: for each one immersed
into Christ, as a member of his Body, is thereby immersed into
his holy Spirit, the spirit which animates every member of that
Body.
This impartation of the holy Spirit was God's token
of the acceptance of those believers in Jesus already consecrated
and tarrying as directed by the Master, waiting for the Father's
acceptance of their sacrifices (acceptable in the Beloved), and
for their begetting as sons by the spirit of adoption. This
coming of the holy Spirit, the Lord's power or "hand,"
at Pentecost, was shown in the type (`verse 15`) by the High
Priest coming to the door of the Tabernacle and laying his hands
upon the "Lord's goat" and killing it. Just as the
spirit of the Father enabled Jesus to accomplish all that was
represented by the killing of the bullock, so the same spirit,
the spirit, power or influence of God, the spirit or influence of
the Truth, through Christ, upon the "Lord's goat"
class, enables them to crucify themselves as men--to
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kill the goat, the depraved will--in hope of the
promised glory, honor and immortality of the divine nature, as
"new creatures in Christ."
It was thus, for instance, that the Apostle Paul,
when possessed of the spirit of the Leader and Head, could reckon
all things but loss and dross that he might win [a membership in]
Christ and be found in him. Inspired by this hope and
spirit he could say: "I [the new creature] live, yet not I
[the old creature, represented in the consecrated goat]." It
was being consumed with the reproach and contempt of the
world--outside the camp. Paul's earthly affections and
powers had all been presented to God a living sacrifice.
Thereafter it was Christ living in him, the hope of glory--the Christ
mind, crucifying and keeping under his depraved and
justified human nature and its will.
While actually in the world, he was not of it; and
to such an extent was this true that he could say: "The life
which I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of
God." (`Gal. 2:20`) Yes, by faith he had become reckonedly a
"new creature," to whom belonged the exceeding great
and precious promises of the divine nature, if faithful. (`2 Pet.
1:4`) He was living in the "Holy" condition, feeding on
the "shew-bread," and enlightened continually by the
light from the "Golden Candlestick." Thus furnished
with knowledge and strength, he was able to offer
"incense" acceptable to God through Jesus Christ; that
is to say, the Apostle Paul's sacrifice, because of Jesus' merit
imputed to it, was acceptable to God. Thus he kept the goat
nature always sacrificed; not only did he keep the
fleshly will dead, but so far as possible he kept the
fleshly body "under"--subject to the new will. So, too,
the same thing has been done by the other members of this
"Lord's goat" company, though others have not been so
widely known. Paul's sacrifice sent up a very rich perfume;
::page 66::
his was a sacrifice of very sweet odor to God, yet like ours it
was acceptable to God, not on account of its own value, but
because of being offered upon and partaking of the merit of
Christ, the Redeemer, the "Golden Altar."
As the goat filled up that which was behind of the
sin-offering, completing the sacrifice begun by the bullock, so
does the "little flock," following after Jesus,
"fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of
Christ." (`Col. 1:24`) Not that our sacrifices are
inherently valuable, as was our Lord's, for he alone was perfect
and suitable for a ransom, a sin-offering: the acceptableness of
our offerings is through his merit imputed to us, first
justifying us: and then, through the grace which permits us to
offer our justified selves in with our Lord's
perfect sacrifice, we, as members of his Body, are granted a
share in the sufferings of Christ, that we may ultimately share
his glory also--sharing in his future work of blessing all
mankind with restitution privileges and opportunities.
The hour must some time come when the sacrifice of
the last members of this "Lord's goat" will be
consumed and the sin-offering forever ended. That we are now in
the close of the "Day of Atonement," and that the last
members of this "Lord's goat" class are now
sacrificing, we firmly believe, upon evidences elsewhere given.
Soon the last members of this class, the Body of Christ, will
pass beyond the second "Veil"--beyond the flesh--into
the perfection of the spiritual nature already begun in the new
mind or will which now controls their mortal bodies. And not only
so, but such faithful ones are promised the very highest of
spirit natures--"the divine nature." `2 Pet. 1:4`
The passing of the second "Veil" means to
the Body what it meant to the Head: it means, in the presenting
of the blood of the goat, what it meant in the presenting of the
blood of the bullock. The body of the Priest passing
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through the second "Veil," bearing the blood of the
goat, represented the passing of the Body of Christ entirely
beyond human conditions into the perfection of the divine nature,
when we shall be like Christ Jesus, who is now "the express
image of the Father's person." O blessed hope! "I shall
be satisfied when I awake in thy likeness," was spoken
prophetically for Jesus; and how sublime the promise that
"we shall be like him!" `Heb. 1:3`; `Rom. 8:29`; `Psa.
17:15`; `1 John 3:2`
If we may but win the prize for which we run, then--
"Perish every fond amibition,
All we've sought of earth or known;
Yet how rich is our condition--
Heavenly prospects now we own."
The "Most Holy" reached, the evidence
of the sacrifice of the Body "for the people,"
will be presented, as typified by the blood of the goat sprinkled
on the "Mercy Seat." "And he shall make an
atonement for the holy place because of the uncleanness of the
children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all
their sins; and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the
congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their
uncleanness." `Lev. 16:16`
When presented it will be accepted "for
the people," as that of our glorious Leader was accepted
"for himself [his Body], and his house [the household of
faith]." Thus the reconciling work will be accomplished. Sin
and condemnation will be fully covered for all, and the great
work of giving to the world the grand results of that atonement
will speedily follow--just as the blessing of Pentecost came upon
the "Body" and its reflex influence came upon the
"household," speedily after the acceptance of Jesus'
sacrifice-- after he passed beyond the "Veil" of flesh
and presented our ransom-sacrifice before God.
The sprinkling of all things with the blood showed
that
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the "blood" is full satisfaction, and also
indicated that the work with the "scape-goat," which
followed, was no part of the sin-offering, and was not needful to
complete the "reconciling." Hence in it we must see
some other object and significance.
The Scape-Goat
"And when he had made an end of reconciling
the Holy ["Most Holy"] and the Tabernacle of the
congregation [the "Holy"] and the Altar [in the
"Court"] he shall bring the live goat; and Aaron shall
lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat [scape-goat]
and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel
[typical of the world], and all their transgressions in
all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall
send them away by the hand of a fit man [any one
convenient] into the wilderness." `Verses 20-22`
As before expressed, we understand that this
"scape-goat" which was presented for sacrifice with the
other, but failed to sacrifice, and to follow the example of the
bullock, represented a class of God's people, who have made the
covenant to become dead to the world, to sacrifice their
justified human nature, but fail to perform the sacrifices
covenanted. This "goat" does not represent "those
who draw back unto perdition," those who return as the sow
to wallowing in the mire of sin (`Heb. 10:39`; `2 Pet. 2:22`),
but a class which seeks to avoid sin, to live morally, and to
honor the Lord; yet seeking also the honor and favor of the
world, they are held back from the performance of the sacrifice
of earthly rights in the service of the Lord and his cause.
This "scape-goat" class has
existed throughout this entire Gospel age. The one goat and the
work done with it, at the close of the "Day of
Atonement," was representative in a
::page 69::
general sense of each individual of that company during the age,
though it specially represented the members of this class living
in the end of the age of sacrifice. Let us look first at God's
proposed dealing with members of this company who will be living
when the work of sin-offering is complete-- the last members of
the "scape-goat" company--and then see how the type
will apply also to the preceding members of the same class.
Remember that we are now dealing with things future,
after the "sin-offerings." The "Lord's
goat" is not yet wholly consumed, consequently the
"little flock," represented by the body of the Priest,
has not yet gone beyond the second "Veil" into the
condition of spirit perfection; and the special work with the
living "scape-goat" will not occur until after that.
Other scriptures (`Rev. 7:9,13-17` and `1 Cor.
3:15`) show us that there will be "a great company" who
during this age have entered the race for the grand prize of
joint-heirship with Jesus, and who fail to "so run" as
to obtain it. These, though "castaways," as regards the
prize (`1 Cor. 9:27`), are nevertheless objects of the Lord's
love; for at heart they are friends of righteousness and not of
sin. Hence, by his providences through the circumstances of life,
the Lord will cause them to come through "great
tribulation," thus accomplishing for them "the
destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in
the day of the Lord Jesus." (`1 Cor. 5:5`) They consecrated
their justified human life, and God accepted that consecration
and reckoned them, according to their covenant, dead as
human beings and alive as new-- spiritual--creatures.
But, by their failure to carry out the contract of
self-sacrifice, they cut themselves off from the "Royal
Priesthood"--from membership in the Body of Christ.
"Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he
taketh away." `John 15:2`
::page 70::
These are in a pitiable condition: they have failed
to win the prize, therefore cannot have the divine nature; nor
can they have restitution to perfect humanity with the
world; for, in their consecration, all human rights and
privileges were exchanged for spiritual ones and the opportunity
to run the race for the divine nature. But though not
voluntary overcomers, the Lord loves them, and will deliver
those who through fear of death (fear of contempt--fear of the
reproach borne by the bullock and goat beyond the
"Camp"--in the wilderness, the separated or dead
condition) were all their lifetime subject to bondage--bondage of
fear of men and men's traditions and opinions, which
always bring a snare, and keep back from full obedience to God,
even unto death. `Heb. 2:15`
Through the favor of the High Priest, this great
company are to go into "great tribulation" and have the
flesh destroyed. This will not make of them voluntary
overcomers nor give them membership in the Body--the Bride of
Christ. It will not give them a place on the throne of
Kings and Priests, but a position "before the
throne," as perfect spirit beings, though not of the highest
order of the spiritual-- the divine. Though they will not possess
the crown of life, Immortality, yet if rightly exercised
by the tribulation they will attain to a condition "like
unto the angels." They will serve God in his
Temple, though they will not be members of that symbolic Temple
which is the Christ. `Rev. 7:14,15`
This class, represented in the
"scape-goat," will be sent into the Wilderness
condition of separation from the world, forced thither by the
"man of opportunity"--unfavorable circumstances--there
to be buffeted by adversity until they learn the vanity,
deceitfulness and utter worthlessness of the world's approval,
and until all human hopes and ambitions die, and they are ready
to say, God's will, not mine, be
::page 71::
done! The world is ever ready to scorn and to cast out the
chastened and afflicted, even though its deceiving smile and its
empty honors be earnestly coveted by them. The body of the
"scape-goat" was not burned in the wilderness:
only sin-offerings (the bullock and the "Lord's goat")
were burned. (`Heb. 13:11`) The burning of the sin-offerings
represented the steady, continuous submission of those classes to
the fiery ordeal of suffering--"faithful [willing
sacrifices] unto death." Both classes suffer even unto the
death of the human will and body; but those of the first class
die willingly: they are consumed by the continual crucifying of
the flesh, as shown in the symbol of fire burning continuously
until there is nothing more to burn. Those of the second class
are simply sent to the wilderness and there left to die
unwillingly. Their love of the world's approval perishes with the
world's neglect and scorn and reproach; and their new spiritual
nature meantime ripens into life. The "Lord's goat"
class lays down the human nature by the Lord's spirit and help, sacrificially,
willingly, voluntarily: the "scape-goat" class has its
flesh destroyed under divine providence, that the spirit
may be saved.
Not only will this be markedly accomplished shortly,
with the last members of this "scape-goat" class, but
the same has been fulfilled to some extent throughout the entire
Gospel age; for there has always been a class, and a large one,
which yielded self-will to death only by compulsion;
and, instead of willingly sacrificing, suffered "destruction
of the flesh." (`1 Cor. 5:5`) The classes represented by
both goats have been developing side by side throughout the age.
When all the members of the "little flock"
shall have gone beyond the "Veil," divine providence,
the hand of the Lord, will set free those bound ones, "who,
through fear of death [to the world], are all their lifetime
subject to bondage,"
::page 72::
by overthrowing the many theories, creeds and traditions of men,
and great nominal church organizations, in and to and by
which his people of the "scape-goat" class are
held--hindered from hearing and obeying the Lord's voice.
Forced into freedom by "Babylon's" fall
while realizing that the great prize has been lost,
these "tribulation saints" will then hear the High
Priest's voice and find themselves forced into the wilderness
condition of separation and flesh destruction. At no previous
time have there been so many CONSECRATED ones bound as
at present; yet there have been some throughout the entire age.
All the consecrated ones of both classes (the Lord's
goat class and the scape-goat class) pass through great trials
and afflictions; yet by one class they are esteemed light
afflictions, taken joyfully, which they rejoice to be accounted
worthy to suffer. Theirs is a willing sacrifice, like
that of the Head. To the other class they are burdensome, great
afflictions, almost without joy--an enforced destruction
of the flesh. And proportionately different are their positions
and rewards at the end of the race.
The Atonement Day Burnt-Offerings
"And Aaron shall come into the Tabernacle of the congregation [the "Holy"] and shall put off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Holy place [the "Most Holy"] and he shall leave them there; and he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place [the "Court"] and put on his [usual] garments [the garments of glory and beauty] and come forth and offer his burnt-offering and the burnt-offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself [the Body--the Church--the "little flock"] and for the people" (`Lev. 16:23,24`), the same atonement illustrated or typified from another standpoint.
::page 73::
The burnt-offering consisted of two rams (`verses
3,5`), one representing the bullock and the other the Lord's
goat. These, being alike, show the harmony and oneness of the
sacrifices made by Jesus and his footstep-followers--that in
God's sight they are all one sacrifice. "For both he that
sanctifieth [Jesus] and they who are sanctified [the little
flock] are all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call
them brethren." `Heb. 2:11`
This is further shown in the treatment of each of
these sacrifices. The rams of "burnt-offering" were cut
in pieces and washed and the pieces laid unto the head upon the
altar and burned--a burnt-offering of sweet savor unto Jehovah.
Since both rams were thus treated, it showed that in Jehovah's
estimation they were all parts of one sacrifice; the members
joined to the Head, acceptable as a whole, as the atonement
for the sins of the world--thus satisfying the claims of justice
on behalf of the whole world of sinners.
As the sin-offerings illustrated the sacrificial
death of the Redeemer, so the burnt-offering following
illustrated God's manifested acceptance of the same
sacrifice. Let us not forget that God thus indicates that he will
not manifest his acceptance of the "better
sacrifices" than bulls and goats, until the sacrifices for
sins are complete, and the true High Priest is robed in the honor
and glory of his office, represented in the change of garments.
During the time of making the sin-offering he wore only the white
linen garments. Afterward (and usually) he wore the glorious
garments illustrative of the honor and glory conferred upon him.
During the Gospel age the sin-offerings progress and no honor is
bestowed upon the priests, but at its close comes the outward
manifestation of God's approval and acceptance of them in the
putting of glory and honor upon the priests who made the
sacrifices, and in the blessing of the people, for whose
sins they atoned.
::page 74::
The burnt-offering was burned on the altar in the
"Court," thus teaching that God will manifest his
acceptance of the sacrifice of the whole Body (Head and pieces,
or members) in the sight of all in the "Court"
condition, namely, to all believers. But before this manifestation
to believers of God's acceptance of the work, the
"scape-goat" company is sent away, and the robes of the
Priest changed.
As the white robes worn throughout the work of
sacrifice covered the Body and represented the
justification of the Body, their purity in God's sight
through Christ, so the "garments of glory and beauty,"
put on subsequently, represent the glories of the Church's
position and work in the future, after the new creatures shall
have been perfected, after they shall have gone beyond the
"Veil." The washing with water at this time signifies
that, though the white garments (imputed righteousness of the
"Body") are now removed, it does not signify the
reimputation of sin, but the completion of the cleansing, making
the "Body" perfect in resurrection
completeness--the garments of glory and beauty representing the
glory, honor and immortality of the First Resurrection to the
divine nature. The washing further shows that the sins of the
people for which atonement had been made do not attach to or
contaminate the purity of the priest.
Thus ended this type of the development of the
priesthood and the satisfaction for the world's sins: but we
tarry to glance at a few verses of this chapter (`Lev. 16`) not
so directly connected with our topic.
`Verse 17`. "There shall be no man in
the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an
atonement in the holy place [the "Most Holy"]
until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself and for
his household, and for all the congregation of Israel." This
limitation applies only to this special day, for the
::page 75::
Apostle says--"The priests went always into the first
tabernacle [the "Holy"] accomplishing the service, but
into the second [tabernacle--the "Most Holy"] went the
high priest alone, once every year" on this "Day of
Atonement," which was repeated annually. `Heb. 9:7`
The privileges of the true Tabernacle belong only to
those who are priests--members of the Body of the High Priest--so
that whether, as now, in the first of these heavenly conditions
(spiritually minded, new creatures in Christ Jesus), or
whether, as we hope to be soon, in the second or perfected spirit
condition, it will in either or both cases be because we are in
Christ Jesus, new creatures--no longer men.
"For ye are not in the flesh [human], but in the
spirit [spiritual, new creatures] if so be that the spirit of God
dwell in you." `Rom. 8:9`
`Verse 28`. "And he that burneth them [the
bullock and the goat of sin-offering] shall wash his clothes, and
bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the
camp."
This seems to teach that those principally
instrumental in reproaching, reviling and destroying the humanity
of Jesus (the bullock) and the humanity of his "little
flock" (the goat) will have no special punishment
for it, because they do it ignorantly--at the same time
accomplishing God's plan. They may wash and be clean and come
into the camp--i.e., into the same condition as the remainder of
the world, all of whom are by heredity sinners, all of whom have
been ransomed from Adamic depravity and death, and all of whom
await the return of the great High Priest and the blessing then
to be extended to all.
`Verse 26`. "And he that let go the goat for
the scape-goat shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in
water, and afterward come into the camp."
This teaches the same lesson relative to those who
will be
::page 76::
instrumental in bringing the trouble and consequent destruction
of the flesh upon the "great company"
represented by the "scape-goat." They will be obliged
to obtain of the Lord special forgiveness for these wrongdoings,
but eventually shall stand on the same footing as other men.
The Blessings Following the
"Day of
Atonement" Sacrifices
Thus the typical "Day of Atonement"
ended; and Israel, thus typically cleansed from sin, was reckoned
no longer defiled and separated from God, but now at one
with him. Justice no longer condemned, but bade them realize
God's reconciled presence in their midst, to bless and protect
and direct into the Canaan of rest and peace.
The antitype of the "Day of Atonement" is
this Gospel age, during which Jesus and "his Body," the
Church (by virtue of the redemption and consequent
justification), make sacrifice to Justice, in full satisfaction
of the Adamic sin. When the work of reconciliation is complete,
God will recognize the world of mankind, and place his sanctuary
among men. Then will be fulfilled that which was written:
"The Tabernacle of God [God's dwelling, the glorified
Church] is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall
be [become] his people, and God himself shall be with them and be
their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and
there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither
shall there be any more pain, for the former things [the reign of
Satan, sin and death] are passed away. And he that sat upon the
throne said, Behold, I make all things new." `Rev. 21:3-5`
But while all these blessings will result from the
establishment of God's residence, or sanctuary, among men
("I will make the place of my feet
glorious"--"earth is my footstool"-- `Isa. 60:13;
66:1`), yet the subsequent work of blessing
::page 77::
will be a gradual one, requiring the Millennial age for its
accomplishment; i.e., Adamic death, pain and tears will be in
process of destruction (wiping away). This will begin with the
second coming of Christ, the Royal Priest, but will not be
completely wiped away until the end of the Millennial age.
The gradual process by which MAN WILL BE BROUGHT
into perfection of being and fulness of harmony with Jehovah is
well illustrated in the typical sacrifices of Israel, made after
the "Day of Atonement," the antitypes of which
sacrifices, as we shall shortly see, will be fulfilled during the
Millennium.
To divide rightly and understand these typical
sacrifices, it must be recognized that the present Gospel age is
the "Day of Atonement" toward God for the
general sin of mankind; and that in the type all sacrifices
coming after the "Day of Atonement" represented
fulfilments or antitypes due after the Gospel age is
ended--during the Millennial age--when the world of sinners may
become reconciled to, or at-one with, God.
Thus we may see that at-one-ment has two
parts--first, Justice at-one with, and not any longer
condemning and destroying, Adam and his children on account of
his sin; and secondly, the return of the sinner to at-one-ment
with God's righteous laws, recognizing and obeying them. The
first of these phases of at-one-ment, or reconciliation,
is brought about entirely by the Priest's service in the "Day
of Atonement" sacrifices. The other--the
reconciling of the world to God, or the bringing of as
many of mankind as are willing into full at-one-ment and
harmony with God, will be accomplished during the next age, by
the "Royal Priesthood," the glorified kings and
priests, who, typified by Moses, will be the Great Prophet whom
the Lord will raise up to teach and to govern the people; and if
they will not give heed to him
::page 78::
they shall be cut off from life--die the second death. `Acts
3:23`
Let it be clearly seen, however, that although the
saints, the followers of Jesus, are permitted, as represented in
the "Lord's goat," to share in and to be members of the
sin-offering on behalf of the world, this is not because of their
being by nature purer or better than the world; for the entire
race of Adam was condemned in him; and of them "there is
none righteous, no, not one" (`Rom. 3:10`), and none could
give a ransom for his brother. `Psa. 49:7`
They share in the sacrifice for sins as a favor, in
order that by so doing they may share with Jesus the promised
divine nature, and be his companions and joint-heirs. To permit
and to enable them to offer themselves acceptable sacrifices, the
benefits of Jesus' death were first applied to them, justifying
or cleansing them. Thus it is his death that blesses the
world, through his Body, the Church.