The scapegoat

But we must yet hold to our views, as heretofore expressed, that the scapegoat represents the "great company," not Babylon, tares, etc., for several reasons.

But before this manifestation to believers, of God's acceptance of the work, the "scapegoat company" are sent away, and the robes of the Priest changed.

The casting of lots to see which goat would be the "Lord's" and which the "scapegoat" indicates that God has no choice as to which of them shall win the prize. It shows that God does not arbitrarily select which of the consecrated shall become partakers of the divine nature and joint-heirs with Christ our Lord. Every believer who presents himself is acceptable, and he who keeps his covenant and performs the sacrifice is represented in the "Lord's goat." Those who draw back are represented in the "scapegoat."

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 done!

The body of the “scapegoat” was not burned in the wilderness: only sin-offerings (the bullock and the “Lord’s goat”) were burned.

These are the same two classes that are represented in the Tabernacle type by the two goats, one of which became the Lord's goat for the sacrifice and the other the scapegoat, only that in the Tabernacle type the goats represented the two classes all the way down through the Gospel age as well as particularly at its close, while the two classes in the parable under consideration represent the Church only in the present time in the end of this age.

Let us, then, see that in the Scape-goat type the Lord pictures the sending into the "wilderness" of isolation and persecution the "Great Company," who after consecration were unwilling to go voluntarily "outside the camp, bearing the reproaches" of the Christ.

We have interpreted this Scape-goat to be a type of the "Great Company" of `Rev. 7:9-15`. We have pointed out that the Lord's goat and the Scape-goat, both tethered at the door of the Tabernacle, represented the two classes who during this Gospel Age make full consecration to the Lord and are accepted of him and begotten of the holy Spirit.

The putting of the hands of the high priest upon the head of the scapegoat pictures the placing of these sins upon the "great company" class and the sending of them into tribulation.

The trouble will be especially hard on the rich, who are represented as weeping and howling for misery. The Great Company class is typically represented by the scapegoat of Israel's Atonement Day ceremonies. The bullock typifies our Lord Jesus, and the Lord's goat His faithful followers. (`Heb. 13:11-13`.) After the faithful ones have finished their course, then something will be done with the scapegoat--the Great Company.

The Lord’s goat foreshadowed that class of persons who “bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar” (Ps. 118: 27); while the scapegoat represented those who take a different course, do not respond to the call and are not accepted as a part of the sacrifice of Christ. That being true, the class thus foreshadowed by the scapegoat never receives the anointing of the holy spirit.

Such are the conditions precedent, and these conditions cannot be ignored and the text applied to any and all who have covenanted to do God’s will. 5 The scapegoat class does not suffer with Christ Jesus and does not partake of his sacrificial death. These are all begotten or brought forth as sons of God, as heretofore set out, but, as the scapegoat showed, they are not selected for sacrifice.

Those of the “great multitude” do not suffer with Christ, and hence can not reign with him. They were foreshadowed by the scapegoat.

In 1918 and 1919 the clergy led their flocks, like the scapegoat, into the wilderness by openly adopting and endorsing the League of Nations as a substitute for God’s kingdom.

The office of the “great multitude” seems to mean that they have some intermediate work between the peoples of earth and The Christ, that of making the offerings of the people ready to be received by Christ, who in turn would offer them to Jehovah. This is indicated by the fact that the Levites, picturing the "great multitude”, "slay the burnt offering” before turning the same over to the priest. The "great multitude” was foreshadowed by the scapegoat. Aaron the priest imputed to the scapegoat all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all of their transgressions and sins.

The other goat, which was called "the scapegoat", pictures the class who are not chosen, and who therefore have a destiny different from membership in Jehovah’s royal house or family.