“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which shall try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you, but rejoice, inasmuch as you are part-takers of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory shall be revealed you may be glad also with exceeding joy.” (1 Pet 4:12).

Since recognizing this as the meaning of the goat sacrifice, we see a force and meaning in some of the New Testament utterances relating to our death, and etc., which we never saw before, and it has given us a still more exalted idea of “our high calling in Christ Jesus” – called to be consecrated, called to be anointed, called to suffer, be sacrificed and DIE with Him, and called to be joint heirs with Him, to be glorified together, to sit with Him on His throne, and to inherit with him all things; called to be tried and tempted that soon we may be able to sympathize with mankind, and, with our Head, “Bless all the families of the earth.” “Faithful is he that called you.” “Be THOU faithful unto DEATH.”

When the blood of the sin offering (bullock AND goat) had been received and sprinkled in the holy place, the work of sacrifice was over and the High Priest changed his garments, so when the sufferings of the church are all ended and the death accepted by the Father, our High Priest will change the garments of His body, (the Church) We as His body have been clothed in “linen” garments which represent the righteousness of saints, viz.: imputed righteousness. When the work of crucifying the flesh is finished, this condition of imputed, gives place to actual righteousness, as shown by the washing of the flesh.

Notice that there are two washings, the first before the sacrifice of the bullock, representing the personal righteousness of Jesus, which was followed by the imputation of righteousness to His body, illustrated by linen garments; and the second washing, after the sacrifice of the goat, illustrating the perfection or actual righteousness of the church; and this is followed by the clothing with the proper garments of the High Priest – “garments for glory and for beauty.”

So, when we are made perfect through suffering, we shall put on the garments which properly belong to the high office to which we are called. “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” But before our change of garments from those of sacrifice to those of glory, another work must be done.

The “scape goat” must be sent away, bearing the iniquity of the people. As already suggested, we believe that this goat represents the “great company,” who, while (consecrated) believers, and therefore members of the house, are yet not overcomers as are the members of His body. Our Lord teaches us that when the time arrives for “one to be taken and the other left,” among those left will be some whom he calls his servants – though unfaithful, but still his servants – foolish, but still virgins.

Not accounted worthy to escape those things coming upon the world, they must remain here and go through the trouble with the world, have their portion or place with the hypocrites in this trouble, yet they are not hypocrites, and they will, during this trouble, “wash their robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb.” This class love the Lord, yet seem to cling to the world.

THEY DO NOT CRUCIFY THE FLESH AND BECOME DEAD TO THE WORLD.

Therefore, they fail of attaining that honor attached to overcoming. They are “taken away” from being “branches of the vine,” because, with full opportunity, they failed to develop fruit. They are “cut asunder” from membership of the body, chastised as the evil servants, or shut out from the wedding as foolish virgins. And when the bride company is made up, no more can come in, to that position. To any who afterwards claim to be the bride, He will say,

“Depart from me, I never knew you,” i.e., I do not recognize you as my bride. But though shut out from this, they are still recognized by the Lord as precious and beloved, and will be remembered as them that fear His name, small and great, and honored by an invitation to the “marriage supper of the Lamb,” Thus, though they would not crucify themselves, and therefore could not be part of the sin-offering. (To be an offering it must be voluntary). God, unwilling that believers should be condemned with the world, puts them into a time of trouble, where they are forcibly put to death. It was so in Paul’s day, also. He says: “Deliver such a one unto Satan (adversary) for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit [the new or begotten life in them] may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” (1 Cor 5:5). But we have gone farther than the type. It merely shows the sending away of the goat. We learn the result through Paul.

It should not be forgotten, we repeat, that this type pictures, the sacrifice and sufferings of Christ (Head and body), and not the glory which will follow, which is referred to only incidentally as “putting on His own garments,” the ones for glory and beauty. And now, as we expect so soon to change our garments and be “in glory and beauty arrayed,” how important that we should each ask ourselves – Am I crucifying the flesh? Am I dead indeed? R78-79

For more on the Tabernacle, the priesthood, and the significance of the various ceremonies sacrifices and etc., and what they type please see the following:

The Consecration of the Priesthood (Illustrated)

The Great Day of Atonement (Illustrated)

The High priest Garments of Beauty (Illustrated)

The Tabernacle its Spiritual Significance (Illustrated)