LIKE A SHORT CANDLE by Editor

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 27, 1856

LIKE A SHORT CANDLE.

By Editor

“As I sat in my chamber, I saw a little girl working by the light of a candle. It was burnt down almost to the socket. I perceived that she plied her needle very fast, and at length overheard her say to herself, ‘I must be very industrious, for this is the only candle I have and it is almost gone.’”—Exchange.

In the above incident we see a very appropriate illustration of the situation of believers at the present day. We may all learn from it. The candle of time has now burnt down almost to its socket. How very industrious then should we be in the discharge of all its duties. It is almost gone; and there is no other beyond it. There is no second life allotted to mortals in which the errors of this can be corrected; but whatever impress our characters shall bear when the days of probation close, such will they retain forever.

The few remaining days of mercy are like a candle burnt almost to its socket. God’s Spirit will not always strive with man. But a few notes will yet be heard from her patient lips; but a few more calls will she give to the disobedient, the dallying, the undecided; and when she ceases once to plead, she has ceased forever. This is no disparagement to God’s justice. All may secure salvation who will. Provisions the most ample have made, and are now offered for acceptance. There is no need of a future age of probation. Neither the justice nor the mercy of God requires it. If men will not come now that they may have life, who shall tell us when they will?

In the Third Angel’s Message are now being heard the last notes of warning to a guilty world. The candle of God’s long-suffering is burnt down almost to its socket. Men must soon decide whether they will bow to the throne of Jehovah, or to the scepter of Baal; whether they will reverence the commandments of God, or the institutions of men; whether they will brave the threat of temporal death from the arm of the civil power, or the threat of fire and brimstone, and eternal death from the arm of Jehovah. With what earnestness then should we endeavor to persuade sinners to heed the warning ere it shall cease entirely, and the candle of their hope go out in eternal gloom.

The ministration of Christ in the Most Holy of the heavenly Sanctuary—the ministration which stays the arm of vengeance—the ministration around which cluster the interests of a perishing world—is drawing near to its close. The candle of the Saviour’s love, which led him to leave the glories of heaven, and offer himself a sacrifice for our lost race, as far as concerns a promiscuous world, is burnt almost down to its socket. Beyond this there is no more ministration for the redemption of transgressions. Beyond this there is no more offering for sin. Will the Lord shed his blood again for the benefit of those who will not avail themselves of its merits now? Will he die a second time, for the redemption of a people in another dispensation, who stubbornly reject all offers of mercy in this? Know, then, that when he ceases to be a priest, the plan and the means of salvation are forever finished.

Our opportunities of making our own calling and election sure, our opportunities of promulgating truth, and doing good to others, all our privileges, are like a short candle when it is almost gone. How very industrious then should we be; for when once past they never will return. Soon the voice will be heard from the temple in heaven, saying, “It is done;” and the candle of probation will expire in its socket.

THE SCAPE-GOAT.

“And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scape-goat.” Lev. xvi, 8.

We find this passage in the description of the services performed on the yearly day of atonement under the typical dispensation; and as the goat of the sin-offering upon which the Lord’s lot fell, and whose blood was ministered in the Most Holy Place, to make atonement for the Sanctuary and for the transgressions of Israel, typified, according to universal consent, the Saviour and the offering he made on Calvary, we naturally inquire, as we look forward to the great work which constitutes the antitype of the ancient yearly atonement, to what the scape-goat pointed, and who will be found in connection with the heavenly Sanctuary, and the closing up of the plan of salvation, bearing his character and answering to his antitype.

Because John says, [chap. i, 29,] “Behold, the Lamb of God which taketh, (margin, beareth,) away the sin of the world,” and because it is said of the scape-goat that he “shall bear upon him all their iniquities into a land not inhabited,” [Lev. xvi, 22,] it has been concluded, without further consideration, by some, that the latter is a type of the former; and Dr. Clarke, also, in his note on Lev. xvi, 10, makes this remark: “Did not all this signify that Christ has so carried and borne away our sins, that against them who receive him as the only true atoning sacrifice they should never more be brought to remembrance.”

From the view, however, that Christ is the antitype of the scape-goat, we are compelled to differ, for what we consider very plain reasons.

1. If Christ, in bearing the sin of the world, fulfilled the antitype of the scape-goat, he must have accomplished it at the crucifixion; for Peter says of him, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree.” 1 Pet. ii, 24. But in the type the goat was not sent away till after the cleansing of the Sanctuary; hence the antitype of this work cannot be performed till after the termination of the 2300 days; for it is not till after those days have ended that the Sanctuary is cleansed. Dan. viii, 14; Heb. ix, 23. It is therefore impossible to carry this work back to the crucifixion of Christ, which was even before he commenced his ministration in the Sanctuary above; and therefore he cannot be the antitype of the scape-goat.

2. Christ is our great High Priest, the minister of the Sanctuary; but the goat is something to be sent away by the priest: therefore he cannot be the priest himself: in other words, he cannot in this dispensation be Christ; but he must be a being whom Christ, after he has loaded him with the sins borne from the Sanctuary, can send away into a land not inhabited.

3. The goat was sent away from Israel, into a land not inhabited, to be heard of no more forever. But Christ will dwell in the midst of his people, the true Israel of faith.

4. It is impossible that two goats, one of which was chosen by the Lord, and is called the Lord’s, and was for a sin-offering, while the other is not so called, but was left to perform an entirely different office;—it is impossible that these both should typify the same person.

From these considerations we think it must be evident to every one that Christ cannot be the antitype of the Levitical scape-goat. Who then can be? We answer, The Devil; and our reasons for this position are at hand:

1. We know of only two beings which any one has ever thought could possibly be typified by the scape-goat; and these are Christ and Satan. We have shown above that the goat cannot be a type of Christ; we must therefore look to the Devil for its fulfillment.

2. The Hebrew word for scape-goat, as given in the margin of Lev. xvi, 8, is Azazel. On this verse, Jenks in his Comprehensive Commentary remarks, “Scape-goat. See diff. opin. in Bochart. Spencer after the oldest opinion of the Hebrews and Christians thinks Azazel is the name of the Devil; and so Rosenmiere, whom see. The Syriac has, Azazel, the angel (strong one) who revolted.” The Devil is here evidently pointed out. Thus we have the definition of the Scripture term in two ancient languages, with the oldest opinion of the Christians, in favor of the view that the scape-goat is a type of Satan.

3. In the common acceptance of the word, the term scape-goat, is applied to any miserable vagabond who has become obnoxious to the claims of justice; and while it is revolting to all our conceptions of the character and glory of Christ, to apply this term to him, it must strike every one as a very appropriate designation of the Devil, who is styled in scripture, the accuser, adversary, angel of the bottomless pit, Beelzebub, Belial, dragon, enemy, evil spirit, father of lies, murderer, prince of devils, serpent, tempter, &c., &c.

4. Our fourth reason for this position is the very striking manner in which it harmonizes with the events to transpire in connection with the cleansing of the heavenly Sanctuary, as far as revealed, thus in the Scriptures of truth.

We behold in the type, 1. The sin of the transgressor imparted to the victim. 2. We see that sin borne in by the priest in the blood of the offering, into the Sanctuary. 3. On the tenth day of the seventh month we see the priest with the blood of the sin-offering for the people, remove all these sins from the Sanctuary, and lay them upon the head of the scape-goat. 4. The goat bears them away into a land not inhabited.

Answering to these events in the type, we behold in the antitype, 1. The great offering for the world made on Calvary. 2. The sins of all those who avail themselves of the merits of Christ’s shed blood, by faith in him, in that blood are borne into the Sanctuary. 3. After Christ, the minister of the true tabernacle, [Heb. viii, 2,] has finished his ministration, he will remove the sins of his people from the Sanctuary, and lay them upon the head of their author, the antitypical scape-goat, the Devil. 4. The Devil will be sent away with them into a land not inhabited.

If we want a description of this event in plain terms we find it in Rev. xx, 1–3: “And I saw an angel come down from heaven having the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years should be fulfilled.”

Now we would ask, What could be more fitting than that the author and instigator of all sin should receive the guilt of those transgressions which he has incited mortals to commit, but of which they have repented, back upon his own head? And what could be a more striking antitype of the ancient ceremony of sending away the scape-goat into the wilderness, than the act of the mighty angel in binding Satan and casting him into the bottomless pit at the commencement of the thousand years.

This is a point of transcendent interest to every believer. Then, the sins of God’s people will be borne away to be remembered no more forever. Then he who instigated them, will have received them back again. Then the serpent’s head will have been bruised by the seed of the woman. Then the “strong man armed,” (Satan,) will have been bound by a stronger than he, (Christ,) and the house of the strong man (the grave) spoiled of its goods, the saints. Matt. xii, 29; Heb. ii, 14. Then will the work of the enemy, in sowing tares among the wheat, [Matt. xiii, 35–43,] be forever remedied: the tares will have been gathered into bundles to burn, and the wheat gathered into the garner. Then our great High Priest will have come forth from the Sanctuary

to pronounce the everlasting blessing upon his waiting people. Then shall we have come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels. Then will the redeemed, placing the foot of triumph upon the world, the flesh and the devil, raise their glad voices in the song of Moses and the Lamb. O glorious day! May the Lord hasten it in his good time. Who would not, in view of this, take up the petition of the beloved John, “Even so, come Lord Jesus!”

These are scenes to which the children of hope in this lower world love to look forward. On these hang their brightest anticipations. These are the very portals to the glorious city, and to their eternal inheritance.

Such, we sincerely believe, is the order in which the Bible has introduced these events to our understanding. But there are those who would disturb this divine harmony, and mar the beauty of this arrangement, by denying some of its essential points. A correspondent writes under date of Nov. 14th, 1856, as follows:

“There are some who will not admit that the Devil is the scape-goat. One objection is on the word, atonement, in Lev. xvi, 10. They say, We don't believe the Devil is in partnership with Christ in making the atonement. This question has caused some division among Sabbath-keepers.”

We have already made mention of the only two positions that can be taken on this question. He who, therefore, denies that the Devil is the antitypical scape-goat, is necessarily driven to the position that Christ fulfills this office; which view we think is not only very derogatory to the character of Christ, but involves some manifest absurdities.

If those who thus object had ever given any substance or tangibility to their views; if they had ever shown any good reason for believing that Christ is the great scape-goat of this dispensation; we should know better how to answer their objections. We should then be better able to judge whether they draw their views from sound premises, or whether they entertain them because they love to have a way of their own, and to differ with the mass of their brethren. As it is we can but re-iterate what appears to be the plain teaching of the Bible on the point, which we had supposed would, from its very consistency, aside from revelation, commend itself to every candid man's belief.

The use of the word atonement in Lev. xvi, 10, is certainly a very trivial point to make the fulcrum of so important a question. The part which the scape-goat was to act, is in that chapter clearly defined; and any one can judge for himself how much merit there was attached to his office, and how much connection the part he acted had with removing the sins from the children of Israel. The only office he performed was to receive the sins of the people from the hands of the priest after he had borne them from the Sanctuary, to retain them upon his own head, and go away from Israel forever into a land not inhabited.

Reasoning from type to antitype, we believe the Devil will have a similar part to act. We can come to no other conclusion than that, the cleansing of the Sanctuary being finished, the sins of all those who have escaped his insidious wiles will be laid upon him and he be cast into the bottomless pit. People may call this if they choose, being in partnership with Christ, or they may designate it by any other expression; but the consistency of the view, and the testimony of the Bible on the point, cannot be altered.

We know that some will say that sins cannot be suffered for but once, and that it is absurd that Satan should suffer for those sins for which Christ has already suffered. But how long will such hold to this position? Let us see. For whom did Christ die? for a chosen few only, or for all? Evidently for all, otherwise all could not have an opportunity of repentance. “Well then,” says one who is wedded to the pleasures of sin, “if sin can be suffered for but once, and Christ has suffered for my sins, what have I to fear? There is no suffering for sin for me to endure. I will therefore cull all the enjoyment I can from the pleasures of this world, and on the threshold of eternity I will take my stand beside the holiest saint that ever lived, and claim an equal right with him to the glories of heaven; for Christ suffered for me as well as for him; and therefore I am as free.”

This is exactly the issue of the view taken; but the staunchest Universalism would require nothing better. Unless therefore we wish to yield the specific teachings of the Bible and become Universalists at once, we must abandon this theory. But its advocates may still contend that the wicked are exceptions, but that certainly sins that have been pardoned can never after be occasion of suffering to any being. But if when sins are pardoned that is the last of them, we would inquire how it happens that these very sins are transferred to the Sanctuary, and impurity imputed to it on their account. That this is so is one of the plainest teachings of the Bible. It is also certain that these sins are to be removed from the Sanctuary; and we would ask those who endorse the theory under consideration, what then is to be done with them, unless they are to be laid upon the head of their old author, the Devil.

From the fact that our sins when forgiven are only transferred through the blood of Christ to the Sanctuary, we learn that the pardon of our sins is only removing from us their guilt, by imputing to us the righteousness of another. But we are not the originators of sin. Behind all our transgressions there stands a guilty instigator; and why should it be thought more incredible or unscriptural that the guilt of those sins of which we repent, should be imputed to him who prompted us to commit them, than that the righteousness of Christ, upon our repenting, should be imputed to us? Rom. ii, 22; 2 Cor. v, 21.

Why it was anciently that the sins of Israel were borne into the Sanctuary and finally carried away on the head of the scape-goat into the wilderness, and why our sins are now transferred to the Sanctuary through the blood of Christ, to be laid finally upon the head of the great antitypical scape-goat, the Devil—why this arrangement was made instead of some other, is not for us to inquire into nor question. It is among the “mysteries of godliness;” [2 Tim. iii, 16;] and, says the Prophet, [Deut. xxix, 26.] “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children for ever.”