Leviticus 16:20, commentary and pictures

After he had finished reconciling the holy place, the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar on the great day of atonement, the high priest brought forward the live goat. He placed his hands upon it and confessed the sins of Israel over it, symbolically transferring them to the goat to be carried away as forever separated from the people. That earthly cleansing was a pattern of Christ's actual ministry in the heavenly sanctuary, where as great High Priest He cleanses the most holy place and blots out the sins of His faithful people, a work begun in 1844 at the end of the prophetic days not by fire upon the earth but by His own blood in heaven. At the last Jesus finishes His sanctuary work and confesses the sins of Israel upon the scapegoat, which represents Satan finally bearing the sins of all who come to Jesus while the unrepentant bear their own, and it is led away to the land of forgetfulness. Those who held the live goat to be a type of Christ taught that Christ alone, over whom death had no power, was able to bear human sins, and not Satan who cannot bear even his own, nor Pilate washing his hands. It belongs to the solemn antitypical day of atonement and judgment now going on above, calling every soul to purification before God through repentance, humility, heart-searching, confession, and turning from sin to be cleansed by the blood of Jesus before the books are opened.

Earthly Sanctuary Ritual

The sanctuary to be cleansed was God's earthly dwelling-place of glory, with a holy place and a most holy place, first the movable sanctuary erected in the desert of Sinai and afterward the temple built by Solomon to which its vessels were transferred after Israel entered Canaan. Its cleansing took place on the great day of atonement, and the bringing forward of the live goat comes only after finishing the reconciling of the holy place and the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar. For that annual service the high priest entered the most holy place after careful preparation and went before God at the mercy seat while the people waited in prayer, and when he came out he blessed them.

The service centered on the ark containing God's law, with the mercy seat covering it and the angels at either end, and its heavenly mysteries are not to be described beyond what has been revealed. In the setting of the day of atonement Joshua acted on behalf of Israel. After the reconciling the high priest brought forward the live goat, placed his hands upon it and confessed over it the sins of Israel, symbolically transferring them to the goat, which then carried them away as forever separated from the people.

Heavenly Fulfillment and Scapegoat

The cleansing of the holy place, the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar on the great day of atonement was a pattern of Christ's actual ministry in the heavenly sanctuary in behalf of His people, matching the Day of Atonement work done for Israel. The antitypical Day of Atonement is the cleansing of the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, in which Christ as great High Priest blots out the sins of His faithful people throughout history. In that work sins go beforehand to judgment to be confessed and taken away.

The great antitype in heaven began in 1844 at the end of the prophetic days. The sanctuary to be cleansed is not the earth to be purified by fire at Christ's second coming to punish its inhabitants for iniquity, but the heavenly sanctuary, which Christ entered to cleanse from the people's sins by virtue of His own blood. In mercy He thereby gave them still more time to repent of their sins and prepare for His coming. Christ as great High Priest is now attired like the Jewish high priest in priestly garments, and when Michael stands up to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords that attire is exchanged for many crowns in one crown.

In the final application, when the reconciling is ended and the live goat is brought, Jesus finishes His sanctuary work, comes to the sanctuary entrance, and confesses Israel's sins upon the scapegoat. The goat is then led away to the land of forgetfulness, and its removal takes time. It struggles to escape but is held fast, for if it escaped Israel would be destroyed. Then Jesus puts on the garments of vengeance and takes His place on the great white cloud before the plagues fall, the cloud being separate from the sanctuary.

The live goat sent into the wilderness is a type of Christ, not Satan and not Pilate. Satan cannot be the scapegoat because he cannot bear even his own sins, and Pilate washing his hands at the choosing of Barabbas cannot be represented by it. Christ alone, over whom death had no power, was able to bear human sins, meeting the multitude's cry for His blood to be upon them and their children. The scapegoat chosen after the reconciling to bear the people's sins also represents Satan himself in its bearing on the day of atonement. He must finally bear the sins of all who come to Jesus, while those who continue in transgression must bear their own sins.

All the types point to Jesus Christ as the Sin-bearer and Substitute for the offender, who cannot Himself be accused as a sinner and who takes away the sin of the repentant, believing transgressor. Then as now Satan points to the defilement of God's people and triumphs in their discomfiture.

Solemn Call to Readiness

The bringing of the live goat belongs to the solemn work now going on in the sanctuary above, which is the great day of atonement and Judgment and the great day of preparation for this time. It concerns every individual, with perils attending every soul. After the reconciling of the holy place and the tabernacle and the altar is finished, the live goat is brought forward, and this marks the final day of atonement as a time of confession before the books are opened and every person is judged for deeds done. Sins that are confessed must be confessed before the coming time of trouble, so that they can be placed upon the scapegoat and borne away.

The present antitypical day of atonement is a solemn time for purification before God through repentance and humility and heart-searching. The church and its members are to turn from sin and live in purity, considering how each person's case will stand in the judgment. The soul must be cleansed from defilement by the blood of Jesus. The needed preparation is to put away sin and draw near to God, trusting Christ to cleanse from unrighteousness and secure pardon, while sins to be taken away go beforehand to judgment.

This subject is to be kept constantly before the minds of those employed in institutions, and kept before the people and urged upon their consciences with earnestness and power. It is not to be lightly regarded nor crowded out by business cares. Correct views of the sanctuary subject give correct views of the importance of the work for this time and lead to greater energy and zeal. They keep workers from becoming careless and blinded to the wants of the cause, and lead them to seek to be a channel of light.