Continued from our previous post.

“The Scapegoat class , i.e. ‘The Great Company’ or ‘Great Multitude’, if you will, Rev 7:9;13-17, 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 sin, hence by his providence, [that is by or] through the circumstances of life, the Lord will cause them to come through ‘great tribulation’, thus accomplishing for them, [that for which they did not willingly relinquish, in compliance with their covenant], ‘the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit [the new life in them] may be saved in the Day of the Lord Jesus’ 1 Cor 5:5.” (T 69)

“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 bears not fruit, he takes it away.” (John 15:2)

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 rest of world in the next age, for in their consecration, they gave up these rights (their restitutional life rights secured to all mankind through the ransom sacrifice of our Lord, earthly life rights) for the opportunity to run for the divine nature (the “heavenly calling”, Heb 3:1; Eph 4:4, the only calling now open).

But nevertheless 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, or separated, dead condition) were all their lifetime subject to bondage, bondage of fear, of men and men’s traditions and opinions which always brings a snare, and keeps back from obedience to God–even unto death” (Prov 29:25; Heb 2:15). T 69, 70

“This class, represented in the Scape goat, will be sent into the wilderness the condition of separation from the world, of sorrow and disappointment, (elsewhere referred to as the “land of seclusion” or “cutting off” Compare Matt 25:11, 12 and John 15:2) forced thither by the man of opportunity, unfavorable circumstances, there to be buffeted by the 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…

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 are all their lifetime subject to bondage (understand their fear is not one of physical death, for this is not what they fear, but rather it is their fear of detachment from the world, its religious systems, its ways and means, the fear of sacrificing all of this, of letting go, it is this which they fear, this is their bondage). The hand of the Lord will free them of this bondage by overthrowing the many theories, creeds, and traditions of men, and the great nominal church organizations, in and to, and by which his people of the ‘Scape goat’ class [have been] held, hindered from hearing and obeying the Lord’s voice (“Come out of her my people”).” T 70-72

The hand of the Lord will likewise free those of this selfsame class who are not necessarily bound to any man-made creeds or religious systems, but who are nevertheless bound to the mentality of this world with its hopes, aims and ambitions, most of which are founded upon self-interest, i.e. selfishness, what wonder that they lack the spirit of self-sacrifice found in the Lord’s goat class.

Next post.