- And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
Fit man is the person who leads away the scapegoat to the wilderness, after the High Priest puts on him all the sins of Israel. This man has an important role in finalizing the atonement of Israel.
Not until the goat had been thus sent away did the people regard themselves as freed from the burden of their sins. PP 355.4
Notice
The problem of sin is not resolved when Christ stops the intercession, but it is resolved when the scapegoat is in the wilderness. This work has been placed upon the fit man.
Pattern Matching
The earthly sanctuary was the type of the heavenly sanctuary. Earthly sanctuary service was a type or an object lesson for the Plan of Redemption. See The Sanctuary Service
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The scapegoat is representing Satan:
Since Satan is the originator of sin, the direct instigator of all the sins that caused the death of the Son of God, justice demands that Satan shall suffer the final punishment. Christ’s work for the redemption of men and the purification of the universe from sin will be closed by the removal of sin from the heavenly sanctuary and the placing of these sins upon Satan, who will bear the final penalty. So in the typical service, the yearly round of ministration closed with the purification of the sanctuary, and the confessing of the sins on the head of the scapegoat. PP 358.2
Who is the fit man?
The scapegoat came no more into the camp of Israel, and the man who led him away was required to wash himself and his clothing with water before returning to the camp. GC 419.2
The purification of the fit man highlights the need for us to be spiritually pure to fulfill this role:
Those who are living upon the earth when the intercession of Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above, are to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort, they must be conquerors in the battle with evil. GC88 425.1victoryOverSinfinalGeneration
Tangent
For more information on standing in the sight of God without a mediator, and state of the final generation or144k see Present Truth - for the final generation
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1Th 5:23
Fit man's spiritual state
Leading away the scapegoat into the wilderness is after the mediation of Christ, yet this man has to be blameless. This is man pattern matches with144k in the final generation (Revelation 14:5)
The purity required for the fit man to lead the scapegoat into the wilderness mirrors the state we must achieve:
Satan could find nothing in the Son of God that would enable him to gain the victory. He had kept his Father’s commandments, and there was no sin in him that Satan could use to his advantage. This is the condition in which those must be found who shall stand in the time of trouble. GC88 622.4finalGenerationvictoryOverSin
Tangent
See The Pitch - Jesus called us to follow Him, but first we got to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and then follow Him
Importance of the fit man role
Then I saw that Jesus’ work in the sanctuary was almost finished, almost finished, and after His work there is finished He will come to the door of the tabernacle, or door of the first apartment, and confess the sins of Israel upon the head of the scape goat. Then He will put on the garments of vengeance. Then the plagues come upon the wicked, and they do not come until Jesus puts on the garments of vengeance and takes His seat upon the great white cloud. Then while the plagues are falling the scape goat is being led away. He makes a mighty struggle to escape, but he is held fast by the hand that bears him away. If he should effect his escape Israel would be destroyed (or slain). I saw that it would take time to bear him away into the land of forgetfulness after the sins were put upon his head. 1LtMs, Ms 15, 1850, par. 8
The final step to the redemption
Every step of the Plan of Salvation needs to be completed. The last step is leading the scapegoat out into the wilderness. But this leading is not done by Christ, but by the fit man. What would happen if the scapegoat escapes?
Should the scapegoat escape, not only would the 144,000 fail, but all the saved would lose their lives. The plan of redemption would be for nothing. This is why Satan tries so hard to get us to lose our focus, forget our identity, and remain asleep.
God is risking everything on the success of the 144,000. We cannot lose track of our calling as fit men to drag the devil into the wilderness. We cannot let the scapegoat escape; if it does, the Plan of Salvation would be proven insufficient, and Satan’s accusations that the law cannot be kept would be justified.
I saw that it would take time to bear him away
This is little time of trouble, when we should stand before God without an intercesor
the land of forgefulness
The land of forgefulness where the scapegoat is led away is the bounding Satan in Rev 20:2 for 1000 years, in this waste land on this planet
It is now that we must keep ourselves and our children unspotted from the world. It is now that we must wash our robes of character and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. It is now that we must overcome pride, passion, and spiritual slothfulness. It is now that we must awake and make determined effort for symmetry of character. 5T 215.4
Now is the time to prepare. The seal of God will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of the ambitious, world-loving man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of men or women of false tongues or deceitful hearts. All who receive the seal must be without spot before God—candidates for heaven. Go forward, my brethren and sisters. I can only write briefly upon these points at this time, merely calling your attention to the necessity of preparation. Search the Scriptures for yourselves, that you may understand the fearful solemnity of the present hour. 5T 216.2finalGeneration
Who hath ears to hear, let him hear
Mat 13:43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Conclusion
The understanding of our role as the 144k to end the Great Controversy and vindicate the Father by proving that God’s law can be kept through the Faith of Jesus, even in the absence of an intercessor.