What does the Azazel goat of the Day of Atonement represent?
Introduction
The ceremony on the Day of Atonement described in Leviticus 16 centres around two goats. One is sacrificed and the other is let loose in the wilderness. It is clear that the sacrificed goat represents Jesus Christ. But what does the other goat represent? Most Bible translations refer to this other goat as the “scapegoat” or the “goat of departure”, which is translated from the Hebrew word Azazel. There are two prevailing views regarding what the Azazel goat represents. This paper examines this topic.
Throughout this paper, wherever the two views disagree, the views are displayed in the form of a table to make it easier to see the differences. To start off, here are the two prevailing views.
| Topic | View 1 | View 2 |
| The Azazel goat. | The Azazel goat represents the devil. | The Azazel goat represents Jesus Christ. |
A Brief Overview
It’s helpful to start with a brief overview of the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement is mentioned in Leviticus 23 along with the other Holy Days. The instruction here is when and how to keep it. The Day of Atonement is the 10th day of the 7th month. It is a day of fasting, of solemn rest, and a holy convocation.
Lev 23:26 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
Lev 23:27 “Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.
Lev 23:28 And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God.
Lev 23:29 For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people.
Lev 23:30 And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.
Lev 23:31 You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Lev 23:32 It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath.”
The Ceremony in Leviticus 14 for Cleansing a Leper and a House
Leviticus 16 describes in detail the ceremony held on the Day of Atonement. But before delving into it, in order to understand View 2 it is necessary to look at Leviticus 14. Leviticus 14 describes two ceremonies where the offering is two animals, similar to the two goats of the Day of Atonement.
Lev 14:1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
Lev 14:2 “This shall be the law of the leper for the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought to the priest.
Anyone with leprosy was unclean. Leprosy is symbolic of mankind’s sinful state.
Lev 14:3 And the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall examine him; and indeed, if the leprosy is healed in the leper,
If the leprosy is healed, then the next verses describe the ceremony.
Lev 14:4 then the priest shall command to take for him who is to be cleansed two living and clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop.
The two living clean birds are required for the ceremony.
Lev 14:5 And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water.
One of the birds is killed. Running water means that it came from a spring or a stream and not from a well.
Lev 14:6 As for the living bird, he shall take it, the cedar wood and the scarlet and the hyssop, and dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water.
The other bird is dipped in the blood of the sacrificed bird.
Lev 14:7 And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed from the leprosy, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose in the open field.
The priest sprinkled the blood of the sacrificed bird 7 times on the cleansed leper and then let the living bird loose.
A similar ceremony was performed in the cleansing of a house that previously had a plague.
Lev 14:48 “But if the priest comes in and examines it, and indeed the plague has not spread in the house after the house was plastered, then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague is healed.
If the house is free from plague, then the next verses describe the ceremony.
Lev 14:49 And he shall take, to cleanse the house, two birds, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop.
The two living clean birds are required for the ceremony.
Lev 14:50 Then he shall kill one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water;
One of the birds is killed. Running water means that it came from a spring or a stream and not from a well.
Lev 14:51 and he shall take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times.
The other bird is dipped in the blood of the sacrificed bird.
Lev 14:52 And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird and the running water and the living bird, with the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the scarlet.
Lev 14:53 Then he shall let the living bird loose outside the city in the open field, and make atonement for the house, and it shall be clean.
These two ceremonies for cleansing a leper and cleansing a house are similar to the sin offering of the two goats on the Day of Atonement. According to View 2 the two birds play a similar role the two sin offering goats of the Day of Atonement; both are for the cleansing but have different roles.
An Examination of Leviticus 16
We are now in a position to go through the whole of Leviticus 16, verse by verse.
Lev 16:1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered profane fire before the LORD, and died;
Lev 16:2 and the LORD said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.
Only the High Priest could enter the Holy Place and moreover only once a year on the Day of Atonement, as Hebrews 9:6-7 makes clear.
Heb 9:6 …, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services.
Heb 9:7 But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance;
Lev 16:3 “Thus Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with the blood of a young bull as a sin offering, and of a ram as a burnt offering.
The High Priest offered for himself:
- a young bull as a sin offering.
- a ram as a burnt offering.
Lev 16:4 He shall put the holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body; he shall be girded with a linen sash, and with the linen turban he shall be attired. These are holy garments. Therefore he shall wash his body in water, and put them on.
After the offering, the High Priest washed himself in water, and thus suitably cleansed, he put on holy garments. The holy garments picture righteousness. Jesus Christ is our High Priest today. On the Day of Atonement, when the High Priest put on the Holy garments, he symbolised Jesus Christ.
Lev 16:5 And he shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats as a sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering.
The High Priest took from the people:
- two kid goats as a sin offering.
- a ram as a burnt offering.
Note that the two kid goats together are a single sin offering. The two goats are distinct elements that jointly accomplish this offering for sin. A typical sin offering consists of only one animal, but this sin offering consists of two.
Note also that the ram mentioned in verse 5 is a second ram. The first ram was offered as a burnt offering for the High Priest (verse 3). This second ram was offered as a burnt offering for the people.
Lev 16:6 “Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house.
Aaron offered the bull mentioned in verse 3 as a sin offering for himself.
A critical part of the sin offering involves the priest placing his hands on the head of the animal before it was slain to show that the animal stands in the place of the party under judgment. The unblemished, innocent animal, representing the guilty party, symbolically received the guilt. This detail is laid out within the instructions for the sin offering found in Leviticus 4 as well as in the initial consecration ceremony for Aaron and his sons, Exodus 29:10-14.
Lev 4:2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a person sins unintentionally against any of the commandments of the LORD in anything which ought not to be done, and does any of them,
Lev 4:3 if the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer to the LORD for his sin which he has sinned a young bull without blemish as a sin offering.
Lev 4:4 He shall bring the bull to the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD, lay his hand on the bull’s head, and kill the bull before the LORD.
Lev 4:15 And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD. Then the bull shall be killed before the LORD.
Lev 4:24 And he shall lay his hand on the head of the goat, and kill it at the place where they kill the burnt offering before the LORD. It is a sin offering.
Lev 4:29 And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering at the place of the burnt offering.
Every sacrificial animal had to be of the highest quality — without blemish or defect, as Deuteronomy 17:1 makes clear.
Deu 17:1 “You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God a bull or sheep which has any blemish or defect, for that is an abomination to the LORD your God.
There are two reasons for this. Firstly, as our creator, God deserves the best; and secondly the sacrifice of every animal offered to God prefigured the sacrifice our Saviour Jesus Christ, who was entirely without blemish or defect.
Let’s continue in Leviticus 16.
Lev 16:7 He shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
Lev 16:8 Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the LORD and the other lot for the scapegoat [azazel].
The High Priest presented the two kid goats before God at the entrance to the Tabernacle and cast lots.
The casting lots shows God’s control of the process. One goat is picked by lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the Azazel goat.
“For the Lord” means “to be sacrificed to the Lord”. This goat represents Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for our sins.
The Hebrew word Azazel is better translated as “goat of departure” rather than “scapegoat”.
Both views agree with these statements. The two views start to differ from this point.
| Topic | View 1 | View 2 |
| Casting of lots. | Only God can discern between true religion and false religion and help us. This is represented by God “discerning” between the two goats and choosing their roles. | Since the two goats together are the sin offering, it doesn’t matter which goat takes which role. The lots are cast simply to make the decision. |
| The Azazel. | The Azazel represents a second personality (the devil). | The Azazel represents Jesus Christ. |
| Rationale Various ancient Jewish scholars identify Azazel as a demon. | Rationale The two similar ceremonies in Leviticus 14 involving two birds for cleansing a leper and a house. | |
| The two goats. | The two goats should be viewed separately. | The two goats are one sin offering and should be viewed together. They are two aspects of the one offering. 1) the sacrifice for the payment for sin, represented by the goat “for the Lord”, and 2) the complete removal of sin from view, represented by the goat “of departure”. |
| Rationale Various ancient Jewish scholars identify Azazel as a demon. | Rationale Both goats were without blemish as sin offerings were to be without blemish. An unblemished goat is a better symbol for Jesus Christ than Satan. The ceremonies in Lev 14 and Lev 16:5. “two kids of the goats as a sin offering”. |
Continuing in verse 9.
Lev 16:9 And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the LORD’s lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering.
The goat on which the Lord’s lot fell was offered as a sin offering. The sacrifice of this live goat pictures Christ’s sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins.
Eph 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”.
| Topic | View 1 | View 2 |
| The sacrifice of the live goat. | The live goat is a sin offering. | Both goats are a sin offering, so this is the first part of the sin offering. |
| Rationale Verse 9 “and offer it as a sin offering” | Rationale The ceremonies in Lev 14, Lev 16:5 “two kids of the goats as a sin offering”, and Lev 16:9 “and offer it as a sin offering”. Verses 5 and 9 do not contradict each other as both goats are the sin offering. |
Lev 16:10 But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat [azazel] shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat [azazel] into the wilderness.
The goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat was presented to make atonement upon it, and then released. This is the second part of the sin offering.
| Topic | View 1 | View 2 |
| The live goat is presented before the Lord to make atonement upon it. | Satan is forced to take responsibility for his part in the sins of the people and thus atonement can finally be made. | The live goat is presented as atonement, that is, as a covering or reconciliation. The shed blood of Jesus Christ reconciles mankind to God. |
| Rationale There are no Scriptures to support the notion that Satan in any way makes atonement for our sins. | Rationale Col 1:20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. |
Continuing in verse 11.
Lev 16:11 “And Aaron shall bring the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bull as the sin offering which is for himself.
The High Priest killed the young bull as sin offering for himself and his family. A sin offering was made as atonement for the sinner.
Lev 16:12 Then he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from the altar before the LORD, with his hands full of sweet incense beaten fine, and bring it inside the veil.
The High Priest took the censor of burning coals from the altar and some incense and went through the veil into the Holy of Holies with the coals and incense. The veil blocked access to the Holy of Holies. The veil symbolises access to God being blocked. It was this veil that was supernaturally ripped in two when Jesus Christ died.
Lev 16:13 And he shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the Testimony, lest he die.
The High Priest then burnt the incense on the coals in the Holy of Holies, so that a cloud of smoke covered the mercy seat. The mercy seat sat on the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant contained the two tablets with the Ten Commandments written on them, the golden pot with manna in it, and Aaron’s rod that budded. The mercy seat was made of pure gold, and it had on it two golden cherubim. The mercy seat pictures the throne of God. The incense pictures the prayers of people. So, we have a picture of people’s prayers rising to God and being accepted by Him.
Lev 16:14 He shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.
The bull is a sin offering. By sprinkling the blood of the bull on the mercy seat and 7 times before (in front of) it, the High Priest made atonement for himself and his family. The veil and the entrance to the tabernacle (and temple) were on the east side, which is in the direction of the people.
Lev 16:15 “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat.
Lev 16:16 So he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins; and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness.
The High Priest went out of the Holy of Holies and killed the goat picked by lot for the Lord as a sin offering. He then went back inside the Holy of Holies and sprinkled the blood of goat with his finger on the mercy seat and 7 times before (in front of) it.
The blood of the goat is symbolic of the shed blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. By sprinkling the blood of the goat, the High Priest made atonement for the sins of the people. Hebrews 9:24-28 explains the significance of this part of the ceremony.
Heb 9:24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;
Heb 9:25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another—
Heb 9:26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
Heb 9:28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
Why did the High Priest sprinkle the blood once on the mercy seat and 7 times on the front? There are two parties involved in the atonement, God and the people. The sprinkle on the mercy seat is for God because that’s where His presence is. The sprinkle on the front is for the people because that’s in the direction of the people. The number 7 pictures completeness; so, sprinkling 7 times pictures complete atonement.
It is a very solemn ceremony. It pictures God the Father accepting the shed blood of His Son as atonement for our sins. That’s why if the High Priest did not do as God instructed, he would die. Only the High Priest was allowed to make atonement for the people. This pictures the reality that only Jesus Christ can make atonement for us.
Lev 16:17 There shall be no man in the tabernacle of meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the Holy Place, until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself, for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel.
This shows the solemnity and importance of the ceremony.
Lev 16:18 And he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD, and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around.
Lev 16:19 Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, cleanse it, and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
The High Priest came out of the Holy of Holies. Then he put the blood of the bull and the goat on the horns of the altar (which is outside the Holy of Holies). He sprinkled blood with his finger 7 times, to cleanse it from the sins of the people. So, starting from the Holy of Holies, and working outwards, the whole Tabernacle is cleansed.
Lev 16:20 “And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the tabernacle of meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat.
Lev 16:21 Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man.
| Topic | View 1 | View 2 |
| Confession of sins over the live goat. | Confession of sins over the live goat pictures Satan being forced to take responsibility for his part in the sins of humanity. | Confession of sins over the live goat pictures Jesus Christ taking on Himself the sins of humanity. |
| Rationale | Rationale 1 Cor 5:21 For He [God] made Him [Christ] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. | |
| The wilderness. | The wilderness pictures Satan’s place of banishment. | The wilderness pictures a distant place where God removes our sins. |
| Rationale | Rationale Psa 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us”. | |
| The suitable man. | The suitable man pictures an angel. | |
| Rationale The angel in Revelation 20:1-3 who binds Satan for 1000 years. |
The idea of View 1 that the removal of the goat ties in with Revelation 20:1-3 deserves a closer inspection.
Rev 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
Rev 20:3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
Here is a table which summarises the sequence of events that happen to both the live goat (the goat of departure) and Satan.
| Lev 16:21-22 | Rev 20:1-3 |
| Goat taken into the wilderness | Satan taken into the bottomless pit |
| Goat taken by a suitable man | Satan taken by an angel |
| Goat released (freed) in the wilderness | Satan bound (restrained) in the bottomless pit |
| Goat not seen again | Satan released after 1000 years |
| Purpose is that “the goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land”, v22 | Purpose is “that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished” v3 |
As the table above shows, not everything is such a good match between Leviticus and Revelation. The live goat is let free, whereas Satan is restrained (and then released later). The live goat is not seen again, whereas Satan reappears after 1000 years. Lastly, the purpose for removing the goat is very different to the purpose for removing Satan.
Continuing in verse 22.
Lev 16:22 The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited [gezarah] land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.
| Topic | View 1 | View 2 |
| The live goat bears on itself all their sins. | Satan bears all their sins as he is ultimately responsible for them. | Jesus Christ bore the sins of the world. Satan tempts us but cannot force us to sin. We are responsible for our own sins, but Christ bears them for us. |
| Rationale | Rationale 1 Pe 2:24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, … Ja 1:14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. | |
| An uninhabited [gezarah] land. | The uninhabited land pictures Satan’s place of banishment. | The uninhabited land pictures a land cut off. |
| Rationale | Rationale The Hebrew word translated “uninhabited” is gezarah meaning “cut off.” Christ takes our sins to the land “cut off” where they are ultimately forgotten, just as the live goat takes the people’s sins into an uninhabited land. | |
| The live goat going to the uninhabited land. | The live goat going to the uninhabited land pictures the removal of the primary cause of sin, which is Satan. | The live goat going to the uninhabited land pictures the removal of sin to where it is forgotten. |
| Rationale | Rationale Psa 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us”. Isa 43:25 “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins. |
Continuing in verse 23.
Lev 16:23 “Then Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of meeting, shall take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Holy Place, and shall leave them there.
When the High Priest takes off the holy garments, he no longer symbolises Jesus Christ.
Lev 16:24 And he shall wash his body with water in a holy place, put on his garments, come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.
Lev 16:25 The fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar.
The burnt offerings are the two rams. One burnt offering is for the high priest and the other for the people. A burnt offering offered the complete animal. The burnt offering pictures our complete devotion and commitment to God. So, by making these two burnt offerings (for the High Priest and the people), the High Priest is showing both his and the people’s complete commitment to God.
Lev 16:26 And he who released the goat as the scapegoat [azazel] shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.
This symbolises cleansing after coming in contact with sin.
Lev 16:27 The bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp. And they shall burn in the fire their skins, their flesh, and their offal.
Lev 16:28 Then he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.
Everything must be cleansed.
Lev 16:29 “This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you.
This is a repeat of the command for emphasis.
Lev 16:30 For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.
Lev 16:31 It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever.
Lev 16:32 And the priest, who is anointed and consecrated to minister as priest in his father’s place, shall make atonement, and put on the linen clothes, the holy garments;
Lev 16:33 then he shall make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tabernacle of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.
Lev 16:34 This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year.” And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.
These final verses are a summary of the day.
Conclusion
The two views are diametrically opposed. They cannot both be correct. The various tables previously presented are combined into one table below for a convenient overview.
| Topic | View 1 | View 2 |
| The Azazel goat. | The Azazel goat represents the devil. | The Azazel goat represents Jesus Christ. |
| Casting of lots. | Only God can discern between true religion and false religion and help us. This is represented by God “discerning” between the two goats and choosing their roles. | Since the two goats together are the sin offering, it doesn’t matter which goat takes which role. The lots are cast simply to make the decision. |
| The Azazel. | The Azazel represents a second personality (the devil). | The Azazel represents Jesus Christ. |
| Rationale Various ancient Jewish scholars identify Azazel as a demon. | Rationale The two similar ceremonies in Leviticus 14 involving two birds for cleansing a leper and a house. | |
| The two goats. | The two goats should be viewed separately. | The two goats are one sin offering and should be viewed together. They are two aspects of the one offering. 1) the sacrifice for the payment for sin, represented by the goat “for the Lord”, and 2) the complete removal of sin from view, represented by the goat “of departure”. |
| Rationale Various ancient Jewish scholars identify Azazel as a demon. | Rationale Both goats were without blemish as sin offerings were to be without blemish. An unblemished goat is a better symbol for Jesus Christ than Satan. The ceremony in Leviticus 14 and verse 5 “two kids of the goats as a sin offering” | |
| The sacrifice of the live goat. | The live goat is a sin offering. | Both goats are a sin offering, so this is the first part of the sin offering. |
| Rationale Verse 9 “and offer it as a sin offering” | Rationale The ceremony in Leviticus 14, Lev 16:5 “two kids of the goats as a sin offering”, and Lev 16:9 “and offer it as a sin offering”. Verses 5 and 9 do not contradict each other as both goats are the sin offering. | |
| The live goat is presented before the Lord to make atonement upon it. | Satan is forced to take responsibility for his part in the sins of the people and thus atonement can finally be made. | The live goat is presented as atonement, that is, as a covering or reconciliation. The shed blood of Jesus Christ reconciles mankind to God. |
| Rationale There are no Scriptures to support the notion that Satan in any way makes atonement for our sins. | Rationale Col 1:20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. | |
| Confession of sins over the live goat. | Confession of sins over the live goat pictures Satan being forced to take responsibility for his part in the sins of humanity. | Confession of sins over the live goat pictures the removal of our sins from God’s sight. |
| Rationale | Rationale 1 Cor 5:21 For He [God] made Him [Christ] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. | |
| The wilderness. | The wilderness pictures Satan’s place of banishment. | The wilderness pictures a distant place where God removes our sins. |
| Rationale | Rationale Psa 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us”. | |
| The suitable man. | The suitable man pictures an angel. | |
| Rationale The angel in Revelation 20:1-3 who binds Satan for 1000 years. | ||
| The live goat bears on itself all their sins. | Satan bears all their sins as he is ultimately responsible for them. | Jesus Christ bore the sins of the world. Satan tempts us but cannot make us sin. We are responsible for our own sins, but Christ bears them for us. |
| Rationale | Rationale 1 Pe 2:24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, … Ja 1:14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. | |
| An uninhabited [gezarah] land. | The uninhabited land pictures Satan’s place of banishment. | The uninhabited land pictures a land cut off. |
| Rationale | Rationale The Hebrew word translated “uninhabited” is gezarah meaning “cut off.” Christ takes our sins to the land “cut off” where they are ultimately forgotten, just as the live goat takes the people’s sins into an uninhabited land. | |
| The live goat going to the uninhabited land. | The live goat going to the uninhabited land pictures the removal of the primary cause of sin, which is Satan. | The live goat going to the uninhabited land pictures the removal of sin to where it is forgotten. |
| Rationale | Rationale Psa 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us”. Isa 43:25 “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins. |
The main differences between the two views can be summarized as follows.
| Topic | View 1 | View 2 |
| Who the Azazel goat represents. | The Azazel goat represents Satan. | The Azazel goat represents Jesus Christ. |
| The understanding of who the Azazel goat represents. | The understanding the Azazel goat represents Satan relies on Jewish writings and linking Lev 16:21-22 to Rev 20:1-3. | The understanding the Azazel goat represents Jesus Christ relies on Leviticus 14 and the use of Scripture to interpret Scripture. |
| What the Azazel goat represents. | The Azazel goat represents the removal of Satan, who is the primary cause of sin. | The Azazel goat represents the removal of sin to where it is forgotten. |
| The rationale. | At times no Scriptures are given for the rationale; in these instances the rationale must therefore be human reasoning. | Scriptures are always given for the rationale. |
Which view is correct?
Let me know what you think.