ATONEMENT AND AZAZEL

INTRODUCTION: DEFINING THE PROBLEMS

It is very daunting to attempt to give clear and full exposition to the most symbolically difficult and controversial of days in the biblical calendar. Renowned scholars are divided in their explanations. Theologians are divided in doctrinal interpretation of certain characteristics of the Day of Atonement. Christians observant of Yom Kippur, the day described in Lev 23:26-32, disagree, and it seems increasingly so, as to what the two goats that are described in Lev 16 represent. Its 34 verses give the longest ceremonial description pertaining to any of the sacred days of the calendar. The daily offering of bulls during the Feast of Tabernacles (Num 29:12-39) is probably the next longest ceremonial sacrifice given for any of the regular annual festivals.

There are, simply put, two differing doctrinal positions:

Both goats represent the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the basis that both goats are a sin offering (Aaron shall take two kids of the goats as a sin offering, Lev 16:5). The big question rarely answered is: How are both of these goats sin offerings? Sin offerings, (because the wages of sin is death, Rom 6:23) are acceptable in the eyes of God, as Scripture shows, by the shedding of blood:

Lev 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.

Matt 26:28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Rom 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

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.

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

1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Rev 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed them to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation."

The goat for whom the casting of the lot made it "for the LORD" (v 8) is the one killed and represents the sacrifice of Christ for the sins of the world (1Jn 2:2). The goat for whom the casting of the lot allocated it "for Azazel" (or as some translations put for the scapegoat, v 8) is the one that supposedly represents the taking away, or the putting away of sins. An aside question: How is this goat, for Azazel, a sin offering, for it is not killed and its blood is not shed? Generally, the Scriptures used to back this doctrinal position include:

Rom 11:27 For this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.

Jn 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Is 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Can such verses be interpreted as applicable to the placing of sins on the head of the goat and be symbolic of Christ taking away our sins into the wilderness? How did/does Christ take away all sin?

The second general doctrinal position entails belief that the goat for the LORD is the sin offering as Scripture makes clear. The goat for Azazel is thought to represent Satan, who might also be seen as the angel of righteousness masquerading as the Son of God (2Cor 11:14-15; 2Th 2:4,9; 1Jn 2:18) and on whom the guilt of all sin is placed (for he is a liar and murderer from the beginning, Jn 8:44). This Azazel goat is led away into the wilderness, which is presumably a type of the Devil’s temporary isolation as expressed in the binding of Satan for a thousand years and his removal from his activities in the environments of mankind’s societies (Rev 20:1-3). The sentence of death for sin is upon Satan, but its execution is delayed and reserved for a time in the future. Is this position true?

What are the scriptural answers to these questions? What does Azazel mean and typify? The answers must be consistent with the whole concept of sacrifice for sin.

PROBLEMS OF DEFINING AZAZEL

R.K. Harrison’s Leviticus (Tyndale OT Commentaries, IVP: 1980) is probably a fair representation of how biblical scholars see the problem of defining key issues in interpreting Lev 16. Since there is controversy about definition there is consequent interpretation based on ideology or dogma.

The meaning of this word [Azazel] is far from certain. … The word may perhaps signify ‘removal’ or ‘dismissal’, but since it occurs only in this chapter [Lev 16:8,10 (twice),26] in connection with specific ritual functions, this explanation is both circumstantial and inferential. The AV and NIV ‘scapegoat’, which follows the Vulgate [which is largely the work of Jerome (done 382 to 384) under the auspices of Pope Damascus], describes quite adequately the animal that was allowed to go free, but whether the expression le ‘aza’zel [I’m unable to reproduce the exact phonetic symbols from the original quote] can have this meaning is far from certain. The translation of this word has varied considerably, and includes such renderings as ‘that shall be sent out’ (Wycliffe), ‘for discharge’ (Knox), ‘Azazel’ (RSV), and ‘for the Precipice’ (NEB). The idea of ‘precipice’ seems to have been derived from Talmudic tradition, where aza’zel was translated by ‘steep mountain’. The allusion appears to have been to the precipitous slope or rock in the wilderness from which in the post-exilic period the goat was hurled to death (p 170).

The brief article "Scapegoat" in the Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible (Editor, J.D. Douglas, [IVP: 1980, 1988], Vol 3, p 1400) says:

The word Azazel (Heb. aza’zel) occurs only in the description of the Day of Atonement (Lv. 16:8,10(twice),26). There are four possible interpretations. 1. The word denotes the ‘scapegoat’ and is to be explained as ‘the goat (‘ez) that goes away (from azal)’. 2. It is used as an infinitive, ‘in order to remove’; cf. Arab. ‘azala, ‘to remove’. 3. It means a desolate region (cf. Lv. 16:22) or ‘precipice’ (G.R. Driver; cf. NEB). 4. It is the name of a demon haunting that region, derived from azaz ‘to be strong’ and el ‘God’.

Most scholars prefer the last possibility, as in v. 8 the name appears in parallelism to the name of the Lord. As a fallen angel, Azazel is often mentioned in Enoch (6:6 onwards), but probably the author got his conception from Lv.16. The meaning of the ritual must be that sin in a symbolical way was removed from human society and brought to the region of death (cf. Mi 7:19). It is not implied that a sacrifice was presented to the demon (cf. Lv. 17:7).

If we have been long interested in Bible study we might have older resource material that includes Strong’s Concordance (1890), Peloubet’s Dictionary, The Bible Hand-book revised by Samuel Green (1908), the Schofield Reference Bible (1909), Unger’s Bible Dictionary (1957), the Samuel Bagster Companion Bible [see margin notes to Lev 16:21,22], the KJV. These and numerous other sources have set the standards for what most might believe about the scapegoat, i.e., that it represents the notion that "the second goat was unquestionably merely the bearer of the sin to be carried away" and symbolizes another aspect of Christ’s accomplishment (Kurtz, Sacrificial Worship of the Old Testament, [Klock & Klock: 1980], p 408; originally published by T & T Clark: 1863).

Personal Doctrinal Views—Founded in the Nature of God and the Plan of God

Like all expositors and proponents of particular views, I too have personal beliefs that determine my perspectives on all doctrinal issues. I believe that God the Father is Almighty and that His power is all-encompassing, that is, God is omnipotent (Gen 17:1; Ps 91:1; Rev 11:17; 15:3; 21:22). God is the God of love (1Jn 4:8), righteousness (Ps 19:9; Rev 16:7), mercy (Ex 34:6-7), truth (Dt 32:4; Is 25:1), and judgment (Deut 29:18-20; Jer 18:23; Rev 22:18-19). There is no unrighteousness in the God who is perfect (Matt 5:48; Rom 9:14). God’s wisdom and foreknowledge is infinite; His knowledge and understanding are limitless (Ps 147:5; Is 46:10), that is, God is omniscient. Nothing escapes His awareness for He knows even of the seemingly petty things such as the number of hairs on a person’s head, and knows of the death of a bird (Matt 10:29-31). These fundamentals of belief have immense influence on my views.

God had in mind the sacrifice of His Son, grace toward His human creation that was to be, and eternal life, before the creation of the universe and before time began as 1Pet 1:18-20; Heb 1:2; 2Tim 1:9; Tit 1:2 and many other verses reveal. All these factors make it abundantly clear that God in His perfect wisdom has a Plan and Purpose that is revealed in Scriptures: in prophecy, in the symbolism of the Sabbath, in the typologies of the sacred calendar, in innumerable parables. It is these essential factors that govern my thinking and therefore interpretation of Scripture. Everyone of us reaches conclusions on the basis of the pictures in our heads. Our own ideas rule our thinking. Each of us must ask ourselves: "Are these of God?"

WHAT SCRIPTURES SAY—A PRELIMINARY REVIEW

(NRSV) Lev 16:1-4 The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the LORD and died. 2 The LORD said to Moses: Tell your brother Aaron not to come just at any time into the sanctuary inside the curtain before the mercy seat (tk,roP'l i.e., la’kapporet; NKJ the mercy seat; NIV atonement cover; NEB cover) that is upon the ark, or he will die; for I appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. 3 Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 4 He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and shall have the linen undergarments next to his body, fasten the linen sash, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy vestments. He shall bathe his body in water, and then put them on.

THE COVER OR LID FOR THE ARK, THE MERCY SEAT

Exodus 25 gives us a brief description of a cover or lid for the Ark, and it is commonly called—by interpretation rather than word derivation—the Mercy Seat.

(NASB) Ex 25:17-22 You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide [approx 2m. wide; 1m. deep; 1m. high]. 18 You shall make two cherubim of gold [see Ezk 1], make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at its two ends. 20 The cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be turned toward the mercy seat. 21 You shall put the mercy seat [like a lid, or cover] on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I will give to you. 22 There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.

The children of the Israel of God today, who meet with God, can come confidently before the throne of grace and freely receive grace and guiding help (Heb 4:16). The High Priest of God, Jesus Christ, has empathy with our struggles in overcoming all kinds of personal weaknesses, spiritual assaults, and emotional problems that even test us to our very core (Heb 4:15).

The Hebrew word for this cover, with its two cherubim, is kapporet. Most translations give it as mercy seat, because it represents the throne of God before which—the one prayerful according to the will of God—receives grace from God (forgiveness, mercy, favour, help, encouragement).

The following verses verify that above the Ark’s cover, above and between the cherubim, is representative of the Throne of God (see Rev 4).

2Sam 6:2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the LORD of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim.

Ps 80:1 To the Chief Musician. Set to "The Lillies." A Testimony of Asaph. A Psalm. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!

Ps 99:1-2 The LORD is king; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! 2 The LORD is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples.

Is 37:16 O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; You have made heaven and earth.

Usage in Exodus

Within the context of the Old Covenant (Ex 19:1-24:8) is a section that deals with the principle of compensation if a bull gores a person or another animal, or if someone falls into a pit dug by an individual. These incorporate principles for industrial safety and restitution for injury or loss (Ex 21:28-36). Notice what happens in a particular case:

Ex 21:29-30 If, however, the bull has had the habit of goring and the owner has been warned but has not kept it penned up and it kills a man or woman, the bull must be stoned and the owner also must be put to death. 30 However, if payment (koper=ransom; from the root kpr from which kapporet and kippurim derive) is demanded of him, he may redeem his life by paying whatever is demanded.

The lid or cover to the Ark in the tabernacle and temple, called the mercy-seat, is kapporet in Hebrew (Ex. 25:17-22).

(NIV) Ex 25:20-22 The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover (or mercy seat as in NKJ) with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward (i.e., at the gold covered lid) the cover. 21 Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the Testimony, which I will give you. 22 There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites (But the high priest came before this only once a year).

Ps 80:1, 99:1, Is 37:16 tell us that the LORD sits (yashab=is enthroned) between the cherubim. So the lid of the Ark does represent the Throne of God.

THE ATONEMENT CEREMONY—THE START

Lev 16:5-10 He [Aaron, the high priest] shall take from the congregation of the people of Israel two male goats for a sin offering [What is the significance of choosing two goats that come from members of the one congregation—a nation and a company of nations?], and one ram for a burnt offering. 6 Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering for himself ...

The bull represents leadership. Jer 52:20 mentions 12 bulls before the temple (representing the 12 apostles?) under the brazen sea which held 3000 baths of liquid measure of water symbolic of the first 3000 baptized into the beginning of the NT spiritual temple? See 2Chr 4:4-5, Acts 2:41. Psalm 22:12-13,21 speaks of the ‘bulls’ who crucified Christ.

[Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering for himself] and shall make atonement (rP,kiw kipper) for himself and for his house. 7 He shall take the two goats [Jewish tradition has them as identical as possible] and set them before the LORD at the entrance of the tent of meeting; 8 and Aaron shall cast lots on the two goats [Why should lots be cast here since lots indicate human doubt and uncertainty about the will of God? What is the uncertainty about?], one lot for the LORD and the other lot for Azazel (lzEaz"[]l le’azaz’el). 9 Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the LORD, and offer it as a sin offering; 10 but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel (lzEaz"[]l) shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement (rPek;l) over it [with it cf., NJPS], that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel (lzEaz"[]l) [the NJPS has for Azazel]. (The Hebrew has been imported from Bibleworks 3.5, a computer programme that uses the 1990 Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, Fourth Corrected Edition of the OT).

The symbolism in the goat for Azazel suggests that something is incomplete in the removal of sin from the people of God. Sin just keeps coming back. Sin will continue until Satan is no more. Sin will continue until death is conquered (1Cor 15:54-56) and this body of death is changed (1Cor 5:1-4; Rom 5:12,21).

The Dead Sea Scroll, 4Q19-20, or commonly called The Temple Scroll, dated to before 100 BC, the largest of all DSS scrolls and documents, has a section based on Lev 16 (References: Johann Maier, The Temple Scroll, [JSOT: 1985], 147 pages; Wise, Abegg, Cook, Dead Sea Scrolls, [Hodder & Stoughton: 1996], pp 457-492).

Then the high priest shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot designated "The LORD" and the other "Azazel." He is to slaughter the goat upon whom falls the lot designated "The LORD," and raise its blood in the golden bowl that he holds. He is to do with its blood what he did with that of the bull he sacrificed for himself, making atonement with it for all the people assembled. Its fat, grain offering, and drink offering he shall burn upon the altar of burnt offering, whereas its flesh, skin, and offal are to be burned near that of his bull. This is the sin offering for the assembly, wherewith he shall atone for all the people assembled, and they shall be forgiven.

Then he shall wash the blood of the sin offering from his hands and feet and approach the living goat. He is to confess over its head all the iniquities of the children of Israel, as well as all the guilt and sins, thus putting them on the goat’s head. Then he shall send him away to Azazel in the wilderness led by a man prepared for the moment. The goat shall carry away all the iniquities of the children of Israel to a barren region ... Thus shall the high priest atone for all the children of Israel, and they shall be forgiven (ibid. p 368).

DEFINING ATONEMENT

Just as there is controversy among theologians and Hebrew experts about the meaning of Azazel so there is controversy about the meaning of the Hebrew word commonly translated as atonement. We should let the Bible define these terms for us. But let’s briefly look at modern scholars’ definitions.

The key words involved (from the kpr group of Hebrew words) are kippurim (plural, and used as Yom Kippurim, Day of Atonement(s); koper, ransom (money); kapporet, the mercy seat; and kippur—this verb’s meanings include: to forgive, purify, cleanse, atone, cover, propitiate, expiate, reconcile, avert God’s wrath, compensate. There are suggestions in the difficult 15-page article about these four words in Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament that there are also implications of restoration to "the original order" of the relationships between man and God, and that "mediation plays a role." (TDOT, Edited by Botterweck, Ringgren, Fabry, translated by David E. Green, [Eeerdmans: 1995], Vol VII, pp 288-303; article by B. Lang).

The lexica of the nineteenth century [including Gesenius and Tregelles] associated Heb. kipper with the Arab. kafara, "cover," describing the act of atonement as the covering of guilt. Since Heinrich Zimmern’s reference to Bab. kuppuru, the two etymologies agree. … Arabic lexicographers derive the word from kafara, "cover" (ibid. p 289)

The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Editors: Harris, Archer, Waltke, [Moody Press: 1980] has a page of fine print on these key words based on the root kapar (Strong’s Concordance has a few lines).

The root kapar is used some 150 times. It has been much discussed. There is an equivalent Arabic root meaning "cover," or "conceal." … It has been suggested that the OT ritual symbolized a covering over of sin until it was dealt with in fact by the atonement of Christ. There is, however, very little evidence for this view (Harris, Vol 1, p 452).

The first use of the root word is in Gen 6:14 (twice). It is the word "pitch" which was the oil based product used to seal and cover the joins and any cracks in Noah’s Ark. The NKJ renders the verse: …cover it inside and outside with pitch. We’re introduced to the idea of covering from the very first use of the word in Scripture.

THE "ATONEMENT" RITUAL

Let’s continue with the descriptions in Lev 16.

(NRSV) Lev 16:11-2 Aaron shall present the bull as a sin offering for himself [Aaron represents Christ as the High Priest, the leader and strength of the congregation], and shall make atonement [a sacrifice that is the means by which God says He removes the penalty of sin] for himself and for his house; he shall slaughter the bull as a sin offering for himself. 12 He shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of crushed sweet incense, and he shall bring it inside the curtain [The ascending incense represents the prayers of the congregation before the Throne of God through the intercession of our High Priest; Rev 8:3-4; Ps 141:2].

(NIV) Lev 16:13-7 He is to put the incense on the fire before the LORD, and the smoke of the incense will conceal the atonement cover above the Testimony, so that he will not die [No human has seen God the Father; Jn 1:18; 6;46; 1Tim 6:16; 1Jn 4:12]. 14 He is to take some of the bull's blood and with his finger sprinkle it on the front of the atonement cover [so God’s acceptance of this act and our acceptance blots out the debt of sin that precludes access to the Throne of God]; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the atonement cover. 15 He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the bull's blood: He shall sprinkle it on the atonement cover and in front of it. 16 In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been. He is to do the same for the Tent of Meeting, which is among them in the midst of their uncleanness. 17 No one is to be in the Tent of Meeting from the time Aaron goes in to make atonement in the Most Holy Place until he comes out, having made atonement for himself, his household and the whole community of Israel. 18 Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement on its behalf, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat, and put it on each of the horns of the altar. 19 He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it and hallow it from the uncleannesses of the people of Israel.

NT DEFINITION OF ATONEMENT

To help us define atonement biblically, let us look at usages in the NT of words and concepts comparable to and alluded in the OT. Let us start with the place where the blood is sprinkled in the Holy of Holies—on tenth Tishri—Yom Kippurim.

Rom 3:21-26 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.

The Law and the Prophets, the entire OT, reveals what the law of ritual means. The NT makes that quite clear. It is up to us to see this.

For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption [purchased by the blood] that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation [i`lasth,rion What does this mean?] by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Words such as propitiation, expiation, atonement, appeasement are frequently used in various translations. What do they mean and do these words adequately express what is meant?

The Illustrated Bible Dictionary begins its article on Atonement (Vol 1, p 147):

The word ‘atonement’ is one of the few theological terms which derive basically from Anglo-Saxon. It means ‘a making at one’ [from C16 Middle English atonen; at onement in harmony; to become reconciled; ‘at-one-ment’], and points to a process of bringing those who are estranged into a unity. The word occurs in the OT to translate words from the kpr word group [see previous page], and is found once in the NT (AV), rendering katallage (which is better translated ‘reconciliation’ as RSV) [Rom 5:11; 2Cor 5:18; Col 1:20; i.e., establish good interpersonal relations]. Its use in theology is to denote the work of Christ in dealing with the problem posed by the sin of man, and in bringing sinners into right relation with God.

Appeasement has too many connotations from pagan religions and suggests pleasing the gods by doing ritual acts and penances. Expiation comes from the Latin expiare, expiatus, ex pius (out of duty toward a god). Propitiation is from the Latin propitius meaning propitious, gracious, well disposed; conciliatory.

Although the word ‘propitiation’ occurs four times in the RV of the Bible (Rom 3.25; Heb. 2:17; 1 John 2.2; 4.10 [NKJV also]), it is true to say that propitiation in the usual meaning of the word is hardly a biblical idea at all. We are here made aware of one of the main differences between biblical and pagan religion. In classical Greek the verb i`la,skomai [hilaskomai] means primarily to propitiate, placate or appease an angry person or god, with the object of averting vengeance; it can also mean to expiate or atone for some offence (e.g. by offering sacrifice or making reparation) (Alan Richardson, An Introduction to the Theology of the New Testament, [SCM Press: 1958], p 223).

Two eminent scholars make further comment about the meaning of propitiation:

Though some traditional translations render i`lasth,rion [hilasterion] as ‘propitiation,’ this involves a wrong interpretation of the term in question. Propitiation is essentially a process by which one does a favor to a person in order to make him or her favorably disposed, but in the NT God is never the object of propitiation since he is already on the side of people. i`lasmo,j [hilasmos "the means by which sins are forgiven"] and i`lasth,rion [hilasterion "the location or place where sins are forgiven"; translated traditionally as ‘mercy seat’] denote the means of forgiveness and not propitiation (J.P. Louw and E.A. Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains, [UBS: 1989; Second Edition], 40.12,13, p 504).

Let’s look at key NT passages that refer to the ritual of Lev 16:

1Jn 2:2-3 And He Himself is the propitiation [i`lasmo,j; the means by which our sins are forgiven] for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. 3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments [cf. Matt 5:17-18; Rom 7:12,14).

Jesus Christ is the sin offering before the Throne of God and accepted by His Father as the means of forgiveness for the sins of the world (Gal 1:2; Eph 5:2; Heb 7:27; 9:11-14,28; 10:10,12). We recognize the symbolism of the blood of the goat of sin-offering on the Cover of the Ark as the blood of Jesus Christ making it possible for the repentant, believing, forgiven, sanctified former sinner, whose sins have been removed from the ledger of debt, to come before the Throne of the Almighty.

1Jn 4:10-2 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [the means for forgiveness] for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another [for we should recognize the fact that we are all sinners, but forgiven by the same means and moving toward the same Kingdom]. 12 No one has seen God at any time [The fellowship of Christ-like love is instrumental in coming to see God, for if we can know His Son His Son reveals the Father (Matt 11:27)]. If we love one another, God abides in us [This is the experience of living as Christ lived in His earthly ministry], and His love has been perfected in us.

Heb 2:14-8 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the Devil [How is Satan destroyed? Do we not pray for protection from the Evil One (Matt 6:13), and our battles are against the wiles of the Devil (Eph 6:11-2)?], 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham [i.e., the children of the Faith]. 17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people [to be the way in which sin is removed and salvation is given]. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

We continue in the epistle to the Hebrews:

Heb 9:1-14 Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary. 2 For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; 3 and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, 4 which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna [the Bread of Life], Aaron's rod that budded [the Tree of Life? The Sceptre of Righteousness? (Ps 45:6; Heb 1:8)], and the tablets of the covenant [The Law written on stone is now written on the heart (Ezk 11:19; 36:26-7)]; 5 and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat [the Ark Cover is symbolic of the Throne and what is there: the Life of God, Righteous Government, the Law of the Spirit of God]. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail [How extraordinary that such vital matters are here omitted. Why?]. 6 Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services [for Faith without godly works is dead]. 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; 8 the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience—10 concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.

How does the shed blood of our Redeemer purge our consciences? How does red blood shed by Christ onto the ground—that which contains life [for life is in the blood; Lev 17:11]—how does it cleanse the mind?

Heb 10:22-3 Let us draw near [to God] with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience [the effects of the sin-offering blood on the cover of the Ark] and our bodies washed with pure water [the effects of baptism and the washings and bathings of the high priest on 10 Tishri—the deep spiritual comprehension of these removes the evil from the conscience which is desecrated by the self-deceiving lusts of the flesh which the ruler of this world, the Devil, so readily appeals to]. 23 Let us hold fast the confession [better, the open admission and profession] of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

Continuing with Heb 9:11ff.:

11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

THE AZAZEL ENIGMA

Even someone who knows no Hebrew observes that the four uses of the word, le’azaz’el=the Azazel, used nowhere else in Scripture, are identical (see p 5 above). We shall co-ordinate more carefully the biblical meanings for atonement, the nature and means of forgiveness, sacrifice, laying hands on the head, wilderness, and associated issues. We shall also have to examine the meaning of Azazel. Biblical understanding of the meaning of this has to be found in the context given, that is, in the biblical doctrines of sacrifice, forgiveness, laying hands on the head, wilderness. And what do Judaic and other Semitic sources of OT times say about the meaning of Azazel—for we need to look at the historico-cultural background to the use of Azazel. Some choose to ignore these factors.

It should not be surprising that since there are many gods and many christs (Matt 24:24; 1Cor 8:5; 1Jn 2:18), so there should be many different perceptions of who and what is Azazel—another aspect of the work of Christ, or another perspective on Satan. In The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation, Justo Gonzalez summarises the beliefs of one of the early Catholic fathers—Origen (c. 185-c.254)—about Satan, which I’ll quote as representative of some persistent modern belief:

In the present world, the devil and his demons have us captive, and therefore Jesus Christ has come to break the power of Satan and to show us the path we are to follow in our return to our spiritual home. Furthermore, since the Devil is no more than a spirit like ours, and since God is love, in the end even Satan will be saved, and the entire creation will return to its original state, where everything was pure spirit [This concept is derived, says Gonzalez, "from the Platonic tradition" in that "all human souls existed as pure spirits—or "intellects" as Origen calls them— before being born into the world"] (HarperCollins: 1984; pp 80-81).

Origen identifies Azazel as "the Averter" and the same as the "destroying angel" in Israel’s departure out of Egypt (De Principiis, III.2). A New Eusebius (Edited by J. Stevenson, [SPCK: 1960]) has letters 183-185 (pp 215-217) which confirm these anti-biblical beliefs cited by Gonzalez.

… in 1Enoch reference is made to Semjaza, who is bound by Michael to await Final Judgement, and to Azazel, … in Jubilees (cf. 10.1ff.) he is called Mastema; and in the Testaments of the XII Patriarchs and also in the Dead Sea Scrolls he appears as Beliar (or Belial), who in the end will be bound and cast into eternal fire (cf. Test. Jud. 25.3). The message of writer after writer is that, though these demons and their leaders may array themselves against God in defiance of his will, nevertheless their ‘doom is writ’. The ‘Day of the Lord’ will bring its judgement on men and demons alike (D.S. Russell, The Jews from Alexander to Herod [OUP: 1967], p 139). Also see his The Method and Message of Jewish Apocalyptic [Westminster Press: 1964], pp 249-257, which has similar comments.

Mircea Eliade’s Cosmos and History summarizes much of the best history on the subject.

In broad outline, the ceremony of expelling demons, diseases, and sins can be reduced to the following elements: fasting, ablutions, and purifications … this expulsion can be practiced under the form of the ritual sending away of an animal (type "scapegoat") or of a man … regarded as the material vehicle through which the faults of the entire community are transported beyond the limits of the territory it inhabits (the scapegoat was driven :into the desert" by the Hebrews and the Babylonians) (Harper Torchbooks: 1959; p 53 & ff.).

Frazer’s The Golden Bough has numerous examples among peoples in the ancient Orient, in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe of "scapegoat" ceremonies. One example is of the ancient Egyptians who slew a bull, formerly divine, and laid their misfortunes upon his head (ibid. Chapters LV-LVIII).

Cirlot’s A Dictionary of Symbols (Routledge: 1993) says of the male goat:

The he-goat is a kind of scape-goat—a symbol of the projection of one’s own guilt upon someone else, and of the consequent repression of one’s conscience. Hence the traditional significance of the he-goat as an emissary, and its evil association with the devil. It is also, like the bull, a father-symbol (p 143).

These and numerous other sources identify the Lev 16 Azazel with Satan. But there may be just as many who would disagree. Such disagreement ignores the cultural background involved and the numerous ancient beliefs. And such disagreement generally does not explain how Satan shall be dealt with as evident in the sacred calendar. There is bias among scholars against Azazel being identified with the Devil for the Devil, as an entity, cannot exist. The Devil is the master of counterfeit and delusion. The following quote is typical:

To regard the word [Azazel] as an epithet of the Devil, the Apostate One. Those who are laden with sin belong to the Devil. The objection to this interpretation is that Satan is nowhere mentioned in any part of the Pentateuch [contra the NIV footnotes to Gn 3:1]. The serpent indeed is, but it is not certain that the Devil was as yet recognized as the possessor and actuator of the serpent of the temptation (The Westminster Dictionary of the Bible, John D. Davis, Revised by H.S. Gehman, [Westminster Press: 1924], p 52).

‘There is proof that Jewish belief in the existence of a demon called Azazel reaches back to the days of Moses,’ says C.L. Feinberg, (The Scapegoat of Leviticus 16, Bibliotheca Sacra, 115, 1958, pp 320-333), ‘and since the theory that interprets it of a person—an evil spirit, a degraded deity, a fallen angel, a demon, or Satan—dishonors the Scriptures and degrades the Old Testament religious institutions, it is imperative that we seek for a solution to the problem in another direction.’

Do we notice how the scholar dismisses from his own mind the notion that the goat for Azazel could possibly be symbolic of Satan and the ritual a parabolic prophecy of a stage in his ultimate destiny? What is the truth? Let’s continue with the Lev 16 account.

20-22 When he has finished atoning (rPeK;) for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. 21 Then Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and sending it away into the wilderness by means of someone designated for the task. 22 The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a barren region; and the goat shall be set free in the wilderness.

Yes, all our sins are laid on Jesus Christ! But what did that laying of the sins of humanity upon Him do? It killed Him!

Two ideas need to be reviewed biblically: Laying iniquities upon the head of the goat—what does that mean? And what is the significance of being sent into the wilderness? What happens to the goat in the wilderness? Most commentators do not answer such questions. Jewish tradition says it was pushed over a cliff.

"Let it be on your head!"

What can we find in Scripture about laying the sins of all on the head of the goat? Is this concept addressed elsewhere and how?

Anointing, by the laying on of hands, is widely mentioned in the Scriptures and there are many examples: Gen 31:13; Ex 25:6; Jgs 9:8,15; 1Sam 9:16; 16:12; 1K 1:34; Ps 2:2; 45:7; Isa 45:1; Ezk 28:14; Dan 9:24; Amos 6:6; Zech 4:14; Matt 6:17; Acts 10:38; Heb 1:9: Rev 3:18 and more).

However, examples closer to the notion of putting something on the head of someone else are:

Lev 20:9 For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon him.

The principle expressed here is clear and consistent as the following verses show:

In Josh 2:19 (The two spies said to Rahab in Jericho) "So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him."

In 2Sam 1:16 David said to (the Amalekite who killed Saul), "Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord’s anointed.’"

In 2Sam 3:29 we read David’s response to Joab’s revenge murder of Abner: "Let it rest on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house; and let there never fail to be in the house of Joab one who has a discharge or is a leper, who leans on a staff or falls by the sword, or who lacks bread."

In Ezk 33 we read of the responsibilities of God’s watchman to warn: vv 4-5 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life.

And in Acts 18:6 we read: But when they [Jews in the synagogue in Corinth] opposed him [Paul] and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, "Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."

The following also express the same concept: Deut 5:9; Lam 5:7; Ezk 18:13; Hos 12:14; Matt 23:35-36; Acts 5:38.

So it would seem reasonable to suggest that the laying of the sins of the nation upon the head of the goat for Azazel, for removal into the wilderness, signifies removing the guilt and blame from the congregation and putting it upon the goat for Azazel. The guilt and blame for sin is not Christ’s responsibility to bear; His responsibility was to be the Lamb of God, the sin offering, the willing sacrifice. Is not blame and guilt upon Satan the father of lies, murder, chaos, idolatry, rebellion, death, destruction? Does not Satan’s fate have it’s symbolic place in the Festivals?

"Into the Wilderness"

What is the significance of the goat for Azazel being sent into the barren wilderness? Israel’s 40 years in the howling wilderness was to be a time of victory but was for all those adults who started out of Egypt a failure. Christ and John the Baptist had their victories in the wilderness. But does this apply in the Lev 16 scenario?

• We know that Babylon will become a wilderness as Is 13:19-22 makes clear as does Rev 18:2.
• Judgment on the nations is expressed in Is 34:8-15 in terms of making it a wilderness experience for them in their rebellion against God.
• Being left in the wilderness typifies suffering, trials, starvation, thirst, temptations from the Tempter, and horrifying death: Deut 1:19; 8:14-16; 32:10; Jer 2;6; 50:3; & c. Where there is a righteous desert experience there is the presence of the LORD. The goat for Azazel was deliberately deserted.
• Those who are delivered from sin and death in a wilderness experience are brought in and escorted by the interventions of God into the Promises.

The Parable of the Two Birds in Lev 14—the Cleansing of the ‘Leper’ or ‘Diseased Person’

Some people use this ritual and parable to assign to the Azazel goat an aspect of Christ’s sacrifice, namely that He will utterly remove sin from the repentant who had been completely contaminated with sin. Let me show the falsity of such an argument used by those who do not adequately explain the parable in the ritual.

(NIV) Lev 14:1-7 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "These are the regulations for the diseased [or, leprous] person at the time of his ceremonial cleansing, when he is brought to the priest: 3 The priest is to go outside the camp and examine him [A judgment about healing is made by the priest—for Christ has defined sin for us and gives healing—Ps 41:4; 103:3; 147:3; Is 53:5]. If the person has been healed of his infectious skin disease, 4 the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some cedar wood [the timber used in the building of the temple noted for its durability], scarlet yarn [scarlet was included in the temple curtain, in the clothing of the priests, and symbolized sin; Is 1:18] and hyssop [the plant that symbolizes purging: Ps 51:7] be brought for the one to be cleansed. 5 Then the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed over fresh water in a clay pot (We crucify the flesh by the washing of the Word). 6 He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water [the blood of forgiveness is applied to the second bird whose life typifies the new freedom]. 7 Seven times he shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed of the infectious disease and pronounce him clean. Then he is to release the live bird in the open fields" [not in the barren desert, but in the open fields which is the normal place for the bird’s life. This is symbolic of the fact that the leprous individual, judged as clean, is free to live normally in society].

The goat that was selected from the herds of the congregation is taken and deserted in the wilderness away from the congregation. If you resist the Devil he will flee from you (Jas 5:7; Eph 4:27).

Concluding the Lev 16 Ritual

Lev 16:26 The one who sets the goat free for Azazel (lzEaz"[]l le’azaz’el) shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward may come into the camp.

The man, probably selected from among the priests, has been contaminated (Hag 2:10-14), and must be washed (by the water of the Word).

Lev 16:27-34 The bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to be the means for forgiveness in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp. And they shall burn in the fire their skins, their flesh, and their offal. 28 Then he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. 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 (by fasting), and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you. 30 For on that day the priest shall symbolically remove sins for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. 31 It is a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever. 32 And the priest, who is anointed and consecrated to minister as priest in his father’s place, shall carry out the parabolic ritual depicting the removal of sins, and put on the linen clothes, the holy garments [as all of those who are a Kingdom of priests will do under the direction of the High Priest of God who will also remove Satan]; 33 then he shall carry out the means for forgiveness for the Holy Sanctuary, and he shall carry out the means for forgiveness for the tabernacle of meeting and for the altar, and he shall carry out the means of forgiveness for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. 34 This shall be an everlasting statute for you in how forgiveness of sins for the children of Israel—for all their sins—is carried out, once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.

CONCLUSION

Liberty, freedom, safety, peace, harmony, prosperity, love, and worship of God—in their fullest sense—cannot be freely and permanently practised, will forever be interrupted, disrupted, distorted unless Satan, who is the god of this world—the goat that is not recognized for what it is—is finally destroyed by the Son of God, the One who shall carry out this righteous judgment (See our paper The Avenger of Blood). If Satan were to be saved, he would have to repent first. None deal with this. If Satan, the originator of sin, were to be saved by a merciful God, then no human nor spirit could go into the lake of fire. Satan is an unrepentant liar, deceiver, slanderer, accuser, murderer, destroyer, and blasphemer whose end is determined, and this Day symbolizes that coming end and the end of recurring evils. Meanwhile, all those whose names are in the Book of Life, are afflicted by the weaknesses of the flesh and human spirit which Satan so easily exploits. However, we, who with repentance and acceptance of Christ’s Sacrifice, are forgiven by the willing sin offering of the Son of God and empowered by the Spirit of power, of love, and sound mindedness (2Tim 1:7), must fully recognize our total dependence on the Bread of Life, the Water of Life, and the Power of God. These are the only ways to eternal life that also promise the same to all who will wholeheartedly—with consciences cleaned from all sins by the comprehension of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ—turn to God. May the grace of God be with us all.