Leviticus 16:1 ESV The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the LORD and died,
Leviticus 10:1-3 ESV Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them. 2 And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” And Aaron held his peace.
Leviticus 16:2-4 ESV and the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. 3 But in this way Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with a bull from the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 4 He shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body, and he shall tie the linen sash around his waist, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on.
"First, Aaron was to bathe, and then to robe himself in pure white. The dress is in singular contrast to the splendour of his usual official costume, in which he stood before men as representing God, and evidently signifies the purity which alone fits for entrance into the awful presence." - Alexander MacLaren's Exposition of Holy Scripture
"The symbolic significance of the ritual, particularly to Christians, is seen first in the washing and cleansing of the high priest, the man who released the goat, and the man who took the sacrificed animals outside the camp to burn the carcasses (v. 4, 24, 26, 28). Israelite washing ceremonies were required often throughout the Old Testament and symbolized the need for mankind to be cleansed of sin... The blood of the first goat was sprinkled on the ark, ritually appeasing the wrath of God for another year. The second goat removed the sins of the people into the wilderness where they were forgotten and no longer clung to the people. Sin is both propitiated and expiated God’s way—only by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Propitiation is the act of appeasing the wrath of God, while expiation is the act of atoning for sin and removing it from the sinner. Both together are achieved eternally by Christ." - GotQuestions.org
Romans 5:8-11 ERV But Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by this God showed how much he loves us. 9 We have been made right with God by the blood sacrifice of Christ. So through Christ we will surely be saved from God's anger. 10 I mean that while we were God's enemies, he made friends with us through his Son's death. And the fact that we are now God's friends makes it even more certain that he will save us through his Son's life. 11 And not only will we be saved, but we also rejoice right now in what God has done for us through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is because of Jesus that we are now God's friends.
Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur
Leviticus 16:29-34 MKJV And it shall be a statute forever to you: in the seventh month, on the tenth of the month, you shall afflict your souls and do no work at all, the native and the alien who is staying among you. 30 For on that day an atonement shall be made for you, to cleanse you, so that you may be clean from all your sins before Jehovah. 31 It shall be a sabbath of rest to you, and you shall afflict your souls, by a statute forever. 32 And the priest whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement and shall put on the linen clothes, the holy garments. 33 And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar; and he shall make an atonement for the priests and for all the people of the congregation. 34 And this shall be an everlasting statute to you, to make an atonement for the sons of Israel for their sins once a year. And he did as Jehovah commanded Moses.
Exodus 30:10 ESV Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year. With the blood of the sin offering of atonement he shall make atonement for it once in the year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD.”
"From guilt to mourning and self-abnegation to resolve, Yom Kippur is the emotional climax of the Jewish faith’s High Holidays. The holiest day of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur means 'day of atonement.' It takes place on the 10th day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the lunisolar Hebrew calendar—and, this year (2020), it will be celebrated on 10 Tishrei, 5781—September 27 and 28, 2020, on the Gregorian calendar." NationalGeographic.com, by Erin Blakemore, 9/25/2020
Leviticus 16:5-34 MKJV And he shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. 6 And Aaron shall offer his young bull of the sin offering which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself and for his house. 7 And he shall take the two he-goats and present them before Jehovah at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 8 And Aaron shall cast lots on the two he-goats; one lot for Jehovah and the other lot for a complete removal. 9 And Aaron shall bring the goat on which Jehovah's lot fell, and offer it for a sin offering. 10 But the goat on which the lot fell to be the complete removal shall be presented alive before Jehovah, to make an atonement with him, to let him go for a complete removal into the wilderness. 11 And Aaron shall bring the young bull of the sin offering which is for himself, and shall atone for himself and for his house, and shall kill the young bull of the sin offering which is for himself. 12 And he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from off the altar before Jehovah, and his hands full of fragrant perfumes beaten small, and bring it within the veil. 13 And he shall put the incense on the fire before Jehovah. And the cloud of the incense shall cover the mercy-seat that is on the Testimony. And he shall not die. 14 And he shall take of the blood of the young bull and shall sprinkle with his finger on the front of the mercy-seat eastward. And he shall sprinkle at the front of the mercy-seat seven times from the blood with his finger. 15 Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil. And he shall do with that blood as he did with the blood of the young bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy-seat and before the mercy-seat. 16 And he shall atone for the sanctuary, because of the uncleannesses of the sons of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins. And so he shall do for the tabernacle of the congregation which remains with them in the midst of their uncleannesses. 17 And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goes in to make an atonement in the sanctuary, until he comes out and has made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel. 18 And he shall go out to the altar that is before Jehovah and make an atonement for it. And he shall take some of the blood of the young bull, and of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around. 19 And 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 sons of Israel. 20 And when he has made an end of reconciling the sanctuary and the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, he shall bring the live goat. 21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the sins of the sons of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send away by the hand of a chosen man into the wilderness. 22 And the goat shall bear on him all their sins to a land in which no one lives. And he shall let the goat go in the wilderness. 23 And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall strip off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the sanctuary, and shall leave them there. 24 And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself and for the people. 25 And the fat of the sin offering shall he burn on the altar. 26 And he that let go the goat for the complete removal shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp. 27 And the young 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 they carry forth outside the camp. And they shall burn their skins in the fire, and their flesh and their dung. 28 And he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp. 29 And it shall be a statute forever to you: in the seventh month, on the tenth of the month, you shall afflict your souls and do no work at all, the native and the alien who is staying among you. 30 For on that day an atonement shall be made for you, to cleanse you, so that you may be clean from all your sins before Jehovah. 31 It shall be a sabbath of rest to you, and you shall afflict your souls, by a statute forever. 32 And the priest whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement and shall put on the linen clothes, the holy garments. 33 And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar; and he shall make an atonement for the priests and for all the people of the congregation. 34 And this shall be an everlasting statute to you, to make an atonement for the sons of Israel for their sins once a year. And he did as Jehovah commanded Moses.
"It is plain that countless sins and transgressions and various defilements must yet have escaped unrecognized as such, even by the most careful and conscientious Israelite; and that, for this reason, they could not have been covered by any of the daily offerings for sin. Hence, apart from this full, solemn, typical purgation and cleansing of the priesthood and the congregation, and the holy sanctuary, from the uncleannesses and transgressions of the children of Israel, "even all their sins" (Leviticus 16:16), the sacrificial system had yet fallen short of expressing in adequate symbolism the ideal of the complete removal of all sin. With abundant reason then do the rabbis regard it as the day of days in the sacred year." - Expositor's Bible Commentary
1) Aaron bathes and dresses in all white linen, holy garments.
2) Aaron brings a bullock for the Sin Offering and ram for a Burnt Offering to be sacrificed for himself, his family and his extended family of priests and Levites.
3) Then the people bring 2 male goats and a ram which are to be offered for the Nation of Israel, all the rest of the people. The ram was for a Burnt Offering.
4) The live animals are brought to the door of the tent/tabernacle and "present them before Jehovah at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation". Aaron casts lots between the two male goats, "one lot for Jehovah and the other lot for a complete removal". The one for which Jehovah's lot fell, will be sacrificed for a Sin Offering. The other goat is "presented alive before Jehovah, to make an atonement with him, to let him go for a complete removal into the wilderness." It is marked with a scarlet cord, string or yarn, a fillet) around it's neck and set aside for the present.
5) Aaron then sacrifices the bullock for himself and his house to make a Sin Offering.
6) He then takes "coals of fire from off the altar" and "with his hands full of fragrant perfumes beaten small" he puts the incense on the fire "before Jehovah" with a cloud of incense covering the mercy seat that is on the "Testimony" (Ark of the Covenant that contains the Manna and the tablets with the Ten Commandments). Using his holy censer I assume. He next sprinkles the blood of the bullock on the Mercy Seat seven times with his finger.
7) Then he comes out and sacrifices the goat of the Sin Offering for the people. He takes it's blood inside the veil and sprinkles it seven times with his finger on the Mercy Seat.
8) He comes out and places blood from the bullock and the goat on the horns of the Bronze Altar. He sprinkles it with his finger seven times on each horn.
9) Now Aaron returns from the Holy of Holies and takes the live goat, the one marked with the scarlet fillet, and lays his hands on it's head and confesses the sins of the sons of Israel, "putting them on the head of the goat". A chosen man, Iʾsh ʿItti, takes the goat into the uninhabited wilderness to be let go and set free. The goat "shall bear on him all their sins to a land in which no one lives."
10) Aaron then takes off the all white linen clothes, washes again in water, puts on his High Priest garments and offers the Burnt Offerings of himself and the people, the two rams.
11) The man who took the goat into the wilderness will wash his clothes and bath in water.
12) The leftovers from the Sin Offerings (the bullock and goat) shall be carried forth outside the camp and burned.
13) The man who does this has to wash his clothes and bath in water when he gets back.
"The bullock was slain in the usual manner of the sin offering, but its blood was destined for a more solemn use. The white-robed priest took a censer of burning embers from the altar before the tent-door, and two hands full of incense, and, thus laden, passed into the Tabernacle. How the silent crowd in the outer court would watch the last flutter of the white robe as it was lost in the gloom within! He passed through the holy place, which, on every day but this, was the limit of his approach; but, on this one day, he lifted the curtain, and entered the dark chamber, where the glory flashed from the golden walls and rested above the ark. Would not his heart beat faster as he laid his hand on the heavy veil, and caught the first gleam of the calm light from the Shechinah? As soon as he entered, he was to cast the incense into the censer, that the fragrant cloud might cover the mercy-seat. Incense is the symbol of prayer, and that curling cloud is a picture of the truth that the purest of men, even the anointed priest, robed in white, who has offered sacrifices daily all the year round, and today has anxiously obeyed all the commands of ceremonial cleanliness, can yet only draw near to God as a suppliant, not entering there as having a right of access, but beseeching entrance as undeserved mercy. The incense did not cover ‘the glory’ that Aaron might not gaze upon it, but it covered him that Jehovah might not look on his sin. It would appear that, between Leviticus 16:13-14, Aaron’s leaving the most holy place to bring the blood of the sacrifice must be understood. If so, we can fancy the long-drawn sigh of relief with which the waiting worshippers saw him return, and carry back into the shrine the expiating blood. The ‘most holy place’ would still be filled and its atmosphere thick with the incense fumes when he returned to perform the solemn expiation for himself and the whole priestly order. Once the blood was sprinkled on the mercy-seat, and seven times, apparently, on the ground in front of it. The former act was intended, as seems probable, to make atonement for the sins of the priesthood; the latter, to cleanse the sanctuary from the ideal defilements arising from their defective and sinful ministrations... The priest who cleanses others is himself unclean, and he and his fellows have tainted the sanctuary by the very services which were meant to atone and to purify. That solemn ritual is intended to teach priest and people alike, that every priest ‘taken from among men’ fails in his office, and pollutes the temple instead of purifying the worshipper. But the office was God’s appointment, and therefore would not always be filled by men too small and sinful for its requirements. There must somewhere and somewhen be a priest who will be one indeed, fulfilling the divine ideal of the functions, and answering the deep human longings which have expressed themselves in all lands, for one, pure with no ceremonial but a real purity, to bring us to God and God to us, to offer sacrifice which shall need no after atonement to expiate its defects, and to stand without incense or blood of sprinkling for himself in the presence of God for us. The imperfections of the human holders of the Old Testament offices, whether priest, prophet, or king, were no less prophecies than their positive qualifications were. Therefore, when we see Aaron passing into the holy place, we see the dim shadow of Christ, who ‘needeth not to make atonement’ for His own sins, and is our priest ‘for ever.'" - Alexander MacLaren's Exposition of Holy Scripture
The goats were a Sin Offering just like Aaron's bullock. The blood of both were sprinkled on the Mercy Seat and, later, on the Bronze Altar. Every day, the High Priest makes offerings and yet it was necessary to do this Day of Atonement to cover any sins not already covered!
Bearing the blood into the Most Holy Place, the Holiest of Holies, where the Ark and the Mercy Seat were was very important. Yet no Israelite, but the High Priest, were ever allowed in there, and that but once a year on this Day of Atonement. It taught that the One who entered in God's Presence had to be clean in body, mind and spirit. They had to wash their bodies, wear holy garments and enter with blood sacrifice and according to God's prescribed ritual. Lest they die! (We saw what happened to Nadab and Abihu who rushed in on their own initiative and without proper adherence and respect.)
Hebrews 9:1-15 MKJV Then truly the first tabernacle had also ordinances of divine service and an earthly sanctuary. 2 For the first tabernacle was prepared, in which was both the lampstand, and the table, and the setting out of the loaves, which is called Holies. 3 And after the second veil was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, 4 having a golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant overlaid all around with gold, in which was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. 5 And over it were the cherubs of glory overshadowing the mercy-seat (about which we cannot now speak piece by piece. 6 Now when these things were ordained in this way, the priests always went into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. 7 But once in the year into the second the high priest goes alone, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people) 8 the Holy Spirit signifying by this that the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 For it was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him who did the service perfect as regards the conscience, 10 which stood only in meats and drinks, and different kinds of washings and fleshly ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. 11 But when Christ had become a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building 12 nor by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered once for all into the Holies, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifies to 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) purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this cause He is the Mediator of the new covenant, so that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, those who are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
Let's read it in the ERV:
Hebrews 9:1-15 ERV The first agreement had rules for worship and a place for worship here on earth. 2 This place was inside a tent. The first area in the tent was called the Holy Place. In the Holy Place were the lamp and the table with the special bread offered to God. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place. 4 In the Most Holy Place was a golden altar for burning incense. And also there was the Box of the Agreement. The Box was covered with gold. Inside this Box was a golden jar of manna and Aaron's rod—the rod that once grew leaves. Also in the Box were the flat stones with the Ten Commandments of the old agreement on them. 5 Above the Box were the Cherub angels that showed God's glory. These Cherub angels were over the place of mercy. But we cannot say everything about this now. 6 Everything in the tent was made ready in the way I have explained. Then the priests went into the first room every day to do their worship duties. 7 But only the high priest could go into the second room, and he went in only once a year. Also, he could never enter that room without taking blood with him. He offered that blood to God for himself and for the sins the people committed without knowing they were sinning. 8 The Holy Spirit uses those two separate rooms to teach us that the way into the Most Holy Place was not open while the first room was still there. 9 This is an example for us today. It shows that the gifts and sacrifices the priests offer to God are not able to make the consciences of the worshipers completely clear. 10 These gifts and sacrifices are only about food and drink and special washings. They are only rules about the body. God gave them for his people to follow until the time of his new way. 11 But Christ has already come to be the high priest. He is the high priest of the good things we now have. But Christ does not serve in a place like the tent that those other priests served in. He serves in a better place. Unlike that tent, this one is perfect. It was not made by anyone here on earth. It does not belong to this world. 12 Christ entered the Most Holy Place only one time—enough for all time. He entered the Most Holy Place by using his own blood, not the blood of goats or young bulls. He entered there and made us free from sin forever. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a cow were sprinkled on those who were no longer pure enough to enter the place of worship. The blood and ashes made them pure again—but only their bodies. 14 So surely the blood sacrifice of Christ can do much more. Christ offered himself through the eternal Spirit as a perfect sacrifice to God. His blood will make us completely clean from the evil we have done. It will give us clear consciences so that we can worship the living God. 15 So Christ brings a new agreement from God to his people. He brings this agreement so that those who are chosen by God can have the blessings God promised, blessings that last forever. This can happen only because Christ died to free people from sins committed against the commands of the first agreement.
Now let's read it in the CEV:
Hebrews 9:1-15 CEV The first promise that was made included rules for worship and a tent for worship here on earth. 2 The first part of the tent was called the holy place, and a lampstand, a table, and the sacred loaves of bread were kept there. 3 Behind the curtain was the most holy place. 4 The gold altar that was used for burning incense was in this holy place. The gold-covered sacred chest was also there, and inside it were three things. First, there was a gold jar filled with manna. Then there was Aaron's walking stick that sprouted. Finally, there were the flat stones with the Ten Commandments written on them. 5 On top of the chest were the glorious creatures with wings opened out above the place of mercy. Now isn't the time to go into detail about these things. 6 But this is how everything was when the priests went each day into the first part of the tent to do their duties. 7 However, only the high priest could go into the second part of the tent, and he went in only once a year. Each time he carried blood to offer for his sins and for any sins that the people had committed without meaning to. 8 All of this is the Holy Spirit's way of saying that no one could enter the most holy place while the tent was still the place of worship. 9 This also has a meaning for today. It shows that we cannot make our consciences clear by offering gifts and sacrifices. 10 These rules are merely about such things as eating and drinking and ceremonies for washing ourselves. And rules about physical things will last only until the time comes to change them for something better. 11 Christ came as the high priest of the good things that are now here. He also went into a much better tent that wasn't made by humans and that doesn't belong to this world. 12 Then Christ went once for all into the most holy place and freed us from sin forever. He did this by offering his own blood instead of the blood of goats and bulls. 13 According to the Law of Moses, those people who become unclean are not fit to worship God. Yet they will be considered clean, if they are sprinkled with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a sacrificed calf. 14 But Christ was sinless, and he offered himself as an eternal and spiritual sacrifice to God. That's why his blood is much more powerful and makes our consciences clear. Now we can serve the living God and no longer do things that lead to death. 15 Christ died to rescue those who had sinned and broken the old agreement. Now he brings his chosen ones a new agreement with its guarantee of God's eternal blessings!
All throughout Leviticus 16, the word "atonement" is used. It is the word Kaphar - H3722
Strong's Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words
A primitive root; to cover (specifically with bitumen); figuratively to expiate or condone, to placate or cancel: - appease, make (an) atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, to pitch, purge (away), put off, (make) reconcile (-liation).
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Dictionary
1) to cover, purge, make an atonement, make reconciliation, cover over with pitch
1a) (Qal) to coat or cover with pitch
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to cover over, pacify, propitiate
1b2) to cover over, atone for sin, make atonement for
1b3) to cover over, atone for sin and persons by legal rites
1c) (Pual)
1 c1) to be covered over
1c2) to make atonement for
1d) (Hithpael) to be covered
Part of Speech: verb
Ephesians 1:3-23 ERV Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing in heaven. 4 In Christ, he chose us before the world was made. He chose us in love to be his holy people—people who could stand before him without any fault. 5 And before the world was made, God decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ. This was what God wanted, and it pleased him to do it. 6 And this brings praise to God because of his wonderful grace. God gave that grace to us freely. He gave us that grace in Christ, the one he loves. 7 In Christ we are made free by his blood sacrifice. We have forgiveness of sins because of God's rich grace. 8 God gave us that grace fully and freely. With full wisdom and understanding 9 he let us know his secret plan. This was what God wanted, and he planned to do it through Christ. 10 God's goal was to finish his plan when the right time came. He planned that all things in heaven and on earth be joined together with Christ as the head. 11 In Christ we were chosen to be God's people. God had already planned for us to be his people, because that is what he wanted. And he is the one who makes everything agree with what he decides and wants. 12 We Jews were the first to hope in Christ. And we were chosen so that we would bring praise to God in all his glory. 13 It is the same with you. You heard the true message, the Good News about the way God saves you. When you heard that Good News, you believed in Christ. And in Christ, God put his special mark on you by giving you the Holy Spirit that he promised. 14 The Spirit is the first payment that guarantees we will get all that God has for us. Then we will enjoy complete freedom as people who belong to him. The goal for all of us is the praise of God in all his glory. 15 That is why I always remember you in my prayers and thank God for you. I have done this ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God's people. 17 I always pray to the great and glorious Father, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that he will give you the Spirit, who will let you know truths about God and help you understand them, so that you will know him better. 18 I pray that God will open your minds to see his truth. Then you will know the hope that he has chosen us to have. You will know that the blessings God has promised his holy people are rich and glorious. 19 And you will know that God's power is very great for us who believe. It is the same as the mighty power 20 he used to raise Christ from death and put him at his right side in the heavenly places. 21 He put Christ over all rulers, authorities, powers, and kings. He gave him authority over everything that has power in this world or in the next world. 22 God put everything under Christ's power and made him head over everything for the church. 23 The church is Christ's body. It is filled with him. He makes everything complete in every way.
Leviticus 16:8 KJV And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
This man whose job it was to take the goat to the wilderness was called an Iʾsh ʿItti meaning the man who had been prepared for that time. The high priest chose one of the other priests to do it.
"scapegoat" - Azazel - H5799
Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries
goat of departure; the scapegoat
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Definitions
1) entire removal, scapegoat
1a) refers to the goat used for sacrifice for the sins of the people
1b) meaning is dubious
Part of Speech: noun masculine
"This word has given rise to many different views. Some Jewish interpreters regard it as the name of a place some 12 miles east of Jerusalem, in the wilderness. Others take it to be the name of an evil spirit, or even of Satan. But when we remember that the two goats together form a type of Christ, on whom the Lord 'laid the iniquity of us all,' and examine into the root meaning of this word (viz., 'separation'), the interpretation of those who regard the one goat as representing the atonement made, and the other, that 'for Azazel,' as representing the effect of the great work of atonement (viz., the complete removal of sin), is certainly to be preferred. The one goat which was 'for Jehovah' was offered as a sin-offering, by which atonement was made. But the sins must also be visibly banished, and therefore they were symbolically laid by confession on the other goat, which was then 'sent away for Azazel' into the wilderness. The form of this word indicates intensity, and therefore signifies the total separation of sin: it was wholly carried away. It was important that the result of the sacrifices offered by the high priest alone in the sanctuary should be embodied in a visible transaction, and hence the dismissal of the 'scape-goat.' It was of no consequence what became of it, as the whole import of the transaction lay in its being sent into the wilderness bearing away sin. As the goat 'for Jehovah' was to witness to the demerit of sin and the need of the blood of atonement, so the goat 'for Azazel' was to witness to the efficacy of the sacrifice and the result of the shedding of blood in the taking away of sin." - Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., published by Thomas Nelson, 1897.
"Some interpret this word as referring to a demon of the wilderness (compare Psalms 106:37; Deuteronomy 32:17; Leviticus 17:7; 2 Chronicles 11:15; Isaiah 13:21; 34:14; Matthew 12:43ff; Luke 11:24ff; Revelation 18:2) and explain the term as 'one who has separated himself from God,' or 'he who has separated himself,' or 'he who misleads others.'' But a demon of this kind could not possibly be placed in contrast to Yahweh in this way; and as in the Book of Enoch 6:6; 8:1; 9:6; 10:4; 13:1; 69:2 one of the most prominent of the fallen angels who taught mankind the arts of war and luxury, revealed secrets to them, and is now bound in the wilderness, and is there preserved for the final judgment, because he was mainly responsible for the presence of evil in the world, is called Azael (also Azazel, or Azalzel), it is highly probable that this name was taken from Leviticus 16. In later times the word Azazel was by many Jews and also by Christian theologians, such as Origen, regarded as that Satan himself who had fallen away from God. In this interpretation the contrast found in Leviticus 16:8, in case it is to be regarded as a full parallelism, would be perfectly correct. But it must be acknowledged that in Holy Scripture, Satan is nowhere called by the name of Azazel, and just as little is the wilderness regarded as his permanent place of abode. Against these last two interpretations we must also recall that in the most significant passage, namely, Leviticus 16:20, the term Azazel is not found at all. The same is true in the case of the ceremony in connection with the purification of leprous people and houses (Leviticus 14:7,49ff), which throughout suggests Leviticus 16. In this place we have also the sevenfold sprinkling (compare Leviticus 14:16 with Leviticus 16:14f); and in addition two animals, in this case birds, are used, of which the one is to be slain for the purpose of sprinkling the blood, but the other, after it has been dipped into the blood of the one that has been slain, is to be allowed to fly away. In this way the essential thought in Leviticus 16 as also in Leviticus 14 seems to be the removal of the animal in either case, and it is accordingly advisable to interpret Azazel adjectively, i.e. to forego finding a complete parallelism in Leviticus 16:8, and to regard the preposition in connection with Yahweh as used differently from its use with Azazel, and to translate as follows:" - "Entry for 'AZAZEL'", "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia", James Orr, M.A., D.D. General Editor
"Both goats, according to Leviticus 16:5, are to be regarded as a single sin-sacrifice, even should we interpret Azazel as demon or Satan, and we are accordingly not at all to understand that a sacrifice was brought to these beings. This too is made impossible by the whole tenor of the Old Testament in general, as of Leviticus 16 in particular, so that in 16:8 the two members introduced by the preposition le- would not at all be beings of exactly the same importance. Both goats, so to say, represent two sides of the same thing. The second is necessary to make clear what the first one, which has been slain, can no longer represent, namely, the removal of the sin, and accordingly has quite often aptly been called the hircus redivivus. But what is to be represented finds its expression in the ceremony described in Leviticus 16:20f. Whatever may be the significance of the laying on of hands in other connections, whether the emphasis is placed more on the disposal or on the appropriation of the property, at this place it certainly is only a symbol of the transfer of guilt, which is confessed over the goat and is then carried into the wilderness by the goat upon which it has been laid. In order to make this transfer all the more impressive, both the hands are here brought into action, while e.g. in Leviticus 1:4 only one hand is used. The fact that the goat is accompanied by somebody and that it is to be taken to an uninhabited place is to indicate the absolute impossibility of its return, i.e. the guilt has been absolutely forgiven and erased, a deep thought made objectively evident in a transparent manner and independently of the explanation of Azazel, which is even yet not altogether certain. In the personal interpretation, we could have, in addition to the idea of the removal of the guilt, also a second idea, namely, that Azazel can do no harm to Israel, but must be content with his claim to a goat which takes Israel's place." - "Entry for 'AZAZEL'", "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia", James Orr, M.A., D.D. General Editor, Wilhelm Moller
"The character of Azazel as a fallen angel is found in the book of Enoch. The book of Enoch is not part of the Bible and part of the Apocrypha. Crosswalk.com identifies the Apocrypha as 'texts of uncertain authenticity or writings where the authorship is questioned.' These books are accepted by the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church as part of Scripture, but Protestant denominations disregard them from the canon.
"In the book of Enoch, Azazel is a fallen angel. He is a leader of other fallen angels and responsible for evil in the world. He has led so much destruction that the book encourages Jewish readers to ascribe all sin to him. This idea is related to the scapegoat as mentioned above and could be the reason 'scapegoat' is translated as Azazel in some translations of the Bible.
"The term Azazel is highly debated but can be identified as another name for Satan. The Azazel goat of Leviticus is sent into the deserted wilderness, representing the people sending their sins back to the place they came from. In both the Bible and the Apocrypha, we find Azazel far from the people and ways of God...
"Fallen angels are also known as demons. Satan has his demonic army and sends his forces to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Even though we can’t see the evil forces, we are fighting against them every day (Ephesians 6:12)." - BibleStudyTools.com, Is the Fallen Angel Azazel Found Anywhere in the Bible? by Jenna Brooke Carlson, 7/9/2021
"Christ is the complete atonement for our sins. In many ways, He embodies each aspect of the Day of Atonement. We are told that He is our great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14). He is also the 'Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world' (Revelation 13:8) as a sacrifice for our sins. And He is our scapegoat. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, 'God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.' Our sins were laid on Christ – He bore our sins just as the scapegoat bore the sins of the Israelites. Isaiah 53:6 prophesies Christ’s acceptance of the sin burden: 'We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.' After the sins were laid on the scapegoat, it was considered unclean and driven into the wilderness. In essence, the goat was cast out. The same happened to Jesus. He was crucified outside of the city. 'He was despised and rejected by men … He poured out His life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors' (Isaiah 53:3a, 12). Jesus embodied what the scapegoat represented – the removal of sins from the perpetrators." - GotQuestions.org
It is sin that separates us from God. We inherit our sin nature from the original parents, Adam and Eve. Satan deceived Angels (1/3 of the Angels fell from Heaven with Satan in his rebellion); he deceived Adam and Eve; and he continues to deceive every human into disobeying God. He is the father of lies. We are born in sin and we choose to act on our sinful nature and we sin. Satan makes sin look so good. But reality is not like the brochure as our Pastor Manning Strickland says. Because we are sinners, we are separated from God and we face death, righteous eternal judgment and the penalty is eternal burning in flames.
Jesus is represented by the goat who is sacrificed as a Sin Offering. His blood is sprinkled on the Mercy Seat and the Bronze Altar of sacrifice. The scapegoat (Azazel) has the sins of the people transferred on him and is bound about the neck with a scarlet cord or fillet and taken out to uninhabited wilderness and released. The man watches to make sure the goat is headed away from the camp. Our sins are Psalm 103:12, "as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."
No comments:
Post a Comment