The Day of Atonement...it pictures the putting away of Satan the devil
The Day of Atonement is a very important Holy Day. We have always understood that it pictures the putting away of Satan the devil, preventing him from influencing mankind for a thousand years. A critical part of this connection involves understanding the meaning of the azazel goat in Leviticus 16. Some have tried to reinterpret this goat as a symbol of Christ and not the devil.
Is there evidence that the azazel goat was a symbol of the devil or a demon?
In Leviticus 16:5 we see that the priests were to select two goats. One was to be taken as a sin offering and the other was to be offered as a "scapegoat." Another way to express it would be "escape" goat. Many translations such as the New Revised Standard Version simply use the word Azazel in the text. The Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate translate azazel as "goat of departure."
Often when interpreting what a word in ScriptureThe divinely inspired writings of both the Old and New Testaments. The term Scripture is used in the New Testament to refer to both the Hebrew Bible (Luke 24:44-45) and the new apostolic writings accepted as inspired (2 Peter 3:16; 1 Timothy 5:18). means, it is necessary to look at what the meaning of the word is in literature outside of the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ.. Consider the following resources that discuss the meaning of azazel :
"This name was used for that of an evil demon.... The name Azazel...is also used by the Arabs as that of an evil demon" (William Gesenius, Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon, p. 617).
"The high priest...cast lots upon the two goats. One was to be for the Lord for a sin-offering. The other was for Azazel (the completely separate one, the evil spirit regarded as dwelling in the desert), to be sent away alive into the wilderness" (F. Watson, The Cambridge Companion to the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ., 1893, p. 161).
"Azazel...was probably a demonic being.... Apocryphal Jewish works, composed in the last few centuries before the Christian era, tell of angels who were lured...into rebellion against God. In these writings, Azazel is one of the two leaders of the rebellion. And posttalmudic documents tell a similar story about two rebel angels, Uzza and Azzael-both variations of the name Azazel. These mythological stories, which must have been widely known, seem to confirm the essentially demonic character of the old biblical Azazel" (Union of American Hebrew Congregations, The TorahThe Greek term for the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), the five books of Moses (penta means "five"). This term came into use when the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament ) began to be translated into Greek about 300 B.C. -a Modern Commentary, p. 859).
The word azazel is also used outside the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. in the book of EnochThe firstborn son of Cain; a city in Nod named after Cain's firstborn son (Genesis 4:17-18).. This book is apparently quoted in the New TestamentThe 27 authoritative books of the apostolic writings: the four Gospels of Christ, Acts (a history), 21 apostolic letters and the book of Revelation. in the book of Jude. Jude verse 14 states: "Now EnochThe firstborn son of Cain; a city in Nod named after Cain's firstborn son (Genesis 4:17-18)., the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, 'Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints.'" A similar statement is found in the book of EnochThe firstborn son of Cain; a city in Nod named after Cain's firstborn son (Genesis 4:17-18). 1:9.
The book of EnochThe firstborn son of Cain; a city in Nod named after Cain's firstborn son (Genesis 4:17-18). gives insight into how the word azazel was used in the centuries before Christ. In the book of EnochThe firstborn son of Cain; a city in Nod named after Cain's firstborn son (Genesis 4:17-18). 8:1-3 we find: "And Azazel taught men to make swords, and knives, and shields, and breastplates, and made known to them the metals of the earth…. And there arose much godlessness, and they committed fornication, and they were led astray, and became corrupt in all their ways." The book of EnochThe firstborn son of Cain; a city in Nod named after Cain's firstborn son (Genesis 4:17-18). describes Azazel as one of the angels that corrupted man at some time in the past. As a result we see in the book of EnochThe firstborn son of Cain; a city in Nod named after Cain's firstborn son (Genesis 4:17-18). 10:4, "And again the Lord said to Raphael: 'Bind Azazel hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness: and make an opening in the desert, which is in Dudael, and cast him therein."
Notice how well this understanding of Azazel fits with the fate of the demons. In RevelationThe disclosure of God's Word and plan to mankind. In the Bible this refers to making obscure things clear; bringing hidden matters to light; causing especially called individuals to see, hear, perceive, know and understand the things of God; the unveiling of biblical mysteries (Romans 16:25). 20:1-3 "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 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."
This is very similar to the statement in Leviticus 16:21. "AaronBrother of Moses, First High Priest 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." This is a symbol of the angel that is to take Satan away and isolate him from mankind.
The BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. states over and over that God is just and fair, that He ultimately takes care of evil. Psalm 7:11 states: "God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day." Doesn't it make sense that a just and fair God would ultimately put the sins of the world on the one who introduced sin into the present world in the Garden of EdenThe land in which the Lord planted a garden for Adam to live in (Genesis 2:15). It was located at the branching of 4 rivers: the Euphrates, the Hiddekel (the Tigris), the Pishon, and the Gihon (Genesis 2:8-14). It was also the location of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life (Genesis 2:16).? Satan is the one who from the very beginning lied to Eve and led mankind astray.
The Day of Atonement then should be understood as a day of justice! A day when God will remove the evil influence that is at the core of the problems of this present world. The BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. states that there is an evil power-"the prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2)-that is constantly trying to thwart the plan of God and attempting to cause mankind to lose out on salvation.
The fact that the devil and his cohorts will be removed from power will result in a world that no longer has an unseen evil power causing problems. Satan and his demons have separated mankind from God since the beginning. His removal will result in mankind as a whole finally being able to have contact and direction from God. Let's be thankful that God is indeed just and fair and has commanded us to keep the Day of Atonement as a memorial in advance of the removal of evil from the world. UN
