Satan as The Scapegoat

 

Scripture:

Sin offerings were required to be without blemish (Leviticus 4:3, 23, 28, 32). Both the atonement sacrifice and the scapegoat were first chosen as sin offerings, and lots were casted over them in order to decide which would become the scapegoat. Both goats had to meet the standard for sin offering able to atone for all the sins of Israel, because the lots could fall on either goat to become the atonement sacrifice. If a goat was chosen which had blemish, it does not meet the standard for an atonement sacrifice.

According to Ellen, the scapegoat represents Satan. Satan, however, is not without blemish or defect. How can a blemished goat be brought to the priest with the possibility of the lots casting it into becoming the atonement sacrifice? scripture is clear that Satan will certainly be punished for his own sins, but the scripture never says that sins of humanity will eventually be removed from the sanctuary and transferred onto Satan. Instead, scripture repeatedly explains that the Messiah is the one on which all sin was placed, He is the one who bore the sins of the world upon himself, and He is the one who takes it away. Jesus not only embodies the attributes of the high priest and the atonement sacrifice, but also the scapegoat who takes sin upon itself and removes it from the people.  

 

  • "You shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God a bull or sheep (שֶׂה) which has any blemish or defect, for that is an abomination to the Lord your God." Deuteronomy 17:1
    • Strong's Hebrew: 7716. שֶׂה (seh) -- Lamb, sheep, goat; a member of a flock, i.e. a sheep or goat

 

  • “And he shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two male goats as a sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering. Then Aaron shall offer the bull as the sin offering, which is for himself, so that he may make atonement for himself and for his household. He shall then take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the doorway of the tent of meeting. Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat. Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the Lord fell, and make it a sin offering. But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat.” … “Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the atoning cover and in front of the atoning cover. He shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their unlawful acts regarding all their sins; and he shall do so for the tent of meeting which remains with them in the midst of their impurities.” … “When he finishes atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat. Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the wrongdoings of the sons of Israel and all their unlawful acts regarding all their sins; and he shall place them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands ready. Then the goat shall carry on itself all their wrongdoings to an isolated territory; he shall release the goat in the wilderness.” Leviticus 16:5-22

 

  • “And he himself bore our sins on his body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” 1 Peter 2:24

 

  • “The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” John 1:29

 

  • “...he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all…By oppression and judgment he was taken away… For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished…and he will bear their iniquities…and was numbered with the transgressors. for he bore the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53

 

  • “...but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been revealed to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself….having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” Hebrews 9:26-28

 

  • “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

 

Ellen G. White:

The sins of the world will be placed on the scapegoat, Satan.

  • "Jesus tarried a moment in the outer apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary, and the sins which had been confessed while he was in the Most Holy place, he placed back upon the originator of sin, the Devil. He must suffer the punishment of these sins.” Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 1, Ch 35 https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/104.722#723  

 

  • "It was seen, also, that while the sin offering pointed to Christ as a sacrifice, and the high priest represented Christ as a mediator, the scapegoat typified Satan, the author of sin, upon whom the sins of the truly penitent will finally be placed.” The Great Controversy, p. 422 https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/132.1851#1916 

 

  • “As the priest, in removing the sins from the sanctuary, confessed them upon the head of the scapegoat, so Christ will place all these sins upon Satan, the originator and instigator of sin.” The Great Controversy, p. 485 https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/132.2168#2197