The Day of Atonement

The atonement has been misunderstood for thousands of years. The major reason for this misunderstanding is that we have been looking at only half of the picture, the Jesus half. Until this new revelation, nobody even knew that there was another essential half to the atonement. This other half is taught through sacred symbolism in the ancient rituals of the Bible. 

Although some will find it difficult to accept, Jesus did not complete the atonement alone. The bible is very clear that two beings were required to make an atonement. These two beings were symbolically referenced in the most sacred ordinance on the most sacred day in the Jewish calendar, “The Day of Atonement”.

“7 And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord (Jehovah), and the other lot for the scapegoat (Azazel) .

9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the Lord’s lot fell (Jehovah), and offer him for a sin offering.

10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat (Azazel), shall be presented alive before the Lord, TO MAKE AN ATONEMENT WITH HIM, and to let him go for a scapegoat (Azazel) into the wilderness.” – Leviticus 16:7-10

Just as Leviticus says, Azazel “makes an atonement with him” (Jehovah). Neither Jehovah nor Azazel could have completed the atonement alone. Jehovah performs his part willingly to gain the power of mercy. Azazel reaps the just consequences of his actions.

Without understanding both halves of the picture, the atonement would remain incomprehensible. But when we add in the second half of the picture, and correctly divide the roles of each person in the atonement, the picture becomes clear and easy to see.

For this reason, we need to take a detailed look at Azazel and discover who he is so that we can understand his role in the atonement.

Relevant Summary

• The following is a summary of what happened during the Day of Atonement.  To make it easier to understand, the key points will be bold and underlined.

The Jewish holiday “Yom Kippur” is “The Day of Atonement”.  The Hebrew word “Yom” means “day” and “Kippur” means “to atone”.  The great Day of Atonement happened once a year under the Law of Moses and was symbolic of the atonement.

The high priest would prepare for the event by offering various sacrifices to symbolically purify himself to be worthy of performing this most sacred of all ordinances under the law.  The priest had to be worthy to enter the Holy of Holies in the temple.

The Holy of Holies was said to be where God dwelled.  In it they kept the Ark of the Covenant which was used during the Day of Atonement ordinance.  If the High Priest was not pure when he entered the Holy of Holies into God’s presence, he would die because no unclean thing can be in God’s presence and live.  Just in case the High Priest was not clean enough, they would tie a rope on his leg so that if he died in the Holy of Holies, they would be able to pull his body out without having to send anyone else in.

Once purified, 2 male goats, both without blemish were brought to the high priest.

The high priest cast lots, (meaning rolled the dice so to say), to see which goat would symbolically play the part of Jehovah and which would play the role of the scapegoat which in Hebrew is called Azazel.

The High Priest would kill the goat “Jehovah” and by himself take its blood into the Holy of Holies where it was spilt on the “mercy seat” of the Ark of the Covenant, while incense was burned as symbols of the prayers of the people ascending to heaven, the Lord appearing in the cloud and to hide the Lord from Arron.

Once that was finished, the high priest exited the Holy of Holies and returned to the goat called Azazel or the scapegoat.

The high priest then firmly grabbed the goat “Azazel” by the horns and pronounced all the sins of the people that year and symbolically placed those sins, “on the head of Azazel”. The sins were actually given to, born by and placed on the head of Azazel.  

Once the high priest had pronounced all the sins on the head of Azazel, the scapegoat, the goat was subject to the punishment for those sins by being cast out.  It was sent into the wilderness to “destroy itself”.

It was very important that the goat not be killed by anyone, it had to kill itself via its own actions.

A person was tasked with watching the goat and following the goat until it died.

When the goat died, a signal was given to announce the death of Azazel to a distant watcher who signaled another watcher which continued in a procession until the signal was received back in the city/camp.

Once this signal was received, the people celebrated and rejoiced greatly because the atonement had been completed and their sins had been removed from them.

That is the summary of the more relevant points.  For many people, this is a new topic which they have never heard of before, yet it is the key to understanding how a person can commit a crime and morally be forgiven. We call this process “the mechanics of the atonement”.  

The meaning of Azazel, if it was ever known, was lost to history and remains to this day a mystery to scholars, as do the symbols and means by which the atonement is made.

References

Because the ordinance has not been understood, it has been adapted and changed over time, so that what we know today about the ritual does not necessarily match the original as revealed to Moses. With that background, we want to provide to you some references for those of you who are interested in more information regarding the Day of Atonement and Azazel.

(Text in italics) has been added for clarification and bold for emphasis by Elliaison.

Bible Dictionary – “Fasts”

“The Day of Atonement appears to be the only fast ordered by the law…  

The Day of Atonement was the 10th day of the seventh month. The directions for its observance are given in Ex. 30:10; Lev. 16; 23:26–32; Num. 29:7–11. The day was kept as a national fast. The high priest, clothed in white linen, took a bullock as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering for himself and his house; and two he-goats as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering for the congregation of Israel. He presented the bullock and the two goats before the door of the tabernacle. He then 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. He then killed the bullock, his own sin offering, and, taking a censer full of live coals from off the brazen altar with two handfuls of incense into the Holy of Holies, cast the incense on the coals there so that the cloud of smoke might cover the mercy seat and, as it were, hide him from God. He then took of the blood of the bullock and sprinkled it once on the east part of the mercy seat (as an atonement for the priesthood) and seven times before the mercy seat (as an atonement for the Holy of Holies itself). Then he killed the goat, (Jehovah or the Lord), the congregation’s sin offering, and sprinkled its blood in the same manner, with corresponding objects. Similar sprinklings were made with the blood of both animals (bullock and goat) on the altar of incense (Ex. 30:10; Lev. 16:15) to make an atonement for the Holy Place. No one besides the high priest was allowed to be present in the tabernacle while these acts of atonement were going on. Lastly, an atonement was made for the altar of burnt offering in a similar manner. The goat for Azazel was then brought before the altar of burnt offering. Over it the high priest confessed all the sins of the people of Israel, after which it was sent by the hand of a man into the wilderness to bear away their iniquities into a solitary land. This ceremony signified the sending away of the sins of the people now expiated to the Evil One to convince him that they could no more be brought up in judgment against the people before God. Then the high priest took off his linen garments, bathed, put on his official garments, and offered the burnt offerings of two rams for himself and his people.”

Leviticus 16

“6 And Aaron shall offer his bullock 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 goats, and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

 8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat.

 9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the Lord’s lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.

 10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

…

14 And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.

 15 Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, (the Lord), that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:

 16 And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.

 17 And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.

 18 And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the Lord, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.

 19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.

 20 ¶And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat, (Azazel or the scape Goat):

 21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:

 22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

…

 29 ¶And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:

 30 For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.

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, even 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 unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the Lord commanded Moses.”

JewishEncyclopedia.com – Azazel

“Two goats were procured, similar in respect of appearance, height, cost, and time of selection. Having one of these on his right and the other on his left (Rashi on Yoma 39a), the high priest, who was assisted in this rite by two subordinates, put both his hands into a wooden case, and took out two labels, one inscribed “for the Lord” and the other “for Azazel.” The high priest then laid his hands with the labels upon the two goats and said, “A sin-offering to the Lord”—using the Tetragrammaton; and the two men accompanying him replied, “Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever.” He then fastened a scarlet woolen thread to the head of the goat “for Azazel”; and laying his hands upon it again, recited the following confession of sin and prayer for forgiveness: 

“O Lord, I have acted iniquitously, trespassed, sinned before Thee: I, my household, and the sons of Aaron—Thy holy ones. O Lord, forgive the iniquities, transgressions, and sins that I, my household, and Aaron’s children—Thy holy people—committed before Thee, as is written in the law of Moses, Thy servant, ‘for on this day He will forgive you, to cleanse you from all your sins before the Lord; ye shall be clean.'” This prayer was responded to by the congregation present (see Atonement, Day of). A man was selected, preferably a priest, to take the goat to the precipice in the wilderness; and he was accompanied part of the way by the most eminent men of Jerusalem. Ten booths had been constructed at intervals along the road leading from Jerusalem to the steep mountain. At each one of these the man leading the goat was formally offered food and drink, which he, however, refused. When he reached the tenth booth those who accompanied him proceeded no further, but watched the ceremony from a distance. When he came to the precipice he divided the scarlet thread into two parts, one of which he tied to the rock and the other to the goat’s horns, and then pushed the goat down (Yoma vi. 1-8). The cliff was so high and rugged that before the goat had traversed half the distance to the plain below, its limbs were utterly shattered. Men were stationed at intervals along the way, and as soon as the goat was thrown down the precipice, they signaled to one another by means of kerchiefs or flags, until the information reached the high priest, whereat he proceeded with the other parts of the ritual.

…

There has been much controversy over the function of Azazel as well as over his essential character. Inasmuch as according to the narrative the sacrifice of Azazel, while symbolical, was yet held to be a genuine vicarious atonement, it is maintained by critics that Azazel was originally no mere abstraction, but a real being to the authors of the ritual—as real as Yhwh himself.

This relation to the purpose of the ceremony may throw light upon the character of Azazel. Three points seem reasonably clear. (1) Azazel is not a mere jinnee or demon of uncertain ways and temper, anonymous and elusive (see Animal Worship), but a deity standing in a fixed relation to his clients. Hence the notion, which has become prevalent, that Azazel was a “personal angel,” here introduced for the purpose of “doing away with the crowd of impersonal and dangerous se’irim” (as Cheyne puts it), scarcely meets the requirements of the ritual. Moreover, there is no evidence that this section of Leviticus is so late as the hagiological period of Jewish literature.

(2) The realm of Azazel is indicated clearly. It was the lonely wilderness; and Israel is represented as a nomadic people in the wilderness, though preparing to leave it. Necessarily their environment subjected them in a measure to superstitions associated with the local deities, and of these latter Azazel was the chief. The point of the whole ceremony seems to have been that as the scapegoat was set free in the desert, so Israel was to be set free from the offenses contracted in its desert life within the domain of the god of the desert.

(3) Azazel would therefore appear to be the head of the supernatural beings of the desert. He was thus an instance of the elevation of a demon into a deity. Such a development is indeed rare in Hebrew religious history of the Biblical age, but Azazel was really never a national Hebrew god, and his share in the ritual seems to be only the recognition of a local deity. The fact that such a ceremony as that in which his figured was instituted, is not a contravention of Lev. xvii. 7, by which demon-worship was suppressed. For Azazel, in this instance, played a merely passive part. Moreover, as shown, the symbolical act was really a renunciation of his authority. Such is the signification of the utter separation of the scapegoat from the people of Israel. This interpretation is borne out by the fact that the complete ceremony could not be literally fulfilled in the settled life of Canaan, but only in the wilderness. Hence it was the practise in Jerusalem, according to Yoma vii. 4, to take the scapegoat to a cliff and push him over it out of sight. In this way the complete separation was effected.”

The Church of Azazel – Azazel

“Azazel” is a word used in the Hebrew Bible in connection with the scapegoat (Leviticus 16:10). Scholars differ as to what it originally meant.

At the beginning of the Christian era and for a few centuries before, “Azazel” was believed by many to be the name of a powerful enemy of Yahweh. When people first began to perceive that Yahweh had an enemy, “Azazel” was one of that enemy’s names. (Other names included Samael and Belial.)

…

Thus, “Azazel” is one of the oldest known names of the entity Christians call “Satan,”… When we use the name “Satan,” we are referring to the entity who has been popularly known as “Satan” for the past two millenia, i.e. Azazel (an enemy – a “satan” – to Yahweh)”

“The Church of Azazel’s primary deity is Satan/Azazel.”

Judas acting the role of Azazel

The Unpardonable Sin is to commit murder by shedding innocent blood and assenting, (supporting or agreeing), to the death of Christ after having made the new and everlasting covenant. (This will be discussed in detail later.)

“The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which shall not be forgiven in the world nor out of the world, is in that ye commit murder wherein ye shed innocent blood, and assent unto my death, after ye have received my new and everlasting covenant, saith the Lord God; and he that abideth not this law can in nowise enter into my glory, but shall be damned, saith the Lord.” – D&C 132:27

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” – Heb. 6:4-6

Satan/Azazel entered into Judas Iscariot

“Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?

71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.” – John 6:70-71

“And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.

3 ¶ Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.

4 And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.

5 And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.

6 And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.” – Luke 22:2-6

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

21 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.

…

26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.

27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.” – John 13:20-27

Judas Betrays Christ with a Kiss, Sending Him to His Death and becomes a Son of Perdition

Notice how Christ tells Judas that if he betrays him it would be better that he were never born and yet Judas does it anyway.

21 And as they did eat, he (Jesus) said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.

22 And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?

23 And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.

24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.

25 Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.

…

45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

46 Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.

47 ¶ And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.

48 Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.

49 And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.

50 And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.” – Matt. 26:14-50

“And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.

48 But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?” – Luke 22:47-48

In the following verse, Jesus is offering the Great Intercessory Prayer as recorded in John 17. In his prayer, he specifically calls out that none of his disciples will be lost except Judas who was the Son of Perdition.

“While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.” – John 17:12

The Chief Priest = The High Priest

When animals were sacrificed, a priest would take the offering and kill it on behalf of the patron. In the Day of Atonement ritual, a High Priest killed the Jehovah goat and then returned to the goat for Azazel and placed the sins on him. In the record of the actual atonement, we are told that Judas returned to “the chief priest” and told them “I have sinned”. The “chief priest” responds, “What does that have to do with us? It’s your problem.” In short, they put the sin on him. 

The original Greek word that was translated to “chief priest” is “archiereus” which is almost as often translated to “High Priest”. This means that the High Priest caused the death of Christ and put the sin on the head of Judas/Azazel just as was done in the Day of Atonement ritual.  

“Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

Like Azazel, Judas Commits Suicide

“And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

6 And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.

7 And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in.

8 Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.” – Matt. 27:3-10

“For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.

18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.

19 And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.

20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.” – Acts 1:17-20

Conclusion

To anyone who does even the slightest research regarding the Day of Atonement and the role of Azazel, it becomes quickly apparent that little is known and understood regarding who he is and the significant role he plays in the atonement. There is no question that he is essential to the atonement, but how has remained a mystery.  

For centuries, it has been taught that Jesus completed the atonement alone. Yet we clearly see that Azazel makes an atonement with him. While we know that Jehovah was the slaughtered innocent sacrifice, it is not immediately apparent what Azazel’s role was in the atonement.

What is surprising is that the sins were not placed on the head of Jehovah, but on the head of Azazel.  This tells us an uncomfortable truth regarding the role of Jehovah and creates an eye-opening mystery which becomes one of the keys to understanding the mechanism by which we are able to be forgiven of sin thereby receiving mercy without robbing justice…