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only on the cross]? Where does scripture even suggest that He was the
"Goat of God" [2 Corinthians 5:21 - Jesus became our sin - a goat]? --
"2 Corinthians 5:21 For He [Father God] hath made Him [temporarily -
on the cross - because there was no other way (Matthew 26:39)] to be
sin for us, [Jesus] who knew no sin; that we [sinners - goats] might be
made [sheep] the righteousness of God in Him."
1.3 The Enigma: There are several problems with that interpretation, or at least many questions remain unanswered.
For starters, the goat usually represents evil. Christ compared his followers to sheep, but those who did evil to goats
(see Mat. 25:32-46). The scriptures testify that Jesus was the "Lamb of God" (John 1:36; Rev. 5:6, 12), which is
consistent with that symbolism. But why would an (evil) goat be used to symbolize Christ? Where does scripture
even suggest that He was the "Goat of God"? And even if He is a goat in this case, the other goat (scapegoat) of this
pair seems like a much better candidate. After all, he was the one chosen to be "for Jehovah", and he was sacrificed
to atone for the sins of mankind, as was Christ. If the scapegoat represents Christ [**standard Christian
interpretation is that Jesus is the sacrifice not the scapegoat] who bore all of our sins, then what was the point of the
other goat [two goats - two kingdoms in this world - sin that is atoned for (God's Kingdom) and sin that remains
(Satan - Antichrist Kingdom)] which was sacrificed to pay for them? Most commentators conclude that both goats
represent Christ, but have no compelling explanation for the difference between them. Why were two goats
necessary? Both of them were said to atone for or bear mankind's sins. Have there been two people in history who
have done that? If so, did the one who is not Christ have any experience similar to that of the scapegoat? The
standard answer is that only Christ suffered for our sins, so they must both symbolize Him. But when was it that
Christ was led into the uninhabited wilderness to be banished forever? Why is it worth mentioning that the
scapegoat was led by an "appointed" (translated "fit" in the KJV) man? Does he represent someone in particular?
And if it was Christ he was leading, why was that man "unclean" afterward? Is the additional feature of sending the
goat to its death off a cliff into jagged stones a barbaric perversion which reverses the whole concept of freeing the
goat, or does it capture the intended symbolism of sending both goats to their death by different means? If the
scapegoat was intended to be freed, then why does it get off with no suffering, if it is bearing the sins of all
mankind? That certainly doesn't seem to be like Christ, who suffered more than is humanly possible. And if the cliff
death is a correct symbolism, or even being exiled, then what does it correspond to in the life of Christ? What is the
point of the elaborate ceremony where lots are chosen to determine the fate of each? If two animals are needed for
some reason, why not just sacrifice one and let the other one go as was done with birds in the cleansing of a leper
(Lev. 14:1-7)? Why have spectators witness the high priest determine which goat was which? Who cares which
goat is chosen? Surely the answer has something to do with the fact that one was "for Jehovah (God)" and the other
"for Azazel (Satan)", so another question is, what does Azazel really mean? Let us dig deeper to answer all of these
questions. ... 2. Barabbas: If this incident was indeed symbolized by the scapegoat ceremony, several questions
remain. If the scapegoat represents a false Christ [Antichrist], then what about bearing the weight of the sins of all
mankind? And what about being led by an appointed man into the wilderness? We may be on the right track but we
need some more answers. ... 4. Conclusion: The results of this investigation suggest that the standard Christian
interpretation of the scapegoat as representing Christ is probably in error [**standard Christian interpretation is that
Jesus is the sacrifice not the scapegoat]. The more straightforward Hebrew interpretation that Azazel is Satan can be
explained in terms of Christian doctrine by the Book of Enoch. In particular, the goat "for Jehovah" is indeed Jesus
Christ, who atoned and was sacrificed for all the sins of mankind. But the other goat, the scapegoat "for Azazel,"
also bears the weight of the sins of all mankind because Satan (Azazel) is ultimately responsible for them all. And
he will be punished for them, first by being cast into the bottomless pit, and later by being thrown into the lake of
fire and brimstone at the last day. This ceremony teaches these two truths simultaneously. One practical lesson to be
learned is that it can be very difficult to judge between the two nearly identical goats, representing Christ and a
false Christ. Jesus appeared to the Jews to be a false Christ. They believed He performed His miracles by Satan's
power (Luke 11:15) and some may have thought they were doing Jehovah a service by crucifying Him (compare
John 16:2). Even though they were fulfilling scriptural prophecy, the Jews chose poorly between Barabbas and
Christ. Perhaps next time the choice will be between two lambs instead of two goats (Rev. 13:11). Satan is the great
deceiver and can do miracles (Rev. 13:13-15). He disguises himself in sheep's clothing (Mat. 7:15). The Savior
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