by Leonard V Johnson
Greetings everyone! Including our Brethren, Co-Workers and Friends in Bordeaux, France; Malang, Indonesia; Calamba, Philippines, and here in the states, Lake City, Florida, and Richland, Michigan. Welcome to the Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries! I hope and pray that you had a most wonderful and humbling Day of Atonement. Here it was just great──a wonderful holy day full of self-reflection and humility.
In the original Hebrew Bible──which is God’s living word──the Day of Atonement is: יוֹם כִּפּוּר Yōm Kippūr, which means ‘day [of] the atonements.’
Within God’s living word, let us notice the Old Covenant ceremony related to the holy Day of Atonement that is spoken of in the Book of Leviticus 16 ──
“’ Aaron [the high priest of the Aaronic priesthood of the Old Covenant] shall offer the bull as a sin offering, which is for himself, and MAKE AN ATONEMENT for himself and for his house. 7) He shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 8) Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the LORD and the other lot for THE SCAPEGOAT.
9) And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the LORD’s lot fell, and offer it as A SIN OFFERING. …
15) Then he shall kill the goat of the SIN OFFERING, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. 16) So he shall make ATONEMENT for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins; and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness. 17) There shall be no man in the tabernacle of meeting when he goes in to MAKE ATONEMENT in the Holy Place, until he comes out, that he may MAKE ATONEMENT for himself, for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel.
18) And he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD, and MAKE ATONEMENT for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around. 19) Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, cleanse it, and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.’” – Leviticus 16:7-9, 15-19.
Anciently, symbolically, the goat on which the LORD’s lot fell, the sin offering, was pointing to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
As explained by our beloved Apostle Paul, our Lord Jesus’ sacrifice for all mankind was THE ATONEMENT sacrifice of the New Covenant, the reconciliation to our Lord [God the Father] and of His Christ ──
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away [including the ceremony of the Day of Atonement of the Old Covenant]; behold all things have become new.
18) Now all things are of God, who HAS RECONCILED [HAS ATONED] us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19) that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17-19.
Also, notice this from one of the wisest men who ever walked the earth, King Solomon ──
“In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; and by the fear of the LORD one departs from evil.” – Proverbs 16:6.
Also, Psalm 65, attributed to King David ──
“Iniquities prevail against me; As for our transgressions, You will provide atonement for them.” – Psalm 65:3.
Psalm 65 is mainly celebrating the LORD God’s creation and provision, yet the language about ‘By awesome deeds in righteousness’ can certainly be viewed as pointing to His future mercy, forgiveness and atonement for our transgressions.
What is also most interesting is Genesis chapter 4 ──
“Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering.” – Genesis 4:4.
So, even at those early beginnings there was the knowledge that sin needed atonement. Leviticus 16 outlines for us the Old Covenant ceremony for the Day of Atonement, where blood sacrifices covered the nation’s iniquities and Isaiah 53 describes the suffering servant bearing our transgressions ──
“All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.
7) He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. … 10) Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him [see: Genesis 3:15]; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an OFFERING FOR SIN, … 11) … By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.” – Isaiah 53:6-7, 10, 11.
Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, was sacrificed for our iniquities (for more on the Old Testament prophecies pertaining to our Lord Jesus, check out our free online PDF booklet, “Many Convincing Proofs That Jesus Is Christ”).
Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, was indeed our ATONEMENT ──
“For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. 28) Therefore take heed to yourselves and to ALL THE FLOCK, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the Church of God WHICH HE PURCHASED WITH HIS OWN BLOOD.” – Acts 20:27-28.
“But NOW the righteousness of God APART FROM THE LAW [the law of Moses] is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets [the first five books of the Holy Bible, including the books of the prophets], 22) even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all WHO BELIEVE, For there is no difference; 23) FOR ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD, 24) being justified freely by His grace through THE REDEMPTION THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS, 25) whom God set forth AS A PROPITIATION BY HIS BLOOD, …” – Romans 3:21-24, 25.
“IN HIM we have REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, the forgiveness of sins, …” – Ephesians 1:7.
“In THIS the love of God was manifested toward us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10) In THIS is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be THE PROPITIATION FOR OUR SINS.” – 1 John 4:9-10.
Let us also notice ──
“For when we were still without strength, in due time [‘when the time was fulfilled’] Christ died for the ungodly. 7) For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8) But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9) Much more then, having NOW BEEN JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10) For if when we were enemies WE WERE RECONCILED TO GOD through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
11) And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have NOW RECEIVED THE RECONCILIATION.” – Romans 5:6-11.
Again, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, was our ATONEMENT for our reconciliation unto God.
Our heavenly Father God sent His only begotten Son ──
“’ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, what whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17) For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world THROUGH HIM might be saved.’” – John 3:16-17.
Our Lord Jesus was not sacrificed for only His saints ── the Old Covenant sacrificial ceremony shows us this understanding.
However, even since the Adamic Age, and on into this ‘present evil age,’ only a few have been called by our heavenly Father ──
“’ For many are called, but few are chosen.’” – Matthew 22:14.
“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” – 1 Corinthians 1:26.
“Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.” – Romans 11:5.
However, the LORD God desires everyone to be saved and to receive the gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23) ──
“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made FOR ALL MEN, 2) for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3) For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4) WHO DESIRES ALL MEN TO BE SAVED and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
5) For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6) who GAVE HIMSELF A RANSOM FOR ALL, to be testified in due time.” – 1 Timothy 2:1-6.
So, since the LORD God’s desire is salvation for all, and His living immutable word teaches us that ‘many are called, but only a few’ are chosen during this present evil age (be sure to read and study our free online article, “Are You Being Called by God?”) and that the Eternal One is not a respecter of persons, then His Plan includes multiple millions of people past and present (see also our sermon, “Salvation OFFERED To All”). Again, certainly, the Old Covenant sacrificial ceremony of Leviticus 16 shows us this understanding.
Our Passover Lamb
'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'
Again, our beloved Apostle Paul explains ──
“ … For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” – 1 Corinthians 5:7.
Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, was sacrificed, was our Passover lamb that was sacrificed for EVERYONE. He went on to explain that Christ was only sacrificed ONCE FOR ALL for our sins ── Romans 6:10; Hebrews 7:27; 9:12, 28.
“so Christ was offered ONCE to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, FOR SALVATION.” – Hebrews 9:28.
~ I have a short conversation with AI regarding some splinter groups of the Church of God who are claiming that our Lord Jesus’ sacrifice is only covering His saints──not the whole world. See: “Conversation With AI Regarding Christ’s Sacrifice ‘Once for All’” ~
So, certainly, a question can be asked: why two sacrifices since our Lord Jesus Christ was only sacrificed once for all?
Well… something that I teach in our sermon, “Discover the Identity of the Two Goats of Leviticus 16” ── and truly a living truth that our Lord Jesus Christ Himself has taught me, I learned it from no man ── both goats in Leviticus 16 together represented different aspects of what our Savior, Jesus Christ, would accomplish for us, The first goat was the sacrifice that paid the penalty for transgressions, and the second as the scapegoat carried away the transgressions completely. One goat was sacrificed to cleanse the altar and provide access to the Holy Place ── the Holy of Holies, and the other, the scapegoat, the Azazel goat, carried the people’s sins away into the wilderness. They worked together as a single sin offering, showing us the covering of sin and its complete removal. So, while our Lord Jesus fulfilled both types of this ceremony, they represented different aspects of what He came to accomplish for us.
Now, I feel it’s incumbent upon me to explain the word ‘Azazel.’ Azazel (עֲזָאזֵל) comes from a Hebrew phrase meaning “goat that is sent away” or “for removal,” referring to the goat cast into the wilderness carrying Israel’s sins. The word is understood as a compound of “az” (strong) and “el” (God), or simply as “the place of removal,” describing its role in the Day of Atonement ceremony. 1 It does not mean demon. It’s a common mix-up because of the Book of Enoch (the book I have mentioned on various occasions, 1 Enoch, is not the Book of Enoch which the apostle Jude was quoting from – at least not wholly), which portrays Azazel as a demon.
So again, the two goats ── ‘the goat’ in Leviticus 16 ‘on which the LORD’s lot fell, and was offered as a sin offering’ they accomplished two important things that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, fulfilled on the cross. First goat was slain as a sin offering to cover the people’s sins. Then, the second goat, ‘the live goat,’ the scapegoat, carried those sins away into the wilderness NEVER TO RETURN. Together they pictured both the payment for sin and its complete removal from the LORD God’s presence. And our Lord Jesus accomplished both of these in His SINGLE ONCE FOR ALL sacrifice ── He paid the penalty for our sins and removed our guilt completely, so we’re not just forgiven, but our sins are remembered no more. As He tells us in the likes of Micah 7 ──
“He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.” – Micah 7:19.
Anciently, the Passover lamb isn’t just a historical ritual; it was a LIVING SYMBOL of God’s covenant that began with our great Patriarch Abraham. That slaughtered lamb, unblemished, pointed forward to our Lord Jesus Christ, the ultimate “Lamb of God,” whose sacrifice fulfilled the pattern first seen in Abraham’s time.
Our Master, Elder Brother, High Priest, and Savior, Jesus Christ, is the “author and finisher of our faith” – Hebrews 12:2. As John the Baptist knew, calling our Lord Jesus, ‘the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!’ – John 1:29.
And, as the Spirit of God spoke while I was typing this article: It’s now only ‘the Lamb of God’ of the New Covenant. The Old Covenant, and all of its ceremonies involving the two goats are, as our beloved Apostle Paul tells us, “He has made the first obsolete.”
So yes, sadly ── while many splinter groups of the Church of God, those of Judaism, and even the Roman Catholic Church and her Protestant daughters ── do not properly understand the meaning of the Old Covenant ceremony of the Day of Atonement and the symbolism of the two goats, it does have a prophetic significance! (be sure to read and study our free online article, “The Day of Atonement ── A Prophetic Significance”). A time when there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. A time when the saints of God will be standing on a sea of glass, singing a mournful Song of Moses (cf. Deuteronomy 31-32). The soon-coming Day of the LORD ── a Day of Reconciliation!
“Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split.” – Matthew 27:51.
God’s living word tells us that the Aaronic high priest entered the Most Holy Place (the Holy of Holies) ONCE annually on the Day of Atonement with ‘the blood of a young bull as a sin offering.’ Yet, with our New Covenant, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our High Priest ── Melchizedek, King of Righteousness, King of Salem, the Apostle Paul explains that He only needed to sacrifice Himself ONCE ──
“For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law [the law of Moses, under the Old Covenant], he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20) saying, ‘This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.’ 21) Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry.
22) And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission [of sins].
23) Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things IN THE HEAVENS should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24) FOR CHRIST [our High Priest] HAS NOT ENTERED THE HOLY PLACES MADE WITH HANDS, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD FOR US; 25) not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place EVERY YEAR with blood of another ── 26) He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but NOW, ONCE AT THE END OF THE AGES, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” – Hebrews 9:19-26.
Our Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled the great symbolism of the Old Covenant ceremony related to the holy Day of Atonement. He not only was sacrificed for our sins (represented by the first goat, the ‘sin offering’), but He also took away our sins, and sent them away forever ‘into the wilderness’ (represented by the second goat, the ‘scapegoat’). □
1 Amazon.com, 22 Sept. 2026.
