John,
What does the “scapegoat” in the Old Testament atonement ceremony represent?
Wendell
=======
Hi Wendell,
I have always understood the scapegoat to represent the risen Christ. There were two goats used for that ceremony, you know. One was killed and the other released. In the OT, they could not killed and raise up the same animal; so, I assume that both represented Christ, one slain for sin and the other bearing the sins away.
jdc
=============
John,
Why a goat? The Son of God is called the Lamb of God and they used a lamb without spot or blemish in the pass over, can the scapegoat be translated another way? I know it make’s sense what you said, but the goat part seems out of place to me. But it does not really matter if he wanted to use a goat, I get the point and am very thankful to be on this side of what the Son came and done for us.
Stuart
==========
Hi Stuart,
First of all, a goat was a clean animal, under the law, just as sheep was.
But to answer your question, it maybe symbolic of the human temple of the holy ghost. We are sanctified, Hebrews says, “by the offering of the body” of Jesus Christ. The body, by nature is unclean, and yet, it is holy if it is sanctified by the Spirit.
That’s the best I can do to explain why God chose to use goats for the atonement ceremony.
jdc