THE SCAPE-GOAT NOT A TYPE OF CHRIST.
By Roswell F. Cottrell
To N. A. G.: I do not distinctly remember what called out my article, headed, “One and One Make Two,” in the REVIEW of July 28, 1863. I certainly do not claim infallibility, but am willing to confess my errors. On reading the article carefully to discern my fault, I judge from its tone that I might have been short of patience toward those who, after a full investigation of the subject has been made, still claim that the scape-goat was a type of Christ. For this I ask pardon. Two goats were taken, and lots were cast to decide which goat should be taken for the Lord, and which for another person called Azazel. The one on which the Lord’s lot fell was slain for a sin-offering. The other was reserved to be presented “alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scape-goat into the wilderness.” The slain goat was a type of Christ on Calvary. The high priest was a type of Christ in Heaven. Heb. 8:1-5. The atonement is made by the priest. The sins of the sinner are laid upon the head of the sin-offering. For these sins it is slain. Then the priest bears the sins to the sanctuary, where they await the final decision, while intercession is being made, and probation lasts. Last of all the work of the high priest, in making the atonement, he bears all the sins of the pardoned out of the sanctuary and lays them off from himself upon the head of the goat that represents Azazel, as the slain goat represented the Lord Jesus, and the goat, with all the sins of the pardoned upon him, is sent away to a land not inhabited, the atonement is finished, and Israel is free; while those who did not avail themselves of the benefit of the atonement, by complying with the conditions given, are to be cut off. Lev. 23:29. As our sin-offering, Christ bore our sins in his own body on the cross. As our Priest, he has borne the sins of the penitent to the sanctuary, there to present them before his Father in connection with his own atoning blood. And as probationary time closes, he bears the sins of all in every age, who have complied with the conditions of pardon and have been faithful to the end of their probation, from the sanctuary, places them upon the head of Azazel, and sends him forever away from the Israel of God, and they are eternally free! Their beloved High Priest now takes them to himself to reign with him, and they hear no more of Azazel, till, after a thousand years, when, with his wicked host, he compasses the city of the saints and meets his final doom. In your recent letter you accuse me of contradicting the scripture that says that the scape-goat should “be presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him.” On this point I advise you to read more carefully. Compare what I did say, not what you say I said, with this text, and see if I have given “God’s word the lie.” Your question, as you have stated it, was whether “the devil is a going to make an atonement for the sins of the righteous.” And you have stated twice in your letter, that my answer was, that “the scape-goat was not taken to make an atonement with.” This would be contradicting the word; but what did I say? Just this: “The scape-goat had nothing to do in making the atonement. The high priest alone made the atonement, but he made use of the scape-goat to bear away the sins after the work in the sanctuary was finished.” Now I apprehend a difference between the idea of the devil making atonement for the sins of the saved, and that of their sins, in which he shares the responsibility as their instigator, being forcibly laid upon him by One stronger than he, having removed them from the people who have obtained pardon by virtue of the sacrifice offered in behalf of all, and accepted by them. Can you, brother, see a difference?