Who Is Azazel? The Scapegoat, the Day of Atonement, and the Investigative Judgment

Who is Azazel? Edwin M Cotto works through Leviticus 16's scapegoat ritual on the Day of Atonement — where two goats are chosen, one sacrificed as "the Lord's goat" and the other, the goat "for Azazel," sent alive into the wilderness — to answer a question that's sparked real debate: does the scapegoat represent Christ, or does it represent Satan? Responding point-by-point to a specific written objection from a critic of this view, Edwin walks through the Hebrew text of Leviticus 16 and 17, showing that the two goats can't both represent the same person, that the "atonement" made upon the scapegoat is a different act than the atonement made by the sacrificed goat's blood, and that the goat for Azazel bears sins already dealt with rather than making any sacrifice itself. He connects the ritual's structure to Revelation 20, where Satan is bound and cast into a "wilderness" for a thousand years, arguing this is the New Testament antitype of the scapegoat being led away. This message models how to research a difficult biblical topic — checking Hebrew wording, historical context, and parallel passages — for anyone wrestling with questions about the Day of Atonement, the investigative judgment, or how to answer a specific doctrinal objection. Listen to the Full Series: Catch every message in the Go Teach All Nations collection: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL65y7saKkuQ1OhnYa142gWoTlMc4NBguh Discover More Christian Content: Explore more sermons, Bible teaching, and faith-building programs from 3ABN Australia Radio: https://www.youtube.com/@3abnaustraliaradio885/featured Timecodes 0:00 Introduction: who is Azazel? 3:00 Leviticus 16: two goats, two destinies 7:00 Responding to a critic's written objection 11:00 Does the Bible use "Jewish mythology" to explain Azazel? 15:30 Leviticus 17: goat demons and the Hebrew wording 20:00 Does Azazel make a "sin offering"? Reading the small words 25:00 What "atonement" means for the scapegoat vs. the Lord's goat 30:00 The scapegoat and Satan bearing his own sin 35:00 Revelation 20: the antitype of the scapegoat ritual This message was made available by the Waitara Seventh-day Adventist church. For more resources like this, visit www.waitarachurch.org.au #WhoIsAzazel #DayOfAtonement #BibleStudy