Defending Ellen G. White on the Scapegoat Issue
by
Robert Sterbenc
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DEFENDING ELLEN G. WHITE ON THE SCAPEGOAT
CONTROVERSY by Rob Sterbenc Millions around the world have attacked Ellen White on
this point, as could be found on the internet in countless forums. Before we begin this discourse on the scapegoat
controversy, we need to establish this very important rule in proving
Scripture: Isaiah 28:10, 13
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon
line, here a little, and there a little...But the word of the Lord was unto
them precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon
line, here a little, and there a little... You can see, from the above, how important it is to
follow this rule. Did not God say in
the Scriptures, to come and reason together (Isaiah 1:18)? Hebrews 8:5 states that the earthy sanctuary was an
example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God whan he was about to make the earthly tabernacle. This means that the heavenly pattern was
in place, in its full design and blueprint, before any earthly sanctuary was
built. This point is very important. In Leviticus 16:8-10 the high priest draws one lot for
the Lord, and one lot for the scapegoat.
In Leviticus 16:20-22, the high priest then lays ''all
the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all
their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away
by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness. And the goat shall bear upon
him all their iniquities unto a LAND NOT INHABITED and he shal let go the goat in the wilderness. Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the
sins of many, and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second
time without sin unto salvation. Question: If
Jesus is to be our sin-bearer forever, as is suggested by those who claim
Jesus is the Scapegoat, how can he return the second time WITHOUT SIN UNTO
SALVATION? He will still be BEARING
OUR SINS. In fulfilling the shadow of
Hebrews 8:5, as our High Priest, to what or to whom
will Jesus place these sins? Hebrews 1:6 states that all the angels of God worship
Him. Revelation 5:11,12 shows how
many angels, ten thousand times ten thousand, all sing and worship
before the Lamb. Question: Was
Jesus thrown into the bottomless pit (Revelation 20:1) to fulfill the prefigure of the scapegoat? If Jesus, the Lamb of
God, is surrounded by, and worshipped by ten thousand times ten thousand of
angels, how can he possibly fit the description of the Scapegoat, who is sent
away TO A LAND NOT INHABITED? Is the
worship of over a hundred million angels in the heavenly sanctuary found in
the bottomless pit of Revelation 20:1?
Yet, the devil, and Satan, is bound for a thousand
years and cast into the bottomless pit. Revelation 20:1. Since the scapegoat fits this description,
this proves that the Scapegoat is Satan, not Jesus. The following verses make
sense that the sin-bearer, Jesus, should transfer all the sins and
transgressions of God's people onto Satan: John 16:11 The prince of this world is judged. 1 John 3:8 The devil sinneth
from the beginning. Revelation 12: 9
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil,
and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the
earth, and his angels with him. Thus sin is imputed onto Satan, for he was the first
transgressor. OTHER EVIDENCE POINTING TO THE SCAPEGOAT AS SATAN The Hebrew translation for Scapegoat is Azazel. The following link suggests there was worship of a
demon-god named Azazel by primitive Semitic tribes,
before the Hebrew nation came into the promised land: http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/articleview.asp?Post=100 The Encyclopedia Britannica
online gives the following statement: Azazel, in Jewish legends, a demon or evil spirit to whom, in
the ancient rite of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), a SCAPEGOAT was sent
bearing the sins of the Jewish people. Two male goats were chosen for the
ritual, one designated by lots ''for the Lord,'' the other, ''for Azazel'' (Leviticus 16:8). The ritual was carried out by
the high priest in the Second Temple and is described in the Mishna. After the
high priest symbolically transferred all the sins of the Jewish people to the
scapegoat, the goat destined ''for Azazel'' was
driven into the wilderness. From the evidence described above, a compelling case
can be made to prove Ellen White correct in stating that the Scapegoat
typified Satan. -RS |