How does Leviticus 16:7 connect to Jesus' role as our ultimate sacrifice? “Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.” Two Goats, One Message of Atonement • The high priest presents two goats “before the LORD,” underscoring that atonement is God-directed, not human-devised. • One goat will be sacrificed (vv. 8–9) and its blood carried into the Holy of Holies; the other will become the scapegoat, bearing Israel’s sins into the wilderness (v. 10). • Together they picture both propitiation (God’s wrath satisfied) and expiation (sins removed). Foreshadowing Jesus • Substitution: Just as guilt is transferred to the goats, “The LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). • Blood brought “before the LORD”: “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22). Jesus fulfills this by entering heaven itself “with His own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12). • Sin removed: The scapegoat is led away “to a solitary place” (Leviticus 16:22). Jesus “suffered outside the gate” (Hebrews 13:12) so our sins might be remembered no more (Hebrews 10:17). • Public presentation: Both goats are first displayed at the Tabernacle entrance. Christ was publicly presented—“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Jesus—Greater Than Both Goats • One sacrifice, not two: “By one offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). • Permanent cleansing: Animal blood covered sin for a year; Christ’s blood “cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). • Perfect Priest and Offering: On the Day of Atonement the priest and the goats were distinct; in Jesus, priest and sacrifice unite (Hebrews 9:11-14). Why This Matters Today • Assurance: Because sin’s penalty and presence are both addressed, we rest in Romans 8:1—“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” • Access: The high priest entered yearly; we “approach the throne of grace with confidence” (Hebrews 4:16) at any moment. • Mission: Freed from guilt, we carry the message that “God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:19). |
    |