The Goat of Complete Removal (March-April 2017)

March-April 2017
Volume 26, Number 2

The Day of Atonement ritual in Leviticus 16 includes two goats: one to be sacrificed as a sin offering and the other to bear the sins of the people "to an uninhabited land" (verse 22). These two goats represent two of our Savior's major works: paying the penalty for our sins with His blood and completely removing our sins, not just from sight, but also from memory. On this holiest of days, the focus is completely on Jesus Christ.  (iStockphoto)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh
Leadership and Covenants (Part Eight)

Proverbs 14:12 reveals that, when men follow a way of life that they think is right, it ultimately ends in death. Only God's way of life results in more life. John Ritenbaugh expounds on the truth that humanity's failing to pursue godliness has repeatedly resulted in catastrophes like the Flood. But God provides deliverance and sanctification to those He chooses.

Ready Answer
Who Fulfills the Azazel Goat—Satan or Christ? (Part Two)
by David C. Grabbe

In the pivotal ritual on the Day of Atonement, two goats play significant and separate roles to represent specific divine purposes within the process of salvation. As David Grabbe explains, understanding the role of the live goat hinges on recognizing whose sins are in view, as well as who is actually responsible for sin.

Prophecy Watch
Scattering and Gathering:
Images of History and Prophecy (Part One)
by Charles Whitaker

Scripture frequently employs pairs of opposites: good and evil, light and darkness, life and death. Another of these pairs is gathering and scattering, mutually exclusive actions that, though they cannot be done at the same time, can be accomplished at different times. Charles Whitaker contemplates the gathering God does to reverse the effects of calamity.

WorldWatch
Safe Spaces or Dangerous Places? The Assault Upon Our Future (Part Two)
by Joseph B. Baity

It is easy to laugh at the ridiculous "safe spaces" movement on America's college campuses, recognizing it as an inevitable result of the excessive shielding of a generation of young people from opposing viewpoints. Yet, Joseph Baity argues, this movement may be a precursor to even worse societal problems as members of the rising generation move into positions of power.

Bible Study
Does I John 5:
7-8 Support the Trinity Doctrine?
by Martin G. Collins

The passage in I John 5:7-8 appears to be a clear proof of the Trinity, the belief that God is made up of three Beings in one. There is just one major problem: The Trinitarian language is not original to the text. Martin Collins provides evidence from both the context of I John and recent scholarship that words were inserted long after John wrote his epistle.