The Scape-Goat a Type of Christ

    Le 16:20ff

    I. THE Scape-goat, called in Hebrew, azazel, that is, the Goat gone away, &c., was so called, because he escaped alive; representing Christ Jesus alive in his divine nature, though put to death in his human nature, or alive after he rose again from the dead.

    H. He was presented alive, that by him reconciliation might be made, and this after the other Goat was sacrificed; signifying, according to the learned, two things: (1.) The resurrection of Christ. (2.) Our rising with him, from the death of sin, to a life of grace, by the operation of the Spirit, &c.

    III. "Aaron shall put or lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, &c., and he shall bear them," Le 16:21. Figuring thereby, how Christ should bear all our sins, viz., the punishment due to them; "The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all," Isa 53.

    IV. And so the He-goat was sent into the wilderness, or land not inhabited, which the Greek calleth abaton, wayless, or inaccessible: figuring the utter abolishing of our sins by Jesus Christ, both from the face of God, that so they may hot appear before him against us, to condemn us, or be imputed or charged upon us, not have any dominion or power over us.

    V. They were to confess upon the head of the goat all their iniquities; signifying if we would have our sins carried away, and for ever be forgotten, we must confess them, &c. By this, saith Ainsworth, it appeareth, that as the killed Goat figured Christ killed, or put to death, for our sins; so this living Goat figured him also, "who bore our griefs, and carried our sorrows," Isa 53:4-6. And because Christ was not only to die for our offences, but also to rise again for our justification; and because these two things could not fitly be shadowed by one beast, which the priest having killed, could not make alive again: therefore God appointed two, that in the slain beast Christ's death, and in the live beast his life and victory might be shadowed. See the like mystery in the two birds, for the cleansing the leper.