What do the two goats represent in the Day of Atonement?

In Leviticus 16, the two goats serve a dual purpose, representing both the method of atonement and the result of the sacrificial system. One goat, known as the sin offering, illustrates the method by which sin is atoned through bloodshed. The high priest's act of killing this goat symbolizes the necessity of blood for redemption, as articulated in Hebrews 9:22, which states that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. The second goat, often referred to as the scapegoat, symbolizes the actual removal of sin from the people. The high priest would lay his hands on the goat, confessing the iniquities of the people, thereby signifying that their sins were taken away. This effectively portrays the complete removal of sin from God's people, a reality fulfilled in the atoning work of Christ, who bore our sins and removed them as far as the east is from the west.