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THE GOAT FOR AZAZEL

n this article, we are going to examine the ritual that was conducted anciently by the Israelites on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).Ibelievethisancientceremonyissignificantregardingthefulfillmentofend-timeprophecy.First,let'sstartby looking at what the Scriptures tell us about this ceremonial observance:

LEVITICUS 16:1 The LORD spoke to Moses, after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the LORD and died; 2andtheLORDsaidtoMoses,"TellAaronyourbrothernottocomeatalltimesintotheholy place within the veil, before the mercy seat which is upon the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. 3ButthusshallAaroncomeintotheholyplace:withayoungbullforasinofferingandaram for a burnt offering. 4Heshallputontheholylinencoat,andshallhavethelinenbreechesonhisbody,begirded with the linen girdle, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water, and then put them on. 5Andheshalltakefromthecongregationofthe people of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. 6AndAaronshallofferthebullasasinofferingforhimself,andshallmakeatonementfor himself and for his house. 7Thenheshalltakethetwo goats, and set them before the LORD at the door of the tent of meeting; 8andAaronshallcastlotsuponthetwogoats,one lot for the LORD and the other lot for Azazel. 9AndAaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the LORD, and offer it as a sin offering; 10butthe goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel. 11Aaronshallpresentthebullasasinofferingforhimself,andshallmakeatonementfor himself and for his house; he shall kill the bull as a sin offering for himself. 12AndheshalltakeacenserfullofcoalsoffirefromthealtarbeforetheLORD,andtwo handfuls of sweet incense beaten small; and he shall bring it within the veil 13andputtheincenseonthefirebeforetheLORD,thatthecloudoftheincensemaycoverthe mercy seat which is upon the testimony, lest he die; 14andheshalltakesomeofthebloodofthebull,andsprinkleitwithhisfingeronthefrontof the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle the blood with his finger seven times. 15Thenhe shall kill the goat of the sin offering which is for the people, and bring its blood within the veil, and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it upon the mercy seat and before the mercy seat; 16thusheshallmakeatonementfortheholyplace,becauseoftheuncleannessesofthe people of Israel, and because of their transgressions, all their sins; and so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which abides with them in the midst of their uncleannesses. 17Thereshallbenomaninthetentofmeetingwhenheenterstomakeatonementintheholy place until he comes out and has made atonement for himself and for his house and for all the assembly of Israel. 18ThenheshallgoouttothealtarwhichisbeforetheLORDandmakeatonementforit,and shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar round about. 19Andheshallsprinklesomeoftheblooduponitwithhisfingerseventimes,and cleanse it and hallow it from the uncleannesses of the people of Israel.

20Andwhenhehasmadeanendofatoningfortheholyplaceandthetentofmeetingandthe altar, he shall present the live goat; 21andAaronshalllay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins; and he shall put them upon the head of the goat, and send him away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. 22Thegoatshallbearalltheiriniquitiesuponhimtoasolitarylandandheshallletthegoat go in the wilderness. 23ThenAaronshallcomeintothetentofmeeting,andshallputoffthelinengarmentswhich he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there; 24andheshallbathehisbodyinwaterinaholyplace,andputonhisgarments,andcome forth, and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people. 25Andthefatofthesinofferingheshallburnuponthealtar. 26Andhewholetsthegoatgoto Azazel shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. 27Andthebullforthesinofferingandthegoatforthesinoffering,whosebloodwasbroughtin to make atonement in the holy place, shall be carried forth outside the camp; their skin and their flesh and their dung shall be burned with fire. 28Andhewhoburnsthemshallwashhisclothesandbathehisbodyinwater,andafterwardhe may come into the camp. 29Anditshallbeastatutetoyouforeverthatintheseventhmonth,onthetenthdayofthe month, you shall afflict yourselves, and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you; 30foronthisdayshallatonementbemadeforyou,tocleanseyoufromallyoursinsyoushall be clean before the LORD. 31Itisasabbathofsolemnresttoyou,andyoushallafflictyourselvesitisastatuteforever. 32Andthepriestwhoisanointedandconsecratedaspriestinhisfather'splaceshallmake atonement, wearing the holy linen garments; 33heshallmakeatonementforthesanctuary,andheshallmakeatonementforthetentof meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. 34Andthisshallbeaneverlastingstatuteforyou,thatatonementmaybemadeforthepeople of Israel once in the year because of all their sins." And Moses did as the LORD commanded him. (RSV)

As this passage of Scripture shows, the high priest was to enter into the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle (and later the Temple) onlyonetimeperyear,ontheDayofAtonement(10TishriontheHebrewcalendar).ThisentryintotheMostHolyPlacewas allowed so atonement could be made for the people, to cleanse them of their sins so that they would be clean before the LORD [YHVH] (Lev. 16:30). TheceremonywiththetwogoatsisthemainfocusoftheriteconductedontheDayofAtonement.Inadditiontotheinformation recorded in Leviticus 16, we are given additional details about this observance in the Mishnah, which is the body of Jewish oral lawrecordedinthe2ndcenturyCE.ThetractYoma describes this ceremony in detail. In Yoma we are told that a box was brought to the high priest which contained two lots, one marked "for YHVH" and the other marked"forAzazel."Thehighpriestputhishandsintheboxandbroughtoutalotineachhandheheldupthehandwhich contained the lot for YHVH.Thehighpriestthentiedacrimsonthreadontheheadofthegoatwhichwastobesentforth(the goat for Azazel), and another crimson thread around the throat of the goat which would be slain as a sin offering (the goat for YHVH). After the high priest atoned for his own sins and those of his family by the blood of the bull (Lev. 16:6, 11-14), the goat which had been designated "for YHVH"wasbroughttohim.Thehighpriestthenslaughteredthisgoat,anditsbloodwasusedtopurifythe MostHolyPlacefromtheuncleannessoftheIsraelites.Whoorwhatdidthisgoatrepresent?TheauthorofHebrewsclearly shows us the answer:

HEBREWS 9:11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood he entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. (NKJV)

Unquestionably the goat chosen "for YHVH"wassymbolicofYeshuatheMessiah.AstheHighPriestoftheNewCovenant,he entered the Most Holy Place in the heavenly Tabernacle and cleansed us of our sins with his own blood, not that of a goat:

HEBREWS 9:24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 not that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another.26Hethenwouldhavehadtosufferoftensincethefoundationoftheworldbutnow, once at the end of the ages, he has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (NKJV)

Through our acceptance of the sacrifice of Yeshua, we have access to the Most Holy Place in heaven and can go into the very presence of God our Father:

HEBREWS 10:19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which he consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, his flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (NKJV)

Now after the goat for the LORD had been slain and its blood sprinkled on the mercy seat, the goat for Azazel was brought to the highpriest.Helaidbothhandsonitsheadandmadethefollowingconfession:

"OLord,yourpeople,thehouseofIsrael,hascommittediniquity,transgressed,andsinnedbeforeyou. Forgive O Lord, I pray, the iniquities, transgressions, and sins, which your people, the house of Israel, have committed, transgressed, and sinned before you, as it is written in the Torah of Moses, your servant, For on thisdayshallatonementbemadeforyoutocleanyou.Fromallyoursinsshallyoubecleanbeforethe Lord" (Yoma 6:2, The Mishnah, A New Translation)

AtthattimethehighpriestgavethegoatforAzazelovertothemanwhowastoleaditoutintothewilderness. Anyone could be chosenforthistask,butlaterhighpriestsmadeitapracticeofselectingsomeoneotherthananIsraelitetoleadthegoat.Thegoat wastakentoaravine,thoughtbysomescholarstobeaprecipiceabout12mileseastofJerusalem.Atthattime,themanleading thegoatdividedthecrimsonthreadontheheadofthegoat. Half of it he tied to a rock, and the other half he tied between the hornsofthegoat.Hethenpushedthegoatbackwardsuntilitfellintotheravine.Becauseofthesteepandjaggednatureofthe chasm, the goat for Azazel was usually dead before it had fallen halfway down the mountain.

Who or What is Azazel?

We've seen from the Bible who the goat for YHVHrepresented,butwhataboutthegoatchosenforAzazel? Who or what did thisgoatrepresent?WhatisthetruemeaningoftheHebrewword'azazel used in Leviticus 16? Thesequestionshavecausedalotofdisagreementamongtheologians.Generally,scholarshaveadvancedfourdifferent explanations for the etymology and meaning of 'azazel.TheTheological Wordbook of the Old Testament (TWOT) outlines these four theories:

Azazel.Thiswordappears four times in OT, all in Lev 16 (8, 10, 26) where the ritual for the Day of Atonementisdescribed.Afterthepriesthasmadeatonementforhimselfandhishouse,heistotaketwo goatsonbehalfofIsrael.OneistobeasacrificetotheLord,theotheristobethe "scape goat," i.e., the goat forAzazel.Inallfourappearancesofthisword,ithasthepreposition "to" attached to it. Thiswordhasbeenvariouslyunderstoodandtranslated.Theversions(LXX,Symmachus,Theodotianand the Vulgate) have understood it to stand for the "goat that departs," considering it to be derived from two Hebrewwords:'ez "goat" and 'azal "turn off." By associating it with the Arabic word 'azala "banish," "remove," it has been rendered "for entire removal" (IDB loc. cit.). The rabbinic interpretation has generally considered this word to designate the place to which the goat was

sent:adesert,asolitaryplace,ortheheightfromwhichthegoatwasthrown(cf.Lev16:22). Thefinalpossibilityistoregardthiswordasdesignatingapersonalbeingsoastobalancethe"Lord."Inthis way,Azazelcouldbeanevilspirit(Enoch8:110:4cf.IIChr11:15Isa34:14Rev18:2)...standinglogically inantithesistoLord....(pp. 657-658, vol. II)

Regarding the four possible derivations of the word delineated above, the New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis says of 'azazel:

Thiswordappears4xintheprescriptionsgoverningtheDayofAtonement...Itsundeterminedoriginand limited use in the OT has resulted in much speculation and uncertainty with regard to its precise and original meaning...Fourmajorexplanationshavebeensuggestedfortheword... ThefourthpositionsuggeststhattheAzazelisareferencetoadesertdemon...Insupportof this position is the book of Enoch, which uses this name for a chief demon (En 8:1; 9:6; 10:4-8; 13:1-254:555:469:2). TheOTalsoassociatestheappearanceofgoatswithdemons...Furthermore,thedesertorwildernessis frequently described by both the OT and NT as the abode of evil spirits (Isa 13:1; 34:13; Matt 12:43; Luke 11:24Rev18:2).Thisinterpretationalsobalancestheparallelexpression"fortheLord"in16:8andmakes senseoftheremaininggrammaticalexpressions.... The fourth [position] makes the most grammatical sense. (pp.362,363,vol.3)

Regarding the use of 'azazel in Leviticus 16, The Abingdon Bible Commentary states:

The translation dismissal in the R.V. mg. here (cf. removal in A.S.V. mg.) is inadmissable, being based on falseetymology.Whatthewordmeantisunknown,butitshouldberetainedasthepropernameofa wilderness demon. (p.289)

In his Bible dictionary, James Hastings states:

'Azazel must have been such a[n evil] spirit, sufficiently distinguished from the rest, in popular imagination, to receive a special name, and no doubt invested with attributes which, though unknown to us, were perfectly familiar to those for whom the ceremonial of Lv 16 was first designed. (pp. 207-208, vol. 1, A Dictionary of the Bible)

InIChronicles5:8,thefatherofBela,aReubenite,isnamed"Azaz,"whichmeans"strong."ThisnamecomesfromtheHebrew verb 'azaz,whichmeans"tobestrong."Regardingthisword,TWOT says:

The verb 'azazcanbepredicatedofbothGodandman....Whenusedofman,thisword carriestheideaofprevailingasinawarorstruggle...orasbeingbelligerent,particularlyto God....(pp.659,vol.II)

The Soncino Chumash says that 'azazel "is a compound of azaz, 'to be strong,' and el, 'mighty'"(p.706).TheHebrew word elisoftentranslatedas"God"intheOldTestament.Itisfrequentlyusedincombinationwithotherwordsinpropernames (i.e., Daniel - "God is my judge"; Samuel - "name of God"; Penuel -"faceofGod"etc.).Therefore,asapropername,Azazel could positively mean "strong one of God" or negatively it could imply "belligerent toward God."

Azazel in the Book of Enoch

The Book of Enoch (also called First Enoch)givesusquiteabitofinformationaboutarenegadeangelnamedAzazel.Regarding the origin of the Book of Enoch, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia says:

FirstEnochisobviouslyacompositework,consistingofatleastfivedifferentparts....SinceAramaic fragments of ten different MSS, representing four parts of the book, have been found in the Qumran caves, it is quite certain that the book in its several parts was originally written in Aramaic and then translated into Greekatanearlydate.ConsiderablefragmentsoftheGreekversionhavebeenfound...TheGreek versionwastranslatedintoEthiopic.In1773atraveller,JamesBruce,broughtthreeMSSinEthiopicfrom AbyssiniatoBritain.Wenowpossesstwenty-nineMSS,butallofthemmoreorlesscorrupt.Wehaveno materials to trace the history of the five parts of Enoch as individual books or as a collection. Fewobjectivecriteriaexistbywhichtodatetheproductionofthesebooksandtheircollection.Mostscholars believe they were written between 165 and 64 B.C., but conclusions vary considerably. (p. 156, vol. 1)

Furthermore, The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary says of the Book of Enoch:

PortionsoftheworkwerewellknowninChristiancircles.1En.1:9isquotedexplicitlyintheEpistleofJude (vv. 14-15)...TheworkwasacceptedasScriptureinvariousearlyChristianwritings(e.g.,Barn.16:5cf. 4:3; Clement of Alexandria Ecl. ii; Irenaeus Adv. haer.iv.16.2)...(p. 337)

Clearly, the Book of Enochwaswidelyknownandusedbyearlybelievers.It'sapparentthatJudeconsideredhisquotefrom Enochtobegenuine.Becausethepresentversionhassufferedcorruptionwhilecomingdowntousthroughthecenturies,itisnot nowconsideredtobeholyScripture.However,itisreasonabletoassumethattheoriginaltextdidfaithfullyrecordthewordsof Enoch. Since Jude quotes from the Book of Enoch, we can also do so, if we are careful to ensure that what is used does not contradict or conflictwiththeBible.BycombiningwhatwearetoldaboutAzazelintheBook of Enoch with what the Bible reveals, we can come to better understand the ceremony performed on the Day of Atonement and also end-time events. Let's start with some background information from the Book of Enoch about a very important event that is recorded in Genesis 6:

GENESIS 6:1 Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they werebeautifulandtheytookwivesforthemselvesofallwhomtheychose....4Therewere giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughtersofmenandtheyborechildrentothem.Thosewerethemightymenwhowereof old, men of renown. (NKJV)

This same event is addressed in much greater detail in the Book of Enoch:

ENOCH 6:1 And it came to pass when the children of men had multiplied that in those days were born unto 2 thembeautifulandcomelydaughters.Andthe angels, the children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them,andsaidtooneanother:'Come,letuschooseuswivesfromamongthechildrenofmen3andbegetus children.'AndSemjaza,whowastheirleader,saiduntothem:'Ifearyewillnot4indeedagreetodothis deed,andIaloneshallhavetopaythepenaltyofagreatsin.'Andtheyallansweredhimandsaid:'Letusall swearanoath,andallbindourselvesbymutualimprecations5nottoabandonthisplanbuttodothisthing.' Thenswaretheyalltogetherandboundthemselves6bymutualimprecationsuponit.Andtheywereinall two hundred; who descended in the days of Jared on the summit of Mount Hermon and they called it Mount Hermon,becausetheyhadsworn7andboundthemselvesbymutualimprecationsuponit.Andthesearethe namesoftheirleaders:Samlazaz,theirleader,Araklba,Rameel,Kokablel,Tamlel,Ramlel,Danel,Ezeqeel, Baraqijal,8Asael,Armaros,Batarel,Ananel,Zaqlel,Samsapeel,Satarel,Turel,Jomjael,Sariel.Theseare theirchiefsoftens.7:1Andalltheotherstogetherwiththemtookuntothemselveswives,andeachchosefor himselfone,andtheybegantogoinuntothemandtodefilethemselveswiththem...(The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, R.H. Charles)

The"sonsofGod"mentionedinGenesis6:2,4areidentifiedasangelsintheBook of Enoch.Thiswasthecommonlyaccepted understandingofthisScriptureuntilatleasttwocenturiesafterYeshua.ForadditionalinformationonwhattheBibleteaches about these sons of God, refer to "Genesis 6 - Who Were 'The Sons Of God'?"

As you can see from the list of angelic chiefs named above, Azazel was not one of the angels specified as having come down on MountHermon.AnangelnamedSemjazaisidentifiedastheleaderofthesmallgroupofangelswholustedafterhumanwomen. However, we soon see Azazel appear in the antediluvian world:

ENOCH 8:1 And Azazel taught men to make swords, and knives, and shields, and breastplates, and made known to them the metals of the earth and the art of working them, and bracelets, and ornaments, and the use of antimony, and the beautifying of the eyelids, and all kinds of costly stones, and all 2colouringtinctures.Andtherearosemuchgodlessness,andtheycommittedfornication,andthey3were ledastray,andbecamecorruptinalltheirways....(The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, R.H. Charles)

Although Azazel is not initially listed among the rulers of the 200 angels who came down to earth to mate with human women, he appearssoonafterthisevent.Laterinthebook(Enoch54:4),Azazelisshowntobetherulerofthishostofrebelliousangels. Azazel, a powerful, high-ranking evil angel, apparently sought to take advantage of the lawless environment in the period of angelic rebellionbeforetheFloodtowreakhavoconhumanity.Heaccomplishedthisbyteachingmankindhowtomakeweaponsandthe artofwarfare,amongotherthings.ThisdispleasedGodgreatly,andEnochshowsthatHedecreedastiffpunishmentforAzazel's sins:

ENOCH 10:1 Then said the Most High, the Holy and Great One spake, and sent Uriel to the son of Lamech, 2 andsaidtohim:'GotoNoahandtellhiminmyname"Hidethyself!"andrevealtohimtheendthatis approaching:thatthewholeearthwillbedestroyed,andadelugeisabouttocome3uponthewholeearth, andwilldestroyallthatisonit.Andnowinstructhimthathemayescape4andhisseedmaybepreserved forallthegenerationsoftheworld.'AndagaintheLordsaidtoRaphael:'Bind Azazel hand and foot, and casthimintothedarkness:andmakeanopening 5 in the desert, which is in Dudael, and cast him therein.Andplaceupon him rough and jagged rocks, and cover him with darkness, and let him abide thereforever,andcoverhisfacethathemay6,7notseelight.Andon the day of the great judgement he shall be cast into the fire....8...the whole earth has been corrupted 9 through the works that were taught by Azazel: to him ascribe all sin. (The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, R.H. Charles)

We see from the excerpt we just read that Azazel's punishment was to be bound and cast into an opening made in the desert and sealedupthere,coveredbyroughandjaggedstonesindarkness.Hewastoremaininthisplaceuntilthetimeofhisjudgment, whenhewouldthenbecastintothefire.Whenweexaminethepunishmentlaterdecreedfortheremainderoftheangelswho sinned before the Flood, we get a little more information about this place where Azazel and the other demons were imprisoned:

ENOCH 54:3 And there mine eyes saw how they made these their instruments, iron chains of immeasurable weight.4AndIaskedtheangelofpeacewhowentwithme,saying:"For whom are these chains being prepared?Andhesaiduntome:"These are being prepared for the hosts of Azazel, so that they may take them and cast them into the Abyss of complete condemnation, and they shall cover their jaws with rough stonesastheLordofSpiritscommanded.6AndMichael,andGabriel,andRaphael,and Phanuel shall take hold of them on that great day, and cast them on that day into the burning furnace, that the Lord of Spirits may take vengeance on them for their unrighteousness in becoming subject to Satan and leading astray those who dwell on the earth." (The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, R.H. Charles)

As the Book of Enoch shows, the hosts of Azazel were bound in chains and cast into the Abyss, to be covered with rough rocks justasAzazelhadbeen.It'slogicaltoconcludethatthisAbyssisthesameplaceintowhichAzazelwasearliercast. TheBiblegivesussomeinformationaboutthisplaceofrestraintforthedemons.First,let'slookatanincidentduringtheministry of the Messiah that Luke records:

LUKE 8:26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 And when he stepped out on the land, there met him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me!" 29 For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him,

and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness. 30 Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged him that he would not command them to go out into the Abyss. 32 Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged him that he would permit them to enter them. And he permitted them. 33 Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned. (NKJV)

As the passage of Scripture above shows, the demons who inhabited this man were terrified of being banished by Yeshua into the Abyss. Evidently this is the same place of restraint where Azazel and his host of evil spirits were being kept, and the demons who had possessed this man definitely did not wish to join them there in their prison. Clearlysomedemonsandfallenangelsarefreetospawnevilinthephysicalworld.However,thereareScriptureswhichconfirm that a portion of these evil spirits are currently restrained in darkness and chains, as the Book of Enoch details:

JUDE 6 And the angels who did not keep their own position, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains in deepest darknessforthejudgmentofthegreatDay.7 Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which, in the same manner as they [the angels], indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural lust, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. (NRSV)

IIPETER2:4...Goddidnotsparethe angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; (NKJV)

IPETER3:19...He[Messiah] went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. (NKJV)

The Scriptures above show what we have already seen in the Book of Enoch.Judespecificallystatesthatitwasthoseangelswho committed sexual sins with human women that were being kept in age-lastingchainsindarkness.Thesesameangelsarereferenced byPeterinhissecondepistle.WeareeventoldthatthepreincarnateMessiahwentandpreachedtotheseimprisonedangelsinthe days while Noah was preparing the ark.

Azazel in the Bible

By combining what we have seen from the Book of Enoch with the Bible, we can understand who Azazel is and why he is currentlyimprisoned.Nowlet'sseewhattheBibletellsusaboutAzazelandhishostofevilspiritsattheendoftheage. In the book of Revelation, John gives us a prophecy regarding the unsealing of the Abyss and the release of the evil spirit beings imprisonedthere.Thisevent,symbolizedbythesoundingofthefifthtrumpet,ispartofGod'swrathonanunrepentantmankind:

REVELATION 9:1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven fallen unto the earth:andtherewasgiventohimthekeyofthe pit of the Abyss.2Andheopenedthe pit of the Abyss; and there went up a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and thesunandtheairweredarkenedbyreasonofthesmokeofthepit.3Andoutofthesmoke came forth locusts upon the earth; and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth havepower.4Anditwassaiduntothemthattheyshouldnothurtthegrassoftheearth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only such men as have not the seal of God on theirforeheads.5Anditwasgiventhemthattheyshouldnotkillthem,butthattheyshouldbe tormented fivemonths:andtheirtormentwasasthetormentofascorpion,whenitstriketha man.6Andinthosedaysmenshallseekdeath,andshallinnowisefinditandtheyshall desiretodie,anddeathfleethfromthem.7Andtheshapesofthelocustswerelikeuntohorses prepared for war; and upon their heads as it were crowns like unto gold, and their faces were as men'sfaces.8Andtheyhadhairasthehairofwomen,andtheirteethwereasteethoflions. 9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as thesoundofchariots,ofmanyhorsesrushingtowar.10Andtheyhavetailslikeunto

scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men five months. (ASV)

The"star"whichfallsfromheaventoearthisanangelwhohasthekeytothepitoftheAbyss.ThisangelopenstheAbyssand releasesthedemonsandevilangelsimprisonedtheretotormenthumanity.GodusesthemforfivemonthsasaninstrumentofHis wrath; they are allowed to inflict pain on those on the earth who don't have God's seal on their foreheads (Rev. 7:2-8).

REVELATION 9:11 They had for their king the angel of the Abyss, whose name, in Hebrew, is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon, or the Destroyer. (NEB)

InRevelation9:11,themysteriousangelic"king"oftheAbyssiscalledbythenamesAbaddonandApollyon.Boththesenames mean"destroyer."Ifyouwillrecall,theprimarysinforwhichAzazelwasimprisonedwasforteachingmenhowtocreate weaponsanddestroyoneanotherthroughwarfare.ItseemslikelythatAzazelandAbaddon/Apollyonarethesamebeing. Although not specifically mentioned by these names elsewhere in the Bible, Azazel plays a major role in the events at the end of this currentage.Foradditionalinformationonthispowerfulfallenangelandhisactivitiesintheend-time, see my article "Who Is The 'Destroyer'?" InRevelation9:11,AzazelisidentifiedasthekingoftheevilspiritswhoisreleasedfromtheAbyss.Thispointidentifieshim throughouttherestofthebookofRevelation.TwiceAzazelisspecificallyreferredtoasthe"beast"whowillcomeupoutofthe Abyss:

REVELATION 11:7 When they [the two witnesses] have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the Abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. (NASU)

REVELATION 17:8 "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the Abyssandgotodestruction...."(NASU)

Going back to the ceremony performed on the Day of Atonement, we saw that the sins of the people were placed on the head of thegoatforAzazel.Thenthisgoatwasledintothewildernessandwaseventuallypushedoveracliffbackwardtoitsdeath, carryingwithitthesinsofthepeople.TheBiblerecordsaverysimilarfateforAzazel:

REVELATION 19:19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to makewaragainsthimwhositsuponthehorseandagainsthisarmy.20Andthe beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had worked the signs by which hedeceivedthosewhohadreceivedthemarkofthebeastandthosewhoworshipeditsimage. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulphur. (RSV)

This precise destiny for Azazel is confirmed in the Book of Enoch:

ENOCH10:7...Onthedayofthegreatjudgementhe [Azazel] shall be cast into the fire....(The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, R.H. Charles)

As both the Bible and the Book of Enoch record, Azazel/Abaddon will be cast into the lake of fire at the end of this age of mankind.HisdefeatwillinauguratethereignoftheMessiahonthetheearthforathousandyears.

CONCLUSION
hereligiousceremonyperformedbythehighpriestontheDayofAtonementhadgreatfigurativesignificance.Therealityof Azazel'sinitialbanishmentandhiseventualfuturevanquishmentwasportrayedsymbolicallyforcenturiesthroughthisritual. Just as the goat "for YHVH" in this ceremony pictured the sacrifice of Yeshua the Messiah for the cleansing of our sins, the fate of the goat chosen by lot "for Azazel" on the Day of Atonement depicted Yeshua's soon-coming triumph over Azazel and the

forces of evil at the end of this age. Bryan T. Huie December 28, 1998
Revised: April 17, 2009

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