Aunt Sevvy, do Adventists believe that Satan dies for our sins?
7 October 2024 |
Dear Aunt Sevvy,
I was doing an online course on an Adventist website and saw this passage:
On that day, two small goats were brought to the front of the temple. Then lots were cast regarding which one would be “for the Lord,” and which one would represent the devil (Leviticus 16:8). Eventually, when the High Priest comes out of the Most Holy Place, all sins would be symbolically transferred from the sanctuary to that second goat, which was also called a “scapegoat.” Then, the scapegoat would be taken out of the camp of the people and thus be symbolically punished for their sins (Leviticus 16:21,22).
How can the devil be sacrificed for our sins?
Signed, Very Confused
Dear Confused,
You aren’t the only Adventist who is confused about the scapegoat. The blame for that rests squarely on Ellen White for her poor explanation of the Day of Atonement in The Great Controversy:
It was seen, also, that while the sin offering pointed to Christ as a sacrifice, and the high priest represented Christ as a mediator, the scapegoat typified Satan, the author of sin, upon whom the sins of the truly penitent will finally be placed (The Great Controversy 1884, pp.266-67).
Though Satan will be destroyed for bringing sin into the universe—as he should be—only Jesus Christ can save us. Even Ellen White understood that:
In His intercession as our advocate, Christ needs no man’s virtue, no man’s intercession. He is the only sin-bearer, the only sin-offering. (Signs of the Times, June 28, 1899.)
Why has this misunderstanding been so persistent? Because Adventists keep trying to make the Old Testament sanctuary services explain everything about the plan of salvation!
It can’t. The Old Testament law code is at best only “a shadow of the good things that are coming” (Hebrews 10:1). We do a disservice to Jesus when we talk as though the mishmash of animal sacrifices and grain sacrifices and rituals in the sanctuary tent perfectly represented the salvation story.
There was only one thing these Old Testament rituals explained about the cross:
But when this priest [Jesus] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God…. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy (Hebrews 10:12,14).
That’s it. Jesus showed how much he wanted to save us by making the one and only necessary sacrifice. Satan has nothing to do with it.
Aunt Sevvy
Aunt Sevvy has collected her answers into a book! You can get it from Amazon by clicking here.
You can write to Aunt Sevvy at DearAuntSevvy@gmail.com. Your real identity will never be revealed.
