It seemed best, for the sake of clarity, to briefly summarize this topic all in one place. In the late fifties one individual sent a detailed analysis of the 'Questions on Doctrine" error on this point, to Church leaders. Here is a recent letter that he sent us:

"Regarding our telephone conversation about the scapegoat, I had to think back about it to get it clear, for it has been so many years now. "The point is as follows:

"E.G. White says, in effect, that Jesus lays the sins of the redeemed on Satan because he started it all, both originally and specifically. Primarily because he originated and continued the rebellion. - But not because he tempted some poor sinner.

"QD says that only his sin of tempting the righteous to sin is rolled back on him. This is false on two counts:

"1. The sin of tempting the righteous never was removed from Satan, so it could not be rolled back.

"2. Satan's sins were never in the Sanctuary as he never repented or confessed. Jesus does not bear Satan's sins.

"Their argument of joint responsibility is irrelevant.

"The legality of Mrs. White's argument is totally clear and does not need, and is in fact, destroyed by QD.

"1. Satan originated sin.

"2. All sin and sinners will be destroyed.

"3. Satan is therefore the legitimate and legal choice to bear the sins of the righteous into the lake of fire. All the wicked will agree at the end on this point.

"4. This fact has nothing to do with the redemption or cleansing of the righteous. That is totally the work of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

"This doctrinal change was the first crack in the breakdown of the doctrine of the final atonement. It [the correct view of the scapegoat transaction] is a very important point because without getting this clear, one would have difficulty proving that there is actual sin in the Sanctuary now that is being removed by the blood of the final atonement by Jesus.

"This leaves only one alternative. The sins which Jesus bears out of the Sanctuary are the sins that are confessed and repented of. They are the only ones that can be cleansed from the record books. Also, they are the sins of the righteous because only the righteous confess and repent and forsake their sins. Hence, the sins that Jesus bears out of the Sanctuary are those that the Sanctuary was cleansed of- namely the sins of the righteous.

"All other sins of professed believers which were confessed but not cleansed, because of no forsaking of the sins themselves, remain on record against the professed believer.

"Sins not confessed (such as those of Satan and the wicked who made no profession) are borne by the guilty parties concerned and never enter into the Sanctuary service at all.

"The QD book as it reads has Satan defiling the Sanctuary with his sins, and it has Jesus bearing Satan's sins. QD is thus totally false in its scapegoat concept.

"Not only that, but this concept destroys the historic Adventist belief in the cleansing of the Sanctuary and the final atonement. Historic Adventism teaches that the Sanctuary is defiled by sin coming into it by virtue of the blood of the sin offering. (in actuality, it enters the Sanctuary by virtue of the blood of Jesus.)

"The fuzzy thinking of the authors of QD is worthless and is a discredit to the so-called scholarship of the authors. The authors knuckled under to the criticism [against Adventists] that we make Satan our sin bearer. And so, rather than to expose the shallowness of that bit of modern Protestant theological stupidity, they want unity instead.

"In addition, the moving of the sins to hell fire has nothing to do with salvation but with purification [eradication of the sin itself and those clinging to it from the earth].

"So in brief:

"SIN is transferred by the authority of the blood sacrifice of Jesus TO the Sanctuary. The SANCTUARY is cleansed by the blood of Jesus, and the SIN is transferred to Satan, by the authority of the blood of Jesus. The SIN, along with SATAN, is then transferred to HELL FIRE, where both perish forever. The condemnation and sentencing was fully justified because Satan caused the death of Jesus and persecuted and slew the saints."

We are thankful to know and believe correct doctrine. But there are some who are willing to openly stand up and defend that correct doctrine when it is threatened. The writer of the above letter was just such an individual. The following is the letter that he wrote and mailed to Seventh-day Adventist leaders back in the late fifties:

Officers of the General Conference

Officers of the Washington Conference

Ministers and Workers of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church

THE SCAPEGOAT

References:

(1) "Seventh-day Adventist Answer Questions on Doctrine," prepared by a Representative Group of Seventh-day Adventist Leaders, Bible Teachers, and Editors, Review and Herald, Washington D.C., 1957. (2) "Patriarchs and Prophets," Ellen G. White, Pacific Press, 1890, 1913, 1945. (3) "The Great Controversy," Ellen G. White, Pacific Press, 1888, 1907, 1911, 1951. (4) "The Story of Redemption," Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, 1947. (5) "Early Writings," Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, 1882, 1945. (6) "Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 1," Ellen G. White. (7) "Education," Ellen G. White, Pacific Press, 1903, 1942.

Greetings to all believers in Christ and Brethren in the faith:

The subject of the scapegoat is presented in reference (1) "Questions on Doctrine," pp. 396 to 401, question 35. I will quote the question for consideration:

"What is the actual teaching of Seventh-Day Adventist regarding the scapegoat in the Sanctuary service? Do you hold that the sins of the righteous are rolled back upon Satan so that in the end he becomes your sin bearer?"

Paragraphs 1 and 2, page 400, "Questions on Doctrine," state: "Satan makes no atonement for our sins. But Satan will ultimately have to bear the retributive punishment for his responsibility in the sins of all men, both righteous and wicked.

"Seventh-day Adventists therefore repudiate 'in toto' any idea, suggestion, or implication that Satan is in any sense or degree our sin bearer. The thought is abhorrent to us, and appallingly sacrilegious. Such a concept is a dreadful disparagement of the efficacy of Christ and His salvation, and vitiates the whole glorious provision of salvation solely through our Savior."

Since I believe in "proving all things and holding fast to that which is good," I decided to find the answer in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. The Spirit of Prophecy answers this question clearly and concisely.

"Spiritual Gifts," Vol. 1, p. 61. "For the sins of those who are redeemed by the blood of Christ, and overcome, at last will be rolled back upon the originator of sin, the Devil, and he will have to bear their sins, while those who do not accept salvation through Jesus will bear their own sins. - ,'Early Writings," pp. 294,-295:

"Satan and his angels suffered long. Satan bore not only the weight and punishment of his own sins, but also of the sins of the redeemed host, which had been placed upon him, and he must also suffer for the ruin of souls which he had caused. "

From reference (2) "Patriarchs and Prophets," pp. 354 to 356, I am taught that the following process was carried on: (1) The sinner placed his hand on the head of his sin offering, confessed his sin, and slew it with his own hand. (2) The priest carried the blood into the holy place and by this ceremony the sin was, through the blood, transferred in figure to the sanctuary. (3) On the day of atonement, two goats were brought to the door of the tabernacle. One was slain as a sin-offering for the people. His shed blood was sprinkled upon the mercy seat to satisfy the claims of the law. (4) The high priest in his character of mediator took the sins upon himself, and leaving the sanctuary, he bore with him the burdens of Israel's guilt. (5) At the door of the scapegoat he laid his hands upon the head of the scapegoat, and confessed over him "all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat. (Lev. 16:21). (6) The goat bearing these sins was sent away to a land not inhabited.

In "Patriarchs and Prophets," pp. 356 to 358, this ancient ceremony is applied to the work of Christ. All should read it.

Page 358, paragraph 2: "Since Satan is the originator of all the sins that caused the death of the Son of God, justice demands that Satan shall suffer the final punishment. Christ's work for the redemption of men and the purification of the universe from sin, will be closed by the removal of sin from the heavenly Sanctuary and the placing of these sins upon Satan, who will bear the final penalty."

The whole aim of the Sanctuary service is to get sin out of the camp. This cannot be done until the Sanctuary is cleansed, the sins are placed on the scapegoat, and he is sent away.

"Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 357, paragraph 5: 'The blood of Christ, while it was to release the repentant sinner from the condemnation of the law, was not to cancel sin."

The thought, idea and implication of these passages from "Patriarchs and Prophets" is that Satan is to be our sin bearer. These ideas cannot be "abhorrent" or "appallingly sacrilegious" because they are revealed to us by God through the Spirit of Prophecy.

Reference (4), "The Story of Redemption," page 403, states: Jesus tarried a moment in the outer apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary, and the sins which had been confessed while He was in the most holy place were placed upon Satan, the originator of sin, who must suffer their punishment. "

These sins cannot be Satan's responsibility for tempting us to commit our sins because he never confesses his sins. His sins could never get into the Sanctuary. Christ does not bear the Devil's sins and cannot place them upon His head. Satan already has them!

When I confess my sins I do not confess the Devil's responsibility. He will bear his own sin and responsibility. Jesus Christ bears my sin in the Sanctuary and will put them on Satan at the close of probation.

"Great Controversy," p 420, paragraph 1: The High Priest 'confessed over him all these sins. "

Ibid., p. 422: "The scapegoat typified Satan, the author of sin, upon whom the sins of the truly penitent will finally placed.." 'When Christ by virtue of His own blood, removes the sins of His people from the heavenly Sanctuary at the close of His ministration, He will place them upon Satan, who, in the execution of the judgment, must bear the final penalty."

Ibid., p. 485: ". . Satan bearing the guilt of all the sins which he has caused God's people to commit. . "

I can only understand "Questions on Doctrine" by what it says. I do not know who wrote it or what they thought when they wrote it. It is a published statement and must now stand or fall by what is printed in it.

Speaking of Satan, "Questions on Doctrine" teaches that "The crushing weight of his responsibility in the sins of the whole world- of the wicked as well as the righteous- must be rolled back upon him [Satan] ." This is in error because both the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy teach that it is the sins of Israel that will be rolled back upon the originator of sin.

"Questions on Doctrine" also teaches that the reason for having two goats is that there is a dual responsibility for sin. This reasoning is also false. The real reason is that one goat represents Christ's sacrifice and the other represents Satan. Both bear the sins of Israel in sequence.

The true answer to the question is that the sins of the righteous are not now being rolled back upon Satan,- but that they will be when Jesus leaves the Sanctuary. The scapegoat has no part in the Sanctuary service. Neither the scapegoat nor his blood ever enters the holy place.

Extracts from a vision given to E.G. White at Dorchester, Mass., October 23, 1850 (transcribed by Elder S.N. Haskell): 'Then I saw that Jesus' work in the Sanctuary will soon be finished, and after His work there is finished, He will come to the door of the first apartment, and confess the sins of Israel upon the head of the scapegoat. Then he will put on the garments of vengeance, then the plagues will come upon the wicked, and they do not come until Jesus puts on that garment, and takes His place upon the great white cloud,- then while the plagues are falling the scapegoat is being led away. He makes a mighty struggle to escape, but is held fast by the hand that leads him. If he should effect his escape, Israel would lose their lives. I saw it would take time to lead away the scapegoat into the land of forgetfulness, after the sins were put upon his head."

When Christ brings the sins of those who deny the inspired truth on this subject out of the Sanctuary to place them on Satan, he [Satan] could say, "I don't have to bear those sins. Those people think the very thought of such a thing is abhorrent, and appallingly sacrilegious. They ought to bear their own sins. They have denied the Testimony of Jesus."

I consider Satan to be a trashcan into which the sins and the iniquity of the redeemed will finally be placed. The Devil and the sin he bears will finally be burned in the lake of fire together with all sin and unrepentant sinners. He did not atone for sin; he is just the place where it is put after the atonement is finished.

When the Devil tempts us to sin, he sins. That is his responsibility. If we fall under the temptation, we sin. The Devil bears his responsibility for our sin. Jesus bears our responsibility for our sin after we repent and confess by His grace. Our sins are in the Sanctuary until they are cleaned out by Jesus. He will place them on Satan. In the end, Satan will bear them.

The "Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary," Volume 1, pp 777-778, in its comment on the live goat is in agreement with the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy.

How would these glaring inconsistencies herein presented look if some of our enemies printed them in their journals? It seems to me that we are wide open to become the laughing stock of the religious world. They can spot these obvious contradictions if we cannot. The only possible consistent course to follow is to immediately repudiate this book and cease to print it. Perhaps this will save us from some of the reproach that appears certain to come.

"Education," p. 57: 'The greatest want of the world is the want of men, men who will not be bought or sold, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name; men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole; men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall."

Sincerely your Christian brother,

(Signed)

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