Exodus 25:17-22
“And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.” (Exodus 25:17-19)
The Mercy seat was a slab of pure gold forty five inches long and twenty seven inches wide to be used as a lid for the Ark of the Covenant. It had to be thick enough to support it’s own weight without sagging and the weight of two Cherubs, one at each end. It would probably require more than fifty pounds of gold. It is nearly always included in references to the Ark of the Covenant.
“And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.” (Exodus 25:20-21)
The design of the Mercy Seat portrays the two cherubs looking through the mercy seat to judge Israel’s actions by the covenant with God. When the blood of the atonement was sprinkled on the Mercy Seat, the sin was covered so they could not judge and sentencing was postponed. It was called the Mercy Seat because they did not receive the punishment they deserved for their sin at the time. The blood had to be refreshed every year to keep the sin covered.
“And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.” (Exodus 25:22)
The Mercy seat represented the throne of God in heaven. It would be the primary place from which God spoke to Israel when he communicated with them in the future.
When Christ made atonement for our sins, he did not make it on the Mercy seat in the Tabernacle, but at the throne of God in heaven. Hebrews 9:24 declares, “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:” The Mercy seat was only a model, and the animal sacrifices could never take away the sin, only covering it temporarily, as we see in Hebrews 10:3-4. “But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”
Not only did Christ make atonement on the real judgment seat rather than the model, but his sacrifice took away the sin rather than just covering it up. Hebrews 10:12-14 states, “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”
“And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.” (Exodus 25:17-19)
The Mercy seat was a slab of pure gold forty five inches long and twenty seven inches wide to be used as a lid for the Ark of the Covenant. It had to be thick enough to support it’s own weight without sagging and the weight of two Cherubs, one at each end. It would probably require more than fifty pounds of gold. It is nearly always included in references to the Ark of the Covenant.
“And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.” (Exodus 25:20-21)
The design of the Mercy Seat portrays the two cherubs looking through the mercy seat to judge Israel’s actions by the covenant with God. When the blood of the atonement was sprinkled on the Mercy Seat, the sin was covered so they could not judge and sentencing was postponed. It was called the Mercy Seat because they did not receive the punishment they deserved for their sin at the time. The blood had to be refreshed every year to keep the sin covered.
“And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.” (Exodus 25:22)
The Mercy seat represented the throne of God in heaven. It would be the primary place from which God spoke to Israel when he communicated with them in the future.
When Christ made atonement for our sins, he did not make it on the Mercy seat in the Tabernacle, but at the throne of God in heaven. Hebrews 9:24 declares, “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:” The Mercy seat was only a model, and the animal sacrifices could never take away the sin, only covering it temporarily, as we see in Hebrews 10:3-4. “But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”
Not only did Christ make atonement on the real judgment seat rather than the model, but his sacrifice took away the sin rather than just covering it up. Hebrews 10:12-14 states, “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”
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