The Mercy Seat
"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 put the mercy seat above upon the ark... And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel" (Exodus 25:17,21-22).

IN Eureka vol. 1, pp. 309-316, Brother Thomas has some excellent comments upon the Mercy Seat. It derived its name from the sprinkling upon it of the blood of the Atonement sacrifice, on each Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:14). The sprinkled blood was the basis for the taking away of the sins of the people, as well as those of the High Priest and his house; for he was their mediator (v.6).

It formed the cover or lid of the Ark of the Covenant (v.21). It was made of one piece of pure gold (v.17 see above), being approximately 3 feet 9 inches (1142 mm) long by 2 feet 3 inches (685 mm) wide. The two figures of the Cherubim were formed of the same piece of gold, and therefore were one with the Mercy Seat (vv. 18-20).

This was Yahweh's meeting-place with His people through Moses, His representative (v.22). Bro. Roberts in The Law of Moses (pp. 120-122) writes graphically of the significance and importance of this "meeting place". There Moses went to receive Yahweh's commands and instructions for His people (v.22); and there Aaron went on the Day of Atonement as their mediator and representative. Thus both Yahweh and the children of Israel were identified with the Mercy Seat. It was linked inseparably with the blood of the Atonement that was sprinkled upon it each annual celebration of the day by the High Priest. By this means, covering for sins were effected for the people whom he represented.

"Yahweh reigneth; let the people tremble: He sitteth between the cherubim; let the earth be moved" (Psa. 99:1).

"Exalt ye Yahweh our God, and worship at His footstool; for He is holy" (v.5).

"Thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth" (Psa. 80:1).

It was there that He manifested Himself to Israel. He was in their midst, at the very heart of the nation. There was no need to seek Him elsewhere, either in nature, or images, or any science of investigation. He is always at hand for any who seek Him in truth (Jer. 29:13). While He is hidden from sinful man, "dwelling in light unapproachable", yet He can he approached on the basis of His own revelation.

Yahweh met Israel in Christ (John 6:63; 7:16) He is the Prophet promised Moses (Deut. l8:l8), and through him came the revelation from God (John l7:~). He was his Father's Word made flesh, and in him the divine glory was beheld in the midst of Israel (John 1:1,14). Through him, invitation was extended to Israel to be reconciled with God (read Eureka vol. 1, pp. 102,103).

The Lord's doctrine was from the Father (John t2:49), of Whom he was the manifestation (John 14:9). Listening to him, his disciples listened to God, for he was the Mercy Seat from whom Yahweh communed with the people, as He had previously when His voice was heard emanating from above the Mercy Seat between the Cherubim.

As the Mercy Seat was a covering for the Ark, so the Lord is our covering (Rom. 4:7). Our sins have been atoned for by the sprinkled blood of the covenant sacrifice; and those so forgiven arc described as being ~~in" him (Gal. 3:26), and enjoying that blessedness described by David:

"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man whom Yahweh imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile" (Psa. 32:1-2).

The character of the Lord was perfected by trial and thus shone forth as gold (1 Pet. 1:7). Following his sacrificial death, he was raised to divine nature (pure gold), and taken into the Most Holy state (Heb. 9:11-12). Now he is assisting to bring many more sons to that glory.

In measure, we are called to develop and reflect that glory now by Christ dwelling in our hearts (Eph. 3:17). But perfection awaits us in the Kingdom when divine nature will be bestowed upon all those that are accepted. So we are "in hope of the glory of God" (Rom. 5:2, Phil. 3:21;2 Pet. 1:3-4).

The Most Holy Place, therefore, relates to the future, perfect state. We anticipate that time of blessing, but presently walk in the Holy. Even the Mercy Seat foreshadows that time; for it will not be seen in its completeness until the Cherubim are there, and the Divine glory is apocalypsed for all to see. In the Kingdom, Yahweh, through the one body of His choice, the multitudinous, immortalized Christ, will manifest Himself to the rest of His creatures.

The future righteousness of the King-priests, and their salvation in that glorious state, is the theme of Psa. 132:8-9:

"Arise, oh Yahweh, into Thy rest; Thou, and the ark of Thy strength. Let Thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let Thy saints shout for joy".

The future work of the multitudinous, immortalized Christ, as Yahweh's throne and mercy scat, in bringing the world into conformity to Yahweh's truth is described in Psa. ~49: 4-9:

"For Yahweh taketh pleasure in His people: He will beautify the meek with salvation. Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand (like the Cherubim, in Eden - Gen. 3:24); to execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all His saints. Halleluyah!"