The Mercy Seat

2023-03-02

The mercy seat is a lid for the ark of the covenant. The word for “mercy seat” simply means “lid,” but it is only used of the ark’s lid. It was made of gold. On top, there were two cherubim facing each other, with their wings spread out: “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. 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” (Exodus 25:18-20).

The mercy seat is where the LORD met with the people. “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; cf. Exodus 30:6). Being on the ark, it also resided beyond the veil in the most holy place. This meeting happened once a year, on the Day of the Atonement.

The incense was brought in where a cloud would cover the mercy seat, “that he die not” (Levicitus 16:13). The blood of the bull and of the sin offering goat were sprinkled on the mercy seat each seven times.

When an offering from each of the twelve tribes was given for a dedication of the altar, the voice of the LORD was heard from the mercy seat: “And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him” (Numbers 7:89).

If the mercy seat was a place of communion with God, why cherubim? At the first place of communion with God, the Garden of Eden, once Adam had sinned, these creatures guarded the way with a flaming sword so that nobody could get back in.

Blood was required to enter in beyond the veil; if not, your blood was required. Bloodshed is required for sin.

Recall that without the veil, the shewbread was there as well as the candlestick, resembling an almond tree. These would (possibly) refer to Jesus, the Bread of Life, and the church. In the ark were the pot of manna, called the bread from heaven, and Aaron’s rod that budded almonds. Could it be that the manmade bread and almond tree correspond with the God-made bread (manna) and almond tree? Could it be that the mercy seat, with blood droppings on it, stood between the people and avenging cherubim above? There may be a few ways of looking at this.

The word for mercyseat in the New Testament (spelled as one word there) is used Hebrews 9:5 and Romans 3:25. Consider Romans 3:25: “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God” (Romans 3:25). The word “propitiation” is the same word as mercyseat. The mercyseat is where the propitiation took place. The word for propitiation in other places (a related word) means atonement and appeasing. The wrath of God was appeased there in a figure, but it is the Lord Himself who gave Himself as the appeasing offering so that we can commune with Him.