The Mercy Seat

[Alive]

I think perhaps its time to look at this once again.....

I believe that from God's point of view, there is no broken or improper fellowship--because we are 'In Christ' and when He sees us (typically and in reality), He sees the perfect Lamb of God and the completed work of atonement.

When we who are 'born again' sin, because of our weakness in the flesh and lack of faith, our conscience condemns us and we have a 'sense' of improper fellowship --so we confess our sin and we find that Grace and solace that heals our soul. This is also His Grace and Mercy to His children as we grow up.

The reality, from God's perspective is that we were already forgiven and never fell from that place on the Mercy Seat between the two cherubim. This is where He meets us.

Ex. 25:17   “You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width. 18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. 20 And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat. 21 You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. 22 And there I will meet with you,

This is where the Lord meets us. Where the 'blood' was sprinkled and atonement is made. Its interesting what Mary Magdalene saw when she looked into the tomb where Christ lay.

John 20:11   But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

To me this hearkens back to the Mercy Seat and the two cherubim.

He became the atonement and propitiation for our sins and a once for all high priest to boot. A once for all propitiation and there is now no longer a need for a priest to continually sprinkle the blood between the angels.

Rom. 3:21   But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

[AdHoc]

22 hours ago, Alive said:

I think perhaps its time to look at this once again.....

I believe that from God's point of view, there is no broken or improper fellowship--because we are 'In Christ' and when He sees us (typically and in reality), He sees the perfect Lamb of God and the completed work of atonement.

When we who are 'born again' sin, because of our weakness in the flesh and lack of faith, our conscience condemns us and we have a 'sense' of improper fellowship --so we confess our sin and we find that Grace and solace that heals our soul. This is also His Grace and Mercy to His children as we grow up.

The reality, from God's perspective is that we were already forgiven and never fell from that place on the Mercy Seat between the two cherubim. This is where He meets us.

Ex. 25:17   “You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width. 18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. 20 And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat. 21 You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. 22 And there I will meet with you,

This is where the Lord meets us. Where the 'blood' was sprinkled and atonement is made. Its interesting what Mary Magdalene saw when she looked into the tomb where Christ lay.

John 20:11   But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

To me this hearkens back to the Mercy Seat and the two cherubim.

He became the atonement and propitiation for our sins and a once for all high priest to boot. A once for all propitiation and there is now no longer a need for a priest to continually sprinkle the blood between the angels.

Rom. 3:21   But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

In John Chapter 4 the Lord Jesus announces a new PLACE for worship and fellowship with God - the human spirit. This is a progressively revealed truth of the gospel of John. In Chapter 1 we are shown the propitiation and materials need to have "Bethel" - the House of God. In Chapter 2 the "Father's House" is changed to Christ's Body in resurrection. In Chapter 3 we are shown how God gets into man by a birth of the human spirit (Jn.3:6). In Chapter 4 the PLACE of Samaritan and Jewish worship is revised to the human spirit (4:24). But the principle you have alluded to in your posting above has not changed. The human Body is the reality of the Outer Court of the Tabernacle, the soul the reality of the Holy Place. Whereas the altar of incense was hard against the Curtain between the Holy Place and the holy of Holies, the tearing down of the Curtain has made the altar of incense part of the Holy of Holies and our prayers go unhindered to the Mercy Seat.

But what has not changed is the journey one takes to enter the Holy of Holies. Christ made this journey as "Forerunner" first. He must first pass the gate where the Lamb of God is inspected for blemishes. Then He must pass the altar of judgement, shed His blood, and then carry His blood through the Holy Place to the Holy of Holies (Heb.9:24-26). Our journey is the same but with reservations. At the gate we present Christ - not ourselves. At the altar of sacrifice we do not die for others but judge OUR OWN SINS. Then, after the enjoyment of the Lampstand (Light) and Shewbread (Bread of Life) we deliver our prayers to Christ OUR High Priest to carry up to the Father (Rev.8:3-4). Although we are commanded to comes to the Throne "boldly" (Heb.4:16) IT IS NOT WITHOUT JESUS. Thus, we are admonished by our Lord, as He prepared to return to the Father; 

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (Jn 14:6)

and

13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. (Jn 14:13–14)

It is true that the way to the Father is open. It is true that we are invited to come. It is true that our sins are dealt with. And it is true that we enjoy unbroken fellowship with the Father. But the whole journey and its end at the Mercy Seat is THOUGH and BY Jesus. There is no back door, or circumventing the "Man in the Gap". We need Jesus - and divorced from Him there is no approaching such a Holy God.

[Jaydub]

On 3/18/2023 at 9:59 AM, Alive said:

This is where the Lord meets us.

I think its even greater then this. The ark of the covenant is a picture of Jesus Christ. Inside the ark was the

manna from heaven,  Jesus is the bread of life, our bread from heaven

The 10 commandments, Jesus is the Word 

Aron's rod that bloomed, Jesus is the resurrection

when we look at the mercy seat after the sprinkling, we are looking at the sacrificial lamb of God.

The Jews carried the ark of the covenant around with them, without knowing it they kept Jesus in their midst.

Today we carry Jesus around within us. We are his temple and in us is the Ark of the covenant, Jesus Christ 

 

 

[Mr. M]

On 3/18/2023 at 9:59 AM, Alive said:

I think perhaps its time to look at this once again.....

 

 

The Ark of the Testimony is the Lord's footstool.

1 Chronicles 28:2 Then King David rose to his feet and said, Hear me, my brethren and my people: I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and had made preparations to build it. 

The cover to the Ark is called the kapporet because it is the place where atonement was made by the sprinkling of blood by the High Priest. It was not a seat, it is the place where to Lord's feet would be when He was seated above the Ark BETWEEN the cherubim. Now you can read John 13 and understand the connection to the Day of Atonement.

Another representation of the Ark therefore, is the earth below, to heaven above.

Isaiah 66:1 Thus says the Lord:

“Heaven is My throne,
And earth is My footstool.
Where is the house that you will build Me?
And where is the place of My rest?
2 For all those things My hand has made,
And all those things exist,”
Says the Lord.
But on this one will I look:
On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
And who trembles at My word.

Whose heart is laid open before the Lord.

Hebrews 8: 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

[Mr. M]

3 minutes ago, Mr. M said:

The cover to the Ark is called the kapporet because it is the place where atonement was made by the sprinkling of blood by the High Priest. It was not a seat, it is the place where to Lord's feet would be when He was seated above the Ark BETWEEN the cherubim

Exodus 25:22 And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.

[Selah7]

It’s interesting to me that the Mercy Seat is above the Law.  Oh the wondrous riches of God’s mercy!  

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

- Ephesians 2:4-9 

    

s e l a h

 

 

[Mr. M]

5 minutes ago, Selah7 said:

It’s interesting to me that the Mercy Seat is above the Law.  Oh the wondrous riches of God’s mercy!  

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

- Ephesians 2:4-9 

    

s e l a h

 

 

Let the church hear what the Spirit is saying:

Jeremiah 3:15 And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.

16 “Then it shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days,” says the Lord, “that they will say no more, ‘The ark of the covenant of the Lord.’ It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore.

[Selah7]

3 minutes ago, Mr. M said:

Let the church hear what the Spirit is saying:

Jeremiah 3:15 And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.

16 “Then it shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days,” says the Lord, “that they will say no more, ‘The ark of the covenant of the Lord.’ It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore.

Yeah, it used to be the most valuable and sacred object, and I believe God is saying that we will no longer think of that ark.

Why?  because…

At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts.

- Jeremiah 3:17

I believe this is saying that now that Christ has ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father, the ark of the covenant is there in heaven, too!  Check it out!  (exciting!)

Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

- Revelation 11:19 

s e l a h

 

 

 

[Alive]

The message in the OP is a simple one meant to encourage and strengthen those who need it.

[Mr. M]

23 minutes ago, Selah7 said:

Yeah, it used to be the most valuable and sacred object, and I believe God is saying that we will no longer think of that ark.

Why?  because…

At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts.

- Jeremiah 3:17

I believe this is saying that now that Christ has ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father, the ark of the covenant is there in heaven, too!  Check it out!  (exciting!)

Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

- Revelation 11:19 

s e l a h

 

 

 

Hebrews 8:1-6 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain. But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.