THE MERCY SEAT

The mercy seat was made of pure gold and was placed on top of the ark of the covenant between 2 angels (cherubim). God met and spoke to the priest from above the mercy seat between the 2 cherubim. The mercy seat was a shadow of God’s throne in Heaven - Isaiah 6:1-3; Ezekiel 1, Revelations 4:1-11. 

Exodus 25:10-22 MEV
They shall make an ark of acacia wood two and a half cubits long, and one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high. [11] You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out shall you overlay it, and you shall make a gold border around it. [12] You shall cast four gold rings for it and put them on the four feet with two rings on the one side of it and two rings on the other side of it. [13] You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. [14] You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry the ark with them. [15] The poles must remain in the rings of the ark. They must not be removed from it. [16] You shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give you. [17] You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. [18] You shall make two cherubim of gold, make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat. [19] Make one cherub on the one end and the other cherub on the other end. From the mercy seat you shall make the cherubim on its two ends. [20] The cherubim shall stretch forth their wings upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings and facing one another. The faces of the cherubim are to face toward the mercy seat. [21] You shall put the mercy seat above upon the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I will give you. [22] I will meet with you there, and I will meet with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony. I will speak with you all that I will command you for the children of Israel.

Exodus 35:10,12 MEV
Every skilled craftsman among you shall come and make all that the LORD has commanded: [12] the ark with its poles, the mercy seat, and the veil that conceals it;

Deuteronomy 10:1-5 MEV
At that time the LORD said to me, "Cut out for yourself two tablets of stone like the first and come up to Me onto the mountain and make an ark of wood for yourself. [2] I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke, and you shall put them in the ark." [3] So I made an ark of acacia wood and cut out two tablets of stone just like the first and went up onto the mountain with the two tablets in my hand. [4] He wrote on the tablets just like the first writing, the Ten Commandments which the LORD spoke to you at the mountain out of the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly, and the LORD gave them to me. [5] I turned around and came down from the mountain and put the tablets in the ark which I had made, and there they are, just as the LORD commanded me.

Exodus 26:34 MEV
You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the Most Holy.

Exodus 30:6 MEV
You must put it before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with you.

Leviticus 16:2 MEV
The LORD said to Moses: Speak to Aaron your brother so that he does not come at any time into the Holy Place within the veil before the mercy seat, which is on the ark, so that he will not die, for I will appear in the cloud on the mercy seat.

Numbers 7:89 MEV
And then Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with Him, and he heard the voice of One speaking to him from the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim, and He spoke to him.

The high priest was allowed once a year into the Most Holy Place where the ark of the covenant was kept. Year after year the high priest had to take the blood of animals to atone for the sins of the people. Jesus’ own blood paid once and in full for all our sins. His blood was placed on the mercy seat in Heaven. The second temple didn’t have an ark of the covenant. Some believe the ark was hidden in the mountain where Jesus was crucified and that His blood physically fell on the mercy seat. When Jesus died the curtains were torn and everybody got access to the Most Holy Place. We don’t have to feel guilty about our sins; we are forgiven and can boldy come to the Father. We can now have an intimate relationship with the Father. We received Holy Spirit as a helper and we have an inheritance of spiritual gifts. 

Hebrews 4:16 KJV
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 9:4-5 TPT
It contained the golden altar of incense and the ark of covenant mercy, which was a wooden box covered entirely with gold. And placed inside the ark of covenant mercy was the golden jar with mystery-manna inside, Aaron’s resurrection rod, which had sprouted, and the stone tablets engraved with the covenant laws. [5] On top of the lid of the ark were two cherubim, angels of splendor, with outstretched wings overshadowing the throne of mercy. But now is not the time to discuss further the significant details of these things.

Hebrews 9:11-15 MEV
But Christ, when He came as a High Priest of the good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, [12] neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. [13] For if the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies so that the flesh is purified, [14] how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? [15] For this reason He is the Mediator of a new covenant, since a death has occurred for the redemption of the sins that were committed under the first covenant, so that those who are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

Romans 3:25 TPT
Jesus’ God-given destiny was to be the sacrifice to take away sins, and now he is our mercy seat because of his death on the cross. We come to him for mercy, for God has made a provision for us to be forgiven by faith in the sacred blood of Jesus. This is the perfect demonstration of God’s justice, because until now, he had been so patient—holding back his justice out of his tolerance for us. So he covered over the sins of those who lived prior to Jesus’ sacrifice.

Revelation 11:19 MEV
Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there came lightning, noises, thundering, an earthquake, and great hail.