Mercy Seat

THE MERCY SEAT

June 3, 2007

 Last week we had a visitation of the Lord at the evening service.  Jamar McClanahan had a vision of the Ark of the Covenant before the altar.  A prophetic song came forth from Joann Carpenter.    Virginia Bell  put the song to music and we sang it this morning.

The song was a vision of,  “And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.”(Rev. 11:12) 

By Monday morning, we were experiencing lightnings, thunderings and great hail in Houston, Texas.  As well as there was a great hail storm in Colorado. 

I believe this is a prophetic sign of a visitation of the Lord.  I believe we have many visitations of the Lord before the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord. 

Last week, one of our visitors Julie Chenn had a dream about this church.  She and her husband, Steve, had been praying about where to go to church.  They were between church locations.  The Lord gave her a dream.  He showed her this church.  The Lord spoke to her saying, “I am in this church”.  She said she walked out the back of the church through a gate.  She was declaring in song who Jesus is.  The people in the church were declaring back to her in song who Jesus is. She said Ginny Bell whom she knew prior to coming to Eastgate was distinctly in the dream.  (End of Dream) 

Hebrews 3:12:  “Saying, I will declare Your name to My Brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise to You.” 

Before starting the teaching, I want to share a few quotes by: James Goll from the forward of John Mark Pool’s new book, The Path of the Prophet.  John Mark and Sandy will be our guest ministers next week.  His new book is a page-turner and absolutely delightful.   

“I wish it were instant, but it is not.  There are no short cuts to becoming a prophet.  Gifts are given, but character to carry the gift is forged in the fire of affliction.  Believe me I know!...You see, true prophets become a word—they don’t just give a word.  It is not enough just to receive a gift by grace (though that is awesome and incredibly fun) and release or deliver a word.  Again, that is amazing, impacting, and life-changing to both the one who receives and the one who gives, But there is another level.  You become a word!!  This process is called incarnation Christianity.

Now do not misunderstand me; Jesus is the only one who was in the bosom of the Father, took on flesh, and became the Word of God incarnate, as the first chapter of the Gospel of John so beautifully depicts.  But in similar fashion, a true prophet does more than just dispense revelation—a true prophet becomes a word!  This process takes time.” (James W. Goll forward to The Path of the Prophet).  

As we are in a study today of the Mercy-Seat, this would be a type of the bosom of the Father.  

Last week by the leading of the Holy Ghost, we continued our study of the Tabernacle of Moses beyond the Veil in to the Holy of Holies. This week our study is on The Mercy Seat.

The Mercy Seat is the place where God sat, or His Throne. 

Psalm 99:  “The Lord reigns; let the people tremble:  He sits between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.  The Lord is great in Zion; and He is high above all the people.  Let them praise Your great and terrible name; for it is holy.  The king’s strength also loves judgment; You do establish equity, You execute judgment and righteousness in Jacob.  Exalt you the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool; for He is holy.”

(vs. 9) Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His Holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy. 

This Psalm is Holiness in three dimensions.  This is the Song of the Lord’s Earthly Kingship.  The Enthroned King is to be praised, the Governing King is to be exalted and worshipped in submission at His footstool.  The Guiding King is to be exalted and worshipped in fellowship at His holy hill of Zion.  

THE MEANING OF THE MERCY-SEAT: 

A place of holiness, justice, and righteousness.
A place of atonement and propitiation
A place of mercy and reconciliation
A place of communion of God with redeemed man.
A place of the Glory of God.

A place where God recorded His Name (11 Sam. 6: 1-2) “whose name is called by the name of the Lord of Hosts that dwells between the cherubims.”
NOTE:  that the MERCY-SEAT was especially a place of:

MEETING – where God meets man in Christ. (Ps. 85:9-10) (Ex. 25:22).
COMMUNION - The appearance of God in a cloud.  “And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with Him, then he heard the voice of One speaking to him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony from between  the two cherubims: and He spoke to him. (Num. 7:89) 

REST – (Heb. 3& 4; The Father and the firstborn Son have entered into rest.  Hebrews 4:10: “For he that is entered into His rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from his.”

MERCY – (Heb. 4:16) – the BLOOD of Jesus Christ has transformed the Throne of Judgment into a Thorne of Grace.  “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

DESCRIPTION OF THE MERCY-SEAT (Ex. 25: 17-22) 

It was the lid of the Ark of the Covenant:  it completed the Ark and the two together were considered as one piece of furniture.
It acted as a covering for the contents of the Ark.
It was a slab of pure gold that measured 2-1/2 cu. (3’9” x 1-1/2 cu. (2’3”)
There were two cherubim of gold in union with it.
 

TYPOLOGY OF THE DESCRIPTION: 

Where God sat = His Throne = Zion (11 Sam 6:2; Ps. 99:1; 80:1).
2.        Where God met, communed, and manifested Himself to Moses.

3.        Where the Father and Son sit and rest after their finished work.  The Lord Jesus Christ sat down on the right hand of God. (Heb. 4: 1-11; 8:1-3).

4.        Where there was made a complete, once for all atonement by the Blood of the Lord Jesus – note that the blood of bulls and goats was:

                       a. sprinkled upon the Mercy-Seat once.

                       b. Sprinkled before the Mercy-Seat seven times (completeness)

The blood-stained Mercy-Seat covered the two tables of the Law – the exposing of the Law as seen in 1 Sam. 6:19-20 without the blood covering brought into operation a ministration of Death.  “And He smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord, even He smote of the people 50,310 men.”  However through the Blood of Jesus, Romans 8:2, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” 

The Hebrew word for “Mercy Seat” means to ATONE, COVERING, PROPITIATION” (for sin); the Mercy-Seat covered Israel’s sins of idolatry, murmuring, and rebellion (compare the notes on the contents of the Ark):  this covering fitted perfectly - the perfect, complete, and immovable Atonement of Jesus Christ. 

The Mercy-Seat was a pure slab- the Lord was Pure, being tried by fire, that he might provide a pure Atonement made possible by pure grace. (Pure means no alloy-nothing human); it was also made of Gold.  Christ’s Atonement was made valid by His Resurrection:  The height was 1-/12 cut. Feet- the same height as the Brazen Altar and the Table of Shewbread. 

PROPITIATION: 

The term “Propitiation” means to appease, make satisfaction, placate, or render favorable.
Jesus Christ appeased the righteous wrath of a holy God by offering His atoning sacrifice at calvary;  the death of Christ appeased Divine justice and affected reconciliation between God and man.
Jesus becomes man’s propitiation through Faith in His Blood (Rom 3:25)
The Greek word for “Propitiation” in Rom 3:25 and the Greek word for “Mercy-Seat in Heb. 9:5 are the same word (also 1 Jn.2:2; 41:10)
In the Tabernacle we see a blending of the Judgment Seat (Brazen Altar) and the Mercy Seat (Ps. 101:1; 85:10; 86:5, 13, 15;
The Throne of Judgment has become a Throne of Grace (Heb. 4: 14-16)
 

CHERUBIMS OF GLORY:

There are at least three concepts or teaching on the Cherubim.  The Lord has not spokeN to me about the Cherubim, so I will tell you all three of the different views and you can pick which one you like.  When the Lord has not spoken to us, whatever we think is as good as what any one else thinks unless they have a “Thus Saith The Lord.”  Paul decided to not give us this information.  Hebrews 9:5: “And over it the cherubims of Glory shadowing the mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. 

However, I will give you my thoughts about the Cherubims of Glory.  There are Glory Angels in the Glory realm.  I have seen them more than once.  Those who go into the Glory and walk in the Glory have an Angel of Glory who walks with them.  

The traditional concept of the cherubim is that they are an order of Angels which cover and guard the Throne of God.  “But to which of the angels said He at any time, sit on my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.  Are they not ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.” (Heb. 1:13-14)  

the second view is these represent the Godhead at the Mercy-Seat.  One Angel for the Father, One for the Holy Ghost and the Mercy-Seat for Jesus Christ.
It seems to me the Word says that the Father is seated on the Throne and the Son at his right hand.  They both entered into the Holy of Holies.  There are two Glory Cherubim which I think would represent the Glory of the Angel of His Presence.  

The Third view likens the Cherubim to the Glorified Redeemed and to” He that Overcometh”.   

These are those, “Saying I will declare Your Name to My Brethren in the midst of the church will I sing praise to you.” 

That works too because once the Overcomer has crossed over into the Holy of Holies, then that one has an Angel of Glory that accompanies to declare the Glory of God wherever they go. 

Paul didn’t tell us.  But, he did tell us “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.” 

Come running to the Mercy Seat.  ‘Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he has consecrated for us, through the Veil, that is to say, His Flesh.” 

Carolyn Sissom, Pastor

Eastgate Ministries, Inc.

Notes from Tabernacle of Moses by: Kelly Varner

Jim Goll from The Path of The Prophet by:  John Mark Pool   from Quotes