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Mercy Seat (Kapporeth)

Illustration of Mercy Seat (Kapporeth)

Crafted of pure beaten gold and resting upon the ark in the holy of holies, the Mercy Seat marked the appointed place where the high priest sprinkled the blood of atonement once each year. There the Lord met with man through the mediator, His glory dwelling between the cherubim as sins were covered and justice satisfied by the offered life. In this way the golden lid foreshadowed Christ as the true propitiation, the mercy seat where God and sinners are reconciled through His own atoning blood.

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Details

Significance
Where the blood of atonement was sprinkled once a year. The very place where God met with man - a picture of Christ as our propitiation.
Materials
Pure beaten gold

Key Passages

Instructions

Exodus 25:17-22

A17nd 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.

18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 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. 20 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. 21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. 22 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.

Day of Atonement

Leviticus 16:14-16

A14nd he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.

15 Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: 16 And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.

Christ Our Propitiation

Romans 3:25

W25hom 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;

Did You Know?

1

The mercy seat was made of pure gold. The most valuable single object in the tabernacle.

2

Two cherubim faced each other with wings touching. Creating God's earthly throne.

3

The High Priest sprinkled blood on it once a year. The blood came between God's holiness and the Law beneath.

4

The Hebrew word 'kapporeth' (mercy seat) is related to 'kippur' (atonement). As in Yom Kippur.