And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
God directed that two cherubim of beaten, pure, solid gold be wrought as one piece with the mercy seat, one standing at each of its ends as its covering over the ark. Their faces turn toward each other and look reverently downward toward the ark and mercy seat, with wings spread over it and meeting above in reverence and humility. Between the cherubim the divine presence is manifested as the Shekinah glory where the will is made known, resting as Israel's glory, strength, and pledge of victory. The earthly ark and its cherubim are a pattern of the true ark in heaven, and the cherubim represent all the heavenly host regarding with reverential awe and worship the law within the ark, which is the foundation of God's government. The mercy seat is where the prayers, praise, penitent confession, and obedience of true believers ascend, defiled in themselves but gathered by the Intercessor into the censer of His own spotless merits and presented with His righteousness so they rise wholly acceptable and gracious answers are returned.
Form and Sanctuary Setting
The command is to fashion two cherubim of beaten, pure, solid gold, one standing at each of the two ends of the mercy seat as its covering over the ark. The mercy seat itself is made of one solid piece of gold, and the cherubim are wrought as one piece with it. Their faces are turned toward each other and look reverently downward toward the ark and mercy seat. Their wings are spread over the mercy seat and meet above it, with one wing of each stretched forth on high while the other is folded over the body in token of reverence and humility.
The mercy seat is the cover of the sacred chest in the most holy place behind the second veil. That ark is a chest of precious wood overlaid with gold, holding the two tables of stone with the law of the ten commandments, together with the golden pot of manna and Aaron's rod that budded. The tables are folded together like a book. Above the mercy seat is the Shekinah manifestation of the divine presence from between the cherubim, where the will is made known. It is an exceeding bright glory resting as a cloud, remaining upon the ark day and night as Israel's glory and strength and as the enduring token of the presence and a pledge of victory.
Light and glory upon the cherubim on the right signified favor, while a cloud upon those on the left signified refusal. That glory and disapproval flashed forth even upon the precious stones in the breastplate of the high priest. The directions for all this were given to Moses on the mount as the detailed pattern for the sanctuary, including the pattern of the ark. They were repeated even in tentmaking labor while working quickly and skillfully with the hands, to educate fellow workers in diligence and thoroughness, to teach that supreme honor is to be given to God, and that the skill, genius, and wisdom brought into the work were given by God to be used for His glory.
The sacred ark represented Jehovah amid His people, and when removed from the sanctuary the cherubim were never exposed to view but the ark was always kept covered so that no curious eye might look upon it. Above the mercy seat and the bowed, worshiping angels dwells the glory of the Holiest, glory upon which no man may look and live, so to lift the veil inwrought with cherubim and intrude unbidden into that sacred mystery is death. Only the high priest may enter, on the one day of the year appointed for ministry in the most holy place, and he enters with trembling while clouds of incense veil the glory from his sight. At that time every sound throughout the courts is hushed, no priests minister at the altars, and the hosts of worshipers bow in silent awe sending up petitions for mercy. These arrangements happened by way of example and were written for admonition upon those upon whom the ends of the ages are come.
At the moment Christ died the veil of the temple was rent in two from top to bottom by the hand of God, and the most holy place that had been entered by human feet only once a year was laid open to common gaze. From that time the presence of God no longer overshadowed the earthly mercy seat. The light of His glory and the cloud of His disapproval were no longer shown forth there, even upon the precious stones in the breastplate of the high priest. Its sacred service and the blood of beasts offered for sin became valueless, because the Lamb of God had died for the sins of the world.
Heavenly Pattern and Meaning
The two cherubim commanded at the ends of the mercy seat are the pattern of the true ark in heaven, beside which living angels stand with overshadowing wings in the same posture of reverence and humility. Their faces are turned toward one another and look reverently downward toward the mercy seat, representing heavenly angels regarding God's law in the ark with interest and reverence. The earthly ark and its cherubim of beaten gold thus copy the heavenly ark and the living angels beside it, whose wings overshadow the mercy seat and whose folded posture shows reverence and humility.
The heavenly ark has purest, finest gold on its top and sides, with a crown-like border around its top and a lovely cherub on each end. The cherubs have their wings spread over the ark and raised high until they touch each other above, with faces turned toward each other and looking downward to the ark. Between the angels is a golden censer, and above the ark where the angels stand is an exceeding bright glory like a throne where God dwells, which shines down upon the ark and fills the temple. Jesus stands by the ark, and as the prayers of the saints in faith come up to Him the incense in the censer smokes and He offers them with its smoke to His Father. Inside the ark are the tables of stone folded together like a book containing the ten commandments, together with the golden pot of manna and Aaron's rod that budded.
The position of the cherubim, with faces turned toward each other and looking down toward the ark, represents the reverential awe of the heavenly universe toward the law within the ark. That law is the foundation of God's government, and the cherubim represent all the heavenly host looking with interest, reverence, and worship at the law of God. One wing of each angel is stretched forth on high while the other is folded over the body in token of reverence and humility. Their reverence shows heaven's interest in the plan of redemption, and above the mercy seat is the Shekinah manifestation of the divine presence from between the cherubim where the will is made known.
Jesus lifts the cover of the ark behind the second veil to reveal the tables of stone holding the ten commandments written by the finger of God and kept beneath the mercy seat. The fourth commandment stands in the very center encircled with a halo of glory and light above the other nine. It alone points out and defines the living God as the maker and Creator of heaven and earth and all things therein. The Sabbath founded when the foundations of the earth were laid was meant to keep God as Creator before men and to preserve the world from infidelity, atheism, and idolatry.
The heavenly original of the ark is kept in heaven, where the tables of the law are kept and mercy and truth meet, and Jesus stands before it to mediate for humanity. There Christ ministers before the ark in the Most Holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, offering the saints' prayers with the smoke of incense to the Father. The cherubim belong to the sanctuary and the great day of atonement, and after the cross Christ officiates as Priest and Advocate in the heaven of heavens. The sanctuary and its symbols were closely connected with worship and pointed to the Saviour, opening a new and living way for Jew and Gentile, while the ark beneath the cherubim contained the tables of the law and represented God's presence and a pledge of victory.
Prayer Mercy and Healing
The mercy seat in the heavenly sanctuary is the place where the prayers, praise, penitent confession of sin, religious services and obedience of true believers come up before God as incense. Passing through corrupt human channels they are defiled and without value unless purified by blood, and they do not ascend in spotless purity unless the Intercessor at God's right hand presents and purifies all by His righteousness, for all incense from earthly tabernacles must be moist with the cleansing drops of the blood of Christ. He holds before the Father the censer of His own merits with no taint of earthly corruption, gathers into it the prayers, praise and confessions of His people with His own spotless righteousness, and perfumed with the merits of His propitiation the incense comes up wholly and entirely acceptable as a fragrant cloud around the mercy seat, and then gracious answers are returned, with everything of obedience, penitence, praise and thanksgiving placed upon the glowing fire of the righteousness of Christ. The ark there is covered on top and sides with purest and finest gold with a crown-like border around its top, holding inside the tables of stone containing the ten commandments written by the finger of God and folded together like a book, together with the golden pot of manna and Aaron's rod that budded, with a lovely cherub on each end with wings spread out over it and raised high until they touch above, faces turned toward each other and looking downward to the ark in representation of all the angelic host looking with interest at the law of God. Between the angels is a golden censer where the saints' prayers in faith come up to Jesus as He stands by the ark, and as they come up to Him the incense smokes and He offers them with its smoke to His Father, while above where Jesus stands before the ark and the angels stand dwells an exceeding bright glory like a throne where God dwells that overshadows the mercy seat and fills the temple.
The mercy seat makes known a ministry of healing and grace that everyone is to become acquainted with. Its light of grace shines forth from many places to sin-sick souls in the last days when the end of all things is at hand. God understands what is needed and brings advantages to workers in various places so they can more effectively arouse attention to the truths that bring deliverance from both physical and spiritual ills, and small gospel medical plants and sanitariums are to make this mercy known to high and low, rich and poor, and by their work call attention to the message God has sent to the world.
God directed that two cherubim of beaten, pure, solid gold be wrought as one piece with the mercy seat, one standing at each of its ends as its covering over the ark. Their faces turn toward each other and look reverently downward toward the ark and mercy seat, with wings spread over it and meeting above in reverence and humility. Between the cherubim the divine presence is manifested as the Shekinah glory where the will is made known, resting as Israel's glory, strength, and pledge of victory. The earthly ark and its cherubim are a pattern of the true ark in heaven, and the cherubim represent all the heavenly host regarding with reverential awe and worship the law within the ark, which is the foundation of God's government. The mercy seat is where the prayers, praise, penitent confession, and obedience of true believers ascend, defiled in themselves but gathered by the Intercessor into the censer of His own spotless merits and presented with His righteousness so they rise wholly acceptable and gracious answers are returned.
Form and Sanctuary Setting
The command is to fashion two cherubim of beaten, pure, solid gold, one standing at each of the two ends of the mercy seat as its covering over the ark. The mercy seat itself is made of one solid piece of gold, and the cherubim are wrought as one piece with it. Their faces are turned toward each other and look reverently downward toward the ark and mercy seat. Their wings are spread over the mercy seat and meet above it, with one wing of each stretched forth on high while the other is folded over the body in token of reverence and humility.
The mercy seat is the cover of the sacred chest in the most holy place behind the second veil. That ark is a chest of precious wood overlaid with gold, holding the two tables of stone with the law of the ten commandments, together with the golden pot of manna and Aaron's rod that budded. The tables are folded together like a book. Above the mercy seat is the Shekinah manifestation of the divine presence from between the cherubim, where the will is made known. It is an exceeding bright glory resting as a cloud, remaining upon the ark day and night as Israel's glory and strength and as the enduring token of the presence and a pledge of victory.
Light and glory upon the cherubim on the right signified favor, while a cloud upon those on the left signified refusal. That glory and disapproval flashed forth even upon the precious stones in the breastplate of the high priest. The directions for all this were given to Moses on the mount as the detailed pattern for the sanctuary, including the pattern of the ark. They were repeated even in tentmaking labor while working quickly and skillfully with the hands, to educate fellow workers in diligence and thoroughness, to teach that supreme honor is to be given to God, and that the skill, genius, and wisdom brought into the work were given by God to be used for His glory.
The sacred ark represented Jehovah amid His people, and when removed from the sanctuary the cherubim were never exposed to view but the ark was always kept covered so that no curious eye might look upon it. Above the mercy seat and the bowed, worshiping angels dwells the glory of the Holiest, glory upon which no man may look and live, so to lift the veil inwrought with cherubim and intrude unbidden into that sacred mystery is death. Only the high priest may enter, on the one day of the year appointed for ministry in the most holy place, and he enters with trembling while clouds of incense veil the glory from his sight. At that time every sound throughout the courts is hushed, no priests minister at the altars, and the hosts of worshipers bow in silent awe sending up petitions for mercy. These arrangements happened by way of example and were written for admonition upon those upon whom the ends of the ages are come.
At the moment Christ died the veil of the temple was rent in two from top to bottom by the hand of God, and the most holy place that had been entered by human feet only once a year was laid open to common gaze. From that time the presence of God no longer overshadowed the earthly mercy seat. The light of His glory and the cloud of His disapproval were no longer shown forth there, even upon the precious stones in the breastplate of the high priest. Its sacred service and the blood of beasts offered for sin became valueless, because the Lamb of God had died for the sins of the world.
Heavenly Pattern and Meaning
The two cherubim commanded at the ends of the mercy seat are the pattern of the true ark in heaven, beside which living angels stand with overshadowing wings in the same posture of reverence and humility. Their faces are turned toward one another and look reverently downward toward the mercy seat, representing heavenly angels regarding God's law in the ark with interest and reverence. The earthly ark and its cherubim of beaten gold thus copy the heavenly ark and the living angels beside it, whose wings overshadow the mercy seat and whose folded posture shows reverence and humility.
The heavenly ark has purest, finest gold on its top and sides, with a crown-like border around its top and a lovely cherub on each end. The cherubs have their wings spread over the ark and raised high until they touch each other above, with faces turned toward each other and looking downward to the ark. Between the angels is a golden censer, and above the ark where the angels stand is an exceeding bright glory like a throne where God dwells, which shines down upon the ark and fills the temple. Jesus stands by the ark, and as the prayers of the saints in faith come up to Him the incense in the censer smokes and He offers them with its smoke to His Father. Inside the ark are the tables of stone folded together like a book containing the ten commandments, together with the golden pot of manna and Aaron's rod that budded.
The position of the cherubim, with faces turned toward each other and looking down toward the ark, represents the reverential awe of the heavenly universe toward the law within the ark. That law is the foundation of God's government, and the cherubim represent all the heavenly host looking with interest, reverence, and worship at the law of God. One wing of each angel is stretched forth on high while the other is folded over the body in token of reverence and humility. Their reverence shows heaven's interest in the plan of redemption, and above the mercy seat is the Shekinah manifestation of the divine presence from between the cherubim where the will is made known.
Jesus lifts the cover of the ark behind the second veil to reveal the tables of stone holding the ten commandments written by the finger of God and kept beneath the mercy seat. The fourth commandment stands in the very center encircled with a halo of glory and light above the other nine. It alone points out and defines the living God as the maker and Creator of heaven and earth and all things therein. The Sabbath founded when the foundations of the earth were laid was meant to keep God as Creator before men and to preserve the world from infidelity, atheism, and idolatry.
The heavenly original of the ark is kept in heaven, where the tables of the law are kept and mercy and truth meet, and Jesus stands before it to mediate for humanity. There Christ ministers before the ark in the Most Holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, offering the saints' prayers with the smoke of incense to the Father. The cherubim belong to the sanctuary and the great day of atonement, and after the cross Christ officiates as Priest and Advocate in the heaven of heavens. The sanctuary and its symbols were closely connected with worship and pointed to the Saviour, opening a new and living way for Jew and Gentile, while the ark beneath the cherubim contained the tables of the law and represented God's presence and a pledge of victory.
Prayer Mercy and Healing
The mercy seat in the heavenly sanctuary is the place where the prayers, praise, penitent confession of sin, religious services and obedience of true believers come up before God as incense. Passing through corrupt human channels they are defiled and without value unless purified by blood, and they do not ascend in spotless purity unless the Intercessor at God's right hand presents and purifies all by His righteousness, for all incense from earthly tabernacles must be moist with the cleansing drops of the blood of Christ. He holds before the Father the censer of His own merits with no taint of earthly corruption, gathers into it the prayers, praise and confessions of His people with His own spotless righteousness, and perfumed with the merits of His propitiation the incense comes up wholly and entirely acceptable as a fragrant cloud around the mercy seat, and then gracious answers are returned, with everything of obedience, penitence, praise and thanksgiving placed upon the glowing fire of the righteousness of Christ. The ark there is covered on top and sides with purest and finest gold with a crown-like border around its top, holding inside the tables of stone containing the ten commandments written by the finger of God and folded together like a book, together with the golden pot of manna and Aaron's rod that budded, with a lovely cherub on each end with wings spread out over it and raised high until they touch above, faces turned toward each other and looking downward to the ark in representation of all the angelic host looking with interest at the law of God. Between the angels is a golden censer where the saints' prayers in faith come up to Jesus as He stands by the ark, and as they come up to Him the incense smokes and He offers them with its smoke to His Father, while above where Jesus stands before the ark and the angels stand dwells an exceeding bright glory like a throne where God dwells that overshadows the mercy seat and fills the temple.
The mercy seat makes known a ministry of healing and grace that everyone is to become acquainted with. Its light of grace shines forth from many places to sin-sick souls in the last days when the end of all things is at hand. God understands what is needed and brings advantages to workers in various places so they can more effectively arouse attention to the truths that bring deliverance from both physical and spiritual ills, and small gospel medical plants and sanitariums are to make this mercy known to high and low, rich and poor, and by their work call attention to the message God has sent to the world.