The Tabernacle Open to Show Its FurnishingsBible World
9:5Hebrews 9:5
And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we can not now speak particularly.
The mercy seat is the golden cover of the ark in the most holy place of the earthly sanctuary, with a cherub of glory at each end spreading its wings over it, their faces turned toward one another and looking downward. Between the cherubim above the mercy seat is manifested God's glorious presence in a cloud of exceeding bright glory, as a throne where He dwells and makes His will known. Beneath the mercy seat the ark holds God's law, the Ten Commandments forming the basis of His covenant, and over it justice and mercy are brought together as Christ pleads His blood for sinners so that God remains just while justifying the repentant. The place is sacred to God's presence and calls for reverent awe, while believers by faith direct their prayers toward Christ their Mediator before the mercy seat in the heavenly sanctuary, where He accepts confessions and pardons sins. Of these things it cannot now be spoken particularly, for the mysteries belonging to the sanctuary and the heavenly day of atonement are not fully explained, yet the ministration in the heavenly sanctuary is present truth and a great pillar of faith to be earnestly sought and firmly held.
Sanctuary Setting Described
The mercy seat is the golden cover of the ark standing in the most holy place of the earthly sanctuary, with a golden cherub of glory at each end overshadowing it. This arrangement belonged to the ordinances of divine service of the first covenant in its worldly sanctuary. The ark thus covered held the law of God, the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments forming the basis of the covenant, kept close beneath the overshadowing angels.
The cherubim stand with wings spread out over the mercy seat and ark, their faces turned toward one another and looking downward toward it. Their wings are extended over the mercy seat, and their faces are turned toward the ark itself. God's glorious presence is manifested between the cherubim above the mercy seat in a cloud of exceeding bright glory. That brightness above where the angels stand appears like a throne where God dwells, and from between the cherubim He makes His will known. Its shining overshadows the mercy seat and fills the temple with light beyond description.
The tabernacle was made with two veiled apartments. The first apartment, called the sanctuary or holy place, contains the candlestick with seven lamps, the table with the showbread upon it, and the altar of incense. After the second veil is the tabernacle called the holiest of all, containing the golden censer and the ark overlaid round about with gold. That ark holds the golden pot of manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant.
The heavenly temple contains the real ark in its holy of holies, covered on top and sides with purest gold, with a golden censer standing between the cherubim. There Jesus stands by the ark, and as the prayers of the saints come up to Him the incense smokes and He offers them up with the smoke of the incense to the Father. Glory comes from the Father to Christ in that presentation and is shed upon those who pray in faith. This is the sanctuary setting of the most holy place where Jesus ministers, which believers enter by faith to behold the ark and mercy seat, adding no further detail about the cherubim themselves.
Law, Justice and Mercy
Beneath the mercy seat the ark holds God's law, the Ten Commandments on tables of stone forming the basis of His covenant with Israel. That law lies beneath the mercy seat within the most holy place, kept close to Jehovah and overshadowed and protected by His holiness. Its light shines upon the world amid moral darkness.
The cherubim above extend their wings over the mercy seat, with faces turned toward one another and looking downward toward the ark containing the Ten Commandments. Their reverent posture represents the angelic host watching with reverent interest the law of God. They watch with interest the plan of redemption.
The cherubim over the mercy seat show justice and mercy brought together as the heavenly host watches with reverent interest. The ark holds God's law as the rule by which humanity is tested, while Christ pleads His blood before the mercy seat for sinners. In this way God remains just while justifying the repentant sinner, restoring the broken relationship with Himself. The redeemed are clothed in Christ's righteousness so they may live in God's presence with the unfallen angels.
The fourth commandment is surrounded by a halo of glory because it alone identifies the living God as the Maker of heaven and earth. Within the ark the ten commandments are written with four on one table and six on the other, the four shining brighter than the six and the fourth, the Sabbath commandment, shining above them all. It remains among the commandments unchanged as written at Sinai, still reading, But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God, identifying the seventh day as the Lord's Sabbath. It has not been abolished or nailed to the cross and has not been changed by God who never changes, but the change from the seventh to the first day was made by the Pope, not changed to the first day of the week. It stands as the separating wall between the true Israel of God and unbelievers and the great question uniting the hearts of God's waiting saints.
Reverence and Heavenly Mediation
The most holy place is a symbol of God's dwelling-place, sacred to His presence. Above the mercy seat and the bowed, worshiping angels dwelt the glory of the Holiest, glory upon which no man might look and live. The veil inwrought with cherubim was not to be lifted by any hand save one, and to intrude unbidden into that sacred mystery was death. On the one day of the year appointed for ministry there the high priest with trembling entered, while clouds of incense veiled the glory from his sight, and throughout the courts every sound was hushed while worshipers bowed in silent awe sending up petitions for mercy. These things happened as example and were written for admonition upon whom the ends of the ages are come, calling for reverent silence before God.
Though the priest in the holy place could not see the mercy seat behind the curtain, he knew it was there and directed his prayer toward it by faith. This represents God's people directing their prayers to Christ, their Mediator before the mercy seat in the heavenly sanctuary. By faith they see Him and confidently claim the benefits of His mediation. While Jesus is there He accepts prayers, confessions, and sacrifices and pardons sins. When He leaves, that ministry of intercession ends, and people's spiritual condition remains fixed.
The cherubim above the mercy seat have their wings extended over it, and their faces turned toward the ark containing the Ten Commandments. They represent the angelic host watching with interest the law of God. The bright glory above the mercy seat appears like the throne of God; as Christ presents the prayers of the saints with incense, glory comes from the Father to Christ and is shed upon those who pray in faith. That ministry is nearly finished, and the short sealing time calls for preparation and continued attention to God's commandments and the testimony of Jesus.
Of these things it cannot now be spoken particularly: their details cannot be explained there. They belong to the sanctuary, to the heavenly sanctuary and the great day of atonement, and to the mysteries of heaven about which lips are closed with no inclination to try to describe them. God's glory shines above the mercy seat, overshadows it, and fills the temple; its brightness is beyond description, with the cherubim above the ark, their faces turned toward one another and looking down at the law. Yet the ministration in the heavenly sanctuary is present truth and a great pillar of faith, with light given when the Lord is earnestly sought. It has been borne witness to and endorsed over and over in a marked manner by the Holy Spirit when preached, though for more than half a century questioned and opposed by new theories which are not truth and which deny the truths upon which the Spirit of God has placed His approval, and any teaching that would lead away from the light on it is not to be accepted. The mention of the mercy seat points to God's mercy as relevant to ministry for suffering people, with which believers should become acquainted in healing work.
The mercy seat is the golden cover of the ark in the most holy place of the earthly sanctuary, with a cherub of glory at each end spreading its wings over it, their faces turned toward one another and looking downward. Between the cherubim above the mercy seat is manifested God's glorious presence in a cloud of exceeding bright glory, as a throne where He dwells and makes His will known. Beneath the mercy seat the ark holds God's law, the Ten Commandments forming the basis of His covenant, and over it justice and mercy are brought together as Christ pleads His blood for sinners so that God remains just while justifying the repentant. The place is sacred to God's presence and calls for reverent awe, while believers by faith direct their prayers toward Christ their Mediator before the mercy seat in the heavenly sanctuary, where He accepts confessions and pardons sins. Of these things it cannot now be spoken particularly, for the mysteries belonging to the sanctuary and the heavenly day of atonement are not fully explained, yet the ministration in the heavenly sanctuary is present truth and a great pillar of faith to be earnestly sought and firmly held.
Sanctuary Setting Described
The mercy seat is the golden cover of the ark standing in the most holy place of the earthly sanctuary, with a golden cherub of glory at each end overshadowing it. This arrangement belonged to the ordinances of divine service of the first covenant in its worldly sanctuary. The ark thus covered held the law of God, the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments forming the basis of the covenant, kept close beneath the overshadowing angels.
The cherubim stand with wings spread out over the mercy seat and ark, their faces turned toward one another and looking downward toward it. Their wings are extended over the mercy seat, and their faces are turned toward the ark itself. God's glorious presence is manifested between the cherubim above the mercy seat in a cloud of exceeding bright glory. That brightness above where the angels stand appears like a throne where God dwells, and from between the cherubim He makes His will known. Its shining overshadows the mercy seat and fills the temple with light beyond description.
The tabernacle was made with two veiled apartments. The first apartment, called the sanctuary or holy place, contains the candlestick with seven lamps, the table with the showbread upon it, and the altar of incense. After the second veil is the tabernacle called the holiest of all, containing the golden censer and the ark overlaid round about with gold. That ark holds the golden pot of manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant.
The heavenly temple contains the real ark in its holy of holies, covered on top and sides with purest gold, with a golden censer standing between the cherubim. There Jesus stands by the ark, and as the prayers of the saints come up to Him the incense smokes and He offers them up with the smoke of the incense to the Father. Glory comes from the Father to Christ in that presentation and is shed upon those who pray in faith. This is the sanctuary setting of the most holy place where Jesus ministers, which believers enter by faith to behold the ark and mercy seat, adding no further detail about the cherubim themselves.
Law, Justice and Mercy
Beneath the mercy seat the ark holds God's law, the Ten Commandments on tables of stone forming the basis of His covenant with Israel. That law lies beneath the mercy seat within the most holy place, kept close to Jehovah and overshadowed and protected by His holiness. Its light shines upon the world amid moral darkness.
The cherubim above extend their wings over the mercy seat, with faces turned toward one another and looking downward toward the ark containing the Ten Commandments. Their reverent posture represents the angelic host watching with reverent interest the law of God. They watch with interest the plan of redemption.
The cherubim over the mercy seat show justice and mercy brought together as the heavenly host watches with reverent interest. The ark holds God's law as the rule by which humanity is tested, while Christ pleads His blood before the mercy seat for sinners. In this way God remains just while justifying the repentant sinner, restoring the broken relationship with Himself. The redeemed are clothed in Christ's righteousness so they may live in God's presence with the unfallen angels.
The fourth commandment is surrounded by a halo of glory because it alone identifies the living God as the Maker of heaven and earth. Within the ark the ten commandments are written with four on one table and six on the other, the four shining brighter than the six and the fourth, the Sabbath commandment, shining above them all. It remains among the commandments unchanged as written at Sinai, still reading, But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God, identifying the seventh day as the Lord's Sabbath. It has not been abolished or nailed to the cross and has not been changed by God who never changes, but the change from the seventh to the first day was made by the Pope, not changed to the first day of the week. It stands as the separating wall between the true Israel of God and unbelievers and the great question uniting the hearts of God's waiting saints.
Reverence and Heavenly Mediation
The most holy place is a symbol of God's dwelling-place, sacred to His presence. Above the mercy seat and the bowed, worshiping angels dwelt the glory of the Holiest, glory upon which no man might look and live. The veil inwrought with cherubim was not to be lifted by any hand save one, and to intrude unbidden into that sacred mystery was death. On the one day of the year appointed for ministry there the high priest with trembling entered, while clouds of incense veiled the glory from his sight, and throughout the courts every sound was hushed while worshipers bowed in silent awe sending up petitions for mercy. These things happened as example and were written for admonition upon whom the ends of the ages are come, calling for reverent silence before God.
Though the priest in the holy place could not see the mercy seat behind the curtain, he knew it was there and directed his prayer toward it by faith. This represents God's people directing their prayers to Christ, their Mediator before the mercy seat in the heavenly sanctuary. By faith they see Him and confidently claim the benefits of His mediation. While Jesus is there He accepts prayers, confessions, and sacrifices and pardons sins. When He leaves, that ministry of intercession ends, and people's spiritual condition remains fixed.
The cherubim above the mercy seat have their wings extended over it, and their faces turned toward the ark containing the Ten Commandments. They represent the angelic host watching with interest the law of God. The bright glory above the mercy seat appears like the throne of God; as Christ presents the prayers of the saints with incense, glory comes from the Father to Christ and is shed upon those who pray in faith. That ministry is nearly finished, and the short sealing time calls for preparation and continued attention to God's commandments and the testimony of Jesus.
Of these things it cannot now be spoken particularly: their details cannot be explained there. They belong to the sanctuary, to the heavenly sanctuary and the great day of atonement, and to the mysteries of heaven about which lips are closed with no inclination to try to describe them. God's glory shines above the mercy seat, overshadows it, and fills the temple; its brightness is beyond description, with the cherubim above the ark, their faces turned toward one another and looking down at the law. Yet the ministration in the heavenly sanctuary is present truth and a great pillar of faith, with light given when the Lord is earnestly sought. It has been borne witness to and endorsed over and over in a marked manner by the Holy Spirit when preached, though for more than half a century questioned and opposed by new theories which are not truth and which deny the truths upon which the Spirit of God has placed His approval, and any teaching that would lead away from the light on it is not to be accepted. The mention of the mercy seat points to God's mercy as relevant to ministry for suffering people, with which believers should become acquainted in healing work.