Mercy seat
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The mercy seat (Hebrew kapporeth or Greek hilasterion) was the lid that covered the central piece of furniture in the Jewish temple and in Solomon's temple, the Ark of the Covenant. This completed structure, the ark and the mercy seat, was kept inside the Holy of Holies, which was the temple’s innermost sanctuary. The Holy of Holies was associated with the presence of Yahweh, and the High Priest entered there but once per year (on the Day of Atonement) to sprinkle the blood of the sacrificial bull on the mercy seat. This place was separated from the holy place by a thick veil. The year of its construction was approximately 1491 B.C.
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[edit] Construction
The mercy seat itself was made of pure gold, and its measurements were 2 1/2 cubits long and 1 1/2 cubits wide (3'9" long and 2'3" wide). At each end of the mercy seat was a golden cherubim (a winged angel whose purpose was to guard). Exodus 25:18 – 21 reads,
| And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. 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. 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. And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shalt give thee. |
The whole mercy seat was one piece and was made from solid gold. Though no one knows for sure, the process of this creation likely involved melting pure gold in a crucible, and pouring it into a mold that was the exact shape of the mercy seat. According to the Bible, God gave explicit instructions (to Moses) as to the construction of every item in the tabernacle. A carefully constructed mold would have allowed for exact symmetry between the two cherubims. Further, this task would have been moderately easy for the craftsman to complete. The melting point of gold is only 1,064 degrees Celsius (1,947 degrees Fahrenheit), which could have been easily attained in 1491 B.C. To reach these temperatures, craftsmen would feed the fire by pumping bellows for long periods of time.
[edit] Ceremonial purpose
The purpose of the mercy seat was to provide a platform on which the blood from the sacrificial bull went between the presence of God (above the mercy seat in the form of a cloud, Leviticus 16:2), and His standard of perfection (the tablets of the decalogue, which were kept inside the ark, Hebrews 9:4). Each year, on the tenth day of the seventh month, the high priest would make atonement for himself and his family, the other priests, the tabernacle, and the people of Israel. It was on this day (and only this day) that the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies to make atonement "for himself, and for the errors of the people" (Hebrews 9:7). Thus, when he sprinkled the blood of the bull on the mercy seat, as Christianity tells us, God’s wrath was withheld for yet another year, as the blood of atonement "covered" the peoples’ disobedience of the Law of God.
The Day of Atonement eventually came to be known as Yom Kippur.
[edit] In Christian theology
According to Christian theology, the mercy seat had an even greater purpose than its yearly role in the Yom Kippur. Christians assert that the greatest significance of the mercy seat is that it prefigured the work of atonement that Christ would accomplish by His crucifixion. Before Christ appeared, the high priest had to come into the Holy of Holies year after year and sprinkle the blood of the bull on the mercy seat (Hebrews 9:25). Christians also believe that according to the New Testament book of Hebrews, when Christ appeared, these symbolic duties became obsolete (Hebrews 10:1-4). Hebrews 9:11 – 12 reads,
| But Christ being come an 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; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the Most Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. |
The Bible says that Jesus died under the wrath of Almighty God (Isaiah 53:10), having become sin (II Corinthians 5:21). (See also Galatians 3:13; Romans 3:25; Matthew 26:39; 27:46; and I Peter 2:24.) Thus, Christian theology teaches that this was the truest meaning of the mercy seat: that it pictured the perfect atoning work that Christ would accomplish (on a cross). Christian theology further asserts that whereas God is holy and just and that mankind is sinful, Christ came between God and the Law, having perfectly obeyed the Law, and having perfectly satisfied God’s justice and wrath. Thus, He became the propitiation for the sins of many (see Romans 3:25). As a result, the throne of grace is no longer reserved for a priest to visit once per year, but now all of God’s redeemed may “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
I Corinthians 6:11 reads, "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
[edit] Other beliefs
Some people believe that after the ark of the covenant was lost, that it was actually buried underneath the exact place at which Christ was crucified. They also believe that when Christ shed His blood, some of it trickled down into a crack and fell on the actual mercy seat. Whether this is true or not is unknown. Some, however, would see this as superfluous; most Christian theologians would argue that Christ’s blood did not have to fall on the physical mercy seat. Their support comes from Hebrews 9:11-12, which says that Christ entered heaven with His blood, which, so they interpret, satisfied God fully. (See above quote of Hebrews 9:11-12.)
[edit] Cultural references
- The term "mercy seat" can refer to misericords, the small ledges in medieval European church pews, which offered relief while standing through long prayers.
- Hymnist John Newton, writer of Amazing Grace wrote the hymn Approach, my Soul, the Mercy Seat. Gordon Gano of the Violent Femmes named his 1987 gospel side project The Mercy Seat.
- Nick Cave wrote the song The Mercy Seat for his 1988 Tender Prey album; his 'signature tune', it has been performed at nearly every concert since 1988. The song tells the story of a condemned man facing death on the electric chair seeking redemption in the afterlife.
- Neil LaBute wrote his 2002 play The Mercy Seat based on an urban myth of a man who escaped the September 11 attacks because he was seeing his mistress and contemplates running off with her. The play starred Liev Schreiber and Sigourney Weaver, it was produced by MCC Theater in New York City and was successful commercially and critically.
[edit] References
- Butler, Trent. "Ark of the Covenant."Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. 2003.
- Butler, Trent. "Day of Atonement."Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. 2003.
- Butler, Trent. "High Priest."Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. 2003.
- Butler, Trent. "Holy of Holies."Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. 2003.
- Butler, Trent. "Mercy Seat."Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. 2003.
- Dutch, Steve. "Legacy of the Ancient World". Steven Dutch, Natural and Applied Sciences. 21 September 1999. Accessed 10 Nov 2006.
- Henry, Matthew. Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume I (Genesis to Deuteronomy). Printed 1706-1721. Christian Classic Ethereal Library. Accessed 12 Nov 2006.
- Holy Bible, The. King James Version. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989.
- Jordan, David. "Ancient Metallurgy". Jordan: Ancient Metallurgy. 26 Sep 2006. David K. Jordan: Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, UCSD. Accessed 10 Nov 2006.
- Noblit, Jeff. "Reformation Has Come, Part XII." First Baptist Church, Muscle Shoals, AL. Accessed 24 Sep 2006.
