The mercy seat was an important furnishing in the Tabernacle on the Day of Atonement. On that day, the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies and make a sacrifice for his sin and for the sins of Israel. Only on the Day of Atonement could sin be covered. The problem of sin could never truly be dealt with, but this was a temporary covering of sorts, until the time of Jesus, when He would be slain for the sins of the world once and for all.
This Mercy Seat is talked about twice in the New Testament. In the beginning of Hebrews 9 we read about the Tabernacle furnishings. There we read about the annual activity of the high priest who would offer the blood of the atonement sacrifices and highlights that it was a temporary practice until the time of Christ. The rest of Hebrews 9 and into the next chapter, describes how Jesus came as the better or perfect High Priest, how He offered a superior sacrifice of atonement. The writer explores in detail how Leviticus 16 foreshadowed or looked forward to the more perfect sacrifice that Jesus would make on our behalf. Here is the reality…The blood of sacrificed animals could never truly make atonement for our sin, but the blood of the sacrificed Jesus could and did!
In addition to Hebrews 9, Romans 3 talks about the Mercy Seat. It’s a powerful passage. 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[i] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.
And here is what that footnote after the word, “atonement” says:
(The Greek for sacrifice of atonement refers to the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant…the place where the blood was spilled)
I don’t know how to phrase this other than the way it hits my spirit…Christ is the Mercy Seat where we can go to receive forgiveness. He is also the High Priest in charge of presenting the sacrifice, and He, Himself is the sacrifice at the same time. I call that a triple threat to the powers of darkness! Jesus, one of the three members of the Holy Trinity, is three in one in this understanding of the Mercy Seat. He accomplished three amazing feats at once!
We pick up Romans 3:25, the second part:
He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—
Get this. Jesus demonstrated His righteousness when He died as a sacrifice. Remember, Old Testament animal sacrifices had to be deemed “perfect,” without blemish. Even Pilate, as he tried Jesus in his courtroom said, “I find no fault in Him.” Hebrews 4:15, II Corinthians 5:21, and I John 3:5 confirm Jesus was perfect. Jesus never sinned. His death and resurrection from the dead also proved His righteousness! Jesus could only be raised again because His sacrifice was acceptable to God. If He hadn’t been a perfect sacrifice, He wouldn’t have been raised. All of that confirmed His perfect or righteous status which meant the sacrifice was accepted by God. His death and resurrection from the dead proved His righteousness!
This verse goes on to say that before the time of Christ, due to God’s forbearance or restraint, He had left the sins committed unpunished. He held Himself back and sort of passed over the sins of those Old Testament saints who were trusting in the coming Messiah. Yes, there were sacrifices commanded to be made, but that wasn’t truly payment for sin. That was Sunday School for Israel. That was God teaching them. That was God bringing revelation to the people about the high price of sin, to create a desire for them to look forward in faith to the Messiah who would take care of the problem forever. Oh, and did He ever! Because of the righteous sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our sins no longer have to be patched up or passed over, but they are paid for, past, present and future! God doesn’t have to restrain His anger and judgment toward those who are in Christ! Hallelujah!
Back to Romans 3, verse 26: 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Don’t miss this! On the cross, God demonstrated that He is just AND He revealed that He is the One who justifies. The justice of God wouldn’t allow Him to let the trespass of sin go without being punished, but the mercy of God moved Him to be the One bear the consequence. Who does He justify? Who is it that receives mercy? Those who have faith in Jesus.
It’s easy to see how someone could be only just. They could simply send every guilty sinner to Hell. That would qualify as justice. That is what our sins deserve. So, to be just, a judge could just send everyone to Hell. It is also easy to see how someone could be the justifier, simply declaring every guilty sinner could be pardoned and set free. But only God could find a way to be both just and the justifier of those whose faith is in Jesus.
The Mercy Seat of God was made known on the cross of Calvary where both justice and mercy were displayed. By His blood, Jesus transformed a place of judgment, a place of death, into a place of mercy.
Do you remember the curtain that the Old Testament priest would go through? The curtain behind which was the Mercy Seat, where forgiveness and fellowship were possible? That curtain takes center stage in the crucifixion story.
Look at Matthew 27:50-52 50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
When Jesus died on the cross of Calvary, that thick curtain in the temple was torn in two! It wasn’t like the curtains in your bedroom. It was at least 60 feet high, and it was extremely heavy. It was not a coincidence when it happened. It was torn in two because it was no longer needed. When Jesus cried, “It is finished” and breathed His last, earth realized what Heaven had done! There would no longer be separation between God and His people. The barrier was gone. A way had been made into the presence of God. There would no longer be the need for any sacrifice. Sin’s debt was paid in full. At the moment Christ died, the New Covenant was enacted. The blood of Jesus would forever be the currency giving us access into the presence of God.
Hebrews 10:19ff 19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
“Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan.
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man.
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary.
Mercy there was great, and grace was free.
Pardon there was multiplied to me.
There, my burdened soul found liberty, at Calvary.”
Hallelujah!
