Exodus 25:22
There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all My commands for the Israelites.
The Atonement Cover was a very ornate object that was the cover for the Ark of the Covenant. Make a mental picture of the Atonement Cover. On one end there is a pure gold angel and on the other side is another pure gold angel facing each other with their wings raised and their heads bowed.
Inside the Ark were a few things. One thing in particular was the 10 Commandments, also known as the Law. This was where God would meet with the priest. The Atonement Cover was also known as the Mercy Seat. God’s presence was there and His mercy rested on it
Leviticus 16:15 tells us that the Atonement Cover had the blood of the Sin Offering sprinkled on it between the angels. This only happened once a year on the Day of Atonement where the priest would meet with God and made atonement for the sins of the people.
So put these two things together so far. The Atonement Cover had two angels on each end depicted in worship to God. This is where God met with the priest on the Day of Atonement. It is where the atonement took place. Without the Atonement Cover there wouldn’t have been fellowship between God and man. Finally it is where the requirements of the Law were Covered by the Atonement.
Now skip forward many, many years to the time of Jesus Christ. John chapter 20 verse 11 & 12.
but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
Mary saw what? Two angels. Where at? At the head and at the foot where Jesus’ body was laid.
This is what I think is awesome. We have a picture of the Mercy Seat inside the tomb. The perfect sin offering was in between these two angels (check out Hebrews 9:12-28). Colossians 2 says that the requirements of the Law that were against us were wiped out because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
The first Mercy Seat had to have a sacrifice sprinkled on it once a year on the Day of Atonement. The new Mercy Seat had a sacrifice laid upon it that made atonement once and for all.
Jesus brought more out of the Mercy Seat that Resurrection morning because the power of the grave had no power over the mercy given by God through His Son.
The Old Testament Mercy Seat covered the Law that was against us temporarily. The new Mercy Seat covered the Law permanently.
The Law had been fulfilled by the death and Resurrection of Christ. We have mercy because the wrath and judgment was poured out on Christ..
The very place where God had fellowship with the high priest in the Old Testament during the Day of Atonement has greater power because of the Resurrection. God could only abide on the Mercy Seat because of the sins of the people. Now He can move and abide in His people because of the Resurrection power of Christ.
God was showing in the days of Moses and throughout the religious history of Israel to the day Jesus rose from the grave that the Law will be Covered by the Atonement. God wants to meet with His people. And it is only through the acceptance of Jesus Christ’s atonement that we can have fellowship with God.
