The Ark of the Covenant is the best known item in the Tabernacle, renowned for its mysterious powers against the enemies of Israel (I Samuel chapters 5 & 6).

The Ark of the Covenant resided in the Holy of Holies, the innermost room of the Tabernacle. Access was only permitted once per year, on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). Access was restricted to one person only, the high priest. He had to come into the Holy of Holies with the blood of a goat, on behalf of his own and the people of Israel’s sins.

The Ark itself was a small box made of acacia wood, overlaid with gold. It measured 1.15 metres long, 0.7 metres wide and 0.7 metres high. It was carried by two long bars, also made of acacia wood overlaid with gold.

The Ark was God’s throne in His dwelling place in the Tabernacle. Most people associate the Ark of the Covenant with judgement and wrath, rightly so. The day is soon coming when God will judge the secrets of people’s hearts (Romans 2:16) and “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth” (Romans 1:18). “He who formed the eye, do you think He cannot see? or He who planted the ear, do you think He does not hear?” (Psalm 94:9) If you are still not sure, please read about the great white throne of God’s judgement in Revelation 20:11-15. But, there was a cover on the Ark, known as the Mercy Seat, or Propitiation Cover. It was here that the blood of a goat was sprinkled by the high priest on the Day of Atonement, to appease God’s righteous anger (propitiate) for the sins of the people of Israel.

Romans 3:24-25 tells us that there is redemption in Christ Jesus, because God has set Him forth as a propitiation, through faith in His blood. Christ has died. The price is paid. To those who believe in Jesus Christ’s death for their sins, there is now mercy not wrath. “God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we are yet sinners, Christ died for us. Having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:8-9).

Attached to the Ark’s covering lid were two Cherubim. God’s presence did not dwell inside the box, but remained over the Ark, in between the two Cherubim. Here God dwelt “in unapproachable light” (I Timothy 6:16 Psalm 104:2). The high priest had to shield his eyes, because “no man shall see Me and live” (Exodus 33:20). This was where God met with Moses (Exodus 25:21-22 Leviticus 16:14-15). The glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle on the day it was reared up and anointed (Exodus 40:9,18,34-35), exactly fourteen days short of one year since the Exodus from Egypt (Exodus 40:2; 12:6,31). The two Cherubim on the Mercy Seat represented God’s glory (Hebrews 9:5).

We are not told in great detail exactly what the Ark of the Covenant looked like. Some models, like this one, show the Cherubim kneeling. Other models show the Cherubim standing.What we do know is that the wings of the Cherubim were stretched out, to cover the Mercy Seat; the wings of the two Cherubim possibly touched one another to form a complete covering. The uncertainty should not unduly trouble us “for now we see dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I am known” (I Corinthians 13:12). So here we see another variation of the Ark of the Covenant with angels standing (cover removed) inside contained the Rod of Aaron, the two stone tablets of the Law and the Golden Pot of ‘hidden’ Manna.

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