God deliberately made the Most Holy Place mysterious. Only one person (the High Priest) ever sees the inside. There is no light there and the smoke that carried from the Holy Place smothered everything in further darkness. The tabernacle was built with a gable roof and the incense was apparently deliberately designed to go straight up to the ceiling and then drift across and be trapped in the Most Holy Place. These are the conditions that had to prevail when the High Priest entered. Even then he did not spend very long but quickly carried out his duties and left. The High Priest in the order of Aaron did precious little there but what he did was pivotal.
Worship - the most holy place
The Most Holy Place is symbolic of the Garden of Eden. Mankind was driven out and two cherubim were left to protect it. There were two significant objects in the Garden of Eden: the Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of life. Mankind has already taken of the Tree Of The Knowledge of Good and Evil and has been barred from the Tree of Life. God replaced the book of the knowledge of good and evil with the tables of stone inscribed with the 10 Commandments and the tree of life is represented by the manna, the bread of life (John 6:58). That is what is represented by the Ark and its Mercy Seat. The real import of the Most Holy Place is seen in the book of Revelation. Much of that book is however hotly disputed so I will avoid going there.
The protection of the cherubim was targeting the East which correlates to the return of Christ, "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matthew 24:27 [KJV]); "And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south" (Zechariah 14:4 [KJV]).
THE ARK AND THE MERCY SEAT
An ark is a portable repository. In the Bible it is also a place that affords protection and safety. Note the example of Moses
Exodus 2:3 [KJV] And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the rivers brink.
This ark contained Moses and offered limited protection but allowed him to be moved about. It allowed him to survive in the flood of the Nile.
The Ark of the Covenant or the Ark of the Testimony was a box containing several precious items which represented the covenant between God and Israel.
Hebrews 9:3-4 [KJV] And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; 4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;
Exodus 25 tells us the form of the ark
Exodus 25:10-16 (KJV) And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. 11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about. 12 And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it. 13 And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. 14 And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them. 15 The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it. 16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
Since the ark also represented the tree of life it is only appropriate that it was made of wood, however it was probably overlaid in gold either from the beginning or when God gave Solomon upgrades for the Temple.
The Ark was about four feet long and about two and a half feet wide and two and a half feet high.
Exodus 25:10 [KJV] And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
The ark was portable and could leave and return to Israel as God's favour changed. The things in the ark relate to Christs covenant or will. Ezekiel saw God's glory leave Israel and it apparently went to heaven symbolically. It might have returned during the restoration of the remnant with Ezra but it appears His glory has never again occupied the place of its former glory. Fortunately the covenant represented in the missing Ark is still very safe.
Revelation 11:19 [KJV] And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
There is a corresponding Temple and covenant kept by God. As with most agreements each party has a copy to refer to as needed.
THE MERCY SEAT
The Mercy Seat was the cover for the Ark and hence the entry way. The cherubim on the mercy seat were there to protect the contents of the box. The mercy seat is Christ who extends mercy because it is the final step of 'the way'. The cherubim protected the commandments from being broken again by keeping us away from the mercy of Christ until the right time. Moses had put new tables in the ark. God guards the commandments and if we approach him as a threat to the commandments to break them again we die. Satan used to protect God's law and govern by it.
Ezekiel 28:14 [KJV] Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
The mercy seat exactly covered the Ark.
Exodus 37:6 [KJV] And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
It was made of pure gold.
Exodus 26:33-34 [KJV] And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy. 34And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.
People generally cover something either to hide it or protect it. God does hide His law and elements of His covenant from those who would threaten His way of life. A veil was over the eyes of ancient Israel so that they could not see. It was apparently the job of the cherubim to protectively cover God's way of life represented in the contents of the Ark. As a matter of fact that may be the reason why they have been depicted with wings in addition to hands. Wings give more cover. In any case we see covering with wings repeatedly used as a reference to protection.
Ruth 2:12 [KJV] The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.
1 Kings 8:6 [KJV] And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims.
Matthew 23:37 [KJV] O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Comp. (2 Chronicles 5:7, Psalm 17:8, Psalm 36:7, Psalm 91:4, Luke 13:34)
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Testimony is evidence or proof provided by the existence or appearance of something. The ten commandments were evidence of the agreement made at Sinai.
Exodus 25:21 [KJV] And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
God wrote it with His own hand. They were written on stone tiles or tablets.
Deuteronomy 10:1-4 [KJV] At that time the LORD said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood. 2 And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark. 3 And I made an ark of shittim wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in mine hand. 4 And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the LORD spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the LORD gave them unto me.
Israel had agreed to be obedient and serve Him and in return He promised to bless them.
Exodus 19:4-9 [KJV] Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles wings, and brought you unto myself. 5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. 7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him. 8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD. 9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.
By the time of the Solomon Temple the Ten Commandments were the only things in the Ark
II Chronicles 5:7-10 [KJV] And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims: 8 For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above. 9 And they drew out the staves of the ark, that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen without. And there it is unto this day. 10 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put therein at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.
THE GOLDEN POT WITH MANNA
The Golden Pot With Manna was a container holding some of the manna that fell in the wilderness. Manna was nourishment from heaven. God sustained Israel alive with manna. I do not believe they had manna alone because they needed flour for the offerings that they made but the manna clearly was the staple.
Exodus 16:32-34 [KJV] And Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. 33And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations. 34As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.
This manna was the food that came from heaven and represented Christ as explained in John 6:22-59.
John 6:32-33 [KJV] Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
It was put in the Ark to show the tree of life.
Matthew 4:4 [KJV] But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Luke 4:4 [KJV] And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
By the time of the Solomon Temple the Ten Commandments were the only things in the Ark (II Chronicles 5:10).
AARON'S ROD THAT BUDDED
Aaron's Rod that Budded was not part of the original contents of the Ark. It came about when Korah rebelled against whom God chose to be priests (Numbers 16:1-50). Each family had to bring a rod and Aaron's rod budded to show God's choice. In one sense this may also represent the tree of the knowledge of good as opposed to evil.
Habakkuk 2:14 [KJV] For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
But specifically this also went into the Ark and represented the testimony regarding who were to be priests i.e. who were able to approach the tree of life.
Numbers 17:8 [KJV] And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
By the time of the Solomon Temple the Ten Commandments were the only things in the Ark (II Chronicles 5:10).
THE TWO CHERUBIM
The two cherubim were positioned above the mercy seat and kept constant watch
Exodus 25:20 [KJV] And the cherubim 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.
The protection of the cherubim was focussed on the East which correlates to the return of Christ, For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be
(Matthew 24:27 [KJV]); And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south
(Zechariah 14:4 [KJV]).
In the temple the cherubim were represented twice. Once over the mercy seat to show their primary focus but also at all the entrances showing that they guarded the way.
They were on the veil in the tabernacle.
Exodus 26:31 [KJV] And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:
But in addition they were wooden figures in Solomon's temple.
1 Kings 6:27 [KJV] And he set the cherubims within the inner house: and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.
And they were all over the interior walls suggesting that they had eyes everywhere as Ezekiel showed in one representation of the cherubim.
1 Kings 6:29-35 [KJV] And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without. 30And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without. 31And for the entering of the oracle he made doors of olive tree: the lintel and side posts were a fifth part of the wall. 32The two doors also were of olive tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubims, and upon the palm trees. 33So also made he for the door of the temple posts of olive tree, a fourth part of the wall. 34And the two doors were of fir tree: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. 35And he carved thereon cherubims and palm trees and open flowers: and covered them with gold fitted upon the carved work.
Ezekiel 10:12 [KJV] And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had.
2 Chronicles 3:7 [KJV] He overlaid also the house, the beams, the posts, and the walls thereof, and the doors thereof, with gold; and graved cherubims on the walls.
In Genesis 3: 23-24 God instructed Cherubim to protect the Garden of Eden and prevent man from unlawfully taking of the Tree of Life. If such an act was to be condoned then evil would eventually overwhelm God's society. Those cherubim appear to be still at work. Nowhere in the Bible says that their job was over.
Genesis 3:23-24 [KJV] Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
This is why I believe that these are the same two cherubim at every gateway leading to God.
The Lord appeared over the mercy-seat to commune with the representative of Israel.
Exodus 25:22 [KJV] And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.
That was the knowledge of good and evil but in this case it was given, not taken. If anyone approached without permission they would die.
Leviticus 16:2 [KJV] And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.
Moses was of a priesthood that had access to the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Numbers 7:89 [KJV] And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him.
For Moses this was two-way but the only communication when Aaron went in was what was prescribed in the ritual and this confirmed that the covenant was being kept and that they were entitled to the benefits of the Testament of Christ left at Passover.
If the tree of the knowledge of Good and evil is represented by the Ten Commandments, then the tree of life is represented by the Manna and the branch that budded. These are things that we receive from God's presence. When things come into God's presence they receive life like Moses and health like the woman with the issue of blood. God will not allow evil to live so evil is not allowed in His presence.
