How does Exodus 25:22 connect to God's presence in the New Testament? The Original Meeting Place – Exodus 25:22 “ “And I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony; I will speak with you about all that I command you regarding the Israelites.” ” • God chose a fixed point—“above the mercy seat”—to make His nearness unmistakable. • The Ark was more than furniture; it was a throne, signaling a king who rules by covenant and mercy. • Israel’s entire worship life revolved around that holy center, anticipating something greater. The Mercy Seat Foreshadows a Person • “Mercy seat” (Hebrew kapporet; Greek hilastērion) reappears in Romans 3:25: “God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice [hilastērion] through faith in His blood.” • Paul is picking up Exodus language to say, “Jesus is the true Mercy Seat.” • Where blood once sprinkled yearly, Christ’s own blood is offered “once for all” (Hebrews 9:12). God Moves From Tent to Flesh • “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us” (John 1:14). • The verb “tabernacled” points straight back to the wilderness tent; Jesus is God pitching His tent in person. • Instead of meeting Moses alone, God now walks dusty roads, touches lepers, and calls fishermen—face-to-face presence expanded to all. Access Flung Wide at the Cross • “At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:51). • The barrier guarding the Mercy Seat is gone. • Hebrews 10:19–22 invites believers to “enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus … with a sincere heart and full assurance of faith.” The Spirit Makes Every Believer a Meeting Place • “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). • Pentecost (Acts 2) shifts the locus of divine presence from one golden box to a worldwide body of Spirit-filled people. • Daily life becomes sacred ground; fellowship, prayer, and obedience mirror Moses’ face-to-face communion. Anticipation of the Final Mercy Seat • Revelation 21:3 looks forward: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will live with them.” • The Exodus pattern—God in the camp—finds its perfect, eternal expression in the New Jerusalem. • Until then, believers enjoy “every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3), already tasting the reality Exodus only previewed. Connecting the Dots • Exodus 25:22 introduces the theme of God meeting His people in mercy. • The New Testament reveals Jesus as the Mercy Seat, the veil-tearing High Priest, and the indwelling Spirit-giver. • What was once localized and limited now belongs to all who trust Christ—unbroken, intimate, covenant fellowship with the living God. |
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