The more I listen to the Holy Spirit the more amazed I am with God’s plan for us. How it all started in The Garden and still plays out today; day by day – minute by minute. Every detail put in its perfect place for revelation at exactly the right moment. And, sadly, we often rush by so fast that we miss seeing His hand in our life. All those times He wants to encourage us by revealing some of His handiwork – just to give us one of those “wow” moments.

I had one of those on Resurrection Morning – right out of the blue.

Think back with me for a moment to the time when God directed Moses to build the most special item for the tabernacle. It would be the very place that God would meet with His people, hear their prayers and receive the sacrifices that would cover their sins — The Ark of the Covenant.

Even now — Indiana Jones aside — the Ark holds great fascination for Jews and Christians alike.

It represents a piece of our reality that is directly linked with the presence of God. Not only does it contain the Ten Commandments (Tablets of Stone) it also contains a jar of the manna

God fed His people with and the rod of Aaron that “budded” (Num 17). And man has been looking for it as one of the most historic religious icons ever created. Jews and Christians have been looking for it as just one more proof of the historical record detailed by the Jews in the Bible.

And I have been fascinated with The Ark as well, but last Sunday God revealed something to me that made it even more special. Take a trip back for a moment and listen again to the Words of

God as He directed Moses concerning the construction of The Ark of the Testimony: 

Ex 25:17‐22 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. And the cherubims 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. 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. 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. 

It was God’s plan to meet with the Chief Priest (on behalf of the people) at the “mercy seat” — the lid that covered The Ark. And to guard that very special place He directed that Moses place two cherubims; karibu – one who prays; an intercessor; also a gatekeeper. They are God’s guardians and they symbolize God’s presence:

… the cherubims 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.

And it was between the two cherubims that God sat when He talked with His people: 

Ps 99:1 The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.

It was also the mercy seat that symbolically allowed Israel to bring the blood of atonement as close as possible to the throne of the Lord. And for that reason it was guarded by the two cherubims whose faces looked toward the mercy seat.

… and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.

For Israel there was no more sacred place than the “Holy of Holies” wherein The Ark and the mercy seat were placed. And for us it represents the “replica” of the true throne of God (in heaven) where our Lord made the ultimate sacrifice of His blood (Heb 9).

So fast forward with me to last Sunday as we celebrated Jesus’ resurrection.

As I sat there listening to the message I was picturing the tomb as Mary entered:  

John 20:11‐12 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 

I have always wondered why John noted the position of the angels. Why didn’t he just say that there were two angels? That’s when it hit me. Looking back to the cherubims guarding the mercy seat I realized that they no longer needed to guard it. The presence of the Lord was no longer limited to the Holy of Holies. The ultimate blood sacrifice was made – not just a covering but a full atonement for our sins. The mercy seat (Jesus; God) was no longer in the Holy of Holies because no further sacrifices were required. And so the two angels that were sitting at either end of the mercy seat no longer bowed low and protected it. They no longer faced each other and looked at the mercy seat. Our mercy seat (Jesus) was no longer there. The veil of the temple had been rent and the Holy of Holies was now open and Jesus’ presence (The Holy Spirit) would become available to all who will believe.

I can almost understand why the angels were a bit confused at Mary’s lack of understanding: 

And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.

It was obvious to them what it all meant — the final sacrifice had been made and man’s relationship with God had been restored. Their job was done and they no longer had to be the “gatekeepers” of the holy place (the mercy seat) where God met with His people. To them the empty slab in the tomb (the mercy seat) and their “sitting” at either end should have told her everything … God was no longer there.

I still reflect on that little revelation from The Lord and smile. I was just like Mary — I didn’t get it either. And while I may have forgotten asking that question, God didn’t. He just waited for the right time to “fill me in.” That empty tomb — that empty slab/mercy seat — says it all. It is the visual picture of Jesus’ final words on the cross … It is finished. The blood of animals  offered at the mercy seat of God has been replaced with the sacrifice of a repentant heart at the feet of Jesus. What a loving God we serve — how can we be anything less?