Jesus Sprinkling Blood on Heavenly Mercy Seat
The concept of Jesus sprinkling blood on the heavenly mercy seat is rooted in the biblical description of the earthly tabernacle's mercy seat and its typological fulfillment in Christ's heavenly intercession. The mercy seat, or "kapporeth" in Hebrew, was a gold lid on the ark of the covenant where God dwelled among the Israelites, speaking to Moses from above it [1, 2].
Under the Old Covenant, the high priest would sprinkle blood on the mercy seat on the Day of Atonement to atone for the sins of the people. This ritual involved taking the blood of a bullock and a goat, and sprinkling it on and before the mercy seat [5]. The author of Hebrews interprets this ritual typologically, understanding Christ's sacrifice as the fulfillment of the Day of Atonement ritual. According to Hebrews, Jesus has "passed through the heavens" and now appears before God, having offered himself as a sacrifice for sins [6].
The sprinkling of blood is seen as a crucial aspect of Christ's intercession. Adam Clarke notes that Jesus is "the mediator of the new covenant" and that his blood is "the blood of sprinkling" that speaks better things than the blood of Abel [4]. Charles Hodge explains that just as the high priest presented blood before God on the Day of Atonement, Christ presents his own blood before God in heaven, having offered himself on the cross [6].
The New Testament writers draw a parallel between the earthly tabernacle's mercy seat and Christ's heavenly intercession. The tearing of the temple veil at Jesus' death is seen as a sign that access to God's presence is now available through Christ [3]. The writer of Hebrews argues that Christ's sacrifice has made it possible for believers to approach God with confidence, having been sprinkled with his blood [4].
The concept of Jesus sprinkling blood on the heavenly mercy seat highlights the continuity between the Old and New Covenants, while also emphasizing the superiority of Christ's sacrifice. As Torrey's Topical Textbook notes, the mercy seat was "illustrative of Christ" [1]. The Reformed tradition, represented by Charles Hodge, understands Christ's heavenly intercession as a fulfillment of the Old Testament type [6]. In this view, Christ's blood is seen as having been presented before God in heaven, securing forgiveness and access to God's presence for believers.
Sources
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Mercy Seat — Moses commanded to make -- Ex 25:17. Bezaleel given wisdom to make -- Ex 31:2,3,7. Made of pure gold -- Ex 25:17; 37:6. The cherubim formed out of, and at each end of it -- Ex 25:18-20; Heb 9:5. Placed upon the ark of testimony -- Ex 25:21; 26:34; 40:20. God Appeared over in the cloud. -- Le 16:2. Dwelt over. -- Ps 80:1. Spoke from above. -- Ex 25:22; Nu 7:89. Covered with a cloud of incense on the day of atonement -- Le 16:13. The blood of sacrifices on the day of atonement sprinkled upon and before -- Le 16:14,15. Illustrative of Christ. -- Ro 3:25; He”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Mercy-seat — (Heb. kapporeth, a "covering;" LXX. and N.T., hilasterion; Vulg., propitiatorium), the covering or lid of the ark of the covenant (q.v.). It was of acacia wood, overlaid with gold, or perhaps rather a plate of solid gold, 2 1/2 cubits long and 1 1/2 broad (Ex. 25:17; 30:6; 31:7). It is compared to the throne of grace (Heb. 9:5; Eph. 2:6). The holy of holies is called the "place of the mercy-seat" (1 Chr. 28:11: Lev. 16:2). It has been conjectured that the censer (thumiaterion, meaning "anything having regard to or employed in the burning of incense") men”
- Matthew (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Matthew 27:51: SIGNS AND CIRCUMSTANCES FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF THE LORD JESUS--HE IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS, AND BURIED--THE SEPULCHRE IS GUARDED. ( = Mar 15:38-47; Luk 23:47-56; Joh 19:31-42). (Mat. 27:51-66) And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom--This was the thick and gorgeously wrought veil which was hung between the "holy place" and the "holiest of all," shutting out all access to the presence of God as manifested "from above the mercy seat and from between the cherubim"--"the Holy Ghost this signifying, that the w”
- Hebrews (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Hebrews 12:24: And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant - The old covenant and its mediator, Moses, are passed away. See Heb 8:13. The new covenant, i.e. the Gospel, is now in force, and will be to the end of the world; and Jesus, the Son of God, the brightness of the Father's glory, the Maker and Preserver of all things, the Savior and the Judge of all men, is its mediator. Both the covenant and its mediator are infinitely superior to those of the Jews, and they are very properly set down here among the superior benefits and glories of Christianity. To the blood of sprinkl”
- Leviticus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Leviticus 16:14: And he shall take of the blood of the bullock,.... When the high priest slew the bullock, the blood was received in a basin, and given to another priest, that he might keep stirring it on a foursquare bench in the temple, that so it might not thicken and congeal (n), but by a continual motion might become thin and liquid, and fit for sprinkling; and this was doing, while the high priest was gone into the most holy place to offer the incense; which being done, he came out again and took the basin of blood out of the hand of the priest, and went in a second time, an”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 116: § 1. Christ our Intercessor . Under the old dispensation the High Priest, after having offered sacrifices for sin in the outer court, was directed, on the day of atonement, to take the blood of the victims and a censer with burning incense, and to enter within the veil, and there present the blood before God, sprinkling it upon the mercy seat. In like manner, as we are taught by the Apostle, Christ, having offered Himself on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins, has passed through the heavens, there to appear before God in our behalf. H”