Mercy Seat

The OT describes the Ark of the Covenant, the wooden chest located in the central part (the Holy of Holies), of the tabernacle and later the temple (Ex 25: 17-22). The gold lid atop this box was called the Mercy Seat – the place where God meets man. It was here God’s presence was seen as a visible cloud on the Day of Atonement when the High Priest sprinkled blood there (Ex 25:22; Lev 16:2; Heb 9:5).