Much is spoken of in the Old Testament Scripture concerning this sacred part of the temple, from whence the Lord promised to commune with his people. (Exodus 25:17, etc.) This, as a type of the Lord Jesus, is eminently to be regarded, since it serves to teach us, that by efficacy of redemption, the Old Testament saints, as well as New Testament believers, were alike included in the merits of "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." (Revelation 13:8)
The form of the mercy-seat, or propitiatory, was that of an ark, covered with gold, at the two ends of which were placed the cherubim to cover over the mercy-seat, from whence JEHOVAH was supposed to speak. (Psalms 80:1) The apostle Paul gives a short description of the tabernacle, and the furniture in it, (Hebrews 9:1) etc.and speaking of the cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy seat, he saith, "of which we cannot now speak particularly." The Hebrews called the mercy-seat Caphoreth, from the word Caphar, to expiate or pardon. And very probably the church had this in view when she said: "My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire (copher) in the vineyards of Engedi." (Song of Solomon 1:14) If, as it is believed, that it is Christ she is then praising, with an eye to his propitiation, when she thus expressed herself, it is very striking and beautiful. Jesus is indeed the true and only propitiatory and propitiation; and what a sweet addition to the blessed subject is it, that he is "the propitiation whom God the Father hath set forth through faith in his blood!" So that our faith finds a double warrantfirst, in the completeness of the propitiation itself, and, secondly, in God's appointment of it. And how can a soul come short of salvation that acts faith upon the infinite merits of God the Son's righteousness, and the infinite faithfulness of God the Father's grace?
See Propitiation.