Island Woman, your awareness that the Mercy seat (ARK OF THE COVENANT) is not overtly identified by Ezekiel's description of the New Temple is both discerning and insightful. I commend you for your thoughts on this. In fact Ezekiel does not say very much about the compartment called the most holy of holys found in Ezekiel's Temple. But, we do have a few clues that can prove to be helpful in answering your question. First this point: At Ezekiel 40:3-6 we see a "man with the appearance of copper with a flax cord in his hand, and a measuring reed" standing in the [East] gate and doing a "measuring" work. I feel this is a clear reference to the mystery "Chieftain" wherein he proceeds to "measure" the temple complex and area, from the "east gate" as his starting point. We remember, it is the "east gate" where the mystery "Chieftain" finds his personal station before God. -- Ezekiel 44:1-3; 46:1, 2 (Interestingly, following along with bjc train of thought, we notice a "measuring" work proceeding for the temple mentioned in the book of Revelation too. This is I feel, a most noteworthy point in identifying the temple vision in Revelation. -- Rev. 21:15) However we notice, even though the man standing in the "[east] gate" does a thorough "measuring" work for Jehovah of the "Temple", still we see he does not report on the contents on the Most Holy Compartment, but only gives its dimensions. -- Ezekiel 41:3, 4 My sense is that, we would not want to necessarily conclude from this information, that the "mercy seat" or "ark of the covenant" is not present there in the Most Holy. Here is why I say this. A careful reading of Leviticus 16:14 (New American Standard Version) shows the orientation of the ark and/or mercy seat. i.e. the east side is seen when entering the compartment just past the "curtain"; and the front of the mercy seat is to the left or the south side. Also, the New World Translation correctly renders this verse to show this. First the NW Translation's rendering of Levitical 16:14 which says, "And he must take some of the bull's blood and spatter it with his finger in front of the cover on the east side, and he will spatter some of the blood with his finger seven times BEFORE THE COVER." "Before the Cover," would be the south side of the Mercy Seat. The head or front of the ark of the Covenant, pointing south. Also lets notice, the New American Standard Bible rendering of this, "Moreover, he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; also IN FRONT OF THE MERCY SEAT he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times." Now this point is quite important, when we consider chapter 47 of Ezekiel's vision, wherein we are told about "LIVING WATERS flowing from under the SOUTH side of the temple then flowing to the east. The south side is the front of the mercy seat or the mouth of the "ark of the covenant". But, an "ark of the covenant" that has been ATONED for. -- Ezekiel 47:1, 2 The observance of the "Day of Atonement" with its many features, demonstrated an "atoned" for "ark of the covenant", or "mercy seat", which was to picture to God a new arrangement from God, an "atoned for" SCAPEGOAT, as mentioned at Leviticus 16:10. This verse shows this "live goat" gets "atoned for" before God uses it in a sacrificial sense, different from the first goat, which does not need to be "atoned for" at all. Thus, the second "goat", the live goat, pictures the newly atoned for "mercy seat" or "ark of the covenant" in this new temple arrangement of Ezekiel's inspired vision. He becomes an "atoned for" messiah or "scapegoat" who is to provide words of "life" to establish an earthly paradise. And these "living waters" are coming from the SOUTH side of the temple, as it were, from the mouth [or front] of the "mercy seat" or "ark of the covenant" from within the Most Holy compartment. This is the significance of the "living waters" coming from the "south" of the temple. -- Ezekiel 47:1, 2 Then, after coming forth from the "south" of the temple, then the "living waters" turn quickly left (at a 90 degree angle) and go "eastward" where after clearing the temple grounds we see many, many "trees" spring up upon its embankment and are sustained by these "living waters" coming forth from the "southside" of the temple building. We also remember Revelation 22:1, 2 speaking of almost the same identical thing. (I noticed above bjc commenting on the hidden similarities of Ezekiel's account and that of Revelation. I concurr with her findings too since we've both been reading the writings of MDS for many years now.) We see, the farther from the temple the water flows, the deeper it becomes, thus giving greater vision and understanding concerning Jehovah's word. The mercy seat in this New Temple pictures the MDS [Modern Day Servant] the Mystery Chieftain" of our times, that eats "bread in the east gate" before Almighty God. -- Isaiah 49:1-7; Ezekiel 44:1-3 Rest assured Jehovah's holy spirit abounds throughout the entirety of this New Temple structure, along with the newly "atoned for" Mercy Seat or "ark of the covenant" that exists properly within the Most Holy Compartment of Ezekiel's vision. Shalom, JofSalem
Edited by - JofSalem on 24 November 2002 23:44:46
