The Ark of the Covenant: Inside the ark were three items namely the tables of the Law which speaks of sin as rebellion against God, the manna, which speaks of sin as rebellion against the provision of God and Aaron's rod that budded, which speaks of sin as rebellion against God’s delegated authority.

 

On the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), on the 10th day of the 7th month of the Jewish calendar (Leviticus 26:29) equivalent to autumn, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies twice, once for himself and for his family (Leviticus 16:6) and sprinkle the blood of a bull over the Propitiation Seat (Mercy Seat) as per Leviticus 16:14, and entered a second time for the sins of Israel (Leviticus 16:9) and sprinkle the blood of a goat as per Leviticus 16:15. The animal blood which was sprinkled over the Propitiation Seat (Hebrew: kapporet; Greek: Hilasterion) represented the saving work of Our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.

 

The Ark which taught propitiation was a wooden box 45" by 27" by 27" made of Acacia wood overlaid with gold. The wood represents the humanity of Christ; the gold represents the deity of Christ. Together, they represent the Hypostatic Union. Over the top of the Ark was a covering which was called the Mercy Seat (propitiation throne).  There were two golden cherubim over-shadowing this Mercy Seat called the cherubim of glory (Hebrews 9:5). These cherubs of glory represented God the Father’s divine glory specifically his righteousness and justice. One angel represented His righteousness and the other His justice. After the high priest had sprinkled the blood on the Mercy Seat, as it were, the angel representing the Father’s righteousness upon looking at the sins of Israel depicted by the Tables of the Law, Aaron’s rod which budded and the pot of Manna demanded that these sins be punished. The justice of God then punished the humanity of Christ on the cross for all the sins of the world depicted by the blood on top of the Mercy Seat. After which, the cherub representing the righteousness of the Father was propitiated (satisfied). Romans 3:25 says that Jesus Christ was publicly displayed as the mercy seat, the place of the propitiation, “whom God [the Father] publicly displayed as a mercy seat [propitiation] by His blood [representing the work on the cross with emphasis on propitiation] through faith in Christ to demonstrate His [Father's] righteousness, because of the passing over of previously committed sins by the delay in judgment from God. [All sins of the Old Testament were not judged until Christ went to the cross).”

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Ark: Taken from Thieme’s Bible Doctrine Dictionary pages 13, 14

 

“Ark of the covenant [Heb. aron, chest or coffer]. A rectangular chest of acacia wood overlaid with gold and placed in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle, later the Temple. Above this most sacred piece of furniture dwelt the presence of the Lord with Israel.

 

Depiction of the Savior. The construction of the ark spoke of the future God-man: acacia wood represented Christ’s humanity; gold, His deity (Ex. 25:10–14; 37:1–5). Inside the ark were three items testifying to man’s sinfulness and rebellion against God (Heb. 9:4): tablets of the Ten Commandments depicted rejection of God’s law (Ex. 25:16); the pot of manna depicted rejection of God’s logistical grace provision (Ex. 16:32–33); and Aaron’s rod that budded depicted rejection of God’s delegated authority (Num. 17:8–10). Just as these emblems of sin were carried in the ark, Christ would carry all of man’s sins “in His body on the cross” (1 Pet. 2:24). Fitted as a lid atop the chest was the solid gold “mercy seat,” adorned on each end by a golden cherub (Ex. 25:17–21; 37:6–9; Heb. 9:5a). The figures of the cherubs—wings outspread, faces gazing down upon the mercy seat—represented the righteousness and justice of God. On the Day of Atonement, a high holy day for Israel, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood of a sacrificial animal on top of the mercy seat. The righteousness and justice of God, depicted by the two cherubs, saw not the sinfulness of man represented by the contents of the ark but the covering blood of the animal sacrifice. This yearly ritual taught and foreshadowed how the righteousness and justice of God would be satisfied by Christ’s substitutionary atonement on the cross (Eph. 1:7; Heb. 10:8–14).

 

Seat of dwelling presence. The ark of the covenant was a sacred symbol of God’s presence with Israel. Thus, Scripture also refers to it as the “ark of the Lord” (Joshua 6:7, 12), “ark of God” (1 Sam. 3:3; 4:11), and “ark of Your strength” (Ps. 132:8). During the Exodus, the ark was carried out in front of the advancing caravan as a sign of divine presence and protection (Num. 10:33). At the Jordan River, the ark guided the way and parted the waters for the Israelites to cross the river into Jericho (Joshua 3:3–17; 4:7, 11, 18); the ark then served as part of the offensive against the city’s walls and inhabitants (Joshua 6:4–12). When the ark was placed inside the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle or Temple, the dwelling presence of the Lord resided “above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim” (Ex. 25:22; Lev. 16:1–2; 1 Sam. 4:4; Ps. 99:1; Isa. 37:15–16).

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Ark removed. In 586 B.C., the invading armies of Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Solomon’s Temple— and the ark inside it—when they “laid Jerusalem in ruins” (Ps. 79:1; cf. 2 Chron. 36:18–19; Ezra 5:12). Although a new Temple was built after the Jews returned from captivity, the Holy of Holies remained empty of sacred furniture. Following the crucifixion, the absence of the ark would signify that Jesus Christ—resurrected and seated at the Father’s right hand—had entered into the true Holy of Holies, the heavenly throne room of God (Heb. 6:19–20; 8:1; 9:24). Even the restored temple in the Millennium will have no ark, for Christ will personally rule the earth and “they will call Jerusalem ‘The Throne of the Lord’” (Jer. 3:16–17).”

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Taken from the booklet, Levitical Offerings by R. B. Thieme Jr. page 22, 23

 

“Both the Greek word hilasterion and the Hebrew word הַכַּפֹּרֶת (kapporet) mean “propitiation” and refer to the mercy seat. The mercy seat was atop a wooden box called “the ark of the covenant” (Ex. 25:17). This box was overlaid with gold, and stood in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle. The acacia wood of the box spoke of Christ’s humanity; the gold, of His deity. Together, those materials represented the uniqueness of the God-man—undiminished deity and true humanity in one person forever.

 

The ark contained three items: a pot of manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the Law. All depicted sin: The tablets of the Law were a reminder of Israel’s violation of God’s authority; Aaron’s rod that budded evidenced rejection of God’s plan regarding the authority of the Levitical priesthood; the pot of manna typified man’s rejection of divine provision.

 

The mercy seat itself fitted over the top of the ark like a lid. On each end of the mercy seat was the golden figure of a cherub. One cherub represented God’s perfect righteousness, the other, God’s justice. Righteousness and justice looked down and condemned sin represented by the articles in the ark. But once a year, apart from the regular, daily sacrifices, a wonderful event took place on the Day of Atonement. At the door of the Tabernacle, on the brazen altar, an animal was sacrificed by the high priest. Then, the animal’s blood was collected in a basin, carried into the Holy of Holies, and sprinkled on top of the mercy seat. The blood represented the finished work of Christ on the cross. Because of the blood, all the remaining sins and uncleanness of Israel, despite the regular sacrifices, were covered or expiated. The righteousness and justice of God were satisfied, and symbolically, the Father was propitiated.”