Page 13 - Ashlar October - December 2024

N A L G R
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G E AND LODGE
The Ashlar R Vol. XIX Issue III
Commandments. The lid of the Ark, known as judgement. The High Priest placed both hands
the Mercy Seat was of pure gold. Attached to it upon the bullock and made confession of
and beaten out of the same piece of gold, were transgressions, sins and inequities. The bullock
two angel like carvings called “Cherubim”. happens to be sacrificial animal on which the
These faced each other looking down towards transgressions and sins are transferred. What
the law and Mercy Seat. The Ark had its own we call scape-goat is the victim which carries
light. A brilliant, supernatural light later known the blames of others. It is stated thus in the
as the Shekinah shone above the Mercy Seat commandments, “For the life of flesh is in
as symbol of divine presence. blood, and I have given it to you, that you may
Through Moses God had given special orders make atonement with it upon the altar for your
concerning the Ark’s transportation. Firstly souls; for it is blood that makes atonement by
none but the appointed priests descendants of reason of the life.”
Aaron, were to look upon it uncovered, much On the annual Hebrew Day of Atonement, the
less touch it. After the priests had covered the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies three
holy chest, the sons of Kohath must lift it by times once with special incense offering and
poles that were placed in rings on each side. twice to sprinkle the blood of the sacrificed
Secondly , while carts and oxen were used to animal , he would sprinkle the blood upon the
transport other items belonging to the worship Mercy Seat, which represented the Throne of
tent(Tabenacle-Curtained tent containing the God. After three hours in the darkness of the
Ark of the Covenant which served as the Most Holy Place, the High Priest would come
portable sanctuary of Jews during their with the empty basin, hold it up and proclaim,
wandering in the wilderness),this was not to be “IT IS FINISHED”. Then the people knew that
the method of transportation for the Ark. It was the sacrifice had been accepted by God and
to be borne upon the shoulders of the sons of their sins were forgiven.
Kohath. After the destruction of the Temple in 72 A D by
In Solomon’s Temple, the Ark was concealed the Romans, the ritual of animal sacrifice and
behind a curtain. Even the priests were not Yom Kippur ceremony was abandoned forever.
permitted access to it. Only the High Priest was Before that death of Jesus Christ in 37A D as
allowed into the room in which it stood.- and ordered by Pontius Pilate, the Roman Regent
then only once a year. This room called the and insisted by the Temple priests became the
Most Holy Place was pitch black, windowless great sacrifice. No sacrificial ceremony
room-though the Ark had its own light. By law, occurred there since then. According to the
the High Priest had to carry burning incense authors of the book, Ark of the Covenant, the
which must fill the whole room with a veil of blood of Jesus entered through the crack
smoke, before he could approach the Mercy developed after the earthquake below the site
Seat of the Ark flowed/creeped through it to reach the Mercy
The Ten Commandments spoken by God on Seat of the Ark of the Covenant which is buried
the mount Sinai, given to Moses also stipulate in the caves/tunnels below the site. When he
that “THOU SHALL NOT TAKE THE NAME OF had received the drink, Jesus said,”IT IS
THY GOD IN VAIN…”this was obligatory and FINISHED” With that, he bowed his head and
complied with by the chosen people including gave up his spirit. (John 19.30)
priests. TETRAGRAMMATON was the REVISED Acknowledgments: JUDAISM BY
unspeakable name of God based on the ARTHUR HERTZBERG, GUIDE TO
Hebrew letters YHWH, only spoken once a year JUDAISM BYNAFTALI BRAWER, ARK OF
on the Day of Atonement by the High Priest in THE COVENANT BY JONATHAN GRAY.
the Temple itself..
Yom Kippur was the only occasion the high
priest would drop physical blood to the Mercy
Seat. The symbolic rites of Yom Kippur involved
sacrifice, intercession, cleaning and

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