The Mercy Seat was a lid on top of the Ark of the Covenant. On top of the Mercy Seat and an integral part of it were two cherubim facing each other, their wings covering the Mercy Seat.

It is generally believed that the Mercy Seat was fashioned according to the actual Mercy Seat in Heaven that Moses saw on the mountain. It is believed also that Satan at one time was one of the two cherubim of glory that covered the throne of God in Heaven.

God does not sit on the Mercy Seat, He never gets tired. God dwells between the wings of the cherubim.

The Mercy Seat was beaten out of pure gold. The Jews knew how to cast figures from metal, a much quicker process than hammering articles into the desired shape. But some things have to be done the hard way. Have you noticed that? Have you been hammered on lately?

Boy, don't we wish God would cast us into the image of Christ and get it over with. But what do we get? Tap tap tap tap tap!

There were seven furnishings of the Tabernacle. The Mercy Seat was number seven. It portrays perfection. Perfection is God Himself.

The work of redemption has a specific beginning, a specific process, and a specific conclusion. The fact that redemption has a specific conclusion does not mean we will not grow in the image of God forever. In fact, God Himself may be growing and in that case we will never catch up!

But redemption has a specific conclusion. Jesus is the Finisher as well as the Author of our salvation.

The goal of our redemption is to be made in the image of Christ, body, soul, and spirit (the Ark of the Covenant), and also to be brought into untroubled rest in the Father (the Mercy Seat).

To have image apart from union is to be the False Prophet. The Christians of today are in danger of becoming the False Prophet because they want to be like Christ without being part of Christ. They want to have the power of Christ (the two horns of the Lamb) but they speak with the voice of the dragon, always talking about their own dead works.

Satan wants to be like God but he would never consent to be part of God. He desires "to do it himself"! We have Christians today who wish "to be me."

God does not want a lot of christs running around. There is one Christ and we are to be branches from the one true Vine of God. We are called to be part of Christ not partners with Christ—a most critical distinction in our thinking!

We cannot be brought into untroubled rest in the Father except as we are being conformed to the image of Christ.

There you have it—the two great aspects of the goal of the Divine redemption: image and union. Neither stands alone. They both are totally necessary.

Are you waiting to die and go to Heaven? Get up and move forward in Christ. We haven't as yet reached the mark God has placed before us!