PRODIGAL SON: THE MAKING OF A SON

“BUT AS MANY AS RECEIVED HIM, TO THEM GAVE HE POWER TO BECOME THE SONS OF GOD, EVEN TO THEM THAT BELIEVE ON HIS NAME.” (JOHN 1:12, KJV)

ABSTRACT

This article delves into the profound symbolism of the Mercy Seat in the sanctuary, paralleling it with the father’s compassionate plea in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. It highlights how God’s mercy supersedes judgment, restores life through atonement, fosters unity, and calls for personal responsibility in reflecting divine love, while exploring the prophetic significance of the close of probation.

SANCTUARY’S SACRED THRONE!

Deep within the sanctuary’s sacred architecture, past the brazen altar of sacrifice and the laver of cleansing, beyond the holy place with its perpetual light and bread of presence, lay the very heart of God’s dwelling on earth: the Most Holy Place. Here, in an awesome, unearthly silence, rested the Ark of the Covenant, the throne of the invisible King. It was a vessel of profound and beautiful paradox. Within its golden confines lay the two tables of stone, the Ten Commandments—God’s immutable, holy law, the righteous standard that condemns every transgression with the sentence of death. Yet, covering this ark, forming its very lid, was a slab of pure, solid gold known as the Mercy Seat. It was here, between the two overshadowing cherubim, that the brilliant Shekinah glory of God’s presence was manifest; and it was here, upon this golden surface, that the atoning blood was sprinkled once a year, satisfying the claims of the law below and allowing divine forgiveness to flow to a sinful people. The Ark was thus the divine meeting point of absolute justice and infinite mercy, the place where God’s unyielding righteousness and His boundless compassion kissed. This sublime theological truth, enshrined in acacia wood and gold, finds its most tender and dramatic personification in the final, tense moments of the prodigal’s story. As the elder son stands outside the feast, his heart hardened by a sense of his own perfect obedience, the father makes one last, gentle appeal. His final words are not a command, but an invitation; not a judgment, but a plea. They are, in essence, a Mercy Seat statement, a perfect reflection of a love that seeks to quell anger not with law, but with grace that rejoices in restoration. But how does this mercy elevate the controversy to the plane of grace?

MERCY TRIUMPHANT OVER JUDGMENT!

The elder son builds his argument entirely on the foundation of law and works. He presents his case like a prosecutor, listing his years of faithful service and contrasting them with his brother’s profligacy. He demands justice. The father, in his response, does not dispute the facts of the case. He does not argue the “law” of the situation. Instead, he elevates the entire controversy to a higher plane, the plane of grace. His final appeal is not to fairness, but to fellowship; not to what is deserved, but to what is right and fitting in a family of love: “It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad” (Luke 15:32, KJV). In this, the father’s words function exactly as the Mercy Seat did in the sanctuary. The divine command was explicit: “And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee” (Exodus 25:21, KJV). The Mercy Seat, the place of grace, was physically positioned above the Ark, which contained the law, the testimony of condemnation. Scriptures affirm this as “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.” (Psalm 103:8, KJV) and “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” (Psalm 86:15, KJV). As Sr. White so clearly states, “The law of God, enshrined within the ark, was the great rule of righteousness and judgment. That law pronounced death upon the transgressor; but above the law was the mercy seat, upon which the presence of God was revealed, and from which, by virtue of the atonement, pardon was granted to the repentant sinner” (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 349, 1890). Sr. White further explains, “The mercy seat, upon which the glory of God rested in the holiest, is spoken of as the propitiation” (The Great Controversy, p. 415, 1911). The elder son wanted to lift the lid and expose the broken law; the father, in his appeal, kept the Mercy Seat firmly in place, covering the transgression with the joy of restoration. This demonstrates that in the kingdom of heaven, the final word is not condemnation based on a strict accounting of our deeds, but a joyous celebration based on the glorious triumph of grace. But what miracle does this grace declare in the language of resurrection?

ATONEMENT’S LIFE-GIVING POWER!

The father’s appeal reaches its theological climax with a stunning declaration of resurrection: “for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found” (Luke 15:32, KJV). This is not the language of simple pardon; it is the language of a miracle, of life from the dead. This points directly to the ultimate purpose of the Mercy Seat: it was the place where the life-giving power of the atoning blood was applied. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would enter the Most Holy Place and sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice upon the Mercy Seat, signifying that the penalty of the law—death—had been met by a substitute. This act did more than cover sin; it brought life. The New Testament clarifies this anti-typical reality, stating that Christ, our High Priest, “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12, KJV). The forgiveness that flows from the Mercy Seat is not merely a judicial transaction that cancels a legal debt; it is a creative, vitalizing act that brings spiritual life out of spiritual death. Scriptures affirm this as “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” (Leviticus 17:11, KJV) and “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” (Hebrews 9:22, KJV). As Sr. White explains the divine principle, “Justice demands that sin be not merely pardoned, but the death penalty must be executed. God, in the gift of His only-begotten Son, met both these requirements. By dying in man’s stead, Christ exhausted the penalty and provided a pardon” (The Desire of Ages, p. 762, 1898). Sr. White further notes, “The blood of Christ is the eternal antidote for sin” (The Signs of the Times, December 12, 1892). The father is not just welcoming home a wayward son; he is celebrating a resurrection. He is declaring that the power of his love has reached into the far country of death and brought his child back to life. The father’s joy is the joy of seeing this pardon made manifest, of seeing the one for whom the penalty was paid in his own wounded heart now standing before him, alive and whole. The Mercy Seat, therefore, teaches us that God’s forgiveness is a transforming, resurrecting power that turns the spiritual death of sin into the vibrant, breathing life of restored sonship. But how does this restoration invite us to shared compassion?

COMPASSION’S CALL TO UNITY!

The father’s final plea is an inclusive one: “It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad” (Luke 15:32, KJV). The use of the word “we” is a tender, heartfelt invitation to unity. He is calling the elder son to leave his self-imposed isolation of judgment and to join him in the shared space of compassion and celebration. This perfectly reflects the ultimate function of the Mercy Seat as the designated meeting place between God and humanity. The Lord’s promise to Moses was, “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony” (Exodus 25:22, KJV). The Mercy Seat was not a place of division, where the righteous were separated from the repentant, but a place of communion, where a holy God could meet with sinful but forgiven people through a mediator. Scriptures affirm this as “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” (Luke 6:36, KJV) and “He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.” (Proverbs 21:21, KJV). As Sr. White states, “The work of Christ—to reconcile man to God—could be accomplished only through a mediator who is equal with God, possessing His attributes, yet allied to humanity” (The Desire of Ages, p. 762, 1898). Sr. White further explains, “Unity is the sure result of Christian perfection” (The Sanctified Life, p. 85, 1889). The father, standing at the door, is acting as that mediator, seeking to bring his fractured family back into unity. He is pleading with the elder son to stop seeing his brother through the lens of the law that condemns and to start seeing him through the lens of the mercy that restores. He is inviting him to come and meet him at the Mercy Seat, where shared joy in a brother’s salvation becomes the ultimate expression of family love. The father’s final, unresolved plea is a call for the entire family to gather at the place where justice and mercy kiss, and where the only appropriate response to a life restored is a united chorus of joyful celebration. But what does this delight reveal about God’s character?

DELIGHT IN DIVINE MERCY!

The Mercy Seat, as the focal point of God’s throne on earth, reveals a love that is staggering in its depth and character, a love whose highest delight is not in the execution of justice but in the extension of mercy. This is the very essence of God’s being, a truth that sets Him apart from all other gods. The prophet Micah, contemplating this divine attribute, exclaimed, “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy” (Micah 7:18, KJV). This is not a reluctant mercy, but a joyful, delighted mercy. It is this delight that transforms God’s throne from a place of terror into a “throne of grace,” to which we are invited to “come boldly… that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16, KJV). This throne of grace was made possible only through the infinite sacrifice of Christ, whom God “hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God” (Romans 3:25, KJV). The Mercy Seat is the place where this propitiation is applied, where the blood of the Lamb satisfies the claims of the law and allows the Father of mercies to act according to His true nature. Scriptures affirm this as “O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.” (Psalm 136:26, KJV) and “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;” (Titus 3:5, KJV). As Sr. White explains, “God’s forgiveness is not merely a judicial act by which He sets us free from condemnation. It is not only forgiveness for sin, but reclaiming from sin. It is the outflow of redeeming love that transforms the heart” (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 114, 1896). Sr. White further notes, “The Lord delights in mercy; and for the sake of a few who really serve Him, He restrains calamities and prolongs the tranquility of multitudes” (The Great Controversy, p. 631, 1911). This redeeming, transforming love is the power that governs the universe. It is a love that is patient and longsuffering, a love that actively seeks to restore. “The Lord delights in mercy; and for the sake of a few who really serve Him, He restrains calamities and prolongs the tranquility of multitudes” (The Great Controversy, p. 631, 1911). This is the love of the “Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3, KJV), a love that understands our fallenness and provides the remedy. “Mercy implies imperfection of the object toward which it is shown,” writes Sr. White. “It is because of sin that mercy was brought into active exercise” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, p. 264, 1902). It is at the Mercy Seat that this active, healing, restorative love finds its focal point. Here, the prayers of the penitent, though faltering and imperfect, are made acceptable through the merits of our great High Priest. “The intercession of Christ is as a golden chain fastened to the throne of God. He has turned the merit of His sacrifice into prayer. Jesus prays, and by prayer succeeds” (The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7A, p. 484, 1957). The Mercy Seat, therefore, is the ultimate revelation of God’s love—a love that is holy and just, yet finds its greatest glory and delight in covering sin, restoring life, and drawing all its children into the unbreakable unity of its compassionate embrace. But what solemn duty does this profound truth place upon us?

MERCY’S MINISTRY OF RESTORATION!

The profound truth of the Mercy Seat places upon me a solemn and transformative responsibility, both toward God and toward my fellow man. My primary duty to God is to live in a state of constant, grateful recognition that I stand before Him only by the mercy that flows from His throne of grace. I must utterly abandon the spirit of the elder brother, which seeks to justify itself by works, and instead embrace the spirit of the publican, whose only plea was for mercy. This means I must live a life of continual forgiveness, not only receiving it from God but extending it to others, for this is the condition of my own acceptance. Christ’s words are a clear and direct command: “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7, KJV). Scriptures affirm this as “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6, KJV) and “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” (Matthew 23:23, KJV). As Sr. White so powerfully states, “We should not think that unless those who have injured us confess the wrong we are justified in withholding from them our forgiveness… as we hope to be pardoned for our offenses against God we are to pardon all who have done evil to us” (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 113, 1896). Sr. White further declares, “We are under obligation to God to show mercy to those who need our compassion and help” (The Signs of the Times, January 8, 1894). My responsibility to God, therefore, is to cultivate a heart that is tender, compassionate, and quick to forgive, a heart that truly understands its own desperate need for the Mercy Seat. But how must this inward attitude become outward motivation toward my neighbor?

This inward attitude of mercy toward God must then become the outward motivation for my ministry to my neighbor. Having been shown such great mercy, I am now commissioned to be an agent of that same mercy in a broken and hurting world. My role is not to be an accuser, but a restorer; not to condemn, but to heal. The apostle Paul lays this duty upon us: “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye” (Colossians 3:13, KJV). Scriptures affirm this as “Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the LORD your God is giving you.” (Deuteronomy 16:20, KJV) and “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13, KJV). This is the practical application of the gospel of the Mercy Seat. It means I must actively seek to bind up the wounds of those who have fallen, to cover their faults with a mantle of love, and to gently lead them back to the path of restoration. Sr. White describes this sacred work: “If we are connected with Christ, we also are partakers of the divine nature and are to be laborers together with God. We are to bind up the bruised and wounded soul; and if a brother or a sister has erred, we are not to join with the enemy in destroying and ruining, but to work with Christ to restore such a one in the spirit of meekness” (In Heavenly Places, p. 294, 1967). Sr. White further notes, “It is our duty to reflect the light of Christ in good works. We are to be channels through which the grace of Christ can flow to refresh and bless others” (Review and Herald, March 12, 1895). My responsibility to my neighbor, therefore, is to be a living Mercy Seat, a place where the harsh demands of the law are silenced by the tender plea of grace, and where every erring soul can find a compassionate welcome back into the family of God. But where does this prophetic anti-type find its solemn culmination?

PROBATION’S FINAL CLOSE!

In light of these concepts, the prophetic anti-type of the father’s final, decisive appeal from the Mercy Seat is found in the solemn, closing scenes of the pre-advent Investigative Judgment and the subsequent close of human probation. The Mercy Seat in the earthly sanctuary was the place where the final atonement was made once a year, settling the cases of all Israel. Anti-typically, this points to the final phase of Christ’s ministry in the heavenly sanctuary, where He pleads His blood before the Father’s throne—the true Mercy Seat—and the case of every soul is decided for eternity. This is the great work of judgment that has been in progress since the end of the 2300-day prophecy in 1844. Scriptures affirm this as “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” (Daniel 12:1, KJV) and “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” (Hebrews 9:27, KJV). As Sr. White solemnly declares, “Solemn are the scenes connected with the closing work of the atonement. Momentous are the interests involved therein. The judgment is now passing in the sanctuary above. For many years this work has been in progress. Soon—none know how soon—it will pass to the cases of the living” (The Great Controversy, p. 490, 1911). Sr. White further warns, “When the work of the investigative judgment closes, the destiny of all will have been decided for life or death. Probation is ended a short time before the appearing of the Lord in the clouds of heaven” (The Great Controversy, p. 490, 1911). Just as the father’s appeal to the elder son was the final word before the door of the feast was metaphorically closed to him by his own choice, so there is a final, irrevocable decision that will be pronounced from the heavenly Mercy Seat for every living soul. But what momentous pronouncement marks this culmination?

The culmination of this judgment will be the close of probation, a moment when the work of mercy is finished and the character of every individual is fixed for eternity. It is then that the final, solemn decree goes forth from the throne, a decree that echoes the father’s final appeal by ratifying the choices each soul has made. The apostle John records this momentous pronouncement: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still” (Revelation 22:11, KJV). Scriptures affirm this as “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;” (2 Peter 2:4, KJV) and “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” (Jude 1:6, KJV). This is not an arbitrary act of a condemning God, but the final word from the Mercy Seat, acknowledging that every appeal has been made, every opportunity has been given, and the time for mercy has ended. As Sr. White explains, “When the work of the investigative judgment closes, the destiny of all will have been decided for life or death. Probation is ended a short time before the appearing of the Lord in the clouds of heaven” (The Great Controversy, p. 490, 1911). Sr. White further states, “When probation closes, it will come suddenly, unexpectedly—at a time when we are least expecting it. But we can have a clean record in heaven today, and know that God accepts us; and finally, if faithful, we shall be gathered into the kingdom of heaven” (Manuscript Releases, vol. 8, p. 312, 1990). The father’s plea, “It was meet that we should make merry,” was the final appeal of mercy to the elder son. The close of probation will be the universe’s final acknowledgment that God’s mercy has done all that it can, and the time has come for the righteous to enter the eternal feast, and for the self-righteous to be left outside in the darkness they have chosen. But what final invitation echoes from this throne of grace?

GRACE’S LAST INVITATION!

The Mercy Seat, that slab of pure gold resting upon the Ark of the Covenant, is the most profound and hopeful symbol in all the sanctuary service. It is the declaration that the throne of the universe is a throne of grace, that the God who is holy and just is also, and above all, a God who delights in mercy. In the final, tender words of the father to his angry, self-righteous son, we hear the very voice of the Mercy Seat. It is a voice that does not argue the fine points of the law, but appeals to the higher law of love. It is a voice that does not focus on past sin, but rejoices in present restoration. It is a voice that does not seek to divide, but to unite the entire family in the joy of redemption. This is the voice of the gospel. Scriptures affirm this as “It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23, KJV) and “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (1 Peter 1:3, KJV). It is the call to every soul, whether lost in the far country of rebellion or lost in the field of self-righteousness, to come to the Mercy Seat. It is an invitation to cease from our own works and to accept the life-giving, transforming, and unifying power of a love that has already satisfied the claims of justice. As we go forth as messengers of this truth, may our own lives be a reflection of this divine character. May we be agents of the Mercy Seat, ever ready to cover a brother’s fault, to rejoice in a sister’s restoration, and to extend to all the final, tender, and urgent invitation to come in and join the feast.

“FOR HE SHALL HAVE JUDGMENT WITHOUT MERCY, THAT HATH SHEWED NO MERCY; AND MERCY REJOICETH AGAINST JUDGMENT.” (JAMES 2:13, KJV)

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PRODIGAL SON: THE MAKING OF A SON

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