Romans 3:25, hilastrion, "the propitiatory" or mercy seat, the bloodsprinkled lid of the ark, the meeting place between God and His people represented by the priest (1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:10).HIlasmos, abstract for concrete noun. He is all that is needed for propitiation in behalf of our sins, the propitiatory sacrifice provided by the Father's love removing the estrangement, appearing God's righteous wrath against the sinner. A father may be offended with a son, yet all the while love him. It answers in Septuagint to Hebrew kaphar, kippurim to effect an atonement or reconciliation with God (Numbers 5:8; Hebrews 2:17), "to make reconciliation for ... sins," literally, to expiate the sins, eeilaskesteeai. Psalm 32:1, "blessed is he whose sin is covered." (See ATONEMENT; RECONCILIATION.)