SHEPHERD
TO SHEEP
WHATEVER
HAPPENED TO THE ARK OF THE COVENANT?
The
ark of the covenant was the central piece of furniture in the Jewish
Temple. Inside the chest were the Ten
Commandments (the covenant) and on top was the mercy seat with the two gold
cherubim. But why doesn’t anyone know
whatever happened to the ark?
Many
biblical scholars contend the ark was destroyed in Jerusalem during the
Babylonian captivity in 586 B.C. Others suggest the ark was taken away by
Nebuchadnezzar and then destroyed. Indeed, Jeremiah wrote about its loss and
future non-existence: (Jer 3:16) “Then it
shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those
days,” says the Lord, “that they will say no more, ‘The ark of the covenant of
the Lord.’ It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they
visit it, nor shall it be made anymore.
The
non-canonical book of 2 Maccabees (from the Apocrypha) reports that just prior
to the Babylonian invasion, Jeremiah, “following a divine revelation, ordered
that the tabernacle and the ark should accompany him and...he went off to the
mountain which Moses climbed to see God's inheritance (at Mt. Nebo - Deu 32:49).
When Jeremiah arrived there, he found a room in a cave in which he put…the
ark…and…then he blocked up the entrance” (2:4-5).
Another
theory concerning the whereabouts of the lost ark include it being hidden
beneath the temple mount in Jerusalem, having been buried there before
Nebuchadnezzar could steal it away. Unfortunately, the temple mount is now home
to the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic holy site, and the local Muslim community
refuses to allow any archeological excavations.
Other
theories include that the ark was stowed away in Saint Mary of Zion's Church in
Aksum, an ancient city of Ethiopia. According to tradition, the ark came to
Ethiopia with Menelik I after he visited his father King Solomon. Only the
guardian monk may view the ark. This
lack of accessibility, and questions about the account as a whole, have led
scholars to express doubt about the legitimacy of the claim. A doubtful Irish tradition maintains that the
ark is buried under the Hill of Tara in Ireland. Some scholars believe that this
is the source of the Irish “pot of gold at the end of the rainbow” legend. The
movie "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark” tells of an attempt to
prevent the ark from falling into the hands of the Nazis who would harness its
power for evil. It eventually ends up as a secret U.S. government archive. At any rate, perhaps God chose for it never
to be found knowing our propensity to worship relics.
But
Revelation 11:19 tells us where the ark of the covenant is: Then the temple of God was opened in heaven,
and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings,
noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail. Here we see that God’s mercy through Christ
is still being offered and that He will be faithful to His promise of
forgiveness. Maybe that’s what you need
today. That would be a greater discovery
than the ark itself!
Louie
1 comment:
I offer a real possibility to what happened to the Ark - years of research lead to the birth of The St. Croix Ark.
Check it out at http://www.thestcroixark.com
Best Regards,
JP Noel
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