Lamb & Lion Ministries (Link)
- Dr. David R. Reagan (March 13, 2010)
It was in the mid-eighties, and I was hosting a pilgrimage
group on a tour of the Holy Land. We had made the long drive from the Sea of
Galilee to Jerusalem and had arrived in �the city of the Great King� exhausted.
It seemed like I had hardly gone to sleep when I was jolted
awake by the telephone. Assuming it was my wake up call, I lifted the receiver
and mumbled, �Thank you.�
I was surprised to hear a familiar voice on the other end.
�Hello, David, I�m calling from Texas!�
�From Texas!� I replied. �All the way from Texas?�
�Yep,� answered my friend, �and guess what? They�ve found the
ark!�
�The what?�
�The ark!�
�Noah�s?�
�No, dummy, the Ark of the Covenant.�
Needless to say, that statement really woke me up.
A Startling Discovery
My friend proceeded to explain that he had just read in the
Dallas Morning News about the discovery of the lost Ark of the Covenant.
It had supposedly been found on Mount Pisgah (Mt. Nebo) in Jordan by a religious
group from Kansas.
It all sounded a little far out to me. I suspected that
someone had lost touch with reality after having seen the popular movie,
Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Nonetheless, I rushed down to the hotel lobby to get the
latest copy of The Jerusalem Post. Sure enough, there on the first page
was the story. The writer evidently shared my skepticism because the headline
read: �Thar�s an Ark in Them Thar Hills!�
A Suspect Discovery
The story was right out of Alice in Wonderland. Some end-time
sect from Winfield, Kansas, calling itself the Institute for Restoring Ancient
History International, had issued a statement claiming to have discovered the
Ark in a sealed passageway inside Mt. Pisgah.
They offered no evidence, even though they claimed to have
taken photographs. They also refused to reveal the exact location of their find.
The leader of the group, who had a reputation for being
anti-Semitic, said he was going to prove his good will toward the Jews by
turning all his evidence over to David Rothschild.
When asked why he had selected Rothschild, he replied that he
considered Rothschild to be the leader of the Jews (an old anti-Semitic
attitude!). He also explained that he felt Rothschild had the power to help his
group in dealing with the Jordanian government and the Vatican.
A Provocative Discovery
The headlines have since subsided. The Kansas group has
returned to its anonymity in the wheat fields. And the movie, Raiders of the
Lost Ark, is considered a fictional classic.
But the incident and movie motivated a lot of questions, some
of which relate to end time events. What was the Ark of the Covenant? Why was it
so important to the Jews? What happened to it? Will it be found again? Is it
essential for the rebuilding of the Jewish temple?
The Bible and the Ark
The origin of the Ark is to be found in Exodus 25:10-22. God
ordered the Ark to be built to house the tablets of stone on which He had
written the ten commandments. The Ark was a box approximately four feet long,
two feet wide, and two feet high. It was made of acacia wood and was overlaid
with gold inside and out.
The lid that covered the box was called the �mercy seat.� It
was made of pure gold. Two gold cherubim were mounted on the lid, one on each
end. The cherubim faced each other, and their wings were spread out toward each
other, overshadowing the mercy seat.
According to Hebrews 9:4, two other items were later added to
the contents of the Ark. One of these was a pot of manna, the miraculous food
that God supplied the children of Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 16). The
other item was Aaron�s rod that budded (Numbers 17).
The Ark was housed in the Holy of Holies, the innermost
chamber of the Tabernacle of Moses. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the
High Priest entered that Holy of Holies and sprinkled blood on the mercy seat to
atone for his sins and the sins of the nation of Israel (Leviticus 16 and
Hebrews 9). Because God had promised Moses that He would commune with Israel
�from above the mercy seat� (Exodus 25:22), the concept developed that the Lord
of Hosts was enthroned on the cherubim of the Ark (see 1 Samuel 4:4 and Isaiah
37: 16).
The Symbolism of the Ark
Much has been made of the symbolism of the Ark, and
rightfully so. Suffice it to say that every aspect of the Ark pointed to Jesus.
The acacia wood symbolized our Lord�s humanity. The gold
overlay denoted His deity. The Law inside the Ark pictured Jesus with the Law of
God in His heart, living in perfect obedience to it. The pot of manna spoke of
Jesus as the Bread of Life or our life sustainer. Aaron�s rod that budded
obviously prophesied the resurrection.
The mercy seat was also a symbol that pointed to the Messiah.
It was representative of the fact that the work of Jesus on the Cross would
cover the Law of God with His mercy. It is an illustration of how the divine
throne was transformed from a throne of judgment into a throne of grace by the
atoning blood that was sprinkled on it.
The Ark�s Pilgrimage
As the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40
years, the Ark was carried before them on golden poles by the priests, following
�the cloud of the Lord� in order �to seek out a resting place for them� (Numbers
10:33). The Ark was carried into Canaan when the Israelites crossed the Jordan,
and it was instrumental in their victory over Jericho (Joshua 6). During the 400
year period of the Judges, the Ark was housed in the Holy of Holies at the
Tabernacle that was erected at the religious center of Shiloh (1 Samuel 1:3,
3:3).
During the latter part of the period of the Judges, when
apostasy was rampant in Israel, the decision was made to carry the Ark into a
battle against the Philistines as a good luck charm (1 Samuel 4:1-4). This
desecration of the sacred Ark enraged the Lord, and He allowed the Philistines
to win the battle and capture the Ark (1 Samuel 4:5-11).
But the Ark proved to be a hot box for the Philistines. When
all sorts of calamities began to afflict them, they decided to return the Ark (1
Samuel 5 and 6).
It was first taken to a small village called Bethshemesh
which was located on the border between Philistia and Judah. When the people of
that town ventured out of curiosity to look inside the Ark, a great number were
struck dead (1 Samuel 6:19-21). They quickly decided to pass the Ark on to the
village of Kiriath-jearim, located just a few miles northwest of Jerusalem (1
Samuel 7:1-2). It remained there for almost 70 years in the house of Abinadab.
(The 70 years were the last 20 years of Samuel�s judgeship, the 40 years of
Saul�s kingship, and the first seven years of David�s reign in Hebron, before he
moved to Jerusalem).
When David arrived in Jerusalem, the first priority of his
administration was to provide the Ark a proper resting place because He was
anxious to bring the symbol of the presence of God back into the life of the
nation (Psalm 132:1-5). The Ark�s return was an occasion for great rejoicing (1
Chronicles 15). David placed it in a tent on Mt. Moriah where it remained until
his son Solomon built the Temple. The Holy of Holies in that Temple became the
final resting place of the Ark (1 Kings 8 and 2 Chronicles 5).
The Lost Ark
No one knows for sure what happened to the Ark. The last time
it is mentioned in Scripture is in 2 Chronicles 35:3. That passage makes it
clear that the Ark was still in existence at the time of the spiritual revival
led by the boy king, Josiah. Within 22 years after Josiah died, Judah fell to
the Babylonians (586 B.C.), and the Ark disappeared.
Some scholars believe it was simply destroyed when the Temple
was burned. Others believe it was captured as a prize of war, taken to Babylon,
and probably melted down for its gold.
But the strongest tradition is that it was taken out of the
Temple by Jeremiah and hidden. Some are convinced he hid it in the ground on the
Temple Mount. But most who hold to the Jeremiah rescue theory believe he either
hid the Ark in a great cavern beneath the Temple Mount (known today as Solomon�s
Quarry) or that he hid it somewhere near Mt. Nebo in the modern day nation of
Jordan.
The latter theory finds support in the apocryphal book of 2
Maccabees. The narrative in that book says, �the prophet, warned by an oracle,
gave orders for the tabernacle and the ark to go with him when he set out for
the mountain which Moses had climbed to survey God�s heritage. On his arrival,
Jeremiah found a cave-dwelling, into which he brought the tabernacle, the ark,
and the altar of incense, afterwards blocking up the entrance� (2 Maccabees
2:4-5).
Another theory regarding the fate of the Ark is that it was
translated or raptured, being taken up to Heaven to prevent it from falling into
the hands of the Chaldeans. This theory is based upon a reference to the Ark in
Revelation 11:19. This passage is a flash-forward to the end of the Tribulation
when Heaven opens and Jesus returns in wrath. The writer states that when Heaven
opened �the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple.� Those who reject this
theory argue that the Ark seen in Heaven in this passage is the heavenly reality
of which the Ark of the Covenant was only an earthly shadow or copy (Hebrews
8:5).
The Forgotten Ark
Regardless of what happened to the Ark, the Scriptures
suggest that it will never be found again. This comes as quite a shock to some
Christians who have assumed that the Ark must be found before the Tribulation
Temple can be built and animal sacrifice reinstituted. Others have simply
assumed that the Ark would be replaced in the Holy of Holies when the Lord�s
Millennial Temple is built.
But Jeremiah says point blank that �the ark of the covenant
of the Lord... shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall
they miss it, nor shall it be made again� (Jeremiah 3:16). The context of this
passage is the Millennial reign of Jesus, so it does not rule out the
possibility of a discovery prior to that time. Conceivably, the Ark could be
discovered, and Satan could use its discovery to incite the rebuilding of a
Temple where an apostate sacrificial system would be reinstituted. We know that
such a Temple will be built, but I doubt if its construction will be motivated
by the discovery of the Ark.
The important point to keep in mind here is that the
rediscovery of the Ark is not essential to the rebuilding of the Temple. After
all, the Temple was rebuilt by Zerubbabel following the Babylonian captivity,
and the Ark had already been lost by that time. There was no Ark in the Holy of
Holies during the time when Jesus worshiped in the Temple.
Nor is the Ark needed for the Millennial Temple. Ezekiel
describes the Temple in great detail (chapters 40-42), and he never mentions the
Ark. There is a Holy of Holies (Ezekiel 41:4), but it is empty, and it is not
separated from the Holy Place by a veil.
Jesus has already entered the heavenly Holy of Holies in our
behalf (Hebrews 4:14-16, 8:1-6). He has torn away the veil that separated us
from God, and He serves as our High Priest, having offered His own blood as the
perfect sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 9:11-16). He serves as our Mediator
before the Father�s throne (Hebrews 9:24-28).
Thus, during the Millennium, there will be no need for a
human high priest or an Ark with a mercy seat. Jesus will continue to function
as mankind�s High Priest, just as He will continue to serve as humanity�s Mercy
Seat (Haggai 2:20-23).
The True Ark
With regard to this concept of Christ as our mercy seat, let
me add a penetrating insight which I picked up from John MacArthur, one of this
country�s greatest preachers. He pointed to a simple historical verse that
contains a profound truth about Jesus being our mercy seat.
The verse is John 20:12. Speaking of Mary looking into the
empty tomb of Jesus, the verse says, �she beheld two angels in white sitting,
one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying.�
What Mary saw, MacArthur observed, was the new mercy seat, the perfect mercy
seat.
Consider again what Mary saw. She witnessed two angels
sitting at each end of the slab which had held the broken body of our Lord. That
scene points us back to the Ark of the Covenant where two cherubim hovered over
its blood splattered mercy seat!
There is no more need for the Ark. Jesus has fulfilled all
that the Ark stood for. He was deity who took on flesh. He rendered complete
obedience to the Law, being made perfect and becoming the source of our
salvation (Hebrews 5:8-9). His blood was shed for our sins, and His victory is
attested by the fact and the power of His resurrection.
Just as the Ark was designed to be a symbol of the presence
of God in the midst of His people, Jesus is the ultimate expression of God�s
love and care and presence. He is our Ark. He is our Law. He is our Manna. He is
our Budded Rod. And, thank God, He is our Mercy Seat.
The Ark�s Fate
A geographic location that has become a focal point of debate
among Bible prophecy experts is the location of the Ark of the Covenant.
The Ark was lost when Solomon�s Temple was destroyed in 587
BC. Was the Ark also destroyed, or was it hidden away somewhere? And if it was
hidden, where might it be?
A book by Randall Price has helped to sharpen the debate
concerning the fate of the Ark. It is entitled In Search of Temple Treasures
(Harvest House 1994). Price is a fine scholar and an excellent communicator.
Unlike others who have written on the issue, he avoids sensationalism and
fanciful speculation.
His opening pages present an excellent capsule summary of the
origin, purpose and history of the Ark. He points out that the last mention of
the Ark in the Bible is to be found in 2 Chronicles 35:3, during the time of
King Josiah (about 25 years before the Temple was destroyed).
One of the best parts of the book is the author�s survey of
the various theories concerning the Ark�s fate. He takes a look at claims that
the Ark might have been destroyed on five different occasions, and he gives good
reasons for dismissing all of these. He then considers 12 different locations
where people have speculated the Ark might have been hidden. These include �
believe it or not � the Irish isles, the Vatican, a church in Ethiopia, Mt. Nebo
in Jordan, and a great variety of locations within Israel.
Without absolutely declaring that he knows where the Ark is
located, Price nonetheless concludes that Jewish traditions, both written and
oral, are the most reliable indicator. Those traditions point to a secret
compartment under the Temple Mount.
This theory cannot be proved at the moment because the
Israelis have allowed Islamic authorities to control the Temple Mount ever since
Israel reconquered it in 1967. These authorities will not permit any
archeological excavations on the Mount � both because they consider it a holy
place and because they do not want any evidence unearthed that would prove the
Mount was the site of the Jewish Temple.
Price tells a fascinating story about two Jewish rabbis who
decided to tunnel under the Mount to find the secret hiding place of the Ark.
They began their quest in 1981, and it was brought to a sudden halt that same
year when the Muslims discovered their digging. The entrance to the tunnel was
sealed, and the Jewish tradition regarding the Ark�s location remains
unsubstantiated.
Price devotes an entire chapter to a third possible fate of
the Ark (in addition to destruction and hiding). It is the fate that I
personally believe to be the most likely � namely, that the Ark was raptured to
Heaven before the destruction of Solomon�s Temple.
I hold this view because the Apostle John states that he saw
the Ark in Heaven (Revelation 11:19). Price argues that the Ark John saw was the
heavenly model of the earthly version, and he points to Exodus 25 where Moses
was told to construct the Ark according to the Lord�s �pattern.� But a pattern
does not have to be a model. It can be a blueprint or an oral description.
Personally, I cannot imagine the Lord allowing anyone to
destroy the Ark which was the symbol of His presence. And if the Ark was hidden
in a secret chamber under the Temple Mount, why didn�t the Jews simply bring it
out of the chamber and put it in the Holy of Holies after they returned from
Babylonian captivity? Why did they leave the Holy of Holies empty throughout the
history of the Second Temple?
And why would the Lord allow the Jews to find the Ark today?
Price indicates that its discovery may well prove to be the catalyst that will
prompt the Jews to build the Third Temple. There is no doubt such a Temple will
be built, but keep in mind that it will be an apostate Temple. Would God allow
His holy Ark to be found and placed in such a Temple? I think not.
Let me emphasize this point. It is not God�s perfect will
that a Third Temple be built. He will allow it to be built in His permissive
will, but His perfect will for Israel is for them to accept Jesus as their
Messiah � and not for them to return to the Mosaic sacrificial system that was
nullified by the Cross.
The only disappointing thing about Price�s book was something
he tried to do in the closing chapters. Incredibly, he tries to argue that
Jeremiah 3:16 means exactly the opposite of what it says! This verse states
categorically that during the Millennium the Ark �will not be remembered or
missed or made again.� Price argues that this statement is so strong that it
must be hyperbole, and therefore it must mean the opposite of what it says. Such
spiritualization of Scripture by a premillennial author is astounding and is
enough to make an amillennialist blush!
The fact of the matter is that the Bible makes it very clear
in this verse and in Exodus 40-48 that there will be no Ark of the Covenant in
the Millennial Temple. The reason, of course, is that Jesus has fulfilled all
the Ark�s prophetic implications. Jesus is our Ark of safety, peace, and
redemption. We have no need for any other Ark.
Although I do not agree with the conclusions of this book, I
recommend it to you. It will provoke you to think and to search the Scriptures �
two exercises that we need much more of in the Church today.
I came across the testimony of someone not mentioned in
this article who I believe brings an amazing prophetic fulfillment aspect to
the story of the Ark of the Covenant. While I can't say with absolute
certainty that the perspective is correct, I hold the belief that the Ark
was secreted away in the tunnel system during the Babylonian siege before
the destruction of the temple. The story told by Ron Wyatt of his
discoveries digging in the area certainly caught my attention, especially
when looking at the prophetic symbology that paralleled the mercy seat on
Yom Kippur and what Ron said he discovered.
Perhaps the re-emergence of the Ark of the Covenant will be one of the
catalysts that would bring a secular Israel together, like it would now seem
impossible to, and bring back a national desire to rebuild the temple and
re-institute the daily sacrifice prophesied yet to come.
For the Christian, the physical fulfillment of the annual sprinkling of
the blood on the mercy seat once and for all by Yeshua is an amazing thing
to think of.
Ron Wyatt talks about the testing of the dried blood he
says he found:
