THE ARK OF THE COVENANT

[Witness]

The whereabouts of the ark of the covenant has been a source of fascination and intrigue for centuries.  It is thought that during King Manasseh’s reign, the ark was removed from the temple, either by the priesthood or by Manasseh himself, to make way for his idols. (2 Chron 33:7,9; 2 Kings 21:4)  From there, it is said to have been moved to Ethiopia, and to this day is kept under guard by a succession of monks at a Catholic church.  Yet, King Josiah who reigned after Manasseh, referred to the ark no longer being a burden on the shoulders of the priests. (2 Chron 35:3)  Some speculate that this meant Josiah may have become aware of a future Babylonian siege.  He then hid it in an alcove built by Solomon located under the temple mount; or he transported it to a cave near the Dead sea. 

In the latter half of the 20^th century, one man claimed to have found the ark sequestered within the tunnels under Jerusalem, hidden there by Jeremiah during the Babylonian siege.  This man chose an alternate hill as the location of Jesus’ death on a tree (Acts 10:39), where he states that the shed blood of Christ seeped through a rock crevice, eventually pooling on the “mercy seat” of the chest buried underneath the mount (“Day of Atonement” Lev 16:11,14).  He claimed to receive a vision where he was told to ensure his find remain locked away until the “man of lawlessness” would be revealed in the last days.     

There are many speculations where the ark disappeared to, and the possibility of counterfeits built down through history; but the chest’s significance today is only that of a historic and archaeological treasure, since it is no longer God’s “throne”, or the symbol of the divine presence of God, which was called the “shekina”. 

The ark of the covenant, or ark of the “testimony”, was built by Moses according to the heavenly  “pattern” shown to him on the mountain. (Ex. 25:10-22; Heb 8:5)  Inside and out, the acacia box was wrapped in pure gold.  On the cover, two cherubim faced each other with wings touching above the ark. 

“You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. ²² And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.”  Exod 25:21,22

There are many miraculous events associated with the ark. When Joshua’s priests stepped into the waters of the Jordan river, it parted, allowing the nation of Israel to cross into the Promised Land. At the battle of Jericho, God’s spiritual presence was with his faithful people, as the ark was carried on the shoulders of the priests.  The walls of Jericho were brought down on the seventh day of marching around the city, when the priests blew their trumpets in unison.    (Josh 3:14-17; 6:2-5)

God’s word also shows evidence of allowing the enemy to overtake Israel, even though the ark may have been present during battle.  When young Samuel was under the care of Eli the high priest of Shiloh, God told Eli that his descendants would not thrive because of his weak attitude toward the wicked behavior of his two sons, who were also priests.  His unfaithfulness toward God’s decrees brought disgrace on him, as well as the nation of Israel. (1 Sam 2:29-31)  His corrupt priestly sons are described as idolaters and fornicators who “did not know the Lord”.  (1 Sam 2:12)  The account of their sacrifices offered for the people, shows an abhorrent lack of righteousness practiced before God.  (1 Sam 2:17)

After an initial defeat by the Philistines, Eli’s son’s Hophni and Phineas rashly remove the ark from the tabernacle putting faith in the presence of the literal ark itself, to bring them to victory.  They treated it as another idol, as the physical manifestation of God. Because of Israel’s sins, it was defeated by the Philistines and suffered great loss of life, including the lives of Eli’s sons.  (1 Sam 4:1-11) 

The ark was confiscated and placed in the Philistine temple of the god of Dagon.  By God’s spirit, the statue toppled and was destroyed, causing fear among the people. (1 Sam 5:4,6) Within a matter of seven short months, they sent the ark back to Israel after suffering disease and plagues wherever they desperately moved the ark. (1 Sam 5:11) 

Eventually, and under trial, error, and the unexpected loss of life, David was successful in returning it to Jerusalem.   (1 Chron 15:11-15; 16:1)  When Solomon finished building the temple, the ark was brought from the City of David and placed in the inner sanctuary, under the protection of two cherubim:

^“ Then the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. ⁷ For the cherubim spread their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles. 

Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.” 1 Kings 8:6,7,9

Only the Levitical priesthood was to bear the ark, as David realized when bringing it back to the City of David, veiled under a large cloth. (1 Chron 15:13; Num 4:5,6)  The priesthood role was to convey God’s messages to the people, spoken from above the ark, and teach His decrees written on the stone tablets that the chest preserved.  

 Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying: ⁹ “Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, ¹⁰ that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean, ¹¹ and that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them by the hand of Moses.”  Lev 10:8-11

Under the new covenant established in Christ, God’s chosen priests symbolically carry God’s laws hidden within their heart.  (Isa 43:10,21; 1 Pet 2:5,9; Heb 8:10;13:15)  These laws are sourced in the Word, Jesus Christ, the Head of God’s Temple of mobile “living stones”.  (John 1:1;14:15,23,24; 1 Pet 2:4,5; Eph 2:10,20-22) 

Today, God’s priests have abandoned their duty as God’s teachers. (Ezek 44:10; Mal 2:8,9)   A false priesthood/elder body assumes to “carry” God’s laws spoken by false “christs”/prophets, who subtly compare themselves to Moses leading the nation of spiritual “Israel”. (Num 3:10; Rom 2:28,29; 2 Thess 2:3,4) (Matt 24:4,5,23,24; Rev 13:11,12)  God’s priests imbibe in “intoxicating drink” offered by this Harlot; and in their drunkenness, they have allowed God’s sanctuary to be violated by the “unclean”. (Ezek 44:6-9,21,23; Isa 28:7,8; Luke 21:34-36; 1 Thess 5:7; Rev 8:10,11)

Until researching the ark of the covenant, I had never related “Jehovah’s organization” as an “ark” of testimony, promising to lead JWs safely against the religious and political entities of the world, and on to a victorious finish.  I view it even more so, as their “spirit-breathed” guiding idol of protection, enforcing the decrees of men; and like the example of Hophni and Phineas, it reveals how little God’s anointed priests “know” God.  (Jer 2:8; 9:5,6; Rev 13:15)

The practice of spiritual immorality has resulted in the trampling of God’s Word in Christ, bringing truth down to the ground, and exalting the doctrines of men. (Dan 8:12,13,25; Mark 13:14; 2 Thess 2:9,10; Isa 2:22)

His priests do not bear the mark or portray the “image” of God’s Temple City of Truth. They bear the mark of a counterfeit temple of two blasphemous Beasts.  (Deut 6:6,8; 11:18; Exod 13:9; Rev 14:1; Rev 13:1,11,12,16,17; 17:3,5)

 

Do you understand that it is blasphemy, when the wicked steward wrongly claims to be God's faithful slave (Rev 2:2; Matt 7:15; Rev 13:11), or when those not spiritual Jews (Rom 2:28,29; Ezek 44:7-9)

falsely claim to be God's Temple 
(Rev 2:9; 3:9; 2 Chron 13:9; 23:6; Mark 13:14; 2 Thess 2:4; Dan 8:11; Rev 13:7; 11:2; Jer 7:4)

...when in truth, they are an abomination of Satanic deception! 

Such Gentile "elders", blaspheme against the genuine saints and priests of heaven (Heb 12:22,23; Eph 2:6; Phil 3:20; Rev 13:6)

... "killing" all who refuse to worship and serve their collective "image", as God's "spirit-directed" organization (Rev 13:15).

That "abomination" is successful in destroying the life prospects of God's genuine people (Rev 13:7,8; Matt 24:4,5,24,25,22).

That's why Jesus called it, "the abomination causing desolation", "as spoken about by Daniel the prophet" (Matt 24:15; Dan 11:31; 8:13)   (Jer 12:10-12; Matt 10:34; Rev 2:16; 19:15,19; 16:13-16; 13:10; Isa 63:18; Jer 6:3; Luke 19:43,44; 21:20,24,22; Rev 11:2).  

This is, the "operation of error" / "deluding influence", of 2 Thess 2:11 
(2 Thess 2:4; Dan 8:11,12; Rev 13:1,4; 2 Thess 2:9-12).

Pearl Doxsey - “Who Are God’s People?”  

 

Prov. 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures (“images”) of silver”.

Jesus gave us warning that both good fruit and bad fruit would be exposed in the last days.(Matt 7:15-20)  Those slaves who are attached to the “vine”, who remain connected with their Head, will be projecting the “image” of God’s words of truth in Christ.  (John 15:1-5; Col 1:18)  Truth is the foundation of the Temple. Each “living stone” sealed into it would speak in harmony with Christ’s truth.  (Matt 16:18; John 14:6; 1 Tim 3:15)

“And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times.” Ps 12:6

In the inner sanctuary, as well as on the “mercy seat” of the ark of the covenant, were the two cherubim which appeared to guard God’s “testimony” of Truth which the ark carried inside. 

John 8:17 – “It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.”

A symbolic “two witnesses”, Revelation’s messenger servants of Christ, “trumpet” the need for God’s Temple priests to submit to Christ’s admonition, to “buy gold refined in the fire”  (Isa 58:1; Matt 24:31; Rev 3:14-22)

“Behold, I send My messenger,
And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,”
Says the Lord of hosts.

² “But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner’s fire
And like launderers’ soap.
³ He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And purge them as gold and silver,
That they may offer to the Lord
An offering in righteousness.  Mal 3:1-3

 

The tree of life represents God's gift of life through Christ  (1 John 4:9; John 6:57; John 3:16; 5:26; 1:4; Acts 3:15).

That gift is also represented by the ark of the covenant, guarded by "two cherubim" (1 Kings 8:6; 6:27; 2 Kings 19:15; Ps 80:1; 99:1; Ezek 10:1)

When the symbolic garden of Eden is restored, and the trees of life are accessible again,
the sanctuary is "opened", and living waters/manna/the law tablets (Heb 9:4; 2 Cor 3:3)), once again "flow" from the throne of God, and from the sanctuary in heaven.
(Ps 18:6,10; 80:1; Isa 37:16; Ezek 10:1; Rev 11:19; 15:5; Ezek 47:1; Rev 22:1,17; Heb 8:5; Jer 3:15-17).

So when we read that the "tree of life" was guarded by cherubim, we can hopefully perceive that this reality is prophetic and spiritual, and is still very much with us. 
It is the "two cherubim" (Rev 11:3), that determine who it is that are permitted to receive of life's provisions 
(Matt 16:19; Mark 10:37,40; Zech 4:3; Matt 17:2,3,11; Isa 61:4,3; Jer 1:10; 2 Cor 10:4; Rev 2:26,27; Zech 4:3,14; Rev 11:4,3),

thereby guardians of the "ark of the covenant" AND the "tree of life" (Rev 22:14; Ps 118:20; John 10:9,7; Rev 21:12; 22:14; 1 Cor 4:1; Luke 12:42).

Not all are permitted access to the "tree of life" 
(Matt 13:11,12; 10:13-15; 7:6; Mark 6:11; Luke 10:11; Isa 29:11; Luke 8:10; John 6:65; 1 Cor 2:10; 2 Cor 4:3-6; Rev 22:15; 21:27; Isa 52:1b; Joel 3:17; Nahum 1:15)

Pearl Doxsey – “Garden of Eden”/New Creation/Seven Spirits/Tree of Life/The True Vine”

 

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the advice of the wicked;
nor does he stand in the way of sinners;
nor does he sit in the assembly of mockers.
² Instead, in the law of YHVH is his delight,
and on His law he meditates day and night.

³ And so, he is like a tree planted by streams of water
that gives its fruit in its season;
its leaf also does not wither.
Therefore all that he does prospers.

⁴ Not so the wicked.
Instead, they are like the chaff that the wind scatters.
⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
⁶ for YHVH knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.”

Psalm 1:1-6

 

 

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