THE ARK OF THE LORD holds a fascination for many today. The original ark was made about 1545BC when Israel came out of the land of Egypt. It was kept in the holy of holies within the Tabernacle. When Israel moved camp the priests bore the ark ahead of the tribes and followed the pillar of fire and cloud which led the way to the next resting place.
The ark contained the two tables of stone on which were engraved the ten commandments, Aaron’s rod that budded and a pot containing some of the manna that God sent each day during the 40 years in the wilderness.
When Israel entered the Promised Land they crossed the Jordan River – the waters receded and the priests stood in the midst of the river with the ark until the whole congregation passed over.
Each day for seven days at the conquest of Jericho, the ark was carried by priests ahead of the army as it marched around the city. On the seventh day the walls collapsed and the city was captured.
For the next almost 360 years the ark was kept in the Tabernacle at Shiloh. Then when the Philistines invaded the land, the sons of Eli, the High Priest, took the ark to the battle. It was captured and placed in the Temple of the idol Dagon.
After 7 months the Philistines were so afraid of the ark they sent it back to Bethshemesh in the land of Israel.
When the men of Bethshemesh looked into the ark, God sent a plague after which they sent the ark to the house of Abinadab at Kirjathjearim, a city of the Gibeonites.
The ark remained at Kirjathjearim for 20 years until David decided to take it to Jerusalem in a new cart. His first attempt failed but his second attempt was successful with the priests carrying the ark to a tabernacle in Jerusalem.
When Solomon built the Temple in the 11th year of his reign (1021BC) the ark was placed in the holy of holies at a grand dedication service and “the glory of the LORD … filled the house of the LORD”.
(1 Kings 8:11).
At that time,
“there was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horeb” (1 Kings 8:9).
Probably the Philistines had removed Aaron’s rod and the basin filled with manna. The writer of 2 Chronicles stated,
“And there it (the ark) is unto this day” (2 Chron.5:9)
We don’t know when 2 Chronicles was written. Some suggest it was written in the time of Ezra and Esther but it more likely recorded Israel’s history progressively.
There were some very evil kings in Jerusalem who turned the Temple into a pagan place of worship. Ahaziah, Athalia, Manasseh and Amon built altars to pagan deities and we read;
“the sons of Athalia, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD did they bestow upon Baalim.” (2 Chron. 24:7)
Apparently the ark survived for it was later restored to the Temple by King Josiah.
When Josiah reigned, in his 18th year (623BC), he ordered the priests who renovated the Temple to
“Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; it shall not be a burden upon your shoulders”. (2 Chron. 35:3)
The last three kings of Judah were the sons and grandson of Josiah so it seems quite clear that the ark was in Jerusalem when the Babylonians destroyed the Temple. It was either taken to Babylon and put in the temple of Nebuchadnezzar’s gods or it was hidden by the priests.
But if it was hidden then it would have appeared again when the second temple was built. It wasn’t. Ezra chapter one verses 7 to 11 states that Cyrus issued a decree about 536BC that all vessels were to be returned to Jerusalem. Ezra wrote:
”Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the LORD which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem and had put them in the house of his gods”. (Ezra 1:7)
There is a list of instruments given but the main items of furniture such as the golden candlesticks, the altar of incense and the ark of the covenant are not mentioned.
The table of shewbread and candlestick must have been included because they were among the spoils taken by the Romans in AD70. And we know that Judas Maccabees relit the candles when he cleansed the Temple in 165BC after Antiochus Epiphanes had polluted the temple.
The most likely scenario is that the ark was melted down in Babylon to recover the gold.
Jeremiah prophesied before and after the destruction of Jerusalem and he stated that when Israel repented of their idolatry
“It shall come to pass,…they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD neither shall it come to mind; neither shall they remember it …neither shall that be done any more.” (Jer. 3:16-17)
Jeremiah prophesied that Israel would not remember the ark when they turned back to the Lord, and there is no record of it being among the furniture returned with Ezra after the 70-years captivity. This would suggest that the ark had been removed by the Babylonians in 586BC. If it was only hidden then it would have been brought out of hiding for the second temple.
When Josephus described the Temple treasures captured by the Romans in AD70 he listed the candle sticks, tables, vials, precious stones, the materials for the Vail of the Temple and “many other treasures” but there was no mention of the ark. (See Wars of the Jews Book VI page 465).
The evidence available would indicate that there was no ark in the second Temple and the Holy of Holies was empty. The glory of God never filled the second temple.
After Christ returns to reign however, the glory of God will not just fill the temple but all of Jerusalem and ultimately the world. Moses spoke of a future day, in the new heavens and new earth, when
“all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD. “ (Num. 14:21)
But Isaiah indicated that in the millennial reign of Christ, Jerusalem would be lightened by the glory of God. He wrote:
“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee (Zion). For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising … The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.” (Isa. 1-3,19)
The glory of God that shone over the tabernacle in the wilderness and in the temple of Solomon will illuminate all of Jerusalem when Christ is reigning.
Theories About the Ark
There have been several theories in recent times as to where the ark might be but in none of these cases is the glory of God evident. If they were genuinely the ark of the covenant that God made with Israel then the glory of God would be manifest but Ezekiel saw the glory of God leave the first Temple (Ezek. 9:3 to 11:23) and the Throne of David ceased until Christ returns. (Ezek. 21:27)
Some Jewish Rabbis claim that Jeremiah buried the ark on Mount Nebo or under the Temple before the Babylonianian captivity.
Another man claimed the ark was buried under Mount Golgotha and that when Jesus died his blood dripped onto the mercy seat. Everything about this claim is absurd. The same man made many claims that have no validity.
The Ethiopian Church has long claimed that it has the original ark of the Covenant. They say that when the Queen of Sheba visited Solomon she had intercourse with him and gave birth to a son who visited Jerusalem with a copy of the ark which he exchanged for the original ark.
If the claim had any truth in it, that would mean the Queen of Sheba’s illegitimate son had access to the ark of the covenant. But Moses stated:
“A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD”. (Deut. 23:2)
The chances of the ark being taken to Ethiopia soon after the days of David is extremely remote. It is absurd to think the Jews would give the ark away in exchange for a copy.
The Ethiopian Church claims that the original ark is kept in the Church of Our Lady, Mary of Zion, which is regarded as the holiest Ethiopian Orthodox Church. A perpetual virgin, appointed for life, is charged with watching over it. Nobody is permitted to see it.
Every church in Ethiopia has a copy of the ark which they display when they celebrate special occasions on their church calendar.
The claim by the Ethiopian church arises from a 14th century document and the chances of this document being genuine history after more than 2,000 years is so remote it is impossible.
Recently we heard of a Bible Prophecy preacher supporting this theory in spite of the fact that Jeremiah said that when Israel turns to the Lord they won’t even remember the ark, “neither shall they remember it”.
The Millennial Temple
Finally, the specifications for the millennial temple in Ezekiel chapters 40 to 47 make no mention of the ark. Ezekiel describes the holy place in the millennial Temple in Ezekiel chapter 41 but he simply states that the “holy place” is 20 cubits by 20 cubits.
He stated that,
“the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with His glory.” (Ezek. 43:2)
There will be no need for an ark when Christ reigns and as Jeremiah said, they won’t even remember it.
If uncertainty about the location of the Ark of the Covenant, and the fact that the glory of God evacuated the Temple, we encourage you to study the book of Ezekiel in detail with our FREE book The Glory of God – The Prophecies of Ezekiel Explained. This 84 page book includes over 200 Scriptures and 16 visual aids to help you dive deep into scripture to gain a greater love for the One Who knows the end from the beginning, delights not in the death of the wicked but that all would come to Him to receive salvation.
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By John Ecob D.D.
The Herald of Hope – Associate Editor
