We,
at the Full Gospel Temple,
built a replica of Israel's
ark as a token of our love
and regard for the Nation of
Israel, and its people, as
well as Israel's God. Because
the ark typifies God's
abiding love and concern for
Israel, and because it is a
representation of the
Christian faith we hold so
dear, we cherish this
wonderful reproduction of an
ancient and priceless
expression of God's love for
all mankind.
(Exodus 25: 10-16 KJV)
"And they shall make an
ark of shittim wood... and
overlay it with pure gold,
within and without... and
shalt make upon it a crown of
gold round about. And thou
shalt cast four rings of gold
for it, and put them in the
four corners thereof;
and...staves of shittim wood,
and overlay them with gold.
And thou shalt put the staves
into the rings by the sides
of the ark, that the ark may
be borne with them...they
shall not be taken from it.
And thou shalt put into the
ark the testimony which I
shall give thee."
For many, the
ark is one of the most
intriguing mysteries to
emerge from the Old
Testament, and though
generations have come and
gone since it physically
disappeared from this earth,
the influence of its ancient
presence lingers. Mentioned
for the first time in Exodus,
when the blueprint for its
construction is given to
Moses, there is no
indication, at first, just
how significant the ark will
become to Israel, or future generations.
Framed of wood, taken from
the acacia tree which grows
in desert climates and is
naturally resistant to
disease and insect
infestation, the ark takes on
an aura of priceless beauty
upon completion, when it is
overlaid with gold. A crown
of gold also encircles its
top, and at each of its four
corners a ring of gold is
attached for the golden
staves, which, when once
fitted into the rings,
"shall not be taken from
it." Simple wood is the
basis of its construction,
gold is its crowning finish,
but rings with staves are
included so that man can
always share the work of God.
One of the most significant
aspects of the ark is the
mercy seat. Having the exact
dimensions of the ark itself,
the mercy seat serves as a
covering for the ark, and is
itself overshadowed by the
wings of two cherubim, who
hover with those wings
outstretched, and their faces
turned down, so that their
gazes are forever fixed upon
mercy. "There," God
tells Moses, "I will
meet with thee, and I will
commune with thee from above
the mercy seat." So it
will be, from that time to
this, that God will always
meet and commune with man at
the place of mercy. Inside
the ark, beneath the mercy
seat, Moses is directed to
place the tablets on which
the ten commandments of God
are written. Eventually,
Aaron's rod, which budded,
along with manna from the
wilderness, are also placed
inside the ark with the law.
Wonderful types and shadows
emerge here, as one considers
the correlation between the
ark and the heart of man.
Soon, though, the role of the
ark becomes significant in
other ways. In Exodus one
reads that upon completion
Moses "brought the ark
into the tabernacle, and set
up the veil of the
covering." There, behind
the veil, the ark remains for
centuries, beyond the reach
of the common man, though so
crucial to his very
existence. The first time it
is moved is described thus,
"and the ark of the Lord
went before them in the three
day's journey, to search out
a resting place for
them." From the first,
it is obvious that God is
concerned about both the
natural and spiritual care of
His creation. At the crossing
of the Jordan, the ark, borne
by the priests, is carried
into the river and the waters
divide, making it possible
for the Israelites to cross
over on dry ground. At
Jericho, the ark precedes the
people round the walls of the
city every day until the
seventh, when the walls fall!
At the defeat of Ai, Joshua
prostrates himself before the
ark, as before God, seeking
divine guidance and help for
himself and Israel. When the
ark is captured by the
Philistines, the gravity of
the situation is illustrated
by the immediate death of the
prophet Eli, and the fact
that his grandchild is named
"I-chabod,"
meaning, "the glory is
departed from Israel."
More than two decades will
pass before David
successfully reclaims the
ark, and returns it to
Jerusalem. During its return
journey, it is left for a
brief time at the Gentile
home of Obed-Edom, where
phenomenal blessings result,
bringing to this Gentile and
his household a mantle of
favor and mercy previously
reserved for the Israelites.
Once safely returned to
Jerusalem, David begins
planning a permanent home for
the ark. That honor, however,
is to be reserved for David's
son, Solomon, who will build
the temple to house the ark.
There the ark will remain
until the temple is destroyed
by Nebuchadnezzar, King of
Babylon. Oddly enough, though
there is a detailed account
of the destruction of the
temple and its contents, no
mention is made as to the
final fate of the ark. It
simply disappears. Jeremiah,
the prophet, makes one last
Old Testament reference to
it. "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 they visit it; neither
shall that be done
anymore." Heartbreaking
words in a sense, because
they foretell the closing of
a very special dispensation,
a unique period of time when
God's presence is physically
represented through a
tangible object, the ark. And
yet, as always when God
closes something, whether a
door or dispensation, another
opens.
When the Herodian temple,
built at the time of the
Messiah, is completed, a
single stone marks the place
reserved for the ark. Israel
never makes any attempt to
replace the original with a
replica. What, after all, can
replace something so
precious? Finally, the ark is
mentioned one last time in
Holy Scripture, this time in
Revelation 11:19 where John
describes an astounding
sight. "And the temple
of God was opened in heaven,
and there was seen in His
temple the ark of His
testament." Wonderful
news! The ark is found! Once
again it is at rest in
Jerusalem, but this time it
will rest for eternity in the
New Jerusalem, the City of
our God!