Bible Study The Ark of the Covenant

[ezrider]

Hebrews 9:1-5
Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.


Inside the ark were three items:
1. The manna represents the bread of life.
2. The commandments of the Lord.
3. Aaron's rod that budded.

Each of these has a fulfillment in Christ, for Jesus is the bread of life; he is the manna. Jesus spoke the commandments of the new covenant, and Christ is the Law of the new covenant. But was is the significance of Aaron's rod that budded. Does Aaron's rod represent the power of the Spirit in bringing new life to a dead stick, in causing it to blossom? Does Aaron's rod represent the resurrection?

Numbers 17:1-5
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods:write thou every man's name upon his rod. And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi:for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers. And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you. And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.

What can we say about the murmurs?

Numbers 17:6-9
And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers 'houses, even twelve rods:and the rod of Aaron was among their rods. And Moses laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness. And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. And Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord unto all the children of Israel:and they looked, and took every man his rod.

Numbers 17:10-13
And the Lord said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not. And Moses did so: as the Lord commanded him, so did he. And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish. Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the Lord shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?

 

[Malachi]

Christians today do not generally grasp the extreme and vital importance of the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant within the Tabernacle. But God shows us how important these two items were by devoting six whole chapters of Scripture in Exodus to the minutest details concerning the Tabernacle and the Ark.

The most important thing about this holy place was the very presence of God Himself in His Shekinah* glory accompanying His people, and communicating with His people through His servant Moses.

Having been given this tremendous privilege, Israel should have been the most obedient and joyful people in all creation. Instead they were constantly at odds with God, and paid some heavy penalties for their rebellion and unbelief, which continues to this day (barring some exceptions).

Today, Christians are generally unaware of the Sanctuary in Heaven -- the Heavenly Temple or "the Temple of God" -- which provided a pattern for the earthly Temple in Jerusalem. Everything pertaining to the Ark is now in Heaven, and indeed the Ark of the Covenant itself is in Heaven (Rev 11:19): And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. The words "Covenant" and "Testament" are used interchangeably in the epistle to the Hebrews. But the amazing fact is that the Ark of the Testament is now in Heaven (contrary to the claims of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church).

* The Aramaic word "Shekinah" or "Shechinah" is not found in Scripture but was used by later Jews to describe the visible Divine presence called Kabowd in Hebrew (Kabod or Divine Splendor translated as "glory" in the KJV).

 

[ezrider]

Christians today do not generally grasp the extreme and vital importance of the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant within the Tabernacle. But God shows us how important these two items were by devoting six whole chapters of Scripture in Exodus to the minutest details concerning the Tabernacle and the Ark.

The most important thing about this holy place was the very presence of God Himself in His Shekinah* glory accompanying His people, and communicating with His people through His servant Moses.

Having been given this tremendous privilege, Israel should have been the most obedient and joyful people in all creation. Instead they were constantly at odds with God, and paid some heavy penalties for their rebellion and unbelief, which continues to this day (barring some exceptions).

Today, Christians are generally unaware of the Sanctuary in Heaven -- the Heavenly Temple or "the Temple of God" -- which provided a pattern for the earthly Temple in Jerusalem. Everything pertaining to the Ark is now in Heaven, and indeed the Ark of the Covenant itself is in Heaven (Rev 11:19): And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. The words "Covenant" and "Testament" are used interchangeably in the epistle to the Hebrews. But the amazing fact is that the Ark of the Testament is now in Heaven (contrary to the claims of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church).

* The Aramaic word "Shekinah" or "Shechinah" is not found in Scripture but was used by later Jews to describe the visible Divine presence called Kabowd in Hebrew (Kabod or Divine Splendor translated as "glory" in the KJV).

The Ark of the Covenant from Exodus was the Ark containing the Old Covenant. Do you think it is the same ark as found in the Book of Revelation? Is the ark of the Covenant found in Heaven a different ark? Wouldn't the Ark of the Covenant described in Revelation be the Ark of the New Covenant?

Jesus is the Ark of the New Covenant: Jesus Is the Bread of Life. Jesus is the commandment of God. And Jesus is the Rod that the Lord did choose and cause to blossom.

 

[ezrider]

Christians today do not generally grasp the extreme and vital importance of the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant within the Tabernacle. But God shows us how important these two items were by devoting six whole chapters of Scripture in Exodus to the minutest details concerning the Tabernacle and the Ark.

I do not mean to call you out on anything, because your comment is probably no different than mine might have been, or many others for that matter, but I have to ask if sometimes as Christians that we tend to place more importance and more significance onto things than we should. Case in point, the ark of the covenant. People make movies about it and people still search for it, but to reuse one of your phrases....

But God shows us how important these two items were by devoting...... a passage in the book of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 3:12-16
Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord. Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the Lord, 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 any more.

Why is it so important that the Lord said in that day it should no more come to mind, neither shall they remember it. What is it that the prophet is saying about the ark of the covenant when he declares neither shall that be done any more?

 

[ezrider]

Jeremiah 23:5-8
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely:and this is his name whereby he shall be called, the Lord our Righteousness. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.

 

[Malachi]

The Ark of the Covenant from Exodus was the Ark containing the Old Covenant. Do you think it is the same ark as found in the Book of Revelation? Is the ark of the Covenant found in Heaven a different ark? Wouldn't the Ark of the Covenant described in Revelation be the Ark of the New Covenant?

There is only ONE Ark of the Covenant. There is no "Ark of the New Covenant". So that same Ark which was on earth is now in Heaven. It would be hard to believe if we did not have the Scripture that says so plainly.

Jesus is the Ark of the New Covenant

There is no "Ark of the New Covenant". While the Ark has many features which are types, you will not find a single Scripture calling Jesus "the Ark of the Covenant". Why? Because the Ark of the Covenant was the dwelling place of God, not God Himself, and Jesus is God.

 

[Malachi]

Why is it so important that the Lord said in that day it should no more come to mind, neither shall they remember it. What is it that the prophet is saying about the ark of the covenant when he declares neither shall that be done any more?

Context is key. Jeremiah's prophecy should be linked to Ezekiel's prophecy, which describes the Millennial Temple, and God coming to dwell among His people Israel in that Temple (Ezek 37:26-28). In view of that, the Ark of the Covenant is replaced by God Himself. Furthermore, since the Ark pointed to the finished work of Christ and how the Mercy Seat would be in Heaven following that, Israel will not have another Ark of the Covenant again. Jeremiah and Ezekiel are pointing to the future when Christ is King over redeemed and restored Israel, and the New Covenant is in force.

 

[ezrider]

There is only ONE Ark of the Covenant. There is no "Ark of the New Covenant". So that same Ark which was on earth is now in Heaven. It would be hard to believe if we did not have the Scripture that says so plainly.

There is no "Ark of the New Covenant". While the Ark has many features which are types, you will not find a single Scripture calling Jesus "the Ark of the Covenant". Why? Because the Ark of the Covenant was the dwelling place of God, not God Himself, and Jesus is God.

You are correct, you will not find a scripture that literally says Jesus was the "ark of the covenant," but his image fills the shadow. Though you will find a scripture on the other hand that does indeed say that Jesus was the place that God choose to dwell.

Colossians 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.

.

 

[ezrider]

Context is key. Jeremiah's prophecy should be linked to Ezekiel's prophecy, which describes the Millennial Temple, and God coming to dwell among His people Israel in that Temple (Ezek 37:26-28). In view of that, the Ark of the Covenant is replaced by God Himself. Furthermore, since the Ark pointed to the finished work of Christ and how the Mercy Seat would be in Heaven following that, Israel will not have another Ark of the Covenant again. Jeremiah and Ezekiel are pointing to the future when Christ is King over redeemed and restored Israel, and the New Covenant is in force.

What hope of assurance do you have if you do not believe the new covenant is in force now? If the new covenant is not in force, then are you telling me that you are still under the old covenant of Law and the Grace of God has not went forth? If you do not believe that the New Covenant confirmed in the Blood of Christ has no standing at this point and is not in force, then I do not know what to make of your theology.

.

 

[Malachi]

What hope of assurance do you have if you do not believe the new covenant is in force now? If the new covenant is not in force, then are you telling me that you are still under the old covenant of Law and the Grace of God has not went forth? If you do not believe that the New Covenant confirmed in the Blood of Christ has no standing at this point and is not in force, then I do not know what to make of your theology.

What caused you to go off on this tangent? The New Covenant is in force now and will remain in force eternally, including the Millennium.

You called Christ the "Ark of the Covenant" without any Scripture to back it up, and I responded by showing you the application of that prophecy from Jeremiah (also corroborated by Ezekiel) which points to the Millennium. There will be no Ark of the Covenant mentioned at that time because Christ is in the midst of His people, and He is certainly NOT the Ark of the Covenant.

As to my hope and my assurance, that is between me and God. As to my theology, at least I back up everything with Scripture, so it is purely biblical theology.

 

[ezrider]

What caused you to go off on this tangent? The New Covenant is in force now and will remain in force eternally, including the Millennium.

What caused me to go off on that tangent?, Because you said this:

Jeremiah and Ezekiel are pointing to the future when Christ is King over redeemed and restored Israel, and the New Covenant is in force.

You keep inferring that the new covenant is yet future. But the Ezekiel prophecy was long ago fulfilled in Christ.

2 Cor 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Ezekiel 37:26-27 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

.

 

[eddif]

Jeremiah 31:31
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Hebrews 8:10
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

IMHO we are the container of God's realities. An earthen vessel made in the image of God.
The liver is known as sweet bread. Our source of glycogen.
The lungs overshadow the heart.
The natural pacemaker looks like a crucified man.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_conduction_system_of_the_heart

The brain has vesicles to supply the river that flows past the cerebellum.
Revelation 22:2
In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

I am covered in hide, have symbols inside me. I have to repent and accept Christ Jesus to become the reality of the vessel he made. My body is but a shadow of things to come. The tabernacle and temple are but shadows themselves.

The redneck from Mississippi
eddif

 

[Malachi]

You keep inferring that the new covenant is yet future.

Not "yet future" but "also for the future". Note carefully what I have said: The New Covenant is in force now and will remain in force eternally, including the Millennium.

But the Ezekiel prophecy was long ago fulfilled in Christ.

How could it have been "long ago fulfilled in Christ" since Israel is still in blindness and unbelief, and the twelve tribes have not taken possession of their allotted lands as prophesied by Ezekiel? This is pure fantasy. Your quotation from 2 Cor 6:16 taken in context is addressed to the Corinthians and also the the Church at present, not Israel in the future Millennial Kingdom (Ezek 37:26-27). So my friend, it is time to start rightly dividing the Word of Truth, not mistaking the Church for Israel.

 

[Tony Hyman]

Yes that's why being a "Christian" is a heck of a responsibility .One takes the place of Aaron as a "priest"
with direct access to God . Paul tells us " ...For we are the temple of God .As God has said: ' I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."(2 Cor.6: 16)NIV.The ft note links to Lev.25:12 and of course Ezk. 37:26.My point being that we as Christians are "walking Tabernacles " and "Temples" and will have to give account of how we have "controlled and managed the responsibility" of growing in Christ as The High Priest "...and who serves in the sanctuary , the true tabernacle set up by the Lord , not by man.(Heb.8:1)
So a bit study on how the tabernacle worked in the OT ie Tabernacle Typology ,would not be such a bad idea in order to know what is expected of you as the "priest" of your body and what to be "holy" really entails from God's perspective.Serious business indeed.You can't pass the buck to the minister or pastor he has is own responsibilities to give account for.Where the "Arc" is right now, is irrelevant , as is the original tabernacle or Temple of Solomon under the Old Covenant.What are we doing with the "Individual Temple's" that we are responsible for to the Glory of God alone.I don't think it only applies to the Corinthians within Paul's meaning.

 

[ezrider]

How could it have been "long ago fulfilled in Christ" since Israel is still in blindness and unbelief, and the twelve tribes have not taken possession of their allotted lands as prophesied by Ezekiel? This is pure fantasy. Your quotation from 2 Cor 6:16 taken in context is addressed to the Corinthians and also the the Church at present, not Israel in the future Millennial Kingdom (Ezek 37:26-27). So my friend, it is time to start rightly dividing the Word of Truth, not mistaking the Church for Israel.

Christ has become the Israel of God. If you are familiar with the stories from the old testament, then you would surely know that after King Solomon's death the Kingdoms were divide in two. The Northern ten tribes called after Israel and carrying the Birthright of Joseph. and the two southen tribes known as the Jews, or the tribe of Judah, two whom belonged the Sceptre.

The prophecy in Ezekiel 37 is a prophecy about those two sticks coming together, the Sceptre and the Birthright have both come together in one in Christ. Jesus fulfilled the will of the Father, and in doing so he inherited His birthright and the kingdom and was crowned as King and given the Sceptre and all power and all authority. He was first sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, to lost sheep of the northern kingdom and to those who departed Egypt before the plagues. For Zion is in the sides of the North, and it is from the north that he calls to them. But the blindness remained for Judah and the southern kingdom because of their transgression. Do not continue in their unbelief.


With that said, let me remind you that this is not a debate forum and the fulfillment of Eze 37 is not the subject of this thread, so please do not continue down this line. The subject of this thread is the Ark of the Covenant, and the OP focuses primarily on the items placed inside the ark, and then asks the significance of Aaron's rod that budded.

Secondarily I asked why people find the Ark of the Covenant overly important when God through His scripture declared that it Should Not even come to mind, Nor should we remember it?

If you would like to discuss these aspects, then feel free to comment for that is the topic of the OP. If you wish to discuss the Church and Israel, well, you already have your own thread for that subject.

 

[ezrider]

Deuteronomy 31:24-27
And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee. For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the Lord; and how much more after my death.

The book of the law was placed inside the ark of the covenant, that the law might be a witness AGAINST them. The Law is not your advocate, the law of the old covenant works against you. The fulfillment of the Law of Moses is Death, and that debt has been paid in full by the death of Christ on the cross.


John 5:39-47
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life:and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me:for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words.

Jesus is our advocate, and yet he will not accuse us to the Father, for there is one that accuses you, even Moses in whom you trust, for Moses wrote the word of the Law, the Law that was given as a witness against them.


Revelation 12:10-11
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

And they loved not their lives unto death; Or as Paul said:

2 Cor 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

.

 

[ezrider]

The Law of Moses was to be a witness against them, the Law accuses them; and the fulfillment of the Law of Moses was death.

But the Law of Christ is not the same as the Law of Moses, for the Law of Christ is Grace, and he will not accuse us to the Father. The fulfillment of the Law of Christ is mercy and forgiveness.

Galations 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

 

[tim-from-pa]

"Come boldly unto the throne of grace" is a reference to and an allusion to the most holy place before the ark of the covenant. Many clueless Gentile Christians probably think of a typical Kingly throne and a grey-haired heavenly Father, but this passage in scripture no Jew would ever think of doing lest they die as only the High Priest ever went in there once a year and not without blood and incense. So to say that required some gonads.

I once had a web site where I did some dimensional and volumetric study of the ark of the covenant, which was the size of a small coffin. This thing was about 5 feet long and 3 x3 wide and high. I have a stone in the back of my property, "accidentally" placed there which has the same general cubit dimensions of the ark in common (not sacred) cubits, and has some interesting astronomical properties regarding the rising Tabernacles moon and distance to the temple mount in Jerusalem. I guess as they always say, nothing happens by accident. I think God wanted to humor me because only a mathematical mind like mine would see the significance of what I now call the "Christ Stone".