Ark of the Covenant

[JohnMichael]

Note: This is not meant to teach or preach.

Many archeaologists are searching for the physical Ark of the Covenant. I saw on one National Geographic documentary that archeaologists think of finding the Ark of the Covenant as sort of a "Holy Grail" mission.

The thought occurred to me that what if the physical Ark of the Covenant was a foreshadow of a Spiritual Ark? Yes, the physical ark was lost hundreds of years ago. However, is a Spiritual Ark present today? Or more precisely, who?

Jesus stated that He is the Resurrection, the Truth, and the Bread of Life. (See verses below)

Joh 11:25  Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
Joh 11:26  And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Joh 6:35  And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Joh 1:17  For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Mat 5:17  `Do not suppose that I came to throw down the law or the prophets--I did not come to throw down, but to fulfill;

Keeping these in mind, what three things were placed in the physical Ark? The Rod of Aaron that budded, a pot full of the manna that fell from heaven in the wilderness, and the stone tablets upon which God's Law was written. (See below verses)

Num 17:8  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
Num 17:10  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.

Deu 31:26  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.

Exo 16:33  And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.
Exo 16:34  As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.

Heb 9:4  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;

Since Christ is the Resurrection, the Truth, and the Bread of Life, wouldn't that make Christ the spiritual Ark of the Covenant? All three things that were placed in the physical ark could symbolize what Christ is. The rod of Aaron that budded is a dead stick that was brought back to life (the Resurrection). The pot of manna would sybolize the Bread of Life. The book of the law/stone tablets of the covenant would symbolize the Truth.

The physical Ark of the Covenant was commanded to be placed in the Holiest of Holies in the Temple. What is the present day temple of God?

1Co 6:19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1Co 6:20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

2Co 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.

Wouldn't our hearts then be the reflection of the holiest of holies in the physical temple? With Christ in-dwelling, and if Christ is the spiritual Ark of the Covenant, look at Rev. 11:19 -

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.

What do you all think? Again, not trying to teach or preach here. This just occurred to me the other day, and it seems to make sense, so I wanted to put it to the test of like-minded brethren (like the Second Beast thread) and those that are more versed in Scripture than I. Please correct/instruct me if this is off base.

In Him,
John

[Mbongiseni]

Hi John

Excellent insight !

We see the physical representation of the spiritual as Paul puts it    "Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural (physical); and afterward that which is SPIRITUAL" (1 Cor. 15:45) and from the physical paschal lamb  to the Lamb of God that takes awy the sins of the world; physical tablets  and ceremonial laws to the spiritual laws.

What I like most about the object lessons given us from scripture is through physical knowns to spiritual unkowns.See how god communicated to Moses the construction of the terbanacle :Exodus 25:8 Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. 9 According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall construct it.

Well thanks for now.
Mbongiseni

[jong]

Hi John

Excellent insight into the spiritual nature of our Ark...

Also, the ark cannot be located on earth is probably because God has moved it into His temple in heaven.
Revelation 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.

Blessings,
jong

[River]

I follow you John on what your saying. I can remember when I first started seeing those type of things when reading the Bible. The depth of the Bible came so alive at that point. Thanks for sharing.

[dave]

Yes my friend I believe that you have spoke a truth.
That's why I reason, should someone ever find Noah's Ark, then the entire Bible would be false, Jesus is the Ark. They make movies about the Ark of the Covenant but no ones ever found it, Jesus is the Ark, again should they find it, I would have toss my Bible.

As Ray has said the Bible is a spiritual book.

[Craig]

So Micah are you saying that Noah never built an ark?  And if he did you would throw away your bible?

Craig

[River]

JohnMichael was talking of the Ark of the Covenant. Now I see we have switched to the Noah's Ark.


I know each time I try building my own Arks I either end up drowning in the flood or getting zapped down because I tried to keep it from falling. 

[stanstillwhite]

Both the tabernacle and the ark were but patterns of what was in heaven.  Just as the alter and the rest of it.  In Rev 11 we get a glimpse of the original.  No man made that one.  And both physical arks are a type of our Lord.  I like the way you put it together JohnMichael.

loven

Stan

[dave]

So Micah are you saying that Noah never built an ark?  And if he did you would throw away your bible?

Craig

I meant by throwing away my Bible, that should either one of these Ark's be found physically, then the entire spiritual sense of Who and What the Ark really represents is of no real importance. I believe that the OT is for our spiritual edification, it may be literal history but I am led to believe that the Bible is more for our learning and receiving in our spiritual walk. The more I have studied and read the OT I have come to believe as Ray has eluded to, that the whole Bible is a parable. At least that is where I stand now.

[Dave in Tenn]

I know each time I try building my own Arks I either end up drowning in the flood or getting zapped down because I tried to keep it from falling. 

Yep.

[Akira329]

So Micah are you saying that Noah never built an ark?  And if he did you would throw away your bible?

Craig

I meant by throwing away my Bible, that should either one of these Ark's be found physically, then the entire spiritual sense of Who and What the Ark really represents is of no real importance. I believe that the OT is for our spiritual edification, it may be literal history but I am led to believe that the Bible is more for our learning and receiving in our spiritual walk. The more I have studied and read the OT I have come to believe as Ray has eluded to, that the whole Bible is a parable. At least that is where I stand now.

Boy this is new! Is this where we are going next? Seriously Micah!!??

Antaiwan

[dave]

That's how I am given to see and understand it. What good would the physical Ark's be if as is said in the opening post Jesus IS the resurrection. What do think they represented and represent?