Thus, the Ark of the Covenant was aptly named because of the commandments written on the tablets. Terrifying power. The ark is the first one described. While a fun time, the film fails to capture the spiritual significance of the golden chest. On top of the ark, was the mercy seat, or kapporeth in Hebrew. Ark of the Covenant: A Symbol of the Presence and Glory of God. The ark has a number of seemingly magical powers, according to the Hebrew Bible. The Ark of the Covenant is the fragment of God's power. Priests would often have to carry the Ark with long poles. They're the rules from the Old Testament by which humanity is supposed to live. God speaks directly to Moses, ordering that an “offering” be built, to very precise and demanding specifications. If the priests were absent, the presence of the law tablets reflected God’s presence. The Ark, as explained by the Old Testament's Book of Joshua, was the object which Moses's people used to split the Jordan River so he and the Israelites could pass through in safety. Maybe it's hidden deep within the Vatican; maybe it never existed in the first place. According to the Bible, Moses had the Ark of the Covenant built to hold the Ten Commandments at the command of God. There are two incidents in its history that most likely informed this portrayal where the Lord struck down people who did not treat the ark with appropriate reverence. The Ark of the Covenant was there and responsible for 'tumbling down' the walls of Jericho. The biblical stories surrounding the Ark speak of a device with divine powers that was able to produce food, take down stonewalls, kill those that come in contact with it, and provide direct communication to God. They built a chest (about 2 cubits in length and 1 cubits in height or about 3 feet, 9 inches … But sometimes, throughout Israel's history, the Ark goes on the move. This action atoned for the sins of the whole nation. Israel was sacked repeatedly by foreign powers over the history of the New Testament. The Ark of the Covenant was an embodiment of God's presence with the Israelites. If this is the motivation for stealing it, perhaps we should be worried about the antichrist coming to power. 1 Samuel 5:4 says, “...and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold.” The Philistines only kept it seven months according to 1 Samuel 6:1, because of all the troubles that befell the cities that held the Lord’s ark. The idea of the ark was expressed by God to the Israelites and was then made into a material object by skilled craftsmen in about 1462 B.C.E. The chapter begins, “The Lord said to Moses”, and begins to outline God’s specifications for the creation of objects to be used in worship. Unlike the statutes of gods idolized by many of the Israelites, the Ark of the Covenant served as a religious symbol where the people could meet with God. Inside the Ark sat the Ten Commandments, Aaron's staff, and a jar of manna. When the Hebrews settled in Canaan, they placed the Ark in the Temple of Solomon where it stayed until around 980 BC when the Egyptian Pharaoh Shishak ra… Ark of the Covenant: A Temporary Means of Forgiveness The Ark of the Covenant was more than just a special furnishing with supernatural powers -- It was also the Israelites' means of relating to God. The Bible has some interesting things to say about the Ark of the Covenant. What's so special about the Ark? In the lore, The Ark of the Covenant (Hebrew: אָרוֹן הַבְּרִית‎ ʾĀrôn Habbərît, modern pron. The poles used to carry the ark were of the same material. Kenya - The Gikuyu Invoked Powers Of The Ark Of The Covenant To Bring Down The British Empire. #post_contentIn mid-December, a horrible atrocity took place at the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Ethiopia, when 750 Christians who had been protecting the church were shot dead. But that's not all. Today, Christians believe Jesus Christ serves as our High Priest and as the sacrifice. Before we dive into some facts you may not know about the Ark of the Covenant, we first have to establish what it is. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. For the pop-culture minded, it is the priceless treasure sought after by the fearless Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Additionally, the ark possessed a supernatural power that awed and overwhelmed those who viewed it, and it served also as a means through which God could express his will. We dive deep into biblical history as we discuss possible locations of the Ark of the Covenant! So joyful was David, the Bible records, “And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment” (2 Samuel 6:14). The Ark of the Covenant could only be approached once a year by the high priest on "Yum Kippur"- the Jewish Day of Atonement. In the film, the Nazi jerks get their faces melted off when they peer inside the mystical box. The Ark of the Covenant not only contained the ten commandments, it was also believed to be the throne of God himself; where the Ark was, there would be the power of God. Destruction: The Ark of Covenant can destroy an entire planet and everything on it. It can be easy … Depictions of this rectangular container often had angels atop it with their wings touching. He hovered over the Ark when the priests were present. By James Kamweru | Submitted On November 15, 2007. After these victories, David felt led to bring the ark of the covenant to the capital city. Though it had a brief three-month stay in the house of a man named Obed-edom, it was finally ushered to David’s city. Most of the time, since its creation, the Ark of the Covenant stays within the Tabernacle (a moving temple) and later the temple. The priest who went into the temple during the time of Yom Kippur had to be fully right with God, lest he be struck dead. From hemorrhoids, to mice, no matter where the Philistines moved the Ark, trouble followed. Ancient Astronaut theorists believe that the Ark of the Covenant was, therefore, a power generator or part of a more complex system of energy production. To prove the chosen priesthood of Aaron and his line, the Lord commanded the tribes of Israel to set out twelve staffs, with Aaron’s representing the tribe of Levi, the tribe God appointed to the priesthood. So this alleged Ark of the Covenant is supposed to have some remarkable powers, like striking someone down with a bolt of lightning. The reason for this is because God's glory and presence cannot be touched by man. It can be easy to assume the gold-plated, special vessel that held the law, the symbol of the priesthood, and the proof of God’s provision held a special, perhaps mystical status. The true power of God rested upon the Ark. Once in the town of Beth-Shemesh, and once with a man named Uzzah. In Numbers, the people of Israel began to  grumble against Moses and Aaron’s leadership, and the Lord had just struck down a group of rebels. The Ark of the Covenant was a housing vessel for the Lord. It was plated with gold and its crown, also made of gold, was placed around it. In the book of Numbers, the Lord gives an explicit command that only Levites may handle the ark, and that, “...if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death” (Numbers 1:51). According to New Testament Book of Hebrews, it also contained Aaron's rod and a pot of manna. The ark of the covenant is more than Biblical history; it is mythical. Just Say Yes - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - February 8, The Von Trapp Great-Grandchildren Sing 'Edelweiss', 10 Things Selfish People Always Do in Relationships, 10 Things We Got Right in 50 Years of Marriage, Heart-Warming Valentine's Day Prayers for Everyone, A Prayer for the Lonely on Valentine's Day, 4 Spiritual Secrets My Toddler Grandchildren Taught Me, This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright © 2021, Crosswalk.com. These descriptions of the ark basically tell us that it was something extremely powerful, yet very dangerous for the health of man. This wasn't the famed parting of the Red Sea, but rather a smaller, second, water-bending feat. Because it disappeared, many misconceptions about God’s ark arose. The ark of the covenant itself was not necessarily holy; God’s presence made it so. For the Israelites, this rod represented the line of the priesthood. This wasn't the famed parting of the Red Sea, but rather a smaller, second, water-bending feat. The mercy seat served as an actual seat for the Lord in the Tabernacle, and eventually in Solomon’s temple. There are numerous references to, again, a great shout.”. Powers. Around 1400 BC, after the Ten Commandments were smashed by Moses, the pieces were collected in the Ark of the Covenant, a gold-gilded wooden chest constructed under instruction from God and carried before the Hebrews on their march towards the Promised Land. There have been suggestions that Moses actually stole it from the Egyptians and there are Egyptian engravings of … Given the construction of the ark, layered with gold and carried on gilded poles, it is possible that it could act as a simple electrical capacitor that would, over time, generate static electricity and focus it in a ball of light similar to St. Elmo’s fire in the central gold dish area between the two golden cherubim statues. Another reason for the Ark’s construction was political. Ark of the Covenant: At Kirjath-Jearim Twenty Years. Moses smashed the original tablets in Exodus 32 after the Israelites made the golden calf to worship. Biblically speaking, this portrayal is on point. How Many Times Is Love Mentioned in the Bible? For some, the Ark is a mystical object that contains supernatural powers too terrifying to comprehend. Or did the Ark of the Covenant possess extraordinary powers? Terrifying power. Ark of the Covenant: A Copy of the Law Laid in the Side of. Though I have no particular reason to assume we are at that point (mid-tribulation) it provides one of the best potential explanations for stealing the Ark. So, like, don't touch. The ark of the covenant acted as the symbol of God’s holiness, and not abiding by the rules set forth brought about His wrath. Ark of the covenant was a sacred chest made by the ancient Israelites according to the command and design of God. Flawless Indestructibibility: The Ark of Covenant was forged by God with gold and holy heavenly fire imbued with the power of God that is indestructible, the Ark of the Covenant cannot be destroyed. These were the Ten Commandments, Aaron’s budded staff, and manna. Sadly, the Ark disappears from the narrative when the Babylonians sack Jerusalem and destroy the temple. Ark of the Covenant: A Type of Christ. According to Exodus 19:5-6 Yahweh made a covenant with the Israelites: “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. That's two holy objects smashed into one. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7). However, the moment noted more significant by the writer of Hebrews, was the budding and flowering of the rod. Manna sustained the Israelites when they wandered in the wilderness after they fled Egypt. Here, the Lord’s Spirit indwelled and filled the space as a cloud. It housed and protected “the Testimony,” the Ten Commandments written on two stone tablets.—Exodus 25:8-10, 16; 31:18.. To others, it is an ancient artifact that is highly coveted for its "religious" significance, similar to the "holy grail." Hollywood even elevated it to superstardom by making it the primary focus of the Stephen Spielberg blockbuster "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark." The dimensions of the alliance were approximately 131 x 79 x 79 centimeters. The Truth About The Ark Of The Covenant's Powers, Ark of the Covenant is an ornate box that houses the tablets of the Ten Commandments. The Ark of the Covenant (Hebrew: אֲרוֹן הַבְּרִית ʾărōn habbrīṯ; Koinē Greek: Κιβωτός της Διαθήκης, romanized: Kībōtós tis Diathíkis) also known as the Ark of the Testimony, and in a few verses across various translations of the Bible as the Ark of God, is a gold-covered wooden chest with lid cover described in the Book of Exodus as containing the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. The last years of King Saul’s reign were tumultuous and bloody. As a container vessel, the ark carried artifacts that spoke to key moments during Israel’s time in the wilderness. Some believe the Ark is needed to complete the Third Temple in Jerusalem. As a receptacle of holy items that doubles as God's special chair, the Ark of the Covenant was no ordinary box. The kingdom of Aksum was one of the four great powers of the ancient world, and the town of Aksum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It doesn't matter. The word manna appears to express their confusion about what it was, as they exclaimed upon seeing it for the first time, “what is it?” Every morning for forty years, the sweet, flaky, white substance that was similar to coriander kept the Israelites fed, combined with quail in the evening. It culminated in them putting the Ark in their pagan temple, and the statue of their false god Dagon was found prostrate before the Ark twice - the second time, broken. However, what truly made it special - what made it important - was the actual manifestation of God’s presence. The Israelites also carried the Ark around the walls of Jericho every day for six days. If they accidentally touched it, they would instantly die. It's holy enough to grant men power if they ever get their hands on it. The Ark goes missing from the narrative then. The hunt for this mysterious and supposedly powerful object has been taken up by many explorers throughout the centuries, but it's never been found. We even break down it’s contents and supernatural powers. Like the song says, as a result, the walls "came a-tumblin' down.". It did not stay in any one place for very long, as disaster seemed to strike the Philistines whenever they moved what they believed to be a war prize. The Bible shows it to possess a great power to destroy the enemies of God or remove obstacles that stood in his chosen people's way. All 50,000-70,000 of them. The top of the Ark was known as the Mercy Seat. We see in Raiders of the Lost Ark that the Ark is a dangerous object. For instance, the Philistines manage to capture the Ark during Samuel's childhood and take it to their god Dagon, until the Ark causes a plague in their land and breaks their idol statue. The Hebrew aron, by which the Ark of the Covenant is expressed, does not call to the mind, as that used for Noah's Ark, a large construction, but rather a chest.This word is generally determined in the sacred text; so we read of the Ark of the Testimony (Exodus 25:16, 22; 26:33, etc. The Ark, as explained by the Old Testament's Book of Joshua, was the object which Moses's people used to split the Jordan River so he and the Israelites could pass through in safety. Elevated to soaring heights of fantasy and legend after disappearing centuries ago, people have long sought to discover the truth about it. The Ark is the power and will of Yahweh, the Lord. Because the Lord’s Spirit came in all His glory, few could come into its direct presence. My guess is that the Ark was carried off and dismantled for the gold coating. The Israelites honored God for His kept promises and miraculous provision by keeping a sample of manna in the ark. Now that we've established the identity and historical context of the Ark, are six facts about the Ark of the Covenant: Much like we have the exact dimensions and instructions for Noah’s ark in Genesis, Exodus 25:10-22 describes the process and the parameters for the creation of the chest. So where does the ark of the covenant get its fearsome reputation that lead to its portrayal as a weapon in "Raiders of the Lost Ark"? This offering includes the Ark of the Covenant, the Tabernacle (Temple) and all of the fixtures, fittings and furnishings. According to Judeo-Christian lore, the Ark of the Covenant is an ornate box that houses the tablets of the Ten Commandments that were given to Moses by God himself. The second set of stone tablets represented the law - the Old Testament standard of righteousness. God’s presence settled on the mercy seat when it came into the tabernacle to be with the nation of Israel. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain/Benjamin West, Bible Study Resources - Tips, Online Bible Search, Devotions, Amazing Children's Choir Sings 'I Can Only Imagine', One-Sentence Summaries of Every Old Testament Book, 20 Reasons Marriages Fail (Christian Marriages, Too), Love Your Neighbor as Yourself - Crosswalk the Devotional - February 9. Mt. The Philistines captured God’s Ark after the battle of Shiloh, where the sons of the High Priest Eli - Hophni and Phinehas - were killed. He was the last emperor of Ethiopia—and, he claimed, the 225th monarch, descended from Menelik, the ruler believed responsible for Ethiopia's possession of the ark of the covenant … According to the Old Testament, it was the power of the Lord. When David came to the throne of Israel, he had to take Jerusalem from the Jebusites and fight back an attack from the Philistines. The Ark of the covenant did not only carry the ten commandments of God, but it was said to be the throne of God himself, wherever the Ark of the covenant went, God was present. The Judeo-Christian antiquity has managed to permeate western culture regardless of its verified existence. The Lord’s presence should still inspire us to rejoice like David today, for today we do not need the ark to experience it; He lives within us! What happened to this incredible relic? In both instances, Israelites who knew the law chose to disobey, and interacted with the ark of the covenant contrary to God’s word. (Or has it?) And acting as a voice of God. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Jewish and Christian tradition presents the Ark of the Covenant as the physical manifestation of God’s presence and supreme power. The power of the ark was not in the thing itself, but in the wonder and majesty of Jehovah, whose presence once rested there, but now indwells within each believer. While the Bible is silent on the ark’s ultimate fate, there are still centuries of history covered in the Bible that detail its construction, use of worship, and how its presence testified to the power of God. But what may have been taken from the church may involve a crime of biblical proportions – the theft of the legendary Ark of the Covenant. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” It was believed this covenant brought about the construction of the Ark. Few Biblical objects have been held as sacred as the Ark of the Covenant. Ancient Israelites marched the Ark into battle and brought whole cities to their knees. Hebrews 9:1-5 - Then verily the first [covenant] had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly … During another instance in David's reign, the Israelites attempt to return the Ark, but because a man tries to stop the Ark from falling with his bare hands, he dies. Marching around the stone fort and blowing trumpets could not possibly shatter such walls. In the Book of Samuel, the people of Beth-shemesh looked upon the Ark, like any curious person would, and met a strikingly similar fate. They left them out overnight, “and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds” (Numbers 17:8).