That is an interesting passage in light of expectations among Jews and many Messianics that the Ark will be found and returned to Jerusalem, especially since the Ethiopian Orthodox Church recently announced that it has the Ark and will be making is public soon. The Ark is, in any case, no longer needed, since no sacrifice need be made over the Mercy Seat at Yom Kippur, Yah'shua having performed the very last sacrifice of Himself.

This passage in Jeremiah forsees the return of the 12 Tribes to Israel which can only be at the beginning of the Millennial Reign. With Yah'shua there (His glory and splendour), who will want a gold box? Just as at Pesach believers will no longer remember the exodus from Egypt but will memorialise all the incredible things that happen just before the Second Coming, so the Ark of the Covenant will no longer occupy anyone's interest, for they will have both the Living Ark and the New Jerusalem.

That's my (belated) take.

Thanks Chris,
I seriously doubt Ethiopia has the true Ark. Can you imagine the tourist revenue potential of displaying such an item as that? If they had it, it would be on display. They said 6 months ago they were going to take it to Rome and reveal it. Not!

I think them saying it is like people who go through emotional tizzies at a pentecostal service yet remain unchanged. They want to appear spiritual, even though they are not.

Who knows, The Ark may be in a wooden crate in a big government warehouse somewhere. Hmmm.

It's a fascinating question - I used to adhere to the Axum Ethiopian theory until I realised that many copies of the ark had been made in order to conceal the whereabouts of the real one. Then there are those who believe the Ark remains buried under the temple mount on Jerusalem and even more scintillatingly propose that the blood of Yah'shua actually tricked down through the ground to where it was concealed and landed on the mercy seat in order to make an atonement in situ, as it were (that would have required an incredible amount of blood unless it was just an inch under the surface....). But then maybe it's in some government warehouse. Who knows. This is just another of those "external, touchable things" (like the physical Jerusalem) that keep people earth-bound instead of heaven-bound. And it's the earthly things that so easily get turned into cultic objects (artefacts), even a whole Middle Eastern nation. We must keep our eyes above or we will end up tripping up on our own feet.

Lahry Sibley said:

Thanks Chris,
I seriously doubt Ethiopia has the true Ark. Can you imagine the tourist revenue potential of displaying such an item as that? If they had it, it would be on display. They said 6 months ago they were going to take it to Rome and reveal it. Not! I think them saying it is like people who go through emotional tizzies at a pentecostal service yet remain unchanged. They want to appear spiritual, even though they are not.
Who knows, The Ark may be in a wooden crate in a big government warehouse somewhere. Hmmm.

amen

Lev/Christopher said:

It's a fascinating question - I used to adhere to the Axum Ethiopian theory until I realised that many copies of the ark had been made in order to conceal the whereabouts of the real one. Then there are those who believe the Ark remains buried under the temple mount on Jerusalem and even more scintillatingly propose that the blood of Yah'shua actually tricked down through the ground to where it was concealed and landed on the mercy seat in order to make an atonement in situ, as it were (that would have required an incredible amount of blood unless it was just an inch under the surface....). But then maybe it's in some government warehouse. Who knows. This is just another of those "external, touchable things" (like the physical Jerusalem) that keep people earth-bound instead of heaven-bound. And it's the earthly things that so easily get turned into cultic objects (artefacts), even a whole Middle Eastern nation. We must keep our eyes above or we will end up tripping up on our own feet.

Lahry Sibley said:

Thanks Chris,
I seriously doubt Ethiopia has the true Ark. Can you imagine the tourist revenue potential of displaying such an item as that? If they had it, it would be on display. They said 6 months ago they were going to take it to Rome and reveal it. Not! I think them saying it is like people who go through emotional tizzies at a pentecostal service yet remain unchanged. They want to appear spiritual, even though they are not.
Who knows, The Ark may be in a wooden crate in a big government warehouse somewhere. Hmmm.

I always thought the ark was taken into heaven:

Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail (Revelation 11:19 ESV).

Unless our ark is a copy of the heavenly ark.

I guess you just can't believe everything you see in the movies, huh?


DR said:

I always thought the ark was taken into heaven:

Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail (Revelation 11:19 ESV).

Unless our ark is a copy of the heavenly ark.

The ark was just one of many set-apart items in the earthly temple and as nothing specifically said of anything or anyone being taken into heaven on a permanent residential basis apart from Yah'shua's resurrected body I think it only fair to assume that the ark in heaven is the heavenly original and the earthly one is, as you posit, a reproduction or replica.

DR said:

I always thought the ark was taken into heaven:

Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail (Revelation 11:19 ESV).

Unless our ark is a copy of the heavenly ark.

Hebrews 8:5 confirms that the earthly tabernacle and its contents was a "... copy and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain".

Also, the Hebrews 9:11-14 speaks of Him entering the heavenly tabernacle that these things are patterned after as High Priest with His own blood to make redemption for us...
And knowing the pattern that Yah gave Moses, the High Priest entered to apply the blood of the Mercy Seat of the Ark :)

So the ark was included in the 'all things' that was to be created after the pattern of heaven and the heavenly sanctuary :)

The plot thickens......... Thank you.........

Deborah Peterson said:

Hebrews 8:5 confirms that the earthly tabernacle and its contents was a "... copy and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain".

Also, the Hebrews 9:11-14 speaks of Him entering the heavenly tabernacle that these things are patterned after as High Priest with His own blood to make redemption for us...
And knowing the pattern that Yah gave Moses, the High Priest entered to apply the blood of the Mercy Seat of the Ark :)

So the ark was included in the 'all things' that was to be created after the pattern of heaven and the heavenly sanctuary :)