ARK OF THE COVENANT - THE THRONE OF GOD

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ARK      OF THE COVENANT The key to understanding what the Ark is and its significance to us today lies in studying the sacrificial system which was establisshed by God when man fell and was cast out of the Garden of Eden. All of the objects in the earthly tabernacle, in the Sanctuary, were “patterns of things in the heavens. “ Hebrews 9:23. The Ark represented God´s throne, where His presence was evident among the people. This throne was a copy of the great throne in heaven. The Ark resided in the second apartment of the Sanctuary – “ The Most Holy Place.”

The sacrifical system was designed to show the awful results of sin and how God Himself would ultimately offer His Son as the Sinbear to atone for the sins of all mankind. “ Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin.” Hebrews 9:22.

A sinner would bring a lamb or dove to the Sanctuary, confess his sins, then take the life of the innocent animal. In this act the sin did not vanish, the sin was transferred to the Sanctuary. This happened all year long, and then once each year, on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would make a very special sacrifice that would ultimately “ cleance the sanctuary.” Lots were cast over two goats. According to the outcome, one was sacrificed, and the other ushered out into the wilderness, after ALL THE SINS which had accumulated in the Sanctuary were placed upon this “scarpegoat,” and it would die in the wilderness. Leviticus 16. (This goat represents the ultimate punishment of Satan.)

Christ represented “ the perfect lamb of God,” and He died on the cross and shed His blood to atone for the sins of all mankind. Currently Jesus is our “High Priest,” and He is officiating on man´s behalf in the heavenly the Ark of the Convenant, and at His death on the cross, CHRIST´S BLOOD fell upon the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Convenant! This scenaric never accurred to Ron before he entered the cave in 1982; but no other story about the Ark of the Convenant makes more sense than this one. This scenario is the only one that truly accomplishes God´s holy purpose in regard to the Sanctuary services!

The Ark and the various other items from the First Temple were hidden in this cave below the Calvary Escarpament when Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple in 586B.C. There is a list of the things taken to Babylon (2 Kings 25), but the Ark is not included! Temple priests were led by God to hide the Ark directely under the place where His Son would die approximately 600 years later!

 

Jim Pinkoski´s  rendering of what Ron  saw in the chamber

"AND LET THEM MAKE ME A SANTUARY; THAT  I MAY DWELL AMONG THEM."  EXODUS 25:8

9: According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.
10: And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
11: And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.
12: And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.
13: And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
14: And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.
15: The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.
16: And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
17: And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
18: And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
19: And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
20: And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.
21: And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
22: And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel." Exodus 25:8-22