Posted on 07/19/2011 8:17:00 PM PDT by Ari Bussel
The Ark Restored Unto Israel By Norma Zager
“And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests, sons of Levi, carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and unto all the elders of Israel.” Deuteronomy 31:9
I’m going out on a limb here. There is a great deal of chatter about giving Jerusalem to the Palestinians to appease the world. Everyone has an opinion, one way or another, and most are political, some ideological, many religious.
Netanyahu and sensible people agree returning to the old borders would mean certain destruction for Israel. Why? Indefensible, they say. They are right I believe. But not for the reasons you may think.
There seems to be one point though that I have failed to hear mentioned by anyone at all. Thus I shall take it upon myself to be the one who actually proposes the theory aloud.
It will be a bit far out there to some, but I believe worth a mention all the same, so by virtue of poetic license I thus proceed.
There has been a consistent search for the Ark of the Covenant since the destruction of Solomon’s Temple by King Nebuchadnezzar. The Ark, that has been one of the most popular focuses of religious mysticism of all time with the exception of the Holy Grail, possesses quite a history.
The Ark of the Covenant isn’t a myth. It is an actual Jewish relic that was ordered by God with specific instructions for its structure and materials.
Only when the Jewish people lost their faith did the Ark fail to protect them in battle. When taken from Shiloh to a battle against the Philistines, the Israelites lost. 30,000 died and the Ark of the Covenant was taken by the Philistines. 98 year old Eli who judged the Israelites for 40 years fell back when he heard the news and broke his neck.
It was said that “honor was exiled from Israel for the Ark of the Covenant was taken.” (Samuel I 4:22) For the seven months the Ark of the Covenant was held by the Philistines, it brought destruction and death to them wherever it was placed. City after city fell to the plague until they returned it to the Israelites.
As long as the Jewish people carried the Ark and worshipped God alone of all the gods, with all their heart, they were invincible. Miracles are attributed to its presence. The parting of the Jordan River to allow the Jews to enter Israel, the fall of Jericho and numerous other victories ascribed to its powers.
Why this fascination with an ancient relic?
Why is it necessary to even mention something that may be a myth? A fairy tale that little Jewish children heard at bedtime to lull them into sleep.
Indiana Jones wasn’t the first to search for the Ark of the Covenant. There has been, and still is, a constant collection of archeologists and religious historians who remain fixated on discovering the whereabouts of this famous Jewish religious object. Why? What difference can it make now?
Obviously the Ark’s powers are gone and no longer serve any purpose to the Jewish people. Or have they?
Most agree that if the Ark is in the hands of anyone but those who are allowed into its presence, or if it is misused in any way, only destruction can ensue. Stories of its deadly flames are described throughout in great detail.
The Ark was a cruel taskmaster and dealt harshly with those who attempted to misuse its powers.
So if it’s in the hands of Israel’s enemies today, how does that affect the Jewish people? How does that influence Israel? What possible difference could it make?
There are numerous accounts of where it was hidden.
One theory claims King Josiah dug a hole under the Temple Mount and placed it inside.
One says Solomon hid it in a cave near the Dead Sea.
Some say it is in a church in Ethiopia.
It seems there have been more sightings of the Ark than of Elvis. So is it just a legend? Only a great story that captivates generations fascinated with mysticism and myth? Or an argument for religious scholars to chew on into eternity? I am not so certain it is any of those things.
I believe the Ark is still far more powerful than one imagines. Far more important to the Jewish people than they accept, and may even be the answer to why Israel cannot possibly give away any of Jerusalem without facing certain destruction.
If one believes that God gave Moses the Ten Commandments for humanity, and it seems the world has accepted this event without much controversy, then he must also accept that God ordered the Ark built as the vessel that carried the laws.
The entire purpose of the Ten Commandments was for men to learn to live correctly on earth. Without law there is chaos. God knows this. Man knows this. No rational human being can doubt the veracity of this statement.
Thus the laws came in a holy vessel, the Ark.
God’s word would, after all, require a sacred place in which to reside. The Lord himself specified rigid guidelines for its construction. The Bible says the Ark possessed God’s voice, His holy presence among us here on earth.
The responsibility for the laws and their container was given to the Jewish people.
And as the saying goes, “To those whom much is given, much is expected in return.”
God gave the Jewish people a great deal. We were the lawgivers; our people excel in creating medicine, science and advancements for the betterment of mankind.
Jews are resented and maligned for these achievements and not in any way appreciated, but they have never asked for any gratitude nor should we expect it.
It is what the Lord intended for us.
The Ark—God’s work—is our responsibility. What price would the Jewish people pay were they to allow it to be removed from their grasp?
I think we may have already seen the penalty on numerous occasions.
Even the most liberal anti-Zionist Jews among us are stopped mid sentence when asked, “If Israel had been a powerful country in 1938 would six million Jews have died?”
Most have to admit, probably not.
What happened when the Jewish people recovered Israel?
The war against the Arab world in 1967 was a miracle and there is no way Israel should have won that war. Yet it did, handily. Was it sheer military might? Or divine intervention?
Depends on how religious one is I suppose.
If it was a miracle, then it would give credence to the theory the Ark is under the Temple Mount and its return would signal the restoration of power to the Jewish people.
Israel’s enemies launch hundreds of rockets monthly yet few hit their mark. Why? Shouldn’t the law of averages apply? Strange. Maybe some unknown force protects Israel.
Perhaps giving away the Temple Mount would be giving Samson another haircut.
But is it the Ark itself that holds the key to the Jewish people’s connection with God? Or is it merely the symbolic earthly presence that reminds us of our commitment and obligation to follow God’s instructions and tenets faithfully as a people?
Would the loss of the Ark truly be the loss of the divine connection once shared by a people and their Lord? With so many Jewish people turning their backs on Jerusalem and Israel perhaps that connection is already broken. The question the Jewish people must ask themselves is whether the Ark can be restored. And does the true restoration lie in their return to faith.
Turning away from God’s presence has proven to have dire consequences throughout time for our people.
Can the Jewish people afford to gamble with Iran busily creating bombs to destroy Israel and the Judeo-Christian world?
I believe the Ark is still a force to be reckoned with. The Jewish people must take a long hard look at what they would be giving away in any land deal.
If we believed once that the Ark made us an invincible army, why should we as a people stop believing now? Now, when it is most important to the future of not just Israel, but the entire world.
Perhaps this is just another responsibility God has given to the Jewish people. The Ark is the representation of God’s good will toward the Jewish people and their bond with Him.
Protect the Ark and allow it to exert its power. As long as Israel possesses the Ark, the world is safe and all God’s enemies will be destroyed.
Relinquish control over the Temple Mount, and we may once again lose the Ark and God’s faith in our bond.
I am unwilling to take such a risk. Are you?
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The series “Postcards from America—Postcards from Israel” by Ari Bussel and Norma Zager is a compilation of articles capturing the essence of life in America and Israel during the first two decades of the 21st Century.
The writers invite readers to view and experience an Israel and her politics through their eyes, Israel visitors rarely discover.
This point—and often—counter-point presentation is sprinkled with humor and sadness and attempts to tackle serious and relevant issues of the day. The series began in 2008, appears both in print in the USA and on numerous websites and is followed regularly by readership from around the world.
© “Postcards from America — Postcards from Israel,” July, 2011 Contact: bussel@me.com
First Published July 15, 2011
The Templars stopped existing in 1312. It’s probably in Ethiopia
They may have been disbanded by the French King and his papal lackey, but they didn’t cease to exist. Many sources have them going to Scotland, Spain, Germany, Portugal the New World, etc. The Knights of Christ and Teutonic Knights were offshoots of the Templars and the Hospitaliers inherited some of their fortune. The Knights of Malta still exist and some say Freemasonry is descended from the Templars.
The Knights Templars mostly joined the Knights Hospitaller, another military order
Those in Portugal renamed themselves the Order of Christ, in Spain, Order of Montesa -- as the Reconquista was still going on
There were no Knights Templars in Scotland post their dissolution -- in fact the Templars were tried in Scotland in 1309 -- 3 years before the French King unjustly and falsely implicated them. The Knights in Scotland were absorbed into the Knights Hospitallers as you correctly said
But the Templars as a distinct organization ceased to exist
They did NOT get absorbed into the freemasons who started off as a trade guild and later degenerated in Europe to an anti-Christian organization (in the US it returned to being a social club).
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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bflr
The ark is not even mentioned after 2 Chronicles. I think that when Solomon’s Temple was raided a couple of generations after he died, it was either taken then or was hidden.
The only evidence is the desire for it to be true. It’s another one of Satan’s lies designed to get us to worship something of this world rather than the next.
If I remember correctly, it was Ron Wyatt who discovered the Ark of the Covenant. Mr Wyatt has since passed on.
IMHO, the author needs to brush up a little on his Bible studies.
Whenever you sign a contract with another party, generally speaking, both parties keep a copy of the contract. The Ark of the Covenant is simply the holding place of 3 items. The tablets of stone broken by Moses on Mt Sinai, Aaron's Rod that budded, and a pot of manna.
The dwelling place of God is also called His Tabernacle. His presence in that dwelling place is manifest by the Shekinah Glory.
On top the Ark of the Covenant was the Mercy Seat. Sitting upon the Mercy Seat are two Cherubim, one representing Perfect Justice, the other Perfect Righteousness. Together they comprised the Perfect Holiness of God exemplifying His Perfect Integrity.
Note His Perfect Integrity contains His copy of the Covenant
The broken tablets of the Law represent the sin of rebellion against the essence of God. The Rod that budded represents the sin against delegated authority. The pot of manna represents the rebellion against the provision of God.
God was propitiated by blood being sprinkled on the Ark of the Covenant.
The greatest historical crisis we face is being born spiritually dead. The solution to this problem is provided by the Blood of Christ. The Ark represents the work of Christ as the only solution to our problem.
Jer 3:16 (16) 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.
I’ve never heard of a single (conservative, evangelical) reputable scholar/archeologist in the ancient near east, who really believed the tales of Ron Wyatt.
Have ANY of his exploits been confirmed????
From the website:” AT THIS TIME, WYATT ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH CAN PROVIDE NO CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE REGARDING THE DISCOVERY OF THE ARK OF THE COVENANT.”
http://www.wyattmuseum.com/arkofthecovenant.htm#2006_excavation
The Wyatt Museum has been excavating in the area with the Israeli blessing these past years. I stumbled upon the Ron Wyatt story some years back and found it fascinating. Did he find the Ark of the Covenant? He supposedly told Israeli government of his find—the question is is it still there, or has it been removed by the Israelis?
Wyatt also claimed to find: Chariots on the bottom of the Red Sea, Noah’s Ark, Sodom, etc., and none of these, that I know of, have any confirmation—excepting from the visions he claimed to have. It’s a bit much when one man claims so much...that cannot be confirmed.
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