S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

God made a covenant (a conditional covenant) with the children of Israel through His servant Moses. He promised good to them and their children for generations if they obeyed Him and His laws; but ...

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Jeffrey Johnson Supporter

What is the Ark of the Covenant?

The Ark of the Covenant is a sacred, gold-plated chest of acacia wood described in the Hebrew Bible as the repository for the Ten Commandments tablets. Constructed by Moses at God's command, it featured a "mercy seat" lid with two cherubim and served as the primary symbol of God's presence, power, and covenant with the Israelites.

Details regarding the Ark of the Covenant:

Construction. The Ark measured 2.5 cubits long, 1.5 cubits wide, and 1.5 cubits high (111 x 67 x 67 cm; 44 x 26 x 26 in.). It was built of acacia wood and was overlaid inside and out with gold, with an artistic border. Its cover, made of solid gold, featured two golden cherubs, one at each end. They faced each other, their faces toward the cover and their wings extended upward, overshadowing it. The Ark had four rings of cast gold above its feet. Acacia-wood poles overlaid with gold were put through the rings and were used for carrying the Ark.—Exodus 25:10-21; 37:6-9

Historical Significance & Disappearance

Role: It led the Israelites during their 40 years of wandering, was carried into battle (notably at Jericho), and was eventually placed in the Holy of Holies—the innermost sanctum of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem.

Significance: Considered the holiest object in Judaism, it symbolised God's throne on earth and was used to guide the Israelites during the Exodus.

Contents: It held the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, a pot of manna, and Aaron's rod.

It Was The Central Object of the Tabernacle, Exodus 25:9, 21, 22.

Fate: The Ark disappeared from historical records after the Babylonian sack of Jerusalem in 586/587 BC. It was not listed among the spoils taken to Babylon, leading to various theories about its fate.

The Ark was the most important object of the tabernacle and of the camp of Israel. God's presence was represented by a cloud between the two cherubs over the propitiatory cover of the Ark. On the annual Day of Atonement, the high priest entered the Most Holy and spattered the blood of a bull and a goat before the cover to atone for Israel's sins. (Le 16:14, 15) This foreshadowed the entrance of Jesus, the greater High Priest, into the very presence of Jehovah in heaven to present the value of his ransom sacrifice.—Heb 9:24-26

The Ark was associated with God's presence throughout its history. Jehovah promised: "I will present myself to you there and speak with you from above the cover, from between the two cherubs that are upon the ark of the testimony." "In a cloud I shall appear over the cover." (Ex 25:22; Le 16:2) Samuel wrote that Jehovah "is sitting upon the cherubs" (1Sa 4:4); the cherubs served as "the representation of the chariot" of Jehovah. (1Ch 28:18)

It was only the high priest who actually entered the Most Holy and saw the Ark, one day a year, not to communicate with Jehovah, but in carrying out the Atonement Day ceremony.—Le 16:2, 3, 13, 15, 17; Heb 9:7.

The Ark was an archive for sacred items that would remind the Israelites of the covenant, or agreement, that God had made with them at Mount Sinai. It also played a key role in the Atonement Day ceremony.—Leviticus 16:3, 13-17.

In Hebrews 9:5, the Greek word hi·la·steʹri·on, "propitiatory," is used to refer to the cover of the Ark. In the type, or pattern, God's presence was represented between the two cherubs over the propitiatory cover. (Le 16:2; Ex 25:22) The inspired writer of the book of Hebrews points out that these things were symbolic. As the high priest on the Day of Atonement entered the Most Holy with sacrificial blood, so Christ took the value of his sacrifice, not before a literal propitiatory cover, but before the very presence of Jehovah God in heaven.—Le 16:15; Heb 9:11-14, 24-28.

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