Do any Protestant groups or denoms think of Mary as the ark of the new covenant. . .

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I’m not aware of any, although I’m certain that somebody will jump on this thread and say that “the _______s do”. The concept was foreign to me until I started learning more about the Catholic Church. For what it’s worth, for comparisons sake my background is Methodist and Episcopalian, with a few brief pitstops in the Presbyterian, Baptist and Lutheran Churches.
 
Hi,

No for me as well. Never heard of this until I came to this forum. My background is Episcopalian, baptist and non-denom.
 
I heard of it before I converted to Catholicism, but it was from Scott Hahn, lol, who also converted to the Faith. 😛
 
I’m cradle Catholic and I never heard about it until I read Scott Hahn’s Book, and other Apologetic and conversion stories. I went into David Mac’s website and that’s when I noticed the similarities between the Ark of the Covenant and Mary.

The similiarity are amazing. Symbolically, I believe Mary is the New Ark but she isn’t THE ARK from the Old Covenant.

The Ark of the Old Testament
Mary - The New Testament
Ark of the New Covenant

The Word was written by God on Tablets of Stone (Ex 25:10) The Word became Flesh (John 1)
The Ark carried the Word of God (Deut 10:1) The Ark carried the Old Covenant. Mary carried the Word of God (Lk 2:38) Mary carried the New Covenant
David says “Who am I that the Ark of my Lord should come to me?” (2 Sam 6:9)
Elizabeth says “Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me” (Lk 1:43)
(Mary, was pregnant with Jesus)

When the Ark returned “David was leaping and dancing before the Lord” (2 Sam 6:14) The baby leaped for joy in Elizabeth’s womb when Mary came into Elizabeth’s presence carrying Jesus in her womb. (Lk 2 38)
There I have set the ark in which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with his people Israel (2Ch 6:11) Jesus is the new Covenant and he is in Mary’s womb, which makes Mary the ark of the New Covenant. Elizabeth’s husband Zachariah said "He has remembered his holy covenant (Lk 1:72) …The cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood (Lk 22:20)
Joshua summoned the twelve men from the Israelite, whom he had appointed, one from each tribe. Joshua said to them “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God.” (Josh 4:4) There were 12 stones like the 12 stars in Rev… The ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; … 12 :1 A great portent appeared in heaven: a woman …and on her head a crown of twelve stars. (Rev 11:19) representing the tribes of Israel.
In Joshua Chapter 6, the Israelites circle Jerico with the Ark of the Covenant and blowing horns for seven days before their victory. In Revelation Chapter 8-11 before the introduction the Ark of the covenant (Chapter 12) the angels blow seven trumpets to herold the victory over Satan.
The Ark of the Lord is a blessing to the house (2 Sam 6:11) Mary goes into the hills and blesses Elizabeth’s house (Lk 2 38)
The Ark is captured (1 Sam 4:11) and brought to a foreign land and later returns (1 Sam 6:13) Mary is exiled to a foreign land (Egypt) and later returns (Mat 2:14)
The Ark disappears (Jer 3:16) never to return until the New Testament Revelation story The Ark reappears as a lady who bears a son who is seated at the right hand of God . Her children are Christians. (Rev 11:19)
It will not be like the covenant that I made…that they broke though I was their husband (Jer 31:31) The Holy spirit shall overshadow you; therefore the son to be born to you …will be called the Son of God (Lk 1:35) (The Holy Spirit was Mary’s spouse)
 
Maybe I should have asked if there are any Protestants that outright reject Mary as the ark of the new covenant as Catholics believe.
 
At the same time claiming “Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant” isn’t something that Catholics must believe. Its just true and makes sense, but I’ve never heard anyone say it must be believed.
 
rr1213 said:
Yes, pretty much all of us.
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Thanks, I’ve not seen this rejection along with perpetual virginity, assumption, and immaculate conception.

Is the rejection a denial (possibility does not exist) or that there is no evidence (should not be a required belief)?

How do Protestants view the parallels between 2Samuel and Luke?
 
mark_a said:
. . . .similar to Catholic belief?
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I can only speak for the Southern Baptist Church I attended where I never heard such a comparison. I can’t speak for all Baptists, since there is no authority to guide their teachings and thus every church congregation may believe differently.

I first heard this Mary-Ark comparison by a Jewish woman on EWTN explaining her conversion. I remember thinking, Wow, this makes so much sense!
 
I_A said:
At the same time claiming “Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant” isn’t something that Catholics must believe. Its just true and makes sense, but I’ve never heard anyone say it must be believed.
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Thanks for clarifying my post.
 
I remember having a conversation with a dear friend many years ago. He was a member of some form of a Bretheren church with beliefs leaning toward the Assemblies of God. When I mentioned Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant, he said something like “Whoa, that’s way out there”. I didn’t know enough at the time to discuss the subject further. However, I do not see anything in this description of Mary that would be offensive, heretical, or anything of that sort once somebody seriously looks at the reasons for calling Mary the Ark of the New Covenant. It really does make a lot of sense. I think though that most Protestants have a knee-jerk reaction to dismiss any concept which may appear to elevate Mary to any stature higher than they regard her. However I did hear an excellent sermon the last Sunday of Advent (at the Presbyterian Church that I play at) that was all about Mary and how the entire future of mankind was in her hands at the moment the Angel Gabriel announced to her what would happen. Of course there was no mention of any of the beliefs that we Catholics have about the Immaculate state of her soul or her perpetual virginity. But that was OK. It was just nice to hear Mary spoken of at a Protestant Church as an outstanding example for all those who believe and have faith. 👍
 
Mannyfit75 said:
The similiarity are amazing.
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They really are. I can’t recall scripture and verse or who it happened to at the moment but there is another similarity that wasn’t mentioned. God commanded that no one touch the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament. When it became unsteady and was about to topple over someone touched it to support it and was stuck dead.

It supports the teaching that Mary was ever-Virgin as no man ever “touched” her either.
 
I never heard of this until joining this forum, and I am a cradle Catholic. Nothing was ever mentioned in CCD, Catholic high school, or even Catholic college. I see the symbolism, but it isn’t really something I would say I believe even now.
 
Denise_R said:
It supports the teaching that Mary was ever-Virgin as no man ever “touched” her either.
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Reminds me, a few days ago I heard someone on the radio talking about this perpetual virginity thing, and he made a very good point: Imagine Joseph, a devout Jew, having had a visitation, albeit in a dream, from an angel telling him about the true nature of that holy thing which had been wrought in Mary’s womb by the Holy Spirit. Then imagine Joseph at some later date wanting to fool around with Mary in a sexual way. Just would not be plausible.
 
Mannyfit75 said:
The similiarity are amazing.
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i agree. it is the most startling typology i have ever heard of thus far. to deny it would be to forgo any common sense or reason one has, but i’m sure someone will say it’s meaningless out of spite for our devotion to our Blessed Mother.

i would like to see someone refute the fact that Luke’s writing implies this parallel.
 
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