Mary - the Ark of the Covenant

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NotWorthy

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I recently read where the Ark of the Covenant pre-figured Mary, as being the dwelling of God. Edward Sri wrote an essay on it in “Catholic for a Reason”. I’ve also heard it referenced in some posts throughout the forum. I’m curious, how long has this relationship been written about? It’s a beautiful comparison, but one that I’ve been unaware of until recently. Any ideas?
Thanks!
 
I remember reading something simmilar; basically, there are quite a lot of parallels between Mary and the Ark, but I’m no expert. I’ll try and find you the website though.
 
I recall hearing that many times when I was a kid, and since. A traditional depiction, I believe.
 
Dear friends

Mary is the Ark of the New Covernant, she being the first disciple and the first to have God indwell her body which echoes the Eucharistic Covenant of the Body and Blood of Christ.

For me our Blessed Virgin Mother Mary is what every Christian should aspire to be as a true follower and disciple of Christ. It is therefore only truly through Mary that we can hope to achieve Christ-like resemblance, Christ surely resembles His Mother as well as His Father in Heaven and surely through her humanity elevated all humanity to the Kingdom of Heaven and all it’s fruits. The Kingdom of Heaven not being so, unless it is God and God being the Kingdom and the whole of the Kingdom, which reigns in each baptised soul that would remain in His grace. Mary being full of grace held the Kingdom of Heaven within her and befitting then the Son of God borne from this Kingdom reigning within her.

The ark is not a wooden box, moreover it is symbolic for the chasm, the soul, within that is filled by the Holy Spirit and filled with Holy Spirit and Grace therein lies the attainment of every Christian in the new Covenant of Christ’s Divinity and Humanity in His Eucharistic Promise, which is attainable holiness for all humanity, holiness that is found through mimickery of His Mother Mary (that we may be worthy vessels, a Tabernacle of the Eucharist by which we are transformed) who always leads to her Son and in, by and through His efforts won for us we are moulded to His image by the new Eucharistic Covenant.

There is no mystery to this Covenant, it is a trust in the Holy Mother of God, that her human vessel bore fruit for the whole world and through her fiat the Covenant was Incarnate in the Tabernacle of her womb, that in every generation after she is Blessed and through her we are Blessed also even until eternity.

God did not come down from Heaven to dwell in Tabernacles of gold under lock and key, He comes down as the Bread of Life to dwell in human Tabernacles so that in, by and through Him we are re-created by the power of the Holy Spirit into His likeness as was borne forth from Mary, our first and Most Blessed Tabernacle, the Mother of Life, the Mother of all Humanity, the Mother of the Bread of Heaven, that in her we recognise our true light and way and in her worthiness we are blessed, fed and nurtured.

Pray for us oh Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the Promises of Christ.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa
 
Mary as the Ark has been part of Catholic belief since very early on. In the third century Gregory the Wonderworker (c.213-270) wrote:

“Let us chant the melody which has been taught us by the inspired harp of David, and say, “Arise, O Lord, into Thy rest; Thou, and the Ark of Thy sanctuary.” For the holy Virgin is in truth an Ark, wrought with gold both within and without, that has received the whole treasury of the sanctuary.

In addition, Saint Athanasius of Alexandra (c.296-373) and who was the main defender of the Church against the Arian heresy wrote:

“O noble Virgin, truly you are greater than any other greatness. For who is your equal in greatness, O dwelling place of God the Word? To whom among all creatures shall I compare you, O Virgin? You are greater than them all O (Ark of the) Covenant, clothed with purity instead of gold! You are the Ark in which is found the golden vessel containing the true manna, that is, the flesh in which Divinity resides.” *Homily of the Papyrus of *Turin.

There are more, but I think this shows how long Mary has been honored in that regard.

MBS1
 
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prodromos:
Mary is also prefigured by the burning bush :).
I just came across this frescoe in St Catherine’s monastery in Sinai
http://www.sinaimonastery.org/photos/big/sina_t035_f05_b.jpg

John
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I never thought of that.
 
I’m sorry, when I first posted this, I meant to get further into this to show the parallels. I think it’s a beautiful comparison!

So at the end of Ch. 11 of Revelations, the heavens open up and in God’s temple the Ark of the Covenant is revealed. In Ch. 12, the ark is replaced by the woman crowned with stars. The woman and the Ark of the Covenant are revealed as one and the same. In the Old Testament, the ark contains three things: (1) the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, (2) a jar containing some of the manna which God provided in the desert in Exodus, and (3) the staff of Aaron, the 1st high priest of the Old Law. Because of what it held inside, the Ark of the Covenant’s presence became synonymous with the presence of God among the Israelites. Where goes the Ark, so goes the presence of Yahweh.
Code: 
Luke also understood Mary is the new Ark of the Covenant, as revealed in his account of the Visitation (cf. Lk. 1:39-56). Let's see how he compares Mary's visitation to Elizabeth with the ark's bearing the presence of God to Jerusalem in 2 Samuel Ch. 6:

  **2 Samuel 6**
  • David arose and went back to Judah. (v2)
  • David says, “How can the Ark of the Lord come to me?” (v9)
  • The ark resided there for three months. (v11)
  • The people rejoice ….“amid the festivities”. (v12)
  • They brought the ark “amid shouts of joy”. (v15)
  • David leaps and dances before the ark (v16)
Luke 1
  • Mary arose and went to the hill country of Judah.(v39)
  • Elizabeth says, “Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (v43)
  • Mary stays three months with Elizabeth.(v56)
  • Mary rejoices “in God my Savior”. (v47)
  • Elizabeth cries out in a loud voice “Blessed are you among women” (v42).
  • The babe leaps in Elizabeth’s womb at Mary’s greeting (v41)

    Luke also related Mary to the ark in Exodus. "The Spirit of God would overshadow and rest on the ark (vf. Ex. 40:34), thus showing the people the presence of God. In the Gospel, the angel Gabriel tells Mary that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and overshadow her (cf. Lk. 1:35). If in the Old Testament belief, the ark, which was made of gold and wood, held such a place of honor due to its mediating the presence of God, should we be surprised that Mary holds a place of surpassing honor in New Testament worship? The ark bore the presence of God and, after the Annunciation, Mary bore God in her womb. Just as the ark contained a) the tablets of the Old Law, b) the manna, and c) the staff of Aaron, Mary holds in her womb Jesus Christ the Messiah who is a) the New Law, b) the true bread from heaven, and c) the true high priest who offers His own life for us.
The Church, which is the New Israel, understands that the role of the Ark of the Covenant has been transferred to Mary. “She bore Christ’s presence to the world and is the spiritual mother of all Christians” (cf. Rev. 12:17). In the Old Testament, the ark also served as a mighty weapon in Israel’s holy wars. The Book of Numbers tells us that “whenever the ark set out, Moses said, 'Arise, O Lord, and let thy enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee” (Num. 10:35). Mary also assumed the role of the ark, in the battles with the New Israel’s enemy, Satan. “She is granted power and protection over the dreaded dragon, who cannot prevail against her” (Rev. 12:13-16).

Just as the Ark of the Covenant was made holy by its contents, Mary was made holy by the Son of God, made flesh within her womb. If the ark was rightly revered in Israel’s liturgy, Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant, should have a place of great honor in the liturgy and life of the new Israel, the Church. Therefore, the Catechism declares that “Mary, the all-holy ever-virgin Mother of God, is the masterwork of the mission of the Son and the Spirit in the fullness of time” (no. 721). Because she is God’s masterwork, it is no wonder that all generations shall call her blessed.

*From Tim Gray’s “Scriptures Revelation of Mary” in Catholic for a Reason.
*

Thank you for your patience and feedback!

NotWorthy
 
Does anyone know where in scripture it describes the hiding of the original ark of the covenant here on earth? I can’t seem to find a reference. However, I understand that at the time Revelation was written, the ark had been hidden for some 500 or so years. Imagine the surprise when this new “ark” turns up in heaven!! Had to be Mary.

Thanks, MBS1
 
It was probably taken captive or destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, 2 Esdr. 10:22, so that there was no ark in the second temple. I can’t translate that passage, but that’s the latest I remember seeing anything about it…

 
Check this out, it’s from a thread on perpetual virginity.

Hats off to RyanL, I copied it to use in CCD.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php

It will take you a while to get through it, but the thread has several great references to the ark of the covenant typology.

Paula
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NotWorthy:
I recently read where the Ark of the Covenant pre-figured Mary, as being the dwelling of God. Edward Sri wrote an essay on it in “Catholic for a Reason”. I’ve also heard it referenced in some posts throughout the forum. I’m curious, how long has this relationship been written about? It’s a beautiful comparison, but one that I’ve been unaware of until recently. Any ideas?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
Read 2 Samuel, chapter 6 for a great analogy. God struck Uzzah dead for touching the Ark of the Covenant. All he was trying to do was keep it from falling off the cart. Now imagine if this Ark which contained the written word of God was so holy, how much more so the Ark that carried the Living Word, our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Does anyone know where in scripture it describes the hiding of the original ark of the covenant here on earth?
Click to expand...
I was actually able to answer my own question. In 2 Macc 2:4ff, it tells that Jeremiah hit it in a cave on what appears to be Mt. Nebo (see Dt 34:1). It was hidden so no one could find it - so presumably is there today.

Imagine the surprise to the early readers of Rev. 11:19 to find the ark of the covenant now in the heavenly temple.

MBS1
 
NotWorthy,

You covered most of it. Of course, it would take a long time to cover it all, but here is something more for you.

In the OT, there is a special verb for “overshadow” that is used only once in the NT. Luke uses it when Gabriel says to Mary “the power of the Holy Spirit shall overshadow you.” In the OT, this special verb fro overshadow appears only a few times and each time it refers to the “glory-cloud” (Sheckinah or Holy Spirit) as it overshadows the ark of the covenant.

Ezechiel 44:1-3 clearly refers to Mary as the Sanctuary for the Prince. Verse three reads… “The prince himself shal sit in it, to eat bread before the Lord: he shall enter in by way of the porch of the gate, and shall go out by the same way.”

A porch “overshadows” a gate.

Thal59
 
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