What Is the Ark of the Covenant?

[RomanRyan1088]

What Is the Ark of the Covenant? I hear people say Mary is it, but what is it?

 

[Marie]

RomanRyan1088:

What Is the Ark of the Covenant? I hear people say Mary is it, but what is it?

In scripture we read of the Ark of the Testimony (Ex., xxv, 16, 22; xxvi, 33, etc.), the Ark of the Testament (Ex., xxx, 26), the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord (Num., x, 33; Deut., x, 8, etc.), the Ark of the Covenant (Jos., iii, 6, etc.), the Ark of God (I Kings, iii, 3, etc.), the Ark of the Lord (I Kings, iv, 6, etc.). Of these, the expression “Ark of the Covenant” has become most familiar in English.

The Ark of the Covenant was a kind of chest, Made of setim wood, it was overlaid within and without with the purest gold, and a golden crown or rim ran around it. At the four corners, very likely towards the upper part, four golden rings had been cast; through them passed two bars of setim wood overlaid with gold, to carry the Ark. These two bars were to remain always in the rings, even when the Ark had been placed in the temple of Solomon. The cover of the Ark, termed the “propitiatory” (the corresponding Hebrew word means both “cover” and “that which makes propitious”), was likewise of the purest gold.

Catholic tradition, led by the Fathers of the Church, has considered the Ark of the Covenant as one of the purest and richest symbols of the realities of the New Law. It signifies, in the first place, the Incarnate Word of God. “Christ himself”, according to St. Thomas Aquinas, " which was signified by the Ark. For in the same manner as the Ark was made of setim wood, so also was the body of Christ composed of the most pure human substance.

The Ark was entirely overlaid with gold, because Christ was filled with wisdom and charity, which gold symbolizes. In the Ark there was a golden vase: this represents Jesus’ most holy soul containing the fulness of sanctity and the godhead, figured by the manna.

There was also Aaron’s rod, to indicate the sacerdotal of Jesus Christ priest forever. The stone tables of the Law were likewise contained in the Ark, to mean that Jesus Christ is the author of the Law". To these point touched by the Angel of the Schools, it might be added that the Ascension of Christ to heaven after His victory over death and sin is figured by the coming up of the Ark to Sion.

St. Bonaventure has also seen in the Ark a mystical representation of the Holy Eucharist. In like manner the Ark might be very well regarded as a mystical figure of the Blessed Virgin, which is one of Our Lady’s official titles.

 

[fulloftruth]

The Ark of the Covenant has a few types in scripture. The most fantastic one is Mary our Mother. She is the Ark of the new Covenant made flesh. In Rev 11:19; 12:1-6(remember that chapters and verses were added in the middle ages by scribes, when John wrote Revelation it was a one piece narrative, therefore chapters 11 & 12 can be read seamlessly)you see the Ark as a Woman clothed with the sun(she has a body) with a crown of twelve stars(she has a head) and the moon under her feet(she has feet) and she is with child(Jesus). That can be Israel in a prototype sense but it is Mary. Remember where John’s vision takes place, in heaven, Mary is in Heaven body and soul. The great red dragon is the devil, but he is also the Herodian dynasty. The herodian Dynasty had 10 ceasars and 7 successors to the Herodian throne, Before and after Christ on earth, hence the seven heads and ten horns of the dragon. Remember the Herodian dynasty was a false kingdom of David centered in Jerusalem, they re-opened the Temple, and Herod tried to devour Christ when he was born, but Joseph and Mary fled to the wilderness of Egypt, hence the woman in Revelation flees to the wilderness for safety.

It is so Deep and so Catholic