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Post by Goldenfleeced on Oct 30, 2014 19:41:19 GMT
I chose this category to take up our next subject, due to the fact that, while descriptions and accounts of it can be considered to be 'historical,' the fact is that the object itself has been 'missing' for so long that it has now become a subject of 'legendary' proportions... if not entirely accurate, in its re-telling. I think that since we're 'lifting veils,' the ones that cover the Ark might be appropriate at this time...
The first thing to do, I suppose, is recount the 'facts' that we have, concerning the 'Ark;' to begin with, it serves as a 'container' for certain items... items that are connected with a specific 'act'... items that are considered to be 'testimony' to that act, and another quite specific item, that evidently bore 'containment' in something that seems to serve as something of an 'apothecary,' if you Will... a 'container' for... poisons. That is, of course, what an 'apothecary' is, and the 'label' that was traditionally assigned to these 'apothecaries,' or vessels used to contain poisons, was...
...the Cross of Lorraine. Interestingly... and just as a sort of a side-note, at this point.
There are/were several 'versions' of the 'Ark' that are described for us in the Royal Arch Chapter material,- let's take a look at those...
The Ark of Safety
The first ark, or, as it is commonly called, the ark of Noah, was constructed by Shem, Ham, and Japhet, under the direction of Noah, and in obedience to the command of God.
The Ark of Alliance
The second ark, or ark of alliance, was constructed by Moses, Aholiab, and Bezaleel, in accordance with a pattern given by God. It was the first constructed, as it was the first in importance, of all the furniture of the original tabernacle. Its chief use seems to have been to contain, inviolate, the Divine autograph of the two tables, and to serve as the visible seat of the Divine Presence. It was also a pledge to the people of Israel of the solemn covenant which God had made with his chosen servants.
The Ark of Imitation
Here, too, we have an allusion to the third ark, which fills so important a place among the relics and symbols of the higher Freemasonry; and concerning which the Fraternity possess so many interesting traditions. It was an exact copy of the Ark of the Covenant, and, after its recovery, was placed in the sanctuary of the new tabernacle by Joshua, Zerubabbel, and Haggai.
Now, there are several 'interesting' things to notice here...
To begin with, I would like to suggest that an 'alliance' seems to indicate that 'forces were joined,' and, indeed, they were bound with a 'covenant' (which is its other 'name')... we are in 'alliance' with these 'forces,' if not in actual 'agreement,' it would seem, and the ark is where the contract is held, 'signed' with the 'Divine autograph,' which, I assume, is the 'name' of this 'force' with which we are in 'alliance' at this time. I suppose that would account for at least one reason that you can't 'see' it... there are others.
At any rate, that ark is gone... somewhere... but not forgotten. There was then substituted this 'Ark of Imitation,' which would, by extension and suggestion, certainly, have contained a 'substitute' for this 'Divine autograph,' or 'name' with which the covenant was sealed... and as far as Masonry goes, that story sounds familiar, doesn't it...?
We'll continue with a description...
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Oct 30, 2014 20:23:42 GMT
Building the Ark
The construction of the Ark is commanded by God to Moses while the Jews were still camped at Sinai (Ex. 25:10-22; 37:1-9). The Ark was a box with the dimensions of two-and-a-half cubits in length, by one-and-a-half cubits in heights, by one-and-a-half cubits in width (a cubit is about 18 inches). It was constructed of acacia wood, and was plated with pure gold, inside and out. On the bottom of the box, four gold rings were attached, through which two poles, also made of acacia and coated in gold, were put. The family of Kehath, of the tribe of Levi, would carry the ark on their shoulders using these poles.
Covering the box was the kapporet, a pure gold covering that was two-and-a-half by one-and-a-half cubits. Attached to the kapporet were two sculpted Cherubs, also made of pure gold. The two Cherubs faced one another, and their wings, which wrapped around their bodies, touched between them.
The contents of the Ark has been debated through the centuries. The general consensus is that the first tablets containing the Ten Commandments, which were broken by Moses, and the second tablets, which remained intact, were contained in the Ark (Bava Batra 14b). According to one opinion in the Talmud, both Tablets were together in the Ark; according to another, there were two Arks, and each contained one set of Tablets (Berakhot 8b).
The Ark was built by Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, who constructed the entire Tabernacle – the portable Temple used in the desert and during the conquest of the land of Israel. The Tabernacle was the resting place for the Ark, and also contained other vessels that were used in the physical worship of God. The Biblical commentators argue over why God commanded Moses to build a Tabernacle in the first place: According to Rashi (Ex. 31:18), God realized after the sin of the Golden Calf that the Israelites needed an outlet for physical worship, and commanded that they build the Tabernacle as a way of expressing their own need for physical representation of God. According to Nachmanides (Ex. 25:1), however, the Jews were commanded to build the Tabernacle even before the sin of the Golden Calf; rather than filling a human need, the Tabernacle was God's method of achieving continuous revelation in the Israelites' camp. These two opinions as to whether the Tabernacles, and the Temples that followed them, were an a priori necessity or a necessary evil demonstrate the controversial role of physical worship in Judaism as a whole. www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/ark.html'They' aren't sure what the real purpose of the 'ark' is/was... but I think I just gave you my 'thoughts' on that subject; I must say, they make as much sense as theirs do, under the cirmcumstances... And, further... According to the Book of Exodus, Yahweh instructed Moses on Mount Sinai during his 40-day stay upon the mountain within the thick cloud and darkness where God was (Ex. 19:20; 24:18) and he was shown the pattern for the tabernacle and furnishings of the Ark to be made of shittim wood to house the Tablets of Stone. Moses instructed Bezalel and Oholiab to construct the ark (Exodus 31). In Deuteronomy, however, the ark is said to have been built specifically by Moses himself without reference of Bezalel or Oholiab.
The Book of Exodus gives detailed instructions on how the Ark is to be constructed. It is to be 2½ cubits in length, 1½ in breadth, and 1½ in height (approximately 131×79×79 cm or 52×31×31 in). Then it is to be plated entirely with gold, and a crown or molding of gold is to be put around it. Four rings of gold are to be attached to its four feet—two on each side—and through these rings staves of shittim-wood overlaid with gold for carrying the Ark are to be inserted; and these are not to be removed. A golden cover, a kapporet (traditionally "Mercy Seat" in Christian translations) adorned with golden cherubim, is to be placed above the Ark. The Ark is finally to be placed behind a veil (Parochet), a full description of which is also given at Exodus 25.
After its creation by Moses, the Ark was carried by the Israelites during their 40 years of wandering in the desert. Whenever the Israelites camped, the Ark was placed in a special and sacred tent, called the Tabernacle.
When the Israelites, led by Joshua toward the Promised Land, arrived at the banks of the River Jordan, the Ark was carried in the lead preceding the people and was the signal for their advance (Joshua 3:3, 6). During the crossing, the river grew dry as soon as the feet of the priests carrying the Ark touched its waters, and remained so until the priests—with the Ark—left the river after the people had passed over (Josh. 3:15-17; 4:10, 11, 18). As memorials, twelve stones were taken from the Jordan at the place where the priests had stood... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ark_of_the_CovenantMost interesting, really... 
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Oct 31, 2014 1:14:32 GMT
And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of the law in a book, until they were finished, that Moses commanded the Levites which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, Take this Book of the Law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.
And thou shalt put the mercy-seat above, upon the ark: and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
And Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commandeth, Fill an omer of the manna, to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth out of the land of Egypt. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer of manna therein, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations. As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the testimony to be kept.
And the Lord said unto Moses, bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token.Now, there are four things specific to this ark, and we can 'expand' on all of them, beginning with the information given us in the Royal Arch traditions of the Masons... we will begin with the 'second rod' involved in the story; the first one being, of course, the rod of Moses which was turned into a serpent. Two rods, and two 'serpents' twined about the 'winged' 'central rod' of the caduceus of the healer,- interesting coincidence, at the very least, wouldn't you say? Aaron's Rod
A signal attention was granted by God to Aaron's official authority. Twelve rods or branches of the almond were taken, one for the head of each house or tribe of Israel; and upon the rod of the tribe of Levi was written the name of Aaron. The rods were laid together in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony; and the next day, when Moses went into the tabernacle, the rod which had Aaron's name upon it "was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds." This wonderful miracle was made known to the people by an exhibition of the rod; but it was immediately taken back into the tabernacle, by divine command, to be kept there "for a token against the rebels," and also as a testimony of the appointment of the Levites to the priesthood.Exhibit number one... a 'token' against the 'rebels.'
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Oct 31, 2014 1:41:11 GMT
We'll work backwards, and continue with the 'Pot of Manna'...
The manna was a small, round thing, as small as the hoar-frost on the ground. It is described as being like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. The name is supposed by scholars to be derived from the two words: man hu, "what is this?" For forty years this article was miraculously supplied to the Israelites, while sojourning in the wilderness, it having ceased while they were encamped at Gilgal, immediately after they had celebrated the Passover for the first time in the promised land. Three distinct miracles accompanied the gift of manna, all wrought in attestation of the sanctity of the Sabbath; and which, in this connection, serve to remind the Mason of those early instructions which he received as a Fellow-Craft and Mark Master. These miracles were as follows: 1. A double quantity was supplied on the sixth day; 2. On the Sabbath, or seventh day, none was furnished; 3. That which was kept from the sixth to the seventh day was good and sweet, while that which was kept from any other day to the next day was worse and became offensive. To commemorate this long-continued and wonderful miracle, Moses was instructed that a golden pot should be provided, and that an omer, or one man's portion of the manna should be therein, and laid up in the side of the ark. There it was to remain for their generations so long as the ark itself existed, as a memorial of the miraculous manner in which the children of Israel were supplied with that article of food for forty years in the wilderness. This pot is depicted on Samaritan medals in the form of an urn, with a lid or cover. The Rabbins considered the manna to be a type of the Jewish Messiah, who was to be the spiritual food of his people. it masonically teaches us that as the Israelites fed on manna from heaven, so should we spiritually feed on that Truth which is the great object of our investigations.
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Oct 31, 2014 2:32:28 GMT
Before we go on with the other two items, I'd like to point out the '40-year' aspect of their time spent in the 'wilderness,' before they were allowed to enter the 'promised land,' and the fact that there are two other periods of '40' that seem to correlate to this period of time, and since there are no such things as 'coincidences' in regard to these things, we should probably look at those. First, of course, I am reminded of the forty days that Jesus spent in the 'wilderness,' in 'preparation,' so to speak... which seems to be a direct reflection (on a smaller scale) of that forty-year period that was endured by the Israelites. The thing is, why forty years... or forty days? What possible meaning can that have, considering the story, and the other characters that are involved? Well... let's take Korah, since he is the 'protagonist' in this story; what is there in his part of all this that might 'connect,' somehow? And, what do you know... there is something... There is a tradition that Korah studied Torah for forty years, in preparation for his (he believed, at least) predestined role as the 'father of prophets and Temple singers.' If that were true, it would provide us with our 40-year connection... 40 years in the 'wilderness' would provide Moses with an equal amount of time to spend in study (or, in light of the manna, to 'feed on Truth'), since one of the accusations that Korah raised against Moses had to do with his writing, or re-writing, of the Torah... we'll get back to that when we cover the Book of the Law, which is also said to be contained in the ark. The 40-day period would also seem to mirror this 'preparatory period' of study that was undertaken by Korah... in preparation for a similar calling as 'high priest,' interestingly. Notice also that during the 40-day period spent in the 'wilderness' by Jesus, that he 'fasted,'- or, one might say that he chose to subsist on the Word/Truth, or 'manna,' that was provided day by day for his 'sustenance'... It is at least great synchronicity, wouldn't you say? |
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Oct 31, 2014 3:36:15 GMT
Now we come to the subject of the 'Book of the Law,' which is the third piece of 'testimony' that is contained within the Ark of Imitation, at least, and if there were an 'original' Ark of Alliance in existence, we might expect that it also contained a copy of this 'Book,'- although this copy may truthfully reflect the fact that the 'Law,' as it was given, is imperfect, as it was 'broken' from the day of its delivery... The information in this regard is rather lengthy, so I will break it up into sections; it is extremely important, though, in regard to the facts of its author(s), and historical authenticity... and why it is important that a 'copy' or 'copies' be held, for 'posterity,' say.. "There was a tradition among the Jews," says Dr. Mackey, "that the Book of the Law was lost during the captivity, and that it was among the treasures discovered during the building of the second temple." Dean Prideaux, to the same effect, says that "Many of the ancient fathers hold that all the Scriptures were lost in the Babylonish captivity, and that Ezra restored them all again by divine revelation. Thus saith Irenaeus, and thus say Turtullian, Clemens Alexandrinus, Basil, and others.
Most commentators, however, reject the tradition, and assert that Ezra did no more than to collect as many copies of the sacred writings as he could, and out of them all set forth a correct edition; and this appears to be the opinion of Dr. Prideaux himself.
The Scriptures were originally written in the old Hebrew or Samaritan character, and copies of these were also made in that character until the captivity. During the captivity the Hebrews, to a great extent, lost the use of that language, and hence Ezra transcribed the law into the Chaldaic character, in order that it might be generally understood by the people. This was the origin of the Chaldaic Paraphrases, as they were called. Ezra also introduced synagogues among the Jews, and by himself and his scribes, mulitiplied copies of the Scriptures and caused them to be read in the synagogues that he established.
It is, however, a generally conceded fact that twice in the Jewish history, there were no copies of the Scriptures known to be in existence. It is apparent that the Book of the Law was very rare in the reign of Jehoshaphat, because we are told that when he sent teachers through all Judah to instruct the people in the law of God, they carried with them "The Book of the Law of the Lord," which, as Prideaux remarks, they would not have done, had there been any copies of the law in the cities to which they went. In the succeeding years, during the wicked reign of Manasseh and his successor, it is evident that no copy of the Book of the Law was known to exist; for when Hilkiah found the law in the temple, neither he nor King Josiah would have been so surprised at it, had copies of it been common. Their conduct on that occasion definitely proves that neither one of them had ever seen the book before. This opinion is now held by most commentators, as well as by the early fathers who assert that all the copies known to have been in exisetence were destroyed by the injunctions of Manasseh and Amnon, his son and successor. The only copies that escaped destruction were those which were preserved by the conservators of Jewish Masonry... Well... there's something that I'll bet you didn't know... or two or three. You probably all thought that the 'Scriptures' were always just 'there,' and that every word that you see within them is... inviolate. As it turns out, that doesn't exactly seem to be the case... mostly. So... whose copy is the 'true' copy? Is there a True copy...? And, if so, where in the World do you suppose that it is? There is more to be said on this subject, but we'll continue... I'd hate to re-write that all again... |
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Oct 31, 2014 4:12:43 GMT
It is probable that Hilkiah and Josiah took care that this copy of the law, found by them, should be laid up in the ark from whence it had been taken, to preserve it from destruction at the hands of Manasseh; and there are some reasons for supposing that partial copies of it may have been made, which were preserved, among the captives in Babylon; but the Scriptures are silent on the subject.
A Jewish tradition, however, relates that the prophetess Huldah, forseeing the destruction of the temple, took the Book of the Law, and hid it in the temple. But whatever may have been its temporary disposition, it is generally agreed by scholars that the book perished in the temple, and that thus the only known complete copy of the law was again destroyed. In fact, Kennicott asserts that this was the original Pentateuch of Moses, in which opinion he is probably correct.
The Jews have a tradition that at the rebuilding of the temple, by Zerubabbel, another complete copy of the "Book of the Law" was found hidden in a part of the temple which had not been destroyed.
The Masonic traditions not only assert this to be the fact, but give such minute details of the circumstances attending the deposit and preservation of this book, as well as so circumstantial an account of the place, time, and mode of its discovery, that they certainly seem to be true. If these traditions are rejected, the student is left environed with such difficulties that, to escape them, some have supposed that Ezra was inspired by God to rewrite the Scriptures anew, the old copies being all destroyed. But, on the other hand, if the truth of the Masonic traditions on this subject be admitted, they at once rationally account for the preservation and recovery of the Book of the Law, long lost, yet afterward found; and this, too, in a way entirely consistent with the few historical facts which appear in this connection in the sacred writings, and equally so with the genius of the Jewish religion and customs. The claim, therefore, that Freemasonry has preserved the only authentic account of the manner in which God's blessed Book of the Law was preserved to mankind, is not as chimerical as many persons have supposed...
To the wisdom and foresight of Solomon we may then reasonably ascribe the preservation of the Book of the Law; and to the zealous descendants of the Giblimites we may justly ascribe its recovery; and, finally, in the carefully guarded traditions of our glorious old Institution may be found the only reasonable and satisfactory account of those events, fraught with such stupendous results to our race -- which is the summit of the glory of the Order.
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Oct 31, 2014 4:45:53 GMT
Now, all of these items are 'housed' within this ark... and the ark itself is 'capped' with a golden cover, highlighted by two kneeling seraphim, whose wings cover their faces, and touch, in the center. This 'covering' is known as the 'mercy seat,' and the 'mercy seat' is referred to as the 'footstool of the throne of God.' At this point, I would just like to bring to mind another Psalm... Number 110: 1 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
4 The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
Well... about that 'mercy seat'... it seems that we will put it all under our feet...  |
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Oct 31, 2014 6:15:09 GMT
Well, those are the basic 'facts' in regard to the ark(s); now, we should look at some of its 'history.' The ark seems to have 'enjoyed' a particularly 'chequered' history, if you Will... far from being an object of 'blessing,' as you would think that it would/should be, it has a rather dark side. Let's look at the Wiki entry, just for the basic historical information... you should find this illuminating,- I know that I did. In the Battle of Jericho, the Ark was carried round the city once a day for seven days, preceded by the armed men and seven priests sounding seven trumpets of rams' horns (Josh. 6:4-15). On the seventh day, the seven priests sounding the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the Ark compassed the city seven times and, with a great shout, Jericho's wall fell down flat and the people took the city (Josh. 6:16-20). After the defeat at Ai, Joshua lamented before the Ark (Josh. 7:6-9). When Joshua read the Law to the people between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, they stood on each side of the Ark. The Ark was again set up by Joshua at Shiloh, but when the Israelites fought against Benjamin at Gibeah, they had the Ark with them and consulted it after their defeat.(Notice here, that in the presence of the ark, a city's wall fell, and the Israelites that bore it were defeated...) The Ark is next spoken of as being in the Tabernacle at Shiloh during Samuel's apprenticeship (1 Sam. 3:3). After the settlement of the Israelites in Canaan, the Ark remained in the Tabernacle at Gilgal for a season before being removed to Shiloh until the time of Eli, between 300 and 400 years (Jeremiah 7:12), when it was carried into the field of battle, so as to secure, as they had hoped, victory to the Hebrews. The Ark was taken by the Philistines (1 Sam. 4:3-11) who subsequently sent it back after retaining it for sven months (1 Sam. 5:7, 8) because of the events said to have transpired.(The ark once again fails to secure the Israelites' victory, and when it is taken by the Philistines, they gave it back... only seven months later, because they can't stand any more of the misery that it caused them to hold onto it... no kidding...) After their first defeat at Eben-ezer, the Israelites had the Ark brought from Shiloh, and welcomed its coming with great rejoicing. In the second battle, the Israelites were again defeated, and the Philistines captured the Ark (1 Sam. 4:3-5, 10, 11). The news of its capture was at once taken to Shiloh by a messenger "with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head." The old priest, Eli, fell dead when he heard it; and his daughter-in-law, bearing a son at the time the news of the capture of the Ark was received, named him Ichabod—explained as "The glory has departed Israel" in reference to the loss of the Ark (1 Sam. 4:12-22). The Philistines took the Ark to several places in their country, and at each place misfortune befell them (1 Sam. 5:1-6). At Ashdod it was placed in the temple of Dagon. The next morning Dagon was found prostrate, bowed down, before it; and on being restored to his place, he was on the following morning again found prostrate and broken. The people of Ashdod were smitten with hemorrhoids; a plague of mice was sent over the land (1 Sam. 6:5). The affliction of boils was also visited upon the people of Gath and of Ekron, whither the Ark was successively removed (1 Sam. 5:8-12).(Have you noticed yet that 'plagues,' such as these 'boils,' 'hemorrhoids,' and 'mice,' seem to be rather regularly associated with the ark... wherever it was removed to? It's true...) After the Ark had been among them for seven months, the Philistines, on the advice of their diviners, returned it to the Israelites, accompanying its return with an offering consisting of golden images of the tumors and mice wherewith they had been afflicted. The Ark was set in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite, and the Beth-shemites offered sacrifices and burnt offerings (1 Sam. 6:1-15). Out of curiosity the men of Beth-shemesh gazed at the Ark; and as a punishment, seventy of them (fifty thousand and seventy in some mss.) were smitten by the Lord (1 Sam. 6:19). The Bethshemites sent to Kirjath-jearim, or Baal-Judah, to have the Ark removed (1 Sam. 6:21); and it was taken to the house of Abinadab, whose son Eleazar was sanctified to keep it. Kirjath-jearim remained the abode of the Ark for twenty years. Under Saul, the Ark was with the army before he first met the Philistines, but the king was too impatient to consult it before engaging in battle. In 1 Chronicles 13:3 it is stated that the people were not accustomed to consult the Ark in the days of Saul.
At the beginning of his reign, King David removed the Ark from Kirjath-jearim amid great rejoicing. On the way to Zion, Uzzah, one of the drivers of the cart that the Ark was carried on, put out his hand to steady the Ark, and was struck dead by God for touching it. David, in fear, carried the Ark aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite, instead of carrying it on to Zion, and there it stayed three months...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ark_of_the_CovenantSo, really... how 'good' could it... can it... be? Once again, in the face of the historical evidence so far, the ark seems to be a 'container' for some bad juju... There is a pun there, but I swear I didn't do it with 'malice aforethought'... It just kind of happened... |
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Oct 31, 2014 6:46:41 GMT
On hearing that God had blessed Obed-edom because of the presence of the Ark in his house, David had the Ark brought to Zion by the Levites, while he himself, "girded with a linen ephod," "danced before the Lord with all his might" and in the sight of all the public gathered in Jerusalem—a performance that caused him to be scornfully rebuked by his first wife, Saul's daughter Michal (2 Sam. 6:12-16, 20-22; 1 Chron. 15). In Zion, David put the Ark in the tabernacle he had prepared for it, offered sacrifices, distributed food, and blessed the people and his own household (2 Sam. 6:17-20; 1 Chron. 16:1-3; 2 Chron. 1:4).
The Levites were appointed to minister before the Ark (1 Chron. 16:4). David's plan of building a temple for the Ark was stopped at the advice of God (2 Sam. 7:1-17; 1 Chron. 17:1-15; 28:2, 3). The Ark was with the army during the siege of Rabbah (2 Sam. 11:11); and when David fled from Jerusalem at the time of Absalom's conspiracy, the Ark was carried along with him until he ordered Zadok the priest to return it to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 15:24-29).
When Abiathar was dismissed from the priesthood by King Solomon for having taken part in Adonijah's conspiracy against David, his life was spared because he had formerly borne the Ark (1 Kings 2:26). Solomon worshipped before the Ark after his dream in which God promised him wisdom (1 Kings 3:15).
During the construction of Solomon's Temple, a special inner room, named Kodesh Hakodashim (Eng. Holy of Holies), was prepared to receive and house the Ark (1 Kings 6:19); and when the Temple was dedicated, the Ark—containing the original tablets of the Ten Commandments—was placed therein (1 Kings 8:6-9). When the priests emerged from the holy place after placing the Ark there, the Temple was filled with a cloud, "for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord" (1 Kings 8:10-11; 2 Chron. 5:13, 14).
When Solomon married Pharaoh's daughter, he caused her to dwell in a house outside Zion, as Zion was consecrated because of its containing the Ark (2 Chron. 8:11). King Josiah also had the Ark put in the Temple (2 Chron. 35:3), from which it appears to have been removed by one of his predecessors (cf. 2 Chron. 33-34 and 2 Kings 21-23).
As is usual, the underlined passages are particularly important, and we will take a closer look at those... for now, contemplate that, and see if you know why...
Now, remember that the 'Holy of Holies' is also referred to as the "Song of Solomon," or the "Song of Songs"... interestingly... and so, why would the 'ark' be kept in room by the same name? Since the 'Holy of Holies' refers to the Bride... and the bridegroom...
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Nov 29, 2014 3:31:34 GMT
Now, the important question in regard to the Ark is this... "Where is it, and why should we want to find it... or not...?" Nobody knows... lolol... But I have a few things that I might say on that subject... naturally... and one of them is... Mount Pisgah. Sound familiar...? It should if you live where I live... and, just coincidentally, it has been proposed as the possible location of the Ark... As for the Ark of the Covenant, it disappeared before the destruction of the First Temple. It was hidden by priests who foresaw the coming desolation, and its mysterious whereabouts have been the source of myth and legend ever since. We know from 2 Chronicles 35:3 that King Josiah had the Ark put into Solomon's Temple in about 623 B.C. Previous to this the Ark was hidden because of turbulent times Israel had gone through; probably from around 950-623 B.C.
3 "And said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were holy unto the LORD, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; it shall not be a burden upon your shoulders: serve now the LORD your God, and his people Israel..."
Is the Ark in Ethiopia, beneath Mt Moriah, in Ireland, melted by Ramses III, or in a Cave at/near Mt Nebo/Pisgah (Jordan)?As to its being hidden in a mountain, we have this testimony: 2 Maccabees 2 New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)
Jeremiah Hides the Tent, Ark, and Altar
2 One finds in the records that the prophet Jeremiah ordered those who were being deported to take some of the fire, as has been mentioned, 2 and that the prophet, after giving them the law, instructed those who were being deported not to forget the commandments of the Lord, or to be led astray in their thoughts on seeing the gold and silver statues and their adornment. 3 And with other similar words he exhorted them that the law should not depart from their hearts.
4 It was also in the same document that the prophet, having received an oracle, ordered that the tent and the ark should follow with him, and that he went out to the mountain where Moses had gone up and had seen the inheritance of God. 5 Jeremiah came and found a cave-dwelling, and he brought there the tent and the ark and the altar of incense; then he sealed up the entrance. 6 Some of those who followed him came up intending to mark the way, but could not find it. 7 When Jeremiah learned of it, he rebuked them and declared: “The place shall remain unknown until God gathers his people together again and shows his mercy. 8 Then the Lord will disclose these things, and the glory of the Lord and the cloud will appear, as they were shown in the case of Moses, and as Solomon asked that the place should be specially consecrated.”
9 It was also made clear that being possessed of wisdom Solomon offered sacrifice for the dedication and completion of the temple. 10 Just as Moses prayed to the Lord, and fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifices, so also Solomon prayed, and the fire came down and consumed the whole burnt offerings. 11 And Moses said, “They were consumed because the sin offering had not been eaten.” 12 Likewise Solomon also kept the eight days.
13 The same things are reported in the records and in the memoirs of Nehemiah, and also that he founded a library and collected the books about the kings and prophets, and the writings of David, and letters of kings about votive offerings. 14 In the same way Judas also collected all the books that had been lost on account of the war that had come upon us, and they are in our possession. 15 So if you have need of them, send people to get them for you.
16 Since, therefore, we are about to celebrate the purification, we write to you. Will you therefore please keep the days? 17 It is God who has saved all his people, and has returned the inheritance to all, and the kingship and the priesthood and the consecration, 18 as he promised through the law. We have hope in God that he will soon have mercy on us and will gather us from everywhere under heaven into his holy place, for he has rescued us from great evils and has purified the place.www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Maccabees+2&version=NRSVCENow, that reminds me of something else... oh, yes... Igne Natura Renovatur Integra (Nature is completely renewed by fire) Ignis Natura Renovat Integram (Fire completely renews nature) Ignem Natura Regenerando Integrat (By regeneration, nature maintains the integrity of fire) In Nobilis Regnat Iehovah (or Iesus) (Jehovah (or Jesus) reigns among noble men) Iesus Nascente Ram Innovatur (Ascending Jesus renews the branch) Igne Nitrum Roris Invenitor (By fire salt is extracted from dew) Insignia Naturae Ratio Illustrat (Reason illuminates the nature’s symbols) Inter Nos Regnat Indulgentia (Among us reigns goodness) Intra Nobis Regnum Iehova (The Kingdom of God is within us) Iustum Necare Reges Impios (It is just to kill impious kings) Iustitia Nunc Reget Imperia (Justice now reigns empires) In Neci Renascor Integer (In death one is reborn intact and pure) And the answer is... Between one and seven thousand times. Cascadia's Mount Pisgah... near Pleasant Hill... ...and Edenvale Road... coincidentally...    Home, sweet home... |
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Dec 1, 2014 3:35:02 GMT
I have four words for you tonight on this subject... Bat(h) out of Hell... Lololol... After all, it (the Ark, that is) is said (by tradition) to house the Bathkoll... the 'daughter' or 'daughter voice,' which is known as the Oracle... And the 'Ark' is also said (by tradition) to have been 'buried' in the side of a Mountain... which would place it in 'Hell,' so to speak, wouldn't it...? Gloryoski... I think that's right... symbolically, speaking, at least... Let's play that one again, shall we...? With 'feeling'... And 'thanks' to the Youtube poster known as FuschiaAlligator... I wonder if they'd make a good surfboard for an albino fox? Lololol... |
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Post by Goldenfleeced on Dec 1, 2014 4:18:46 GMT
"Like a Bat(h) out of Hell, I'll be gone when the morning comes..." 1 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
4 The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.Born from the "womb of the morning," and gone, when the morning comes... But, for now, we're going to 'let it ride' at 866... See you tomorrow. |
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