God's Sacred Secret - It's Glorious Climax! - Behold the Ark of the Covenant!

 Jehovah rules!  Through his Messianic Kingdom, he is exercising his sovereignty toward manind in a marvelous wat=y.  This is confirmed by what John sees next: "And the temple sactuary of God that is in heaven was opened, adn the ark of his covenant was seen in his  temple sanctuary.  And there occurred lightnings and thunders and an earthquake and a great hail." (Revelation 11:19) This is the only mention in Revelation and the ark of God's covenant.  The ark had been the visible symbol of Jehovah's presence with his people Israel.  In the tabernacle, and later in the temple built by Solomon, it was kept Most Holy.  But when Israel went into captivity in Babylon in 607 B.C.E., Jerusalem was desolated and the ark of the covenant  disappeared.  That  was when the representatives of the house of David ceased "to sit upon Jehovah's throne as king. " - 1 CHRONICLES 29:23.  

Now, after more than 2,600 years, the Ark is seen once more. But in John's vision this Ark  is not an earthly temple.  It appears in the heavenly sanctuary of God.  Once again, Jehovah rules by means of a king in the royal line of David. This time, however, the King Christ Jesus, is enthroned in heavenly Jerusalem-the exalted vantage point from which he executes Jehovah's judgments.  (Hebrews 12:22)  The followig chapters of Revelation will unveil these to us. 

In ancient earthly Jerusalem, the Ark was not seen by the Israelites in general, nor even by the priests serving in the temple, for it was within the Most Holy that was sreened off from the Holy Place by a curtain.  (Numbers 4:20; Hebrews 9:2, 3)  Only  the high priest got to see it when he entered the Most Holy on the annual Day of Atonement. Nevertheless, when the temple sanctuary in the heavens is opened, the smbolic ark is visible not only to Jehovah's High Priest, Jesus Christ, but also to his underpriests, the 144,000 including John. 

Next time: God's Sacred Secret - It's Glorious Climax! - Conclusio of Behold the Ark of the Covenant!

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