Posted on 05/29/2005 1:28:15 PM PDT by wagglebee
"Raiders of the Lost Ark" is one of my all-time favorite movies, filled with mystery and adventure. It focuses on the search for a biblical artifact and treasure called The Ark of the Covenant. What makes the movie particularly exciting is how closely it mimics (with some added Hollywood flair) the real life hunt for the lost Ark.
History has it that the original Ark was where God manifested His presence on earth beginning in the days of Moses. The Ark was designed as a chest made of acacia wood overlaid with gold. It had four golden rings. Each one attached to a corner. These rings provided a means to carry the Ark by inserting two wooden bars (also overlaid with gold) on either side. Atop the Ark were two golden cherubim spreading their wings over the Ark's cover also known as the mercy seat.
The Ark itself contained the Ten Commandments and was housed in the innermost room of the Jewish Temple called the Holy of Holies. Here it was the center of worship, although actual access to the Ark was permitted only once a year on the Day of Atonement called Yom Kippur. On that day, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies with the blood of a goat to make atonement for the sins of the Israelites.
Other contents of the Ark included Aaron's rod and a golden pot of manna. Additionally, the Ark is renowned for its mysterious powers. According to the Bible, when the Ark was carried by the people of Israel into battle, it protected the Israelites, supernaturally defeating any adversaries that came before them.
This explains why in the movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark" the Nazis were intent on obtaining it. Their theory (as the story line goes) was that they would be unbeatable if they possessed the Ark and could harness its mysterious powers. Of course, as both the movie and history would have it, things didn't quite work out for the Nazis.
But what of the Ark?
It is believed to have disappeared with the destruction of the First Temple by King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon in 586 B.C. The exact whereabouts of the Ark have remained a mystery ever since.
One theory is that the Ark was taken from ancient Jerusalem by Prince Menelik of Ethiopia. Menelik was the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Menelik purportedly brought the Ark to his country for safekeeping where it currently remains housed in a church in Axum.
Another theory is that the Ark was hidden in a secret chamber housed beneath Jerusalem's Temple Mount. The alleged secret chamber was created by either King Solomon, who built the First Temple, or a subsequent king before the temple was plundered by Nebuchadnezzar.
One version of this theory suggests that in the early 12th century a group of nine Frenchmen known as the original Knights Templars excavated beneath the site of the old Temple of Jerusalem. They retrieved the true Ark of the Covenant and secreted it away.
A second more popular version suggests the Ark is still located in a vault somewhere in the miles of tunnels carved beneath the city of Jerusalem. It is believed the location of the Ark will be revealed when the time is right for the Jewish Temple to be built for the third time.
One famous adherent to this theory is Dr. Vendyl Jones. He is a modern-day explorer and teacher and the true inspiration for the Indiana Jones series. Startling the world, he announced last week on Israel National Radio that he actually knows the location of the Ark.
He says according to ancient documents the Ark is hidden in a secret passage that runs 18 miles south of the Temple Mount into the Judean Desert. Before dismissing his claim as a lark, it is worth noting that Jones published a book in 1959 predicting the precise outbreak of the Six Day War.
He calculated the war in 1967 by analyzing the sequence of events in the First Temple period and transposing them on the Third Temple period. The First Temple period began with its original construction in the days of King Solomon. The Third Temple period began according to Jones with the Jews founding an independent state in the land of Israel in 1948.
Now Jones is convinced that with the help of ancient documents found in Qumran, he has pinpointed the location of the Ark. And armed with the blessing of religious leaders, Jones hopes to reveal the location of the Ark by Aug. 14, which marks the Fast of Tisha B'Av. This holy day commemorates repeated tragedy in Jewish history including the destruction of both the First and the Second Holy Temples.
Jones' plan is simple. It is to drill a borehole into the chamber containing the Ark, drop a pin-camera in and reveal the historic treasure to a watching world.
If Jones is right, many predict this event will turn the world upside down. Jones says this will bring an end to the government's plan to uproot Jews of Gaza and northern Samaria. It also will bring the very idea of any Palestinian state to a screeching halt. In fact, Jones predicts quite the opposite will occur. With the discovery of the Ark, the Jewish people will have the greatest motivation of all time to return to Israel from around the world and rebuild the Temple to house this holy treasure.
Of course, whether Jones actually uncovers the Ark is not the sole issue. Equally compelling is proving once more through science that the Bible is more than just a collection of parables. Are you ready for this?
Okay, I must have misunderstood you.
Some of my posts have unfortunately come across that way. You are obviously a sincere believer with a deep love of the Lord. If there was condescension on my part that you sensed, it was my inability to communicate thoughts subtly and effectively. Please accept my genuine best wishes.
I do not share the theology you describe.
It was a word study. I hadn't made any distinction between Jew or Gentile, neither was any intended. Come to think of it though, these types of subjects (arks, temples, relics of a Biblical nature) seem to attract more Christians than anyone else.
It's not "rude" if it's true!!
This scripture speaks of ALL articles being taken (ALL means the ark also).
Your scripture about the return speaks only of the vessels.
I like your comments about Mary...they are right on IMO. Mary is just a lady...a good lady. No WAY she is the ark.
.....what did you, Prod, think of Maya Morgenstern's portrayal of Mary in The Passion of the Christ? A very human Mary she was, and heartbreaking.
...She was superb. Being Jewish helped her immensely in her stunning portrayal of Mary, the sinless blessed mother of Our Lord. As I understand it, Maya Morgenstern had a seminal creative impact on Gibson and his company in the creation of the Passion of the Christ, e.g., the incredible scene where the Theotokos gathers the Precious Blood of Christ with her hair, while Jesus is imprisoned below. It is a foreshadowing of Mary's role as intercessor for all mankind - "die Vrouwe van aller Volkerung" after the famous Dutch painting of that name. Christians owe massive respect to Maya Morgenstern for all this. I'm sure that Mel does.
Thank you for your comment. You're right. Christians do view Mary as "greatly blessed", but definitely not the "Queen of Heaven" or "co-Mediator."
It seems the Lord, Himself, anticipated this Romanist travesty by continuing to refer to her as "Woman" rather than "Mother." He could easily have done otherwise. For instance, consider the instructions given to John and Mary at His death:
In John 19 -- 26When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son, (context shows He is referring to the way she should regard John)" 27and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
At the wedding feast of Cana Mary tried to advise the Lord. His reply was a gentle rebuke:
4"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."
In the midst of His ministry, Mary and our Lord's brothers tried to take Him aside for rest and recuperation, yet He flatly turned them down.
Matthew 12:49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers.
I guess the Reformers like Luther, Calvin and Wesley either didn't have the benefit of Jack Chick's insight, or else they disagreed.
Chttp://ic.net/~erasmus/RAZ460.HTM
http://ic.net/~erasmus/RAZ95.HTM
Now, I have heard the arguement that Luther and Calvin were trained as Catholics and were somehow still being "tricked", but Wesley was born two centuries after the Reformation began and his background had no Catholic influence at all. What is also hard for the anti-Catholics to come to terms with is the fact that all three of these men spoke and wrote about Marian beliefs centuries before the anti-Marian crowd claims that Marian beliefs were "invented" by the "Romanists."
Finally, please cite for me, chapter and verse, any reference whatsoever to any person other than Jesus being a son or daughter of Mary.
46While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you."
By the way, He refused to meet with them and suggested they "get lost" when they presumed to interfere with His ministry.
Another:
Matthew 13:55 "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? s?
Postscript -- No, it's not Judas Isacariot.
Mark 3:21...Jesus' family thought he ws out of his mind. They went to take charge of him. I suppose Mary is one of those who thought he was out of his mind because she arrives in V. 31 presumably to "take charge of him" along with his brothers.
Then, a few verses later Jesus seems to deflate his earthly familial ties. "Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."
However, NONE of them is ever said to have the same mother as Jesus.
http://www.trosch.org/the/brothers_ptr.html
Any thoughts on Luther, Calvin and Wesley?
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