[johngrace]

In scripture.

2 Chron. 29:29-30 - King Hezekiah and the assembly venerate the altar by Bowing down in worship before the sin offerings.

Chronicles 29:

27 "Hezekiah gave the order to sacrifice the burnt offering on the altar. As the offering began, singing to the LORD began also, accompanied by trumpets and the instruments of David king of Israel. 28 The whole assembly BOWED in worship, while the musicians played and the trumpets sounded. All this continued until the sacrifice of the burnt offering was completed.

29 When the offerings were finished, the king and everyone present with him KNELT down and worshiped. 30 King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed down and worshiped.

31 Then Hezekiah said, “You have now dedicated yourselves to the LORD. Come and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the temple of the LORD.” So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings."

If you are going to say:" Well they were bowing to the Lord not the Ark. That is what Real Catholics Believe also in veneration of icons.

Psalm 138:2 - David bows down before God's Holy Temple.

Psalm 138:2

2 I will BOW down toward your holy temple and will praise your name

for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame.

[Boogieman]

“If you are going to say:” Well they were bowing to the Lord not the Ark. That is what Real Catholics Believe also in veneration of icons.”

God was literally present in the Ark. God was literally present in the Temple. The Scriptures never say that God deigns to be present in any old icon crafted by the hand of man. If He did, then why aren’t the unworthy struck down dead when they behold these “holy icons”? That’s what happened when the unworthy tried to enter into the literal presence of God.

[John Leland 1789]

"If you are going to say:" Well they were bowing to the Lord not the Ark. That is what Real Catholics Believe also in veneration of icons."

No comparison at all. Oh, except the Roman Catholic Church has never been able to get out of the Old Testament and so still sacrifices Christ afresh on its altars; killing Him over and over and over again.

[John Leland 1789]

What the artist depicts is not two Aaronic priests bowing toward a sacrificial altar, but toward the Ark of the Covenant.

The Scriptures you give have to do with worship of God at the sight of the sight of an animal sacrifice being made.

[Sherman Logan]

None of the scriptures you quote show people bowing to the Ark and therefore before the cherubim on the Ark.

I’d also like to point out the pictorial representation is inaccurate, at least for the period after the Temple was built.

Only the High Priest ever entered the Most Holy, where the Ark was kept, and then only once a year. You would never have seen two priests together before the Ark.

On a side note, one would think the Most Holy would get awfully dusty.

[AnalogReigns]

A) The cherubim images were bowing to our unseen God...therefore these are almost like "anti-idols," in stark contrast to either icons of the East, or the images used by Roman Catholics--which posture is EXACTLY like that of pagan idols, receiving worship like gods.

B) You left out this section about Hezekiah:
"He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.) (2 Kings 18:3-4)

What I don't understand is, if image veneration to images and prayers to dead Christians were so vital and helpful...why did Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint John, Saint James, ALL of the New Testament writers actually.... and Jesus Christ Himself, neglect to mention such a vital part of the Christian life?

One has to believe that the Church & its tradition is wiser than Jesus and His Apostles.

That is something I will NEVER accept.