The only other use that we see God making of the Ark is demonstrated in two separate incidents. In the wilderness, shortly after their deliverance from Egypt, God told Moses to place a pot of manna in the Ark to be "kept for your generations". It was placed there to be preserved for a later time when it would be used as a testimony of how God provided for them in the wilderness (Exodus 16:3234). The other occasion was when there was a dispute in Israel as to who was to be designated to take care of the sanctuary and its service. God caused a rod from a prince of each of the other eleven tribes to be placed before the Lord along with Aaron's rod. The next day Aaron's rod was found to have budded, blossomed and bore almonds. This was God's sign to Israel that the tribe of Levi was to be the keeper of the sanctuary. God then instructed Moses to place Aaron's rod in the Ark to be preserved as evidence "against the rebels" i.e. as a "token" or sign that illustrated who it was that were priests in Israel (Numbers 17:111). The pattern that emerges from God's use of the Ark in these two instances, along with the stated purpose for which it was originally made, illustrates that the Ark was a place for the safekeeping of evidence, i.e. a testimony or witness to be used by God at a later time. In fact the original name given to the Ark of the Covenant, the "Ark of the Testimony", means in the literal Hebrew, "the gathering place of evidence". This being the case, it was most appropriate that God would place the Ark underneath the crucifixion site and cause Christ's blood to be sprinkled on the Mercy Seat. In doing so God was "recording" the only physical evidence that exists today that His Son gave His life; that He paid the price for sin. Christ's blood was not sprinkled on the Mercy Seat as a specific fulfillment of the antitypical Day of Atonement. That "type" was to be fulfilled at a different place and time (Daniel 8:13,14). However, in its role as a "recorder" of evidence, it was perfectly appropriate for the blood of the final atonement sacrifice to be placed on the Mercy Seat of the Ark. When Christ as our High Priest (Hebrews 9:11) began to plead his blood before the Father in the Heavenly temple (Hebrews 8:1,2; 9:11), He would point to Calvary where the evidence of His sacrifice still remained. Eighteen hundred and thirteen years later, when Christ's ministry shifted to the Most Holy Place, he would do the same. For those that have not thought it through, it may be assumed that on the antitypical Day of Atonement Christ entered into the Most Holy Place in the Heavenly Sanctuary with a bowl of His own blood to sprinkle on the Heavenly Mercy Seat. However, this is not the case. I can find nowhere in the words of inspiration where Christ is portrayed as literally sprinkling His own physical blood in heaven. Inspiration indicates that His work in the sanctuary is done by virtue of the blood that He shed at Calvary in 31AD... that He "pleads His blood" before the Lord. One thing that stands out clearly in the typical Jewish service of blood sacrifice is that the sacrifice was of no value unless the blood was brought before the Lord in some manner. It was sprinkled and/or applied to various pieces of the sanctuary furniture depending on the specific requirements of the ceremony being performed. However, it was always displayed in some manner "before the Lord" as evidence that a sacrifice had been made. Therefore when Christ pleads His blood on our behalf, He does so by pointing to the places where the evidence of His sacrifice is still displayed... His hands, His feet, His side and the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant located at Calvary. This brings us to the subject of the bringing out of the Ark of the Covenant so that it can be displayed to the world. There is no doubt in my mind that the Ark will be revealed to the world, yet I am confident that it will not be removed from its current location. I also know that the tables of stone will be brought out of the cave chamber and displayed to the world. However, the Ark will not be moved. The reason for this is found in the very manner that God has used it at Calvary. The Ark of the Covenant has "recorded" on it the physical evidence that God will use to witness to the world that His Son died to give us eternal life (1 John 5:611). To move the Ark from its present location would invalidate the testimony of that evidence. It is much like what we know of modern crime scene techniques. When an event takes place that the authorities want to document, the first thing they do is rope off the area, restricting access to it. No one is allowed to move or disturb the evidence because to do so would contaminate it. The same is true with the evidence on the Ark. Christ's blood on the Ark in that location establishes the fact that a sacrifice took place at this location and who it was that was sacrificed. To move the Ark would invalidate that evidence. Therefore while video of the Ark will one day be shown to the world, I don't believe that the Ark will ever be brought out of that chamber.
