In an interview with the 700 Club, Archaeologist Dr. Chris McKinny discussed the mysterious disappearance of the Ark of the Covenant.

The gold plated Ark of the Covenant was the most important piece of furniture in the Jewish sacred life. On top of the ark were two Golden Cherubim between which the very presence of God rested.

“I think maybe… the central reason is because it is God’s throne,” McKinny said. “It’s the place where God has chosen to dwell among His people… It’s such a central piece of Israel’s story.”

The Ark of the Covenant disappeared in 586 BC when the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem and looted and destroyed the Jewish Temple. But in all the Biblical lists of the booty taken from the Temple there is no mention of the Ark of the Covenant.

McKinny states that this has led to several theories on what happened to the Ark. The most commonly accepted is that prior to the siege of Jerusalem, the Ark of the Covenant was hidden.

This included a theory proposed in the book of Maccabees that the Prophet Jeremiah hid the Ark.

“The oldest legend that we have… is a legend from the book of Second Maccabees… in which the Ark is taken by Jeremiah and hidden at a place called Mount Nebo,” McKinny said.

A second theory states that Jeremiah hid it at a place referred to as the rock located between two mountains.

Other theories suggest that the Jewish priests hid the Ark in the catacombs and tunnels found inside the temple mount.

Because of this, many Jews believe the Ark of the Covenant will restored in the end days.

“All of the legends… point to the fact that when the Ark is recovered, it is a sign of God’s restoration of all things,” McKinny said.

But then McKinny pointed to a verse in the Book of Jeremiah where the prophet had this to say about the Ark of the Covenant:

 And it shall be in those days when you become numerous and are fruitful in the land,” declares the Lord, “they will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the Lord.’ And it will not come to mind, nor will they remember it, nor miss it, nor will it be made again. (Jeremiah 3:16 NASV)

This verse speaks of a significant change in how God interacts with humanity. The Ark of the Covenant, where God’s presence rested, will no longer be needed or even missed.

So what was Jeremiah referring to?

What the Gospels Tell US About the Ark of the Covenant

In the Book of Exodus, we read that God’s Presence manifested in a cloud. The cloud would settle and rise off the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant. When the cloud settled, the Jews would stay. If God’s presence lifted, this indicated it was time for them to move on (Exodus 40:34-38).

As we read the Gospels we find a description of something similar happening to Jesus at His water baptism. We read that “the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove” (Luke 3:22).

God’s presence settled on Jesus. Luke adds later that He was “full of the Holy Spirit” (Luke 4:1).

Then John states that when the Jews asked for a sign that Jesus was from God, the Lord replied “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” When the Jews mocked this, John added, “But He was speaking about the temple of His body” (John 2:21 NASV).

These verses indicate that Jesus was now fulfilling the role of the Ark of the Covenant on Earth. Christ has replaced the Ark.

Then an interesting thing takes place at Christ’s resurrection. When Mary Magdalene went to Jesus’ tomb to anoint His body, she found it empty. She rushed back to tell Peter and John. All three then ran to the tomb.

After seeing it was empty Peter and John left. Mary then peered inside the tomb one last time and she saw, “two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying” (John 20:12 NASV)

The placement of these angels is very unusual. One of the angels is sitting at Christ’s head and the other at the Lord’s feet. In other words, Jesus was stationed between them.

This is similar to the imagery of the Ark of the Covenant, when the presence of God rested between the two Cherubim on top of the Ark.

Jesus was God’s presence on Earth.

But with Christ’s perfect sacrifice, the Holy Spirit is now able to reside in all humans who believe. Paul writes, “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16 NASV).

The Ark of the Covenant will not be missed, because we are now serving as the Ark.

If this is the case, then we have to ask if the Ark of the Covenant will ever be found?