...Is supposed to be revealed today in Rome by the Orthodox Ethiopian Church.

Even if this is the real deal, would this (or should this) have any effect on the Christian church (other than the amazing physical proof of seeing it)?

__________________
Sean Caouette
Independent Presbyterian Church (PCA)
Memphis, Tennessee

Only if they try to perform some obscene ritual with it. Then it might melt them.

__________________
Jonathan
Audio Engineer
Reformed Anabaptist
Ohio

Moroni's magical glasses of proper interpretation:

Only if a hyper-orthodox Jewish sect steals it, blows up the dome of the rock mosque in Jerusalem and the Israeli government begins to rebuild the temple.
Rapture, here we come! ;-P

__________________
In Christ's love and service

Mr. Tim Cunningham,
BMus. (Trombone Performance), University of Toronto
Dip. CS, Regent College, Vancouver
Member, First Baptist Church
Vancouver, BC
------------
"I once sat in darkness, and waited for the moon to rise.
I once sat in darkness, and waited for the son to shine.
I once sat in darkness, when all the light I'd waited for was gone.
Then Jesus came, and now the only true light, ever, shines in me."
– John Deacon -

It would be a very fascinating archaeological object, especially for Bible-believing Christians. I wouldn't hold your breath, though.

It is of no theological significance. Christ is our ark and the sign that He was in Heaven, and that the temple on Earth was finally closed and the one in heaven opened for business, was the destruction of Jerusalem by Roman armies. See Revelation 11:1-2 and 11:19. Also Matthew 24:3 and 30. That would be according to a pretero-historicist/historical preterist interpretation of the Olivet Discourse and Revelation.

At the stage of the destruction of the Second Temple the ark hadn't apparently been seen for years, as Josephus says the Holy of Holies was empty. Either Josephus is wrong, or hiding something, or there is a mystery as to how the High Priest made atonement for the people once a year in the Second Temple. He would have nothing to sprinkle the blood on.

Maybe the priests were lying to keep the Holy Place and Most Holy Place from the prying eyes of the Romans. It's not mentioned in the Bible in connection with the Babylonian Captivity, so maybe it was hidden/went missing before then.

__________________
Richard
communicant member, FCoS
Perth, Scotland UK

His Name forever shall endure;
last like the sun it shall:
Men shall be blessed in Him,
and blessed all nations shall Him call (Ps. 72:17)

The Ethiopian Orthodox state the Ark has been in their custody for centuries.

I think it is telling that WND is the only outlet that mentions this.

__________________
Daniel
PCA
Memphis, TN

Good point!

It's also being reported on Israel National News:

Holy Ark Announcement Due on Friday - Travel - Israel News - Israel National News

Not sure where they got the story from.

__________________
Steve Butts - Former SBC-er
Three Forms of Unity - Bradenton CRCNA - Bradenton, Florida
(A conservative member in a conservative congregation)

"Turning away to false Theology is equal to turning away to false gods" — Francis Schaeffer (Death in the City)

Hey! The Weekly World News is reporting it!

ARK OF THE COVENANT REVEALED|Weekly World News

It's in their top stories along with Michael Jackson faking his own death and an Egyptian Pharoah taking a joyride in a UFO.

__________________
SW
Church of the Highlands, San Francisco, CA

The announcement would have been 7 hours ago and yet Jacko still dominates the news. Either this ark huckster has nothing or he's going to wait until the ark doesn't have to compete with pop.

__________________
Bob Vigneault C.O.L, L.E., G.E, Dr.O.P., O.U.T.
The Heartbeat of Heaven (blog)
Deacon/Christ Presbyterian Church, Janesville, WI OPC www.christ-opc.org

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Bob, that beer looks nice.

I wouldn't worry about it, it's not the real thing anyway. I believe these claims have been investigated before.

__________________
Louis DiBiase
Louisville, KY

Goose Island's Honker's Ale (Chicago) and it is suppose to be the perfect balance of malt and hops. I would agree and I do like it very much.

Yep, like hollow chocolate bunnies in a microwave oven. (My vote is to let the pope open it.)

__________________
Kevin, husband of a truly angelic woman, and father to ten.
Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield
Ontario, Canada

I saw Indiana Jones. This isn't going to end well. Get me outta here, Chewey. . . . or something.

__________________
Raymond Victor Bottomly
Providence Reformed Baptist Church, Tacoma, WA

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Questions is: If they do produce the "Ark" how is it determined if it's the real "Ark" indeed. I have a feeling this is another Romish relic.

__________________
John
Member
Christ Presbyterian Church (OPC)
Salt Lake City, Utah
www.christpres.net

Open it up and see what's inside. If it has two stone tablets and a jar containing manna well...

"In Ethiopia, their whole culture is centered around worshipping this object," Cornuke said

Looks like it's turned into a curse again.

Maybe it will be used to take down the Romish empire!!!

__________________
Nathan Olaf Brandal

"Man is nothing: he hath a free will to go to hell, but none to go to heaven, till God worketh in him to will and to do his good pleasure"
GEORGE WHITEFIELD TO JOHN WESLEY

My Blog

the last time the Ark was trotted out in battle, things didn't go so well...

__________________
Todd K. Pedlar
member, First Congregational Church, (CCCC) Cresco, IA
http://inprincipiodeus.solideogloria.com
http://puritanwisdom.blogspot.com

"As God did not at first choose you because you were high, He will not now forsake you because you are low."
John Flavel in Keeping the Heart



Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Let's see. Who stands to make money from this?

__________________
Norm
IA PCA

In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will. Ephesians 1:4-5

Mike bought it to be buried in.

__________________
Andrew DeShazo
Husband of Kathryn
Father of Phillip-Giles B. DeShazo
Deacon
Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, Memphis, TN
"From out of the depth of unbroken Infinfity arose the Question, "Who am I?" And to that Question there is the answer, "I am God!" -Meher Baba, died 1969.

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Christ, died 33 AD, ressurected three days later.

The Talmud says that the Prophet Jeremiah hid the ark of the covenant before the First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians. The ark has never been found since. Plus there is no mention anywhere, of the ark in the second temple.

__________________
Jacob Peters
Layman
URC
Toronto
Canada

Is there any indication what the High Priest did with the blood when he went into the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement in the Second Temple, then? It seems a bit mysterious if there was no Ark there or even a copy? Josephus said the Most Holy Place was empty. Were the priests hiding something?

There's also this eschatalogical passage in Jeremiah:-
Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more. At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.

The High Priest in the second temple sprinkled the blood where the ark would have been. The Foundation Stone currently in the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, in that Mosque of Omar, was where the Ark in the First Temple was placed. That would be the location where the blood would have been sprinkled in the second temple. Archeologists who briefly had access to the Foundation Stone discovered a depression on the suface of the stone which corresponded to the dimensions of the Ark of the Covenant. Unfortunately the Islamic Authorities in Jerusalem control access to the Foundation Stone, and we know how friendly they are to our Faith. Many also believe that the Ark is buried beneath the Temple Mount in a Secret Chamber. The Islamic Authorities would never allow an Archeological Dig in the Temple Mount. They seem to fear what will be uncovered.

Very interesting.

Is the view that the High Priest sprinkled the blood where the ark would have been, based on archaeology and/or documentary evidence, or is it drawn by inference from Josephus's testimony?

It is in Maimonides's Mishneh Torah(sefer Ha Avodah, Hilchot Avodat Yom Hakippurim) Chapter 3.5n. Refer also to Mishnah Torah, sefer HaAvodah Hilchot Beit HaBechirah 4.1) Info about the location of the ark is in the latter) Optional citings in Midrash Tanchuma.
http://www.mysefer.com/product.asp?n...ria=&PT_ID=310http://http://www.mysefer.com/produc...ria=&PT_ID=310

There is an Ethiopian tradition that the Queen of Sheba deceived Solomon and stole the ark. How she did this is more than anyone knows.

__________________
Mary Vanderkooi
Kale Heywott Church (KHC)
Soddo, Ethiopia

She walked out backwards and said it was a delivery.

-----Added 7/2/2009 at 09:07:58 EST-----

How would it be authenticated? Someone would have to touch it. Any volunteers?

__________________
Rich Koster
1689'er
Browns Mills NJ USA
Often Goofy Reformed Eccentric
Romans 7:14-25

There is a Jewish Tradition that a Replica of the ark was constructed and presented to the Queen of Sheba, which she then took back. I am trying to recall where I read it!

Dear Vilna Gaon,

Slightly different topic.

Is there any reference in Jewish sources to the rending of the veil of the temple? I got the impression there was from a taped sermon by an American pastor, but have never come accross such a reference.

Yours,
Richard.

In the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Yoma 39b, it says that 40 years before the destruction of the Temple which would be the time of Jesus's Crucifixtion, the Temple Gates opened by themselves and Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai rebuked the gates saying Temple, Temple why do you alarm us.

I know that Alfred Edersheim in his ""Life and times of Jesus"" interpreted this passage of the Talmud as a corrupted history of the rending of the Temple Veil.
I have yet to come across a direct reference to the rending of the veil in the Classical Jewish sources. I am always looking!!!
I hope this helps.
Regards
Jacob