The “Lost” Ark and the Mercy Seat – Part IV

Monday we made our way through numerous passages that spoke of the ark as a model of heaven and the mercy seat as a throne.

Today we’ll review passages that have been in our Bibles but we may never have paid much attention to what they say about the destiny of the mercy seat.

The Ethiopian Connection

If you do a search on the Internet about this, you will find much information. In fact, it was either Discovery Channel or the National Geographic channel did a story on a small church in Axum, Ethiopia that claims they have the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat. The reports that I’ve heard and read indicate that the people guarding the ark–it is not on public display; no one gets in to see it but a very small handful–say that the ark itself is falling apart. The gold is flaking off and wood is decaying. However, they say that the mercy seat is still very beautiful.

But what does the Bible say? Can it be possible that the ark and mercy seat still survive today and are in Ethiopia?

Alas, oh land of whirring wings which lies beyond the rivers of Cush, which sends sends envoys by the sea, even in papyrus vessel on the surface of the waters. –Isaiah 18:1-2.

It’s my understanding that part of what characterizes the area of Axum are the mosquitoes that are constantly flying around. Are these the “whirring wings?” The papyrus vessels mentioned in this verse are still in use today!

Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth, to a people feared far and wide, a powerful and oppressive nation whose land the rivers divide. –Isaiah 18:2.

“A nation tall and smooth” accurately describes the people of Ethiopia. “A land the rivers divide” also accurately describes the rivers in the region.

All you inhabitants of the world and dwellers on earth, as soon as a standard is raised on the mountains, you will see it, and as soon as the trumpet is blown, you will hear it. –Isaiah 18:3.

The language used here closely resembles the passages in Revelation about the six trumpet judgments found in Revelation 8. The whole world will see the standard and hear the trumpet!

The passages in Isaiah 18:4-6 further describe what can only be the Second Coming of Jesus. Watch what it says in the next verse:

At that time a gift of homage will be brought to the Lord of hosts from a people tall and smooth, even from a people feared far and wide, a powerful and oppressive nation, whose land the rivers divide–to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, even Mount Zion. –Isaiah 18:7. (Emphasis mine.)

In case it didn’t sink in. The word used is “gift,” singular. The Hebrew word used for “will be brought” is “yabal,” which means “to carry” or “to bear.” In other words, something physically carried.

“From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my worshipers, My dispersed ones, will bring My offerings.” –Zephaniah 3:10.

Here, too, we see Ethiopians “yabal”/”will bring” something to Jesus at His Second Coming.

They have seen Your procession, O God, the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary. Because of Your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring gifts to You. Envoys will come out of Egypt; Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God. –Psalm 68:24, 29, 31. (Emphasis mine.)

What can we reasonably conclude?

Could it be, that the mercy seat, and the ark of the covenant, are currently hidden and safe-guarded in Ethiopia?

Is it possible that when Jesus returns and builds the new temple in Jerusalem that envoys from Ethiopia will come, carrying the mercy seat and the ark to present them as a gift to the Messiah?

Could it be that Jesus will once again use the mercy seat as a place where He will meet with His people and rule from it as His throne?

On Friday we’ll take a look at the story of the Ethiopian eunuch and maybe for the first time, this passage may have a whole new meaning for you and I.

May He Increase!