Ark of the Covenant – Dominican Life on Lotus Lane

Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning, loud noises, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

Revelation 11:19-12:1

Raiders of the Lost Ark was a great movie, but the true meaning of the ark is even greater. It was only recently that chapters and numbers were added to the Bible; for many years, people just read the above passage all in one piece, as we show it here. They understood that the Ark of the Covenant which appeared in Heaven was actually Mary, carrying within her the true Law in the person of the Son of God. The physical ark–constructed according to God\’s direction in order to hold the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments–was a foreshadowing of the true Ark, Mary. And just as the ancient ark was carried into battle to ensure victory, just as the ark blessed the people who approached it reverently, so Mary is our standard in war, the woman who makes the devil tremble. And we still call upon her name, asking her to intercede for us with her Son. Everything shown in the Old Testament proves to be a shadow of the reality which comes in the New Testament.

Mary, Ark of the Covenant, remind us to turn to you when we are in need of help. You are the greatest intercessor before God; be our saving help always.

The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high; and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also made an altar of cedar. And Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold, and he drew chains of gold across, in front of the inner sanctuary, and overlaid it with gold. And he overlaid the whole house with gold, until all the house was finished. Also the whole altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold.

–1 Kings 6:20-22

King Solomon is a foreshadowing, or type of Christ in this passage: he made his temple beautiful beyond all imagining, using not only gold but many other precious metals, wood, stone, jewels, and textiles. It was fitting that the Lord of Lords should have the most perfect place to dwell on earth, as He did in Solomon’s temple within the Ark of the Covenant. The temple itself becomes a foreshadowing of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary is the House of Gold because she was the all-holy one who gave birth to Jesus. Jesus is the King of Kings, and so it is fitting that He should rest in Mary\’s virginal womb until the time came for His birth, the most pure and immaculate place possible.

Holy Mary, House of Gold, help us all to remember that we are temples of the Holy Spirit. Let us never forget this dignity which is ours, and may it keep us from behaving in ways contrary to the freedom that a child of God should have.