The ark of the covenant (Ex 37:1)
carried the secret of the covenant and
is a shadow of the components of the
new/ current covenant in Christ. The
Ark is representative of a seal of
protection, Then physical, now spiritual.
The new covenant is in unity with
Christ(Is 55:3) who, like the ark,
became the new witness(Is 55:4.)

In the ark was the ten commandments,
(Ex 40:20,) the law that would literally
dictate the quality of life of the new
nation(Deut 32:46, 47; Deut 29:9).
The law foreshadowed a coming
dispensation, when the word/laws of
God would become part of the people
and arise from the spirits of men. This,
we find in Christ, The living word of
God(John 1), who dwells in men,
transforming them from sons of
obedience.

He says He came to fulfill
the law(Mat 5:17). Jesus is the
personification of the law. The same
way sin was avoided by strict
application of the Law in Deuteronomy,
acceptance of Christ is acceptance to
have a new form of law rule over you -
the law of grace through which is
justification , and power to overcome sin
(Rom:5:15,21).

This new standard of
perfection brings a less rigorous
relationship between man and God.

http://sheep-talk..com/2013/01/ark-of-covenant-power.html

Amen

After the sins of the ancient world
came to fullness in Noah's time went
instruction to build an ark. This was a
prophetic declaration of a coming temple, a place of spiritual refuge, replicated severally over history.

Similar was a direction to come out of Egypt, after which a temple would be built, and so pharaoh was told to let the people go so that they could worship God. This same thing had been promised to Abraham in a distressing dream, when he got information of an impending bondage of His children, to be released after the sins of the Ammorites had come to a fullness. The promise here took a more substantive turn; the inheritance of the nations. It was fulfilled when Israel turned to the worship of YAHWEH.

After conquest of the [Caananites] by Israel, the time had come to make [the temple] more permanent. An important aide in their conquest would be the presence of God, who rested on the temple from the time it was dedicated.


A new order concerning the temple's building, complete with dimensions, was ordered in the days of David, implemented by a more restful Israel through Solomon and later, during Israels bondage under the Medo/Persians replicated by Cyrus the median King of Babylon, when He ordered the return of the Jews to their land at will. And paid to have the temple restored. This restored temple would usher the
Messiah who in turn introduced a new
form of worship and temple , worship in
the spirit(Phil 3:3).

The religious piety of the day could
hardly comprehend the phrase "worship
in the spirit" as put but Christ. They had a physical, beautiful temple This new order cost Him His Life, just as He had planned, for from that day, He literally became the new sacrificial offering of sin for humanity(in the new declared spiritual temple), that as many as would come to believe in Him, would have eternal life(John 3:16.). He always had been the fulfilled prophetic burnt offering that Israel had offered unknowingly, together with their forefathers.

Now that burnt offering which Was killed outside the temple was burnt whole, and it's blood sprinkled in the holy of holies, where the ark over which was the carved seat of mercy lay, As an offering that cleansed the entire congregation. That offering reconciled the congregation to the covenant they had with God. That is what Christ's sacrifice is for. Being that burnt offering, his blood reconciles us to the new covenant.

So what is the new covenant? Abraham got the Ammorites nations, a promise that His descendants would know God, Israel got Canaan, the temple, what do we get? The answer is in the foreshadow of the Inheritance of the old covenant. What they got, is what we get in the spirit, and is greater than what they got in the physical because the spirit is the foundation of the physical. It is so drastic that it's implementation will be the dawn of a transformed, new age.

*edited

http://sheep-talk..com/2013/03/the-ark-of-refuge-covenant.html

The Strong City, The Promise of the The Place of Refuge
All saints dwell in the house of the lord
(Prov 23:6). It is also referred to as a
secret pavilion from the strife of
tongues(Psalms 31:20). This place of
refuge is important especially in a dry
season, a season of war.

There is season of drawing the sword, and a season of retreat into hiding. This is a season of retreating to hide in the
stronghold. The hiding place is the
glory of God. It is a garment of
protection from contrary elements, the
seal or cover of men. Glory can be
good or bad depending on the source.
The glory of God is good it is the
strong city of believers. It is rich in
depth and diverse and called the
manifold glory of God for this reason.


Glory is mostly on many occasions referred to as wealth in earlier practiced modes of sealing scripture, especially in the old testament. The old testament is quite rich in teachings of the glory of God though. Some of these examples include; Proverbs 10:9(wealth is a strong city.) This means that glory surrounds one as an important line of both defense and offence. It is the principle that determines the availability of counsel (and power) for war. It rains on both the wicked and the just and it is therefore a fact that both will seasonally experience a time of
protection and a time of stripping of
the protection for testing. This is
discoursed in the seasons of war.

Proverbs 11:4(Riches do not profit in
the day of wrath(signifying the
change of seasons especially for the
wicked when the wrath of God is
poured onto the wicked.))

Scripture provides a hint on how to
build this stronghold: A house is built
through wisdom, established by
understanding, and chambers filled by
knowledge(Prov 24:3). This filling with
power is the increase of the glory of
God in ones life. This makes wisdom,
understanding and knowledge the
greatest of the gifts of the Spirit of
God. It is the key to the power of God,
which is His glory. This is further
reiterated: (A man of knowledge increases strength (Prov 24:5)).

The preceding examples shows how the
glory of God is the strong city of men. It is a wall/covering surrounding his people.
The glory of God is not a feeling. It is
a question of fact - spiritual facts.

The first fact is salvation, or true baptism. The presence of light (which is the glory of God - let your light shine...) is another(let your light shine in the presence of men). The question of the presence of light in our temples is discussed in the ark of the covenant . The light then becomes the witness of God to men. Being a living sacrifice is also another matter of facts of a spiritual nature. Just as Christ above, we are living sacrifices. Daily sacrifices in His Temple. Sacrifices given whole heartedly, joyfully, without blemish. It is for these reasons the spirits of men are
tested by their fruits. The fruits here are the sweet smelling essence of the sacrifices.

One can be a city without walls(Prov 25:28) which means to be unprotected. Things that need control include things like anger, fear(Prov 29:25), even bad
company(Prov 29:24). Stay in the hiding place, the strong city.

http://sheep-talk..com/2013/04/time-to-hide-strong-city.html
*edited