According to Wikipedia: The Ark of the Covenant, also known as the Ark of the Testimony, or the Ark of God) is the most sacred relic of the Israelites. It consisted of a pure gold-covered wooden chest with an elaborate lid called the Mercy seat. The Ark is described in the Book of Exodus as containing the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. According to New Testament Book of Hebrews, it also contained Aaron’s rod and a pot of manna.
The biblical account relates that, approximately one year after the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, the Ark was created according to the pattern given to Moses by God when the Israelites were encamped at the foot of Mount Sinai. Thereafter, the gold-plated acacia chest was carried by its staves by the Levites approximately 2,000 cubits (approximately 800 meters or 2,600 feet) in advance of the people when on the march or before the Israelite army, the host of fighting men. God spoke with Moses “from between the two cherubim” on the Ark’s cover.
However, the Wikipedia explanation does not adequately describe the true archetype of the Ark.
This is why its so important to protect the right to share ideas and beliefs. Wikipedia is far from a complete definition. Other voices must be allowed to speak.
The concept of the Ark is an Archetype, a form.
As Plato might say if he were alive today, the real Ark is an idea, the physical arks that have existed on earth have all served as a point-in-time implementation of the Ark within the limitations and confines of the physical realm.
The Ark’s nature is to Protect, and we can see three Arks in the Bible, serving to protect.
Two of those Arks, are present in the Old Testament: One at the beginning, and one at the end.
The third Ark, is presented at the beginning of the New Testament.
If there were a fourth and final Ark, and if its placement were to be consistent with placement in the Old Testament, one might say the final Ark would be somewhere within the Book of Revelation. It has not been written about, but if it were, one might hypothesize it would appear before the second coming.
Looking at the Arks that have been written about, we see the following:
The First Ark
Noah’s Ark was built to protect the Noah and his family during the flood. The rest of the world was wiped out, but those within the Ark remained.
The Second Ark
The Ark of the Covenant, the Gold Chest that housed the ten commandments, essentially serving to protect God’s word so that word would be able to influence and impact the world. The last mention of the Ark in the Old Testament is 2 Chronicles 35:3,
‘Then he said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy to the Lord: “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built.”‘
That is, the temple. This happened during the reign of King Josiah, about 630 BC. After that, we find ourselves in the New Testament.
The Third Ark
The Third Ark is the Womb of Mary which served as the the container protecting Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh. The Womb of Mary ensured Christ’s birth and entrance into the world.
A Fourth Ark, no way?
Since our goal is to provide secure and reliable technology services along with unprecedented levels of global defense and protection to our customers who have long desired to work with a catholic owned company, we were inspired by the Ark, all three of them.