The ark, a relic from the past, which Moses’ craftsmen – anointed by the Spirit for the task – created for the tabernacle in the wilderness, will soon be discovered. What a celebration for Israel and what a testimony to the world this discovery will be! This will testify to every nation on earth that the Jewish people are indeed a chosen company. But, more than what it says about Israel will be what it says about the true and living God of the Bible. This ark dates back to the exodus out of Egypt and the beginning of both the sacrificial system of the law and the preparation to enter the Promised Land as the nation of Israel.

The ark both represented and signified the presence of Jehovah God. It was not Moses’ idea; but, it was commanded by God. "And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about" "And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat" "And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel" (Exodus 25:10-11,18,21-22).

God said that this would be His meeting place with His nation, Israel. God’s literal presence would rest upon the ark. No one could touch it, but they would be responsible to carry it with the staves that they slipped through the rings at each corner. The High Priest, who offered the sacrifice at this ark that was placed behind a great veil, was sanctified carefully before he could go inside the veil. If he failed to purify himself, he was smitten with immediate death.

After many years Solomon built the great temple in Jerusalem to be the dwelling place of this ark. God’s Shekinah glory did not inhabit the temple alone, but dwelt with the ark. Because the glory of God was manifest with this ark, it became the source of great fear both to God-fearing Jews and often to their enemies. It’s thrilling to read the Biblical stories of victory associated with this physical expression of God’s wonderful presence.

This great representation of the Jewish faith apparently disappeared before the army of Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple in 586 B.C. This means that it is not likely that anyone has seen this awesome relic for 2,594 years. Of course, there are a host of people who do not believe it still exists. Some believe that Nebuchadnezzar’s army either destroyed it for its gold content or carried it away to Babylon never to be returned. There are several other possible answers as to why they believe it does not exist.

Among those that believe it does exist, there are also different opinions as to its present hidden place. One man, who I personally met, says he discovered the ark, looked at it, and knows exactly where it is located. He says it is under Mount Calvary where Jesus Christ was crucified. He claims that he dug from 1979 until 1982 before he finally reached the ark. Since it was covered over in a stone case, he used a colonoscope to identify the contents.

It is his opinion that when Jesus Christ was crucified, the blood ran down through the fissures caused by the earthquake and actually fell on the mercy seat of the ark. I remember hearing him tell this story on a television program on which he was a guest. I knew very little about this man, Ron Wyatt, but the story sure sounded exciting. I was skeptical and later decided that it was only Ron’s dream story.

There is also a report that says the ark is in the possession of the Vatican in Rome. A Benedictine monk, named Nelson Canode, claims that he had the following experience while he was serving at a monastery about 30 miles from Rome, "Mr. Canode testified that he once served as a Benedictine monk at the monastery at Subiaco, Italy, located 30 miles from Rome. While there, Canode says that he was taken to a room in a cave about four stories under the monastery. Here in this room were deposited ancient artifacts that he helped to move back and forth between Subiaco and the underground vaults of the Vatican. When he asked his superiors what these items were, he was told they included the disassembled Tabernacle and the Ark." (In Search of Temple Treasures, Randall Price, p. 99).

I have read about efforts being made by Jewish representatives to persuade the Vatican to return items that were taken from the Jerusalem temple in 70 A.D. Whether they have the actual ark or other sacred items, it is without a doubt that there are Jewish treasures in Rome. The Roman church would have inherited anything that had not been destroyed for its content, gold, or other valuables from the Roman authorities.

The search for the ark exists all the way to Ethiopia. It is claimed by the Ethiopians that the ark is hidden in the sanctuary chapel of Saint Mary of Zion Church in Axum, Ethiopia. Here is an account from the Ethiopian royal chronicles called Kebra Nagast or "Glory of the Kings" that was printed in Price’s book, "This work says the original Ark was transferred from Jerusalem to Ethiopia by Menelik I, the alleged son of the Queen of Sheba (an Ethiopian ruler) and King Solomon. A Zadokite priest who left with Menelik I took the original Ark from the Holy of Holies in Solomon’s Temple and left a replica in its place. When Menelik I discovered that his entourage possessed the Ark, he surmised that they must have had divine approval, since God c ertainly would have prevented the removal of the Ark had He not willed it."The account further states that the Ark was taken from Jerusalem to protect it from Manasseh, who would later defile the Temple with idolatrous images. Other traditions say that the Ark was taken first to a local temple in Elephantine, an island in Upper Egypt that had a Jewish community." (Ibid, pp. 131-132).

Bypassing an almost endless list of persons and locations that lay claim to the ark’s existence, I believe there is only one possible location. I believe that the ark is somewhere under the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Ark of the Covenant is the single most sacred relic of Jewish history and proof of God’s hand upon them. Personally, I believe that this part of temple worship must be preserved and found to complete the Tribulation temple. It will be powerfully used to prepare Jewish people for the transition to the faith of the true Messiah, Jesus Christ.

There are a great number of Jewish rabbis, Christian leaders, and even archaeologists that believe the ark is beneath the Temple Mount. After the war of 1967, rabbis led an effort to dig beneath the Temple Mount in an effort to find the treasures of the temple. Here is a quote from Rabbi Goren, one of the leaders, "We were very close to the place on the Temple Mount where the Holy of Holies was located. We were very close, beneath the Holy of Holies. We believe that the holy Ark made by Moses, and the table from the Temple, and the candelabra made by Moses, along with other very important items, are hidden very deep underneath the Holy of Holies, We started digging and we came close to the place; we were not more than 30 or 40 yards away." (Ibid, p. 166).

Their effort was stopped when the news leaked and an uproar was created by the Arabs who were connected to the Muslim sites. The Israeli police were directed by the Israeli government to intervene, the digging was stopped, and a wall was built to close off the area. All the searching for the ark was over until the appointed time.

Soon, when the war of Gog and Magog is finished and the world knows that there is a true and supernatural God, the time will arrive. The third and last Jewish temple cannot be authentic without the Ark of the Covenant. Any respect for the Muslim religion will end with the war of Gog and Magog. As a result, the Temple Mount will be swept clean and the Temple will be rebuilt. Very likely, the great fire from God on the Russia and Muslim hordes will also touch the mount and obliterate every semblance of the false religion of Allah.

It will only be days after the peace treaty between Israel and what is left of the Arab world, along with the Antichrist from Babylon, that the ark will be located. Then, the world will know.

As the greatest supernatural intervention of human history — a defense right out of heaven above — Israel’s God is going to reveal Himself. When this Divine display is finished, the Muslim religion will be stripped of all its glory. It will no doubt cause great anger among the hard core Muslims that escape death but a turning to Jesus Christ of those honest individuals that see the glory of our Eternal God. The Muslim religion is a farce when it is seen for what it really represents. Already millions of former Muslims have turned to Christ and the harvest has barely begun. One Saudi sheikh says in disgust that six million Muslims are converting to Christ yearly.

This coming war will serve as the eternal design of Bible prophecy. Men may well look at such a catastrophic devastation as cruel and beyond the acts of a Holy God, but this expression of wrath has been building for many centuries. It will include judgments against many vile and Godless acts of terror, great hatred manifest against the Jewish people, and hatred toward God Himself. Germany will receive her final judgment for the Holocaust and Russia will be judged for her atheistic hatred against her own people, as well as against Israelis and Christians. The Muslim religion will answer for centuries of vileness and defiance against the true and living God. The catastrophic level of God’s wrath will be in the exact proportion to the wicked history of the nations involved.

This war could not occur until the nation of Israel was back in a portion of the Promise Land. There is not enough military might in the entire armies of the world to change God’s promises. Israel is already a rich nation and is becoming richer every day. Their military is without parallel. They have discovered massive reserves of oil and eventually that discovery will be greater than all the Arab nations combined. How do we know that their oil deposits will be the world’s greatest? The Promise Land and her treasures were ordained to flow as "milk and honey."

There are several promises for the discovery of oil by the Jewish people. God said, "For the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneathÂ…for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sandÂ…and let him dip his foot in oil" (Deuteronomy 33:13, 19, and 24). Someone can argue whether "the deep that coucheth beneath, treasures hid in the sand" or "dip his foot in oil" means oil deposits; but if we take these words literally, they are indeed powerful.

It is important that we know the Biblical reason for the War of Gog and Magog. It is Israel’s riches and abundance that Russia covets. We know why the Muslims want to eliminate Israel, but Russia and much of her coalition forces want the treasures and wealth. If you study the unbelievable agricultural success, the technological brilliance, the military capabilities, and then add the possibility of billions of barrels of black gold, you will understand that Russia can see nothing but worldwide wealth and dominance.

One of their top politicians and advocates of this war to the south has left no room for guessing. Here are the words of Vladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky, a strategic ally of Putin:

• "The operation should be carried out using the code-name "Final Thrust to the South." Our army will carry out this task. It will be a means for the nation as a whole to survive and a way to restore the Russian army."
• "Russia reaching the shores of the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea is a task that will be the salvation of the Russian nation. . . . Russia will grow rich."
• "The Arabs and Europeans . . . have a vested interest in seeing to it Russia establishes her new borders . . . . Only in this way can they escape the Israeli trap."
• "Can’t Russia, mustn’t Russia, make just one move, one little move southward? . . . The Germans want this . . . . The world will understand that if Russia needs it that means it’s good. The Russian army needs this. It will let our boys flex their muscles instead of sitting around the barracks, worn out by hazing, in the depths of Russia, not knowing who and where the enemy is and what moral and physical preparations they should make."
• "Only America would not be pleased, but she won’t interfere. The alternative to this development of this situation is too grave for her if she interferes." (Epicenter, Joel C. Rosenburg, page 140-141.)

The mighty God of our Bible has allowed enough of His extension of grace. It’s time for judgment and it’s time to make all His glory visible to the human family. Listen to God’s promise of intervention. "And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes. Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them? And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face" (Ezekiel 38:16-18).

I pray that America will be there to help in this hour, but we will not be needed. I actually believe, contrary to many, that we will be faithful to Israel to the end. That will be the reason God honors America as a sheep nation in Matthew chapter twenty-five. Regardless, this will end the worldwide threat from Muslim terrorists and will sweep the Temple Mount in Jerusalem of every semblance of the false sun-god, named Allah.

Unnamed pestilences and blood will rain on the army of millions. The rain will be overflowing and mixed with hailstones, fire, and brimstones. It will be massive and will actually fall from Heaven in such a manner that no one will doubt that it is God Himself that fights for Israel. The Bible is careful to state that the slaughter of this mob of wicked people extends back to their staging countries and capital cities. "And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD. So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel" (Ezekiel 39:6-7).

Magog represents the Russian capital of Moscow and this Scripture includes the other nations which join this coalition. The judgment will leave no doubt about God’s rejection of the Muslim Koran and religion. The world is trying to convince us that the Muslim god is identical to our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. This lie will die with Gog and Magog in the mountains of Israel and in the nations that join this end time war.

The glory of God will be manifest and the world will know. Out of this massive judgment will be a mighty visitation of Holy Ghost awakening. Joel settled the utter destruction of the Northern horde and promised the Latter Rain of God’s Spirit. He said by the Holy Spirit, "But I will remove far off from you the northern armyÂ… Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things" (Joel 2:20a, 21). He added the Latter Rain promise two verses later, "He will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month" (Joel 2:23b). The first month is the Feast of Trumpets, the next unfulfilled feast of Israel. It is also a Jewish type for the coming Rapture of Christ’s Bride.

We are living in the golden age of the prophetic finishing of all things. Keep your eyes on the Holy Scripture and your heart in total surrender to the Lordship of our Savior and Captain, Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the only spiritual light in all religions. If you do not know this Light and do not live under its brightness, then you are lost. Religions are systems of studying and learning but Jesus Christ is the transforming Light that dispels the darkness and gives eternal life. No Bible writer shines the light of Jesus with greater focus than John.

In his gospel John stated, "In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not" (John 1:4-5). This great revelation of truth is more profound than is often understood. It actually says that Jesus Christ is Light and that this Light cannot be mastered or diminished. "The darkness comprehended it not" (John 1:5b) or the darkness fled from the light and had no escape. The darkness lost the battle in Jesus Christ "the light of the world" (John 8:12).

Darkness does not just move to another location when Jesus Christ appears, it actually vanishes and is utterly defeated. When a repenting sinner is born again, his entire person – body, soul, and spirit – enters into a transformed awakening. They are "Born Again" and become "a new creature" in Jesus Christ. Old things are passed away.

The Apostle Paul voiced this truth perfectly. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation" (II Corinthians 5:17-18). The very heart of the New Covenant by Jesus Christ is the "Born Again" life. It is a supernatural awakening. No person experiencing the "New Birth" can fail to be transformed.

This is at the heart of the "Good News of the Gospel." I love the Roman’s Road found in the book of Romans. Apostle Paul declares the freedom and matchless liberty in Jesus Christ. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:1-2).

It goes far beyond just a mental decision or choice; it is a brand new life. Purity becomes a reality not a dream. The body, soul, and spirit of the believer are renewed in the appetites and desires of Jesus Christ and His righteousness. No, we do not become perfect, but we do become pure by His grace manifesting the new man. Then we follow after Him and are made partakers of His divine nature progressively.

Read carefully as the Apostle Paul promises the purity and beauty of Holiness. The Spirit said, "And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Romans 8:10-11).

What an exciting life a believer in Jesus Christ is ordained to know! No, it is not trouble free nor will it be untested by the enemy of the soul. The secret is living in the Word of God and continuing in prayer and fellowship with the Lord Himself. Another statement that the Spirit gave us by Paul makes this life more than just religion. He stated, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if s o be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together" (Romans 8:14-16).

The greatest moments of my life from fifty-six years ago were when Jesus Christ wrought grace into my heart. The Holy Spirit is not some impersonal influence. He is the Divine Spirit of my Father and His Son. He literally makes Jesus Christ manifest so that I hear His voice and sense His joys. In the Scripture, it is called being "led by the Spirit" (Romans 8:14b). It is "joy unspeakable and full of glory" (I Peter 1:8).

This is the promise of life and light that Jesus Christ gave us. The Holy Spirit is His grace and righteousness being made real in our life. The Son of God promised this and His covenant cannot be broken. Jesus said, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him" (John 14:21 and 23).

This is the light in the saints that will draw men and women to Jesus Christ. Sinners are not drawn by doctrines and systems; they are drawn by His grace and His life that is evident in the believers. This Light — when it is allowed to shine — cannot be comprehended (hindered) by Satan (John 1:4). Jesus breaks out like fire and shines unto a brighter day.