The Ark of the Covenant is in heaven.
Les Feldick points to Revelation 11:19, where the temple of God is opened in heaven and the ark of His testament—the covenant—is seen there. He also notes that while the Ark was present at the Babylonian invasion, there is no record that Nebuchadnezzar's forces took it. Thus, based on John's vision, the Ark is in heaven.
Revelation 11:19 — John sees the Ark of God's covenant in the opened heavenly temple, directly answering where the Ark is located.
In Revelation 11:19, during the tribulation period, the apostle John writes: 'And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.' 'The ark of his testament' refers to the Ark of the Covenant. This verse places the Ark in the heavenly temple at the time of the end-time events. Elsewhere, the Bible describes the Ark as a sacred chest associated with the mercy seat and the presence of God in the Holy of Holies.
Les tells his audience that he can find no record that the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar took the Ark at the time of the Babylonian invasion. He invites Bible students to search the Scriptures for the answer. Then, in his study of Revelation 11, he shows that John sees the temple of God opened in heaven and the ark of His testament there, accompanied by lightnings, voices, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail. Les therefore concludes that the Ark of the Covenant is in heaven. He also explains that the Ark was a small, gold-covered box holding the tables of the Ten Commandments, Aaron's rod that budded, and a sample of manna, with the mercy seat—pure beaten gold—above it, overshadowed by cherubim. It was the visible sign of God's presence and mercy leading Israel.
Les Feldick says, 'I know it was there at the time of the Babylonian invasion, but I can't find anything in the record that the Babylonians took, that is, under Nebuchadnezzar, took the Ark with them.' He invites his audience to search the Scriptures and says he is willing to listen to any hints. This indicates that, at least from Les's study, the Old Testament does not give a clear account of the Ark being carried off to Babylon.
In Revelation 11:19, John writes that 'the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.' Les identifies this as 'the ark of His testament, or the ark of His covenant,' and he calls attention to the fact that this vision takes place in heaven. This is the key evidence for the Ark's present location.
From Les's teaching, the Ark was a little box overlaid with pure gold—the same Hebrew word as 'coffin'—and it originally contained the tables of the Ten Commandments, Aaron's rod that budded, and a sample of the manna. Above the Ark was the mercy seat of pure beaten gold, overshadowed by cherubim. In the tabernacle, the Ark stood in the Holy of Holies behind the veil, and the Shekinah glory hovered above it as the sign of God's presence and mercy. Les also notes that later in Israel's history only the tables of stone remained in the Ark, and he asks when the rod and manna were removed.
What Saves You? Head Knowledge vs. Heart Belief
on. Then you'll find that all of these parts of the outer fence and everything else is set in sockets of either brass or silver. And then the other important thing I guess I want to come to is verse 35 now in Exodus 36, and that is the veil, as it's called, that separated the Holy of Holies from the sanctuary. Now this part, of course, was two-thirds of the size, and back here was the other third.
No Babylonian Record
Les says the Ark was present at the Babylonian invasion but he can find no record that Nebuchadnezzar's forces took it, leaving the location as an open study question.
The Ark as Israel's Leader
Les describes the Ark as the sign of Israel's leadership and the place of mercy, reminding us of its contents and the mercy seat above it.
The Ark in the Holy of Holies
Les places the Ark behind the veil in the Holy of Holies and challenges his audience to know what was inside the gold-covered box.
Contents of the Ark
Les notes that the Ark originally held the tables of stone, Aaron's rod, and manna, but later held only the tables of stone, raising a question he has not found answered.
Shekinah Glory over the Ark
Les explains that the cloud of God's presence hovered above the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies, showing that it signified the very presence of God.
Ark Seen in Heaven
Les points to Revelation 11:19 where the temple of God is opened in heaven and the ark of His covenant is seen there, providing the direct answer that the Ark is in heaven.
What the Bible Really Says About the Times of the Gentiles
And so, the residue of the ancient kingdom of Babylon that is part and parcel of our everyday existence in this very year in which we live is banking. The whole idea of interest and usury was really begun on that kind of a scale in Babylon. And so, the Jew just embraced that, and they take it back.
Revelation 11:19: And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
This verse is the direct biblical evidence that the Ark is in heaven, as seen in John's vision during the Tribulation.
Revelation 11:19 shows the Ark of His covenant in the temple of God in heaven. Les Feldick bases his teaching on that verse, pointing out that the Old Testament does not record the Babylonians taking the Ark.
Les says he can find nothing in the biblical record that Nebuchadnezzar's forces took the Ark. He invites his audience to search the Scriptures for an answer.
The Ark originally contained the tables of the Ten Commandments, Aaron's rod that budded, and a sample of manna, with the mercy seat above it. Les notes that later in Israel's history only the tables of stone remained.
Watch the Teaching: What Saves You? Head Knowledge vs. Heart Belief