Mary: The New Ark Of The Covenant




I've been listening to an audio-tape of Scott Hahn's lectures on The Revelation to John for a while now and tonight on my way home from work he was talking about chapters 11 and 12. He talked about how John saw the Ark of the Covenant in heaven and that the ark was Mary.

"Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple...A great sign appeared in the sky, a women clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth" (Rev 11:19-12:2).

He said that the original Ark of the Covenant held the Ten Commandments which were God's words. Likewise, Mary as the New Ark of the Covenant held inside her the Logos-the Eternal Word!

Mary was the vessel that carried God's new covenant. A covenant that was not only for Israel, but the whole world!

Hahn also mentioned parallels between the Ark of the Covenant and Mary in 2 Samuel and Luke.

For example in 2nd Samuel 6, David took a journey to the hill country of Judah with the Ark of the Covenant. Also, the same phrase is used to describe Mary's journey to the hill country. The same exact phrase is used. Both David and Mary, "arose and made the journey." In 2nd Samuel, 6:2 and Luke 1:39.

Then in 2 Samuel 6:9 David remarks "How shall the Ark of the Lord come to me?" Elizabeth also says in Luke 1:43 "Why should the Mother of the Lord come to me?"

The Ark of the Covenant stays with Obededom for three months in 2 Samuel. The exact amount of time that Mary stays with Elizabeth in Luke.

With all this in mind and also with the recent post of the "Top ten questions Catholics are asked": question 4, one can see why Mary is so revered. She is the Ark which bore the Word of God, Jesus Christ-God with us! She truly is the Ark of the New Covenant!

Blessed Mary, ever virgin, the Ark of the New Covenant, pray for us that we may take part in God's New Covenant with man; your son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and live our lives according to His will so that we all may enter into His heavenly kingdom where He reigns at the right-hand of God the Father. Amen!