The Ark of His Testament | Part 3 (Authority)
The Sapphire Review Vol. 1 | No. 9 • July 23, 2024
→ Part 1: There Is An Ark In Heaven
→ Part 2: There Is Something Inside The Ark
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.
In the first part of this series we saw that there is a physical ark in heaven. In the second part we saw that this ark contains the ten commandments. Now, we are continuing our series by moving on to the third point of interest with this verse.
1. There is an ark in heaven
2. There is something inside the ark
3. There is an authority
4. There is an application today
That There Is An Authority
John provides a special designation that we don’t find used in quite the same way anywhere else in the Bible. John did not simply describe what he saw as “the ark of the testament” but rather “the ark of his testament.” Whose testament? God’s! Our verse opens with a scene in “the temple of God,” also called “his temple.” Using this contextual substitution, we can also understand that which John saw to be the ark of God’s testament. In other words, God is the authority that we will be looking at here.
SIMILAR LANGUAGE
The closest language that we find to John’s description comes from a handful of verses in the Old Testament where the ark is referred to as “the ark of the covenant of the LORD”1 or “the ark of the covenant of God.”2 We also see it being referred to as the “ark of the LORD”3 and as the “ark of God.”4
In the Old Testament references, we do not get the same picture that we do from reading “the ark of his testament.” In John’s description, the emphasis of ownership (authority) is focused upon the “testament” and not upon the ark itself. This does not take away any importance from the ark, but it does draw our attention to consider the testament more specifically than we would if this verse had read “his ark of the testament” or “the ark of the testament of the Lord.”
DILEMMA
In the first part of this series, we covered there being a physical temple in heaven that served as a pattern for the earthly tabernacle and vessels which Moses constructed. Paul describes what is in heaven as being greater and more perfect than the earthly tabernacle in Hebrews 9:11.
In the second part of this series, we saw that the original ten commandments on tables of stone are located inside of the heavenly ark, and that by being there, the ark is then able to be called the ark of the testimony / covenant / testament. The ten commandments that Moses received were simply a replica of that which existed in heaven, serving as a pattern for the earthly.
A designation of “the ark of the testament” would have been sufficient to get us to this point of our study, so what is gained now by John’s unique description of “his testament?” There is quite a bit of importance that comes from using “his” instead of “the.”
Those who would say the ten commandments, as given to Moses, were only for the Israelites while under the Mosaic law, should find a dilemma when they come to this verse in Revelation 11:19. A dilemma, that is, if they are being honest and desiring truth, rather than searching for an excuse or way to support their neglect of the ten commandments (namely Sabbath observance).
By understanding that the ten commandments are God’s, in heaven, we must also separate them from having only an association with any specific demographic group on earth, such as the physical Israelites who lived before Christ and under the Mosaic law. If the heavenly is greater than the earthly, then it stands to reason that the authority and the jurisdiction of the heavenly are both superior to that of the earthly.5
LEGAL FOUNDATION
The American government has the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. These documents serve as the foundation from which all other laws are built. If any other law violates the precepts contained within these documents, that law is overturned and becomes invalid. Other laws have come and gone but the Constitution and the Bill of Rights have remained as the foundation from which everything else builds.
We see a similar principle with the law of God. God’s ten commandments have always existed as a moral foundation for His entire kingdom (jurisdiction). Any other law must build upon these commandments and cannot violate them to be valid. During the time of Moses, additional requirements were added for the Israelite people. These “handwritten ordinances” remained in force until the time of Christ, after which point they were “nailed to the cross.” The ten commandments, however, remain and now serve as the foundation for all the additional precepts found in the pages of the New Testament.6
JUDICIAL AUTHORITY
Consider the following regarding the American judicial system. There is a court, known as the Supreme Court, which has ultimate authority over all cases involving constitutional or federal law. Any ruling or law that has been implemented by a lower court can be overruled by a decision of the Supreme Court. Appeals can be made to the Supreme Court regarding decisions made by lower courts. Once the Supreme Court’s decision has been made, it cannot be overruled by a lower court. Its effect is immediate and permanent unless the Supreme Court itself later changes its own ruling.
In a similar fashion, God’s law (the ten commandments) standing as an authority in the heavenly temple, which is greater and more perfect than the earthly, cannot be overruled by men on earth saying it no longer applies. The laws of earth are made with a level of authority that is lower than and inferior to that of heaven. Men have tried for centuries to abolish parts of the ten commandments, with the fourth, regarding Sabbath observance, being the most scrutinized. The higher court of heaven contains the ten commandments within the heavenly ark before which Jesus is now serving as our high priest. Therefore, the authority of heaven, under the rule of God himself, declares that they are still as valid and binding as they were when the replica was given to Moses on Mount Sinai.7
JUDICIAL JURISDICTION
Within the members of the American Supreme Court, we find the highest judicial officer of the nation. Let’s see how this person is described from the Supreme Court’s website: “The Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr., is the 17th Chief Justice of the United States.” What is important to notice about this description is that it contains his name (John G. Roberts, Jr.), his title (Chief Justice), and his territory (United States). This description of him is what makes it clear to us that this man is the highest judicial officer in the United States of America. No other person is higher. His judicial influence is not inferior to any other person within that territory.
This explanation is significant because we find language in the scrutinized fourth commandment that establishes the authority of God and His jurisdiction. Here is the text:
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Here we find His name (the LORD / YHWH / יהוה), His title (God and Creator: as the one who “made”), and His territory (heaven, earth, sea, and everything that is contained within them). This commandment is what establishes and highlights God’s ultimate authority and jurisdiction over all of creation. This commandment serves as his seal and signature upon the “legal document” of the “words of the covenant” found in the ten commandments. His throne and His kingdom rule over all.8
CONCLUSION
The scene of this verse is in God’s temple, or “his temple.” This means that God is the owner and the ultimate authority of that temple and anything within its jurisdiction. This verse also deals with the ark of “his testament,” a testament that has as its legal foundation, the ten commandments.
The ten commandments bear the seal of God (name, title, and territory) through the precepts of the fourth commandment.
The heavenly court is a higher and more perfect court than any upon the earth. Therefore, the jurisdiction of the heavenly extends beyond and encompasses that of the earthly. Additionally, the authority of the heavenly is superior to the earthly and cannot be overruled by anything earthly or by anything that takes place upon the earth.
The ten commandments, located in the heavenly ark, are backed by the authority of the LORD God Almighty. He is the highest judicial officer in all of heaven and in all of earth. There is no higher authority.
NEXT PART:
That there is an application today
Next, we will see how all the information in the first three writings is important for our daily lives. This isn’t just knowledge for us to carry in our heads, but there is a real application for us to consider.
→ Part 4: There Is An Application Today
God Bless,
Charles
