[REPOSTED]
I'll try to expand a bit on what J.D. and Bo already said about the Mary/Ark of the New Covenant correlation. (This is just one interpretation, y'all, so please don't jump all over me.
) I remember when this was first pointed out to me; I was pretty much astounded.
First, look at
2 Samuel 6:9-16. King David sees the ark being brought to him after the Israelites recaptured it from the Philistines, and, in awe, says "
How can the ark of the Lord come to me?" (verse 9). As the ark approaches, David is seen "
leaping and dancing for joy before the Lord." (verse 16).
Then go to
Luke 1:39-45. When Elizabeth sees Mary approaching she cries out "
how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" Just as David leapt for joy before the ark, so John the Baptist leaps for joy in Elizabeth’s womb when Mary, (the Ark of the New Covenant), comes into her presence.
John’s leap for joy was for the same reason as David’s--not because of the ark itself, but because of what the ark contained: the Word of God. (Interesting, no?)
And
then, go to
Revelation 11:19 when St. John the Divine is called up to see the Ark of the Covenant.
Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a violent hailstorm.
So what was it- what exactly did he see? Look at the very next verse: 12:1-2:
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman 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... (12:1-2)
She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne. (12:5)
(The woman's offspring are "
those who keep God's commandments and bear witness to Jesus." The earliest interpreters of scripture have seen that the woman is clearly the Virgin Mary and the male child is Jesus. In John's symbolism, she represents the Church and/or Israel, and he represents faithful Christians.)
So...what do you think?