"For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people..." Hebrews 9:19
Hebrews 9:19 says that Moses sprinkled blood and water above the book of the law in order to confirm the old covenant at Sinai. This was a type of what Christ did when He confirmed the new covenant, which He did on the cross. So just as Moses sprinkled animal blood, and water above the book of the law in the type, Christ had to sprinkle His blood and water above the tables of the law in the antitype.
The following is the account of late, amateur archaeologist Ron Wyatt and his discovery of that very thing.
In August of 1978, Ron Wyatt was walking along Gordon's Calvary Escarpment in the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, talking with a local authority about Roman antiquities. Without warning, Ron's
left hand pointed to a site there and his mouth said, "That's Jeremiah's Grotto and the Ark of the Covenant is in there."
Even though these words had come from his own mouth and his own
hand had pointed, he had not consciously
said or done these things. The man with him, quite out of character,
also reacted strangely. He said, "That's wonderful! We want
you to excavate, and we'll grant you your permits, put you up in
a place to stay and even furnish your meals!" Ron Wyatt knew that
this was a supernatural event but he also knew that not all supernatural
events originate from God (Revelation 16:14).
So he returned home to the US, and began to research as to whether
or not the Ark could be in that area. He discovered that 2Chronicles 35:3 is the last reference to the Ark of the Covenant, and verse 19 tells us that this was in the year 621 BC, just
35 years before the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by Nebuchadnezzar.
It says that the Ark was in the temple at that time. When the Babylonian
army besieged Jerusalem, they built a siege wall around the city,
not allowing anyone or anything in or out of the city.
Therefore, the Ark of the Covenant most probably remained within
the Babylonian siege wall. As it was not captured by Nebuchadnezzar
and taken to Babylon, we must assume that it was hidden underground.
This matched perfectly with the area that Ron Wyatt had pointed to, it
would have been within the Babylonian siege wall, in an underground
chamber. Ron Wyatt and his two sons dug several times at that site, uncovering
a wealth of information. They began by digging straight down, at
the base of a cliff face, a cliff face known to many as Golgotha.
In the 1800's General Gordon recognized that the site matched the
biblical description of Calvary, the site of the crucifixion of
Christ. The Bible describes a tomb hewn out of rock, in a garden
nearby, it was the tomb of a rich man who donated it to Jesus (Matt.
27:57-60). In the vicinity is just that, and the tomb has
been hurriedly extended, suggesting that the person that lay in
it, was not the person it was designed for.
In fact, General Charles Gordon,
the founder of the Garden Tomb said the Ark is hidden there! The Garden
Tomb has published a book in 2012 and is selling it now saying the Ark of
the Covenant is in Jeremiah's Grotto in Skull Hill (on their property).
"General Gordon on Golgotha - Gordon's Letters to Sir John Cowell 1883" ISBN 978-1-904459-51-4.
Edited by Rosalind Meryon, The Garden Tomb Jerusalem, 2012. Gordon writes, "Here at Skull Hill,
close the Slaughter House of Jerusalem was Titus 1 to 2m. The Roman Eagle took
the heart of Zion by throat, for close was the breach. Jeremiah wrote Lamentations
in the cave. The Ark of the Covenant is there." page 55. On page 47 Gordon says the
Table of Shewbread is also in there, "Golgotha on Hill was Jeremiah's Grotto. 1. This
hill is outside gates near city where many roads pass. 2. From long time back the Slaughter
House of City has been there. 3. It is N. of City. Shewbread table is in it."
The first find that they uncovered were recesses cut into the cliff
face, three 'bookshelf-like' cut outs. Ron's thought was that these
could be the recesses that held the signs that the Romans put above
the cross of Christ. In Matthew 27:37, Mark 15:26 and Luke 23:38 the Bible says that the superscription
was written "over" Jesus, which fits with what Ron Wyatt found.
In the book of John, the Bible says that, "a title," was
"put on the cross". The Greek word for "on"
is "EPI". EPI can also be translated as "over"
or "above". The translators in Matthew, Mark and Luke
decided to translate EPI as "over", because it would have
not made sense to say that a sign was put (EPI) on his head, but
in John they translated EPI to mean "on" because it would
make sense to put a sign on the cross.
However, they could have translated EPI to say, "a title"
was "put above/over the cross".
Further excavation revealed an altar stone protruding from the cliff
face like a shelf. Ron Wyatt felt that perhaps this was the remains of
a Christian altar, suggesting that the early Christians knew that
this was a place of significance. The foundation to a first century
building was also uncovered, which was believed to be a church,
again adding more significance to the site.
At last Ron Wyatt uncovered the clinching evidence that convinced him
this was the site of the crucifixion. Four cross holes cut out of
the rock, one higher up than the rest on a platform and set back.
The other three were in a line lower down and infront. The upper
cross hole would have held the 'featured' criminal, and we know
from the Biblical account that the two cross holes either side held
the two thieves when Christ was crucified. In this case, only three
of the four cross holes were used.
Ron's attention was drawn to the cross hole that was higher than
the others. If this was the site of the crucifixion of Jesus, then
this would undoubtedly be His cross hole. A square-cut stone had
been placed in the cross hole, acting as a plug. It had finger grips
on each side, and when Ron Wyatt removed it he noticed a large crack in
the bedrock, extending from the cross hole. It looked to Ron Wyatt like
an earthquake crack, and the Bible does say, in Matthew 27:51, "and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent".
It became too dangerous to continue
digging down the cliff face. So, Ron Wyatt had to dig down at various
angles. He soon found himself within a cave system. He worked with
a small Arab man who would crawl in through the gaps that were too
tiny for Ron Wyatt to easily enter. The conditions were damp, with plenty
of dust and little oxygen. Sometimes Ron Wyatt had to squeeze himself
through the smallest of holes. One day he asked the man to crawl
in through a tiny entrance to a cave, as usual. When he had done
so, he rushed out with terror in his eyes, screaming, "What's
in there! What's in there!" The man hurriedly exited the cave
system and refused ever to return.
Excitedly, Ron Wyatt extended the entrance to this chamber and crawled
in. He found himself crawling across rocks that were piled up almost
to the roof. Growing more and more tired, Ron Wyatt began to move the
rocks aside, in order to reveal what was underneath. He uncovered
some dry rotted wooden boards which when he moved aside revealed
animal skins. Something shiny was under the animal skins. Moving
them aside, Ron Wyatt uncovered the Table of Shewbread, from the first
temple. Continuing to shift aside more rocks and wood, he then found
a stone casing. The lid had cracked and had been moved aside. Ron Wyatt
shone his flashlight down through the crack and saw a chest of beaten
gold. He knew he was looking at the Ark of the Covenant. Overwhelmed
with emotion and suffering from pneumonia Ron Wyatt passed out for 45
minutes in that chamber. It was January 6th 1982, when Ron Wyatt made
this amazing discovery - Exactly 3 and a half years after Ron's left
hand pointed to the site and his mouth said, "That's Jeremiah's Grotto
and the ark of the covenant is in there".
Rebecca Tourniaire notes the date of the Babylonian siege against Jerusalem.
"And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month,
in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he,
and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built
forts against it round about." (II Kings 25:1). The date is probably accidental, right?
Or is it? ...the day Ron Wyatt entered the chamber that contains the Ark of The Covenant...
was in fact on the biblical 10th day in the 10th month... So what could the meaning of this be?
Was it just coincidental that Ron Wyatt found the Ark on the exact same date or was there some deeper meaning?
Did Ron even know the biblical date he ended up finding the Ark, or was it just January 6th to him?"www.ThirdAngelsMessage.com
Ron Wyatt tried to photograph
the ark with a Polaroid, but the photos turned out foggy. He returned
with a colonascope, but again the pictures turned out foggy.
Below is the picture that turned out foggy, and to the right is a line drawing superimposed to show what Ron Wyatt saw.
The photos below are various artists impressions and models based on what Ron Wyatt described.
Several artifacts are in that cave, including the seven branch candlestick, an ephod,
the wilderness tabernacle, the altar of incense and a giant sword. It did not have any
inscriptions but Ron Wyatt thought it was probably Goliath's sword. Below are photos of
Ron Wyatt and his wife with a scale model Ron Wyatt had made.
Ron Wyatt noticed a dried, black substance in an
earthquake crack in the roof, above the Ark of the Covenant. He
noticed that this black substance was also on the lid of the cracked
stone casing. Obviously, this substance had dripped from the crack
in the roof, and provision had been made for it to land on the Ark
of the Covenant, as the stone lid had been cracked and moved aside.
Ron Wyatt wondered what substance could be so sacred, that God made provision
for it to land on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. He
remembered the earthquake crack at the foot of the cross hole, and
suddenly an awesome realisation as to what had happened, came over
him. Ron Wyatt traced the earthquake crack, and indeed it was the same
crack as the one at the cross hole. The dried black substance in
the crack was tested and proved to be blood, apparently the blood
of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that when Jesus died there was an
earthquake and the rocks were rent (Matt. 27:51). A Roman soldier speared Christ in His side in order
to make sure He was dead, and blood and water poured out (John 19:34). Ron Wyatt discovered that this same blood and water poured
down through the earthquake crack and fell upon the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant.
In 1989 - exactly 7 years after Ron first discovered the ark, he was excavating at the site again to try to re-enter it.
One day during that excavation Ron was feeling very down-hearted,
as if God could not use him any more. He thought that he must have
done something wrong and that God had decided to take him off the
job. Whilst sitting at the site and contemplating the circumstances,
he heard a voice that said, "God bless you in what you are
doing here Ron Wyatt." More than startled, Ron Wyatt turned to face
the Man. He was surprised as he wondered how anyone would know his
name, and furthermore, Ron Wyatt had never told anyone else what he was
doing there. Ron Wyatt replied, "Thank you, are you from around here?"
and the Stranger simply replied, "No." Trying to prompt
a conversation, Ron Wyatt said, "Are you a tourist?" and again
the stranger replied, "No." But this time continued to
say, "I have come from South Africa and am on my way to the
New Jerusalem." Ron Wyatt was shocked, knowing that the New Jerusalem
is a city referred to in the Bible as being in heaven. After the
man had left, Ron Wyatt asked the others in the Garden if they had seen
this Man. Surprisingly they all answered, "No." but there
was only one way in, and one way out of this area, through which
the Man would have had to have exited. This was a great encouragement
for Ron Wyatt at a time when he needed it most as he felt that God was
now still blessing his work.
Ron Wyatt returned to the cave 3 more times, and since his first visit, to his absolute surprise, the cave had been completely tidied up. Four angels stood before him and he was told that
the time is not yet for the world to see this discovery with their own eyes, but the time is coming when the inhabitants of the world will have a universal, religious law enforced upon them. This law will force
man to break God's law, by penalty of disenfranchisement - being unable to buy or sell, (Rev. 13:17). Ron Wyatt was told that some time after this law has been passed, God will allow the tables
of stone (The 10 Commandments) and a good clear video of the Ark of the Covenant to be put on public display. "It
is time for thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void thy law." Psalm 119:126.
This is the very same law that Ron Wyatt referred to in the last interview he ever gave. The full interview is available here. The interviewer asks Ron, "...you took the tables of stone out, and then the angel told you something about the tables of stone?" And Ron Wyatt answers, "Yeah, he told me that it had to do with when these were to be shown to the world... when the mark of the beast law was in force, that shortly after that, was when this would take place.
Amos 3:7, "Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." I think every one who believes this discovery would agree, for God to reveal the Ark of the Covenant and the Tables of Stone and sample of Christ's blood is enormous, yet Amos 3:7 says God will do nothing without revealing it through a prophet. So if you believe this discovery and you believe Amos 3:7, which prophet do you think God told He would reveal the Ark, the blood and the Tables of Stone to?
Did you know there was a prophecy that the Ark of the Covenant was hidden in a cave in Jerusalem before the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, and that it would be discovered right before the end of the world and the Second Coming of Jesus, and the Tables of Stone taken out and put on public display? The lady who made the prophecy was called Ellen G. White. In 1901 (81 years before Ron Wyatt discovered the Ark of the Covenant) Mrs. White wrote;
"And He [Christ] gave unto Moses, when He had made an end of communing with him upon Mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.” (Exodus 31:18.) Nothing written on those tables could be blotted out. The precious record of the law was placed in the ark of the testament and is still there, safely hidden from the human family. But in God’s appointed time He will bring forth these tables of stone to be a testimony to all the world against the disregard of His commandments and against the idolatrous worship of a counterfeit Sabbath." Manuscript 122, "The Law", November 23, 1901. {8MR 100.3}
Notice, in the above quote, Ellen White says it is the tables of stone that were given to Moses and placed in the earthly Ark of the Covenant that will be discovered and put on public display, and not the heavenly set.
Ellen White also tells us that the Ark of the Covenant was hidden in a cave in Jerusalem before the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar;
"Among the righteous still in Jerusalem, to whom had been made plain the divine purpose, were some who determined to place beyond the reach of ruthless hands [the Babylonians] the sacred ark containing the tables of stone on which had been traced the precepts of the Decalogue. This they did. With mourning and sadness they secreted the ark in a cave, where it was to be hidden from the people of Israel and Judah because of their sins, and was to be no more restored to them. That sacred ark is yet hidden. It has never been disturbed since it was secreted." "Prophets and Kings" p453.
Notice how Ellen White said at the time of writing it was still there, and there have never been any reports or even allegations that it has been removed from Jerusalem since 1915 when "Prophets and Kings" was written.
As we mentioned earlier, the blood on the mercy seat was tested. Human cells normally have 46 chromosomes. These are actually 23
pairs of homologous chromosomes. In each pair of chromosomes, one
of the pair is from the mother and the other member is from the
father. Therefore, 23 chromosomes come from the mother and 23 from
the father. In each set of 23, 22 chromosomes are autosomal and
one is sex-determining. The sex-determining ones are the X chromosome
and the Y chromosome. Females are XX, so they can only contribute
an X chromosome to their offspring, whereas males are XY, which
allows them to contribute either an X or a Y. If they contribute
an X, the child is female, whereas if they contribute a Y, the child
is male. The fascinating finding in this blood was that instead
of 46 chromosomes, there were only 24. There were 22 autosomal chromosomes,
one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. This evidences that the person
to whom this blood belonged to had a mother but no human father,
because the normal contribution of paternal chromosomes is missing.
1John 5:8-11 says the water and the blood of Christ were in the earth at the time of writing, approximately 35 years after the cross. "And
there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one." Furthermore it says that this water and blood is the testimony, or witness of God to the world, testifying to us that His Son died, "If
we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son...And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. "
Below is a 4 minute video of Ron Wyatt talking about the blood karyotype performed in Jerusalem
