Ark of the Covenant - Temple of God poem

Oh can there be a God within

An earthly temple made of stone

Though earth is as a mere footstool

Beneath his glorious heavenly throne?

And can there be a God within

Fleshly temple the heart an ark

That when I lift my hands in prayer

The Cherub's golden image spark?

Then rest within this ark your laws

Engrave them upon each chamber

Make me a living sacrifice

Raised upon life’s holy alter.

Make pure this heart like molten gold

Human frame wrapped in Deity

And consecrate it to remain

Untouched by the world though earthly.

May Christ's blood rest upon my brow

As incense prayers to heaven raise

Look down upon your mercy seat

And may your glory fill my days.

This poem is closely based on the deep symbolism of the passages below which are mainly from the book of Exodus in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible.

Exodus Chapter 25 : verse 9 ...make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. {this relates to verses 1-2 of the poem}

Isaiah 66 :1...heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool...{this relates to verses 3-4 in the poem}

Exodus Chapter 25 : verse10 And they shall make an ark ... {this relates to verse 6 of the poem}

Exodus Chapter 25 : verses17-20 ¹⁷...make a mercy seat of pure gold...¹⁸... make two Cherubims of gold... in the two ends of the mercy seat...²⁰And the Cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another....{these verses relate to verses 7-8 of the poem}

Exodus Chapter 25 : verse 21 ... put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. {this relates to verse 9 of the poem}

Exodus Chapter 24 : verses 4-5: an altar... which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings.... {this relates to verses 11-12 of the poem}

Exodus 24:6 ...and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. {this relates to verse 17 of the poem}

Exodus Chapter 25 : 6 ...Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense {this relates to verse 18 of the poem}

Exodus Chapter 25 : verses 12 ... cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the 4 corners thereof; and 2 rings shall be in the one side of it, and 2 rings in the other side of it. {this relates to verse 10 of the poem - the human heart has 4 chambers... 2 atrium & 2 ventricles}

Exodus Chapter 25 : verses 11- 13 ... overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it... 13 ... make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. {this relates to verses 13-14 of the poem}

Exodus Chapter 28 : verses 41 and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me {this relates to verses 15-16 of the poem}

Exodus Chapter 25 : 22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat,{this relates to verse 19 in the poem} from between the two Cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony...

Exodus Chapter 29 : verses 43 : ...the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory. {this relates to verse 19 in the poem}

The poem however compares the physical Temple and Ark of the Covenant in the old testament above to spiritual temple and ark of the new testament specifically these two new testament verses:

• 1st Corinthians 3:16 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you”
• 1st Corinthians 6:19 “know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you…”