The verse emphasizes the complete obsolescence of the ark, not just its absence, but that it will no longer be even remembered or missed. This points to a future so radically different and divinely present that the central symbol of God's presence in the old covenant becomes utterly irrelevant, superseded by a far deeper reality.
And when you have multiplied and been fruitful in the land, in those days, declares the LORD, they shall no more say, “The ark of the covenant of the LORD.” It shall not come to mind or be remembered or missed; it shall not be made again.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah is speaking to a people who have repeatedly turned away from God, even after experiencing His faithfulness. He paints a picture of a future restoration where the people will multiply and flourish again in the land. In this coming era, the most sacred symbol of God's presence among them, the Ark of the Covenant, will no longer be a focus of worship or even a memory, signaling a profound shift in God's relationship with His people.
The Ark of the Covenant was the ultimate symbol of God's presence, the heart of Israel's worship. So why would God declare it would be forgotten?
Jeremiah 3:16 points to a future so radically different that the Ark of the Covenant, the very center of Old Testament worship, will no longer be needed or even remembered.
More Than a Symbol
The Ark wasn't just a box; it housed the stone tablets of the Law and was the symbolic 'throne' where God's presence rested above the mercy seat. It represented God dwelling with His people under the Old Covenant.
The Messiah's Arrival
This prophecy looks forward to the Messianic age, the time of Christ. When Jesus came, He was God's presence among us in a way far more profound than the Ark ever could be. As the Epistle to the Hebrews explains, Christ is our 'mercy seat' and the fulfillment of the Law.
A New Dwelling Place
With Christ's coming, God's presence would no longer be confined to a physical object. Instead, God promised to dwell within His people through the Holy Spirit, and His 'temple' would become believers themselves.
Jerusalem was the 'holy city,' the Temple its heart, and the Ark its inner sanctum. What happens when God's presence shifts?
Ask a follow-up
This prophecy marks a massive shift in how God relates to His people – from a localized presence symbolized by the Ark to a universally accessible presence through Christ.
The Ark's Significance Fades
Commentators highlight that the Ark represented the legal ceremonies and the specific way God dwelt among Israel. But in the 'days of the Messiah,' this entire system would cease to be the focus. The Ark would be 'no more made' – its function and importance would be utterly replaced.
Jerusalem's New Role
Jeremiah himself, in the following verses (3:17), proclaims that 'Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the LORD.' This means the city would become the symbol of God's reign, and eventually, through the spread of the Gospel, the Christian Church would become God's new dwelling place.
Universal Worship
The Ark was tied to a specific place and people. The promise here is that God's presence would become so pervasive and accessible through Christ that the need for such a singular, physical marker would vanish. Worship would no longer be confined to Jerusalem or a specific ritual, but offered anywhere, by anyone, in spirit and truth.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God in the Old Testament, revealing His faithfulness and self-existence to His people.
'aron berit YHWH · Hebrew Noun phrase
A sacred chest representing God's presence, the throne of His glory, and the container of the covenant documents between God and Israel.
This prophecy, spoken during a time of Judah's unfaithfulness and impending judgment, looks far beyond the exile to the Messianic era. It assures Israel that in the new covenant established by the Messiah, the tangible symbols of God's presence, like the Ark, will be superseded by a direct, intimate relationship with God written on their hearts.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, leading to the exile of its population and the loss of the Ark of the Covenant for the northern tribes.
c. 622 BC
Josiah's Reforms
King Josiah discovers the Book of the Law in the Jerusalem Temple and initiates sweeping religious reforms, restoring elements of worship, though the Ark remains displaced.
c. 609 BC
Death of Josiah
Josiah is killed in battle at Megiddo, leading to a period of political instability and the interruption of his reforms.
597 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deports King Jehoiachin and thousands of Judean citizens to Babylon, including many of the elite and skilled workers.
587/586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, marking the end of the southern kingdom of Judah and the final disappearance of the Ark of the Covenant from historical records.
c. 538 BC onwards
Return from Exile
Cyrus the Great allows exiled Judeans to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. However, the Ark of the Covenant is not among the items restored.
This passage directly quotes and interprets Jeremiah's prophecy, explaining that the 'new covenant' has made the old covenant, symbolized by the ark, obsolete and fading away.
Isaiah 65:17This verse speaks of a future restoration where the former troubles and creations are no longer remembered or come to mind, paralleling Jeremiah's prophecy that the ark will be so completely superseded that it won't even be thought of.
John 4:21-24Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman points to a future worship 'in spirit and truth,' no longer tied to specific locations or visible symbols like the ark, thus fulfilling the idea that such specific sacred objects would cease to be central.
Colossians 2:16-17Paul explains that the regulations concerning food, festivals, and Sabbaths, which were tied to the Old Covenant's framework including the ark, were a shadow of things to come, with Christ being the reality that supersedes these symbols.
1 Corinthians 3:16This verse describes believers as the temple of God, indwelt by His Spirit, which speaks to the ultimate fulfillment of God's presence not being confined to a physical ark but residing within His people.
pooleJeremiah 3:16: "And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more."
When ye be multiplied; after the growth of the church under the Messiah. In those days; pointing at the great work of conversion that should be among them, especially in the days of the…
pulpitJeremiah 3:16: "And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more."
Verse 16. - When ye be multiplied; a common feature in pictures of the latter days (Jeremiah 23:3; Ezekiel 36:11; Hosea 2:1). They shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the Lord…
The verse emphasizes the complete obsolescence of the ark, not just its absence, but that it will no longer be even remembered or missed. This points to a future so radically different and divinely present that the central symbol of God's presence in the old covenant becomes utterly irrelevant, superseded by a far deeper reality.
Jeremiah is speaking to a people who have repeatedly turned away from God, even after experiencing His faithfulness. He paints a picture of a future restoration where the people will multiply and flourish again in the land. In this coming era, the most sacred symbol of God's presence among them, the Ark of the Covenant, will no longer be a focus of worship or even a memory, signaling a profound shift in God's relationship with His people.
Jeremiah is speaking to a people who have repeatedly turned away from God, even after experiencing His faithfulness. He paints a picture of a future restoration where the people will multiply and flourish again in the land. In this coming era, the most sacred symbol of God's presence among them, the Ark of the Covenant, will no longer be a focus of worship or even a memory, signaling a profound shift in God's relationship with His people.
"And when you have multiplied and been fruitful in the land, in those days, declares the LORD, they shall no more say, “The ark of the covenant of the LORD.” It shall not come to mind or be remembered or missed; it shall not be made again." — The verse emphasizes the complete obsolescence of the ark, not just its absence, but that it will no longer be even remembered or missed. This points to a future so radically different and divinely…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
