Jeremiah 3:16-17
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This verse reveals something profound: the Ark of the Covenant, the ultimate symbol of God's presence and the focus of Israel's worship, will not just be superseded, but will actually be forgotten and missed by no one. This isn't about a new symbol replacing an old one; it's about experiencing God's presence so fully that the old ways become utterly irrelevant and even unimaginable.
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. At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the LORD, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the LORD in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of Jeremiah's message of reconciliation to a people struggling with their identity after a period of unfaithfulness and exile. After calling them back to God and promising forgiveness and restoration, God reveals how profoundly transformed their relationship with Him will be. The future God envisions is so radical that even the most sacred symbols of the past, like the Ark of the Covenant, will become irrelevant.
The Ark of the Covenant was the holiest object in Israel, the very symbol of God's presence. So why would God declare it would be forgotten?
Jeremiah 3:16 isn't saying the Ark was bad or that God's presence would cease. Instead, it points to a profound fulfillment. When the Messiah comes, His presence and sacrifice will so completely embody God's reality that the symbols pointing to it become unnecessary.
Think of it like this: once you have the actual photograph of your loved one, you might not need the little placeholder picture you used while waiting for it.
The Ark, with the Law, manna, and rod inside, represented key aspects of God's provision and covenant. But in Christ, we find the true Bread of Life, our true King, and the perfect fulfillment of the Law. The ceremonies and objects that once pointed to Him will fade into the background, not because they were wrong, but because the reality has arrived.
The Ark was God's 'throne' on earth, a tangible sign of His dwelling with His people. What happens when that symbol disappears?
Jeremiah 3:16 declares the Ark will fade from memory, but this doesn't mean God's presence leaves. Instead, God's dwelling is transformed.
Before, God's presence was localized in a specific, sacred object – the Ark. In the Messianic age described here, that presence becomes internal and personal.
Instead of a physical ark, God promises to write His law on His people's hearts and dwell within them through His Spirit. The outward symbol gives way to an inward reality. This is a radical shift from worship confined to a place or an object to worship that permeates the believer's very being.
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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.
Yerushalayim · Hebrew Proper Noun
The city of Jerusalem; historically the center of Israel's worship, God's dwelling place, and the site of His throne in the messianic future.
kisse YHWH · Hebrew Noun phrase
Refers to the seat of God's sovereign rule, majesty, and administration of justice and peace over all the earth.
leb · Hebrew Noun
The inner seat of human will, emotion, and intellect; often described as deceitful or wicked due to the fall, requiring divine renewal.
This prophecy anticipates a future Messianic era so glorious that the Ark, once the most sacred symbol of God's presence, will become utterly irrelevant, overshadowed by a direct, personal indwelling of God within His people and a universal worship that transcends any single physical location.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel
The Assyrian Empire conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel, leading to the exile of its people and the loss of the Ark of the Covenant from the northern cultic sites.
c. 622 BC
Josiah's Reforms and Ark Restoration
King Josiah of Judah discovered the Book of the Law and initiated religious reforms. He ordered the Ark of the Covenant, displaced during earlier reigns, to be restored to its proper place in the Temple.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Under Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian Empire began deporting segments of the Judean population, including members of the royal family and elite, marking the start of the Babylonian exile.
587/586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple, the central place of worship. The Ark of the Covenant disappeared during this period, its fate unknown.
c. 539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon, allowing exiled peoples, including the Jews, to return to their homelands and rebuild their religious centers.
c. 516 BC
Dedication of the Second Temple
The Second Temple was completed and dedicated in Jerusalem, but it notably lacked the Ark of the Covenant. This marked a significant shift in Israelite worship.
This passage directly builds on Jeremiah's prophecy, explaining that the New Covenant makes the old covenant's rituals, symbolized by the ark, obsolete and fading away.
John 4:21-24Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman echoes Jeremiah's theme by shifting worship from a specific location (like the ark's presence in the temple) to a spiritual reality in spirit and truth.
Isaiah 65:17This verse speaks of a future where the former troubles and creations are no longer remembered, paralleling Jeremiah's idea that the ark and its associated worship will be so superseded that it won't even come to mind.
1 Corinthians 3:16This passage reveals the ultimate fulfillment of God's presence, which no longer resides in a physical structure or artifact like the ark, but in believers themselves, making the ark's unique role unnecessary.
Jeremiah 31:31-34This directly follows the promise of a new covenant, explaining how God will internalize His law, writing it on hearts, which is the spiritual reality that makes external symbols like the ark's covenant-keeping function unnecessary.
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…
This verse reveals something profound: the Ark of the Covenant, the ultimate symbol of God's presence and the focus of Israel's worship, will not just be superseded, but will actually be forgotten and missed by no one. This isn't about a new symbol replacing an old one; it's about experiencing God's presence so fully that the old ways become utterly irrelevant and even unimaginable.
This passage is part of Jeremiah's message of reconciliation to a people struggling with their identity after a period of unfaithfulness and exile. After calling them back to God and promising forgiveness and restoration, God reveals how profoundly transformed their relationship with Him will be. The future God envisions is so radical that even the most sacred symbols of the past, like the Ark of the Covenant, will become irrelevant.
This passage is part of Jeremiah's message of reconciliation to a people struggling with their identity after a period of unfaithfulness and exile. After calling them back to God and promising forgiveness and restoration, God reveals how profoundly transformed their relationship with Him will be. The future God envisions is so radical that even the most sacred symbols of the past, like the Ark of the Covenant, will become irrelevant.
"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.…" — This verse reveals something profound: the Ark of the Covenant, the ultimate symbol of God's presence and the focus of Israel's worship, will not just be superseded, but will actually be forgotten…
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Last reviewed October 2026
