118    The Bible and the Future of the World 

The Loss of the Ark of the Covenant (1 Samuel 4:1 7:1) 

     So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every 

man to his home; and there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel 

thirty thousand foot soldiers. And the ark of God was captured; and the two 

sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.  (1 Samuel 4:10 11). 

    The Israelites fought against the Philistines and lost a battle. So they 

brought the Ark of the Covenant into battle with them. Then Israel was 

again defeated, and this time they lost many more soldiers than in the 

previous battle. 

    The Philistines then captured the Ark of the Covenant (containing the 

tables of stone with the Ten Commandments). The Philistines were 

punished by God for capturing the Ark of God, and after a period of time, 

they returned the Ark to the Israelites. 

    These events foreshadow that time when the Holy Eucharist and the Holy 

Mass will be mostly taken away from the Church. The Israelites thought 

that  they could not possibly lose the Ark of the Covenant. So also, many 

Christians will think that God would not allow the Holy Eucharist and the 

Holy Mass to be mostly taken away from them. They are mistaken. Just as 

the Israelites lost the Ark of God for a time, then regained it, so too, will the 

Church mostly lose the Holy Eucharist and the Holy Mass for a time and 

then regain them. 

Seven Months to Bury the Dead 

     Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go forth and make fires 

of the weapons and burn them ... and they will make fires of them for seven 

years.  (Ezek 39:9). 

     For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to 

cleanse the land.  (Ezek 39:12). 

    This passage from Ezekiel (Ezek 39:9 16) describes the clean up after a 

great war. This is not a typical war with battles of one side against another. 

Instead, God fights against and destroys the enemy by supernatural means 

(Ezek 39:1 8). Then the weapons of war are burned (or used as a source of 

fuel) and the dead are buried. The time referred to occurs three times, first, 

after the end of the Forty Years (in 2040 and following). Then there will 

need to be a clean up of the huge number of people who died during the 

Three Days of Darkness (Rev 9:15). And they will need a way to dispose of 

the weapons of war, since a time of peace begins in the 2040's. 

    Second, at the end of Antichrist's reign (Rev 19:21), very many people 

will die during God's punishment of the wicked. And there will need to be