Jeremiah 3:16 English Standard Version (ESV) 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 is the last comment about the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. No one knows what happened to the ark. Many have searched for it. It seems to be missed and remembered. Who is missing it and looking for it? What do they think they will accomplish by finding it? Will that mean the word of the Lord is not valid because they discovered it in some hidden place?

I think it is more important to understand why the Lord should remove the ark from history. Israel and Judah were accused of whoredom in this chapter of Jeremiah. There is even the mention of a bill of divorcement. God who is merciful offers one more time a chance to worship rightly.

Jeremiah 3:17 English Standard Version (ESV) 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.

Now all the faith religions make their claims upon Jerusalem and to a greater degree Temple Mount. There is no more hotly contested land than the Temple Mount. When their focus was upon the Ark of the Covenant, they worshipped it like an idol. It was their most sacred relic. God took it from them and asked them to cleanse their hearts. Have they all traded one idol for another? Is temple mount now the focus of attention for hearts that cannot love as God intends?

Each religion by their own admission seek the presence of God in Jerusalem but ignore the call to remove evil from their hearts.

Daniel 12:11 English Standard Version (ESV) And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days.

Yesterday we were looking for some wisdom out of the book of Daniel. Let us look at some specifics we do know. These events are related to the end of the church age, and the coming of Christ. We all want that and look forward to that day. These regular burnt offering is referred to in other translations as the daily sacrifices. Are those daily sacrifices in play today? No. Does anything in Daniel indicate how long those daily sacrifices will last before they are taken away? No.

Do we ignore our daily worship and service to our Lord be affected by our search for answers to these questions? In my past I can say yes, it kept me for doing what God called me to do. I honestly wanted to be the answer man. When people called upon me for answers to many questions I wanted to help.

While my heart was in the right place wisdom was taking a back seat to pride. That was wrong on my part. I cannot and will not say that it is a problem for anyone I know. If it could happen to me, then it is possible that others could get caught up in the chase for answers. I am not saying it is a waste of time because I only know of my calling and responsibilities.

Wisdom says we are not in danger of entering into the great tribulation period until the daily sacrifices are reinstated. How close Israel is to that is not the point. There are too many unanswered question for them to begin. Even if they do begin, there is no time frame for how long that practice will last.

What are we doing today to hasten His second coming? Worrying about the tribulation period will not hasten His coming. Some words uttered by Daniel in chapter 12 are a hint as to those coming days.

Daniel 12:10a English Standard Version (ESV) Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined,