Hebrews 9:9 (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper,

Please read Hebrews 9 for a more complete understanding of symbolic.

Hebrews 9:8 explains why it is so important as to why symbolism doesn’t speak to us.

I asked my wife “What is the difference between symbolism and representation?”

She said, “One is visual and the other auditory.”

Non verbal communication leaves the message up to the individual’s imagination.

What this means to one person is private and only in talking about it can meaning be shared. It is a fish and without context it means little. It was first used in the Christian community to indicate the direction to a meeting being held. It literally meant “This Way”.

The use of the symbol is meaningless if it cannot lead the lost to Christ. That takes a representative to speak up and present the gospel. In some places wearing the ichthys only brings about hatred because it is symbolic of judgment to them.

This present age uses emojis to communicate feelings and leaves it up to the viewer to think what he/she likes.

At this point I have been warned that continuation into symbols could become political.

This isn’t about politics, it is about why symbols can become idols that cannot speak and cannot  redeem others from the transgressions committed.

Do not allow the sign of the Cross to become just another emoji.

Genesis 6:14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch.

Exodus 25:10 “They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height.

Leviticus 16:2 and the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.

Numbers 4:5 When the camp is to set out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and take down the veil of the screen and cover the ark of the testimony with it.

Deuteronomy 10:2 And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets that you broke, and you shall put them in the ark.’

Joshua 3:3 and commanded the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it.

Psalm 132:8 Arise, O Lord, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might.

Jeremiah 3:16 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.

Revelation 11:19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

The KJV dictionary and Vines define the Ark as “a Box”, That is all they have to say about the Ark. If it is indeed just a box, why does it appear in the temple in heaven? It is the only man made artifact to enter eternity.

Mankind in its limited knowledge worshiped things. Even after being brought out of Egypt they made Aarom create a golden calf to worship. Remember this however, the tablets came down and were broken destroying that worship. Those same broken tablets were placed in the Ark of the Covenant. It was symbolic. Mankind loves symbols, signs and wonders.

The symbolism of the Ark lasted for a time until Jeremiah made his proclamation. Mankind had turned the Ark of the Covenant into just another golden calf. They failed to understand the symbolism. They saw the Mercy Seat as their only means of salvation. They failed to understand the symbolism. Isaiah 30:18

• Matthew 9:13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
• Matthew 12:7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.

We are in Christ for which the Ark was just a symbol.