የአዲስ ኪዳን ታቦት (The Ark of the New Testament): EOTC Perspective – Part III

 

The Ark of the New Testament holds a sacred and central role in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC), functioning as the altar (መሰዊያ) upon which the flesh and blood of Christ are consecrated during the Divine Liturgy (ቅዳሴ). This essay explores the profound purpose of the New Testament Arks or Tablets, the biblical foundation for naming them after saints, and the spiritual meaning behind bowing (ስግደት) before them. Each of these practices reflects the Church’s deep reverence for the mysteries of faith and tradition.

When a new church is built, the Ark (ታቦት) or Tablets (ጽላት) are carved from wood or marble and inscribed with the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, "Alpha and Omega," symbolizing His eternal presence as the beginning and the end. Once inscribed, the Ark undergoes a sacred blessing by a bishop, is anointed with Holy Oil (Myron), and is placed on the throne (መንበር). It becomes the focal point of the Divine Liturgy, where, upon this Ark or Tablet, the priest consecrates the holy bread and wine, transforming them into the body and blood of Christ.

The historical and spiritual significance of the Ark is profound. Just as the Tablet of the Torah (ኦሪት) served as the throne (ዙፋን or መንበር) where God appeared in a cloud to guide Moses and Aaron, the Ark of the New Testament has become the altar of mercy (የምሕረት መሰዊያ). Here, the Lord calls believers to partake in His holy flesh and blood, echoing His invitation: "Eat my flesh and drink my blood." This elevates the Ark to a place of utmost reverence in the Church.

Why Are the Arks Named After Saints?

The practice of naming Arks or Tablets after saints has strong biblical foundations. As written in Isaiah 56:4-5: “እግዚአብሔር ሰንበቴን ስለሚጠብቁ ደስ የሚያሰኘኝንም ነገር ስለሚመርጡ ቃል ኪዳኔንም ስለሚይዙ ጃንደረቦች እንዲህ ይላልና፦በቤቴና በቅጥሬ ውስጥ ከወንዶችና ከሴቶች ልጆች ይልቅ የሚበልጥ መታሰቢያና ስም እሰጣቸዋለሁ፤ የማይጠፋም የዘላለም ስም እሰጣቸዋለሁ።” Additionally, in Matthew 19:12, it is written: “በእናት ማኅፀን ጃንደረቦች ሆነው የተወለዱ አሉ፥ ሰውም የሰለባቸው ጃንደረቦች አሉ፥ ስለ መንግሥተ ሰማያትም ራሳቸውን የሰለቡ ጃንደረቦች አሉ። ሊቀበለው የሚችል ይቀበለው አላቸው።” These verses emphasize the everlasting remembrance granted to saints (eunuchs / ጃንደረቦች ) who dedicated their lives to God’s kingdom. By naming the Arks after saints, the Church commemorates their sacrifices and commitment.

Verses such as “የጻድቅ መታሰቢያ ለዘላለም ይኖራል” (Psalms 112:6) and “የጻድቅ መታሰቢያ ለበረከት ነው” (Proverbs 10:7) affirms the necessity of this practice highlighting the sanctity of remembering the righteous. However, the one glorified on the Arks or Tablets is ultimately our Lord Jesus Christ, while the saints are commemorated.

Why Do We Bow Before the Arks?

The name inscribed on the Arks or Tablets is that of our Lord Jesus Christ, "Alpha and Omega". As emphasized in Philippians 2:10-11: "ይህም በሰማይና በምድር ከምድርም በታች ያሉት ሁሉ በኢየሱስ ስም ይንበረከኩ ዘንድ፥ መላስም ሁሉ ለእግዚአብሔር አብ ክብር ኢየሱስ ክርስቶስ ጌታ እንደ ሆነ ይመሰክር ዘንድ ነው።", bowing before the Ark is a profound act of reverence for Christ’s divine presence. It is an expression of humility and worship toward the sacred name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In summary, the Ark of the New Testament holds deep significance in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church as the altar (መሰዊያ) where Christ’s flesh and blood are consecrated. Named after saints to honor their devotion, these Arks exemplify divine mysteries. Bowing before them symbolizes reverence for Christ’s presence, as affirmed by scripture, and highlights the Church’s dedication to preserving its sacred traditions.