Thank you very much for taking the time to answers my questions.
Great thought about why the ark was not in the second temple.
And, yes, the new testament really speaks much of a coming kingdom of Jesus on earth.
Also, as you may have seen in other things that I have written, that I have a dispensational view of the scriptures.
I did mention, I think last week, that I had a pastor for over a decade, who taught and preached dispensationaly.
After my job took me elsewhere, he had begun to change his view, and no longer dispensational.
We have remained friends, so we have had numerous conversations (remotely), involving his change of view.
I understand why he believes what he now believes, and he understands why I still believe what I believe.
Some may ask how can that be?
Paul did not write letters to a "universal" church, but to local churches, which were very different from one another.
Jesus, himself, had John write seven letters to seven churches all in the same area of Asia (Asia Minor).
Those churches are so radically different from one another, it was almost like Jesus was describing seven different denominations.
Neither in Paul's letters, nor in Jesus' letters to the seven churches in Asia, did it admonish one local church to act or believe like another local church.
The Galatians were not told to believe and act like the Philippians, nor was the church in Ephesus told to be like the church in Philadelphia.
Only the Corinthians were written to about tongues.
There were differences in existence then, and so is there today.
Also, there are differences in when people believe Jesus was born - not only the month, but even the year.
There are different days of the week that different churches believe that Jesus was crucified on.
Even when Paul returned to Jerusalem, he was told how many were zealous for the law, and he was asked to purify himself and go into the temple.
So, like Jesus warned his disciples about being against those who believed in Jesus, but were not of their company.
I also want to be careful.
The pastor of the church down the street will have to stand before the judgment seat of Christ like I will.
It is not my business what he preaches in his church, but it is between him and Jesus.
However, in our own church, we do not want others to visit simply to bring us different doctrines from outside - that is not their business - they are not Paul.
So, I do not desire to try and convince you out of what you believe that you have been shown in the scriptures.
If you are saved, and have the Holy Ghost and the word of God, you are responsible for what you believe, not me or anyone else.