Where is the Ark of the Covenant today?

This text is from a letter written by David Gooding in 1994.

For what purpose do you wish to trace the history of the ark and its present location?

There are many theories put forth in the popular press to the effect that the ark is supposed to be located somewhere in Ethiopia. The theories upon which this is based are very tenuous and uncertain; but even if they were true, what significance would it have at the spiritual level?

The ark itself, when it stood in the tabernacle that Moses built, and in the temple that Solomon built, was used of God to convey profound moral and spiritual lessons to the Israelites. Many of the lessons that he taught them in those days are still valid for us. In addition, the ark and its contents served, so we are told in the New Testament, as a shadow of the good things to come. They were, so to speak, a prophecy in picture form of what the Lord Jesus should accomplish for us by his life, death, resurrection and ascension.

The original ark disappeared at the time of the exile, and when the temple was finally rebuilt it contained no ark, but that is no cause for regret. In 70 ad the whole temple was destroyed, as our Lord had foretold. The whole Epistle to the Hebrews was written about 64 AD to encourage Jewish believers to abandon the Old Testament system of worship, because it had now been superseded by the more glorious person and work of Christ.

So, as I say, it would puzzle me just a little bit to know what the point would be of spending much time and energy on trying to discover whether the ark has survived to this present time and, if so, where it is located.