ous apostasy passed between the time of Solomon, who put the ark of God's covenant in his temple, and that of good king Josiah, who revived the worship of the true God (2 Chron 34:14, 18-21, 29-33). Whether Josiah was quoting the words of David (2 Chron 17:8) or whether he was encouraging the priests himself, is not clear, but it may be that the ark was not permanently in the temple of Solomon after Solomon's time (2 Chron 35:3).
Where is the Ark Today?
The only possibly historical reference to the ark after the time of Josiah (639-609 B.C.) is found in the 2 Maccabees 2:4-8:
It was also in the writing that the prophet (Jeremiah), having received an oracle, ordered that the tent and the ark should follow with him, and that he went out to the mountain where Moses had gone up and had seen the inheritance of God. And Jeremiah came and found a cave, and he brought there the tent and the ark and the altar of incense, and he sealed up the entrance. Some of those who followed him came up to mark the way, but could not find it. When Jeremiah learned of it, he rebuked them and declared: "The place shall be unknown until God gathers his people together again and shows his mercy. And then the Lord will disclose these things, and the glory of the Lord and the cloud will appear, as they were shown in the case of Moses, and as Solomon asked that the place should be specially consecrated.
The Book of Jeremiah does not record this story. How much credibility should be given to this story depends on how credible one sees the book of 2 Maccabees. Scholars believe that 2 Maccabees was composed during the first century B.C., about 500 years after Jeremiah lived. Because Jeremiah sees no theological use for the Ark of the Covenant at the end time, it seems unlikely to me that he in particular would have taken the time to hide it (Jer 3:16). In any case, according to 2 Maccabees, Jeremiah hid the Ark of the Covenant on Mount Nebo (Deut. 32:49). Ellen White agreed that the ark was hidden "to place [it] beyond the reach of ruthless hands," but does not specify who hid it.
To summarize, there is no biblical nor extrabiblical account, contemporary to the event, that explains when the ark disappeared or where it went. The only ancient source that speaks to this question is 2 Maccabees, which was composed 500 years after the events it supposedly recorded.
Ellen White and the Ark of the Covenant
Many Seventh-day Adventists are especially interested in finding the ark because they see in its recovery the fulfilling of one of Ellen White's prophecies. I have read Ellen White's statements about the finding of the Ark of the Covenant many times and it seems to me those who think they are fulfilling God's plan are really trying to disprove a prediction of Ellen White! Consider her words:
That sacred ark is yet hidden. It has never been disturbed since it was secreted. Prophets and Kings, p. 453
The precious record of the law was placed in the ark of the testament and is still there, safely hidden from the human family. But in God's appointed time He will bring forth these tables of stone to be a testimony to all the world. . . .The tables of stone are hidden by God, to be produced in the great judgment-day, just as He wrote them I BC 1109 (emphasis supplied)
When God's temple in heaven is opened, what a triumphant time that will be for all who have been faithful and true! In the temple will be seen the ark of the testament. . . .These tables of stone will be brought forth from their hiding place, and on them will be seen the Ten Commandments engraved by the finger of God. These tables of stone now lying in the ark of the testament will be a convincing testimony to the truth and binding claims of God's law. 7 BC 972 (emphasis supplied)
What I understand from these statements is:
1. The Ark of the Covenant was hidden
2. The ark has remained hidden
3. The ark will be brought forth by God on the great judgment-day
On the other hand, from these and numerous other Ellen White statements it is obvious that Mrs. White's emphasis, contrary to the ark searchers, i