Topical Bible: Holy of Holies: Contained: Cherubim

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The Holy of Holies, also known as the Most Holy Place, is the innermost and most sacred area of the ancient Tabernacle and later the Temple in Jerusalem. It is the place where the presence of God was believed to dwell, and it was separated from the rest of the Tabernacle or Temple by a veil. The Holy of Holies was only entered once a year by the high priest on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), as described in Leviticus 16.

Biblical Description and Significance

The Holy of Holies housed the Ark of the Covenant, which contained the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, Aaron's rod that budded, and a pot of manna (Hebrews 9:4). The Ark itself was a symbol of God's covenant with Israel and His divine presence among His people. The Holy of Holies was a place of utmost sanctity, representing the heavenly throne room of God.

Cherubim in the Holy of Holies

The cherubim are significant figures within the Holy of Holies. According to the biblical account, two cherubim were crafted and placed on the mercy seat, which was the lid of the Ark of the Covenant. These cherubim were made of gold and were positioned facing each other with their wings spread upward, overshadowing the mercy seat. The presence of the cherubim signified the divine guardianship and the majesty of God.

In Exodus 25:18-22 , God instructs Moses regarding the construction of the Ark and the cherubim: "And make two cherubim of hammered gold at the ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub on one end and one on the other, all made from one piece with the mercy seat. The cherubim are to have wings that spread upward, overshadowing the mercy seat. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the mercy seat. Place the mercy seat on top of the ark, and put the tablets of the Testimony that I will give you into the ark. And I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony; I will speak with you about all that I command you regarding the Israelites."

Symbolism and Theological Implications

The cherubim in the Holy of Holies symbolize the holiness and the unapproachable nature of God. In the broader biblical narrative, cherubim are often depicted as angelic beings who serve as attendants to God, emphasizing His sovereignty and glory. Their presence in the Holy of Holies underscores the sacredness of the space and the reverence required when approaching God.

The imagery of the cherubim also connects to the Garden of Eden, where cherubim were placed to guard the way to the Tree of Life after the fall of man (Genesis 3:24). This connection highlights themes of divine protection and the separation between God and humanity due to sin, which is reconciled through the sacrificial system and ultimately through Christ.

New Testament Fulfillment

In the New Testament, the significance of the Holy of Holies and the cherubim is fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. At the moment of Christ's crucifixion, the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51), symbolizing the removal of the barrier between God and humanity. Through Christ's atoning sacrifice, believers now have direct access to the presence of God, as described in Hebrews 10:19-22 : "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain of His body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."

The cherubim, as part of the Holy of Holies, thus serve as a profound reminder of God's holiness, the seriousness of sin, and the grace made available through Jesus Christ.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 25:18-22
And you shall make two cherubim of gold, of beaten work shall you make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Kings 6:23-28
And within the oracle he made two cherubim of olive tree, each ten cubits high.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Whether Sufficient Reason Can be Assigned for the Ceremonies ...
... observed (ad 4), the inner tabernacle, called the Holy of Holies, signified the ... world
of spiritual substances, hence that tabernacle contained three things ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether sufficient reason can be.htm

The Father is Holy, and Likewise the Son and the Spirit...
... you should exclude the Spirit; they say not holies [in the ... if we rightly showed above
that the Holy Spirit is ... gave as it were that which was contained in the ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter xvi the father is.htm

The Copies of Things in the Heavens
... Egyptian arks contained symbols of their gods, degrading, bestial, and often impure;
but ... in verse 3 was that which hung between the holy of holies and the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the copies of things in.htm

The Mystic Meaning of the Tabernacle and Its Furniture.
... And so it was suggested that the nature of the elements contained the revelation
of God. ... Again, there is the veil of the entrance into the holy of holies. ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter vi the mystic meaning of.htm

The Veil Rent
... trim the lamps; and the Holy of Holies, where only ... barred, because it is impossible
that a holy and righteous ... the grace of sacrament comes, is contained in the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/the veil rent.htm

What is the Sanctuary?
... Besides the outer court, which contained the altar of burnt-offering, the tabernacle ...
676) and he looked within the inner veil, upon the holy of holies. ...
/.../the great controversy between christ and satan /23 what is the sanctuary.htm

What is the Sanctuary?
... Besides the outer court, which contained the altar of burnt offering, the tabernacle ...
11:19), and he looked within the inner veil, upon the holy of holies. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the great controversy/chapter 23 what is the.htm

Letter Xlvi. Paula and Eustochium to Marcella.
... The Jews of old reverenced the Holy of Holies, because of the things contained in
it"the cherubim, the mercy-seat, the ark of the covenant, the manna ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter xlvi paula and eustochium.htm

Scriptural Types.
... From the very nature of the offering, this act of presentation contained an
acknowledgment of guilt that needed ... In respect to the holy of holies, we have ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxvii scriptural types.htm

Oration Concerning Simeon and Anna
... time of the law, rested in the Holy of holies upon the ... in order that he might learn,
O holy one, the ... as a most certain type, preserved the manna contained in it ...
/.../the writings of methodius fragments/oration concerning simeon and anna.htm