Topical Bible: Holy of Holies: God Appeared In

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Topical Encyclopedia

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 here that the presence of God was believed to dwell, and it was the focal point of Israelite worship and religious life.

Biblical Description and Significance

The Holy of Holies was separated from the rest of the Tabernacle or Temple by a veil, signifying the separation between God and humanity due to sin. Only the high priest could enter this sacred space, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people. This practice is detailed in Leviticus 16, where the high priest would enter with the blood of a sacrificial animal to atone for the sins of Israel.

The dimensions and materials of the Holy of Holies are described in Exodus 26:31-34. It was a perfect cube, measuring ten cubits on each side in the Tabernacle, and later expanded in Solomon's Temple. The room contained the Ark of the Covenant, which held the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, Aaron's rod, and a pot of manna (Hebrews 9:4). The Ark was covered by the Mercy Seat, where the presence of God was said to dwell between the cherubim.

God's Presence

The Holy of Holies was the earthly dwelling place of God's presence, often referred to as the Shekinah glory. This divine presence was a visible manifestation of God's glory and holiness. In Exodus 40:34-35, the cloud of God's glory filled the Tabernacle, and Moses was unable to enter because of the overwhelming presence of the Lord.

The significance of God's presence in the Holy of Holies is further emphasized in 1 Kings 8:10-11, during the dedication of Solomon's Temple: "And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand there to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD" .

Symbolism and Fulfillment

The Holy of Holies symbolizes the holiness and unapproachable nature of God due to human sinfulness. The veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple represented the barrier between God and humanity. However, this barrier was symbolically removed through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. At the moment of His death, the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51), signifying that through Christ's atonement, believers now have direct access to God.

The Epistle to the Hebrews elaborates on this fulfillment, explaining that Christ entered the greater and more perfect tabernacle in heaven, not made with hands, and offered His own blood as the ultimate atonement for sin (Hebrews 9:11-12). Thus, the Holy of Holies serves as a foreshadowing of the work of Christ, who provides believers with access to the presence of God.

Conclusion

The Holy of Holies remains a profound symbol of God's holiness, the seriousness of sin, and the necessity of atonement. Through the work of Jesus Christ, the separation between God and humanity has been bridged, allowing believers to enter into the presence of God with confidence and assurance.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 25:22
And there I will meet with you, and I will commune with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Leviticus 16:2
And the LORD said to Moses, Speak to Aaron your brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil before the mercy seat, which is on the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud on the mercy seat.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

In the Holy of Holies.
... So when Christ entered the holy of holies to perform ... typical service the high priest
left the holy on the ... of Christ as man's intercessor before God, had ceased ...
/.../white/the great controversy between christ and satan /24 in the holy of.htm

In the Holy of Holies
... So when Christ entered the holy of holies to perform ... typical service the high priest
left the holy on the ... of Christ as man's intercessor before God had ceased. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the great controversy/chapter 24 in the holy.htm

Argument -1 from the Withdrawal of Prophecy and Destruction of ...
... For kings were to be anointed among them only until the Holy of Holies should have ...
it in bodily form, as the Scripture said: "The [307] Lord God hath shined ...
/.../select works and letters or athanasius/section 40 argument -1 from.htm

Now it came to Pass, when She was Fourteen Years Old...
... bells [1635] and the sacerdotal robe; and entering into the holy of holies, he there ...
blessed in thine old age, O father Joseph, seeing that God hath shown ...
/.../unknown/the gospel of pseudo-matthew/chapter 8 now it came.htm

The Birth of Mary the Holy Mother of God, and Very Glorious Mother ...
... and why hast thou brought thy soul low, and forgotten the Lord thy God? Thou that
wast reared in the holy of holies, and that didst receive food from the ...
/.../unknown/the protevangelium of james/the birth of mary the.htm

Refutation of the Jews
... kingdom of Jerusalem ceased at the same time, because kings were to be anointed
among them only until the Holy of holies had been ... "The Lord God has appeared ...
/.../athanasius/on the incarnation of the word/chapter 6 refutation of the.htm

The Lord of Glory.
... And in the Father's house where He is, in the Holy of Holies we shall behold ... And
now, dear reader, joint heir with the Lord of Glory, called by God unto the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gaebelein/the lord of glory/the lord of glory.htm

The General Service to one Hierarch.
... thou hast appeared as God-bearer, holy chrism of God, clothed with the Holy Spirit ;
and dost always enter serenely into the holy of holies, art illumined with ...
/.../anonymous/the general menaion/chapter x the general service.htm

His Past Work.
... It is the Holy of Holies of the great work on the cross, the impenetrable
mystery of the atoning work of the Son of God. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gaebelein/the work of christ/i his past work.htm

Removing the Veil
... without? Why do we consent to abide all our days just outside the Holy
of Holies and never enter at all to look upon God? We ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tozer/the pursuit of god/iii removing the veil.htm