Topical Bible: Holy of Holies: The High Priest: Not to Enter, at all Times

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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 Ark of the Covenant was kept, symbolizing the very presence of God among His people. The Holy of Holies was separated from the rest of the Tabernacle by a veil, signifying the holiness and unapproachable nature of God due to the sinfulness of man.

Biblical Instructions and Restrictions

The entry into the Holy of Holies was strictly regulated by divine command. According to the Law given to Moses, only the High Priest was permitted to enter this sacred space, and even he could do so only once a year on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). This restriction is clearly outlined in Leviticus 16:2, where the LORD instructs Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover" .

The solemnity and gravity of this command underscore the holiness of God and the seriousness of sin. The High Priest's entry into the Holy of Holies was not a casual or routine event; it was a profound act of mediation between God and His people, requiring meticulous preparation and ritual purification.

The Day of Atonement

On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would perform a series of sacrifices and rituals to atone for his own sins and the sins of the people of Israel. Leviticus 16 details these procedures, including the offering of a bull for the High Priest's own sin offering and a goat for the sin offering of the people. The High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies with the blood of these sacrifices, sprinkling it on the atonement cover (the mercy seat) of the Ark of the Covenant to make atonement for the sins of the nation.

This annual event was a powerful reminder of the need for atonement and the barrier that sin creates between humanity and a holy God. It also foreshadowed the ultimate atonement that would be accomplished through Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest, who entered the heavenly Holy of Holies once for all by His own blood, securing eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:11-12).

Symbolism and Significance

The restriction on entering the Holy of Holies at all times serves as a profound symbol of the separation between God and man due to sin. It highlights the necessity of a mediator and the insufficiency of human efforts to bridge the gap between the divine and the mortal. The High Priest's exclusive access, limited to a specific time and under strict conditions, points to the holiness of God and the need for reverence and obedience in approaching Him.

The Holy of Holies, therefore, stands as a testament to God's holiness, the seriousness of sin, and the need for atonement. It is a vivid illustration of the Old Covenant's limitations and the anticipation of the New Covenant, where believers have direct access to God through the atoning work of Jesus Christ, who has torn the veil and opened the way into the presence of God for all who believe.

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

Hebrews ix. 5-Jan
... mean for instance, the Heaven is a veil, for as a veil it walls off the Holy of
Holies; the flesh ... "But Christ" (he says) "being come an High Priest": he did ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily xv hebrews ix 5-jan.htm

The Right of Entry
... that coruscated in the darkness of the Holy of Holies. ... of the light that irradiates
the true Holy Place, before ... and having a High Priest over the house of God ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/the right of entry.htm

Petilianus Said: "Woe unto You, Therefore, Who...
... Therefore the high priest used to enter alone into the holy of holies, that he might
make supplication for the people, which did not enter with the ...
/.../chapter 106 240 petilianus.htm

The Rent Veil
... was the vestibule of the Holy of Holies, was for ... he come not at all times into the
holy Place within ... You might suppose that the high priest of old brought the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 34 1888/the rent veil.htm

The Intercession of Christ
... is passed into the heavens, entered into the holy of holies with His ... to the ends
of the earth, while His holy name is ... Jesus, the High Priest is upon a throne. ...
/.../newton/messiah vol 2/sermon xlvii the intercession of.htm

The Mystic Meaning of the Tabernacle and Its Furniture.
... So the high priest, putting off his consecrated robe (the universe, and the creation ...
washes himself, and puts on the other tunic"a holy-of-holies one, so ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter vi the mystic meaning of.htm

Hebrews ix. 24-26
... 3125] [Sacrifice] was once for all offered, [and] carried into the Holy of Holies. ...
Luke 22:19.) It is not another sacrifice, as the High Priest, but we ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily xvii hebrews ix 24-26.htm

The Charge of the Watchers in the Temple
... with Him, whereby we may ever abide in the very Holy of Holies and be ... Holy!'. ... desires
for his welfare whose clear voice has summoned them to their high duty and ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/the charge of the watchers.htm

The Work of Christ.
... of the veil, which hid the Holy of Holies from the ... For Christ is not entered into
the holy places made ... It is because the great High Priest lives and intercedes ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gaebelein/the work of christ/ii the work of christ.htm

The Call of Isaiah
... or withdrawn, and he was permitted to gaze within, upon the holy of holies, where
even ... before him a vision of Jehovah sitting upon a throne high and lifted ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 25 the call of.htm