Category: Messianic Theology

The Holy of Holies

May, 2000

"And let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them" (Exodus 25:8).

The above verse reveals the heart of God and His purpose for the Tabernacle (Mishkan) —that He should dwell among His people. Unlike the pagan gods who resist contact with mortals, the God of Israel longs, as a Father, to commune with His children. However, the dwelling of God among His people brings into focus a fundamental problem: Can a God who is kadosh (holy) dwell among people who are unholy? How can the Holy One commune with sinners? Herein lies the wonder and mystery of the Tabernacle (and the Temple which eventually replaced it), for in the very architecture and detailed plans which God gave to Moses on Sinai, He revealed both His desire to dwell with His people as well as the means by which He would accomplish that dwelling. Emphasized through repetition, God commands Moses regarding the construction of the Tabernacle that it should perfectly match the pattern shown to him on Sinai (Exodus 25:9, 40; 26:30). God intended the design to reveal important truths.

Pattern of Holiness

The pattern of the Mishkan itself, later repeated in the Temple in Jerusalem, comprised two rooms: the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, as well as a surrounding courtyard. Degrees of holiness (separation) are evident as one considers restrictions on who may and may not enter. All who were ceremonially clean could enter the courtyard, while only priests could come into the Holy Place. But only one person, the High Priest, could enter the Most Holy Place, and that was only once a year, on Yom HaKippurim.

The Most Holy Place was endowed with this extreme level of holiness because it was the very place where the invisible God would make His presence known—where He would dwell in the radiance of His glory. The Shekinah—שכינה (from לשכן—‘to dwell’) rested over the Ark of the Covenant, the only piece of furniture in the Most Holy Place. So strategic was this revelation of God’s presence in the Most Holy Place that one of His names is "He Who Dwells Between the Cherubim" (I Samuel 4:4). But the Presence of God is different than what the theologians have coined as "Omnipresent." It is true that God’s Being is infinite: He is infinite in all of His attributes. Thus the Psalmist can exclaim that wherever he is, even in extreme circumstances, God is there (Psalm 139:7-12). Yet the presence of God as revealed in the Shekinah of the Tabernacle is different in this respect: the Most Holy Place was that locality in which Israel (as represented by the High Priest) could commune with God without hindrance.

It represented the ultimate and final goal of God’s redemptive work—that God and man should have unencumbered friendship. Thus the Most Holy Place, or the Holy of Holies, is the innermost room of God’s palace—the treasure room of His greatness. As Jerusalem is the center of the universe, so too is the Holy of Holies the center of Jerusalem.

The Holy of Holies in Solomon’s Temple

Four hundred and eighty years after Israel left Egypt, in his fourth year as king, Solomon began construction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Upon the stone slab of the threshing floor purchased by his father King David, Solomon undertook the building of a structure of unbelievable wealth and beauty.

The building itself was made of stones carefully prepared off-site. Once erected, the inside of the walls were paneled with cedar and overlaid with gold so that no stones could be seen on the inside. Solomon doubled the dimensions of the Mishkan, so that the Temple structure proper was twenty cubits wide and sixty cubits long. [Although estimates of a cubit range from 18 to 24 inches, the measurement is generally accepted as 20.9 inches.] The ceiling height of the Holy Place (which is called the heichal—היכל in I Kings) was as high as 60 cubits. That of the Holy of Holies (sometimes called the d’vir— דביר, from the Hebrew word l’daber—לדבר, ‘to speak’) was twenty cubits high, once again forming a perfect square for the inner sanctuary (20 by 20 by 20).

The Holy Place was separated from the Holy of Holies, not merely by a perochet (veil), but by a wall of cedar with substantial doors. I Kings 6:31 has been notoriously difficult for interpreters and translators: "And for the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood, the lintel and five-sided doorposts."

Veiled Doors of Beauty

The dimensions of the doors are not given, though comparative archaeological evidence from other temples of the Ancient Near East reveals doors entering into sacred rooms that were nearly the height of the structure. The lintel described in this same verse must have been substantial in order to span the 20-cubit width and carry the weight of the tall doors. Built out of olive wood on which were carved cherubim, palm trees, and flowers and then overlaid with gold, the doors may have been up to 40 feet tall and must have weighed a great deal. So valuable were the doors themselves that they formed the bulk of the tribute given to the king of Assyria under Hezekiah’s reign. (In II Kings 18:16 the Hebrew text indicates clearly that the doors were taken down, and not merely stripped of gold).

The Sages consistently describe the thickness of the wall in which the doors were hung as one cubit. The cubit-thick wall gave rise to debate among the rabbis. Should its width be subtracted from the overall space of the Holy Place (making it 39 by 20 cubits) or from the Holy of Holies—the Most Holy Place (making it 19 by 20 cubits)? Furthermore, to which level of holiness did the wall attain—that of the Holy Place or Holy of Holies? The Sages reached no conclusion at the time, but the problem was solved in the Second Temple as we shall see.

The parallel text to I Kings 6:31 in II Chronicles 3:14 speaks of Solomon making the perochet (veil) which separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, yet the summary verse (II Chronicles 4:22) describes the doors. We may conclude therefore that both were used, and—as Josephus describes—the perochet was hung "before the doors" so that from the Holy Place the doors into the Holy of Holies were covered with the woven perochet.

The Cherubim and the Ark

We have seen, then, that Solomon’s Temple differed from the Mishkan in that it was double the size, and that it had a cubit thick wall with doors that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. A third difference was the enlargement of the cherubim. Those of the Mishkan were part of the lid of the Ark (Exodus 25:18-20). The cherubim of Solomon’s Temple, however, had a wingspan of 10 cubits each, meaning that they stood independent of the Ark with their feet on the floor (II Chronicles 3:13), touching the walls on one side and wings joined to each other in the middle. Being ten cubits tall, these cherub figures of olive wood overlaid with gold would have appeared to nearly fill the Holy of Holies.

A fourth difference in the Holy of Holies of Solomon’s Temple was the placement of the Ark (I Kings 8:8). Since the cherubim were much larger and standing on the floor, the Ark was placed closer to the perochet and doors. When the doors were opened one could see the ends of the poles (literally "heads of the poles") through the space left at the edge of the perochet. We may speculate that in the Mishkan the poles of the Ark (which we are told in Exodus 25:15 God commanded to be left attached to the Ark) actually touched the perochet, causing visible ripples in the curtain when viewed from the Holy Place. These ‘ripples’ assured the priests of the Ark’s presence without having to see the Ark itself, and the same must have been considered important in Solomon’s Temple, especially since a wall and doors now screened the Holy of Holies.

Positive Changes

What are we to learn from these changes that Solomon made? First, the fact that the glory of God filled the Temple (I Kings 8:10) shows clearly that Hashem was pleased with what Solomon had done. None of the changes were contrary to God’s purpose to reveal Himself through the Temple and its services. The enlargement of the structure, moreover, emphasized that the Temple would play a strategic role in bringing God’s blessing upon all the families of the earth. Doubled in size, the symbolism foreshadowed the fulfillment of God’s promise made to Abraham that in his seed all the families of the earth would be blessed. Solomon’s Temple therefore portrays God’s purpose to make His dwelling a "house of prayer for all the peoples" (Isaiah 56:7).

Yet, the fact that the cherubim were also greatly enlarged may suggest to us that although the peoples will be blessed by coming into God’s presence, this will occur not by a disregard for God’s holiness but through a sanctification of the peoples. Since cherubim are often revealed as guardians of God’s holiness, their prominent place in Solomon’s Temple assures us that God’s method of redemption is still based upon infinite justice. He will bless the peoples by atoning for their sins—paying the price of redemption so that they might come into His presence.

Finally, the transition from the portable and temporary Tabernacle to the permanent Temple is emphasized by the construction of the wall and doors between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. No more would the glory of God travel with the nomadic people of Israel, for they would be planted in the Land and He would dwell there with them. God makes this astounding promise to Solomon and the people (I Kings 9:3):

"And the LORD said to him, ‘I have heard your prayer and your supplication, which you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built by putting My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.’ "

Thus the Temple in Jerusalem, and specifically the Holy of Holies in the Temple, would forever be the locus of God’s revelation to man (Psalm 132:13-14), for in that place there would be lived out year after year the pattern of the Greater High Priest who, with His own blood, would appear in the presence of God for His people.

The Holy of Holies in the Second Temple

The destruction of the Temple by Nebuchadnezzer in 554 BCE (traditional date is 586 BCE) brought to an end the glory of Solomon’s Temple. The sins of the people had brought upon themselves and their land the curses of the covenant. Sacked, looted, and destroyed, the Temple lay in ruins and the people were carried off to Babylon. Just prior to the exile God graciously revealed to the prophet Ezekiel the plans for a new Temple (Ezekiel 40-48)—plans which the exiles could be comforted by and reflect on while in Babylon. Yet, when they returned to the Land and began to rebuild the Temple, they built it after the pattern of Solomon’s Temple, not according to the instructions given to Ezekiel. Why? The only answer available is that suggested by the Sages: since Messiah is the One who will build Ezekiel’s Temple, and since Zechariah prophesied that the Messiah was yet to come, it was understood that Ezekiel’s Temple would stand in a future era.

The biblical text itself gives little description of the Second Temple, so most of what we know of it is derived from non-biblical sources. We do know that, until remodeled by Herod, its beauty and grandeur in no way compared to that of Solomon’s Temple, and that the people were discouraged because of its diminished glory (Haggai 2:1-3). The Sages list the dimensions of the Second Temple as the same as Solomon’s, with the exception of its length.

Taraskin—Confusion or Transition?

Unsure what to do with the extra cubit presented by the wall between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, the overall structure was increased to 61 cubits so that the cubit of the wall would be a space unto itself. Furthermore, because the exiles could not afford the construction of the cedar wall and the olive wood doors that opened into the Holy of Holies, they substituted a double perochet (curtain) positioned one cubit apart. The curtain on the side of the Holy Place was joined to the north wall but left a gap at the south wall. Conversely, the inner curtain was attached to the south wall but left a gap at the north wall. Consequently, the High Priest on Yom HaKippurim would enter the space between the curtains at the south wall, walk north to the opening at the north wall, and then turn into the Holy of Holies. This space between the two curtains was called taraskin by the rabbis, a Greek word that means ‘confusion,’ because they struggled to decide if it was in or out of the Holy of Holies. The later Sages ruled that it was a space unto itself, which was greater in sanctity than the Holy Place, but not as great as the Holy of Holies. It was therefore a space of transition for the High Priest as he went from the Holy Place to the abode of the Shekinah.

Perhaps most significant for our study is the well-established fact that the Ark never rested in the Holy of Holies of the Second Temple. Either taken by Nebuchadnezzer and lost or hidden away by Josiah before the Babylonian exile, the Sages universally agree that the Holy of Holies of the Second Temple was empty. Only the Foundation Stone, called Shetiyah remained in the Holy of Holies. Thus, when the High Priest entered on Yom HaKippurim, he set the fire-pan with its incense upon the stone and sprinkled the blood in the air, once upward, and seven times downward.

There is also every indication that the Shekinah did not remain in the Second Temple. Even after Herod expanded the Temple Mount and greatly beautified the Temple complex, the visible presence of the Shekinah was never seen there. The reasons the Sages give for the absence of the Shekinah are the sins of the people: idolatry, bloodshed, and gossip. Surely the solemn ceremonies of Yom HaKippurim lacked a sense of completion, for the mercy seat—the very place where the blood was to be sprinkled—was missing!

The Torn Veil

The Gospels record that the perochet of the Temple was torn (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45) at the time of Yeshua’s crucifixion. This is regularly considered to be the curtains separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, but the Gospel texts could just as well be describing the tearing of the outer perochet, the one that covered the entrance into the Holy Place from the porch. There is some historical evidence that the stone lintel that held the outer perochet was damaged in an earthquake. If it was the same earthquake that occurred while Yeshua was on the cross, there is then a good explanation for the tearing of the perochet from top to bottom as the stone lintel gave way.

What is to be learned from the tearing of the perochet? Primarily this, that God intends for His people to have entrance into His presence. The political hold that the proud, self-ambitious leaders had on the Temple in the days of Yeshua had effectively kept the people out. How ironic! The Temple, given as the means of securing fellowship between God and His people, had itself become a barrier. Interestingly, it is recorded in rabbinic literature that during the last 40 years before the destruction of the Second Temple a number of things occurred differently on Yom Kippur, which the Sages took as portends of the coming destruction. The lot cast for the scapegoat did not come up in the right hand of the priest (as it had before), the crimson-colored strap tied around the neck of the scapegoat did not turn white (as it usually did), the westernmost light of the menorah did not shine, and the doors of the Holy Place would open by themselves.

It was recognized Temple halachah that until the doors of the heichal (היכל) were opened, no sacrifices were considered valid. When the fact of the torn veil is coupled with the phenomenon of the doors opening of their own accord, it would seem that the significance is the acceptance of the sacrifice of Yeshua. How might this interpretation fit the use of the ‘torn veil’ motif by the writer to the Messianic Jews (Hebrews)? The flesh of Yeshua is metaphorically compared to the veil in chapter 10:19-22:

Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the Holy Place by the blood of Yeshua, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 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 clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Lessons to be Learned

What lessons are we to learn from the Holy of Holies of the Second Temple? Perhaps most obvious, yet most important, is the tragic reality that the Messiah had come to the Second Temple and found its innermost sanctuary empty. Instead of the place where God and man could commune, the Temple had become a man-centered enterprise.

More promising, however, is the fact that the ceremonies of redemption and atonement that had been acted out in the Tabernacle and Temple finally found their fulfillment in the rejected One—the very "stone the builders rejected" (Psalm 118:22). As He did upon the doors of the Temple, so too Yeshua ‘knocks’ on the doors of the heart of each ‘living temple’ in Revelation (3:20), for His desire is clear—He longs to dwell with His people.

We have the assurance that the way is provided through the very design and pattern blueprinted by the architect Himself!

© 2006 First Fruits of Zion. All rights reserved. This material may not be republished, rewritten or redistributed. From Bikurei Tziyon #64 | May, 2000. For more information about this publication, click here.

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