Topical Bible: Tabernacle: (The Holy of Holies) Heaven

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Topical Encyclopedia

The concept of the Tabernacle, particularly the Holy of Holies, holds profound significance in biblical theology, symbolizing the dwelling place of God among His people. The Tabernacle, as described in the Old Testament, was a portable sanctuary used by the Israelites during their wanderings in the wilderness. It was meticulously constructed according to divine specifications given to Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 25-27). The Tabernacle consisted of three main areas: the Outer Court, the Holy Place, and the innermost chamber, the Holy of Holies.

The Holy of Holies

The Holy of Holies, or the Most Holy Place, was the most sacred part of the Tabernacle. It 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 was covered by the Mercy Seat, where the presence of God was believed to dwell. Access to the Holy of Holies was strictly limited; only the High Priest could enter, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people (Leviticus 16).

The Holy of Holies was separated from the Holy Place by a veil, symbolizing the barrier between a holy God and sinful humanity. This separation underscored the need for atonement and the holiness required to approach God.

Heaven as the Ultimate Holy of Holies

In Christian theology, the Holy of Holies is often seen as a foreshadowing of heaven, the ultimate dwelling place of God. The Book of Hebrews draws a parallel between the earthly Tabernacle and the heavenly sanctuary, emphasizing that Christ, as the High Priest, entered the true Holy of Holies in heaven to offer His own blood as a perfect sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 9:11-12). This act tore the veil, symbolizing the removal of the barrier between God and humanity, granting believers direct access to God through Jesus Christ (Matthew 27:51; Hebrews 10:19-20).

Heaven, therefore, is depicted as the eternal Holy of Holies, where God's presence is fully realized and where believers will dwell with Him forever. Revelation 21:3 states, "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.'" This passage reflects the ultimate fulfillment of the Tabernacle's purpose: God dwelling with His people in perfect communion.

Conclusion

The Tabernacle, and specifically the Holy of Holies, serves as a profound symbol of God's desire to dwell among His people and the lengths to which He has gone to make this possible. Through the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ, believers are granted access to the heavenly Holy of Holies, where they will experience the fullness of God's presence for eternity. This understanding encourages Christians to live in anticipation of the heavenly reality, striving for holiness and communion with God in their earthly lives.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Hebrews 6:19,20
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters into that within the veil;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Hebrews 9:12,24
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Hebrews 10:19
Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Mystic Meaning of the Tabernacle and Its Furniture.
... Book IV. Chapter VI."The Mystic Meaning of the Tabernacle and Its Furniture. ... 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

In the Holy of Holies.
... God commanded, "There shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation ... until
he come out."(712) So when Christ entered the holy of holies to perform ...
/.../white/the great controversy between christ and satan /24 in the holy of.htm

In the Holy of Holies
... God commanded: "There shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when
he goeth in to make an ... So when Christ entered the holy of holies to perform ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the great controversy/chapter 24 in the holy.htm

The Sixth vision "In Heaven"
... and Temple in Heaven. The Realities were there, the copies were on earth. It was
the Naos or Holy of Holies which was opened, ie, the Naos of the Tabernacle. ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the sixth vision in heaven.htm

Whether Sufficient Reason Can be Assigned for the Ceremonies ...
... entered accomplishing the offices of sacrifices." But the inner tabernacle, which
was called the Holy of Holies, signified either the glory of heaven or the ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether sufficient reason can be.htm

Hebrews ix. 5-Jan
... tabernacle was yet standing." For this cause (he says) have these things been thus
"ordained," that we might learn that "the Holy of Holies," that is, Heaven, ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily xv hebrews ix 5-jan.htm

Cannot be Proved from Scripture, that Believers under the Old ...
... The Sanctuary," (Hebrews 9:2, 3.) Heaven itself is designated by "The Holy of Holies"
in Hebrews 9:24. It was shut as long as the former tabernacle stood, and ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/article x it cannot be.htm

Concerning the Tabernacle which Moses Built in the Wilderness for ...
... of brass, in number seven; but then they spread over the tabernacle veils of ... four
pillars, and to which none were admitted, was called The Holy of Holies. ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 6 concerning the tabernacle.htm

The True Tabernacle, and Its Glory of Grace and Peace
... God was never one with the tabernacle, but in Christ Jesus He is one with ... tent, he
thought of the holy place of sacrifice, and the Holy of Holies, the inner ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 31 1885/the true tabernacle and its.htm

The True Christian Life
... The third division of the tabernacle was the holy of holies, where the high ... his desire
for us controls our living we are in the holy of holies indeed; where ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chapman/and judas iscariot/the true christian life.htm