Holy of Holies

Biblical Text

The term Holy of Holies (Korean jiseongso, 至聖所) means "the most holy place." It refers to the innermost chamber of the tabernacle and of the Temple in Jerusalem.

• Instructions for its construction: In Exodus 26:31-34, God commands that a veil, a dividing curtain, separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place and that the ark of the testimony be placed in the Most Holy Place.
• Its contents: The ark of the covenant was kept in the Holy of Holies. On top of the ark was the mercy seat, the lid that covers sin, and at its two ends stood the cherubim, winged angelic figures.
• Rules of entry: Leviticus 16 forbids the high priest Aaron to enter at any time he chooses. Instead, it directs him to enter with blood and incense on the Day of Atonement.
• Solomon's Temple: 1 Kings 6:16-20 describes the inner sanctuary of Solomon's Temple as a cube measuring twenty cubits in length, width, and height. According to 8:6, the ark of the covenant was placed there beneath the wings of the cherubim.

Terminology and Background

• Original language: The Hebrew phrase qodesh haqqodashim repeats the same word to form a superlative. It literally means "the holiness of holinesses," that is, the most holy place.
• Other names: In Solomon's Temple the chamber was also called the debir (rendered naeso, "inner sanctuary," in the New Korean Revised Version).
• Dimensions of the tabernacle's Holy of Holies: The text does not state them directly. Calculations based on the measurements of the boards commonly yield a cube of ten cubits.
• Fate of the ark: Scripture does not record what became of the ark of the covenant after Babylon destroyed the Temple. The Jewish historian Josephus is reported to have stated that the Holy of Holies of the Second Temple was empty.

Significance in the New Testament

• The torn veil: The Synoptic Gospels record that when Jesus breathed his last, the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45).
• Interpretation in Hebrews: Hebrews 9 contrasts the earthly Holy of Holies, which the high priest entered with blood once each year, with the heavenly sanctuary that Christ entered once for all by his own blood. Hebrews 10:19-20 identifies the veil as "his flesh" and teaches that a way has been opened for believers to approach God with boldness (see Hebrews 4:14-16).
• Connection to the priesthood of all believers: This line of thought leads to the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers, which holds that every believer may come directly before God.
• The New Jerusalem: Revelation 21:16 describes the New Jerusalem as equal in length, width, and height. Some interpreters read this as the fulfillment of the Holy of Holies.

Interpretations and Debated Points

• Which veil was torn: Most interpreters identify it as the inner veil between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. Others take it to be the outer curtain at the entrance to the Holy Place.
• Hebrews 9:4: This verse associates the golden censer, or golden altar of incense, with the Holy of Holies. It also lists the pot of manna and Aaron's rod that budded among the ark's contents. However, Exodus 30:6 places the altar of incense before the veil, and 1 Kings 8:9 states that the ark contained only the two tablets of stone. Various explanations have been proposed to reconcile these texts.
• Typology: On the basis of passages such as Hebrews 10:1, many Protestant sermons read the structure of the tabernacle as a type of Christ and of salvation, that is, as a shadow that prefigures them. Critics, however, argue that assigning a detailed meaning to every furnishing goes too far.
• Extrabiblical accounts: A popular story holds that a rope was tied to the high priest's ankle so that he could be dragged out if he died inside the Holy of Holies. This story does not appear in Scripture and is understood to come from later tradition. What Scripture does prescribe is bells on the hem of the high priest's robe so that their sound would be heard when he went in and out of the Holy Place (Exodus 28:33-35).

In the Korean Church

Many Korean churches hold expository lecture series and seminars that trace the structure of the tabernacle to explain the path of faith. In sermons and prayers, the passage about the torn veil is often cited to stress that anyone may approach God in Christ. Some critics appeal to the same passage when they object to the practice of treating the church pulpit area as sacred, as though it were a Holy of Holies.