Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16
When Adam and Eve sinned, they brought judgment on the entire earth, and it separated humanity from a holy God. God instituted animal sacrifices offered by priests as a way for people to cover their sins temporarily (See Leviticus 16). However, the coming of Jesus changed everything in our access to God!
Moses built the tent of meeting and placed the ark of covenant where God met with Moses and Joshua. The Lord ultimately led King Solomon to build a temple for Him where they placed the ark of the covenant. The temple had an outer court, an inner court, and the holy of holies (the most holy place). People were to bring their sacrifices and worship the Lord there.
It was the priest who was going to offer the sacrifice that people brought and burn it in the outer court. The lay person was only allowed to remain at the outer court and offer the sacrifice through the priest. However, the priests were able to enter the holy place daily by first washing themselves at the brazen altar (bronze basin) located at the outer court. We can wash ourselves by the word of God and allow Him to show us any impurities that we need to let go of.
A veil separated the holy place from the holy of holies. The holy of holies was where the ark of the covenant, the mercy seat of God, and His presence resided. Even the priests were not allowed to enter in on a regular basis, but only once a year to offer the blood of an unblemished lamb. In the New Testament, the scripture tells us that Jesus entered the holy of holies with his own blood once and for all for the sins of humanity (See Hebrews 9: 23-28).
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. Matthew 27:50-53
According to the above passage, when Jesus was crucified on the cross, the veil at the temple was torn in half. This was a declaration that the old covenant was no longer going to dictate God’s relationship with His people but that every person through Christ now has access to the mercy seat of God in the holy of holies. Praise God!
For those of us who have accepted Jesus, we find ourselves in the presence of the Lord in one of these three places. Some remain at the outer court expecting others to do the spiritual work for them. They are content to bring a sacrifice and feel good about having done something for God. Others enter in the holy place by reading their Bible, attending Bible studies, going to church, and offering prayers in the holy place yet not getting too close to God. However, a few are bold enough to realize there is They step into the holy of holies, reach the mercy seat of God, and offer themselves before Him through the blood of Jesus. They are willing to hear what the Lord has to say to them. They remain there and offer themselves be touched, met, and instructed by the Most Holy One.
The good news is that every believer has the privilege and the opportunity to enter the holy of holies. Unlike the priest who might have been struck by God because of His sin, a believer does not need to be afraid of being struck by God because he/she has repented and has applied the blood of Jesus on his/her sins. Hallelujah!
The above worship song is a powerful song that takes us to the holy of holies. Use it in your time of worship and allow yourself to get to deeper places of intimacy with God.
Reference: Rose Book of Charts, Maps, and Time Lines (By Rose Publishing)