Holy Of Holies (Ark of the Covenant)

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>For The Believers In The Body Of Christ</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="For The Believers In The Body Of Christ"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id537.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Acacia Wood"><U>Acacia Wood</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id315.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Festivals Feasts"><U>Festivals & Feasts</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Furnishings of the Tabernacle"><U>Furnishings of the Tabernacle</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id324.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Outer Court (Brass Altar, Laver) "><U>Outer Court (Brass Altar, Laver) </U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id325.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Holy Place (Bread, Lampstand, Incense Al"><U>Holy Place (Bread, Lampstand, Incense Altar)</U></A><B>   |   </B><B>Holy Of Holies (Ark of the Covenant)</B><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id414.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Spiritual Significance of the Tabernacle"><U>Spiritual Significance of the Tabernacle</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="02ad2c00dkelyh.gif"> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Spiritual Food"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Spiritual Food</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id47.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Psalms, Hymns Spiritual Songs"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id147.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gospel Outreach"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Gospel Outreach</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id159.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">"About Us"</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id186.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Contact Us</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id187.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Related Links"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Related Links</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id639.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="JESUS IS LORD!"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">JESUS IS LORD!</B></U></A></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  </div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Holy Of Holies (Ark of the Covenant)</I></div> <div> <B>The First Mention of the Holy of Holies in Scripture</B></div> <bR> <div> The word "holy" is not found in the book of Genesis.  It was in the book of Exodus that "holy" is first mentioned in the sequence of Biblical canon.  When the Lord has Moses write the book of Exodus He began to mention the matter of having a dwelling place on the earth with man.  In the book of Genesis among all the spiritual men and women written about, there was not the Holy of Holies for man to enter on the earth.  It was in the experience after the exodus from the captivity in Egypt that something extraordinary took place:  on the earth among man there was a place called the <B>Holy of Holies</B>, the place where God Himself chose to dwell among man.  Men could go to that place and meet God.</div> <bR> <div> <B>The Dimensions of the Holy of Holies</B></div> <bR> <div> The dimensions of the Holy of Holies are mentioned in three different places and in three different measurements throughout the Bible.  </div> <bR> <div> <B>In the Tabernacle</B></div> <bR> <div> In Exodus 25-26 the Holy of Holies was part of the tabernacle.  The tabernacle was a moving worship center that traveled wherever the children of Israel were sent by God in the wilderness.  The measurements of the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle were most likely equal in length, breadth and width as those in the future temple (Exo. 26 mentions the "most holy place" refering to the Holy of Holies).</div> <bR> <div> <B>In the Temple</B></div> <bR> <div> In 1 Kings 6-8 the Holy of Holies was part of the temple of God.  The temple was a permanent worship center in the good land of Canaan located in Jerusalem of the nation of Israel.  Whenever man wanted to contact God or God wanted to contact man, they meet at entrance of the tent of meeting where the Holy of Holies was in the temple.  The principle of the Holy of Holies is that man can live and walk directly in the presence of God.  According to the Old Testament, only the high priest was allowed to enter into the Holy of Holies.  The measurements of the Holy of Holies in the temple were 20 x 20 x 20 cubits (1 Kings 6:20).</div> <bR> <div> <B>In the New Jerusalem</B></div> <bR> <div> Finally, in the book of Revelation (chapters 21-22) the Holy of Holies is in the New Jerusalem.  Revelation 21:16 shows that the height, breadth and length of the city are all equal just as in the case of the Holy of Holies in both the tabernacle and the temple.  This implies that the entire city of the New Jerusalem is the Holy of Holies.  Revelation 21:22 says, "<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#BF0000" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B>I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple</B></FONT>."  In the temple, in the Holy of Holies, in the New Jerusalem, all God's redeemed ones will serve and worship God, will see and touch God's presence, and will live and dwell in God's presence for eternity.  The measurements of the Holy of Holies in the New Jerusalem are 12,000 stadia in length, 12,000 stadia in breadth and 12,000 stadia in height (Rev. 21:16).</div> <bR> <div> If we consider the dimensions of the tabernacle, the temple and the New Jerusalem, we will see that the Holy of Holies constantly enlarges from the tabernacle to the temple and finally to the New Jerusalem.  This means that in our experience, the Holy of Holies must be continuously enlarged.  In other words, our experience of living, walking and abiding in God's presence will increase as we mature in Christ!</div> <bR> <div> <B>The Spiritual Significance of the Holy of Holies</B></div> <bR> <div> Hebrews 10:19-22a says, "<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#BF0000" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B>Having therefore, brothers, boldness for entering the Holy of Holies in the blood of Jesus,  20  Which entrance He initiated for us as a new and living way through the veil, that is, His flesh,  21  And having a great Priest over the house of God,  22  Let us come forward to the Holy of Holies</B></FONT>."  The Holy of Holies today is in heaven, where the Lord Jesus is (Heb. 9:12, 24).  How, then, can we enter the Holy of Holies while we are still on earth? The secret is our spirit, referred to in Hebrews 4:12. The very Christ who is in heaven is now also in our spirit (2 Tim. 4:22).  As the heavenly ladder (Gen. 28:12; John 1:51), He joins our spirit to heaven and brings heaven into our spirit.  Hence, whenever we turn to our spirit, we enter into the Holy of Holies.  There we meet with God, who is on the throne of grace.  Undoubtedly, the throne mentioned here is the throne of God, which is in heaven (Rev. 4:2). The throne of God is the throne of authority toward all the universe (Dan. 7:9; Rev. 5:1).  But toward us, the believers, it becomes the throne of grace, signified by the propitiation place (the mercy seat) within the Holy of Holies (Exo. 25:17, 21).  This throne is the throne of both God and the Lamb (Rev. 22:1).  How can we come to the throne of God and the Lamb, Christ, in heaven while we still live on earth?  The secret is our spirit, referred to in Hebrews 4:12.  The very Christ who is sitting on the throne in heaven (Rom. 8:34) is also now in us (Rom. 8:10), that is, in our spirit (2 Tim. 4:22), where the habitation of God is (Eph. 2:22).  At Bethel, the house of God, the habitation of God, which is the gate of heaven, Christ is the ladder that joins earth to heaven and brings heaven to earth (Gen. 28:12-17; John 1:51).  Since today our spirit is the place of God's habitation, it is now the gate of heaven, where Christ is the ladder that joins us, the people on earth, to heaven, and brings heaven to us.  Hence, whenever we turn to our spirit, we enter through the gate of heaven and touch the throne of grace in heaven through Christ as the heavenly ladder.  <I>[</I><I><U>The New Testament Recovery Version, Hebrews 10:19 Footnote 1 and Hebrews 4:16 Footnote 1</U></I><I>, Living Stream Ministry]</I></div> <bR> <div> <B>The Major Items in the Holy of Holies</B></div> <bR> <div> The major item in the Holy of Holies is the Ark of the Covenant as shown below.  Click on any of the items for further fellowship.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id413.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Ark of the Covenant"><U><B>The Ark of the Covenant</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id413.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Ark of the Covenant"><U><IMG SRC="104cd3a0.gif" border=0 width="461" height="314" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id413.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Ark of the Covenant"><U><B>CONTENTS OF THE ARK</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id413.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Ark of the Covenant"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b701180000bf00.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The Golden Pot with the Hidden Manna</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id413.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Ark of the Covenant"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b701180000bf00.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Aaron's Rod that Budded</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id413.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Ark of the Covenant"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b701180000bf00.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Two Tablets of the Testimony</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id413.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Ark of the Covenant"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b701180000bf00.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The Cherubim</B></U></A></div> </td> </tr></table></body>