Holy Of Holies - The Oracle   
      
   Last Updated : July 25, 2006   
      
      
   It may surprise some people to know that the actual phrase   
   "Holy of Holies" is not found anywhere in the KJV Bible.   
   This term was apparently later adopted in history. In the   
   Scriptures, the actual phrases used were: "the most holy   
   place", "the holy place within the vail", "the oracle", "the   
   inner house", "the most holy house" and "the holy place".   
      
   The Hebrew word most often used for "holy place" and its   
   various derivatives, was "qodesh". The Greek "hagion" was   
   used in the New Testament. The Hebrew word for "oracle" was   
   "dabar", or "d@biyr", also transliterated as "d@bir".   
      
   The creation of the Tabernacle, the Holy of Holies, the Ark   
   of the Covenant, the priestly garments, the Altar, etc., is   
   described for us in the Book of Exodus. In Exodus chapter   
   twenty-six, we find the following regarding the creation of   
   the Holy of Holies. You will notice that it is called "the   
   holy place and the most holy" and "the most holy place":   
      
   "And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and   
   scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with   
   cherubims shall it be made: And thou shalt hang it upon four   
   pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks   
   shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver. And thou   
   shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest   
   bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony:   
   and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place   
   and the most holy. And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon   
   the ark of the testimony in the most holy place."   
   Exodus 26:31-34, KJV   
      
   In Leviticus chapter sixteen, it is referred to as "the holy   
   place within the vail":   
      
   "And the LORD spake unto Moses after the death of the two   
   sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died;   
   And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother,   
   that he come not at all times into the holy place within the   
   vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he   
   die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.   
   Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young   
   bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering."   
   Leviticus 16:1-3, KJV   
      
   In Numbers chapter eighteen, it is also referred to as "the   
   most holy place":   
      
   "And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given   
   thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed   
   things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given   
   them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an   
   ordinance for ever. This shall be thine of the most holy   
   things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs,   
   every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of   
   theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they   
   shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for   
   thy sons. In the most holy place shalt thou eat it; every   
   male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee."   
   Numbers 18:8-10, KJV   
      
   In 2 Samuel chapter sixteen, it is called "the oracle":   
      
   "And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those   
   days, was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God: so   
   was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with   
   Absalom."   
   2 Samuel 16:23, KJV   
      
   In 1 Kings chapters six through eight, it is called "the   
   most holy place", "the oracle", (being as that is where the   
   Lord would commune with Moses, and later with the High   
   Priest), "the inner house" and "the holy place":   
      
   "And against the wall of the house he built chambers round   
   about, against the walls of the house round about, both of   
   the temple and of the oracle: and he made chambers round   
   about . . . And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the   
   house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: he   
   even built them for it within, even for the oracle, even for   
   the most holy place . . . And the oracle he prepared in the   
   house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the   
   LORD. And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in   
   length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in   
   the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and   
   so covered the altar which was of cedar. So Solomon overlaid   
   the house within with pure gold: and he made a partition by   
   the chains of gold before the oracle; and he overlaid it   
   with gold. And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until   
   he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that was   
   by the oracle he overlaid with gold. And within the oracle   
   he made two cherubims of olive tree, each ten cubits high.   
   And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five   
   cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part   
   of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were   
   ten cubits. And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the   
   cherubims were of one measure and one size. The height of   
   the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other   
   cherub. And he set the cherubims within the inner house: and   
   they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims, so that the   
   wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the   
   other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched   
   one another in the midst of the house. And he overlaid the   
   cherubims with gold . . . And for the entering of the oracle   
   he made doors of olive tree: the lintel and side posts were   
   a fifth part of the wall."   
   1 Kings 6:5, 16, 19-28, 31, KJV   
      
   "And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the   
   house of the LORD: the altar of gold, and the table of gold,   
   whereupon the shewbread was, And the candlesticks of pure   
   gold, five on the right side, and five on the left, before   
   the oracle, with the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs   
   of gold, And the bowls, and the snuffers, and the basons,   
   and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold; and the hinges   
   of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the most   
   holy place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of the   
   temple."   
   1 Kings 7:48-50, KJV   
      
   "And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the   
   LORD unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the   
   most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims. For   
   the cherubims spread forth their two wings over the place of   
   the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves   
   thereof above. And they drew out the staves, that the ends   
   of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the   
   oracle, and they were not seen without: and there they are   
   unto this day . . . And it came to pass, when the priests   
   were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the   
   house of the LORD, So that the priests could not stand to   
   minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had   
   filled the house of the LORD."   
   1 Kings 8:6-8, 10-11 KJV   
      
   In 2 Chronicles chapters three through five, the Holy of   
   Holies is referred to as "the most holy house", "the most   
   holy place", and "the oracle":   
      
   "And in the most holy house he made two cherubims of image   
   work, and overlaid them with gold. And the wings of the   
   cherubims were twenty cubits long: one wing of the one   
   cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house:   
   and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the   
   wing of the other cherub. And one wing of the other cherub   
   was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the   
   other wing was five cubits also, joining to the wing of the   
   other cherub. The wings of these cherubims spread themselves   
   forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their   
   faces were inward . . . And he made chains, as in the   
   oracle, and put them on the heads of the pillars; and made   
   an hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains"   
   2 Chronicles 3:10-13, 16, KJV   
      
      
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   Jeff Snyder, SysOp - Armageddon BBS  Visit us at endtimeprophecy.org port 23   
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