Last Updated : March 16, 2011   
      
      
   It may surprise some people to know that the actual phrase "Holy of   
   Holies" is not found anywhere in the Bible. This is a term which 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   
      
   "And Solomon made all the vessels that were for the house of God, the   
   golden altar also, and the tables whereon the shewbread was set;   
   Moreover the candlesticks with their lamps, that they should burn after   
   the manner before the oracle, of pure gold; And the flowers, and the   
   lamps, and the tongs, made he of gold, and that perfect gold; And the   
   snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers, of pure   
   gold: and the entry of the house, the inner doors thereof for the most   
   holy place, and the doors of the house of the temple, were of gold."   
   2 Chronicles 4:19-22, KJV   
      
   "And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto   
   his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even   
   under the wings of the cherubims: For the cherubims spread forth their   
   wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and   
   the staves thereof above. And they drew out the staves of the ark, that   
   the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but   
   they were not seen without. And there it is unto this day."   
   2 Chronicles 5:7-9, KJV   
      
   In Ezekiel chapters forty-one through forty-five, it is called "the most   
   holy place":   
      
   "Then went he inward, and measured the post of the door, two cubits;   
   and the door, six cubits; and the breadth of the door, seven cubits. So   
   he measured the length thereof, twenty cubits; and the breadth, twenty   
   cubits, before the temple: and he said unto me, This is the most holy   
   place."   
   Ezekiel 41:3-4, KJV   
      
   "And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went   
   astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; they shall   
   even bear their iniquity. Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary,   
   having charge at the gates of the house, and ministering to the house:   
   they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people,   
   and they shall stand before them to minister unto them. Because they   
   ministered unto them before their idols, and caused the house of Israel   
   to fall into iniquity; therefore have I lifted up mine hand against   
   them, saith the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their iniquity. And they   
   shall not come near unto me, to do the office of a priest unto me, nor   
   to come near to any of my holy things, in the most holy place: but they   
   shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have   
   committed."   
   Ezekiel 44:10-13, KJV   
      
   "Moreover, when ye shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, ye   
   shall offer an oblation unto the LORD, an holy portion of the land: the   
   length shall be the length of five and twenty thousand reeds, and the   
   breadth shall be ten thousand. This shall be holy in all the borders   
   thereof round about. Of this there shall be for the sanctuary five   
   hundred in length, with five hundred in breadth, square round about;   
   and fifty cubits round about for the suburbs thereof. And of this   
   measure shalt thou measure the length of five and twenty thousand, and   
   the breadth of ten thousand: and in it shall be the sanctuary and the   
   most holy place."   
   Ezekiel 45:1-3, KJV   
      
      
      
   Jeff Snyder, SysOp - Armageddon BBS  Visit us at endtimeprophecy.org port 23   
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