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



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