The Inner Sanctum

The centrepiece of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, is the tabernacle. The tabernacle was the “dwelling place” of God, among his people. The details of its construction take up most of the second half of the book of Exodus, and while it can make for dry reading for anyone who’s not an architect, the details are nevertheless theological rather than technological.

The Tabernacle was a tent, built with acacia wood and covered with luxury curtains. An inner area was separated from an outer room. That inner area was the Holy of Holies (as it was expressed in the original Hebrew), also known as the Inner Sanctum (as it was expressed in Latin) and the Most Holy Place (as it became in the King James Version). Only the High Priest could enter, and only once a year, on the Day of Atonement, after the scapegoat had carried the sins of the people away from the camp.

Easily lost in the image are some important points made in its description. The passage starts with the contents of the Most Holy Place, before going on to describe the construction of the accessible areas of the tent. The writer starts with God’s presence and moves on to man’s presence: this is God reaching out to man.

But access is limited. The Most Holy Place is separated from the rest of the tent by a curtain decorated with cherubim, reminding us of the cherubim who guarded the entrance to the Garden of Eden. God’s presence among his people at this point is a restoration, but a partial one, of what was lost in the fall when man sinned.

Most of the details of the tabernacle then focus on the priests, the sacrificial system, and the atonements that must be made for the people. These reinforce the separation from God that was brought by man’s sin, and what is required for that intimacy to be restored. Finally the ark of the covenant, containing the stone tablets, is brought into the temple, outside the Most Holy Place; the offerings are offered; and

the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. (Ex 40:34,35)

God was among his people.

But God’s holiness meant access was strictly limited. Eventually, however, the curtain separating off the Inner Sanctum would be torn, opening access to God for anyone who believes.

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. (Mark 15:37-38)