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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