And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies:
μετα δε το δευτερον καταπετασμα σκηνη η λεγομενη αγια αγιων
9 Church Fathers comment on this verse
“But behind the second veil,” therefore there was not only one veil, but there was also a veil outside the Holy Place, “was the tabernacle called the Holy of Holies.” See how he calls both places a tabernacle, because it overshadowed what was there as with a tent.
Do you see that there was a first veil, which Scripture calls a covering, since it was rolled up and drawn together? This veil separated the court, into which everyone generally entered, and where sacrifices were offered on the bronze altar, from the tabernacle. That tabernacle was accessible to the priests, who performed the services daily. Then, after you had passed through this veil, there was another veil, and behind it the tabernacle called the Holy of Holies. No one else entered it except the high priest alone, and he only once a year. Everywhere he calls everything the tabernacle, because God dwells in it.
What shall we say? Shall we stop our discourse here, at matter and the visible? Or, since the tabernacle of Moses is called in the Word an antitype, that is, fashioned according to the image of the true whole world, the totality of the visible and invisible (Heb. 9:24), shall we pass beyond the first veil? Shall we ascend above the sensible and enter into the holy places, into the noetic and heavenly nature?
In the inner tabernacle, which was called the Holy of Holies, beneath the veil, were the golden censer and the ark, covered with gold outside and inside, and the rest. There is no need now to speak of these things in detail and in order. Although each of them was set in its own place for the performance of particular services, they were all only mystical types of this heavenly mystery. Thus, when the truth appeared, we no longer needed to turn back to the shadows.
That is, it was prepared. It was called the “Holy of Holies” because of the objects contained in it, since these objects were holier than those in the first part. In the tabernacle there were two veils, one outer veil in the first part, and another inner veil before the second part. It separated the first part from the second. Here again the word second signifies not superiority, but position.
The first tabernacle was that in which stood the bronze altar of sacrifices and whole burnt offerings. The second was the one of which he says, in which were the lampstand and the presentation of the loaves upon the table. The third was that in which were the golden censer and the ark of the covenant.
The golden vessel in the ark, containing manna, is what is holy in Christ, containing in itself all the fullness of the Godhead, cf. Col 2:9.
Aaron's rod that blossomed is the invincible power of His priesthood. Of this the prophet says: "The scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom" (Ps 44:7).
For He who for a certain time appeared dead and cut off was afterward, as has now been revealed, illumined at dawn by the unwaning rays of the resurrection.
Living, He blossomed again, and He made clear that His future existence would be forever invulnerable and unfading. For "Christ, rising from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has dominion over Him" (Rom 6:9).
The tablets of the covenant in the ark signify everything in Christ: the knowledge of the hidden Father and the power of judicial decrees.
For on the tablets was inscribed faith in the eternal Divinity of Him who made the world and governed it. Through their giving, service to God is raised into law, and judgmental division is made.
According to this division, He rightly condemns those who hate Him, and in mercy worthily rewards those who are zealous for Him.
Such is the testimony which the Lord gave Moses to place in the ark. For us it signified the confession of Christ, the truth of flesh, soul, and Word.
It also revealed the flesh itself, glorified by resurrection after the suffering of death, and exalted by the eternal dignity of King and High Priest.
For He taught that He alone is initiated into the mysteries of the Father, and that He truly is, with the Father of majesty, the Judge of all ages.
One may also see in the image of the ark a type of the holy Church. It is built of incorruptible trees, that is, of the souls of the saints.
In faith in the holy Gospel, which has spread to the four ends of the world, it awaits for itself from God the eternal crown of life, cf. Jas 1:12.
It contains the tablets of the covenant in continual meditation on the law of God. The golden vessel with manna contains faith in the Incarnation of the Lord.
Aaron's rod blossomed through its participation in the Lord's kingdom and priesthood. The Apostle Peter says of this: "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood" (1 Pet 2:9).
That is, it has received and possesses heavenly mercy. The Apostle mentions this so that they may remember this good and the grace of God so generously poured out upon them.
It also has above itself the cherubim of glory and angelic guardianship, by which it is upheld through the mercy of God.
For its defense there is mercy, or the covenants. Through them both the rules of life and the proper ways of asking for help in living rightly are established by divine mercy.
As the cherubim of glory are raised above it by mercy, so the city of Christ, that is, the holy Church, is founded and upheld upon the rock, that is, upon Christ Himself, cf. Heb 12:22.
This is said because His city cannot be higher than He is. Nor can that city grow except by His help and support.
The cherub is raised above the ark by mercy, because both the services of the angels and the word of God more surely assist the Church. They themselves serve as its support in the foundation of the highest truth.
The very arrangement of the tabernacle, and the priestly rites performed in it, had to suggest the thought of their insufficiency and temporary significance (Heb 9:1-7).
In describing the tabernacle, to what does the Apostle chiefly draw attention? To the inaccessibility of the Holy of Holies, not only for the people, but even for the priests themselves.
They stood in the worldly or earthly sanctuary, as the Apostle says, that is, in the sanctuary that had significance only for temporal and earthly life.
Only the great high priest could pass beyond the veil that concealed the Holy of Holies. Even this happened only once a year, with great fear and trembling.
Moreover, it was "not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the ignorances of the people" (Heb 9:7).
Having said that the first covenant had grown old and was near to disappearance, the Apostle proves that God most justly hands it over to such a fate.
He proves this by comparing the Old Testament sanctuary and sacrifices with the high-priestly ministry of Jesus Christ in the heavenly sanctuary.
First the Apostle characterizes the priestly service in the earthly sanctuary, the tabernacle of Moses. He presents the service itself as though it had already ceased, using είχε, the imperfect tense.
The first covenant, says the Apostle, strove, like the new, to bring men to communion with God. For this purpose it had special rules concerning divine worship, οικαιοίματα λατρείας.
It also had a place for the performance of worship. This place was established by divine command, but had only a temporary purpose, for man's earthly life, τό τε άγιον κοσμικόν.
The Apostle wishes to speak only about Old Testament worship and to compare it with the high-priestly ministry of Jesus Christ in heaven.
But to make this comparison clearer, he first recalls to his readers the arrangement of the very place of Old Testament worship.
First Moses prepared for divine worship, κατεσκευασθη, the first, that is, the front part of the tabernacle, or the Holy Place, άγια. It was furnished with the lampstand and the table with the showbread.
Behind this part came the Holy of Holies, separated from the first by a veil. Among the furnishings of the Holy of Holies, besides the ark of the covenant and the objects contained in it, the Apostle includes the golden altar of incense.
Why does the Apostle do this, when everyone knew that the altar of incense stood in the sanctuary? This can be explained by considering what is said in the law about this altar.
Moses had to place the altar of incense before the veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the sanctuary, before the ark of testimony (Ex 40:3, 4, 5).
This, of course, showed that the altar of incense had the closest relation to the ark of the covenant. For this reason, probably, in 3 Kingdoms 6:22 it is called the altar belonging to the Holy of Holies.
It belonged to the Holy of Holies, before whose entrance it stood, just as the altar of burnt offering properly belonged to the tabernacle itself, though it stood before it in the court.
Indeed, when the priests burned incense on the altar of incense, together with the fragrance of incense they raised their prayers for the people to God.
He dwelt among the Cherubim of Glory above the ark of the covenant, in the Holy of Holies.
Since the Apostle intended to describe, not the tabernacle, but the worship performed in it and the meaning of its liturgical actions, he assigned the altar of incense to the furnishings of the Holy of Holies.
This was because, by the essence of the action performed upon it, the altar belonged to the Holy of Holies.
Then, following the rabbinic and Talmudic interpretation, the Apostle says that in the ark of the covenant were the vessel with manna and Aaron's rod that had sprouted.
Finally, after mentioning the cherubim of glory, that is, the representatives of divine majesty, the Apostle sees no need to speak of all the tabernacle's furnishings one by one.
They overshadowed with their wings and hid from the high priest's eyes the mercy seat, or lid of the ark. Toward it the high priest had to sprinkle blood.
Thus the Apostle does not separately explain the typical meaning of the listed objects.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 10 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS