Our Scripture for today is Hebrews 9:7
“Into the Most Holy place went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people.”
If you are a student of the Word, then you know that they temple was divided into two parts. The Holy Place where the priests would go daily. It contained the table of bread, the alter of incense, and various other items that were used daily by the priests. The second room was special. It was called the “Holy of Holies” and only the High Priest could enter and then only once a year. (Hebrews 9, Exodus 30).
The second room, The Holy of Holies contained only one piece of furniture – the Ark of the Covenant. There was no place on earth more dear to the Israelites than the Holy of Holies. If anyone other than the High Priest tried to enter that room, they would put to death. Before the High Priest would enter the room on that once a year sacrifice, the other priests would tie a rope around his foot so that if something happened to him, they could pull him out of the room.
As you can see, this was a serious and holy place. There was only one time this was violated. We know this from the historian, Josephus. In 63 AD, the Roman general Pompey went to Jerusalem to quash a rebellion and settle other matters. While there he decided he want to see this Most Holy Place that he had heard so much about. He wanted to see the God that the Jews worshiped. As he and his men tried to enter the temple they faced resistance from Israelite guards. Of course they were no match for the Roman army. Some of the Israelites committed suicide rather than see the Temple violated.
Pompey entered the Holy Place, saw all the gold, then pulled back the curtain and looked into the Holy of Holies. He briefly looked and then walked away.
What did he see? He saw nothing! For hundreds of years, the room was empty. The Ark of the Covenant was gone. Presumably lost at the beginning of the Babylonian captivity more than 500 years earlier.
For hundreds of years, the High Priest would go into an empty room and make atonement before an Ark that was missing. Even during the time of Jesus, the Holy of Holies was empty.
It is wonderful that today we do not enter into an empty room to pray or worship, but rather enter into the presence of the Lord. As Ephesians 3:12 says, “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”
Lonnie Davis