The LORDsaidto Moses:"Tellyour brotherAaronthat he shall not enterat anytimeinto the holyplace insidethe veil,beforethe mercyseatwhichis on the ark,orhe will die;for I will appearin the cloudoverthe mercyseat.
He builttwentycubitson the rearpartof the housewith boardsof cedarfrom the floorto the ceiling;he built[them] for it on the insideas an innersanctuary,[even] as the mostholyplace.
Then the priestsbroughtthe arkof the covenantof the LORDto its place,into the innersanctuaryof the house,to the mostholyplace,underthe wingsof the cherubim.
so that the priestscouldnot standto ministerbecauseof the cloud,for the gloryof the LORDfilledthe houseof God.
"Aaronshall makeatonementon its hornsoncea year;he shall makeatonementon it with the bloodof the sinofferingof atonementoncea yearthroughout your generations.It is mostholyto the LORD."
"He shall putthe incenseon the firebeforethe LORD,that the cloudof incensemay coverthe mercyseatthat is on [the ark of] the testimony,otherwisehe will die.
"Now you shall havethisas a permanentstatute,to makeatonementfor the sonsof Israelfor alltheir sinsonceevery year."And justas the LORDhad commandedMoses,[so] he did.
"On exactlythe tenthday of thisseventhmonthis the dayof atonement;it shall be a holyconvocationfor you, and you shall humbleyour soulsand presentan offeringby fireto the LORD.
"At the doorwayof the tentof meeting,moreover, you shall remaindayand nightfor sevendaysand keepthe chargeof the LORD,so that you will not die,for soI have been commanded."
But the LORDsaidto Moses,"Putbackthe rodof Aaronbeforethe testimonyto be keptas a signagainst the rebels,that you may putan endto their grumblingsagainstMe, so that they will not die."
"But you and your sonswith you shall attendto your priesthoodfor everythingconcerningthe altarand insidethe veil,and you are to performservice.I am givingyou the priesthoodas a bestowedservice,but the outsiderwho comesnearshall be putto death."
"But dothisto them that they may liveand not diewhen they approachthe mostholy[objects]: Aaronand his sonsshall goin and assigneachof them to his workand to his load;
"When the campsetsout, Aaronand his sonsshall goin and they shall takedownthe veilof the screenand coverthe arkof the testimonywith it;
And behold,the veilof the templewas tornin twofrom topto bottom;and the earthshookand the rockswere split.
Thishope we haveas an anchorof the soul,a [hope] bothsureand steadfastand one which enterswithinthe veil,
norwas it that He would offerHimselfoften,as the high priestentersthe holy placeyear by yearwith bloodthat is not his own.
Behindthe secondveilthere was a tabernaclewhich is calledthe Holy of Holies,
and aboveit [were] the cherubimof gloryovershadowingthe mercy seat;but of these thingswe cannotnowspeakin detail.
And the templewas filledwith smokefrom the gloryof Godand from His power;and no onewas ableto enterthe templeuntilthe sevenplaguesof the sevenangelswere finished.
