At the rear of the temple was a space thirty by thirty that had been reserved by King Solomon for the holiest place on earth; the Holy of Holies, the abode of the living God. Finally, after 400 years (since he brought them out of Egypt), there would be a permanent home for the Almighty God of Israel. No more dusty old store, no more moving from here to there; finally there would be a house worthy of his God. The walls from floor to ceiling were sheathed with cedar boards from Tire north. There was gold everywhere you looked; on the walls, ceiling and floor. Two fifteen-foot-tall cherubs carved from olive wood stood magnificently in this, the innermost sanctuary of the Temple. The wingspan of the two gold-plated angel-like figures was fifteen feet each; their tips touched each wall and each other in between. Beneath the Cherubim was placed the Ark of the Covenant; where the most sacred objects of the Israelites were kept. King David’s dream had finally come true through his son Solomon.

This glorious room, beautifully adorned, intended to house the living; The loving and approachable God of Israel was terribly hidden behind a thick curtain never to be seen by Jewish eyes again. The High Priest was the only Israelite allowed to enter the Holy of Holies and only once a year on the Day of Atonement. There is a question that has intrigued scholars and thinkers throughout the centuries; If the High Priest was the only one allowed to enter this Holy of Holies, then who cleaned the Holy of Holies?

Granted, there are a million other more relevant and pressing questions in the world than who cleansed the Holy of Holies. It is not even a relevant issue in today’s society; after all, the Israelites’ Temple was destroyed in AD 70 and has never been rebuilt. What do we care about the Holy of Holies, or who cleaned it? This place no longer exists; or does it? Maybe we should ask some other questions first. The first question obviously is where is the Holy of Holies today? If there is, who is allowed to enter the Holy of Holies? Finally, if it exists, is it necessary to clean it? Let’s take a closer look at these questions.

Where is the Holy of Holies today? The Bible tells us that the Holy of Holies was located in the Temple in Jerusalem, but the Temple was destroyed in AD 70. So where is the Temple today, has the Jewish people rebuilt it elsewhere? No, they haven’t; Jerusalem is the holy city, building anywhere else would not work. So where does the living God reside? The Apostle Paul reveals the location of the Temple in I Corinthians 9:16 when he says, “Do you not know that your body is the temple of God?” The Temple is our bodies; therefore, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the Holy of Holies is located within our bodies (the Temple). The Holy of Holies, after all, was meant to be a place that Israel could look at and know that her God was with them. It was a place where they could physically see and feel God’s presence (for more information, see the Exodus story and look for the cloud).

If the Holy of Holies exists, who is allowed to enter? We have determined that the Holy of Holies does indeed exist and that it is located within our bodies, or as Paul put it, “the temple of God.” In the old days, only the High Priest was allowed inside the Holy of Holies and then only one day a year. So who is allowed to enter this holy of holies now? God is first allowed in; it is where he lives after all. Second, the High Priest, who is Jesus Christ, the High of High Priests. And you? In the old days you wouldn’t have been allowed in, but what about now? Definitely, the Holy of Holies was initially established, by God, as a place where He could be close to his people, where they could be close to Him, and where we could have that personal relationship with our Father. The man and his arrogance and his fears kept him out of the Holy of Holies; God has always wanted us to be with Him. When Jesus died on the Cross, you will remember the story of the ripping of the curtain, which was an invitation to enter.

Finally, who cleanses the Holy of Holies? When Paul spoke of the temple being our bodies, he did so to make us think twice about what we let into the Temple. He was, in fact, stating that we must cleanse the Holy of Holies. What Paul fails to remind us of is that if we cannot be responsible enough to cleanse the Holy of Holies; then God will do it. The truth of the matter is that God does not like a dirty house and He has been cleaning his house from day one. Who cleanses the Holy of Holies? You do; or God will.