Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

HOLY PLACE

In both the tabernacle and the temple, the larger of the two compartments of the central sanctuary. A curtain separated the holy place from the holy of holies (Exod. 26:33). Located within the holy place were the lampstand or menorah (on the south side; Exod. 26:35; 40:4, 24-25), the table of the bread of presence (on the north side; 26:35; 40:4, 22-23), and the golden incense altar (before the curtain separating the holy place from the holy of holies; 40:5, 26-27). Though the precise dimensions of the tabernacle are uncertain, in Solomon’s temple the holy place was 40 cubits long, 20 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high (1 Kgs. 6:2, 20). These dimensions are consistent with those of Ezekiel’s eschatological temple (Ezek. 41:2) and of m. Mid. 4:7. M. Yoma 5:1 indicates that the holy place and the holy of holies were separated by two curtains with a one cubit space between them.

M. Tamid provides an account of the service in the holy place. Lots were cast daily to assign 12 tasks, two of which were maintenance of the incense altar and maintenance of the lampstand (m. Tamid 3:1; cf. Yoma 2:3). Procedures for these tasks are described in m. Tamid 3:9; 6:1-3 (cf. Yoma 5:1). M. Yoma 2:4 suggests that the burning of the incense was performed by a third priest.

The description of the tabernacle in Heb. 9:2-5 is puzzling. In this summary the incense altar is described as being in the holy of holies. Because the location of the altar is not mentioned in the prescriptions of Exod. 26, , the author of Hebrews may have inserted the reference to the altar without particular concern for location, or perhaps the author associated the altar with the holy of holies (cf. 1 Kgs. 6:22).

Richard Warren Johnson

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

HOLY PLACE

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)