What were the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place in the temple / tabernacle?

The Tabernacle was divided into two compartments. The first and larger was where the priests performed their sacred offices. It was called the Holy Place, or the Sanctuary. The inner and smaller compartment was called the Holiest of All. It was where the glory of God dwelt upon the Mercy Seat.

To the Sanctuary we next come. This was a structure of boards overlaid with gold, with a curtained roof overhead. It consisted of two parts, and was divided into two chambers. Of two parts was it composed, the one called the Tent Ohel, the other called the Tabernacle, or dwelling place Mishcan (Ex. 26:1, 7). Into two chambers was it divided, the outer one called the holy place, the inner called the most holy (Ex. 26:33). On three sides were the boards, viz., the south, the west, and the north. And like the court, on none of those sides was there any entrance. At its east end was the entrance behind a screen of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, which, stretching across the whole width of the Tabernacle, thus formed its eastern side.

Let us look then at the subject before us now which is the Holy Place. The tent of meeting had two rooms. There was the Most Holy Place, in which was just the ark of the covenant and where the high priest went in only once a year. But the other room was called the Holy Place, in which were three items of furniture: the candlestick, the table of showbread and the altar of incense. Here the priests served every day, carrying out a number of services, all of which have a spiritual meaning that helps us to understand the service of God that we have been brought into today.

We read in Exodus 40: "And he (that is, Moses) put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the side of the tabernacle northward, without the veil. And he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD ; as the LORD had commanded Moses. And he put the candlestick in the tent of the congregation, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward. And he lighted the lamps before the LORD ; as the LORD commanded Moses. And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the veil: and he burnt sweet incense thereon; as the LORD commanded Moses" (Ex. 40:22-27). The veil separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place; these three items of furniture were in front of the veil.

Two Chambers. — Proceeding with the account of the earthly sanctuary as given us in this passage (9:2-7), we are told of one special feature characteristic of it. It had two chambers, each called a tabernacle, separated the one from the other by a veil, which effectually shut off and screened the innermost chamber from the gaze of any one only admitted into the outer. This outer chamber was commonly called the holy place (Ex. 26:33), whilst the inner one was designated "the Holy of holies" (Heb. 9:3). With the first, or outer chamber, there were here reckoned as its furniture, the candlestick, the table, and shewbread. After the second veil was "the tabernacle called the Holiest of all, which had the golden censer [or, perhaps better, the golden altar], and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; and over it the cherubim of glory, shadowing the mercy-seat: of which we cannot now speak particularly, i.e. in detail" (2-5).

The larger part was known as the Holy Place. This was 20 cubits long, 10 cubits broad and 10 cubits high, at its eastern end was the Door (the means of entrance from the Court), at its western end was the Veil (separating it from the smaller compartment), on either side of it were the gold-covered boards, and above it were the beautiful curtains. The smaller of the two parts of the Tabernacle, that which was "within the Veil", was called the Most Holy Place, or the Holy of Holies. This inner compartment was a cube, being 10 cubits long, 10 broad and 10 high; the Veil formed its eastern side (separating it from the Holy Place), the other three sides were formed by the gold-covered boards, and its ceiling (like that of the Holy Place) was formed by the beautifully embroidered curtains. Other curtains and coverings, which will be described later, were spread over these beautiful curtains.

Now we are brought to consider what is called the house. This building over all is 60 cubits from north to south, and 100 cubits from east to west, with an open space of 20 cubits on three sides — north, west, and south. Successively, the porch, the holy place, and the most holy are measured. The plan shows the arrangement along with the surrounding chambers. We may notice the terms used. The whole building is called "the house," of which the porch is the first part described. The next part is called "the temple," which is 40x20 cubits; this is the holy place. The third compartment is "the holy of holies," 20x20 cubits. Connected with this building are chambers surrounding it in three stories — 30 of these to each story, 90 in all.

We have spoken of that which was around, and was common to both chambers. Let us look next at the vessels which belonged to each. In the holy place were the Table of Shew-bread, the Golden Candlestick, and the Golden Altar. In the most holy was the Ark, whose lid was the Mercy-Seat.

First, of the place, the whole scene of the tabernacle ritual consisted of three parts: first, the holiest of all, the innermost part of the boarded space covered with tents, separated from the rest by a veil which hung before it, and within which was the ark of the covenant and the cherubim overshadowing the mercy-seat, and NOTHING ELSE. This was the throne of God, the type also of Christ, in whom God is revealed, the true ark of the covenant with the mercy-seat over it.

Inside this building was an area known as the Holiest of All. No one was allowed to go in there except the High Priest, and that only once a year. There was some furniture inside: there was the ark, the mercy seat and on each end of the mercy seat were cherubim of gold. In between these two cherubim God dwelt. His presence was indicated by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God guided His people in all their movements across the wilderness.

Following on the hanging of the veil, which divided the tent of the tabernacle into two parts, the holy place being the outer and larger portion, the holiest of all being the inner and smaller portion, we have the instructions for the placing of the furniture.