“and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All” (Hebrews 9:3).
The Old Testament Tabernacle featured two veiled entrances, one exterior and one interior. The first veil separated the interior portion of the Tabernacle (known as the Holy Place) from the exterior courtyard. The second veil separated the Holy Place from another interior area known as the Most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies, or the “Holiest of All” as referenced in the passage quoted above.
Beyond that interior veil was the place where God manifested His direct presence. The “Holiest of All” represented the dwelling place of God and one source provides us with a concise, but detailed portrait of that sacred location…
“The room known as the Holy of Holies was the innermost and most sacred area of the ancient tabernacle of Moses and temple of Jerusalem. The Holy of Holies was constructed as a perfect cube. It contained only the Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of Israel’s special relationship with God.
The Holy of Holies was accessible only to the Israelite high priest. Once a year, on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the high priest was permitted to enter the small, windowless enclosure to burn incense and sprinkle the blood of a sacrificial animal on the mercy seat of the Ark. By doing so, the high priest atoned for his own sins and those of the people.
The Holy of Holies was separated from the rest of the tabernacle/temple by the veil, a huge, heavy drape made of fine linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn and embroidered with gold cherubim. God said that He would appear in the Holy of Holies (Leviticus 16:2); hence, the need for the veil…
The veil and the elaborate rituals undertaken by the priest were a reminder that man could not carelessly or irreverently enter God’s awesome presence. Before the high priest entered the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, he had to wash himself, put on special clothing, bring burning incense to let the smoke cover his eyes from a direct view of God, and bring sacrificial blood with him to make atonement for sins (Exodus 28; Hebrews 9:7).” (1)
So, those who served God in this manner were responsible to approach Him with an attitude of utmost reverence and respect. Those who failed to do so made that choice at the cost of their lives (see Leviticus 16:2 and Leviticus 22:9). These passages thus remind us that we should also approach God in Christ with a similar attitude of esteem and reverence today.
(1) GotQuestions.org, What was the Holy of Holies? Retrieved 08 August, 2022 from https://www.gotquestions.org/Holy-of-Holies.html