When visiting the temple in Jerusalem during the time of Jesus, this is one of the warning signs you would have seen. These appeared both in Latin and Greek. They were on a balustrade outside the inner court of the temple.
It reads, "No stranger is to enter within the balustrade round the temple and enclosure. Whoever is caught will be himself responsible for his ensuing death."
The first century Jewish historian, Josephus, records that pillars declared "the law of purity, some in Greek and some in Roman letters; that no foreigner should go within that sanctuary."
In Acts 21, which we read today in Bible in One Year, the Jews falsely accused Paul, saying, “He even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” They were claiming that Paul brought Gentiles past this balustrade.
The message was clear, etched in stone: You are not free to enter the holy place.
Try, and you will die.
There can be no more striking contrast between this and what has been given to us in the Messiah, our great High Priest.
Because of his sacrifice; because his body is our new temple; because the veil has been torn in two; because we are priests by baptism; because of all this, "we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" (Hebrews 10:19-22).
With boldness in Christ, we draw near to our Father.
( from Chad Bird on facebook)