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Danger in Speculative Knowledge
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sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at
his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep.
“Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth,
and its top reached to heaven, and there the angels of God were
ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above
it and said: ‘I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God
of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your
descendants. ... Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever
you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you
until I have done what I have spoken to you.’
“Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord
is in this place, and I did not know it.’ And he was afraid and said,
‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of
God, and this is the gate of heaven!’”
Genesis 28:10-17
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In the sanctuary of the wilderness tabernacle and of the temple
that were the earthly symbols of God’s dwelling place, one apartment
was sacred to His presence. The veil inwrought with cherubim at
its entrance was not to be lifted by any hand except one—that of
the high priest. To lift that veil, and intrude unbidden into the
sacred mystery of the most holy place, was death. For above the
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mercy seat appeared the glory of the Holiest—glory upon which no
human might look and live. On the one day of the year appointed
for ministry in the most holy place, the high priest with trembling
entered God’s presence, while clouds of incense veiled the glory
from his sight. Throughout the courts of the temple every sound was
hushed. No priests ministered at the altars. The host of worshipers,
bowed in silent awe, offered their petitions for God’s mercy.
“These things happened to them as examples, and they were
written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have
come.”
1 Corinthians 10:11
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“‘The Lord is in His holy temple.
Let all the earth keep silence before Him.’”
“The Lord reigns;
Let the peoples tremble!
He dwells between the cherubim;
Let the earth be moved!