Ancient temples were most holy to the Lord; therefore, He revealed strict rules regarding approaching and accessing them. For instance, non-Levite Israelites were forbidden to come near to the tabernacle structure itself, “lest they bear sin, and die” (Num. 18:22). Also, the Lord commanded, “Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness; that they die not in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle that is among them” (Lev. 15:31).
And again, when the priests came to the tabernacle’s altar, “They shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not” (Ex. 30:21). When the sons of Kohath packed up and carried the tabernacle, they were commanded, “They shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die” (Num. 4:15).
The scriptures offer multiple examples of individuals who violated sacred space or overstepped divine directives regarding things that were holy:
(1) Uzzah: When oxen shook the ark of the covenant, Uzzah attempted to steady it, so “God smote him . . . and there he died by the ark of God” (2 Sam. 6:6–7; see also 1 Chr. 13:9–10).
(2) Hophni and Phinehas: Hophni and Phinehas disgraced the priestly office; first, they committed an extremely gross sin, in that “they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation” (1 Sam. 2:22); and second, they inappropriately partook of the sacrificial meat in the tabernacle (see 1 Sam. 2:13–17). In the end, they were killed in a battle against the Philistines, in fulfillment of prophecy (see 1 Sam. 2:27–34; 4:11).
(3) Men who gazed inside the ark: The Lord “smote the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men” (1 Sam. 6:19).
(4) The Philistines: A series of disasters came upon the Philistines because they stole the ark of the covenant—“the hand of the Lord was against the city with a very great destruction” (1 Sam. 5:6–12).
(5) King of Tyre: The king of Tyre desecrated sacred space, so the Lord destroyed him by the flaming sword of the cherubim (such is the implication; see Ezek. 28:11–19).
(6) Nadab and Abihu: Aaron and Elisheba’s two oldest sons were slain for making an unauthorized offering (“strange fire”) in the temple (Lev. 10:1–2).
(7) King Uzziah: God smote Uzziah with leprosy for his unlawful trespass into Solomon’s temple (see 2 Chr. 26:17–20). Uzziah remained a leper and was forced to live in a place reserved for lepers until his death.
(8) Lucifer: When Lucifer violated sacred space, he was halted by the cherubs’ flaming, revolving sword: “How art thou cut down to the ground” (Isa. 14:13–19).