No one but the prophet Isaiah saw the Lord, high and lifted up, that day in the temple. Why? Why didn’t everyone see God’s glory? Simply, they were too concerned with other things. Worldliness, materialism, ambition, and religious tradition prevented them from coming face to face with God.
However, a closer look at this temple reveals the stages of salvation in the New Covenant. The altar of burnt offering, the laver, and the holy of holies each symbolize a state in the Christian experience. For example, the laver represents sanctification by faith–the second work of grace, after conversion.