Leviticus 16:1, verse 2 states, “Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, or he will die.” On the one hand, this lends support for the timing of the offering of fire constituting the primary explanation for Nadab and Abihu’s offense, but there is also a deeper implicit principle to be seen. It was Nadab and Abihu’s presumption that they could approach God in their own way that constituted their erroneous
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