No matter how limited access might have been in the temple of Solomon, there was still access. A sinful human being, (High Priest) after making atonement, could come into the very presence of God, through the curtain. What God was conveying in the story of the temple was that there was a way for Paradise to be regained. One commentator (Philip Ryken) said that the temple was a spiritual portal. That Paradise lost could be regained (p. 158 of his commentary). The gold inside the temple whispered rumours of everlasting life – streets that would be paved with gold.