Breadcrumb: All that work for nothing?

Lev. 16:2 notes that the inner sanctum of the tabernacle, with the tabernacle itself and the mercy seat, cannot be breached by anyone but the high priest. Furthermore, even he can only enter once a year, on the Day of Atonement. When he's there, he must bring enough incense that he can't actually see the mercy seat (Lev. 16:13). Remember all the work that went into the tabernacle and the mercy seat, described at tedious length in Exodus? It looks like no one gets to see them but God. Poor Bezalel and Oholiab.