Jesus Pierced the Veil

Submitted by RVH on Sun, 12/01/2024 - 07:41
Jesus Pierced the Veil

Hebrews 9:1-14    KJV

1 Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.

For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary.

And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;

Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.

Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.

But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:

The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:

Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;

10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:

14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

 

 

 


The Holy of Holies


 

 

 

The Holy of Holies

 

 

Under the Old Covenant and during the lifetime of Jesus, the temple in Jerusalem was the center of Jewish religious life.

In a prior lesson titled “We Are the Temple of God” we studied the interior of the old temple in Jerusalem. We also talked about the purpose of the Hebrews/Israelites, which was to teach the unbelievers (Gentiles) of the world about God.

We learned about the Holy of Holies, located in the inner sanctum of the temple, which was where God touched the earth. This was the earthly dwelling place of the presence of God.

This Holy of Holies was surrounded completely by a large veil made with blue, purple and scarlet material (per book of Exodus). It has been estimated that the veil was approximately 60 feet high and at least 4 inches thick.

In other words, it couldn’t have been torn from top to bottom by earthly hands. The size and thickness of the veil make the tearing of the veil more momentous.

The significance of the veil was that it signified that God and man were separated by sin and only the High Priest could pass beyond the veil into the Holy of Holies once per year.

No one else could enter this Holy place. On this day, the High Priest entered into God’s presence on behalf of all Israel and made atonement for their sins.

However, when Jesus died on the cross, God moved out of the earthly temple, never again to dwell in a temple made with human hands.

The Old Covenant was over, and the New Covenant was ushered in whereby we can access God on our own at any time we choose. If we are a child of God, we are now the temple of God and have access to the Holy of Holies at any time.

 

Acts 17:24    KJV

24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

 

 

We can now enter the Holy of Holies

 

 

 


Jesus Pierced the Veil


 

 

 

The veil was rent from top to bottom

 

 

 

Matthew 27:50-51    KJV

50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

 

Matthew 27:50-51    Amplified Bible

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud [agonized] voice, and gave up His spirit [voluntarily, sovereignly dismissing and releasing His spirit from His body in submission to His Father’s plan]. 51 And [at once] the veil [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was [a]torn in two from top to bottom; the earth shook and the rocks were split apart.

 

Luke 23:45    KJV

45 And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.

 

Luke 23:44-45    Amplified Bible

44 It was now about the sixth hour (noon), and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.), 45 because the sun was [a]obscured; and the veil [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was [b]torn in two [from top to bottom].

 

When Jesus uttered His last words while dying on the cross, God tore the veil in the Temple from top to bottom.

When Jesus cried out in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit and at that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

The veil being torn in two from top to bottom is one of the most powerful and meaningful images in the entire Bible.

With this act, God told the world that everything had changed.

The temple veil had signified separation from God because of sin, and only the High Priest could approach Him on behalf of the people.

When the veil was torn, Jesus became our superior High Priest and we now have access to God through Him and His blood.

The tearing of the veil signified further that the sacrifice of Christ and the shedding of His blood was now the sufficient and only atonement for sins and that the Holy of Holies was open to all who would believe, forever more.

The tearing of the veil also symbolized the tearing of Christ’s flesh on the cross as He paid the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.

In closing, the things in the Old Covenant temple were all shadows of things to come. They pointed the world toward the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, who would be our High Priest and Redeemer.

Through the sacrifice and death or our Lord Jesus, the temple veil was torn in two from top to bottom and we can now and forever enter the presence of God, the Holy of Holies, through Him.

 

Jesus tore the veil

 

RVH