In a physical feat only the mighty Hands of God could achieve, He tore the purple, scarlet, and blue veil/curtain in The Temple in two. It happened at the moment Jesus exhaled His last breath of agony on the cross. Matthew 27:51 verifies it. “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split.”
Luke 23:44 wrote it this way, “It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.”
Imagine for a moment the chaos and fright of an earthquake, the sun turning off like a lamp, and darkness covering the land. Imagine the Priests’ stark terror and screams when they saw the curtain rent in two. It was incomprehensible.
For us in today’s world, curtains are coverings for our windows, available in many styles, sizes, colors, and patterns. Keep in mind though, the Temple curtain was not a window dressing. It served as a heavy barrier; 60 feet high, 30 feet wide and four inches thick. The curtain hung between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. For generations, from the exodus from Egypt until Jesus’ time and until 70A.D. the Jews viewed the Holy of Holies as the place of God’s Shekinah glory. Only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies and only once a year on the Day of Atonement-Yom Kippur.
On that day, the High Priest wore bells on the hem of his garment. If the bells stopped tinkling, the other priests assumed he had fallen or died. It is said that a rope tied around his ankle provided a way for them to pull the High Priest out.
Throughout the centuries from the movable Tabernacle in the desert, then Shiloh, and the First and Second Temples, the Jewish people revered the Holy of Holies with a profound sense of awe and fear. Three walls plated with gold comprised the Holy Place with one wall covered with a richly embroidered veil. A beautiful aroma of incense filled the Holy Place which contained candlelight and fresh bread; a feast for the senses. The Holy Place symbolized bread for sustenance, the incense of prayers rising to God and candlelight for God’s singular light of life.
Yet when God tore the veil in two, He changed the course of human history in our approach to Him. Priests were no longer needed as an intermediary to ask God for forgiveness of sins. They were no longer needed once a year to sprinkle the blood of sacrificial animals and to light incense. Rending the massive curtain in two, God welcomed us into the Holy of Holies- the resting place for the Ark of the Covenant containing the Ten Commandment tablets and its lid, a Mercy Seat of gold.
God’s beloved Son, His Perfect Lamb, became THE High Priest forever, pouring out His sacrificial blood making a path to approach God the Father directly. Hebrews 10:20 states, “Just as the veil was torn in two so Jesus’ body was torn to give us access to the Holy of Holies .”
When we invite Jesus into our hearts, we come under His tallit, His prayer shawl, under His blood covering. A song I wrote with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, describes it this way:
Yeshua, you are the one who tore the veil in two. I stepped inside, you welcomed me to share this place with you…both Gentile and Jew. Under Your tallit, I dwell safe and secure. Under Your tallit, my hiding place is sure. Though life if full of struggle, your joy is fuller still. Under Your tallit I’m in your sovereign will. (C) Under Your Tallit 1999
God’s beloved Son, His Perfect Lamb, became THE High Priest forever, pouring out His sacrificial blood making a path to approach God the Father directly. Hebrews 10:20 states, “Just as the veil was torn in two so Jesus’ body was torn to give us access to the Holy of Holies .”
When we invite Jesus into our hearts, we come under His tallit, His prayer shawl, under His blood covering. A song I wrote with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, describes it this way:
Yeshua, you are the one who tore the veil in two. I stepped inside, you welcomed me to share this place with you…both Gentile and Jew. Under Your tallit, I dwell safe and secure. Under Your tallit, my hiding place is sure. Though life if full of struggle, your joy is fuller still. Under Your tallit I’m in your sovereign will. (C) Under Your Tallit 1999
While the physical rending of the curtain was spectacular, Jesus, our sacrificial Substitute bridged the cavernous, impassable gap between Holy God the Father and us. Jesus is now our great High Priest making a forever path to a living, relationship with Him guaranteeing our eternal destination. The Lamb took His place as the only and forever High Priest.
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