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THE TORN VEIL!


MATH 27:50] And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. [51] And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook; and the rocks were split, [52] and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; [53] and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.


When Jesus yielded up His Spirit to the Father and died for the sins of the world the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was torn from the top to the bottom. This shows us that the initiative was with God and not with man. It was God’s sovereignty that tore the veil and set these other events into motion. In other words resurrection is from God’s side and is of His design. God has preordained that the righteous will be resurrected to eternal life. He has also preordained that the unrighteous will be resurrected into eternal death and separation from God. Never the less the unrighteous will not be annihilated or cease to exist but will be resurrected into eternal judgement.


REV 20:13] And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. [14] And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. [15] And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.


MARK 9:43] "And if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire, [44] [where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.] [45] "And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than having your two feet, to be cast into hell, [46] [where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.] [47] "And if your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes, to be cast into hell, [48] where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED. [49] "For everyone will be salted with fire.


When the veil was torn eternal salvation began but we also see that eternal judgement also began. The actual casting into the eternal fires of hell will not happen until later but the judgement began. The final “books” will not be opened until after the millennial rule of Christ and at that time all those whose names were not written in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire.


Still those who have been found righteous and faithful in this life will be assigned places to function with Christ in His government for the 1000 years reign of Christ on the earth. Some will serve in heaven and some upon the earth. Some will rule over five cities, some over ten cities etc. each according to his faithfulness and maturity. However, the rest of the dead will not be resurrected until after the 1000 years are complete.


REV 20:5] The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. [6] Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him {as kings}for a thousand years. The first resurrection is for the king/priests.


The reason all these things were set into motion when Jesus was crucified is clarified in


1COR 15:20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. [21] For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. [22] For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. [23] But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, [24] then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. [25] For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.


It was only by Christ’s death that resurrection could be enacted because by man sin came into the world so also by man must come the resurrection from the dead. Jesus Christ accomplished that death and provided for our resurrection. It is only by participating in His death and resurrection that we can escape from the life of Adam that we all inherited from our forefathers. We ,therefore, enter into His death through faith and into His burial by baptism and into His resurrection through the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Salvation means that we have escaped from all our ties to first Adam and have fully entered into the Last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is accomplished through death, burial and resurrection.


But now apart from all that Christ has accomplished for us in His death, burial and


resurrection what additional moment of truth occurred in the temple when the veil was torn from top to bottom? We know that now we have access into the Holiest through the blood of Jesus.


HEB 10:19 Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, [20] by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, [21] and since we have a great priest over the house of God, [22] (1) let us draw near with (2) a sincere heart in (3) full assurance of faith, having (4) our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and (5) our bodies washed with pure water. [23] (6) Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, (7) for He who promised is faithful;


First we see that the “veil” that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was a type or shadow of the body of Jesus that was “torn” on Calvary. That resulted in the shadow being torn in the temple. The “torn veil” represented the life of Jesus Christ being laid down for His body, the church. The world still has no access except through Jesus Christ.


Still the “moment of truth” that occurred in the temple had to create a crisis for the religious community of the Jews. When the veil was torn it was obvious to all who stood in the Holy Place or at the Incense Altar that the Most Holy Place was empty. There was no Ark of the Covenant or the Glory of God or the voice of God there. Ichabod was written upon the temple for all the priests to see.


Of course there never was the Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place in the second temple because it was never found after the Babylonians destroyed the temple. Even though the temple structure was rebuilt in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah the manifested Presence of God did not dwell there again in the same way as before. This was certainly true of the temple after Herod restored it. It became a place of religion but not the place of His Presence, His Glory or of His voice. It was just a religious building but not the dwelling place of God.


When the veil was torn this fact had to be self evident to all who stood in the Holy Place. Even though they “knew it” now it was reality. God is not here so what are we doing here?


The Living and Abiding Ark of the Covenant was in the streets and by the sea shore and He was not recognized by the religious leaders and He was even crucified. The torn veil was a testimony against them that God was not in that place. Still death was swallowed up by life and when He was resurrected others came out of the grave as well.


Having this understanding we should not even think of now having confidence to enter the Most Holy Place on earth which was only a type and shadow of reality but now our confidence is to enter into the Most Holy Place above. That is Mt. Zion and the New Jerusalem, the city of the living God.


The phrase “confidence” to enter [the Holiest] uses the Greek word “parrhesia” which means “a freedom of speech”. This does not indicate a physical entering but obtaining the right to speak directly to God though the blood of Jesus. The gospel song writers are not always clear doctrinally.


The N.A.S.B uses the word “boldness” which is a little better translation of “parrhesia” but real meaning is freedom of speech. V 20 indicates that our freedom of speech is “by a new and living way” which He inaugurated through His flesh. The preparation is clearly seen in V 22 & V 23. We don’t automatically “enter” just because we have our sins forgiven. In verse 35 “Paul” says] Therefore, do not throw away your confidence { parrhesia},[ freedom of speech] which has a great reward. [36] For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.


Even if our “access” is through prayer to the Father in Jesus name we still have direct access and do not need a human priest to approach God for us. We are not like the Old Covenant priests that only had access once a year on the Day of Atonement but the way is open to those who meet the requirements of HEB 10: 22&23.


Jesus opened up the veil by His sacrifice on Calvary to provide that freedom of speech for us. Not the veil in the earthly temple but the Most Holy Place in heaven. That means we have access to the very throne of God, to His Glory, to His Presence and to His voice.


The torn veil speaks all these things to us but what it spoke to the priests of that day, while not clear in scripture, had to be the revelation that the whole religion lacked the Presence of God, the authority of God, the Glory of God, the voice of God and the approval of God.


Since the “religion” was centered in the building, in order to get Israel’s attention Jesus said the building also would be destroyed and left desolate. If “religion” is centered in the building and the building is torn down what is left of the religion?


Now the torn veil should speak much more to us than an empty Most Holy Place on earth. It should also reveal that when He was resurrected we were resurrected with Him. He is not dwelling between the Cherubim and neither are we. The Most Holy Place on earth holds no mystery for us because the veil is torn and it is evident that the “place” is empty. We are not there nor do we want to be there. After we have the revelation that the “place” is empty we must immediately begin seeking the things above where Christ is , seated at the right hand of God. IF we are really raised up and seated with Him in heavenly places.


COL 3:1 If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. [2] Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. [3] For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. [4] When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.


If this is really true in our experience then we must conclude that the body of Christ is raised up and seated with Him now in heavenly places and at the right hand of God. At the same time the body of Christ is here on earth representing the throne and Kingdom of God to our generation.


The empty tomb as well as the empty Most Holy Place speaks volumes about the resurrection of Christ. The fact that we are included in His resurrection as well as His being seated position at the right hand of God should give us a much greater perspective on the Christian life and function.


The empty tomb and the empty Most Holy Place are two witnesses to the resurrection of Christ but now we have the opportunity to add the third witness by our functioning out of our position at the right hand of God.