The Veil of the Temple

Matthew 27:45-51

Introduction

• Many veils in the Bible, used for a covering, but ultimately placed their to be taken away:
• Foreskin in Genesis 17 removed in circumcision
• Woman’s Face in Genesis 20, 24/ Song of Sol 5:7 removed by groom
• Nations in Isa 25:7 removed at Second Coming
• Creation in Heb 1:10-12 removed at end of Millennium revealing Creator
• Holy of Holies revealing Mercy Seat
• Layout of the Temple, purpose of the veil
• The sanctuary of Herod’s Temple is recorded by Josephus to have been a full 100 cubits tall, or 180 feet. If that veil was hung in the temple in the same way as it was in the tabernacle it hung from ceiling to floor, 180 feet.
• It was hand-woven by the women of Israel from pure fine linen. As they would weave they were to hold it up to the light and make certain no light could be seen through the linen.
• It’s reported by some commentators that this veil was up to 16 inches thick and woven so tightly that 32 oxen, 16 one direction and 16 another could not tear it in two. You couldn’t cut through it with a buzz saw.
• And yet in Christ’s final moments on the Cross as he cried ‘It is finished,’ in the darkness that had been over the land for 3 hours the Bible says that this veil was rent from top to bottom. Had it been taken apart from bottom to top it could be explained away as some feet of man, but instead the hands of God tore that great veil from the top down in a show of his great might.
• This sign associated with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is ripe with significance and I want to give you four things that this rent veil serves to teach us.

I. It Represents the Father’s Grief.

• The pride and purpose of God toward his Son can be captured in the times in which He speaks from heaven during Christ’s earthly ministry.
• Baptism: This is my beloved son, in whom I’m well pleased.(Matt 3)
• Transfiguration: This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him. (Matt 17)
• John 12: I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.
• Isa 53 tells us it pleased the Lord to bruise him. It satisfied the righteous wrath and judgment of God, for the cup of trembling to be poured out in his only begotten son to save sinners, but it doubtless was the most crushing and painful moment of the Father’s ageless fellowship with his beloved Son.
• Mourning practice of OT: put on sack cloth and sit in ashes (Ninevites, Nehemiah and others), but in the case Jacob and Job and David losing their beloved children there is an added expression of grief. When Jacob looked on the bloodied coat of his favorite son the Bible says in Genesis 37 that Jacob rent his clothes.
• In our retrospect with God’s Holy Word Christ’s death on the cross is a victorious feat, but nevertheless it was at its occurrence a somber moment for heaven and in expression of the Father’s great grief he rent that which was his covering, the veil of the temple.

II. It Pictures the Son’s Flesh

• Within the veil of the temple was supposed to be the shekinah glory of God. First a tabernacle, then a temple, and at the incarnation the glory of God resided in human flesh as the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
• In him dwelleth the fullness of the godhead bodily and in his earthly ministry he was a walking, talking, miracle working revelation of God.
• At the transfiguration we see a glimpse of the great glory that was restrained by Christ’s natural flesh as his face shines as the sun and his raiment became white as light.
• Scripture tells you specifically that Christ’s flesh is the veil through which we must approach God (read Hebrews 10:19-20).
• He was marred more than any man. Crucified voluntarily on a cruel Roman death machine hanging naked between heaven and earth so that by his broken body we might boldly before the throne of God.

III. It Signifies the Law’s Satisfaction

• That temple was central to Israel’s ability to keep the law, and that veil embodied the conception of Judaism. A divider between God and man breached only annually by the High Priest and that by blood.
• At the same time as the veil is tearing the day’s sin offering is being offered upon the Brazen Altar in the outer court.
• And at the same time the daily offering of incense just before the veil within the sanctuary is being offered by the priest.
• In just six months the High Priest was to make a remembrance of the nations sins by providing an atonement in the Holiest place with the blood of a goat.
• As long as that veil remains in place all of human kind is under the law, guilty according to the law, and ultimately to be condemned eternally by that law
• While the law is in place that priest offers a sacrifice annually, when Jesus steps into that temple made without hands he offers it once for all. When that priest finishes the sacrifice he remains standing, when the Lord Jesus does it he sits down on the right hand of God. When the priest goes in he carries the blood of another, when our Saviour goes in he enters with His own blood. When that priest offers the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement its on behalf of the nation of Israel when Christ sheds his own blood its on behalf of the whole world. While that veil remains intact the law says do and live. When God takes it apart the Lord Jesus says live and do. While the veil remains the prodigal is stoned, when it goes to pieces, thank God, the Prodigal is embraced. While that veil hangs between God and man the atonement for sin is never finished, as it comes apart Christ is crying out it is finished.
• For thousands of years the altar and the ark had cried out in unison, SACRIFICE, SACRIFICE, SACRIFICE. But since the Lord Jesus gave up the Ghost and God reached down from heaven and rent that veil in two, Calvary has cried out SATIFIED, SATISFIED, SATISFIED.

IV. It Enables the Sinners Entrance

• Embroidered on that great temple veil were two Cherubim. A reminder of man’s sinfulness and God’s refusal to let such sin into his holy presence in Paradise. They are there to guard man’s access to God.
• When that veil was rent in two, the Spirit of God began to call out to hopeless, helpless sinners like you and me, Whosoever will…
• I would never have put my life together if that veil hadn’t been ripped apart.