The Veil in the Temple Is Torn: The Way Back to God

The inside of the temple was divided into two: The first part was called the Holy Place, and the second part, the Most Holy, or the Holy of Holies, was where God’s presence appeared: it was His dwelling on earth. A huge, thick curtain, or veil, covered the entrance to the Holy of Holies. It was a barrier that kept people from entering God’s presence, and it symbolized sin, which separates us from God.

The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), so there was no forgiveness without an offering of blood to atone for that sin (Hebrews 9:22). Because all people were sinners, nobody could go past the veil into God’s holy and pure presence, or they would die. Only the high priest could go behind the veil once a year, bringing blood of sacrificed animals with him to make peace with God and receive forgiveness for the sins of the people. The veil remained as a constant reminder of the barrier of sin that prevented from people having true communion with God.

Jesus was the first and only person to live without sin, so He had power over sin and death. When Jesus died on the cross at Calvary, something really significant happened: the veil in the temple ripped from the top to the bottom (Matthew 27:50–51). With His own blood, Jesus had once and for all atoned for our sins and opened the way back to the Father, symbolized by the tearing of the veil. This was a powerful demonstration of Jesus' final victory over sin and death. Now, anybody—Jew and Gentile (non-Jew) alike—who is Jesus’ disciple can come before the throne of grace and receive mercy and help in time of need (Hebrews 10:19-22)!

Shortly afterwards, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came to earth to dwell in Jesus’ disciples. This was the start of the New Covenant: The Spirit’s dwelling place was no longer in the physical temple, but we ourselves are called to be the temple of God! And just as the temple in Jerusalem was holy and pure, we as God’s temple in the New Covenant must live holy and pure lives, to God’s glory.

Read more about the veil and the significance of Jesus’ work in the Bible verses and experience the awe-inspiring moment when the veil in the temple was torn in this video short!

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