The Second Veil

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.  And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; (Matthew 27: 50-51)

At the moment Jesus died on that wooden cross an actual curtain located in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, two inches thick, was ripped in two, torn from it's top all the way to the bottom.  This was significant because the curtain separated an inner chamber that was called the Holy Place from yet another inner chamber which was called the Most Holy Place, or the Holy of Holies.

The Jewish temple was patterned after the design God gave Moses for the tabernacle in the wilderness.  It had an outer court which featured the burnt offering altar as well as an elevated pool or laver which the priests were to use to cleanse themselves before entering the inner court.  In the inner court or Holy Place was located a seven light oil lamp stand, the table of shewbread and standing in front of the veil to the Most Holy Place was an altar of incense which was considered part of the ministry of the Most Holy Place.

A veil or curtain completely covered the way to the Most Holy Place in which was placed the Ark or The Ark of Testimony.  This was a wooden box covered by gold which originally had three items.  These were the stone tablets onto which God's finger carved the ten commandments and which were thrown down by Moses when he returned from the mountain and found the people worshiping a golden calf.  This represented the law, given by God but always bound to be broken by sinful man.  Then there was the rod of Aaron which budded.  This represented both the priestly and the prophetic ministries, deliverance of a sinful people from the bondage's of the world.

And last there was a jar into which was placed some manna that God miraculously provided for almost 40 years to feed the Jewish people in the wilderness.  The manna would spoil if one were to try to keep it for more than a day except for the manna gathered the day before the Sabbath which was given another day of freshness.  The provision ended the day the Jewish nation crossed over the Jordan to enter the promise land.  The represented God's provision when accompanied by faith and obedience.

On top of the Ark was a golden lid with a golden cherubim or angel on both ends whose wings extended over the lid.  This was called The Mercy Seat and it was upon this Mercy Seat that the high priest would once a year sprinkle the blood of the offering for the sins of the nation.

The great temple built by Herold which existed at the time of Jesus had an ark in the Most Holy Place but this was not the original one with the actual contents.  That was lost or hidden many hundreds of years earlier during the end of the first temple era.  The Most Holy Place did not have a candlestick as part of it's design because it once was lighted by the glory of God which would reside over the Mercy Seat.  But as in all religious practices after time the importance is more on the practice instead of the presence so it mattered little to the current priesthood.

The Book of Hebrews talks about this in chapter 9 when it compares the priesthood of Christ to the earthly priesthood.

Behind the second veil there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron's rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant;  and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat;

Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests entering the outer tabernacle performing the divine worship, but into the second only the high priest enters once a year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.

Please don't miss the importance of the next sentence;   

The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing, which is a symbol for the present time.  accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience,  (Hebrews 9; 3-9)

The reason for the veil being torn is now given in verses 11 and 12.

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;  and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood.  He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

Do you understand what this means for you and me?  Jesus took upon himself at the cross all the sins of man, past, present and future.  He did this for us as our high priest and as our high priest He reconciled us to the Father.  In Him doing so, if He is indeed our high priest, man now no longer has need for a priesthood or an earthly high priest or for daily offerings and sacrifices for sin.  In Jesus the veil between man and God has been removed and in Him we have now entered into the Most Holy Place.

The way that works is described by Jesus in His prayer to the Father in the 17th chapter of the book of John.

This is eternal life, that they may know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (verse 3)

Now Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.  (verse 5)

for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.  (verse 8)

I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;  that they may all be one;  even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.  (verses 21 and 21)

Our purpose in life is to know the Father.  We can do so because the Father is in Jesus as Jesus is in the Father and They can come to be in us if we only ask Jesus to come into our hearts as Savior and Lord.  In doing so we also get a nice little bonus.  Jesus tells us that He will teach us and guide us by His Holy Spirit.

But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak and He will disclose to you what is to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.  (John 16: 13-14)

God's gifts of the law and the priests and the prophets and the provisions are now available to us through the Holy Spirit.  Jesus is our high priest and we are priests of a new covenant.  The second veil has been torn by God, from top to bottom and now we can freely enter His presence.  Praise the Lord!