The Veil Is Torn

“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split” Matthew 27:50-51

When Jesus breathed His last breath, the veil of the Holy Temple violently ripped in half. Many have heard this story but I believe there’s so much more to it when we look between the threads.

Long before Christ arrived on earth, God told Moses to build a tabernacle. This tabernacle would house the presence of God. The tabernacle had multiple parts to it, including an area called the “Holy of Holies” or the “Most Holy Place.” This area was especially unique and set apart from the other areas. It was the very place where God dwelled. The thick curtain (known as the veil) that separated the two locations was more than just a curtain. The curtain separated a holy God from a sinful people. No one could enter through the veil besides the High Priest, and even he could only do it once a year.

While studying about the veil (or curtain) itself, I was amazed by the hidden and deeper meaning behind it. Many people think of the veil as a piece of fabric but it’s much more. The colors of the veil are first mentioned in Exodus 26:31. The curtain was sewn using three colors; blue, purple, and scarlet.

In scripture, blue means “holiness”, “commandment”, or “law”. This is fitting as the Ark of the Covenant was covered in a blue cloth. The structure that clothed the presence of God was covered by a symbol of pure holiness. Just to enter the Holy of Holies, the High Priest had to wash himself, put on special clothing, bring burning incense to let the smoke cover his eyes from a direct view of God, and bring blood with him to make atonement for sins.

Next, we have purple. Purple is synonymous with royalty. The tabernacle of God was a royal and holy place. As stated above, only the High Priest (who was considered royalty in the eyes of Israelites) could enter the Holy of Holies. He could only enter once a year and he had to bring blood with him. If he wasn’t coming to gain forgiveness for the people’s sins, he wasn't allowed in.

Lastly, scarlet. As mentioned above, no other person besides the High Priest could enter the presence of God without bringing a blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. The blood offering was enough for one year until Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) rolled around again. Then, the same thing happened. Forgiveness under the Old Covenant never had a finality to it. Year after year, the High Priest was found entering the presence of God for forgiveness.

Why does any of this matter? Throughout the entire Old Testament, the people of God could never dwell in the presence of God because their sin separated them. Animal sacrifices were not enough. The only way a people could be reconciled to God was through a perfect and sinless sacrifice. For thousands of years, God and His people were separated because of sin.

When the exact time had come to pass, everything changed. On a cool night in Bethlehem, a baby was born. This was no ordinary baby. This baby boy was Emmanuel, God with us. In order to reconcile His people to Himself, God took on flesh and lived a perfect, sinless life. As the son of God, Jesus lived a holy and pure life, never once sinning. He was tempted in all ways yet never fell. Jesus came to this earth for one reason. To defeat death and make a way for people to come to God. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man can come to the Father but through me.” (John 14:6).

Jesus lived the epitome of a holy life. Pure and perfect in all of His ways, He alone could take away the sins of the world. As foretold in the OT, the lamb of God was betrayed into the hands of Roman soldiers. He laid down His life and became a willing lamb that was led to the slaughter. Whipped, beaten, and mocked, Jesus hung on a sinner’s cross on Calvary. He brutally suffered Let’s look back at the colors of the veil.

BLUE - Holiness/law. God was perfect and holy in all of His ways. He was so holy that no one could enter His presence. To enter His presence, a High Priest had to follow strict commandments and adhere to the law. Jesus was perfect and holy in all of His ways. Because the law was never attainable, Jesus came to fulfill the law, not abolish it. Just like OT prophecies foretold, Jesus came as the fulfillment. Through the death and sacrifice of Jesus, He became our ultimate High Priest and how we can enter into the Holy of Holies! Hallelujah! (Hebrews 4:14-16)

PURPLE - Royalty. The lamb of God was clothed in royalty, long before He ascended to Heaven. Blue and red mixed together creates purple. When Jesus fulfilled the law (blue) and shed His blood (scarlet) on the cross, He became royalty (purple), officially. The son of God was nailed to cross and a wooden sign nailed above him read; “JESUS OF NAZARETH. KING OF THE JEWS”

SCARLET - Blood/sacrifice. The only way the penalty of sin could be decimated and destroyed forever was through the blood sacrifice of a sinless human. Jesus was that very person. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Cor 5:21) The blood of Jesus was better and more pure than that of any animal. Jesus is better!

As Jesus cried out and gave up His spirit, the veil in Jerusalem’s temple violently ripped into two. The veil was 60 feet high x 30 feet wide x 4 inches thick. This was no bedroom curtain. The sheer size and tearing of this veil showed how powerful and final the sacrifice of Jesus was. For the first time ever, man and God were reconciled. For the first time ever, God entered the hearts of mankind.

Oh friend, I leave you with this. Jesus came and died not so you could simply make it to Heaven. He came and died so the veil separating you and God could be torn. Jesus is the fulfillment of the law, clothed in royalty, and the perfect sacrifice of sin. Because He was the perfect offering, a veil was no longer needed. You can now boldly enter the throne of God.

As the veil violently ripped, God’s presence quickly swept into the hearts of man. There’s nothing separating you anymore. Come to Him.

What are you waiting for?