It is written:
“Use fine linen and make a special curtain for the inside of the Holy Tent. Use blue, purple, and red yarn and sew pictures of Cherub angels into the curtain. 32 Make four posts from acacia wood, and cover the posts with gold. Put hooks made from gold on the four posts. Put four silver bases under the posts. Then hang the curtain on the gold hooks. 33 Put the curtain under the gold rings. Then put the Box of the Agreement behind the curtain. This curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.” (Exodus 26:31-33)
Separating the Holy Place of the Tabernacle from the Holy Of Holies (or “Most Holy Place”) was a huge and beautifully painted veil. This veil was prophetic of Jesus Christ, and the redemption that He would bring about through HIs death on Calvary.
The Book of Hebrews reminds us that the Holy Place was symbolic of the church, and the Most Holy Place was symbolic of Heaven. Between the church and Heaven was a veil that separated us from the Lord.
Hebrews 6:19-20-This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, 20 where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 9:3-and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All,
Hebrews 10:20-We enter through a new way that Jesus opened for us. It is a living way that leads through the curtain—Christ’s body.
Lee writes:
“The veil was a graphic picture of the Lord’s life and ministry. As the veil in the Tabernacle hid the glory of God, so the divine glory of God was hidden during His earthly ministry (Jn. 1:1, 14, 18)….“Christ, who is of the same nature and essence of God, emptied Himself, or took on the limitations of humanity without surrendering any of His attributes as deity. He voluntarily allowed the limitation of some of His divine rights during His earthly ministry….“The colorful materials used to make the veil are typical of Christ’s ministry. The fine-twined linen was an Egyptian white byssus yarn woven tightly together (twice as good as the quality of linen produced by modern technology). “The white speaks of purity and righteousness. The fineness denotes the faultlessness of the material. These materials provide another picture of Christ, who, in His flesh, was without blemish and spot (1 Pet. 1:19). The fine white linen is also a type of the saints of God who will be arrayed in fine white linen garments at the marriage of the Lamb, symbolizing their righteousness before Him (Rev. 19:7-8). “The three colors woven into the veil are symbolic of Christ’s incarnation, ministry, and second advent. The blue, probably indigo, was produced from a species of shellfish and speaks of Christ’s coming down from heaven as the Son of God to do the Father’s will (Jn. 3: 13, 31; 8:23; Acts 1:11). “Scarlet was a bright red dye produced from worms or grubs and provides a vivid picture of Christ’s ministry in shedding His blood to purchase our salvation (Rom. 3:25; 5:9). The purple was produced from a secretion of the purple snail (murex). “Purple is the color of royalty and speaks of Christ’s kingship. Jesus was from the kingly line of David (Lk. 1:32), born a King (Mt. 2:2), mocked as a King (Mt. 27:29), declared to be King at His crucifixion (Mt. 27:37), and is coming back as the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16) to rule as King forever (Lk. 1:33).” (David Lee, The Tabernacle: Shadows Of The Messiah-It’s Sacrifices, Services, And Priesthood, 583-592 (Kindle Edition); Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications)
It is interesting to remember that when Jesus died on the Cross, the veil of the Temple was rent from the top down (Matthew 27:51). Barclay has written:
“(a) The Temple veil was rent from top to bottom. That was the veil which covered the Holy of Holies; that was the veil beyond which no one could penetrate, except the high priest on the Day of Atonement; that was the veil behind which the Spirit of God dwelt. There is symbolism here. “Up to this time, God had been hidden and remote, and no one knew what he was like. But in the death of Jesus we see the hidden love of God, and the way to the presence of God once barred to everyone is now opened to all. The life and the death of Jesus show us what God is like and remove forever the veil which concealed him from men and women.” (William Barclay, The New Daily Study Bible: The Gospel Of Matthew Volume Two, 6589-6954 (Kindle Edition): Edinburgh, England; Saint Andrew Press)
Indeed, the veil shows us not only man’s problem of sin, but God’s love in providing a way for us to be saved through Jesus.
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