The Six Miracles of Calvary…the Veil--Part 2
And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom;… (Mat 27:51)
Everything in the Tabernacle and the later Temple had symbolic meanings. These structures were copied from the Heavenly structure. God gave Moses directions on the earthly structure and its dimensions. Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. (Heb 8:5) Hebrews 9:23 also refers to the heavenly pattern from which the earthly tabernacle was made.
The Tabernacle and the Temple were about sinful men being able to successfully approach God. Since the first sin in the Garden of Eden, human beings could only meet with God through a blood sacrifice. God had declared to Adam and Eve that if they partook of the forbidden fruit in the Garden, there was but one decree for them and that was death. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. (Gen 3:3)
But God killed an animal and in so doing, shed its blood. God covered the nakedness of sinful Adam and Eve with the bloody skins of an innocent animal. That act was a picture of what would occur one day when God’s own Son would give His life on the cross for the sins of the world.
If the Tabernacle and the Temple were devices for helping sinful men to meet with a holy God, what was the function of the two veils that hindered sinful man from approaching God? It was God’s way of saying: “Not so fast! You may come this far, but no farther. You must meet some conditions to come into My presence. My authority that was violated in the Garden of Eden must be ever kept before you.” “I’m not the old man upstairs without a name!” I have a name! You are not free to make Me in your image! I am God and besides Me there is none else!”
The two veils put the brakes on careless people who want to be buddies with God and help Him write the rules. God is in charge and He will always be in charge. The end result of our relationship with Him is: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Rom 8:4)
God invites us to come to Him, to fellowship with Him, but it’s going to be on His terms. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. (Isa 45:22-23)
Adam and Eve lost their kingdom over assuming God’s authority for themselves. Isaiah hammers this home: All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isa 53:6)
What is sin? It’s not about chewing tobacco and dipping snuff. Sin is about defying the authority of God and going our own way. The specific acts of sin are not the issue. The attitude of defying God’s authority is the problem. To be saved, this has to be fixed! We have an attitude problem. We want to be in charge and tell God what we will do and what we expect of Him because we say so. Friend, that is not going to work. That attitude got Adam and Eve thrown out of the garden and on their way to death.
The veils were there to tell the inquirers after God that they cannot casually charge into the presence of God and tell Him what to do. Going through the points of the Roman Road and “repeat this prayer after me” is not going to change anything unless there’s a change of attitude about who God is and who is eternally in charge of everything. (I am not against the Roman Road and asking people if I can pray with them. I’ve done it hundreds of time. But neither am I so naïve as to believe that even this good ritual is going to save a man’s soul unless he is truly humbling His heart before God.” A proud man cannot be saved. A proud Christian cannot walk with God. The message is: BOW THE KNEE! And if you’re too old and crippled to bow your knee, then bow the knee of your heart!
For all the sins and abominations of the Jewish people for fifteen hundred years, intruding past the veil was not one of them. Somehow, they knew not to go past that second veil. At some point, some of the priests began tying a rope around the ankle of the High Priest when he went into the Holy of Holies once a year so that if he should die while he was in there, the other priests could pull his body out of the Holy of Holies without taking their own lives into their hands by rushing in and carrying him out.
The veil was a figure of the Christ who was to come and offer Himself to God. When He cried out the second time and proclaimed: “It is finished!” the veil in front of the Holy of Holies ripped from top to bottom, (the full sixty feet) and now we have access to God through Him.
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. (Heb 10:19-22) Ω
Read Through the Bible in a Year
APRIL 17, 2017 – MONDAY
A.M. 1Sam 22-24 P.M. Luke: 16:1-18
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
Memory Verse This Month:
Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. (Act 2:36)
Song for Today:
He Said Arise (3:19) – (Calvary Memorial Choir)
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