Christ Our Access

The Veil That Separates.

Exodus 26:31–35 ““And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it. And you shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, with hooks of gold, on four bases of silver. And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy. You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the Most Holy Place. And you shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand on the south side of the tabernacle opposite the table, and you shall put the table on the north side.”

A description of the veil

We see both skilled craftsman ship in the veil, particularly in the fact that it is woven with cherubim not on, but in the weaving process. The colors used would have costly — blue, purple, and scarlet. But, more than what the veil looked like, it served at least two important roles.

The purpose of the veil

A physical barrier

Access was barred for most. There was no direct access to God’s presence.

Access was guarded. Atonement, only by the priest, was required for entrance.

Access was sparse. It only happened on the Day of Atonement.

Yet, this is God’s grace: protection!

They could be near God’s presence.

They couldn’t be in God’s presence (or they would die!)

A symbolic barrier

Serves as a reminder that God is holy and we are not.

The angels are a reminder that God’s presence is protected.

Angels separated man from God’s presence at the fall.

Cherubim symbolically guard the entrance to God’s presence.

No man, save the high priest, is allowed, and then only once per year. Who could…who can stand in the presence of the One who is an all-consuming fire? (Deuteronomy 4:24 “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”)

The veil meant to protect God’s presence from the profane and man’s sinfulness from the holiness of God.

The Veil That Welcomes

Hebrews 10:19–22 “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”

Hebrews 10 serves much like Romans 12, an applicable crescendo of all that has been said to this point. Therefore clues us in that what is about to be said is rooted in what has been said. Chief among them is that:

We have a living and abiding High Priest that never steps down from His role.

We have a once-for-all sacrifice that completely atones for our sins.

This once-for-all sacrifice is also our priest, and He intercedes to save us to the uttermost.

Because this is true, we are welcomed into the presence of God! We are able to draw near with confidence (v.22 — a confidence that is complete and full in what Christ has done…the entire book of Hebrews paints Jesus as the GREATER THAN.

The old veil was torn and replaced

Mark 15:37–38 “And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.”

Rending does away with the previous thing.

The rending is symbolically accomplished by God — top down.

Not gone, replaced.

Listen to the words of Spurgeon: “In the East, men express their sorrow by rending their garments. The temple, when it beheld its Master die, seemed struck with horror and rent its veil. Shocked at the sin of man, indignant at the murder of its Lord, in its sympathy with Him who is the true temple of God the outward symbol tore its holy vestment from the top to the bottom.

“Did not the miracle also mean that from that hour the whole system of types and shadows and ceremonies had come to an end? The ordinances of an earthly priesthood were rent with that veil. The veil has not been merely lifted up for a while, and then dropped down again; it is not rolled up ready for future use; it is rent in twain, destroyed. Since Jesus has died, there is no separation now between the believer and his God except by means of such a veil as our base unbelief may please to hang up. The crimson way of Christ’s shed blood lies open to all believers; therefore, “let us approach with a true heart in the full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”

Hebrews 10:20 “by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,”

Again, Charles Haddon’s words are impactful. “And there is now no other way for any of you to come into fellowship with God except through the rent veil, even the death of Jesus Christ, whom God has set forth to be the propitiation for sin. Come this way, and you may come freely. Refuse to come this way, and there hangs between you and God an impassable veil. Without Christ you are without God, and without hope.”

We come by and through His blood. And, what certainty we have to come. But, let us take heed…all that is done is done in and through our unity with Christ. But…may we never try to pray without Him…sing without Him…preach without Him. No holy effort should ever be made by any of us…no fellowship with God in “any shape or way,” except through the spilled blood of the perfect and spotless Lamb, Christ the Son, the One who not only tore the veil on our behalf, but was also He Himself torn for us. He alone welcomes us, and we come to the Father only through Him (John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”)

It gives confidence, or “boldness” in v.19 (willingness to do something that involves risk or danger, particularly if it involves honesty in attitude or speech.)

Risk is removed because of the work of Christ, both in His death and, more importantly, now in His life.

Having gone through the purification of sins (through the blood) and the symbolic washing (baptism), what fear has a believer to enter the presence of God. No longer is there a veil that says, “Stop!” Instead, there is a great high priest that says, “Come!” (Paint the picture of walking through the entrance of the complex until you get to the point where the veil resides…cherubim guard the place, now freely opened.) We’ve been through the process of priestly service, and as we’ve seen, it’s all been accomplished by Jesus!

The Life Application Commentary notes, “Through his flesh Jesus opened the new and living way. He truly was “the way” itself (John 14:6). This way was “new” because it had not existed before; it was new because this was the “new covenant,” opening the way to fellowship with God. Because of Christ, all believers may walk into God’s presence at any time (4:16). Do not miss the amazing reality in these words. We believers have access to God—the sovereign king of the universe! When was the last time you utilized the full value of this privilege? The presence and closeness of God is available to you.