The Great Curtain

This is Church of the Messiah. It's always so nice to see you friends. Nice to see. I don't understand though. Why? The back seats are better on a day like today, we're so spread out. I think we, we like being spread out lately. I got all this room. Is, there is a new filter into the front about three rows back starting starting this. So I can feel closer to you. I really do like you and I thought you liked me to I called this teaching from Exodus 26, the great curtain, Doug referenced It Mac referenced. It be kind of came through a season even last week it was part of the reading as we were thinking about crucifixion and resurrection and wanted to talk about it again today, this curtain in the symbolism of the curtain

What are the things I really appreciate about this condition? Is that we tried to approach things as they are like, for real

Sometimes there are ideas or teachings about things and they might, they might preach real well, but they not might not correspond to the reality. And I feel like we've kind of come into one of those this week. So, it is, I don't like to be a contrarian just for the sake of being the contrarian, but every now and then, I do feel compelled to point out things because I want to live in the real, though. That's where I want to spend my time. So,

I'm talking about the curtain today, the public that the separation between the holiest place and the holy place in the separation between the courtyard in the Holy place. In these curtains that divided. They didn't, they were separations. That's what this, the curtain is definitely a separation. But how should we conceive of the whole thing and what does it the rending of the curtain? Are you sure? Death me. What it what is Garden tending for us to understand from this? And I think a lot of the teachings are there all speculation, right? Because it's kind of a phrase mentioned a couple times and the curtain was torn. We don't get any commentary on it. We just kind of fluid in ourselves from some of the things we've heard and some of the other teaching my harebrained ideas, I don't really think that any different from any all anybody else is harebrained ideas, right? So walk with me as we go through some of these ideas today about the curtain and sending Mike mean,

The stator is Exodus 2631 the haftarah, which we had referenced earlier, beautiful things in Ezekiel. He gives back to them. In metaphor. Beautiful expensive things.

Here we are in Matthew 27 and its parallels. That's usually what those marks mean to me and Luke and Mark. I will definitely be in Hebrews. Rick Lamar. a colorful weaving, which I appreciate Max teaching in this photo out of Did the skillfulness that the Weaver used in making the curtain? God himself. The holy spirit is weaving. Our lives together with others. In his own way, shesh linen. And also, part of that, that's really the word were using to this inner Temple, curtain. That's what I'm really thinking about. Exodus reads, this way we began and you shall make a video of blue and purple. And Scarlet yarn, find Twisted linen. It shall be made with thoughtful, you are still fully worked into it and you'll hang it on four, pillars of clasps and bring the Ark of the testimony there in within the veil. I didn't most of us are familiar with this. Right there was a courtyard and then has created a tabernacle. Nishtana a tent, which had a holy place and the most holy place.

NFL separated from the holy place. And from the most holy and you shall put The Mercy Seat, The Arc of a testimony in the most holy place, I was real. The Tabernacle had this feature with the Solomon's Temple, have this feature and the Temple of the second temple. When they recreated, and then when Herod made the embellishments and expand it, and also had this same layout. They were talking about this curtain. Nobody knows how to Harold meme or were skillfully worked in how they were represented, right? This is all our imaginings on how this was done or what, but, so are Ellen and what they did.

Daily or twice daily into the holy Place. Once yearly into the holiest, place. That really does create a psychological separation.

Here's another artist rendering. What are prices for Luke 23. Will go there. Does this right? When we were just thinking about this last week, it was not about the 6th hour and the Darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, something very strange is going on. And I haven't, I don't think this is cloud.

Songs like failed. Kirtland Temple was torn in two, no commentary, just decide for yourself what you think it means.

Isn't it really? A very good representation? Because in herod's Temple, it said that this Kurt was like 60 ft tall. so we we do with an earthquake we know of Darkness, we know of

Saints who died coming out of their graves walking around and we got some real stuff going on here. This is a unique point in the history of the world.

Until we have this. You sure are calling out with a loud voice. 10 father into your hands. I commit my spirit or my breast and having said this keep breathed his last century and has no doubts or would it take a place? He praised God saying in Luke here, certainly this man was innocent. Weird stuff weird phenomenon going on, makes me think not a normal man dying on a cross. Romans killed, lots of people on crosses. This isn't normal what's going on here, but this is normal.

All the crowd. Also, there's a symbol for the spectacle when they saw was taking place. They returned home Right? We were familiar with this symbology from Yom Kippur, right? Like

maybe we messed up for something is wrong here. There's a truck. In the world. Matthew does a little bit differently, it kind of has the yielding of the spirit and then the tearing of the exact and how they You should try out again with a loud voice. And he yielded up his Spirit, pretty similar from Song Luke, and hold the curtain of the temple was 22 from top to bottom and the Earth Shook and the Rocks were split and the tombs were opened, man. This is a little weird and I don't know if you have been dead for a couple days or what I assume. They've been dead for a while but I suppose they didn't look too terrible. You know, like really creepy like I do you know that would be bad. I suppose they got the resurrection by for kind of like first before the first fruits, I guess. But anyways, to sleep, they were raised As a preview. But what is it mean? What are we supposed to take from this?

As I as I mention, I think that there's kind of like a number of theories that we can present and I feel kind of all I'm doing today. I'm just putting it in a few theories on what it means. Because if you go to commentaries or hear this taught on probably 85% of them have the same idea. This is what I will call today. The access Theory The curtain is torn there for giving man access to God holiest. Place other priests within twice-daily to the holy and that created a real psychological barrier. I think, even with the Practical barrier there, but now we have access to God. I didn't, he bring his, maybe walking this tightrope a little bit when it says, in Hebrews 10, therefore, Brothers we have confidence to enter the holy places, right? If you do, holy places in Hebrew and you kind of take it directly into Greek, if it comes a plural, right, coach, Sheen. It looks like a pleural space is here, but I don't really know what the author of Hebrews is talking about. If it means the holy place or the most holy place, it could be both. I don't really know, but we can go into the holy places. By the blood of Yoshua.

I think through a new at a living way that is been open for us to the curtain that is the risk Flash. And I would say, a lot of us, we read this kind of imposed what we think we have. What we have red for Matthew, Mark, and Luke about the tearing. I didn't pose that over this and I'm not really sure. That's exactly what he's thinking here. he is definitely making a analogy between if she was Flash or his body as life and the Kurt, and there's something Traverse in a sentence and because of his life and because of his body, we get to Traverse it.

So, maybe he was thinking of this way, like now we have access to a few problems with this. My mind. However, and 85% commentaries, you read and teachings, you here on this, talk about access, we have access to God. What are the things that God has Spirit really fills the whole world and through prayer, we really have access to him. Anytime they did before this event. They had access to God through prayers. I think they knew that they could call out to him whenever They wanted so I don't know what's changed in that that in that respect. Also, maybe you can recall that several people had already been into the holy of holies. Who are not high priests. Antiochus for Antiochus epiphanes. Write this seleucid, King around the Maccabee time we tell the story about The Maccabees Josephus to do story and tells us that he went into the holy of holies kind of walked around stole. Some of the articles that work in the holiest place and walked around in the most holy place. And he had an officer earlier who had gone and had kind of been Maccabees tells us like prevented from going in by the force of the spirit of God, if y'all cuz apparently walked in and walked around, like it was no big deal. I can't been in there. And if you remember, Abominations were set up Idols were set up in their Maccabees tells us. And there were a harlot in the holiest, place fornicating, in the holiest place, or this with the Maccabees when they had to clean. People had been into the holiest place. It was my God. Live back there behind the curtain.

Pompeii also visited. In about 66 Josephus tells us that the Jews there was nothing that affected the nation so much as that Holy plants or they love that Holy place. This is after The Maccabees it cleaned out what I'd done and no one should be seeing that place. It should be. It should not be laid open to strangers but Pompeii and those with him, they went into the temple itself for a person of interest at the high priests and he saw, what was there? Candelabra with his lamps, in the table, in the pouring vessels, in the sensors, in the gold, and a great quantity of spices that they made. Keep together with 2,000 hours of sacred money. He did not take the money. She, they had re-crafted those items after Antiochus have stolen them, like they renamed them. So those things were back in there. I'll pay left them. There will seat. I just takes him a little bit later, but anyway,

Titusville Inn in sixty-nine or seventy. That's great. See Jerusalem, Titus win in in a kind of a different way after so much Bloodshed, so many of his men to die in their triumphant. Levi. I'm going to see this God. This one. They've been protecting this Temple so hard. I'm going to go in there and see and try this looks around. He says, where is the god? Where is he going to goes behind a curtain. And there's nothing there.

The talmud told the store hour of you believe everything the talmud says, but anyways. They tell the story like this. I think there's a point behind its specification that's Titus. His father sent Titus and Titus head Where is the god The Rock in whom? They trust it, right? This was a mocking of Deuteronomy with 34. Where is The Rock? And what the hell do we get a similar story to what? Antiochus, the seleucid king had done, he took the Harlot with the Harlot in there into the holy of holies and spread out at 4 and then you know, send upon it. I found this passage from getting this week. I know there's was a really strange. I don't know what you think about this next slide, but I have never come across this before.

Lot of this teaching is what I did three and a half years ago. I said no one's going to remember except dog

Titus took a sword and he slashed at that curtain right. In the New Testament. We have this references to it. Being flesh like your shoes flat, he slashed at the curtain and miraculously does not Christian Source blunt, cut it out. He thought to himself I just killed God. he was hiding in the curtain apparently or or you know, there was no image

I just killed God. I'm a little Odds me I wasn't sure how to make this. Some people will you do regularly, blood is thrown on the curtain and I got that young people are time and so maybe there was some young Kapoor was a recently had fresh blood splashed on. It is still just a strange story. I'm not really sure what to do with it. But anyways, there was

the holiest place at this point was not sacrosanct when you should have died. It was not as though God live behind the curtain, any longer?

It's got to be this to this other theory on why the curtain is torn which I will call the Wizard of Oz Theory. There's actually nothing behind the curtain people. Because in fact, there was no art behind the curtain. The presence of God did not move on the between the third OVI in the way it had in the first temple and all acknowledged this. There was no actual Ark in the holiest place and some say well here's what's happening. God is ripping in a effort to show that this whole thing is a sham and a frog. Look like Wizard of Oz, nothing behind the curtain. If the man standing there doing nothing except pretending is really important from the second sanctuary, This is well little, this is well established.

The ark VR cover and the Caribbean at like 1 to gather, there was no Ark in the second temple. There was nothing behind the curtain in the room. It was an empty room. The fire. They say, the fire was different than the first one. Tabernacle fire had been lit by God himself, and then that had kind of been protected in the first temple that use that same fire. The second temple. The fire was the same. So they say now, they're also saying the presents wasn't the first to the spirit of Prophecy was diminishing. Crystal some problems in the second temple. But diminishing, and the movie Men, the filming the lights in the perfectionist. I don't know, I don't want to downplay it as a Uno Magic 8-Ball but whatever the gems that they had where they could ascertain, if it was used, was it didn't have the spirit so they didn't really use it.

So there's nothing behind the it wasn't as though there is a separation but it's not as though that curtain is keeping the presence of God behind there so no one can see it. So we can be safe. Like it was when we first heard about this at the Tabernacle time and got the presents was there. Inside regularly. They took the curtain down to wash it all the, all the blood that was being sprinkles on it. They would take it down. The mishnah older than toddler says, if there was a filed by their rides on clean this like secondary, it was immersed in the temple Precinct in the the Seal of Solomon, which comes replaced the bronze flavor, and it was brought back forthwith. So they took it down. Immersed, it and then put it back. If it was defiled by a principal uncleanness, then it was immersed outside the temple area and then it was spread out on the rampart. I think it's the weirdest or eggs here in in the mishnah like this. Actually I can't recall right now where the sword egg was but it was nice and open spot so that the sun would hit it and dry it. If it was new, if we have a new curtain, it was spread out on the roof of the colonnade. Like, wow, I'd like to see how that worked so that the people might see. It's fair workmanship. So says the Mishra So, if it was a thing that was being taken down and put back up, in fact, it was actually replaced several times. In Tommy, we read that the thickness of the veil was a handbreadth. So pretty big 82 young girls made two of them each year. And it took 300 priests to immerse it. Again, this is just a day or may not be true but it sure seems like a curtain that sick 60 ft high. If that's true. You need a bunch of people once it got stock soggy wet to try to move that thing. So, the sort of makes sense to me. But behind it is, they're trying to impress that there actually was no danger in the holiest place because God, the arc wasn't there. And God's presence was not dwelling there. Specifically between the federal being, his presence is everywhere, his presence, fills the Earth. You should followers certainly saw something valuable about the temple was going on there. You shoot himself did too but there was a difference between the first and the second Temples in return was regularly cleaned and dried and replaced.

It was universally known that there was nothing behind the holy of holies and sometimes it to access Theory requires, you know, God to be back there at the arc to be back there. Now

Cuz it was the whole Earth. I don't understand this. We need like look what a fraud this place is. There's nothing behind the curtain. Everybody knew there was nothing behind the curtain. Clear. Shein

call Josephus mentions. It also here. Inside the curtain. There was nothing at all.

I also presented that years ago and I got I don't have any evidence for this one but like I said, all these theories since there's no real commentary on them within the text when it says that the curtain was torn and you were kind of trying to figure it out without a whole lot of help here. Some people believe that like a morning Father Who tears at close or here, the high priest in sadness and grief, this is a assemble like that. I kind of like that. I don't know, I don't have any evidence for it. Other than kind of a natural thing that people did but it's sort of an interesting Theory.

Last time I talked, I called this one. The fraction Cosmos, but I'm I'm kind of expanding it. To include fractured body.

For fractured Cosmos Theory. Light soap. as we saw with the earthquakes and with the darkness, and with the bodies Resurrected,

There was something strange.

right at this moment, this particular moment, it's the greatest moment I think of Saddest in the world, the history of the world, they truly purely innocent, man. Dying like a common criminal. Like, this is the worst, but it's his business or his righteousness, is given to us. And it's like, in real time and space. Would I believe the decision he made before the foundation of the world? To Ransom mankind? I just like the worst and the best, the same time shaking of the world's. I'm not surprised with a earthquake in darkness but Through history people have tried to explain. What's the purpose of the Tabernacle? God says, build me a Michigan. Build me a tabernacle so I can dwell. With them. Another said that way so I can do them.

I'm so in all I do is a tabernacle Becomes of great picture of how he wants to do. Well, not just inside of a bunch of other tents but inside individual peoples and this wasn't lost on ancient Jewish commentators cuz some of them liking the Tabernacle to a human body.

Right. That's the case. You would like the bone has to leave his Heavenly dwell. Dwell in here. The skin the Skins are like skins and the hair is like human hair and the senses. The things that we see the light is like our eyes and this was smells like our nose in the human body here.

Gold. This particular commentator are represented in the midwest rock and all the gold is like the soul of a person in the silver is like the body. In the copper is his voice and the blue, the blue in that curtain or like the veins and the purple. That's in that curtain is like flashlight. This is you represented in the midrash and the red is the blood in the flax, represent the intestines are there just trying to understand it and somebody else, even though I think that analogy is really good because I think that's the whole point was to come.

So what else is new?

The heavens are acrylic curtain.

Take me to the world the universe and its related to Creation. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain. Hey, there's a curtain in the Michigan, he puts the second day. He makes this separation between separation between the other commentators say, no, it's not just like a body is like the whole universe Josephus. Also talks about the Tabernacle this way, sometimes our Tabernacle represented God, dwells in the universe.

so, The Ripping then would be like,

Fracturing of this universe or fracturing of a body issues. Body is actually broken and separated. At this point is when he dies something happens is material side and is a material. There is a separation there.

Some describe the Tabernacle as a human body with the heavens or the whole universe. Tearing of a soul in his body that he comes back though, right?

I miss. This is one that I did not have last time. I think it's rather interesting. I found a teaching from about, I don't know 5 years ago in a website, that's how it's Ian. I bet some of you go there to study. How does interesting article that's not Masonic? It's just like traditional Jewish review talk, lady wrote this article about the differences between

in his teaching, he's elucidating what he sees as a

A progression of the absence of God. Pulling in the first temple, fully living, you can see it sitting between the Caribbean that checking out of presents. In the second temple, though, there were still some Miracles. Even though we have this, we have is evidence that the sage has passed on that. His Spirit was not really there, but there were some Miracles and there were spiritual, people love to be there. I wanted to be there. They wanted to be there there. There Within that was a total see saying where God actually decided checking was totally gone. He is teaching is kind of a long. The lines of what we already saw from Yoma here.

Write these things weren't in the second temple, but there were some, there was some Spirit there. But the total season in which, I find interesting. The reason I brought this up the total departure of the spirit of God from the Tabernacle, he puts at 40 years before the destruction of the Temple. He's not a follower of Jesus but it is raining. Just based on probably the absence of all of those things, the Flyers are the Shekinah. The Holy Spirit, they left a mark on that Temple and anybody visiting would have understood it. That wallet was the house of God. God was not at home.

He puts as I said, the cessation of the shechinah at 40 years before the destruction of the temple, which we know is about 30. Based on Yoma 39b, right? And many of you are familiar with this passage from the download which says that there were these three things that began happening 40 years before the destruction of the temple. And they had previously happened but then they stopped happening. These three or four things that Scarlet, yarn Yom Kippur never turned white. The lot for which goat was forgotten, which was for AutoZone, which was seen as a good omen. If the lot for the Lord came up in the right-hand that never came up in the right hands up in the right hand. The Candelabra wouldn't stay lit. Kept blowing out. And the doors themselves, some say, the 4th, when the doors themselves, kept opening at night, but there was a great trauma in it. How many days is the story? Who doesn't believe the way we believe of the spirit? God's. Let's say God's presence. Dwelling presence there.

What does it mean that I've given four or five? Possible theories are meanings. I see it. As I do believe with Hebrews that. You sure she was body. Is like his flesh. We do have to go through that because he becomes a high priest for us. That's Hebrew says, that's not necessarily The Ripping of his is Flash. But his body is a Time marker that we walk through. Hebrews of this way, by this the holy spirit is trying to indicate the way into the holy places or the holiest. Place is not yet, open. As long as the first section is still standing, which is symbolic of the present age. He's not talking about an actual curtain in this actual World. He's talking about issues body as a curtain into another age. According to this terrain, get some sacrifices are offering that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshipper, right? So he's bringing a Time component of your shoes body here.

So that I would taking his sacrificial work done. This church has its unique belief, it from the foundation of the world usual was offered. Meaning either, gave himself in some spiritual way in a spiritual Tabernacle and offered himself there with, with his own life, with his own blood either, he was willing to do it and it was as if it was done

That work that was done at the foundation of the world, was appropriated to the cross with a great. Tearing or ripping. Into a new era. The reddening of his, maybe his immaterial part him from his body instituted. This new era did The Ripping seem to be associated with the moment of his death at least. It seems that way in Luke and Matthew. Enter Then into a new era and I love the fact that yes, his spirit is separated from his body. But then it comes right back to us and then we get the spirits Fred Wiley on

Enter into this long-awaited Messianic era for his life and his work.

Vending the theory of prison. 25 of them. Symbolizes a like a departure.

I do think as a perfect symbol of what God was wanting when he asked for a tabernacle here on Earth I do think it's a little bit like a party. Like I want to dwell inside of them, not just in their Camp, I would have dwell in them. and as a spirit coming to dwell inside of a structure with her at the Tabernacle and then the 10th to Temples,

There was a leading from that structure. Repeat that lady puts it at 40 years before destruction of the Temple.

And that is a departure of you. She was Spirits. Yes or God that I want to think about this. I'm just all this is all the spiritual right from the temple, and it began as it left there. Then comes back and Wells us differently it dwelt there as a symbol of what I always wanted to do was to be in humans. widely patent some cuz I think it was it was existing and functioning in people's lives but But it was a unique way. We went into this era, through his body and his his death.

So I leave with this Hebrews passage which we read earlier. Therefore Brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy place is gibbous is all in the spiritual realm. He is high priest for us. He takes his blood. We don't actually go into the place. He goes for us, we go with confidence of his

His work. Buy a new and the living way that he open 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. Love hearts. Sprinkle clean conscience in our bodies, washed with pure water. This is

Not an open invitation to walk into the holiest, place in the temple. This is an invitation

to approach the father. You always could do. But now through the merits of the show himself,

and his body in a tripping, like he decided to come and join. He decided to dwell.

and then it There wasn't a separating or renting. I keep saying running. And then that allowed for another era. How about Springfield individually? I will pray and then we finished.

Father God.

I read texts sometimes I have no idea what they mean. Thank you for the spirit that you put inside each of us to consider and to thank. Thank you for Carnation of people who care, who want to know the reality of things want to know what you're trying to say to us. Don't really understand the ripping of this curtain. I believe that in face that it happened as the witnesses report.

Voice how to access to you.

I'm trying to figure out. What it means. For us, it clearly wanted us to see it. The traditional explanation just doesn't. It doesn't make sense to me. Because of too many other variables that aren't accounted for usually in the deli. I wonder. Dear God.

If this.

Game of seek. I just hide and seek is the point of some of these things to think about you to think about you differently.

Search you out.

help us, dear God, as we go about our daily lives, to remember that you have communicated to us through text and for your spirit, It's to our great relational benefit, to be digging into text and be thinking about them. Two sneaking you out. You left plenty of bread, crumbs for us to find follow you to search you out. I pray I think of our children who are beginning this process to in the back room. The teen study group I think of the kids even closer here that you would put a love for learning in their hearts, desire to seek you out. I desire to read your word and to learn it and try to understand it as best as we can, as well actually, honest way. thank you for my brothers and sisters here, who Love you, deeply. Are concerned about understanding what you have for us.

Give us your spirit to help us understand texts. Give us and the children that we care about a love for your word. I love for prayer and love for one another. Thank you for the sky, negation this place. And the people who are here in the lives that represented here, and the journey and we walked towards you, Strengthen us this week as We Go From Here, show me, show me.