THE MESSAGE IN THE VEIL

Exodus 26:31–33 AV

31 And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: 32 And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver. 33 And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.

Matthew 27:51

Matthew 27:51 AV

51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

Intro: Referring to the Bible Augustine, said “The New is in the Old concealed. The Old is in the New revealed.” He is speaking about the fact that many items and people in the Old Testament serve to point ahead to things more clearly revealed in the New Testament. This was the idea in Paul’s mind when he said, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” 1 Cor. 10:11.

Many objects in the Old Testament point ahead to truths more fully revealed in the New Testament. For instance, we know that the Brazen Serpent of Numbers 21 was a type of the Lord Jesus, John 3:14 “ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:”

We also know that the Manna of Exodus 16 was also a type or a picture of Jesus Christ, John 6:31–35 “31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

There are many more example which are too numerous to name, but I think you get the point.

Of all the types in the Old Testament, none is more rich in its symbolism than the Tabernacle. From one end to the other, the Tabernacle is a picture of the Lord Jesus and of the redemption believers enjoy in Him. That ancient structure, that measured 45 feet long by 15 feet wide by 15 feet high, is an amazing portrait of God’s grace, His salvation and His efforts to redeem a fallen race of people.

Inside the Tabernacle were two rooms, the holy place and the Holy of Holies. The Holy Place measured 30 feet long, 15 feet wide and 15 feet high. The Holy of Holies was a perfect cube of 15 feet wide, high and deep. Between these two rooms stood the veil that is the subject of our text today.

The veil that hung in the ancient Tabernacle of Israel contains a great message for those who will take the time to study it. This veil is a wonderful picture of Jesus Christ. In fact, it is specifically a picture of Jesus and His work while He was here in His flesh. Heb. 10:20, “By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh,”

With that in mind, let’s spend some time looking at the veil and what it represents.

I. V. 31–33a THE PATTERN OF THE VEIL

A. The Colors Used In The Veil—Often, colors in the Bible are symbolic in nature. The colors used in the veil of the Tabernacle are no exception. These colors paint a portrait of the Lord Jesus Christ and of Who He is.

1. Blue—Blue is the color of the sky and it reminds us of the Heavenly origin of the Lord Jesus. He is the Son of God—Rom. 8:3 “ For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:”

1 Tim. 3:16 “ And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

2. Purple—Purple is the color of royalty and it reminds us that Jesus Christ is the King of Kings, Isa. 9:6–7 “ For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

Rev. 19:16 “ And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

3. Scarlet—Scarlet is the color of blood and it speaks of Jesus as the Lamb of God, the perfect sacrifice for the sins of man, Rev. 1:5 “ And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,” John 15:13 “ Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

B. The Cloth Used In The Veil—Pure, white linen was the cloth that was to be used. This speaks of the purity of the Lord Jesus. It reminds us that He was sinless—1 Pet. 2:22 “ Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:” 2 Cor. 5:21 “ For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

His temptation, Matt. 4 Heb. 4:15 “ For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

C. The Construction Used In The Veil—Notice that this cloth was to be “fine twined” and of a “cunning work.” This tells us that the cloth used was to be of a special weave. It would be different from any other cloth. So it is with Jesus! There has never been another man like Him! In His person, He was the perfect blend of Deity and humanity. He is the God-Man! (The Hypostatic Union) He is unique for He is God in the flesh, John 1:1, “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” 14;

Phil. 2:5–8 “ Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

I. The Pattern Of The Veil

II. V. 31–33 THE PURPOSE OF THE VEIL

A. It Served As A Warning—This veil was hung between the holy place, where the priests ministered everyday, and the Holy of Holies, where the presence of God dwelt above the Mercy Seat, Ex. 25:17–22 “17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.

19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.

20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.

21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.

22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.”

The vail served as a barrier between holy God and sinful man.

They were told to embroider the veil with “cherubims” on it. The cherubim are angelic creatures that serve as the guardians of the holiness of God.

They are first seen in Gen. 3:24 “ So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”

when they were positioned at the entrance of Eden to prevent man from gaining access to the tree of life. Rev. 4:6–8 “ And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” may be a physical description of these heavenly creatures.

The presence of the cherubim on the veil warned all who entered the Tabernacle that they could come this far and no farther! They were a constant reminder that access to God was forbidden. God is holy and man a sinner. The cherubim were placed there to warn all who approached the veil that to continue was to invite judgment and death! They reminded all that a holy God dwelled just behind the veil.

What grace that God would warn men not to come into His presence in their sinful condition! The cherubim were there to warn man, but they also served to protect men and to preserve life.

B. It Served As A Wall—This veil served as a barrier between God and man. It shut man out of the presence of God, Lev. 16:2, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.”

Between the sinner and God, there is a great wall standing, Isa. 59:2. We cannot, and will not, approach God by ourselves. To do so would invite judgment and death. Before man can enter into the presence of God, sin must first be dealt with.

C. It Served As A Way—On the Day of Atonement, the high priest could enter into the Holy of Holies, but only with the blood of a sacrificial lamb. Lev. 16:15, “Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:”

On that day, the high priest was allowed to go behind the vail and minister in the Holy of Holies, sprinkling the blood of the sacrifice on the altar and atoning for the sins of the people. It was the only time any one was allowed behind the veil. To go at any other time, for any other purpose, in any other manner was to invite instant death.

Blood is the only way anyone has access into the presence of God, Heb. 9:22. How the blood of the atonement must have been layered higher and higher on the mercy seat. Now, God does not accept the blood of animals; He only accepts the blood of His Son, Heb. 10:11–14; Heb. 9:1–14.

Bloodless, Christ-less religion will never save the human soul! Those who try to get to God without the blood of Jesus will find themselves in Hell, because there is no other method God will accept. To enter into His presence, you must be born again, John 3:3, 7. And, the only way to be born again is through the blood of the Lamb, 1 Pet. 1:18–19. Thank God, Jesus made the way for us to enter into the presence of God by going to the cross for our sins!

D. It Served As A Witness—While the high priest could only enter the Holy of Holies one each year, the priests ministered in the holy place every day of the year. As they did, they came within inches of the veil, but were never allowed to go past it. It was a constant reminder to them that they were sinners and that they were separated from God. It was constant reminder of man’s moral failure.

So it is with the ministry of Jesus in the flesh. There are a lot of people who try to copy the life Jesus lived in an effort to secure their salvation. However, what men fail to realize is that the life of Christ cannot save! In fact, the life of Christ serves to condemn us all! He lived a perfect life and never once sinned against His Father or the Law. He did what you and I could never do: He lived a perfect life without sin! John 15:22. He is the “glory of God” that all of us have fallen short of, Rom. 3:23!

In the final analysis, the veil serves to remind man that he is a sinner in need of Savior and that he will never be able to approach God on his own merits.

For hundreds of years thousands of priests went in and out of the holy place on a daily basis. They all saw the vail, but they were forbidden to go past it. For those same hundreds of years, hundreds of high priests went behind that vail on the Day of Atonement to offer the blood of the atonement on the mercy seat.

They went behind the vail, but only with the blood of an innocent sacrifice having first been shed for their sins. When they went in, they went in with a censor filled with burning incense to smoke up the room lest they see the glory of God and die. This continues day after day, and year after year, for the life of the Tabernacle. Later, when the Temple was built by Solomon, the same rituals continued there for hundreds of years more. One day, that all ended!

I. The Pattern Of The Veil

II. The Purpose Of The Veil

III. Mt. 27:51 THE PARTING OF THE VEIL

A. The Method Of Its Parting—Notice that it was God and not man that parted the veil. While the priests were offering the evening sacrifice, Mark 15:34, Jesus was offering His life as a ransom for sin. When the Innocent One died for the guilty ones, the veil split from the top to the bottom. Man had nothing to do with it, it was the work of God alone!

The same is true with the salvation we enjoy this evening! We had nothing to do with it at all. It originated with God in Heaven before the world was formed, Rev. 13:8; 1 Pet. 1:20. It was carried out at Calvary without our help, Isa. 53:6, 10, The brutal death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation was and is the work of a sovereign God!

B. The Message Of Its Parting—The message of the rent veil is crystal clear; it tells us that the way to God is open. I can imagine the priests in the temple sewing the parted veil back together and continuing on in their vain religion, not realizing that now, the way to God was opened to all.

Not just one day per year, but all the time! Eph. 2:11–18 “11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”

Remember Heb. 10:20, “By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.”

C. The Majesty Of Its Parting—The moment Jesus died, that massive veil, which was so thick it was said that a team of horses could not tear it apart, ripped down the middle, as if a great sword had sliced it in two. That rent veil signaled the end of the Jewish sacrificial system. That rent veil proclaimed that the way to God was open for all who would come to Him.

That rent veil means that whosoever will can come to Jesus and be saved by the grace of God. That rent veil means the way to God is open and all who will can come, Rev. 22:17 “17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

John 3:16 “16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Rom. 10:13 “ For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” “Whosoever will” can come into His presence and have access to God Himself! I praise the Lord that the way to God has been forever opened for you and me!

Conc: When the high priest entered behind the veil, he came into the very presence of God Himself. He offered the blood and had to leave. He was not allowed back in until the next year. He could never come before God without blood and he could not come when he wanted to, but only when God allowed.

When Jesus came in the flesh and gave His life for you and me, He forever tore down that middle wall of partition. He broke down all the barriers that stood between us and free access to the Father.

Now, in Jesus, we can come before OUR Father at anytime! What a glorious privilege is our! And, it is given to us because Jesus became the veil and was rent on Calvary so that we might get to God! Bless His Name!