I'm going to share a few thoughts on two veils spoken about
in the Bible.
The first veil I'm going to talk about is the veil in the temple that separated the holy place from the holy of holies, or the holiest of all.
Exodus 26:33 says- "You shall hang up the veil under the clasps, and shall bring in the ark of the testimony there within the veil; and the veil shall serve for you as a partition between the holy place and the holy of holies." The purpose of this veil, as it says, is separation. The holy of holies is where the ark of the covenant was placed, on top of which was the mercy seat, where God Himself sat. Because of Gods holiness no one was permitted to enter the holy of holies, except for the high priest, and then only once a year, or else they would surely die (Leviticus 16:2). Inside the veil God dwelt in unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:16).
Now, concerning this veil, we're told in Mark 15:37-38 - "And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last. And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." Through the death of Jesus we are now able to enter into the very presence of God. We are able to approach the unapproachable. And not only are we able, but Hebrews tells us that we have confidence to enter. We no longer need to fear coming into the presence of God, as they did in the Old Testament. Hebrews 10:19-22 says - "Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."
As the flesh of our Savior was torn the veil of the temple was torn. God reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ. We now have access to God Himself. We are no longer separated due to our sin, because He took them all. The veil that always said "stay back" has now been torn in two, and we have confidence to enter the very presence of God through the blood of Jesus Christ.
The second veil is the one spoken of in Exodus 34. This is the veil with which Moses covered his face after being in the presence of God, experiencing His glory.
In Exodus 34:29-35 we read - "It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses' hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him. So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers in the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them. Afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he commanded them to do everything that the LORD had spoken to him on Mount Sinai. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded, the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone. So Moses would replace the veil over his face until he went in to speak with Him."
Because of the fear, the timidity of the people Moses would veil the glory of the Lord that was reflecting off of Him. They were afraid to approach the Lord because of the reflection of His glory. However, the veil was removed when he came before the Lord.
That's how it was with Moses, but that's not how it is with us. We're told in 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 - "Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is,there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit."
Whereas the first veil separated us from God, this veil separates God from us. Those who do not know Him, those with hardened minds, who rely on the old covenant have a veil, blocking their hearts and minds from seeing the glory of God. Those of us who believe however have had this veil of darkness removed and can see the glory of God transforming us and reflecting in our lives as it was in the face of Moses.
2 Corinthians chapter 4 goes on to say in verses 3-4 - "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." Satan, the god of this world, uses this second veil of separation to keep the unbelieving world from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.
The first veil which separated us from God, the veil that made it imposable for us to approach God because of His holiness and our sin, Christ did away with through the sacrifice of Himself. And if people will only see that sacrifice and the light that shines through it, they can remove the second veil that doesn't allow Him to come near. The veil that separates and blinds the world to the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. We need to shine forth His glory until He comes.
The first veil I'm going to talk about is the veil in the temple that separated the holy place from the holy of holies, or the holiest of all.
Exodus 26:33 says- "You shall hang up the veil under the clasps, and shall bring in the ark of the testimony there within the veil; and the veil shall serve for you as a partition between the holy place and the holy of holies." The purpose of this veil, as it says, is separation. The holy of holies is where the ark of the covenant was placed, on top of which was the mercy seat, where God Himself sat. Because of Gods holiness no one was permitted to enter the holy of holies, except for the high priest, and then only once a year, or else they would surely die (Leviticus 16:2). Inside the veil God dwelt in unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:16).
Now, concerning this veil, we're told in Mark 15:37-38 - "And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last. And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." Through the death of Jesus we are now able to enter into the very presence of God. We are able to approach the unapproachable. And not only are we able, but Hebrews tells us that we have confidence to enter. We no longer need to fear coming into the presence of God, as they did in the Old Testament. Hebrews 10:19-22 says - "Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."
As the flesh of our Savior was torn the veil of the temple was torn. God reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ. We now have access to God Himself. We are no longer separated due to our sin, because He took them all. The veil that always said "stay back" has now been torn in two, and we have confidence to enter the very presence of God through the blood of Jesus Christ.
The second veil is the one spoken of in Exodus 34. This is the veil with which Moses covered his face after being in the presence of God, experiencing His glory.
In Exodus 34:29-35 we read - "It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses' hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him. So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers in the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them. Afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he commanded them to do everything that the LORD had spoken to him on Mount Sinai. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded, the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone. So Moses would replace the veil over his face until he went in to speak with Him."
Because of the fear, the timidity of the people Moses would veil the glory of the Lord that was reflecting off of Him. They were afraid to approach the Lord because of the reflection of His glory. However, the veil was removed when he came before the Lord.
That's how it was with Moses, but that's not how it is with us. We're told in 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 - "Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is,there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit."
Whereas the first veil separated us from God, this veil separates God from us. Those who do not know Him, those with hardened minds, who rely on the old covenant have a veil, blocking their hearts and minds from seeing the glory of God. Those of us who believe however have had this veil of darkness removed and can see the glory of God transforming us and reflecting in our lives as it was in the face of Moses.
2 Corinthians chapter 4 goes on to say in verses 3-4 - "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." Satan, the god of this world, uses this second veil of separation to keep the unbelieving world from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.
The first veil which separated us from God, the veil that made it imposable for us to approach God because of His holiness and our sin, Christ did away with through the sacrifice of Himself. And if people will only see that sacrifice and the light that shines through it, they can remove the second veil that doesn't allow Him to come near. The veil that separates and blinds the world to the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. We need to shine forth His glory until He comes.
2 Corinthians 3:12 - "Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech."
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