Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. (Matthew 27:51-53)

When The Veil Was Torn In Two

God died, and the universe reacted. Since the fall of man in the garden, God and man have been separated by sin. Nothing could atone for the failure of man, including the untold thousands of animals sacrificed in accordance with the will of God. There had to be an offering that was of divine origin and sinless. Through the children of Abraham, the promise of salvation was preserved in the Jewish nation of Israel. God gave this small nation the Law of Moses until the Seed promise would be fulfilled. The Gentiles were saved as a law to themselves, and the Jews followed the Law of Moses. Contained in the Law of Moses was worship in the Tabernacle and then the Temple of Solomon. In each place of worship, there was a Holy Place and a Most Holy of Holies. These two areas were separated by a veil, symbolizing the separation of God and man. Only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies once a year to commune with God and offer sacrifice to atone for the sins of the people.

When Jesus died, the veil in the Temple (the second Temple after captivity) was ripped apart from top to bottom. Jesus died around 3:00 pm when the priest was burning incense before the Holy of Holies. The startled priest would have witnessed the rending of the veil both by sight and sound. It has been suggested the veil during the time of Jesus was nearly twenty feet wide, sixty feet long, and four inches thick. The veil was so heavy that it took a few hundred priests to manipulate it. It would have been deafening when the priest heard the roar of the veil rending. The priest would also testify the veil was rent from top to bottom, showing that only God could have accomplished the feat. Jesus died, the world reacted, and God made an announcement. No longer would there be Jews and Gentiles separated by different laws. All men would be saved in the Law of Christ. The rending of the veil signified the end of Temple worship and the nation of Israel as the chosen people of God. When Jesus died, God allowed men to come into His presence (the Holy of Holies) and worship Him through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.

The rending of the veil happened two thousand years ago, but the sound of its tearing can be heard today. God has made a way for sinful man to come before Him and receive the forgiveness of sins. The rending of the veil was no accident. It was not done by the hand of man or the wisdom of human reasoning. God separated mankind from Him because of sin and then, by His immense grace and mercy, tore the veil apart to allow the faithful to come into a place that was forbidden. Salvation in Jesus Christ cannot be understood without standing at the broken veil and seeing the power of God. All those who come to Jesus will be allowed to receive the forgiveness of sins by the offering of the blood of God’s Son. Animals will no longer be accepted for sacrifice. The blood of bulls and goats could never atone for sin. Jesus died and tore the veil apart to welcome the obedient into the presence of His Father.

There is a veil that remains that has not been torn down—the veil of rebellion and refusal to come to the grace of God. Many refuse to acknowledge the miracle of the torn veil. They see the grace of God in His mercy and do not believe. Many read the word of God and change His will to fit their own desires. The veil remains, keeping them from the word of salvation. When a man comes to the knowledge of what God’s will demands, he will then see and hear the veil’s tearing and the Savior’s welcome voice. No one can be saved who will not come to the blood of Jesus, which is the veil of flesh that allows mankind to enter the Holy of Holies. Jesus is the only way, the only truth, the only life, and the only veil whereby man can be saved. Come to Jesus. He will save you. He died to tear down the veil. God is waiting for you to come to Him.