By Ezekiel Kimosop
The huge curtain at the Jerusalem Temple that separated the holy of holies from the place of worshippers was finally torn apart upon Christ's last breath at the cross of Calvary.
Matthew 27:50-51 says "And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split."
Notice the elaborate description: the veil was torn from top to bottom. It was completely ripped apart so that the restriction on access to the holy of holies was terminated forthwith.
This does not imply that God lowered His divine standards in order to accommodate sinful men into His presence, unhindered! Alas! It was because in Christ's atoning death, God found the perfect sacrificial Lamb that could appease His divine wrath that stood upon us since Adam.
Only those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus have the privilege of accessing God's throne!
THE ADAMIC FALL
Let's briefly examine the theology behind the temple veil or curtain.
When Adam sinned against God by his disobedience (Genesis 3:1-6), he and his offspring were immediately separated from God. Adam and Eve lost their fellowship with God and could no longer approach God in the way they used to in the Garden of Eden.
They both fell into sinful condemnation. God judged them and chased them away from the Garden (Genesis 3). Sin and depravity multiplied under subsequent generations of humanity.
Genesis 6:5-6 says "Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart."
Only Noah found favor with God.
Noah's generation was destroyed by flood and this wiped away Cain's offspring and only Seth's lineage through Noah and his immediate family survived the flood.
THE COVENANTS
From Noah to Abraham, wickedness continued. God finally made a covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15 and through his seed, the promise of a savior was introduced.
God later destroyed the people of Sodom and Gomorrah because their wickedness stung to high heavens. Genesis 13:13 says "But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord." Abraham's nephew, Lot, was rescued by the angels of God. Lot was a righteous man dwelling in the midst of the wicked.
Even though Abraham and Lot parted ways in Genesis 13, the two men were later reunited in the marriage of Ruth and Boaz. Ruth was a Moabite whose ancestry can be traced to the incest recorded in Genesis 19. Boaz was Jew from the tribe of Judah. He was the great grandfather of King David.
The rest is history.
God's covenant with Abraham was later affirmed in Jacob (Genesis 28) and later in David (2 Samuel 7).
When the children of Israel return from Egypt, God instituted His covenant with them at Mt Sinai (Exodus 20-24). The levitical priesthood was thereafter instituted under Aaron. It was an elaborate worship system with detailed regulations.
Now back to our question.
Unfortunately, the separation from God in Adam was not fully restored even under this new covenant order. The sacrificial system of bulls could not atone for the disobedience in Adam. Hebrews 10:4 says "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins."
God's holy presence was separated by the Temple veil that was a constant reminder of the unfinished business that would come in God's appointed time!
THE FINAL SOLUTION
Finally, Jesus came by His incarnate birth. He suffered and was crucified and and died and by His death, His blood alone could satisfy God's wrath for atonement for our sin in Adam. The curtain was finally torn apart as an affirmation of this divine truth!
The priesthood of believers was instituted the moment God's wrath was appeased in Christ. Every believer since Calvary has unfettered access to throne of grace because his legal standing before God has been satisfied and his justification pronounced in Christ.
Romans 8:1-2 conveys the declaration of our freedom in Christ, saying, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death."
This is the reason that Hebrews 4:16 says "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
Nothing can therefore prevent a believer from appearing in the presence of God in worship and no stain of sin can remain after we appear before the throne of grace. The blood of Jesus cleanses completely.
We do not therefore need a confession box priesthood system or any mediator before God other than Christ. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 says "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."
IT IS FINISHED!
Once we are connected with Christ, we are connected to God. Jesus cried at the cross, saying in John 19:30, "It is finished!"
What was finished?
John 19:29-30 says "Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit."
This passage should be read right from John 19:28 which says "After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!”"
My view is that this is where we find the clue to what Jesus meant by His final statement.
I believe that His thirsting for water is the natural reaction from dehydration after hours of bleeding and agony.
Jesus knew that He was about to breath His last at this point. His excruciating agony took a toll on His body but a great divine conclusion was about to be made.
Jesus did not just die. He gallantly concluded His atoning works of the cross with confidence. The reference to "all things" being accomplished confirms that His earthly mission satisfied the prophetic proclamations on His Messianic works.
What does this bring to our minds?
Besides the sorrow this account brings, there is the awesome sense of victory at His last breath. His death accomplished what no man could have done.
God tore apart the huge curtain at the Jerusalem Temple as a sign that freedom from sinful condemnation was at last found in Christ's atoning death on the cross! His blood completely washes away sin and those who come to Him in repentance will be reconciled with God forever!
This truth is at the heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
His subsequent resurrection and ascension to heaven remains a powerful assurance to us that Jesus is soon coming to take away His Church and together we shall rejoice in His divine presence forever (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18).
Are you among the number?
Shalom.
© Ezekiel Kimosop 2020
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