Updated: The Veil Was Rent
A major symbolic theological event vital to our understanding of Christianity took place upon Christ's death. It's doubtful those professing to be Christians today have a clue as to what that was due to the erroneous, disinformation, non-Biblical notion we are gentiles. And the primary reason for its significance escaping us today, as we've highlighted many times, is that we've lost track of our Biblical identity. As we’ve mentioned in numerous articles and in the books, the Biblical record is one story written to the same people. Christ said he came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, and that he was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel in the Christian age. [Mat. 15:24]. Christianity, as given us by Christ and the apostles in the first century, is a completely different entity when compared to our morphed 21st century Churchianity version. One path leads us to life, the other one to death.
Why the temple veil was rent asunder is essential to our Christian understanding of the fundamental shift that took place from the Old Testament to the New Testament, although it may appear to be nothing more than a trivial fact hardly worth mentioning. However, it symbolized the promised monumental directional change in Biblical theology, and signalled the fulfilling of the promises contained in the plan of God for the Christian age, " ... the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began...." [Rom. 16:25; see 2 Tim. 1:9, Tts. 1:2]. "Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the spirit, 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; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints that slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." [Mat. 27:50-53].
At the moment our Redeemer died, the very Christ who told us he was “sent only to the House of Israel,” and as noted in Matthew 27:51, “Then, behold, the veil of the temple [of Israel] was rent in two from top to bottom ….” [See Eph. 2:14-16]. Most Christians would read right over this significant event’s powerful and far-reaching impact, meant for us as descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, without giving it a second thought, again because we've lost knowledge of our ancestral history in the Old Testament. Instead, we make the erroneous assumption that this meant the door was open to the gentiles of the world. But we would be wrong. As Paul said, " ...we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to gentiles ...." [1 Cor. 1:23,1 for details and the implications of this for us today, see the Feature articles, Three Temple Ages Make A Plan, and The Relevance Of The Holy Days In The Plan Of God In The Last Days].
As Christ plainly said, he was sent only to the House of Israel in the Christian age. But as mentioned in our Feature article, The War Dispatches, we’ve been ethnically cleansed of this knowledge, and much to our detriment, our understanding of the great and wonderful promises for us. However, when we step back to look objectively, we can see that which is hidden in plain view, right in front of our noses. Our misunderstanding of John 3:16 has had disastrous effects on Christianity. It’s caused us to erroneously redefine a key doctrine that has led us far away from the first century gospel delivered to us by Christ and the apostles. [See the Feature articles, Moving Forward and Mirror, Mirror On The Wall]. But, we have many clues to guide us to the truth in the Biblical record when we know and understand the big picture. It was kept secret from before the beginning of the world until the first century when it was unveiled. There is no mention of it in the Old Testament, though it is meant for all the 12 nations of Israel.
The Old Testament is as much a Christian book as is the New when we know our Biblical ancestry. Ignorance of this fact has lead us to our current prophetic end-times situation. [See the Sneakers article, A Life And Death Pickle Of A Predicament]. As the Apostle Paul tells us, " ... and the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nations [of Israel] on the principle of faith [Greek, pistis, conviction of the truth], announced beforehand the glad tidings [Greek, proeuaggelizomai, good news, gospel told beforehand] to Abraham: in you each of the nations [of Israel's 12 sons] shall be blessed." [Gal. 3:8, DBY]. Remember, Christ is the Seed of Abraham. "But to Abraham were the promises addressed, and to his seed: he does not say, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to your seed; which is Christ." [Gal. 3:16, DBY]. And Christ was sent only to ... the lost sheep of the House of Israel.
The renting of the veil was hugely symbolic of the promised theological changes that impacted both the House of Judah, the Jews, and the House of Israel, the Christian nations that make up the remainder of Israel today. The House of Israel was redeemed. [Read Isa. 47:4; 48:17; 54:5]. We were brought into our new covenant relationship with God from that moment. The House of Israel had been divorced under the terms of the old law covenant, the veil of Moses. [See 2 Cor. 3:7-18]. With Christ's first coming, the House of Israel, after our divorce from God, beginning in 732 BCE [Jer. 3:6-8], was reinstated to our rightful relationship with God under the terms of the glorious new covenant promises given to Abraham and his Seed, Christ, our Redeemer. [Heb. gā'al, kinsman redeemer; see Eze. 34:30; also the Feature article, The Good News Colour Revolution].
To help explain the relevance of the veil splitting from top to bottom, I have included a quote from the Bible Commentary of Jamieson, Fausset and Brown,2 1871, for Matthew 27's verse 51. Keep in mind a vital point of clarification; the veil was located in the temple in Jerusalem, the temple, not for the gentiles of the world, but only for Israel. Therefore, we need to be careful not to redefine this event in gentile terms, but to maintain its proper covenant context for all 12 sons of Israel. [As noted above, see the Feature article The Tale Of Two Covenants].
"And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom-- This was the thick and gorgeously wrought veil which was hung between the "holy place" and the "holiest of all," shutting out all access to the presence of God [by the people of Israel] as manifested "from above the mercy seat and from between the cherubim"-- "the Holy Spirit thus signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest" [" … while the first tabernacle was yet standing." This a reference to the Old Testament ordinances and priesthood. See Heb. 9:8-12]. Into this holiest of all none might enter, not even the high priest, save once a year, on the great Day of Atonement [Old Testament Yom Kippur, a day of great importance prophetically in the future for all Israel],3 and then only with the blood of atonement in his hands, which he sprinkled 'upon and before the mercy seat seven times' [Lev. 16:14]-- to signify that access for sinners to a holy God is only through atoning blood. But as they [all Israel] had only the blood of bulls and of goats, which could not take away sins [see Heb. 10:4; 1 John 3:4], during all the long ages [centuries] that preceded the death of Christ, the thick veil remained; the blood of bulls and of goats continued to be shed and sprinkled; and once a year access to God through an atoning sacrifice was vouchsafed-- in a picture, or rather, was dramatically represented, in those symbolical actions-- nothing more.
"But now, the one atoning Sacrifice being provided in the precious blood of Christ, access [direct, Luke 11:2] to this holy God no longer could be denied; and so the moment the Victim expired on the altar [figuratively speaking], that thick veil which for so many ages [centuries] had been the dread symbol of separation between God and guilty men [of Israel, Heb. 9:15, Deu. 29:1 the covenant made only with the children of Israel] was, without a hand touching it, mysteriously 'rent in twain from top to bottom'-- 'the Holy Spirit thus signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was NOW made manifest!'"
The Law covenant was broken and done away with. [Zec. 11:10-14]. No longer was a man, the high priest, needed to offer atonement for our sins. We, the House of Israel, in the Christian age, have direct, one on one, access to our Father in heaven, our sins forgiven by our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ. [See John 6:44, 45; Heb. 8:1-6; Acts 5:31].
"How emphatic the statement, from top to bottom; as if to say, Come boldly now to the Throne of Grace; the veil [the barrier] is clean gone [see 2 Cor. 3:13, 14]; the mercy seat stands open to the gaze of sinners [trangressors of the first covenant, Heb 9:15], and the way to it is sprinkled with the blood of Him-- 'who through the eternal Spirit has offered Himself without spot to God!'" Before, it was death to go in, now it is death to stay out. See more on this glorious subject in Heb. 10:19-22. [For the theological significance of this event for Christians, the nations of the House of Israel, read the updated Feature article, Can A Christian Sin?].
The apostle Paul explained it to those gathered in the synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia, "Of this man's [David] seed has God, according to his promise, raised up for Israel, a Savior, Jesus ..." [Acts 13:23]. Christ was not raised up for the gentiles of the world. The age of the Law Covenant had ended. There is a new covenant in place for us. A transition from old, which has passed away, to the new according to the promise of God "kept secret from before the world began."
As we noted at the top of the article, at Christ's death, the promised monumental directional change in Biblical theology took effect. Old Covenant Israel's physical priesthood was no longer required. Jesus Christ is our high priest. [Heb. 3:1]. The sacrifice of bulls and goats are no longer required. Christ was sacrificed once to cover our sins that now are washed away by his blood. [Eph. 5:2]. A physical temple is no longer required. We are the temple of God when the Spirit of God dwells in us. [1 Cor. 3:16]. "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He didn’t say ‘seeds,’ as of many, but as one. And to your Seed, which is Christ." [Gal. 3:16]. The Abrahamic Covenant, direct access to God is now in force for the House of Israel through our Redeemer Jesus Christ, the Seed of Abraham, the son of David, symbolized by "the veil of the temple rent in twain from the top to the bottom."
Therefore, let us cast off the lies and deceits of the false prophets, instead, embracing our rightful heritage. Let us turn to the love of the truth in our lives, understanding and rejoicing in the promised great and wonderful blessings given us from our LORD and Savior. And as our Father's children, let us stand in the fulness of his Spirit, mighty and strong in the truth of the word of God always.
Again, see the Feature article, The Good News Colour Revolution, and the Feature articles, We're Abraham's Seed And Heirs, Not gentiles and Is The Kingdom Of Heaven Here Yet?
1 In 1 Cor. 1:23 the word I've used here, gentiles, is in the Greek, hellen. Corinth is a Greek city. And the Corinthians were descendants of the 3rd head of the great image of the Beast in Daniel 2, Alexander's Greek Empire. They are gentiles, and not descendants of Israel. The point Paul is making here, about Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, specifically is tailoring his words about the Corinthians as gentiles. The principal gods of the Greeks were Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Hermes, and Dionysus. Hence, it is reference to these Greek gentiles that Paul is remarking.
Also, in the oldest Biblical manuscripts, the wording is "unto the gentiles."
2 Minor edits were made for clarity and style. Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown Commentary, 1871.
3 The significance of the prophetic Day of Atonement for Christians is discussed in chapter six, The Hijacked Elephant. It is the marriage of the Lamb discussed in Revelation and in the Prophets of the Old Testament. It was the most solemn high holy day, or annual Sabbath day, of the year, marked by a day of fasting. It is the yet to be fulfilled national day of reconciliation for the House of Judah and the House of Israel. [See Eze. 37:15-28; Heb. 8:8, 9].
Italics, underline and [ ] are the author’s.
Why the temple veil was rent asunder is essential to our Christian understanding of the fundamental shift that took place from the Old Testament to the New Testament, although it may appear to be nothing more than a trivial fact hardly worth mentioning. However, it symbolized the promised monumental directional change in Biblical theology, and signalled the fulfilling of the promises contained in the plan of God for the Christian age, " ... the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began...." [Rom. 16:25; see 2 Tim. 1:9, Tts. 1:2]. "Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the spirit, 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; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints that slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." [Mat. 27:50-53].
At the moment our Redeemer died, the very Christ who told us he was “sent only to the House of Israel,” and as noted in Matthew 27:51, “Then, behold, the veil of the temple [of Israel] was rent in two from top to bottom ….” [See Eph. 2:14-16]. Most Christians would read right over this significant event’s powerful and far-reaching impact, meant for us as descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, without giving it a second thought, again because we've lost knowledge of our ancestral history in the Old Testament. Instead, we make the erroneous assumption that this meant the door was open to the gentiles of the world. But we would be wrong. As Paul said, " ...we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to gentiles ...." [1 Cor. 1:23,1 for details and the implications of this for us today, see the Feature articles, Three Temple Ages Make A Plan, and The Relevance Of The Holy Days In The Plan Of God In The Last Days].
As Christ plainly said, he was sent only to the House of Israel in the Christian age. But as mentioned in our Feature article, The War Dispatches, we’ve been ethnically cleansed of this knowledge, and much to our detriment, our understanding of the great and wonderful promises for us. However, when we step back to look objectively, we can see that which is hidden in plain view, right in front of our noses. Our misunderstanding of John 3:16 has had disastrous effects on Christianity. It’s caused us to erroneously redefine a key doctrine that has led us far away from the first century gospel delivered to us by Christ and the apostles. [See the Feature articles, Moving Forward and Mirror, Mirror On The Wall]. But, we have many clues to guide us to the truth in the Biblical record when we know and understand the big picture. It was kept secret from before the beginning of the world until the first century when it was unveiled. There is no mention of it in the Old Testament, though it is meant for all the 12 nations of Israel.
The Old Testament is as much a Christian book as is the New when we know our Biblical ancestry. Ignorance of this fact has lead us to our current prophetic end-times situation. [See the Sneakers article, A Life And Death Pickle Of A Predicament]. As the Apostle Paul tells us, " ... and the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nations [of Israel] on the principle of faith [Greek, pistis, conviction of the truth], announced beforehand the glad tidings [Greek, proeuaggelizomai, good news, gospel told beforehand] to Abraham: in you each of the nations [of Israel's 12 sons] shall be blessed." [Gal. 3:8, DBY]. Remember, Christ is the Seed of Abraham. "But to Abraham were the promises addressed, and to his seed: he does not say, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to your seed; which is Christ." [Gal. 3:16, DBY]. And Christ was sent only to ... the lost sheep of the House of Israel.
The renting of the veil was hugely symbolic of the promised theological changes that impacted both the House of Judah, the Jews, and the House of Israel, the Christian nations that make up the remainder of Israel today. The House of Israel was redeemed. [Read Isa. 47:4; 48:17; 54:5]. We were brought into our new covenant relationship with God from that moment. The House of Israel had been divorced under the terms of the old law covenant, the veil of Moses. [See 2 Cor. 3:7-18]. With Christ's first coming, the House of Israel, after our divorce from God, beginning in 732 BCE [Jer. 3:6-8], was reinstated to our rightful relationship with God under the terms of the glorious new covenant promises given to Abraham and his Seed, Christ, our Redeemer. [Heb. gā'al, kinsman redeemer; see Eze. 34:30; also the Feature article, The Good News Colour Revolution].
To help explain the relevance of the veil splitting from top to bottom, I have included a quote from the Bible Commentary of Jamieson, Fausset and Brown,2 1871, for Matthew 27's verse 51. Keep in mind a vital point of clarification; the veil was located in the temple in Jerusalem, the temple, not for the gentiles of the world, but only for Israel. Therefore, we need to be careful not to redefine this event in gentile terms, but to maintain its proper covenant context for all 12 sons of Israel. [As noted above, see the Feature article The Tale Of Two Covenants].
"And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom-- This was the thick and gorgeously wrought veil which was hung between the "holy place" and the "holiest of all," shutting out all access to the presence of God [by the people of Israel] as manifested "from above the mercy seat and from between the cherubim"-- "the Holy Spirit thus signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest" [" … while the first tabernacle was yet standing." This a reference to the Old Testament ordinances and priesthood. See Heb. 9:8-12]. Into this holiest of all none might enter, not even the high priest, save once a year, on the great Day of Atonement [Old Testament Yom Kippur, a day of great importance prophetically in the future for all Israel],3 and then only with the blood of atonement in his hands, which he sprinkled 'upon and before the mercy seat seven times' [Lev. 16:14]-- to signify that access for sinners to a holy God is only through atoning blood. But as they [all Israel] had only the blood of bulls and of goats, which could not take away sins [see Heb. 10:4; 1 John 3:4], during all the long ages [centuries] that preceded the death of Christ, the thick veil remained; the blood of bulls and of goats continued to be shed and sprinkled; and once a year access to God through an atoning sacrifice was vouchsafed-- in a picture, or rather, was dramatically represented, in those symbolical actions-- nothing more.
"But now, the one atoning Sacrifice being provided in the precious blood of Christ, access [direct, Luke 11:2] to this holy God no longer could be denied; and so the moment the Victim expired on the altar [figuratively speaking], that thick veil which for so many ages [centuries] had been the dread symbol of separation between God and guilty men [of Israel, Heb. 9:15, Deu. 29:1 the covenant made only with the children of Israel] was, without a hand touching it, mysteriously 'rent in twain from top to bottom'-- 'the Holy Spirit thus signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was NOW made manifest!'"
The Law covenant was broken and done away with. [Zec. 11:10-14]. No longer was a man, the high priest, needed to offer atonement for our sins. We, the House of Israel, in the Christian age, have direct, one on one, access to our Father in heaven, our sins forgiven by our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ. [See John 6:44, 45; Heb. 8:1-6; Acts 5:31].
"How emphatic the statement, from top to bottom; as if to say, Come boldly now to the Throne of Grace; the veil [the barrier] is clean gone [see 2 Cor. 3:13, 14]; the mercy seat stands open to the gaze of sinners [trangressors of the first covenant, Heb 9:15], and the way to it is sprinkled with the blood of Him-- 'who through the eternal Spirit has offered Himself without spot to God!'" Before, it was death to go in, now it is death to stay out. See more on this glorious subject in Heb. 10:19-22. [For the theological significance of this event for Christians, the nations of the House of Israel, read the updated Feature article, Can A Christian Sin?].
The apostle Paul explained it to those gathered in the synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia, "Of this man's [David] seed has God, according to his promise, raised up for Israel, a Savior, Jesus ..." [Acts 13:23]. Christ was not raised up for the gentiles of the world. The age of the Law Covenant had ended. There is a new covenant in place for us. A transition from old, which has passed away, to the new according to the promise of God "kept secret from before the world began."
As we noted at the top of the article, at Christ's death, the promised monumental directional change in Biblical theology took effect. Old Covenant Israel's physical priesthood was no longer required. Jesus Christ is our high priest. [Heb. 3:1]. The sacrifice of bulls and goats are no longer required. Christ was sacrificed once to cover our sins that now are washed away by his blood. [Eph. 5:2]. A physical temple is no longer required. We are the temple of God when the Spirit of God dwells in us. [1 Cor. 3:16]. "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He didn’t say ‘seeds,’ as of many, but as one. And to your Seed, which is Christ." [Gal. 3:16]. The Abrahamic Covenant, direct access to God is now in force for the House of Israel through our Redeemer Jesus Christ, the Seed of Abraham, the son of David, symbolized by "the veil of the temple rent in twain from the top to the bottom."
Therefore, let us cast off the lies and deceits of the false prophets, instead, embracing our rightful heritage. Let us turn to the love of the truth in our lives, understanding and rejoicing in the promised great and wonderful blessings given us from our LORD and Savior. And as our Father's children, let us stand in the fulness of his Spirit, mighty and strong in the truth of the word of God always.
Again, see the Feature article, The Good News Colour Revolution, and the Feature articles, We're Abraham's Seed And Heirs, Not gentiles and Is The Kingdom Of Heaven Here Yet?
1 In 1 Cor. 1:23 the word I've used here, gentiles, is in the Greek, hellen. Corinth is a Greek city. And the Corinthians were descendants of the 3rd head of the great image of the Beast in Daniel 2, Alexander's Greek Empire. They are gentiles, and not descendants of Israel. The point Paul is making here, about Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, specifically is tailoring his words about the Corinthians as gentiles. The principal gods of the Greeks were Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Hermes, and Dionysus. Hence, it is reference to these Greek gentiles that Paul is remarking.
Also, in the oldest Biblical manuscripts, the wording is "unto the gentiles."
2 Minor edits were made for clarity and style. Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown Commentary, 1871.
3 The significance of the prophetic Day of Atonement for Christians is discussed in chapter six, The Hijacked Elephant. It is the marriage of the Lamb discussed in Revelation and in the Prophets of the Old Testament. It was the most solemn high holy day, or annual Sabbath day, of the year, marked by a day of fasting. It is the yet to be fulfilled national day of reconciliation for the House of Judah and the House of Israel. [See Eze. 37:15-28; Heb. 8:8, 9].
Italics, underline and [ ] are the author’s.
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