The Veil Was Torn

And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.  Matthew 27:51 (ESV)

In the temple, and in the original tabernacle, there was an inner room called the Holy of Holies.  This is where the Ark of the Covenant was kept.  This symbolized heaven itself.  And between the Holy of Holies - the Most Holy Place - and the Holy Place there was a curtain.  This was the divider between God and the people of Israel.  No one was allowed into the Holy of Holies, except for the high priest, and he could only go in there on the Day of Atonement.  This was once a year, a day set apart for the high priest to offer sacrifice and make atonement for Israel's sins.

When Jesus died on the cross the curtain, also called the veil, was torn completely top to bottom.  This meant the divider between the people and God had been destroyed.  This symbolized Christ opening the way to God.  But the events of Jesus' death and resurrection, His ascension and the day of Pentecost all have a certain order.  And that order has significance.  First He died on the cross.  Second He rose from the dead.  Third He ascended into heaven.  Fourth the Holy Spirit came down.  The high priest could only enter the Holy of Holies after he had made a sacrifice.  Jesus made the perfect sacrifice, and this allowed Him to enter the real Holy of Holies - heaven itself.  So after He rose from the dead and appeared to people for 40 days, He ascended into heaven.  And when He ascended into heaven, and sat at the right hand of the Father in heaven, He could intercede on behalf of His disciples.  It is no coincidence then, that Pentecost followed the ascension.  Christ sent the Holy Spirit to His believers.

Pentecost can be seen as a symbol for regeneration.  The Holy Spirit came, and those there were born again.  This is another reason Pentecost followed His death and resurrection.  It might have made just as much sense to send the Holy Spirit at the beginning of His ministry, in the mind of many people.  But that would have been out of order in God's plan.  You see, the temple has to be purified before the Holy Spirit would enter.  And the body of a believer is called the temple of the Holy Spirit.  So without Christ's death on the cross, the body is not cleansed of sin, and the Holy Spirit will not enter.  First a person believes in Christ, receives forgiveness for sins, then the Holy Spirit dwells in the believer.

Because of Christ's death on the cross, the veil was torn.  No longer does sin separate man and God, because Christ cleansed us of our sins.  Or at least we have the opportunity to be cleansed of those sins, if we believe in Him.  And we can receive the Holy Spirit, and be born again, all because of Jesus.  This is the Gospel.  This is the Good News.  And its incredibly good news.  Let me tell you what it means in practical terms.  First, it means you can live forever in heavenly bliss.  But more immediate than that, all things are possible with God.  Before the Gospel - before Christ's death on the cross - you could not be with God.  There was a veil between man and God, but that veil is gone.  So now you can be with God.  And there is no end to hope when God is present.  No one, no matter who they are, where they are, or how bad things are, is in a hopeless situation.  God can turn anything around.  Jesus came and He healed blind, deaf, mute, crippled, lepers, bleeders, demon-possessed, and even raised people from the dead.  If Jesus can raise people from the dead, He can improve you for sure.  Everything is elastic; everything can change.  Have faith, trust in God.  The mind is elastic; people can improve their intelligence, and people can worsen their intelligence, even without supernatural means.  The body is elastic; a person's health can improve or worsen, even without supernatural means.  The character is elastic; a person can become better or worse.  And while the supernatural is not always needed to improve in these areas, the supernatural is always there with God.  All things are possible with God.  So I plead with you, all you need to do is seek God.  Have faith in Christ.  Pray to Him.  Seek to know Him.  Read His word.  He will give you good things, because He is the Good Father.  And your life, no matter how desperate you are, can become infinitely better.  There is no such thing as a hopeless situation with God.  If you don't believe me, spend enough time to find out for yourself.  As the Scripture says, taste and see that the Lord is good.  He truly is!  The veil was torn, and you don't have to think your situation is hopeless, because Christ made a way to God, and God can restore all things.