“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.” Matthew 27:51
In the Old Testament, by the work and teachings of Moses, God gave to Israel a picture concerning God’s way for man, by which he could come before the Majesty on High, and tthere to know God. God has never left man without the clear revelation of that way, first by the creation of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, and then, Temple in Jerusalem. Later it would be by the work and words of Christ, His crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. Both in the Old Testament, and the New, God’s purpose was to reveal to sinful, lost man, that there was truly a way to know God with certainty, being cleansed from sins, and being given a righteousness that was not his own, but received from heaven. What was this way, and how is it the greatest privilege of man?
In both the Old and New Testaments, in the writings of the Psalmists and the Apostles, we find the concept and truth of “nearness” to God. There are times, as in the case of Moses, when there was a very distinct limit to how close one could come to God. This was evidenced by the day when Moses was called of God to deliver the Israelites from Egypt. That day, God revealed Himself to Moses in a burning bush, but restrained him from coming too close, for there was something that Moses had to understand. The Lord said to him, “Draw not nigh hither: put off the shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” (Ex. 3:5) Why did God say this to Moses, and restrain him? It is because Moses needed to understand that God was holy, unique, separated from sin, and this, because He was God, the God of Abraham. Thus, God has HIS way by which man can come to Him. Any other way is as the Lord Jesus declared, is like thief and robber who climbs up by “some other way” into the sheepfold. Moses needed to learn the only way to God, as did the nation of Israel. The Jew and the Gentile throughout history have needed to learn the same thing, for God’s way is singular, perfect, complete, and eternally certain and true. What is this “way,” this great privilege that the Eternal God has given to the sinner who comes His way?
We see something of it when the Lord Jesus on the cross, cried out with a loud voice, and then died. Immediately, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. Why is this significant? For the Hebrew it was overwhelmingly significant, for by the tearing of that veil, God was declaring that the perfect sacrifice of His Son was accepted, and now was being honored, as there would henceforth be full and free access, not only to the outer court of the Temple, but into the very holy place, the Holiest of All. God had provided for man, imperfect and small as he is, even though he be a sinner, access to close proximity to God. This proximity, as taught in the New Testament, is more than just being IN the presence of God. It means that the God of the Old Testament, and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, even Christ Himself, comes to dwell in the heart, His designed and desginated temple, where the true worship of God can now be done. It is by that worship, in Spirit and truth, that God reveals Himself to the believer who comes by the precious blood of Christ, trusting in the name of the Lord Jesus, believing Him to be his advocate and High Priest, who never ceases to pray for him. It is there that the same Eternal Spirit strengthens the believer to live in conscious nearness to God, before His face, indwelt by Christ, in faith’s full assurance.
Dear Father, Strengthen us to come. In Jesus’ name, Amen.