And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
At the moment Jesus died, the heavy curtain separating the holy place from the most holy place was torn in two from top to bottom by divine power. Its rending declared that the whole system of animal sacrifices had ended forever, because it had pointed to Christ and was fulfilled in His one infinite sacrifice as the Lamb of God for the sins of the world. It showed that the One who had dwelt in the man-made temple had departed, so that the earthly most holy place was no longer recognized as sacred and God would no longer accept its sacrifices. By His blood paying the claims of God's holy law, a new and living way was opened to the fallen race, making reconciliation with God, eternal life, and the final end of sin possible. The barrier between Jews and Gentiles was thus broken down, for salvation for both depends on believing in Him as the only offering for sin.
The Veil Torn Open
At the very moment Jesus died, as He cried that His work was finished and breathed His last, the inner temple veil was torn in two from top to bottom by divine power, by unseen hands, by a divine hand and not by any human agent. The tearing took place at His death and remained, for there was not time to replace the curtain or fully repair it.
The veil was a costly, large curtain of purple and gold, of great length and breadth, strong and heavy, a strong rich drapery renewed yearly. It separated the holy place from the most holy place, which human feet had sacredly entered only once a year, guarded from all but the high priest's yearly entrance. Its rending laid open the most holy place and exposed its sacred mysteries and the mysteries of the Most Holy Place to common gaze and to curious eyes, after God had before wonderfully protected His temple.
Priests were ministering in the temple before the veil and before the altar when the earth trembled beneath them, and people in the temple witnessed the rending. The ministering priests looked on the torn curtain, and the uncovering brought gloomy forebodings and shuddering dread. The most holy place thus lay open, its sacred mysteries exposed to common and curious gaze.
The rending belongs with the supernatural signs accompanying Jesus' death — earthquake, darkness over the land, split and rending rocks — by which nature testified and sympathized that the Son of God, its Author, had died. The earth shook, rocks split, darkness covered the land, and the mysterious darkness over the earth passed away at His death as He cried, It is finished. These events troubled His enemies and made His murderers tremble, filling executioners and spectators with terror.
Its setting is the crucifixion, where Jesus as the patient Sufferer shed His life-blood from every wound in consequence of sin. Silent before mocking priests, elders and mob, He answered no taunt even while nailed to the cross, breathing pardoning love for His murderers, suffering the penalty of man's transgression of the Father's law.
What the Rending Means
The tearing declares that the whole ceremonial system of sacrificial offerings ended forever at the cross. Its sacrifices, services, offerings, ordinances and ritual had pointed forward to Christ, and their meaning met its fulfillment in His one final, infinite sacrifice as the Lamb of God for the sins of the world. Animal offerings and services were therefore no longer needed and no longer had value.
It declares that the One who had dwelt in the temple made with hands had departed and would never again grace it with His presence. The earthly most holy place, once guarded as God's sacred audience chamber, was no longer recognized by the Lord as sacred. The place laid open to view was no longer His sacred audience chamber.
God's presence would no longer overshadow the earthly mercy-seat. The light of His glory would no longer flash forth upon the precious stones in the high priest's breastplate, nor would the cloud of His disapproval shadow them. The high priest's robes no longer had meaning as a sign that he represented the great High Priest.
The rending declares that God would no longer accept the priests' temple sacrifices and ordinances. By rejecting Christ, the reality to which their types and shadows pointed, the Jewish people were separated from God. Israel was thereby declared to be separated from God.
It shows that the division and barrier between Jews and Gentiles was broken down. Jesus offered Himself for both Jew and Gentile. Salvation for either depends on believing in Him as the only offering for sin and the Saviour of the world.
Its rending signified to the heavenly universe and to a world corrupted by sin that a new and living way had been opened to the fallen race. By ransoming His people with His own blood and paying the just claims of God's holy law, Christ completed the work He came to do. He thereby carried the plan of redemption forward and made reconciliation with God and eternal life possible. Through that work an end is finally to be made of sin and Satan and his host to be vanquished.
How the Sign Struck
The laying open of the sacred mysteries of the most holy place brought the ministering priests before the altar gloomy forebodings and a shuddering dread of coming calamity, for they looked on the torn veil as a sign of coming calamity. There had not been time to replace the veil or fully repair it, so it remained torn before their eyes. The rent veil convicted many of the officiating priests of the true character of Jesus, proving that their searching of the prophecies had not been in vain. After He was raised from the dead they acknowledged Him as the Son of God, and many were changed in religious understanding and came to faith.
With earthquake, darkness over the land, and split and rending rocks, the rending proclaimed that the Son of God had died, as nature testified and sympathized that its Author had died. These signs filled the executioners and spectators with terror and added to their terror at the sight. They troubled His enemies and made His murderers tremble. They helped silence the mocking of the priests and elders, and led some among the executioners and spectators to wonder whether Jesus was innocent and truly the Son of God. For the disciples, by contrast, the same death amid earthquake, split rocks, darkness, and His cry that His work was finished seemed to end their last hope, and their hopes of His reigning as a temporal prince died with Him. The event belongs to the fulfilled prophecies that confirmed Jesus as the Messiah and the world's Redeemer.
At the moment Jesus died, the heavy curtain separating the holy place from the most holy place was torn in two from top to bottom by divine power. Its rending declared that the whole system of animal sacrifices had ended forever, because it had pointed to Christ and was fulfilled in His one infinite sacrifice as the Lamb of God for the sins of the world. It showed that the One who had dwelt in the man-made temple had departed, so that the earthly most holy place was no longer recognized as sacred and God would no longer accept its sacrifices. By His blood paying the claims of God's holy law, a new and living way was opened to the fallen race, making reconciliation with God, eternal life, and the final end of sin possible. The barrier between Jews and Gentiles was thus broken down, for salvation for both depends on believing in Him as the only offering for sin.
The Veil Torn Open
At the very moment Jesus died, as He cried that His work was finished and breathed His last, the inner temple veil was torn in two from top to bottom by divine power, by unseen hands, by a divine hand and not by any human agent. The tearing took place at His death and remained, for there was not time to replace the curtain or fully repair it.
The veil was a costly, large curtain of purple and gold, of great length and breadth, strong and heavy, a strong rich drapery renewed yearly. It separated the holy place from the most holy place, which human feet had sacredly entered only once a year, guarded from all but the high priest's yearly entrance. Its rending laid open the most holy place and exposed its sacred mysteries and the mysteries of the Most Holy Place to common gaze and to curious eyes, after God had before wonderfully protected His temple.
Priests were ministering in the temple before the veil and before the altar when the earth trembled beneath them, and people in the temple witnessed the rending. The ministering priests looked on the torn curtain, and the uncovering brought gloomy forebodings and shuddering dread. The most holy place thus lay open, its sacred mysteries exposed to common and curious gaze.
The rending belongs with the supernatural signs accompanying Jesus' death — earthquake, darkness over the land, split and rending rocks — by which nature testified and sympathized that the Son of God, its Author, had died. The earth shook, rocks split, darkness covered the land, and the mysterious darkness over the earth passed away at His death as He cried, It is finished. These events troubled His enemies and made His murderers tremble, filling executioners and spectators with terror.
Its setting is the crucifixion, where Jesus as the patient Sufferer shed His life-blood from every wound in consequence of sin. Silent before mocking priests, elders and mob, He answered no taunt even while nailed to the cross, breathing pardoning love for His murderers, suffering the penalty of man's transgression of the Father's law.
What the Rending Means
The tearing declares that the whole ceremonial system of sacrificial offerings ended forever at the cross. Its sacrifices, services, offerings, ordinances and ritual had pointed forward to Christ, and their meaning met its fulfillment in His one final, infinite sacrifice as the Lamb of God for the sins of the world. Animal offerings and services were therefore no longer needed and no longer had value.
It declares that the One who had dwelt in the temple made with hands had departed and would never again grace it with His presence. The earthly most holy place, once guarded as God's sacred audience chamber, was no longer recognized by the Lord as sacred. The place laid open to view was no longer His sacred audience chamber.
God's presence would no longer overshadow the earthly mercy-seat. The light of His glory would no longer flash forth upon the precious stones in the high priest's breastplate, nor would the cloud of His disapproval shadow them. The high priest's robes no longer had meaning as a sign that he represented the great High Priest.
The rending declares that God would no longer accept the priests' temple sacrifices and ordinances. By rejecting Christ, the reality to which their types and shadows pointed, the Jewish people were separated from God. Israel was thereby declared to be separated from God.
It shows that the division and barrier between Jews and Gentiles was broken down. Jesus offered Himself for both Jew and Gentile. Salvation for either depends on believing in Him as the only offering for sin and the Saviour of the world.
Its rending signified to the heavenly universe and to a world corrupted by sin that a new and living way had been opened to the fallen race. By ransoming His people with His own blood and paying the just claims of God's holy law, Christ completed the work He came to do. He thereby carried the plan of redemption forward and made reconciliation with God and eternal life possible. Through that work an end is finally to be made of sin and Satan and his host to be vanquished.
How the Sign Struck
The laying open of the sacred mysteries of the most holy place brought the ministering priests before the altar gloomy forebodings and a shuddering dread of coming calamity, for they looked on the torn veil as a sign of coming calamity. There had not been time to replace the veil or fully repair it, so it remained torn before their eyes. The rent veil convicted many of the officiating priests of the true character of Jesus, proving that their searching of the prophecies had not been in vain. After He was raised from the dead they acknowledged Him as the Son of God, and many were changed in religious understanding and came to faith.
With earthquake, darkness over the land, and split and rending rocks, the rending proclaimed that the Son of God had died, as nature testified and sympathized that its Author had died. These signs filled the executioners and spectators with terror and added to their terror at the sight. They troubled His enemies and made His murderers tremble. They helped silence the mocking of the priests and elders, and led some among the executioners and spectators to wonder whether Jesus was innocent and truly the Son of God. For the disciples, by contrast, the same death amid earthquake, split rocks, darkness, and His cry that His work was finished seemed to end their last hope, and their hopes of His reigning as a temporal prince died with Him. The event belongs to the fulfilled prophecies that confirmed Jesus as the Messiah and the world's Redeemer.