Day #264 - The Veil

The Presence - A Devotional for Living in Thanksgiving, Worship and Wonder

““You shall make a veil woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen. It shall be woven with an artistic design of cherubim.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭26‬:‭31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Photo by Leópold Kristjánsson on Unsplash

Have you ever seen a child get a gift so big that it can’t be wrapped?

When a gift was too big to be wrapped conventionally when I was a child it usually meant a great gift. Something like a blanket or curtain had to be used to cover a wagon, a bicycle or a basketball hoop. Whenever a gift was covered by something large to hide it, I would get so excited to see what was behind it.

Between the Most Holy Place and the Holy Place or the Holy of Holies and the Inner Court was a veil. The first mention of a door or gate between entries in the Tabernacle is the veil, which is the innermost entry. The Tabernacle is always heaven to earth. “The Presence” is always moving from heaven to earth. This veil was set up to separate these two rooms where the High Priest could only enter once a year behind the veil in the Holy of Holies. The veil was concealing the greatest glory and gift where the Ark rested, the manifest presence of God Almighty.

This veil protected the great gift of God’s glory and also protected the priests who ministered to the Lord in the Inner Court from the raw power of God they could not handle approaching regularly. The veil was beautiful and has much depth to its symbolism but it also served this important function that showed extreme honor for the manifest presence of God.

When Jesus died on the cross the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. It was ripped from heaven to earth (Matthew 27:51-52). The writer of Hebrews would later go on to give deeper meaning to what happened on the cross. “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh (‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NKJV).” Not only did Jesus death cause the veil to be torn, His body became the veil for us somehow on the cross that opened up the way for us to ever the Most Holy Place by His blood.

Jesus’ death tore the veil for us and He was the veil torn for us. You have boldness to enter into His presence. The place where priests feared to tread and was concealed by the veil is open to you and I. We often don’t realize what a holy price was paid for us to be granted such easy access into “the Presence.” Don’t take it for granted what He has done. It wasn’t a cheap price, it cost Him everything. What access we have now in such confidence because of the magnitude of price that was paid for us. Enter in beloved child of God to the place purchased for You through the body of Christ. ‬‬

Lord Jesus, You became the veil torn for me to enter the Most Holy Place by Your blood. I refuse to stay in the Outer and Inner Court when You have made the way for me to come boldly to the place Your glory dwells. I thank You and worship You for the great price You paid to open the way from heaven to earth. In Your holy name, amen.