“And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:
There may be differences of judgment in the interpretation of certain parts of the Tabernacle or vessels connected with it, but the spiritual signification of the Veil is placed beyond dispute. The Epistle to the Hebrews is a Divine commentary on the Levitical System as unfolded in the books of Exodus and Leviticus. In the tenth chapter of the epistle we read, “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. By a new and living way which He hath consecrated for us through the Veil, that is to say His flesh” (verses 19, 20).’But we must not confound person with flesh.
Christ viewed as a Person here on earth or as risen, and glorified, essentially differs from any created being. Angelic nature is one. Human nature is one. But the Lord had a dual nature—Divine and Human; both in absolute harmony; both in absolute perfection. The Man Christ Jesus was none other than the Eternal Word become flesh. God manifest in flesh. Greater He could not be.
The Veil must have been an exquisite and beautiful example of the highest skill and design. The natural powers of the two chief artificers of the Tabernacle were under the immediate control of Jehovah―a Divine guarantee of the perfection and rare beauty of the work (Exod. 35:30-3530And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the Lord hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship; 32And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, 33And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work. 34And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work. (Exodus 35:30‑35)). There was neither gold nor wood in the Vail. It was made in view of being rent. Its basis was fine twined linen, but little of that could be seen as cherubic forms were wrought all over, and into the delicately prepared fabric in colors of blue, purple, and scarlet. The Veil was made Cherubim (Exod. 36:3535And he made a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubims made he it of cunning work. (Exodus 36:35)―delete “with” in the text); this the scenic representation of the executive, judicial power of God―the glory of the God of Israel which was driven from the Temple and City of Jerusalem (Ezek. 10:18, 19; 11:22, 2318Then the glory of the Lord departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims. 19And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the Lord's house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. (Ezekiel 10:18‑19)
22Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. 23And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city. (Ezekiel 11:22‑23)) by the gross sin and idolatry of the people. Had it longer remained, righteousness must have swept Jerusalem and its guilty Temple, involving king, priest, and people in one common judgment. But from the moment of the Incarnation the executive power of the throne of the Eternal was and is inseparably connected with that great fact. The government is upon His shoulders. The power of the throne occasionally broke out in the days of His flesh as when He trod upon the sea (Matt 14:25, 26), and calmed the raging elements of nature (Matt. 8:2626And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. (Matthew 8:26)). His omnipotent power over Satan (Mark 5:1-151And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. 2And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 4Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. 5And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. 6But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, 7And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. 8For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. 9And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. 10And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. 11Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. 12And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. 13And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. 14And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. 15And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. (Mark 5:1‑15)), over disease (verses 25-34), and over death (verses 35-43), proclaimed that the Cherubim had found their rest in Him.
In the future government of the world the power denoted by the Cherubim is witnessed in fullest exercise. He shall gloriously sway the scepter in righteousness and execute His own decrees as Son of Man (John 5:2727And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. (John 5:27)). Then the colors in which the Cherubim were wrought bear their testimony to Him as heavenly, in suffering, and in future glory; the Cherubim His government of the world.
The ten beautiful curtains which were thrown over the gold-covered boards were composed of the same material, colors and cherubic forms as the Veil―differing of course in dimensions. But in the description of the former, the basis (white linen) on which their beauties were displayed, is first mentioned (Exod. 26:11Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them. (Exodus 26:1)); whereas in the account of the Veil the colors are first named (26:31). In the curtainsthe purity of Christ is prominent—a purity fit for God and heaven. In the Veil the blue first attracts the sight directing us to Christ’s association with heaven (John 3:1313And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. (John 3:13)).
The skilled work of the embroiderer is specially noted in the making of cherubic forms in the linen curtains, the Veil (Exod. 26:), also the ephod and the breastplate of the High Priest (Chap. 28).
But how was the Veil suspended? It hung upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold. These pillars pointed to the Divine and Human, our Lord in the fullness of His Person―the God-Man. The pillars upheld the Veil. The pillars rested on silver sockets―massive blocks of silver each about a hundred and fourteen pounds weight and embedded in the ground. The pillars were then immovable. The hooks above on which the Veil was suspended were of gold. The silver sockets sustained the pillars, while the gold sustained the Veil—gold above, silver beneath. The silver of It (Exod. 30:15-1615The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls. 16And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls. (Exodus 30:15‑16)) the basis, the gold of Divine Righteousness above. What a wondrous connection exists between those truths symbolized in the Veil, in the gold covered pillars, in the sockets of silver, and hooks of gold. The pillars were firmly planted on that glorious foundation―the blood of atonement.
“And thou shalt hang up the Veil under the taches that thou mayest bring thither within the Veil the ark of the testimony: and the Veil shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy” (verse 33). We have already remarked upon the relative dimensions of the two sacred apartments determined by the position of the Veil under the gold taches connecting the beautiful curtains.The smaller of the two, and but entered by the people’s representative once a year was the holiest of all. The reader would do well, however, to note the connection between the beautiful curtains and the beautiful Veil as indicated in the position of the latter under the taches of gold. Both the curtains and the Veil speak of Christ. The former refer to what He is abidingly in the Divine presence; the latter alone was rent in twain at His death. The Veil is the flesh of Christ; the Veil rent is His death. The curtains were never rent.
The Veil Rent.
The Veil of the Tabernacle and the Veil of the Temple were identical: see Exod. 36. for the former and 2 Chron. 3:1414And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon. (2 Chronicles 3:14) for the latter. Hebrews never speaks of a rent Veil but supposes it. The rending of the Veil—not its removal―is stated as an historical fact in each of the synoptical gospels. Its symbolic force and value is of the last importance to all.
The fact that the rending of the Temple Veil is noted three times as one of the greatest circumstances consequent upon the death of our Lord, marks it as profoundly significant. Several questions naturally suggest themselves to thoughtful readers: why was the Veil rent? why rent from top to bottom? (Matt. and Mark). Why rent in the midst? (Luke).
Why was the Veil rent? Historically it was the Veil of the Temple that was rent, but in the Epistle to the Hebrews the apostle never once refers to the Temple. He reverts in his precious lessons and truths to the primary and fundamental idea―the Tabernacle—especially Chaps. 9; 10. He speaks of the Veil of the Tabernacle. The Evangelists of the Veil of the Temple. The Veil was the link of connection between the two (10:19-20). Now the Incarnation and the Death of the Lord, or the Manger and the Cross, each have their respective thoughts and teaching. In the former it is God coming out to man revealing Himself to His creatures: in the latter it is God opening the door—a righteous and holy One — for men to enter His presence.
Hence it was needful for the Veil to be torn asunder if a creature sinful in himself, could righteously enter the Divine presence. It intimated the death of the Lord of the Temple, and consequently the complete setting aside of the whole Jewish system of sacrifice and worship. If the Veil is rent, if that which divided the holy from the most holy, and hid the glory and presence of God from all, is rent, then with unsandalled feet and in boldness of soul with the blood of Jesus as our only plea we draw near. Our place as worshippers is in the immediate presence of God―for us there is no Veil. The holy place and the holiest are one. For 500 years the beautiful Veil hung in silent glory, confining and concealing the glory and presence of Jehovah to one small apartment, and effectually shutting out all save Aaron, who only once a year could enter the sacred presence and that not without incense and blood. The glories of the Tabernacle were centered in Jesus. The Tabernacle so to speak was in Him. His flesh is the Veil. But the fact of Incarnation blessed as it is could not set cue in God’s presence. Jesus died. The Veil was rent and thus and then the open door to God’s immediate presence. Christ on earth was the beautiful Veil. “The word became flesh and tabernacled among us and we behold His glory” (John 1:1414And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)). The faith of some pierced through the outer covering, the rough exterior of the badgers skins, and beheld and feasted upon the hidden glories within. But the perfect and holy humanity of our Lord was brought to the Altar. He died. The Veil was rent. Behold heaven is now open.
No Israelite of old could approach beyond the Brazen Altar—not even to the Laver which was a priestly vessel. Not even the most favored of Levites dare look into the Tabernacle under pain of death (Num. 4: 19-20). The priests of old in their daily ministration in the sanctuary, without doubt looked upon the Veil and wondered and worshipped, but none save the anointed High Priest could enter the holiest of all, and when He did so, all were banished from the Tabernacle on that most sacred of occasions. Unhallowed approach has but one penalty— death. Why all this distance and dread? Simply because sin could not be permitted in God’s holy, holy, holy presence; nor could a sin burdened conscience be at peace or rest there. Who could look upon the untreated and glorious Majesty of God and live?
The repetition of sacrifice could not perfect the worshippers, nor effectually remove sin from the conscience, on the contrary the remembrance, of sins, not the blotting of them out was proclaimed aloud by every fresh sacrifice (Heb. 10:1-41. The fire of judgment was ever demanding sacrifice, and was never satisfied. Now we know of a sacrifice infinite in its worth and value—one which has consumed the fire of Divine wrath, and it burns no more.
“For by one offering He hath PERFECTED Forever them that are sanctified” (Heb. 10:1414For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14)). Now the Sacrifice of Christ—of Himself—has accomplished three things—incapable of repetition. First, it has answered to the full the claims of the Throne of Jehovah. Second, it has perfected the conscience of the believer forever. Third, it has righteously opened a way―new and living―into the very presence of God Himself.
Why rent from top to bottom? It must have been effected by a Divine hand and for a Divine purpose. Thus through this symbolic act a blood-stained way is now open from God to man, from heaven to earth. It was God’s own hand that rent the Veil. It was God’s own hand that smote the Rock of Ages that the gushing streams might flow out and forth (Zech. 13:77Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. (Zechariah 13:7)).
Why rent in the midst? Because there is now an open and straight door into God’s presence. It is not a circuitous way. There is no side entrance; one open door to all. No one can, save willfully, mistake the way to God. The door of the Tabernacle and the Veil faced each other, in an exact line with the Brazen Altar―the first point of contact with God. The start―the Altar in the Court; the goal―the Ark in the Holiest.
The Veil is termed in Heb. 9:33And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; (Hebrews 9:3) “the second Veil;” the first being the door into the Tabernacle. The first Veil was suspended on five pillars; the second Veil on four pillars. There are five inspired writers who severally and together introduce us to Christ on high. There are four Gospels in which the Veil—the absolute humanity of our Lord in peerless perfection and purity is depicted.
It is also termed “the covering Veil” (Num. 4:55And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it: (Numbers 4:5); Exod. 39:3434And the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers' skins, and the vail of the covering, (Exodus 39:34)), as it was used to cover the Ark when journeying, and effectually screened it from view when the Tabernacle was at rest (Exod. 40:33And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail. (Exodus 40:3)). What does all this signify? The presence of God could not be entered, His glory within could not be witnessed so long as the Veil stood unrent and the Mercy-seat unstained by blood―the witness of death. The Veil is rent, now all is changed and all rests on the magnificent and solitary foundation THE DEATH OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST FOR OUR SINS.