Direct Access to the Father
Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split.
After Israel left Egypt, God instructed them to build the tabernacle. The tabernacle was a portable structure that represented God’s presence in the midst of the children of Israel. In that tabernacle was a special room called the Most Holy Place.
The Most Holy Place contained the mercy seat, which represented the throne of God. A veil hid and separated this room. Only the high priest could enter this room, once a year on the Day of Atonement (Exodus 26:33-34; 30:10). This continued in the temple (built by Solomon and rebuilt by Herod).
This veil symbolized the people being separated from God and only the high priest having the authority to intercede for the people. The ceremonial washings that the high priest went through just to enter the Most Holy Place represented the level of spiritual purity that God required of those who approached Him (Hebrews 9:11-15, 24).
That veil that symbolically separated the people from God’s presence was ripped in two at Christ’s death. Now, instead of approaching God through a human intercessor, “through Him [Christ] we both have access by one spirit to the Father” (Ephesians 2:18).
To learn more about approaching and praying to the Father, read “How to Pray.”
Tomorrow on the Daily Bible Verse Blog: “Walking by Faith.”
