Veils

The subject of veils has been swirling around in my heart for months.

During the resurrection season, I read about the veil in the Temple. The veil in the Jewish temple was about 60 feet high and 4-5 inches thick. This veil hid the Holy of Holies from the people who were attending the temple for sacrifices. Only the High Priest could go behind the veil and that, only once a year. The access to the Father and His powerful glory and holiness was extremely restricted.  The mercy seat was on the other side of the veil. People, on their own, are not pure enough to approach Him. Even the High Priest had to enter with the blood of a lamb sacrifice to prevent his own death!

This is what the Jewish rabbinic writings say about the temple veil:

“The thickness of the veil [of the Temple] was a hand-breadth (4-5 inches thick).  It was woven of seventy-two cords, each cord consisting of twenty-four strands.  Its length was forty cubits, by twenty in width.  It was made by eighty-two myriads of damsels, and two such veils were made every year.  It took three hundred priests to immerse and cleanse it [if it becomes unclean].”

This was a MASSIVE barrier! It took 300 priests to handle it if it needed to be cleaned!!?? 

It had beautiful colors and the images of angels woven into it!

“And he made the veil of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubim thereon.”    2 Chronicles 3: 14

At the time Jesus cried out from the cross and released His spirit to the Father, the temple veil was torn in half.  Jesus was the final ‘lamb sacrifice’. He is the Lamb of God. His sacrifice satisfied what was needed to create access for us to the Father. The Innocent died in place of the guilty. We couldn’t make a way for ourselves. God took the initiative to put in place this perfect plan so we could be restored to Him.

The veil ripped from top to bottom; from heaven to earth!! As thick as it was, it is said that it would be like ripping a 60-foot phone book!

The scripture also refers to the ripping of Jesus’ flesh during his torture as the ‘tearing of the veil of his flesh’. By this, we have access to the holy place—the heart of God. We enter by the sacrifice of the Lamb of God and are restored to the Father.

“…which we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and entering into that which is within the veil…”  Hebrews 6: 19

Today, as I was praying--my attention turned to wedding veils. I suddenly deeply missed that my father was not at my wedding to lift the veil.

I love wedding veils. There is such a mysterious beauty about them. I also love the tradition of the bride’s father lifting the veil and presenting the bride to the bridegroom.

This picture of the Father removing the barrier between the Bride and the Bridegroom is so powerful. And then the ceremony of the marriage covenant seals “what God has joined together, let no man separate”.

There are so many beautiful mysteries in the gospel and I love the imagery of it all.

“But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3: 18

Isn’t that wonderful? The veil has been removed by the Father through the offering of Jesus… and we are joined together… being deeply transformed by the working of His Spirit.

Sure, the Officiant in a wedding ceremony is important--but really only a faciliatator. It is the Father who lifts the Veil and presents the Bride to the Bridegroom.

 A marriage made in heaven.