Alright, let's look at that 39th
verse. Our Lord is out at Calvary being
put to death. And they that pass by revile
Him, wagging their heads, and say, Thou that destroyest the
temple, and build it again in three days, say thyself, if thou
be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise, all
the chief priests mocking Him with the scribes and the elders
said, He saved others, Himself He cannot save. If He be King
of Israel, let Him come down from the cross, and we will believe
Him. He trusted in God, let Him deliver Him now, if He will have
Him. For He said, I am the Son of
God. The thieves also which were crucified
with Him cast the same in their teeth. Now, from the sixth hour
there was darkness over all the land under the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour, Jesus
cried with a loud voice saying, Eli, Eli, lama, sebapheni. That is to say, My God, My God,
why hast Thou forsaken Me? Some of them that stood there
When they heard that, said, this man calls for Elias. And straightway one of them took
and ran, and took a sponge and filled it with vinegar, put it
on a reed, and gave him to drink. The rest said, let us see whether
Elias will come to save him. Jesus, when He had cried with
a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And watch verse 51, And
behold, the veil in the temple was rent in twain from the top
to the bottom, and the earth did quake, and the rocks went
rent, and the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saint
which slept arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection,
went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Verse 51
gives us our text this evening. Behold, the veil of the temple
was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. Let's begin by
remembering something scripturally from the Gospel. That is, the
death of the God-man who died upon the cross was the most profound
death that any had ever died and are written up in the Scripture. the most unique and unusual death
before our sin. We can truly say with a prophet
of God, no man ever died like this man. His death had great
significance, both upon heaven and also upon earth. Also upon
the natural world, regarding spirituality, this was one of
the most prominent deaths ever died upon the earth. Many others,
you know, had been taken out to Mount Calvary and had been
crucified in the same way that our Lord was. Yet, no other death
of any other man ever produced the results that the death of
Christ produced. Not even the worst criminal,
not even the most innocent of men. No doubt some of the latter
were put to death there. Even when the holy, holy servants
of God and of Christ had died, men like Paul and Moses and David
and Abraham and Peter, when a Calvin or a Gil or a Spurgeon breathed
out their very last breath, or even when some died as martyrs
and killed for the faith once delivered unto the saints. In
their deaths, nature has kept its order. Creation has remained
silent. The sun stays its course without
any alteration. Nature and creation seem to take
absolutely no notice of the death of these men when ordinary men
die, even if they die for the faith or as a mortar. There is no disruption of the
natural order when other great men have died. All things continue
on their way even as they always have. You cannot tell by the
reaction of creation that any great one has died. But when
the God-man breathed out his last breath, dismissed his spirit,
and commended it into the hands of God, we are reading in our
text today that creation acknowledged the death of our God-man upon
the cross. Spurgeon wrote, there was no
convulsions in nature. Creation acknowledged. There were convulsions in nature. Creation acknowledged the death
of our Lord. So let us recall some of the
events that occurred in, around, and with the death of Christ
upon the cross. Some are mentioned in our text.
Number one, there was darkness. over all of the earth that lasted
three hours. Darkness, no doubt, that might
be felt. That paralyzed the people in
their place from the sixth hour down unto the ninth. That is,
from noon, our noon, until 3 p.m. in the evening. Matthew 27 and
45. Luke 23 and verse 44. Now, this was not a natural eclipse of the Son, as some might want
to say. We cannot find this anywhere
in history, as the great Son of Righteousness, as Malachi
called Him, hung upon the cross in His dying hour. The Son, yes,
the S-U-N, the great energy of the universe paid homage unto
Him. The Son went backwards ten degrees
as a sign to Hezekiah in Isaiah chapter 38. And it stood still
for Joshua and for Moses and the people in Joshua chapter
10 and verse 13 and 14. But when Christ was dying, it
shined not at all. It turned in the darkness. The
darkness covered the land compared to that plague of darkness coming
upon the land of Egypt in Exodus 10. And for three days the great
darkness was upon the land of Egypt. A second thing occurred.
Not only great darkness upon the land as Christ was dying,
but in Matthew 27, verse 53 that we read, The earth did quake. The rocks rent asunder. Graves were opened that had long
time held their dead. Many bodies of the dead saints
then arose and came into the city after His resurrection. And as proof they appeared unto
many. And the material world paid homage
to the death of the Son of God upon the cross. showing us that
Christ was no ordinary man. He is no ordinary prophet like
Moses or like Isaiah. He did not die an ordinary death. His death was not ordinary like
those of other many supernatural manifestations were in attendance
to the special personage of Jesus Christ as He died there upon
the cross. we may designate His death as
an extraordinary death among men. Now in this study, however,
we want to focus upon one aspect of the death of the Lord and
the ramification and the consequences of that one act. And it's that
thing recorded in all three of the Synoptic Gospels. Matthew
25, 27, it's in verse 51. In Mark 15, it's in verse 38. In Luke chapter 23, it's in verse
45. So that all three synoptics take
note of this event when our Lord was dying. And that is the renting
of the veil in the Jewish temple yonder in Jerusalem. Now these
all three say essentially one and the same thing. Matthew and
Mark say the veil was rent from the top to the bottom. Luke in
his account said the veil of the temple was rent in the midst,
in the midst of it. We need some understanding of
this veil, where it was, what it did. We need to know the significance
of renting the veil when our Lord died upon the cross. We
need to know the significance of it as it was used by Israel.
in their offerings and their worship. Now this veil in the
temple had been a part of the temple, in the temple, the veil
of the temple. We read of it clearly, it was
there. Now to get the full impact of
this veil, as well as the meaning of the rendering of it, we must
then go back to Exodus and the building or the rearing up of
the tabernacle in the wilderness. One major point of the tabernacle,
one major component, one major part of that tabernacle was the
veil. We read in Exodus 26 and verse
31, Thou shalt make a veil. As they were putting together
the tabernacle, Thou shalt make a veil. And Moses was told this. The veil was to be made of fine
twined linen, nothing else but that, and the colors of it were
to be blue and purple and scarlet, so that it was made to the exact
pattern given to Moses in the mount. John Gill quotes the Jewish
writers as saying a few things about them. He said it was made
of thread that was six times double. As they made this veil,
it was six times double and was four fingers thick, as we think
about the veil hanging in the temple. Now, it was hanged there
upon four pillars that were put in the temple. These pillars
were made of sheetum wood, which was a favorite wood for that,
and they were overlaid with gold. This was the command of God.
and they had hooks of gold in them, and they had sockets upon
them, Exodus 26 and verse 32. Now this veil was actually a
divider between the two compartments of the tabernacle called the
holy place and the most holy place, Exodus 26 and verse 33. Now within this veil of fine
twined linen of blue and purple and scarlet, of thread woven
six times and four fingers thick, with the Ark of the Covenant
with a broken law inside of it." The epistle of Hebrews, chapter
9, 1 through 7, gives a brief account of the arrangement of
the tabernacle and speaks of the veil, something known to
every Jew, every Jew that practiced Judaism was acquainted with this
veil and recalls for them that none but the high priest, not
another man, not another priest in all of Israel, only the high
priest went behind this particular veil and he went alone with blood
and a sacrifice and he went in once a year. He entered in behind
or through or under that veil with the atonement, and He sprinkled
that blood upon the mercy seat there in the Holy of Holies. Needless to say, the place within
the veil was the very heart of the tabernacle itself. It was
not only where the mercy seat was, but the cherubim of the
Ark of the Covenant were also in that compartment. But the
high priest could not enter there, as it was a separating veil,
and only he could enter there with a proper sacrifice, and
that once a year. The people would die if they
entered into that sacred place. They were forbidden to do so. So it was a separating veil between
one place and the other. It separated the people. It kept
the people in their own person and in themselves out of the
tabernacle. And they knew it to be so. They
knew that the priest went in and acted in their behalf, and
that they, the people, were forbidden to enter into that place. Then
later, when the temple the literal temple was built in Jerusalem,
it too, we read, had a veil. And our texts all tell us that
when Jesus died on the cross, when the Lord yielded up His
ghost or His spirit, some rendered it released His spirit, when
the Lord released His spirit on the cross, that veil in the
temple tore from top to bottom. By the way, Note how the death
of the Lord is expressed so as to be in harmony with His words
in John 10 and 18. No man takes my life from me. I lay it down of myself. I have authority to lay it down.
I have authority to take it up again. None could take it away
by force. None could take our Lord and
put Him to death. unless he willingly submitted
unto that. None could put our Lord to death
against His will. None whatsoever. Not the greatest
herd of demons, or the greatest herd of angels, or the power
of Caesar, or the power of the Roman Empire. Death would come
when the Lord yielded up Himself unto God's will in the cross. Now, Matthew 27 and 50, Jesus
yielded up the ghost. Mark 15, 37, He cried with a
loud voice and gave up the ghost. We think of Stephen when we think
of that. You may say, this did Abraham. Genesis chapter 25 and verse
8, Abraham gave up the ghost. Ishmael in Genesis 25 and 17,
Isaac. in Genesis 35 and verse 29. Jacob in Genesis chapter 49 and
33. All of these men, the Scripture
said, yielded up the ghost and slept with their father. But
none of them took their life up again. Nor did creation pay
them the homage that it paid to our Savior in His death. In Luke 23 and verse 46, into
thy hands I commend my spirit," the Lord said to the father.
But the emphasis we wish to look at is upon the rending of the
veil, the tearing of it from top to bottom, with and in conjunction
with the death of Christ our Lord. So soon as He is dead,
so soon as His life is given, but a phenomenal thing occurred
in the temple in Jerusalem. A death out yonder on Calvary. Really, the death of a criminal
caused an amazing thing in the temple yonder on the hill of
Zion in Jerusalem. Some distance away from where
our Lord had died. And that thing was that that
strong, thick veil that hung before the Holy of Holies and
was always there. It was split from the top down
to the bottom. It was as if an unseen hand had
cleaved asunder that veil yonder in the Jewish temple. That which
was so tightly woven together and so thick for the strength
of it was cut in half to become two separated parts of that one
veil. We have no inspired record whether
there were priests in the temple at that particular time or not,
though it was no doubt the time of the evening sacrifice. We
would like to think that God, in His sovereign providence,
caused some to witness there the rending of that veil. Who
could corroborate the truth? Yes, at the very time Christ
died, the veil was torn asunder. eyewitnesses that it had not
only occurred, but that it occurred the very time when the Lord died
upon the cross. Now, this was not an earthquake
that tore it loose, a natural earthquake. It was not a rotted
veil. It didn't rot so that it just
all of a sudden tore apart and fell, or breaking the supports
that it stood upon. None of those things. But as
David Brown wrote, In his large work on the four Gospels, that
thick veil which for centuries was a symbol of separation between
God and sinners, he said, quote, without a hand touching it, mysteriously
rent in twain from the top down to the bottom. Now note, not
side to side, not left onto right, not bottom up, but top down to
the bottom. Does it seem strange that though
Three of the four Gospels record this actual renting of the veil. None of them draw out the logical
implication of the rented veil, especially not with regard to
Judaism, and to the Jews, and their religion, and also the
Jewish priesthood, and everything associated with it. The book
of Hebrews, however, makes the connection that we'd like to
make. The death of Jesus Christ changed
the whole dispensation of God toward the Jews and other people. Judaism died with Christ. So did the ceremonial law. So
did the use of all human priests to mediate between God and man. All of those things are dead
when the Lord is dead upon the cross. Judaism died with Christ. So let's take a look at Hebrews
chapter 9, where the apostle recalls for his readers the makeup
of the tabernacle or temple. Verse 1, it had ordinances of
divine service and it had a worldly sanctuary. Then in verses 2 through
5, the arrangement and the furnishing of this worldly sanctuary are
set forth. in verse 6 and verse 7, yet none
but the high priest could enter into the second veil. This is
the one rent when Christ died upon the cross. The people, as
well as all of the lower priests, all of the Levitical priests,
were forbidden and excluded from entering there. On that day of
entering, Aaron would put on those magnificent high priestly
garments and prepared himself for entering in for the day of
atonement. In the book of Hebrews, it would
be chapter 9 and verse 8, a very interesting thing that we want
to notice. And that is this, the Holy Ghost
signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet
made manifest while the first tabernacle was yet standing. The form and order of the worldly
sanctuary, especially the veil, had a spiritual significance
as long as it stood. And the Holy Spirit was showing
or signifying something. The Holy Spirit of God was conveying
a very clear message, which was the way into the holiest of all
was not made manifest, not distinctly, not openly and clearly revealed. What or while as yet the first
tabernacle was standing, or some say while it had in that day
standing, making the words in the midst of verse 8 to be, the
way unto the holiest of all had not yet been manifested. What
has the apostle referenced to? The holiest of all. Because of
the contrast, because of verse 9, He calls the worldly sanctuary
a figure, saying it is a parable. From the word parable, meaning
to throw alongside of something that is like or something that
may be compared to something else. It seems to be understood
in the words, the holiest of all is that which was prefigured
and was therefore the thing to be noted. Whether it be a place
or whether it be a state, it is true in verse 3, the compartment
within the veil is called, at least in the King James, the
holiest of all, or literally, the holy of holies. And this was but typical of something. This was a part of gospel worship
or of the better covenant. So let's be reminded afresh.
that on the holy of holies, or in the holy of holies, or the
most holy place, the most inner sanctum of the tabernacle in
the wilderness, this is the place where God put His presence over
the Ark of the Covenant between the two cherubim upon the mercy
seat. And this is where Aaron brought
the blood, sprinkling it there between the two cherubim upon
the blood golden upon the golden cover of the mercy seat, and
which will give the commandment unto their children also to remember
these things and to abide by them. John Owens wrote on Hebrews
9 and verse 8, that most holy place where all the signs and
pledges of the gracious presence of God, including the testimonies
of our reconciliation by the blood of the atonement and peace
with Him thereby." All Israel knew this. They had been taught
it all their life. However, the people were not
permitted to intrude therein. Only the high priest and only
once a year. This shows us something. Number
one, there was access to God. He had manifested His displeasure
with man's sin and depravity, but there was access to God. But it was only in God's own
way. Secondly, it required a proper
propitiation. When Aaron came, he came with
a prescribed sacrifice of the blood. Thirdly, it required the
services of a qualified God-called, God-ordained high priest. And it is clearly evident that
the veil was a dividing wall between the holy God and sinful
man who waited outside. It barred all access to the presence
of God except by the high priest, and he must come only with a
proper blood of atonement, having first purged his very own sin. Hence the significance of the
veil. in the temple, renting when the Lord died, as in Hebrews
9 and verse 8, the way into the holiest of all is made manifest. The veil being rendered, signifying
an opening into the most holy place, whether at a place or
a state. The holiest of all, then, is
the gracious presence of God. and which the saints enter into,
and have communion with God and with our Lord, not in their own
person, not in their own merit or in their own works, but through
the atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ. We note the words in
Hebrews 9 and 8, the way, this way, what has plural meanings
in Scripture. And the word is used in Hebrews
9 and verse 8 means a road. It means a pathway. It means
a highway. It means a route. It means an
access which He has consecrated, dedicated for us in His death
on the cross. Hear the last half of the verse.
Through the veil, that is to say, His flesh. So the veil was typical of the
flesh of Christ. I erred in not considering verse
19 as the prelude to verse 20. Verse 19 read, here begins the
practical part of the epistle. And he mentions here the privileges
under the gospel. To enter into the holiest of
all by the blood of Jesus Christ. Not the holiest there in that
earthly building or tabernacle by His death and blood. That
rents a veil. That opened the way A much more
direct access to God was gained when Christ died upon the cross. We're the people of old who feared
to enter into the holy place lest they die. We can enter,
and that with boldness and assurance in a way of grace and a way of
mercy. knowing that our Lord, in His
merit and His death, has propitiated God for us and in our behalf. So let's come to grips with an
amazing statement in verse 20, the last part, through the veil. Through the veil. That is, the
new and the living way is through the veil. That is, that being,
the flesh of Him, meaning the Lord Jesus Christ and His body. The veil is His flesh, or more
rightly, His flesh is that veil. So that as the high priest went
through the veil, within the veil, you know something? I don't
remember ever reading exactly how the high priest got behind
that veil. Did he push it aside and go in?
Did he lift it up and crawl under? I don't know of a place that
tells us that, but we do know that we have access to God by
Jesus Christ. And what veil was once standing
there to bar the people, His flesh, the veil of His flesh,
has been rendered and the way is opened into the presence of
God. I have a question that might
not have an answer, whether the glory present in the holy place
departed not until Jesus Christ died on the cross, or whether
it was snuffed out even before He died because of the apostasy
of Israel. It is certain whatsoever glory
there was that might have remained in the Holy of Holies was extinguished
when the God-man cried out upon the cross, It is finished, as
He gave Himself in death, and dying the veil ran. For what
whole system died with Christ. The whole system of Judaism came
to an end with Christ. Judaism is no more. It died with
our Lord. The Old Covenant is no more. The New has come in its place. And the death of Christ has made
that great distinction. Or could it be that Ichabod was
written over it by the solemn proclamation of the Lord when
he left the temple and he said unto them, for the last time,
your house is left unto you desolate. By house does he include the
temple, for in the next chapter he declares the temple would
be utterly thrown down because it belonged to an economy that
has been abolished. None is able to sew up the rent
in the veil or to put it back together. The glory of the law
and Judaism is superseded by a new and a living way, introduced
and brought in when Christ died upon the cross. The renting of
the veil at the very time that Christ expired has undeniable
consequences for Judaism, also for Christianity. It was not
just a strange coincidence, no, it was a deliberate an undeniable
testimony concerning the impact of the death of the Savior upon
the tree. His death and the rending of
the veil sounded the death knell to Judaism and the Mosaic law. And the people of God are free
of that into the liberty of the Gospel. Not only that, holy days
are no more. Those holy days of Judaism are
no more. Months and seasons now, are meaningless. A central place of worship and
sacrifice are things of the past. Rituals and ceremonies and washings
and such like are unnecessary. Beastly sacrifices are blasphemy
to Christ. God dwells not in handmade temples,
but He dwells in heaven itself. And He seeks men to worship Him
in spirit and truth, not in rituals and in ceremonies, but in spirit
and in truth. Now, the rented veil was a prelude
to the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, and to the temple,
and to the priesthood, the Jewish priesthood. Therefore, how significant
was the renting of the veil when Christ died upon the cross. When that old veil tore apart,
how significant is that? And Paul tells us about that,
and Hebrews tells us the meaning of it, and what we are to understand
by it, and how the Jews are to understand it. The veil in the
temple rent when Jesus died, signifying the new and the living
way has been opened up.