THE SANCTUARY -- A TRUTH LOST SIGHT OF
Chapter 6 - The Veil of Separation
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Contents
- Introduction Part A
- Introduction Part B
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary.
And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;" Hebrews 9:1-3.
"A veil is a separating curtain or screen." Webster's New World Dictionary. The context shows just what that screen or veil is. In the sanctuary services of the old testament, two curtains were used, but these pointed forward to the true veil. The passage above refers to "the second veil." If there is a second, then there is implied a first. Let us now go to the Mosaic sanctuary to learn about these two veils.
The second veil mentioned by the apostle Paul is found in Exodus 26:31-33, and is used in the Old Testament to refer to the curtain which separated the first apartment from the second. The Hebrew word paroketh--curtain or separation, appears twenty four times in the old testament, but is only used with reference to the veil which separated the first and the second apartment. Why then, should the apostle Paul refer to the second veil of the tabernacle? This is an important question which deserves our attention, and we must address it first.
The first veil is found in Exodus 26:35,36, and is mentioned directly after the second veil. It is called "an hanging", and this hanging was the door of the first apartment. "And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework." Exodus 26:36.
This 'hanging' or door was the entrance into the first apartment. The first veil was used as a door of entrance to the holy place. But what about the second veil? "And thou shalt make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubim shall it be made:
And thou shalt hang up the veil under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the veil the ark of the testimony: and the veil shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy." Exodus 26:31, 33.
Notice, this veil which stood before the most holy, was hung upon four pillars of shittim wood, while the hanging for the first apartment was hung upon five pillars, thus showing they were both doors. The entrance to the first apartment was by a veil which had no angels inwrought or carved in, while the entrance to the second apartment was a veil which had angels inwrought. Exodus 26:31, 36. We can therefore conclude that the veils were the doors to both apartments. The first veil -- a plain hanging, the second veil -- a hanging with angels carved in. What a mystery whereby God could now work out the salvation of sinful beings through the ministration of Christ in the sanctuary. But what about Solomon's temple?
Solomon's Temple
"And he made the veil of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubim thereon." 2 Chronicles 3:14. Solomon's temple also had a veil with the same colors, but also carried doors. "And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
And for the entering of the oracle he made doors of olive tree: the lintel and side posts were a fifth part of the wall. The two doors also were of olive tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubim, and upon the palm trees. So also made he for the door of the temple posts of olive tree, a fourth part of the wall." 1Kings 6:19, 31-33.
In this temple the entrance was by two doors going through the first veil to the first apartment and two doors going through the second veil to the second apartment. The doors for both veils were made from an olive tree and had carvings of cherubim, palm trees and flowers.
The evergreen palm trees represent the people of God who through the gift of faith pierce that veil through the Holy Spirit, represented by cherubim and flowers on the olive doors.
"Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is, For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. Jeremiah 17:7, 8.
Trusting in the Lord enables the believer to enter through that veil, and only then will fruit be borne. But even that work of trusting in faith is dependent on the spirit of God. 1John 5:4. But what about the court?
The Court
In chapter 4 when we dealt with 'the sum of the court', we noted the following: "The entrance was via a gate with a hanging(door) made of blue, purple, scarlet and fine twined linen. Exodus 27:16. The court entrance was of similar material, make-up, and colors (though inferior) as that which was the entrance to the sanctuary."
"The court was a preparatory step before entering the tabernacle or ministering at the altar." We finished by saying that "This sinful body of ours made of blood and water, flesh and blood is the outer court which keeps us on trial day and night. The sensual passion and unholy thoughts, the evil desires, the selfish lusts, the evil habits which corrupt the soul are all within the flesh, and therefore our own body temple presents the greatest trial of our faith.
But Christ our forerunner was put on trial in that same court, but He preveiled and was victorious in that trial. The Word was made flesh. John 1:14. God told the serpent(devil) "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman..." Genesis 3:15. God's enmity(The Word) was implanted in the human flesh, and there was an ensuing battle in the flesh. Satan's enmity(minding the flesh or ownwayness) versus God's enmity.
Let us now read the results of that battle.
"For he(Christ) is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition(curtain) between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity,...having slain the enmity thereby:" Ephesians 2:14-16.
In that battle the enmity of Satan was slain. Praise the Lord, the battle has already been won just where the weakness was. In the flesh. But what did it take to do it? The Word had to be placed where the problem was. 'The Word was made flesh'. The Word dealt with the enmity in the flesh. But what has this to do with the veil?
In the flesh is ownway-ness, selfishness, sin which places a curtain or veil between us and God. So Christ had to conquer that veil(curtain) which was in His flesh for us, and then take it to the death on the cross forever. And He is witness for us that we may lay hold of His mind which alone will give us victory over that same wicked and sinful human flesh.
Since the flesh and blood bodies of living human beings walking by faith in Jesus represent the outer court, then entrance to this court of blue, purple, scarlet and fine twined linen, represents the entrance by 'birth'. First by birth into these flesh and blood bodies of ours when we enter this world, and secondly by birth into the sanctuary by faith in Jesus Christ.
"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3: 3. To be born again implies a repetition of the first birth, only this time by 'spirit'. John 3:6. So the outer entrance to the court was of flesh, sinful flesh. We may rephrase by saying that the veil to the court was of flesh.
The first Veil
In the beginning, God spoke to Adam face to face without a veil between. Genesis 1:28,29; 2:16,17. There was no sinful flesh separation. After man sinned, he hid from God for he was now naked and could not allow God and angels to see his nakedness.
"The robe of light which had enshrouded them, now disappeared, and to supply its place they endeavored to fashion for themselves a covering; for they could not, while unclothed, meet the eye of God and holy angels....In their innocence and holiness they had joyfully welcomed the approach of their creator; but now they fled in terror, and sought to hide in the deepest recesses of the garden,..." PP 57.
A change had come. The guilt of sin caused man to run away from his maker, but something else had also occurred. "...They confessed that they had forfeited all right to that happy abode, but pledged themselves for the future to yield strict obedience to God.
But they were told that their nature had become depraved by sin; they had lessened their strength to resist evil and had opened the way for Satan to gain more ready access to them. In their innocence they had yielded to temptation; and now, in a state of conscious guilt, they would have less power to maintain their integrity." PP 61.
The nature of man could not be reversed by his repentance, confession, nor forgiveness. When the word of God was thrown out by Adam, the spirit of God went, for the spirit and the word are inseparable.
This sinful nature had now come between him and God, for there was no change in God. Malachi 3:6. The Holy Spirit could no longer ever reside in sinful man because of that condition.
But what has the depravity of man's nature and his guilt to do with the veil? Man's sinfulness separated him from God.
"But your iniquities have separated(put a veil) between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." Isaiah 59:2.
Man could no longer see the face of God in his present nature, and live, because of sin. But Hark! There is hope.
"Adam, in his innocence, had enjoyed open communion with his Maker; but sin brought separation between God and man, and the atonement of Christ alone could span the abyss and make possible the communication of blessing or salvation from heaven to earth. Man was still cut off from direct approach to his Creator, but God would communicate with him through Christ and angels." PP 67.
A way of escape has been provided. Praise the Lord! The way of escape is provided through the cherubim carved doors mentioned above in Solomon's temple, through Christ who has passed through the doors of the heavenly temple--even the first veil of Hebrews 6:19, 20.
This door or veil is mentioned in Psalms 24:3-10. "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in." The doors represent cherubim sentries at the entrance of the heavenly temple. That is why they challenge those who desire entrance. In this instance, the doors refer to the entrance place of the sanctuary where Jesus is ministering for us in heaven.
The True Door
In our last chapter, we saw that "the Holy Place" of the heavenly sanctuary is the church, the body of Christ. Since the church is the body of Christ, we can find no better person to tell us how we may find entrance to this body, than Christ Himself.
"I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out, and find pasture." John 10:9.
Christ is the door through whom we must find entrance to "the holy". There is only one entrance and by it we are saved. That entrance or veil is Christ. The road for us to be saved from sin leads to Christ.
Veil Further Identified
Before sin, communication with man was face to face open communion--by God and angels. After sin, communication was veiled through Christ and angels. The apostle Paul has identified this veil in Hebrews 10:20. Since there was no change in God, the change was in man--his nature, and his environment. Consider the different rendering of the versions:
"So now, my friends, the blood of Jesus makes us free to enter boldly into the sanctuary by the new, living way which he has opened for us through the curtain of his flesh. Hebrews 10:19, 20. NEB
"Having therefore, brethren, boldness for the entrance into the holy places, in the blood of Jesus, which way he did initiate for us--new and living, through the veil, that is, his flesh--" Dr. Young's Literal Translation of the Bible.
"So, by virtue of the blood of Jesus, you and I, my brothers, may now have confidence to enter the holy place by a fresh and living way, which he has opened up for us by himself passing through the curtain, that is, his own human nature." J. B. Phillips.
The only way any human being can enter the holy places of the heavenly sanctuary is by being in Christ. Being 'in Christ', we now have access to the holy, and the most holy place. But the text above suggests that we must enter through the veil or curtain of Christ's flesh.
We have already read above what was done with it. It was slain. Exactly what kind of flesh was this that Christ passed through, and which we too must pass through?
The Flesh Christ entered into
The bible tells us that the veil is the flesh of Christ. Romans 1:3 tells us that the flesh of Jesus was no different from that of King David? Romans 8:3 tells us that Jesus was sent in the same sinful flesh that exists on earth. Hebrews 2:14 tells us that Jesus partook of the same flesh as the children on earth.
So Why then are we emphasizing Christ's flesh as if to make it sound different from yours and mine? Because the flesh of Jesus was never allowed to have its own way. John 5:30; 15:10; Hebrews 2:10,18; John 14:30. Finally the enmity, the ownwayness, the mind of the flesh was put to death at the cross, never once being allowed to be manifested. Ephesians 2:16. How did Jesus win the victory for us? How did He overcome? How may we overcome? We must be born of God. We must be born again. John 16:33; 1John 5:4; John 3:3. Faith must be born in order that new life may come forth.
In that flesh of Jesus was the Word of God(Christ). In Christ was the Father. John 14:10, 11. And Christ worked the works of His Father. That combination is offered to us that we might overcome even as Christ overcame. John 14:23; 17:23. But in order to live as Jesus did, we must have His mind. Philippians 2:5-8.
How may we enter that veil of Christ? How did Christ enter? The Word became flesh. Then there was birth. We must bring the word of God into our minds by faith, that Christ may be born in us, enabling us to work the works of God. Thus once more the word of God will be manifested in sinful flesh.
"None but Christ could redeem fallen man from the curse of the law and bring him again into harmony with Heaven. Christ would take upon Himself the guilt and shame of sin--sin so offensive to a holy God that it must separate the Father and His Son.
Christ would reach to the depth of misery to rescue the ruined race.....He must endure anguish of soul, the hiding of His Father's face, while the guilt of transgression--the weight of the sins of the whole world--should be upon Him." PP 63, 64.
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