We now come to the veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, with the cherubim worked upon it, which hung up between the holy place and the most holy place. Only the high priest, and then only once a year, could go into the most holy place. Then, too, there were very definite instructions as to how he was to go in, for the most holy place was where God dwelt, and the way into His presence was not yet readily perceived until the Lord Jesus had accomplished redemption (Hebrews 9:88The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: (Hebrews 9:8)). As soon as He had said, “It is finished,” on the cross, then the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom and God could come out to man in the fullness of blessing. Also, man can now go in to God cleansed by the precious blood of Christ.
Christ Represented in the Veil
We are not left to our own thoughts as to what this veil typifies. Hebrews 10:2020By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; (Hebrews 10:20) tells us that it typifies His (Christ’s) flesh. That is, it is Himself as man down here. His perfect, sinless life displayed the heavenly color (blue). He was also the rightful, though rejected, King (the scarlet). He was thus the heavenly One and the rightful ruler of earth at the same time, for the purple is a blending of blue and scarlet. Then the fine twined linen speaks of His moral glory — that perfection which was seen in His every action and in His every word. He could not be less than what He was (perfect) and therefore His moral glory could not be hid.
But there was no approach to God through the life of Christ. His perfect life only condemned us, and like the veil rose up before us to show how utterly unfit and unworthy we were in ourselves to be in His presence. Before we could approach God the veil must be torn — Christ must die. In the Old Testament the high priest approached through the veil with the blood of a sacrifice, which God accepted during the time He was looking ahead to the work of His Son; but the veil was never torn in those times and the sacrifice had to be offered again every year. As soon as Christ had finished the work of redemption, however, the veil was torn, because He has obtained “eternal redemption for us” (Heb. 9:1212Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. (Hebrews 9:12)). Do not try to approach God in any other way than through the work of His Son. If you are relying upon what He has done, you are already “perfected forever” (Heb. 10:1414For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14)).
Hanging of the Veil
This beautiful veil was hung by hooks of gold upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold. The pillars, like the boards of the tabernacle, stood in sockets of silver. Four in the Bible is used to symbolize the whole world, for we find such expressions as “the four corners of the earth,” (Isa. 11:1212And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. (Isaiah 11:12)) “the four winds,” and others. These four pillars would no doubt tell us how the work of Christ has opened up a way of blessing for the whole world (1 John 2:22And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)). Perhaps it would also bring before us our privilege as worshipers. The redeemed from every nation have the privilege of drawing near upon redemption ground, like the sockets of silver, conscious that believers are made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)). Then, like the pillars overlaid with gold, we can “hold up the veil.” This is exactly what true worship is. It is to present Christ to God in all the loveliness of His person and work. This is the privilege of every believer, for every believer is a priest (1 Peter 2:99But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (1 Peter 2:9)).
Further Meditation
1. What does the veil represent?
2. The priest’s garments used many of the same colors as the veil. Why?
3. The moral glory of the Lord, represented in the fine twined linen, is a delightful subject for a believer. Every believer would benefit from considering it further while reading The Moral Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ by J. G. Bellett.