Vail, Veil

Narrator: Chris Genthree
Duration: 2min
 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 10
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Beside the allusions to the veils worn by women (a custom which has become almost universal in the East), the veil is often used symbolically in scripture for that which hides the glory of God. It was this literally when Moses came down from the mount; his face shone because of the glory he had seen, and the people could not bear it: therefore he put a veil on his face. That veil remains to this day on the hearts of the Jews when they read the law (Ex. 34:33-3533And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. 34But when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. 35And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him. (Exodus 34:33‑35)). They do not see the glory of which the law was typical; but in God’s due time He will remove the veil, and under the shadows of the law they will see Christ, and will receive Him whom they now refuse. In contrast to that ministration, in which the glory had to be veiled because of Israel’s inability to behold it, Christians now can gaze upon the glory of the Lord, whose face is unveiled, and be changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Lord the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:13-1813And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 14But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. 15But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. 16Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 17Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:13‑18)).
THE VEIL OF THE TABERNACLE AND OF THE TEMPLE witnessed to the fact that under the dispensation of the law the way into the holiest was not made manifest: God had not come out in full blessing, and man could not go in. On the death of Christ the veil was rent from top to bottom, and God has come out in fullest light. In Christianity the believer has boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way which He has consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh. Redemption has been wrought, and God is made known in full grace, and the believer can go into His presence (Matt. 27:5151And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; (Matthew 27:51); Heb. 6:1919Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; (Hebrews 6:19); Heb. 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)). In Hebrews 9:33And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; (Hebrews 9:3) the veil of the Temple is called the “second veil,” the curtains at the entrance being accounted the first.