Exodus 26:31-33; Matthew 27:51
THE MESSAGE OF THE VEIL
Intro: Augustine, referring to the Bible, said "The New
is in the Old concealed. The Old is in the New
revealed." He is referring to the fact that many items
and people in the Old Testament serve to point ahead
to things more clearly revealed in the New Testament.
This was the idea in Paul's mind when he said, "Now all
these things happened unto them for ensamples:
and they are written for our admonition, upon whom
the ends of the world are come." 1 Cor. 10:11.
What I am trying to say is that in the Old Testament
there are many objects that point ahead to truths more
fully revealed in the New Testament. For instance, we
know that the Brazen Serpent of Numbers 21 was a
type of the Lord Jesus, John 3:14. We also know that
the Manna of Exodus 16 was also a type or a picture
of Jesus Christ, John 6:31-35. There are many more
example which are too numerous to name, but I think
you get the point.
Of all the types in the Old Testament, none is more
rich in its symbolism than the Tabernacle. From one
end to the other, the Tabernacle is a picture of the Lord
Jesus and of the redemption believers enjoy in Him.
Tonight, I would like to focus our attention on the veil of
the Tabernacle. This object contains a great message
for those who are willing to see it. This veil is a
wonderful type of Jesus Christ. In fact, it is specifically
a picture of Jesus and His work while He was here in
His flesh, Heb. 10:20, "By a new and living way,
which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil,
that is to say, his flesh,"
With that in mind, let's spend some time looking at
the veil and what it represents.
I. V. 31-33a THE PATTERN OF THE VEIL
A. The Colors Used In The Veil - Often, colors in
the Bible are symbolic in nature. The colors
used in the veil of the Tabernacle are no
exception. These colors paint a portrait of the
Lord Jesus Christ and of Who He is.
1. Blue - Blue is the color of the sky and it
reminds us of the Heavenly origin of the Lord
Jesus. He is the Son of God - Rom. 8:3; 1
Tim.. 3:16.
2. Scarlet - (Ill. I am skipping purple for
the moment to illustrate a point.) This is the color of blood and it
speaks of Jesus as the Lamb of God, the
perfect sacrifice for the sins of man, Rev.
1:5; John 15:13.
3. Purple - This is the color of royalty and it
reminds us that Jesus Christ is the King of
Kings, Isa. 9:6-7; Rev. 19:16. (Now here is why I skipped
purple. Purple is made by blending equal amounts of red and
blue. Jesus Christ is a perfect blend of God and man. He is 100%
both at the same time.)
B. The Cloth Used In The Veil - Pure, white linen
was the cloth that was to be used. This speaks
of the purity of the Lord Jesus. It reminds us that
He was sinless - 1 Pet. 2:22; 1 Cor. 5:21.
C. The Construction Used In The Veil - Notice
that this cloth was to be "fine twined" and of a
"cunning work." This tells us that the cloth used
was to be of a special weave. It would be
different from any other cloth. So it is with
Jesus! There has never been another man like
Him! In His person, He was the perfect blend of
Deity and humanity. He is the God-Man! He is
unique for He is God in the flesh, John 1:1; 14;
Phil. 2:5-8.
(Ill. We could stop here and know that the veil
reveals much about Who Jesus is. But, there is
more to the message of the veil.)
I. The Pattern Of The Veil
II. V. 31-33 THE PURPOSE OF THE VEIL
A. It Served As A Warning - This veil was hung
between the holy place, where the priests
ministered everyday, and the Holy of Holies,
where the presence of God dwelt above the
Mercy Seat. It served as a barrier between holy
God and sinful man.
They were told to prepare the veil with
"cherubim" on it. The cherubim are angelic
creatures that serve as the guardians of the
holiness of God. They are first seen in Gen.
3:24, when they were positioned at the entrance
of Eden to prevent man from gaining access to
the tree of life.
The presence of the cherubim on the veil
seem to serve the purpose of telling those who
entered the Tabernacle that they could come
this far and no farther! They were a constant
reminder that access to God was forbidden.
God is holy and man a sinner. Therefore, the
cherubim were placed there to warn all who
approached the veil that to continue was to invite
judgment and death! They reminded all that a
holy God dwelled just behind the veil.
(Ill. What grace that God would warn men not to
come into His presence in their sinful condition!
The cherubim were there to warn man, but they
also served to protect men and to preserve life.)
B. It Served As A Wall - This veil served as a
barrier between God and man. It shut man out
of the presence of God, Lev. 16:2, "And the
LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron
thy brother, that he come not at all times into
the holy place within the vail before the
mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die
not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the
mercy seat."
(Ill. Between the sinner and God, there is a great
wall standing, Isa. 59:2. We cannot approach
God within ourselves. To do so would invite
judgment and death. Before man can enter into
the presence of God, sin must first be dealt
with.)
C. It Served As A Way - While this veil served to
keep men out, there was one day during the year
when one man could enter. On the Day of
Atonement, the high priest could enter into the
Holy of Holies, but only with the blood of a
sacrificial lamb, Lev. 16:15, "Then shall he kill
the goat of the sin offering, that is for the
people, and bring his blood within the vail,
and do with that blood as he did with the
blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the
mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:" On
that day, the high priest was allowed to around
the side of the veil and minister in the Holy of
Holies, sprinkling the blood of the sacrifice on
the altar and atoning for the sins of the people.
It was the only time any one was allowed behind
the veil.
(Ill. I just want to remind you that blood in the
only way anyone has access into the presence
of God, Heb. 9:22; Heb. 10:19-20. Bloodless,
Christless religion will never save the human
soul! Those who try to get to God without the
blood of Jesus will find themselves in Hell,
because there is no other method God will
accept. To enter into His presence, you must be
born again, John 3:3; 7. And, the only way to
be born again is through the blood of the Lamb,
1 Pet. 1:18-19. Thank God, Jesus made the
way for us to enter into the presence of God by
going to the cross for our sins!)
D. It Served As A Witness - While the high priest
could only enter the Holy of Holies one each
year, the priests ministered in the holy place
every day of the year. As they did, they came
within inches of the veil, but were never allowed
to go past it. It was a constant reminder to them
that they were sinners and that they were
separated from God. It was constant reminder
of man's moral failure.
(Ill. So it is with the ministry of Jesus in the flesh.
There are a lot of people who try to copy the life
Jesus lived in an effort to secure their salvation.
However, what men fail to realize is that the life
of Christ cannot save! In fact, the life of Christ
serves to condemn us all! He lived a perfect life
and never once sinned against His Father or the
Law. He did what you and I could never do: He
lived a perfect life without sin! Ill. John 15:22.
He is the "glory of God" that all of us have fallen
short of, Rom. 3:23!)
(Ill. In the final analysis, the veil serves to remind
man that he is a sinner in need of Savior and that he
will never be able to approach God on his own
merits.)
I. The Pattern Of The Veil
II. The Purpose Of The Veil
III. Mt. 27:51 THE PARTING OF THE VEIL
A. The Method Of Its Parting - Notice that it was
God and not man that parted the veil. While the
priests were offering the evening sacrifice, Mark
15:34, Jesus was offering His life as a ransom
for sin. When the Innocent One died for the
guilty ones, the veil split from the top to the
bottom. Man had nothing to do with it, it was the
work of God alone!
(Note: When Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the Temple was 60
feet high and 30 feet wide. It was said to have been 4 inches
thick. It was so heavy that Josephus says that 300 priests were required
to move it. He also says that 2 teams of oxen would not have been able
to rend the veil. What man could never do, God did by His power!)
(Ill. The same is true with the salvation we enjoy
this evening! We had nothing to do with it at all.
It originated with God in Heaven before the world
was formed, Rev. 13:8; 1 Pet. 1:20. It was
carried out at Calvary without our help, Isa. 53:6,
10, Ill. The brutal death of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Salvation was and is the work of a
sovereign God!)
B. The Message Of Its Parting - The message of
the rent veil is crystal clear, it tells us all that the
way to God is open. I can imagine the priests in
the temple sewing the parted veil back together
and continuing on in their vain religion, not
realizing that now, the way to God was opened
to all. Not just one day per year, but all the time!
Ill. Eph. 2:11-18!)
C. The Majesty Of Its Parting - Because the way
has been opened into the presence of God,
"whosoever will" can come into His presence and
have access to God Himself, Rev. 22:17; John
3:16! I praise the Lord that the way to God has
been forever opened for you and me!
Conc: When the high priest entered behind the veil, he
came into the very presence of God Himself. He
offered the blood and had to leave. He was not allowed
back in until the next year. He could never come before
God without blood and he could not come when he
wanted to, but only when God allowed. However, when
Jesus came in the flesh and gave His life for you and
me, He forever tore down that middle way of partition.
He broke down all the barriers that stood between us
and free access to the Father. Now, in Jesus, we can
come before OUR Father at anytime! What a glorious
privilege is our! And, it is given to us because Jesus
became the veil and was rent on Calvary so that we
might get to God! Bless His Name!
