“When Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” – Matthew 27:50-51a
Warrior;
Solomon’s Temple was the FIRST Jewish Temple of God’s people. It was patterned after the tabernacle and, in general, other temples at that time, and was divided into three important areas: The Most Holy Place, the Holy Place and the outer courtyard. The Outer Courtyard- was open to most people, it was called, “The court of the Gentiles”, this court derived its name from the fact that Gentiles were permitted into this area provided they conducted themselves in a reverent manner. Gentiles, non-believers, were forbidden from the inner temple areas, and even Roman citizenship did not protect a Gentile who intruded into prohibited areas. “The veil shall separate unto you between the holy place and the most holy” (Exodus 26:33) As the outer division of the sanctuary, into which, as yet, not the people, but only their representatives in the priesthood, were admitted while yet the symbols of the people’s consecrated life (prayer, light, thanksgiving) were found in it, the holy place may be said to represent the people’s relation to God in the earthly life, as the holy of holies represented God’s relation to the people in a perfected communion.”, W. Shaw Caldecott
Leader, the HOLY of HOLIES was off limits to anybody but the High Priest, and it was only once a year and He first had to offer sacrifices for His personal sin, and NOBODY else was allowed into this area, not even to glance at- for the presence of ALL MIGHTY GOD was here! The Holy of Holies was the innermost and most sacred area of the ancient tabernacle of Moses and temple of Jerusalem. The Holy of Holies was constructed as a perfect cube. It contained only the Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of Israel’s special relationship with God. The Holy of Holies was accessible only to the Israelite high priest. Once a year, on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the high priest was permitted to enter the small, windowless enclosure to burn incense and sprinkle the blood of a sacrificial animal on the mercy seat of the Ark. By doing so, the high priest atoned for his own sins and those of the people. The Holy of Holies was separated from the rest of the tabernacle/temple by the veil, a huge, heavy drape made of fine linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn and embroidered with gold cherubim. It was said to be 30 ft high, 4 inches thick and would require a team of Priests, or horses to move!
Conduit, the significance of the Holy of Holies to Christians is found in the events surrounding the crucifixion of Christ. When Jesus died, an amazing thing happened- the curtain that separated a HOLY GOD from a SINFUL MAN was torn in 2. It was like the STRONGMAN who takes a ‘phone book’ in his hands and rips it in half! The veil was not torn in half by man- It was a supernatural event done by the power of God to make a very specific point! The death of Christ on the cross, removed the SEPARATION between man and God! The Old Testament temple system was made obsolete as the New Covenant was ratified. Man was no longer separated from God. No longer would we have to depend on priests to perform once-a-year sacrifices on our behalf. Christ’s body was “torn” on the cross, just as the veil was torn in the temple, and now we have access to God through Jesus: “we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body” (Hebrews 10:19-20). Through the blood of Jesus, our HIGH PRIEST we now have direct access to God the Father, we no longer need a man, a sinful man, a HU-MAN born of flesh, for we have the GOD-MAN, Jesus, who is our HIGH PRIEST and our PERFECT SACRIFICE! Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-18) This is GOOD NEWS-share HIM!
Way of The Warrior- A Daily Devotional 