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The Veil and Christ’s Flesh

February 19, 2007

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Dear Friends,

Last week we wrote about the veil in the Temple being rent in two and suggested that this was a symbol of God rending His garments in grief over the death of His son. This week we would like to consider in more detail the primary representation of the veil being rent.

The writer of the Hebrews makes specific reference to this meaning:

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God. (Heb. 10:19-21)

What does the temple veil being rent in two have to do with the sacrifice of Christ? How was the flesh of Jesus torn in two and how did this benefit us?

In order to fully understand the connection, we have to understand how Christ’s flesh was divided. There are three vital components of this that need to be defined.

Once we understand the above facts, we have a chance to understand what we are being told in Hebrews. Before we do that, however, let’s look at another passage that is telling us the same truth.

Jesus told the people in Matthew 12 “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.” The Kingdom that Jesus is speaking of is the Kingdom of Sin. Of course we know that the Kingdom of Sin will not stand, so we must ask the vital question of how the Kingdom of Sin was divided. The answer is: in the flesh of Jesus. “God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” (Rom. 8:3) What this means is that Jesus was born into the Kingdom of Men or the Kingdom of Sin. He was born with the desires that all men have. He was hungry. He got tired. He wanted things contrary to his Father’s will. Yet, unlike us, he never gave in to those desires. Yet, despite never sinning, Jesus died. He suffered the penalty of sin though not guilty of personal transgression. Thus, Jesus used the partners of sin and death to defeat “King Sin.” The Kingdom was divided. Jesus had to come in sin’s flesh in order to defeat death for all men. This is exactly what we are told in Heb. 2:14,15:

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he [Jesus] also himself likewise took part of the same [flesh and blood]; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil [or “King Sin]; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Jesus went on to say in Matthew 12:29, “how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.” This parable tells us the same story. The strong man is sin. Jesus went into “his house” or “the flesh” when he was born of a woman. He did this for a specific purpose – to spoil the strong man’s goods. We are the strong man’s goods. We are the ones who are “all their lifetime subject to bondage” under sin. Yet, Jesus, by coming into the house of sin, can bind the strong man for us so that we too can defeat sin. Defeat of sin without Christ binding sin for us is impossible. Jesus spoiled sin’s house. Praise God for that.

When we see the veil in the Temple torn from top to bottom, we see a representation of God destroying sin in the death of His son, Jesus. It is not incidental, as we see from the above quote in Heb. 14, that the exact moment Jesus died is the exact moment that this veil was torn in two. It was through death that sin (the devil) was destroyed. The barrier of our own sin, which keeps us alienated from God, is removed when we associate ourselves with Christ’s victory over sin by symbolically participating in Jesus’ death in baptism (Rom. 6:3-14).

It is not incidental that at the same time as the veil was rent, there was an earthquake. An earthquake occurs when the earth is torn in two. Matthew goes to the trouble of pointing this out to us. It is not a statement of the obvious, but a clue as to why he is telling us about the earthquake. “And, 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.” (Mt 27:51) Like the veil, the earth symbolizes the flesh (Gen. 2:7) torn in two in the body of Jesus. The figure is repeated in both the veil and the earthquake because the matter was complete. “And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.” (Gen. 41:32)

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Cor. 15:57)

Have a great week,

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