February 13: Exodus 36:35; Matthew 27:51; The Curtain of the Temple

            When the original temple curtain was made, it was for a traveling tabernacle that was taken down when Israel moved and erected again when they stopped. The people contributed generously to make this tabernacle until they were told to stop. (How many churches today would love to have that problem?) It most likely lasted until Solomon built the much larger temple. The curtain of Solomon’s temple was destroyed when the Babylonians demolished the temple. Another curtain had to be made when the temple was rebuilt after the Babylonian captivity. Since the temple went trough several remodeling phases before Jesus came and was eventually enlarged to the same size as Solomon’s temple by Herod the Great, the curtain was again remade.

            The importance of the curtain was to separate the most holy place from the rest of the inner sanctuary. The high priest was the only one who could go into the most holy place for that is where the Lord manifested his presence above the mercy seat. The priest could only go in at the appointed times or he would die (Lev 16:2). This curtain represented the fact that sinful man could not enter into God’s presence. Even the mediator, the priest could not enter except with the proper sacrifice. The way to God was not open during this age in the same way it is today (Heb 9:8). If those sacrifices of the Law could have made the people holy, then they would have been able to walk into the holy of holies right behind the priest. But that curtain remained in place showing that the forgiveness of their sins was not a once-for-all occurrence.

            When Jesus died on the cross, that curtain in the temple was torn from the top to the bottom (Matt 27:51). That curtain wasn’t torn by human hands but by the power of God. It was no coincidence that it happened when Jesus died. Everything changed in that one moment. It shows that Jesus is the high priest that entered the holy of holies with his own blood to offer a once-for-all sacrifice for our sins. It means that we can enter into the holy place – the presence of God – being confident that Jesus’ blood opened the way for us (Heb 10:19-22). We can come to the throne of grace and receive mercy, not death (Heb 4:16). In a true sense, we can walk right into God’s throne room because Jesus is there welcoming us and the curtain was torn so it doesn’t stop us anymore.