Tear The Veil

And 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. The earth shook, the rocks split. Matthew 27:50-51 (New International Version, NIV)

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since 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, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:19-23 (New International Version, NIV)

This passage from Hebrews speaks of the flesh as a curtain or veil. When Jesus hung on the cross and His blood was shed, His flesh, or His veil, was torn- or rent as the King James Version says. At the point when He gave up His spirit to God and breathed His last breath, the curtain, or veil, of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This veil was ridiculously thick and was nearly impossible to tear. Plus, it was torn from the top to the bottom, showing that God was the One who tore it. This indicated that man now has direct access to God by the blood of Jesus and His sacrificial death.

This is also significant because it shows us that as we offer ourselves by crucifying, or denying, our flesh, God will help tear, or rend, the veil of our flesh. As we crucify our flesh so that it is not dominating us, the flesh veil is torn so we can see more of God. We put our flesh to death by saying no to the things it wants in order to do the things God wants us to do. As we do this more and more, our flesh veil is ripped more and more until it is rent. Then, we too will experience a tear from top to bottom to enter God’s presence.

We can use God’s Word by His Spirit to rend our flesh so we experience more of God. Our flesh can be a real hindrance to our seeing God clearly and understanding who He is. The more we live by the flesh, the less of God we experience. On the other hand, the more we live by the spirit, we can enter God’s presence and partake of His manifest presence. The more our flesh is rent, the more God can fill us and flow through us where we experience the life of God flow out of us to touch others. This is one reason fasting is a powerful tool- it crucifies the flesh and tears the veil. When God’s life fills us and flows out, others are exposed to the life of God, which can give them resurrection life as well.

When we access what Christ died to give us- salvation, freedom, inheritance, healing, and so forth- we are experiencing God more and more. As we die to live, the veil of our flesh is rent and we can experience the presence of God in a real and tangible way.