Many events have already occurred by the time of the above sequence: the sky has turned pitch black, the seamless garment has been gambled for, the sign declaring 'this is Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews' has been secured, Jesus gives his mother to the apostle John to care for, and the cry 'Eloi, Eloi, lama Sabacthani', the first words of Psalm 22 have been uttered. Note the events as the Messiah dies: the Gospels are consistent in their description of the events, but almost immediately as the words, "It is finished" ['teleos'-finished, and continuing to be finished'] are spoken, against a dark sky, an earthquake occurs, and the vail in the Temple tears from top to bottom. More frightening things are about to occur, events so horrifying that even a Roman soldier present begins to tremble and declare that 'this must be the Son of God', as the ground shook. To begin to understand the significance though, of the tearing or 'renting' of the vail in the temple, one must understand the significance of the vail, and where in the Scriptures in the history of Israel we have seen the vail before.
The First Mention of a 'Vail'
The very first mention of a 'vail' in the Old Testament, and all the Bible comes in Genesis 24:65:[Gen 24:65 KJV] 65 For she [had] said unto the servant, What man [is] this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant [had] said, It [is] my master: therefore she took a vail,[H6809] and covered herself.While there are a number of the uses of the word 'vail' (and the alternate spelling 'veil') in the Word, the most pertinent usage is a literal one, of a cloth or curtain used to obscure the view of one location or thing for another: such things referred to as 'vailed' in the Word, are Moses' face, the 'Holiest of Holies' in the Tabernacle, as a woman's garment in a traditional sense, or as a covering of glory. The hebrew word ץעיף is used, as is another hebrew word, as is ץעיף (differing vowels) and six other renderings (See BLB: LEXICON:'vail') More often than not, when the word is translated it refers to a garment or covering. While the first mention in the Scriptures may seem relatively straightforward, rather mild as the mention of a garment, we see that it is Rebekah meeting Isaac, the bride here, covering her face, in typical middle eastern fashion, upon meeting the promised bridegroom, and yet at the same time, the picture of the church, or congregation of God, (of Israel), pulling the vail between herself and her redeemer, cannot be ignored since Isaac, long awaiting his bride is the one "...in Isaac shall thy seed be called. Gn 21:12".
Glory and the Vail
Before continuing, there is a significant theme which will reoccur in which a 'vail' or covering, separates mankind from the glory of God. Glory, δωζα or 'doxah" from 'dokeo, "to seem" can mean:(from BLB)- A State of blessedness, of fullness of LIFE
- Honour, resulting from a good opinion, or
- Everlasting power and divinity
- of Rebekah meeting with Isaac (Gn 24:65),
- Tamar wrapping herself in a covering with a vail to deceive Judah in Timnath (to continue the Messianic line) (Gen 38:14),
- Moses vailing his face after speaking with God (Exodus 34:33-35),
- Ruth (3:15) on the threshing floor of Boaz receiving six measures of barley into the vail she wore (a 'veiled' reference to the bread of life);
- a vain covering of the Daughters of Zion when they grow 'wanton' in Isaiah 3:23; and in the New Testament,
- a reaffirmation of the meaning of the covering of Moses' face in I Corinthians 3:13: "...the same vail untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament; which vail is done away with in Christ."
The Tabernacle (Temple) and the Vail in the Holy Place
The 'tabernacle' or tent of meeting in the Old Testament, was the design for the place of worship, where Israel met with God out in the wilderness, under the leadership of Moses. While most people are familiar with the Ten Commandments, with popularized images from movies, the Bible notes that two things were given on Mount Sinai to Moses by God: the 'Law' (Torah) and the plans for the Tabernacle, the place of meeting between God and Man. While it does not say precisely, the Bible notes that the stones Moses carried up were written by the finger of God, on the front and on the back. I have always liked to think of the Righteousness of God in the Law being written on one side, with the Grace of God, in the atonement and mercy of God, being written on the back, though whether that is so remains in the realm of mystery. In any event, they are the 'two sides' of God's Word to his children marching towards Canaan. There were curtains or vails as one entered the Tabernacle, in fact linen curtains, in the fashion of a 'fence' or wall, stood about the place of worship, often interpreted as an outward form of 'righteousness'. The pattern of the outward curtains at the entrance, resembled the curtains to the Holy Place, and inside the Holy Place, the curtains, or vail to the 'Holy of Holies' "Kadesh Kodeshim". As one entered the outward curtains, embroidered with cherubim, one came to the Laver, a basin for washing. Beyond the basin, was an altar for sacrifice: the place of the 'olah' or burnt offering, peace offerings, meat offerings, sin offerings and others. This altar was where lambs, goats or bullocks were offered. Following the altar, was an internal 'tent' with specified coverings of badger skins, and other coverings, called the "Holy Place": inside the Holy Place were the table of Shewbread, the candlestick, and the entrance into the "Holy of Holies", an internal location behind yet another set of vails. Inside the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant, containing the tablets of Moses, Manna, and Aaron's Rod. On the top of the Ark, was the mercy seat, or seat of 'propitiation', attended by two angels bowing reverently over the mercy seat, or top of the Ark. It was upon the Mercy seat, that during the wilderness wanderings of Moses, attended by only one high Priest, that God met with man, through the high Priest. The entire symbolic manifestation of the structure of the Tabernacle, pointed to the Redeemer, who would grant us HIS righteousness, through the washing of the Word and Holy Spirit, through a blood atonement/sacrifice, where eventually, the internal 'vail' beyond the outward vail and the vail to the Holy Place, would one day upon fulfillment of God's promises, be torn, open to all, by the final act of a mediator and High Priest. (see Book of Hebrews:all).So much has been written about the Tabernacle, that we will rest from that discussion here, and turn directly to the vail. The vails, again on the outside, Holy Place and Holy of Holies bore the same characteristics: they were:
| Blue | Purple | Scarlet | Linen |
And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple and scarlet and fine twined linen of cunning work with cherubim..."
36:35...on taches, on pillars of gold, And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the vail on the side of the Tabernacle toward the south, and thou shalt put the table on the northside.
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