"The Veil shall be a divider between the holy place and the Holy of Holies" (Exodus 26:33). The Veil was made using the four colors blue, purple, scarlet and white (of the fine linen) that correspond with the four gospels. We have seen these four colours previously at the Door of the Outer Court, the Door to the Sanctuary, the Cherubim Embroidered Covering that forms the ceiling of the Tabernacle and on the Ephod the high priest wore.
The Veil is the final door to pass through, to enter into the presence of God in the Holy of Holies. Entry was forbidden to all except one, the high priest, and his access was not free: he was permitted entry once only per year, on the Day of Atonement, when he brought the blood of the sacrificed goat to sprinkle on the lid (called the Mercy Seat) of the Ark of the Covenant.
The Veil reminds us that we are excluded because "we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). However, just as the Passover lamb was slain for the redemption of the children of Israel in Egypt, and the goat was slain so that its blood could obtain God's forgiveness for the Israelites on the Day of Atonement, so Jesus "bore our sins in His own body on the tree" (I Peter 2:24). As Jesus was hanging there on the cross, God "laid on Him the iniquities (the wrongdoings) of us all" (Isaiah 53:6). The final pangs of death came as Jesus cried out "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). Seconds later "He cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit" (Matthew 26:50). He cried "It is finished!" (John 19:30). He died.
The effect of the death of Jesus was dramatic: the earth quaked, rocks were split "and the Veil in the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom" (Matthew 27:51). "From top to bottom" indicates that God tore it, because the Veil in the Temple was 25 metres high. (Here in the Tabernacle the Veil was just 4.6 metres high.)
Matthew 27:54 and Luke 23:47 both record that the Centurion at the crucifixion site saw the Veil tearing in two. This means that this Gentile sinner could also see straight into the Holy of Holies. This is a picture to show us that it is now possible, on the basis of faith in Jesus' death for our sins, to stand in the presence of God as justified and forgiven people (Romans 5:1-2).
As Hebrews 10:19-22 shows, the way to the Holy of Holies has been opened up for us through the Veil of Jesus' flesh being torn on the cross. There is a 'new' (literally 'freshly slain') and 'living' way for us to enter. The Lord Jesus Christ is not just our freshly slain, dead offering; He is also the Living One (Luke 24:5 Revelation 1:18), risen from the dead and ascended, our great High Priest, with our names on His heart (the Breastplate) and shoulders (the shoulder stones), going into the Holy of Holies, where God's presence is over the Ark of the Covenant! What encouragement! Let us draw near to God in the Holy of Holies, with a purified heart and in full assurance of faith! Let's tell other people about it! (Hebrews 10:23) Let us incite one another to love the Lord much more! (Hebrews 10:24) Let's get together with hearts full of praise and joy (Hebrews 10:25), as He leads us in songs of praise to God the Father (Hebrews 2:12), His Father and our Father! (John 20:17).
The Ark of the Covenant is the best known item in the Tabernacle, renowned for its mysterious powers against the enemies of Israel (I Samuel chapters 5 & 6).
The Ark of the Covenant resided in the Holy of Holies, the innermost room of the Tabernacle. Access was only permitted once per year, on the Day of Atonment(Yom Kippur). Access was restricted to one person only, the high priest. He had to come into the Holy of Holies with the blood of a goat, on behalf of his own and the people of Israel's sins.
The Ark itself was a small box made of acacia wood, overlaid with gold. It measured 1.15 metres long, 0.7 metres wide and 0.7 metres high. It was carried by two long bars, also made of acacia wood overlaid with gold.
The Ark was God's throne in His dwelling place in the Tabernacle. Most people associate the Ark of the Covenant with judgement and wrath, rightly so. The day is soon coming when God will judge the secrets of people's hearts (Romans 2:16) and "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth" (Romans 1:18). "He who formed the eye, do you think He cannot see? or He who planted the ear, do you think He does not hear?" (Psalm 94:9) If you are still not sure, please read about the great white throne of God's judgement in Revelation 20:11-15. But, there was a cover on the Ark, known as the Mercy Seat, or Propitiation Cover. It was here that the blood of a goat was sprinkled by the high priest on the Day of Atonement, to appease God's righteous anger (propitiate) for the sins of the people of Israel.
Romans 3:24-25 tells us that there is redemption in Christ Jesus, because God has set Him forth as a propitiation, through faith in His blood. Christ has died. The price is paid. To those who believe in Jesus Christ's death for their sins, there is now mercy not wrath. "God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we are yet sinners, Christ died for us. Having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him" (Romans 5:8-9).
Attached to the Ark's covering lid were two Cherubim. God's presence did not dwell inside the box, but remained over the Ark, in between the two Cherubim. Here God dwelt "in unapproachable light" (I Timothy 6:16 Psalm 104:2). The high priest had to shield his eyes, because "no man shall see Me and live" (Exodus 33:20). This was where God met with Moses (Exodus 25:21-22 Leviticus 16:14-15). The glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle on the day it was reared up and anointed (Exodus 40:9,18,34-35), exactly fourteen days short of one year since the Exodus from Egypt (Exodus 40:2; 12:6,31). The two Cherubim on the Mercy Seat represented God's glory (Hebrews 9:5).
We are not told in great detail exactly what the Ark of the Covenant looked like. Some models, like this one, show the Cherubim kneeling. Other models show the Cherubim standing. What we do know is that the wings of the Cherubim were stretched out, to cover the Mercy Seat; the wings of the two Cherubim possibly touched one another to form a complete covering. The uncertainty should not unduly trouble us "for now we see dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I am known" (I Corinthians 13:12)
Thanks to Martyn Barrow for research information [Back to top of page]
