The Veil, That Is to Say, His Flesh (Hebrews 10:20)

2023-05-01

By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh (Hebrews 10:20)

To which veil does the apostle refer? It is described in Exodus 26:31-35. This is the veil between the holy place and the most holy in the tabernacle. The cherubims signified the cherubims that were on the east side of Eden, guarding the way to the Garden. In the most holy was the ark of the covenant. Without the vail was the shewbread table and the candlestick. There was likewise a veil for the Temple in 2 Chronicles 3:14 in the same fashion. The high priest went in annually for the Day of Atonement, making atonement for the sins of the people once a year, as described in Leviticus 16:1-34.

This veil was the one thing that stood between where the LORD met with His people and the outside world. When the Lord was crucified, it was miraculously torn from the top to the bottom. “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 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” (Matthew 27:50-51). This was not a little tear; the entire thing was ripped in half.

When we get to our verse of interest here, Hebrews 10:20, we see that the real veil is Christ Himself. His body was torn for us to get into the most holy place, where God dwells. The path to the Father was permanently opened.

The hope of the Gospel is in this: “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec” (Hebrews 6:19-20). Jesus was a forerunner; He went before others, clearing the way. Who are the others? We are!

He came in the flesh to be torn so that the humanity could go into eternal life with God the Father.