Matthew records several events that took place at Christ's death.
One that initially seems insignificant, but was a symbol of major importance,
is found in Matthew 27:50-51: "And Jesus cried out again with a loud
voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple
was torn in two from top to bottom."
What did this mean, this event that was so important that three of
the Gospel writers mentioned it?
The temple was divided into two portions, an outer room called the
Holy Place in which a number of priests served, and an inner room called
the Most Holy Place or Holy of Holies. This inner room represented
God's presence. It was so sacred that the only person allowed in
was the high priest, and then only on one day of the year to make atonement
for the sins of himself and the people.
This sacred room, the Holy of Holies, was separated from the rest
of the temple by an elaborate and beautifully embroidered curtain. According
to Jewish descriptions of the temple, this curtain was truly massive-measuring
some 30 feet wide, 60 feet high and three inches thick. Its tearing
in two from top to bottom at Jesus' death was a shocking and bewildering
event! How could God let something like that happen within His temple?
Yet God was not only behind this, He deliberately tore the curtain
to make a point-that mankind's sins, which had cut us
off from Him (Isaiah 59:2), could now be forgiven through Jesus Christ's
shed blood.
Comparing how the high priest had previously only been able to pass
through the curtain once a year to offer atonement for sins, Hebrews 10:19-22 explains that a new High Priest, Jesus Christ, through the
sacrifice of Himself superseded this ritual for all time and gives mankind
direct access to God:
