Parting the Veil

Day one hundred thirty-six

We have some family and friends that are not doing so well health wise, so I dedicated a lot of my morning prayer to them and their families. I also prayed for the youth, as they have been on my mind quite a bit lately.  I sure love them! 

Exodus 25-30

These chapters in the Book of Exodus are about the Tabernacle.  I have always been fascinated with the thought of a portable temple.  What would it have been like to worship in such a place?  How would it compare to our modern-day temples?   

Augustine, referring to the Bible, said, "The New is in the Old concealed.  The Old is the New revealed." He is referring to the fact that many items and people in the Old Testament serve to point ahead to things more clearly revealed in the New Testament.  We call these objects and people filled with symbolism, 'types' or 'shadows'.  Of all the types in the Old Testament, none is more rich in its symbolism than the Tabernacle.  From one end to the other, the Tabernacle is all about pointing the people to the Lord Jesus Christ.     

Every part of the Tabernacle has symbolism in it, but one object that peaks my interest is the veil which separates the first room called the Holy Place from the second room called the Holy of Holies. (Ex 26:31-33)

What I learned about the veil:

The colors of the veil are significant:

Blue: In Judaism, blue is connected to the color of the sky and is meant to remind us of the Heavenly origins of God.  Christianity believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Rom 8:3; 1 Tim 3:16).  Therefore, the blue leads us to thoughts of the divinity of Christ.

Scarlet: This is the color that symbolizes blood and it speaks of Jesus as the Lamb of God, the perfect sacrifice for the sins of man (Rev 1:5; John 15:13).

Purple: This is the color of royalty and it reminds us that Jesus is the King of Kings (Isa 9:6-7; Rev 19:16).  

The construction of the veil has significance:

The cloth was to be "fine twined" and of a "cunning work." (v 31).  This cloth was to be a special weave different from other cloth.  Jesus was like the cloth, there has never been another man quite like Him.  He is perfect!

The veil served as a warning:

It was hung between the Holy Place, where the priests ministered everyday, and the Holy of Holies, where the presence of God dwelt above the Mercy Seat. It served as a barrier between God and sinful man.

A parallel to the Exodus:  The border of the Promised Land, over which only the sanctified of Israel could pass.  The unrighteous who tried to pass over the border into the Promised Land were immediately destroyed (Num 14:39-45)

A parallel to us today:  The veil separating us for the Lord's presence, through which only the sanctified can pass.

The list of symbolism from this one part of the Tabernacle goes on and on, we have only touched the surface here. Imagine what could be learned from an in depth study of all the parts of the Tabernacle! The scriptures teach us, "...and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him." (2 Ne 11:4).

What would life be like if we took the time to push the veil aside and look for God in all things?  Would it change our perspective of the world? 

I know that learning about the symbolism found in the Tabernacle has given me a new perspective of its significance and what I can learn from studying it.  My appreciation for the way the Lord teaches has increased and my desire to seek Him out in other things has been awakened.  I think that is the point He is trying to make, He can be found in all things, whether it be in a temple, nature, or in the actions of His people,  we just need to part the veil and seek Him!