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Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>

"Standing Together, Shoulder To Shoulder, As We Fight the Good Fight of Faith"
 
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER is a weekly letter of encouragement Bob has written since 1997, covering many topics selected to
motivate people to be strong students of the Word and courageous witnesses of Jesus Christ.  It is a personal letter of
encouragement to you, written solely to help "lift up hands that hang down".

    "The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything." -- Albert Einstein

    “There is a common, worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have -- a cheap Christianity which offends nobody,
    and requires no sacrifice, which costs nothing, -- and is worth nothing.” – J. C. Ryle 

Shoulder To Shoulder #1287 -- 4/18/22

Title:  "Our Greatest Asset  (part two) -- Priests Before the Lord" (B)

My Dear Friend and Pilgrim Partner:

As I begin writing, my daughter, son-in-law, and two grandsons are unloading their van and the rental truck as she and Bob move into the house that they purchased a couple months ago right next door to us.  Following a day's delay in Minnesota, they somehow made up all of the lost time and arrived within just an hour or two from what they had originally planned.  Even though the days ahead for them and for us will be hectic as they settle in (and we feebly try to help them) we are thrilled to have them as neighbors.

Easter celebration this year was different -- and special in its own way.  Twelve of the small group of chapel members still in town met with Jo Ann and me in our home for our own celebration of Christ's resurrection.  We sang, we prayed, we observed Communion, and we looked again at the story of history's greatest event of all times when Jesus entered Satan's netherworld and conquered him on his own turf.  In keeping with the theme I began in my last letter, I want to write again today about what happened that enables you and me to ourselves be "priests before the Lord".  Eventually we'll conclude this little series, returning to the primary theme of "our greatest asset" as those priests, but that will probably be a couple of more letters down the road.

As is often the case, my "digging" often uncovers new and fresh insights -- and this is what happened in this case.  So, we'll take a look at the idea right after you consider . . .

THIS 'N' THAT:

+  Why The Nativity?  This looks to be a wonderful series on the birth of Christ that is being produced by Dr. David Jeremiah.  It's apparently based on a book he wrote over fifteen years ago, Why the Nativity?.  Knowing something of his background as to biblical/historical accuracy, this looks to me like it will be on a par with "The Chosen" series.  It is schedule to be released to the public next December.  I looked at some of the project video clips.  You might want to as well.
Something to look forward to.  For information on how to follow the project's development, go to https://www.davidjeremiah.org/news/why-the-nativity?/tid=fbp_post_04.19.22_WTN-filming-day-1

+  Good Links:  If you are interested in following Putin's invasion of Ukraine, here are some helpful links --
    >  https://www.facebook.com/UkraineUA.MFA -- Official Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ukraine (in English)
    >  https://www.kyivpost.com/ -- Kyiv Post Newspaper (In English)
    >  https://euromaidanpress.com/ -- EuroMaidan Press newspaper (in English)

QUOTES FOR THE WEEK:

    >  ". . . the high priest -- the only man who, on the Day of Atonement, was allowed to enter the sacred Holy Place to seek God's forgiveness for the people (Lev. 16) -- would have been hidden from their sight. Christ has done everything generations of high priests could not do. They were only shadows. He is the reality!" -- Alistair Begg 

    >  ". . . He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." -- Heb 7:25 

    >  ". . .we have a great High Priest, Jesus Christ, who came into the world as the Son of God, lived a sinless life, offered himself as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of his  people, rose to everlasting life at the right hand of the majesty of God, and there loves us and prays for us and bids us draw near to God through him. He did not come to fit into the old system of priestly sacrifices. He came to fulfill them and end them.  He is the reality; they were the shadow and the copy of the reality. When the Reality comes, the shadow passes away." -- John Piper 

    >  "Because Jesus is our great high priest, we’ve got a friend in high places. We’ve got connections in heaven. We’ve got a friend at the throne of grace who delights to answer our prayers. Come boldly. Come often. Come to the throne of grace and pour out your heart to God. You will not be turned away." -- Ray Prichard (Christianity.com)

    >  "In his life Christ is an example showing us how to live; in his death he is a sacrifice satisfying our sins; in his resurrection a conqueror; in his ascension a king; in his intercession a high priest.” -- Martin Luther 

    >  "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession." -- Heb 4:14 

TIMELESS SYMBOLISMS:

Continuing our look at the three pictures of the High Priest that we examined last time -- Aaron, Zacharias, and Jesus -- I am struck by both the symbolisms and the actions of all three.  I noted last time that each piece of Aaron's attire was a precursor of the great High Priest yet to come, Jesus Christ.  Let's revisit that subject for just a few minutes and put a little more meat on the bone.

Aaron:  I mentioned earlier that Exodus 28 details the garments for the High Priest that God ordered that Aaron would wear as His representative and intercessor before the Children of Israel.  Verse two describes them as "holy garments" (ko'-desh = "sacred, sanctified, hallowed, revered, respected, distinctly set apart, exclusively dedicated") that were to be worn by him and is sons for "glory and for beauty" (some translations say, "with dignity and honor").  The words (kabod and tipharah) clearly describe the state in which they were to be revered and utilized -- "with abundant splendor and glorious honor."

The intent is clear and the picture is impressive.  We see a meager example in some of the regalia of divine processionals and royal statesmanship found in more liturgical churches and nations ruled by monarchs.  There is a sense of formal pomp and ritual that is specifically designed to bring attention to the role of the wearer, and to the respect he deserves because of the position he holds and the role he plays.

Even before we understand the symbolic meaning of his apparel, we already know that it is highly valued, exceptionally meaningful, and to be deeply revered.  The more I study this -- particularly in light of Jesus' identity as our Great High Priest and then in light of our own positions as "priests unto the Lord" -- the more profound is the idea of what Christ did for us, and what you and I have been called to be and do.  Remembering that the primary role of the priest was that of intercession for others, it makes the experience Zacharias had with Gabriel even more significant.

So, let's consider . . . .

The Material for the Apparel:  When you read the entire passage of scripture relating to Aaron's priestly attire, you will find three major types ---- fabric, metals, and gemstones or minerals.  All are part of God's creation.  Nothing is man made or artificial in nature.  Even the material selected had deep spiritual meaning. 

    >  Fabric: -- As far as I can tell, the fabric in Aaron's apparel was all made of either wool or linen (flax).  There is no evidence that cotton was a common source for fabric in the Bible.  Even though it was being raised as early as 6,000 B.C. in the middle Nile basin (Sudan, etc.), Ethiopia, Peru, and India, and appears to have been commonly used along the Nile River basin at the time the Israelites lived there, it is not used in the biblical narrative.  The only fabrics ever mentioned in the Bible as far as I can tell are wool and linen.  Cotton is never mentioned.  I think there must be a reason for that, but can only speculate as to that reason.  Could it possibly be because that was the "fabric of choice" for the Egyptians?  Who knows?

The www.gotquestions.org website points out the rare occasions where instructions about fabric's use is mentioned.  There are only two bits of instruction -- Lev 19:19 and Deut 22:9-11.

   “Keep my decrees. Do not mate different kinds of animals. Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.”  (Lev 19:19).

    “Do not plant two kinds of seed in your vineyard; if you do, not only the crops you plant but also the fruit of the vineyard will be defiled. Do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together. Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.” (Deut 22:9-11).

In both cases, it seems that the Mosaic Law prohibited wearing blended fabrics -- in other words, clothing made from two different materials.  One could use fabric from both sources at the same time, but not blended together:  layered, yes; blended, no.

The only exception to this law was, oddly enough, the ephod of the high priest, which was made of linen and dyed thread (Exod 28:6–8; 39:4–5). The dyed thread obviously would have been made of wool. It was the only garment that could be woven of linen and wool. The gotquestions.org website stated, . . .

    "No one else was allowed to have such a garment. Apparently, this rule was to place some distance between the high priest and the people, with the ultimate purpose of reminding Israel of how holy God truly is. A similar prohibition in the Law regarded anointing oil. God gave a special recipe for the anointing oil, and it was strictly forbidden to duplicate the recipe for common use. No Israelite was allowed to make this oil for his own purposes (Exodus 30:31–38)."

Whatever else this prohibition may teach -- if it has meaning at all -- it might well teach the principle of separation.  That is, the importance of living separated lives from the world.  The Israelites were not to mix Egyptian culture with the Israelite's.  They were to live lives separated unto God, apart from the things of the world.  The exception would have been Aaron, who stood as a man -- between God and man -- as the mediator or intercessor bringing man and God together through the sacrifice of blood.

The meaning of using fabric (as opposed to animal skins as found with Adam and Eve in the Garden and John the Baptist in the wilderness) I think is to symbolize a covering -- teaching modesty and privacy.  While tents were usually made of animal skins, clothing was made of either wool or linen.  Both were used to adorn, but also to hide.  You might consider studying that concept more thoroughly than what I can do here.

    >  Metals: -- Various metals abounded during Israel's day -- gold, silver, copper, tin, iron, bronze, and lead -- but the most prominent both in Aaron's wearing apparel, the tabernacle, and the objects of worship and sacrifice were gold and silver.  Bronze was used in the tabernacle and its furnishings, but not in Aaron's garments. 

Gold was used for three purposes in the Bible -- commerce, splendor, and royalty.  It is the primary standard by which all other things were measured in value and importance.  Silver is a general symbol of Truth but perhaps more specifically, that Truth which centers and deals with the Ransom of a slave or prisoner.  For a more thorough description of metals used in the Bible, check out this website -- https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/metals/ .

    >  Gemstones: -- There were thirteen different gemstones found on Aaron's high priestly garments -- two of one kind (the onyx) on the two shoulder clasps of the ephod, and one of each kind on the breastplate (emerald, peridot, carnelian, chrysolite, sapphire, amethyst, jacinth, turquoise, sapphire, purple, beryl and lap sapphire. 

The names of six tribes were engraved on the two onyx stones on the shoulder clasps, symbolizing that Aaron carried the burdens of all the tribes on his shoulders into God's presence.  The name of a single tribe was listed on each of the other stones.  Together the two sets of stones represented Israel as a whole, and yet each tribe as individual tribes.

Of particular significance that will help you better understand the significance of the gemstones is that the only other times the stones are mentioned in group form is on the covering of Lucifer in Ezekiel 28:13 and in the foundations of the New Jerusalem in Rev. 21:19-20.  This gives us further significance into the importance of the ephod and its twelve precious stones.

The Apparel:  You and I probably understand that each specific piece of the apparel worn by Aaron has spiritual symbolic significance, in the same way that the Christian's armor listed in Ephesians 6 have spiritual symbolism.  In fact, the similarities between the two are striking.  However, I think Aaron's attire is even more profoundly significant than we even understand.  It appears that every piece of his garment deals with sin of some kind, and is an aspect of intercession by the High priest in behalf of the people.  In other words, the garments Aaron wore were garments of atonement.   I will point out only four of what I believe are eith separate pieces, plus other elements Aaron used. 

+  The Ephod: -- The ephod was an ornate priestly garment “of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen—the work of skilled hands."  Held in place by the two latches with the onyx stones atop, the ephod represented the people of Israel whom God has chosen for Himself. In Exod 28:12 God told Moses the two stones are, in fact, "memorial stones for the sons of Israel" and that "Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders as a memorial before the Lord" ( Exodus 28:12 ).  Together with the onyx stones, the ephod symbolized Aaron's intercession for all of Israel as he came before God ceremonially in their behalf to intercede for them.  A more comprehensive overview of the ephod can be read at https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/what-was-the-spiritual-purpose-of-the-ephod.html .

+  The breastpiece: -- This was called "the breastpiece of decision” -- or perhaps more appropriately, "the breastpiece of intercession" to symbolize that the high priest represented the people before God.  Exod 28:29 says, “Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart . . . as a continuing memorial before the Lord”. It was sometimes called "the breastpiece of decision” because the Urim and Thummim that were embedded in the breastpiece, were associated with determining God’s will in various matters. 

+  The robe: -- Under the ephod and breastpiece was a robe.  The robe was blue in color.  Of particular interest were the bells and pomegranates attached to the hem of the robe.  They were there in order to know the high priest was still alive behind the veil separating the holy of holies from the rest of the tabernacle (or temple later in history).  If the bells went silent, that meant the priest had died, and the people were to pull the priest out by a rope that had been attached to his foot. It was done so that “the sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he comes out, so that he will not die”. (Exod 28:35).

+  The turban: -- The turban was plain white, and represented consecration or dedication before the Lord.  The color, white, symbolized the necessity of approaching God in a spirit of holiness.  The turban had a gold plate intentionally and conspicuously placed at the forehead, on which were inscribed the words “Holy to the Lord.” This gold plate was to “be on Aaron’s forehead continually so that [the children of Israel] will be acceptable to the Lord” (Exod 28:38).

The thing that strikes me about all of Aaron's attire as Israel's first great high priest is the issue of intercession.  When you and I think of a priest, we usually picture a Catholic or Orthodox priest, or perhaps an Episcopal priest.  We think of all the ceremonial actions of liturgy associated with them.  Well, as a matter of fact, many of the liturgical apparel and actions can be traced back to Exodus 28 and following, but I think the main message we too often miss is the true biblical role of the priest.  I've said it over and over again, but, as opposed to the prophet who stands before the people in God's behalf, and the king leads and rules over the people, the primary role of the priest -- at least from a scriptural viewpoint -- was that of an intercessor.  He came before God in humility and holiness and cried out to God in behalf of the people -- particularly their sins, their needs, and God' will for them.

It appears that an oft-overlooked phrase, "so that", is pivotal to our understanding of both the role and the apparel of the high priest.  There's a reason for it all.  In studying for today's letter, I ran across a most helpful article from the Temple Institute website.  You may recall that the Temple Institute is a Jewish organization that has been researching all ancient Jewish records in an effort to perfectly restore every item listed in the Old Testament for the future restoration of temple worship.  In that article, I found the following statement:

    "The Garments Possess An Intrinsic Holiness.  No priest, neither lay nor the High Priest himself, is fit to serve in the Temple unless he is wearing the sacred garments. As the Talmud states, 'While they are clothed in the priestly garments, they are clothed in the priesthood; but when they are not wearing the garments, the priesthood is not upon them' (BT Zevachim 17:B). Conducting the service without these garments would render the priests the same as those who are not descendants of Aharon - all of whom are unfit for service in the Temple."

TIMELESS PURPOSE:

The detailed description by the Temple Institute of the priestly functions and garments really caught my attention -- particularly as I contrasted it to Jesus, our Great High Priest.  My mind seemed to go into overdrive as I read through it.  So, hoping you can make some similar applications in your mind, here is more of what I found:

It is noteworthy and revealing that one of the finest ways to gain insight into both the details of life in the Holy Temple, and to its inner spirit, is by a study of the priestly garments.

We shall see that these garments are essential in order for the priests to function in their sacred capacity; so much so that in their absence, the offerings made by the priests in the Temple have no validity! Without his uniform, the priest who serves in the Holy Temple is considered like a "stranger" serving before the L-rd - like an ordinary non-priest. What, then, is the basis for the garments' powerful significance?


The Garments Possess An Intrinsic Holiness

No priest, neither lay nor the High Priest himself, is fit to serve in the Temple unless he is wearing the sacred garments. As the Talmud states, "While they are clothed in the priestly garments, they are clothed in the priesthood; but when they are not wearing the garments, the priesthood is not upon them" (BT Zevachim 17:B). Conducting the service without these garments would render the priests the same as those who are not descendants of Aharon - all of whom are unfit for service in the Temple.

Why does the Bible attach so much significance to the garments? Because their quality is such that they elevate the wearers - Aharon and all his descendants - to the high levels of sanctity required from those who come to serve before G-d in the holy place. These garments themselves possess a certain holiness; powerful enough to sanctify all those who merely come in contact with them, as we read in the prophets: "... so as not to hallow the people with their garments" (Ezekiel 44:19).

Actually, the Hebrew expression which we are translating as "sacred" or "holy" garments also means "garments of the Temple;" that is, the garments themselves show that their wearers are standing in the Divine service.


The Garments Atone for Sins

Another important quality of the priestly garments is that their very presence, worn by the kohanim during the Temple service, serves to atone for the sins of Israel. It is taught that just as the offerings facilitate an atonement for sin, so do the priestly garments. (BT Zevachim 88:B)

This is one of the deeper aims of wearing these garments, and something for the kohen to ponder while they are upon him. For his everyday actions in the Temple transcend his own personal idiom and take on a more universal theme... he makes atonement and spiritual rectification for all humanity.

Thus we are taught:
    The tunic, which covers most of the priest's body, atones for killing.
    The pants atone for sexual transgressions.
    The turban, worn on the head, atone for haughtiness.
    The belt, wound about the body and worn over the heart, atones for "sins of the heart" - improper thoughts
    The breastplate atones for errors in judgment.
    The ephod atones for idolatry.
    The robe atones for evil speech.
    The High Priest's crown atones for arrogance.


"For honor and for beauty"

The rabbis established that G-d's command for the priestly garments to be "for honor and for beauty" teach us that they must be new and dignified. If the garments were soiled, stained, or ripped, the priests may not conduct the service while wearing them - and if they did, the service would be invalid.

Another aspect of "honor and beauty" means that the uniform must fit each fit perfectly. It was forbidden for the pants, for example, to be too long or too short. The garments were made to order for each priest, tailored to fit his measurements exactly.

This tells us something of the tremendous work force needed to turn out these garments in such quantities that every kohen in Israel could be supplied with his own garments. As we shall learn with regard to the incense offering, there were so many kohanim available for duty in the Holy Temple that no kohen  ever offered the daily incense service more than once in his lifetime, and it was offered twice daily for many hundreds of years! Yet each had his own garments.

The Garments Were Not Washed

Furthermore, although the kohanim were extremely neat, just as they were diligent and careful - still, they were working with the sacrifices. Any garment which became soiled to the extent that its stains could not be removed, those garments were not washed. When they became disqualified from use in this manner, they were shredded and used to fulfill another of the Creator's commandments! The tunics were used to make wicks for the menorah, and the belts and pants, wicks for the oil lamps of the Festival of the Water Libation which took place in the Women's Court during the Festival of Sukkot. This applies only to the garments of the ordinary kohanim, of which there were a great many. When the High Priest's (Kohen Gadol) uniform became unusable through wear and tear, it was not destroyed, but hidden away so that no other man could ever wear it.


The Production of the Garments

"And you shall speak to all who are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aharon's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister to me in the kohen's office." (Ex 28:3)

Aside from the fact that the priestly garments must be made "for honor and for beauty," the above verse also instructs us that they must be made with wisdom and understanding... for they must be produced in exact accordance with all the nuances of the Biblical requirements.

Furthermore, they must be made with a special intention in mind - namely, that they are being created for the sake of fulfilling G-d's commandment.

The priestly garments are not sewn, like other clothes. Each item is woven, seamless, of one piece. The only exception to this is the sleeves of the robe, which are woven separately and sewn onto the robe afterwards. 

There was much more to the article than what I have shared, so if you want to dig into more detail, go to https://templeinstitute.org/priestly-garments/ .

OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST:

Obviously the Christian view of Jesus is very different from that of the Old Testament and practiced by Jews today as much as possible without their temple.  But, when we study both the prophecies of the Old Testament, the numerous times in which the Messiah would be that "great High Priest" described so often in the Book of Hebrews, we find that Jesus, indeed, is that one Great High Priest for Whom God's chosen people cry out for and look for.

Everything that Aaron -- and yes, Zacharias in Luke 1 -- represented as a "picture" or a "foreshadow", Jesus completely fulfilled.  A "foreshadow" is the shadow someone casts ahead of him when the light is at his back.  It is the precursor -- or the prediction -- of something (or Someone) that is coming.  Aaron was the precursor as the first great high priest of the last Great High Priest.

This is no more clearly presented than in the Book of Hebrews.  Jesus is identified as our Great High Priest in nine of the thirteen chapters found in Hebrews, and in the other four (1, 10, 11, and 12) He is clearly alluded to in that priestly role.  That is the real message of the Book.  It was written specifically to Jewish people -- believers and unbelievers alike -- to validate the fact that we come to God in simple faith by the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Everything that Aaron did as the first great high priest was fulfilled in Jesus, THE Great High Priest.  Jesus is the completion of -- the fulfillment of -- virtually everything that was manifested in and modeled by Aaron, the very first High Priest of the ages.  Aaron was the first, Melchizedek was a picture, and Jesus is the perfection and completion of it all -- the FINAL ONE.  We have no other way to God, and we need no other priest to satisfy the sacrificial requirements that God demands.

Go back and read all that God instructed beginning in Exodus 28 and on through succeeding chapters, and you'll find that Jesus epitomized it all.  This is why the writer of Hebrews described Him, our Great High Priest, as offering a "more excellent" alternative (Heb 1:4; 8:6).  If you're hung up on Hebrews 6 and/or Hebrews 11, you've missed the entire point of the Book of Hebrews -- Jesus is both our sacrificial Lamb and our Great High Priest, and there is nothing left to be done except for us to receive Him as He is by faith.

James Jordan is Scholar-in-Residence at Theopolis Institute.  He wrote in his essay about the subject, . . .

    "Aaron wore garments of glory and beauty when he carried out his work, and among these were a tunic of checkered work of fine linen (Exodus 28:39). We are not told that this was seamless, but the checkered work implies it. On the Day of Atonement, however, Aaron set aside these glorious garments and wore only 'holy garments,' consisting of linen tunics, undergarments, sash, and turban. When the work of atonement was concluded, Aaron put back on his garments of glory and beauty (Leviticus 16).

    "The linen garments in which Jesus was wrapped speak of His work as Great High Priest on the Great Day of Atonement. They were left behind 'in a holy place' (Leviticus 16:23) when His work was finished, and He assumed his glorified body. The fact that the place of the linen garments was a holy place explains why John would not enter the tomb before Peter, for he saw the garments in the tomb (John 20:5).

    "Thus, the seamless tunic removed from Jesus at the crucifixion corresponds to Aaron’s garments of glory and beauty. The 'tunic' of Aaron’s garments is the same word as the 'garments' of skin God made for Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21) to cover their nakedness. Jesus’ nakedness was exposed on the cross, signifying His humiliation and His taking the punishment for our sins.

    "We now turn to the hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes. . . .   Aloes are associated with God’s garden in Numbers 24:6. . .  Finally, myrrh is the first spice mentioned as scenting the oil used to anoint the high priest and the tabernacle (Exodus 30:23). . . .

    "One thing we can be more sure of: These two scents would permeate Christ’s flesh as it reposed in the tomb. When He rose from the grave, He smelled of myrrh and aloes. Therefore, He presented Himself as a Groom ready for His bride.

    "Myrrh is also associated with kingship. The magi brought to the newborn king gold, frankincense, and myrrh. While these three items figure prominently in the Tabernacle structure and worship, at this point it is kingship that is highlighted. Solomon received much gold (1 Kings 10:11); indeed, too much (1 Kings 10:14!). Frankincense is associated with myrrh in the love-making of the king in Canticles 3:6 and 4:6 & 14. The old notion that gold, frankincense, and myrrh mean king, priest, and sacrifice (death) is, thus, in error.

    "There is one other association we should make with the burial clothes of Jesus. Since the gospels were written in order, and each gospel builds on the preceding, we are at liberty to make a connection from John not only to Matthew but to Luke 2:7, where Luke tells us that Mary wrapped Jesus in cloths and laid Him in a feeding-trough. Of course the mother wrapped the baby in secure, warm cloths, but why does the Holy Spirit call our attention to this? We may see Jesus as the food of the world, lying in the feeding-trough. He was placed there because there was no room for them in the inn. This event typologically prefigures the passion of Christ, when He is cast out of the Temple and of Jerusalem. Then He is wrapped in cloths and laid in a tomb."

THE ACT THAT SETTLED IT:

When Aaron went into the holy of holies once a year -- on the Day of Atonement -- he laid aside his regalia that impressed the people, humbled himself, and offered up a sacrifice that would make atonement for the sins of the nation of Israel.  When Jesus died, He did the same thing -- "once for all", as Paul repeatedly declared.  While Aaron did it annually, Jesus did it once.  This, incidentally, is the basis of the hypothetical argument in Hebrews 6.

But, something else happened when Christ entered the most holy place that did NOT ever happen when Aaron went in to make intercession for Israel.  Neither did it happen when Zacharias entered some 34 years earlier that left him speechless.  When Jesus died and entered into God's presence to forever make atonement for our sins, He also prepared the way for all Christians for all time thereafter to enter.  It all happened . . .

The Day the Veil was Torn! 

    “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..”.  (Mt 27:50-51)

Many people don't even notice that little detail.  In spite of remembering the earthquake and the pitch black darkness that lasted from Noon to 3:00 in the afternoon (Mt 27:45), they miss the most profoundly amazing and life-changing event of the entire saga apart from His death and His resurrection three day later.

Not since the day the veil between the holy place and the holy of holies had been created and hung in that first tabernacle had it been absent or damaged.  But, when it happened the day Jesus died, it was the event that changed everything for Christians.  You see, we could have had forgiveness of our sins when Jesus "went behind the veil" in our behalf as our Great High Priest.  We could have had eternal life because He came out of the tomb, having conquered sin, death, and hell.

But, when the veil in the temple was torn into two pieces, Jesus gave us one of the greatest blessings we could have ever imagined. 

He gave us access to God!!!

Author Becky Dietz stated, . . .

    "This simple fact is often overlooked in the story of the death of Jesus--the moment the veil was torn. Not only was it torn, but it was torn from the top to the bottom--which is significant. This was a simple, yet profound, event. That veil was 6-8 inches thick...and yet it was torn. No man could possibly have torn that veil--especially from top to bottom. GOD tore the veil!"

    "What was behind the veil?  The ark of the covenant. The ark was where God met man. And not just any man could go behind the veil -- only the high priest. He had to make sure his sins were confessed or he would die behind that veil in God's holy presence. There were bells on the bottom of his robe so the other priests would know he was still alive. If the bells stopped ringing, they would pull the priest out with the rope tied around his ankle -- because they couldn't go behind the veil.

    "Ripping the veil at the moment Jesus died was so significant. God was declaring that Jesus' death made a way for EVERY man (and woman) to come into the presence of God!  As man confesses his sin, he's been invited into a personal, intimate relationship with our holy God. We no longer need a priest to whom we confess our sins or who intercedes on our behalf. In fact, at the point of salvation, we each become a priest--able to talk and listen to God ourselves -- intimately.

    "What a holy moment for us...that moment when the veil was torn!!"

My friend, do we have the capacity to even grasp what happened that day??? -- when our Great High Priest did something no other priest had dared do in some 1,500 years before???  Think about this!  Months after God gave Moses the specifications for Aaron's priesthood and a number of other matters, we find Moses interceding in behalf of a rebellious people.  He asked God to let him see His face, and God replied, . . .

    "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!"  (Exod 33:20).

So, for a human being to now not only look behind the veil, but to actually be able to go behind it was an unthinkable and terrorizing idea.  To do so meant you were a "dead man". 

Yet, now it was possible.

My father sang this wonderful song, Once Our Blessed Christ of Beauty, literally hundreds of times over the years.  I can still hear him as he would sit at the piano and accompany himself . . .

    Once our blessed Christ of beauty
        was veiled off from human view;
    but through suffering death and sorrow
        He has rent the veil in two.

    Yes, He is with God, the Father,
        interceding there for you;
    for He is the mighty conqueror,
        since He rent the veil in two.

    Holy angels bow before Him,
        men of earth give praises due;
    for He is the well-beloved,
        since He rent the veil in two.

    Throughout time and endless ages,
        heights, and depths of love so true;
    He alone can be the giver,
        since He rent the veil in two. ……

    O behold the man of sorrows,
        O behold Him in plain view,
    Lo! He is the mighty conqueror,
        Since He rent the veil in two,
    Lo! He is the mighty conqueror
        since He rent the veil in two.

FINALLY:

What an amazing development!  When Jesus, our Great High Priest, went behind the veil, and then tore it from top to bottom -- a human impossibility due to its size, weight, and thickness -- we were given direct access to God through what Christ did that moment.  No wonder Paul so eloquently and yet forcefully reminded the Ephesian Christians, . . .

    "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him  with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.

     ". . . for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. . . .   in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him." (Eph 1:7-10; 2:18; 3:12).

When Jesus became both our sacrificial Lamb and our Great High Priest, He provided us forgiveness, redemption, liberation, eternal life, a future and a hope -- AND -- AND -- complete and unobstructed access to God Himself. 

The sinner became a priest!!!

I've always believed it when the Bible repeatedly describes the follower of Christ as "priests unto the Lord" with no need for any human to mediate or intercede for us since we have immediate access to God through Jesus Christ.  But now, as part of that "royal priesthood" that Peter described (I Pet 2:9), the idea of its reality has absolutely blown my mind in recent weeks.  To understand who you are in your role as such a "priest", study the life of the high priest in the Old Testament and the role of Jesus as our "Great High Priest" in the New.

Then realize you are part of that lineage.

If you ever really get hold of that reality, you will never again come before Him in prayer with a spirit of tentativeness, uncertainty, fear, or timidity.  You will, instead, "come boldly" before the throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help in time of need (Heb 4:12) -- any need, all needs, others' needs.

You'll never come again with faltering steps and moments of hesitation.  That, my friend, is the role of a "priest before the Lord".

And, we'll look at that much more closely in my next letter.

In His Bond, By His Grace, and for His Kingdom,

Bob Tolliver -- Romans 1:11

    "Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness,
    examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." -- Dr. Luke (Acts 17:11)

    "A fire kept burning on the hearthstone of my heart, and I took up the burden of the day with fresh courage and hope." -- Charles F. McKoy

Life Unlimited Ministries
LUMglobal
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Copyright April, 2022

    "If Jesus had preached the same message that many ministers preach today, He would never have been crucified." -- Leonard Ravenhill 

    "The time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep,  the Church will have clowns entertaining the goats." -- Charles H. Spurgeon
    

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