At that very moment the veil was torn---
Unveiled
Mathew 27
45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over the land.
50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of tombs after Jesus' resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people
54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God! Matt. 27:45, 50-54 (NIV)
Until Christ's death upon the cross, a curtain (veil) in the temple separated the people from the Holy of Holies, in which only the high Priest of the land could enter into and offer prayers and sacrifice's unto God for the sins of the people. The veil represents separation from God's presence.
When the veil in the temple was ripped in two, I believe it showed us that we no longer needed an earthly priest to intercede for us for forgiveness of sin. We now can go to God, thru Christ with 0ur prayers. This is seen in Hebrews 10: 18-22. (NIV)
18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.
19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Paul teaches in 2 Cor. 3:6, 17-18
6 he has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant- not of the letter but of the spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Heb.7:17-28 (NIV)
In this passage it is clearly evident that Jesus, a new priest arises who bears the likeness of Melchezedek, a priest who had no successor.
17 For it is declared:
"You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek."
18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.
20 And it was not without oath! Others became priests without any oath,
21 but he a priest with an oath when God said to him;
"The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind:
'You are a priest forever."
22 Because of this oath, Jesus became the guarantor of a better covenant.
23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office: 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God thru him, because he lives to intercede for them.
26 Such a high priest truly meets our need- one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men in their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
In my painting "Unveiled" the Bride represents the Church who is made blameless before God, by the righteousness of Christ. Jesus as King lifts the veil (as with torn curtain) to indicate a way for us to personally enter into God's presence with our petitions and to have relationship with Him.
The Hebrew written behind the veil represents the 10 commandments or the Law, in which the obedience to it was to bring salvation. God knew that man could not always follow the Law, so His plan of salvation was for Jesus Christ to become the perfect (unblemished) sacrifice for our sin.
When we confess our sins, receive Jesus as our Savoir and Lord and continue to walk in His ways, we will spend eternity with God.
