Temple veil and God’s presence
This devotional reflection connects the torn temple veil at Jesus’ death with the believer’s heart, once separated from God by pride and rebellion. In Christ, the barrier is removed and God’s Spirit dwells within. Communion becomes a lived reminder that we have entered God’s presence, and he into ours, forever.
- The torn veil in the temple signifies open access to God through Christ’s sacrifice.
- Believers are described as God’s temple, with the Holy Spirit dwelling within.
- Communion remembers the torn veil and the lasting nearness of God’s presence.
by Sandy Mayle
You may have seen diagrams of Solomon’s temple, showing the outer court, the inner Holy Place, and the inmost Holy of Holies where God’s glorious presence dwelled. Entrance into that Holy of Holies was prohibited by a thick, heavy veil. Just once a year, one person, the High Priest, was privileged to enter behind the veil into the Holy of Holies to offer sacrifices to atone for Israel’s sins.
As Jesus breathed his last on the cross, Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell us that the thick, heavy veil of the temple was torn in two, signifying that the way into God’s presence was now open to everyone who would trust that Christ died to pay for their sins.
A temple within
On another level, we are each a temple. In 1 Corinthians 3:16 (New International Version), Paul asks the believers at Corinth, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” In 6:19 he writes, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” and in 2 Corinthians 6:16 he declares, “For we are the temple of the living God.”
But because humanity fell into sin in the Garden of Eden, in each of us a thick, heavy veil once separated our soul from God. It was a veil of pride and distrust, of independence and rebellion. Our inner sanctum, our shrine of self, was walled off from God … until we accepted his death as payment for our sin, received his forgiveness, and gave our lives to him.
When we became Christians, the thick, heavy veil over our hearts was torn in two and the Spirit of Christ entered, bringing the shekinah glory of God’s presence into what once was our shrine to self, but now is a Holy of Holies for God.
Communion and God’s presence
In the celebration of Communion, we recognize that through Jesus’ death on the cross, the veil that separated us has been torn. We have entered into God’s presence, and he into ours, forever.
Praise be to God.
Author: Sandy Mayle
Sandy Mayle is a freelance writer who lives in Erie, Pennsylvania.
