8. HEARTS BEYOND THE VEIL

8. HEARTS BEYOND THE VEIL

Exodus 26:33 is our foundation for distinguishing between the holy place and the most holy place.

In this one verse, God inspired six Hebrew words with the same definition. Six times He says “separation” – hang, veil, divider, between (KJV) – to remind us that the holy place is separate from the holy of holies. There is no way in unless someone does a supernatural work that paves the way – except One.

 The Hebrews referred to the holy place as “The Holy,” and to the most holy place as “The Holy Holy.”Only two Scripture references describe something as “three times holy.” Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4 describe the One in the throne room of God as “The Holy, Holy, Holy.”

The Word of God attests to you and me that we are holy. God’s presence among men is holy, holy. Whenever we get to enter His presence in heaven that will be the holy, holy, holy.

The Glory Behind the Veil

Hebrews 9:1-5 portrays the cherubim as “shadowing” the mercy seat. In Luke 23:44-45 the word “darkness” is derived from the Greek root word “ischo,” which means “to be restrained or stopped,” implying any kind of work or activity. Luke also recorded that the sun was darkened. The Greek root word for “darkened” is “skia,” meaning “to shade or shadow.”

Luke 23:44-45 – darkness (ischo, Greek); it was such a darkness, so that no one could continue in any activity. Darkened (skia, Greek); also means to be obscured.

The earth had to go dark when Christ was dying because of two reasons:

1. God’s face had to be hidden from sin; He could not look upon that sin.

2. When the earth went dark no one could work, the entire time Christ hung on the cross and succumbed to death. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that we are saved by grace, not by works. All work was forced to cease except the work of Christ. It was the perfect work.

Hebrews 9:6-14 – figure, or illustration is the Greek word “parabole.” The Tabernacle is a parable. A parable is something in definition “to be placed side by side; an illustration of a subsequent reality.” The Tabernacle teaches us of the subsequent reality – Jesus Christ. Through something on earth, you are going to learn something that is heavenly.

Leviticus 16:1-2, 11-14 – Day of Atonement. Seven is the number of perfection and completion, offering the perfect sprinkling of the blood. The cross was the ultimate mercy seat, which is our reconciliation.

As Christ hung on the cross, and as His head hung down, the blood dripped from the end of the thorns straight before the ultimate and perfect mercy seat. As our Great High Priest, he sprinkled the perfect blood (that was the 7 times), right before the cross. The blood has been sprinkled before the mercy seat by Jesus Christ Himself.

The Gate Through the Veil

Hebrews 10:19-23 describes three wonderful works of the cross:

1. Christ opened a “new and living way” for believers to approach God. Three different Greek words are translated “new” in the New Testament. They are:

A. Neos: new, but similar. It is something similar to that which is old.

B. Kainos: New, but different. Something unlike anything you have had before. This word is used when we are told that we are new creatures in Christ

C. Prosphatos: freshly slain. Something newly dead. It is a new and living way made for us because of a freshly slain Great High Priest. The work continues eternally (Hebrews 10:20).

2. By our “new and living way” we can enter the most holy place with confidence. New Testament confidence is the freedom to speak one’s mind and pleasure.

We get to enter through the veil with assurance and confidence, because we are now the priesthood, according to 1Peter 2:9. We enter with awe, reverence, and confidence (John 20:17). We can be safe with God. We are loved by our Father.

3. Our hearts have been sprinkled (Hebrews 10:22; Exodus 24:3-8)

Moses sprinkled the blood on them because he knew “No you’re not. No you can’t.” The law was to be their mirror image that they could not be good enough to make it on their own. There would always have to be a sacrifice. There was always grace.

Our hearts have been sprinkled – that is the essence of salvation. Get up right in under the cross, approach it, for His blood to sprinkle on us.

Hebrews 10:23 – professed (homologia, Greek). Homo means “to agree,” and “logia” means “with His Word.” To hold on with all your might and never lose hope, continue to agree with the Word of God; to testify that His Word is true. That which is written in His Word is eternal and unchanging, no matter how much your circumstances change. God is doing interior decorating inside of your heart, and inside of your very being. It can be a miserable process at times, but the ultimate end is that we are going to be conformed to the image of His Son.