by Douglas Ward
All three Synoptic Gospels mention that as Jesus faced death on the cross, the curtain at the entrance to the Temple's Most Holy Place was ripped in two. Matthew 27:51 and Mark 15:38 state that the curtain, or veil, was torn "from top to bottom." The Greek word for top (anothen) in the New Testament frequently means that something comes from above—that is, from God (John 3:31; 19:11; James 1:17; 3:15,17). Could the use of anothen in these verses be seen as a hint that it was God who caused the rending of the veil?
The Gospel writers do not pause to discuss the meaning of the velum scissum. (1) However, several details in the biblical text and associated ancient traditions suggest a rich range of symbolism.
One such item concerns the images woven into the material, based on the original instructions given for the inner tabernacle curtain in the book of Exodus. The veil was to have images of "cherubim skillfully worked into it" (Exod 26:31; 36:35). Cherubim traditionally act as guards. For example, after Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, cherubim were placed there "to guard the way to the tree of life" (Gen 3:24). So the cherubim on the curtain can be seen as symbolically guarding the Most Holy Place, restricting access to God's presence.
With the tearing of the veil the cherubim are, so to speak, relieved of guard duty. Because of Jesus' atoning work on the cross, access to the heavenly Most Holy Place is no longer restricted, as discussed in my March 2016 article (see Heb 10:19-22). Moreover, the tree of life is no longer off limits. Rev 2:7 announces, "To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God." Verse 14 adds, "Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life [...]."
Images of the stars were woven into the Temple curtain along with the cherubim. In describing the curtain, the first-century historian Flavius Josephus wrote, "On this tapestry was portrayed a panorama of the heavens, the signs of the Zodiac excepted" (War 5.v.4). By the time of Jesus, the Temple curtain had come to be associated with the heavenly "expanse" or "canopy" of Gen 1:6, based on Psalm 104:2 and Isa 40:22, which picture God spreading out the heavens like a curtain.
The heavenly canopy was seen as a boundary between heaven and earth, behind which were hidden divine secrets. The rending of the curtain, then, represents a removal of this barrier and proclaims that the time had come for profound heavenly truths to be revealed.
We see this sort of imagery in the Gospels. In Mark 1:10-11, the heavens are "torn open" at Jesus' baptism, and a heavenly voice reveals a great truth, identifying Jesus as God's beloved Son. Then in Mark 15:38-39, when the curtain is "torn in two," a Roman centurion receives a similar revelation: "Truly this man was the Son of God!" The centurion's confession seems to foreshadow Christianity's mission to the nations, through which the precious truths of the Gospel are opened up to the whole world.
Additional truths are revealed in the other signs that accompanied the tearing of the veil. According to Matthew's Gospel, at the time of Jesus' death, "the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many" (Matt 27:51-53).
What messages did these signs convey? New Testament scholar Daniel M. Gurtner argues persuasively that Jewish observers of these events would have been reminded of a number of scriptures, especially the prophecies of Ezek 37 and Zech 14.2. (2)
In Ezekiel 37, the prophet receives a graphic vision of the restoration of Israel, represented by the resurrection of many people from the dead. The resurrected nation will be cleansed from sin, receive God's Spirit and, under the rule of the Messiah, live in close relationship with God (vv. 6, 13-14, 23-28). Ezekiel 37 is the only passage in the Hebrew Scriptures that speaks of graves opening (vv. 12-13), making a connection with Matt 27:53. The mass resurrection is accompanied by a "rattling" or "earthquake" (v. 7), a link with Matt 27:51.
Zechariah 14 is a prophecy describing the Day of the Lord—a time of God's intervention in human affairs and his ultimate rule over the world. This prophecy pictures the Mount of Olives cleaving in two, like the rocks splitting in Matt 27:51; with God accompanied by his saints, like the resurrected saints who appear in Matt 27:53.
Both of these prophecies were important to Jews in the days of Jesus, as evidenced by a wall painting from the ancient synagogue at Dura-Europos, Syria. (3) The painting pictures resurrected saints coming forth from a split in the Mount of Olives, combining imagery from Ezek 37 and Zech 14.3
In light of Ezek 37 and Zech 14, the signs mentioned in Matt 27:51-53 communicate the message that Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection are life-giving, bring about cleansing from sin, and make possible a close relationship with God. Moreover, the work of Jesus on the cross inaugurates the Day of the Lord, which will lead to the ultimate restoration of Israel and the coming of the Kingdom of God in its fullness. These are wonderful revelations indeed!
Our study of the imagery of the Temple curtain confirms and extends the insights gained in last month's article. The tearing of the curtain represents access to God's throne of grace, a return to Eden, and the revelation of divine truths, including those communicated by other signs that occurred at the time of the crucifixion. May the beautiful symbolism of the velum scissum enrich our lives during this Paschal season and beyond!
Footnotes:
1 Velum scissum is the Latin term for torn veil.
2 See chapter 6 of Gurtner's The Torn Veil: Matthew's Exposition of the Death of Jesus, Cambridge University Press, 2007.
3 The Torn Veil, page 147.
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