James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…” The word “near” in Aramaic is translated “and He will be touching you.” He isn’t a God so far out there that He is untouchable. The Lord is literally inviting us to come so close to Him that He would literally be close enough to touch!
But this wasn’t always the case. When the temple was built in Jerusalem a thousand years before the birth of Jesus, it contained a special room called the Holy of Holies–the earthly dwelling place of God’s Presence. But God is a holy God and man is sinful. A sinful man could not just walk into the holy presence of God without being struck dead. So the Holy of Holies was built, a room that was specifically separated from the temple. It wasn’t a big room, only 900 square feet or 30×30, separated from the rest of the temple by a 60’ tall by 30’ wide curtain called the veil. It was no ordinary curtain. It was 4” inches thick, made up of many different woven layers. It weighed an estimated 30 tons and took 300 priests to carry it to put it in place according to a Hebrew historian. And sample pieces of the veil were so thick that two teams of horses were attached to either end of the piece and could not cause it to rip or tear into pieces. The separation between God and man was no joking matter. The Holy of Holies could only be entered once a year by the High Priest who was required to offer animal blood sacrifices to the Lord for the forgiveness of the sins of the people.
But I said God is inviting us to draw close to Him. With a massive curtain in the way and penalty of death? Let’s look atMatthew 27:50-51, “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; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split…” At the very moment of Jesus’ death, the veil was torn from top to bottom by God’s own hand! Meaning from heaven to earth. Hebrews 10:5 says, “So when Jesus the Messiah came into the world he said, ‘Since your ultimate desire was not another animal sacrifice, you have clothed me with a body that I might offer myself instead!’”
The sin that caused our separation from God’s presence by the veil and required yearly sin blood offerings was now accomplished once and forever! Never needing to be done again! In Jesus’ words, “It is finished.” Jesus offered Himself in the place of another animal which only allowed a temporary means of forgiveness.
Hebrews 10:19-22 further explains, “Therefore, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart…” The torn flesh of Jesus has now become the torn curtain giving us full access into the Holy presence of God!
The size and the weight of the veil was so much greater than any one person could manage, just like our sin. So huge and so enormous that no one but Jesus could do anything to get rid of itonce and forever. The high priest of the temple could only once a year enter into the holiest place on earth. But by the torn body and blood of Jesus, any Christian has daily access to the holiest place in heaven! The torn flesh of Jesus which tore the curtain in the temple has permanently mended our separation from God. So we are now invited to freely and boldly approach the throne of our holy God and enter His holy presence whenever we desire!
-Emil Liko 9/11/26