Then
Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain in the
sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. When the Roman
officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, "This man
truly was the Son of God!" Mark 15:37-39
His last
breath.
I was with
each of my parents when they died. There was no loud cry…just a brief sigh, a Good Bye and…exhale. It was over. Jesus
was in such excruciating pain that He cried out…and breathed His last breath. It was finished. His work on earth was
done. This man truly was the Son of God!
 |
| Model of the Temple - Jerusalem. Look inside...is the Curtain torn? |
The Temple
curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. The footnotes in my Bible explain
that this is significant of being torn by God Himself…from Heaven. It was not
caused by an earthquake, but by God Himself allowing humans direct access to
Him—removing that curtain barrier. That Temple curtain separated the Holies of
Holy from the rest of the Temple. Only the selected priest could go into the
Holy of Holies once a year. (Levitcus16) Moses was given specific directions
for this curtain in the Tabernacle as described in Exodus.
Set up this Tabernacle according to the pattern you
were shown on the mountain. For the inside of the Tabernacle, make a special
curtain of finely woven linen. Decorate it with blue, purple, and scarlet
thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim. Hang this curtain on gold
hooks attached to four posts of acacia wood. Overlay the posts with gold, and
set them in four silver bases. Hang the inner curtain from clasps, and put the
Ark of the Covenant in the room behind it. This curtain will separate the Holy
Place from the Most Holy Place. Exodus 26:30-33
The Temple
built by Solomon had dimensions described in 2 Chronicles.
These are the dimensions Solomon used for the
foundation of the Temple of God (using the old standard of measurement). It was
90 feet long and 30 feet wide. The entry room at the front of the Temple was 30
feet wide, running across the entire width of the Temple, and 30 feet high. He
overlaid the inside with pure gold. ... He made the Most Holy Place 30 feet
wide, corresponding to the width of the Temple, and 30 feet deep. He overlaid
its interior with 23 tons of fine gold. ... Across the entrance of the Most
Holy Place he hung a curtain made of fine linen, decorated with blue, purple,
and scarlet thread and embroidered with figures of cherubim. 2 Chronicles 3:3-4, 8, 14
The veil has
been removed. Torn from the top down to the bottom. We have access to God
directly. No need for a priest to atone for our sins once a year…or anytime. We
can approach God Himself. He continually listens for our prayers. He listened
to Abraham, to Moses, to David, to Daniel…to me.
But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Psalm 66:19
Hear my prayer, O God; Give ear to the words of my
mouth. Psalm 54:2
NASB
O my God, incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes
and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are
not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our
own, but on account of Your great compassion. Daniel 9:18 NASB
Just because
He listens doesn’t mean that our prayers will be answered as we want them to
be…but He does listen. We in turn should listen and obey. Just as the
Israelites told Moses…
Go yourself and listen to what the LORD our God
says. Then come and tell us everything he tells you, and we will listen and
obey. Deuteronomy
5:27 NLT
May we
obediently choose to serve and respect God.
Serve only the LORD your God and fear him alone.
Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him. Deuteronomy 13:4
Prayer ~ Dear God, You said that You would bless
the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and bless all who
listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near. Revelation
1:3. Bless us as we seek to know You more and to live in ways that please You.
Daily
Bible Reading: Isaiah 18-22
Happy Birthday, Melissa!
© 2018 Text and
photo by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All
scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
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