Temple Veil

By Genelle Austin-Lettt

Categories: Jesus

Question

Is it true that the thickness of the veil in the temple changed from Moses' time to Jesus' day?

Answer

When the prototype of the first temple was built, the tent of meeting, they hung a curtain to separate the Holy of Holies where the Ten Commandments were in the ark. It was believed that God stayed in this area of the temple. Once a year, the high priest would go into the Holy of Holies. The veil represented a self-imposed separation. It went from being 15 feet wide by 15 feet long with a linen veil in the time of Moses to 20 feet wide by 60 feet long and 4 inches thick in the Temple of Jesus' day. These dimensions would dispel the myth that someone just ripped it in two. The veil was torn apart to show that people had direct access to God. Jesus' statements before the cross, introduced his disciples to the idea of being at one with God. Now everyone could go directly to God. It looks as though they kept making the veil thicker to have a greater degree of separation from God. I love Paul's comment in Romans.

Rom 8:38,39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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