Chapter 5
There were two veils in the tabernacle. One was at the entrance of the Holy Place and the other at the entrance of the Holy of Holies. These veils were different from each other. The first veil was held up by five pillars and did not have cherubim embroidered on it. The second veil was embroidered with cherubim and was held up by four pillars (Exo. 26:31-37). The four pillars were probably arranged in the following way: two at each end near the standing boards, and two placed along the veil, resulting in three entrances. What is the spiritual significance of this?
We can say that these three entrances represent the Triune God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. When the Lord Jesus was crucified, the veil in the temple which was at the entrance of the Holy of Holies was rent from top to bottom (Matt. 27:51), indicating that the flesh of the Lord Jesus had been cut (Heb. 10:20). We believe that the veil was torn exactly in the middle of the central entrance, that which corresponds to the Son. Christ was cut for us, opening a way for us to come to God. Because the Father and the Spirit are in the position of God eternally, they could not be divided. But because the Son became a fragile, mortal man, He could be cut on the cross. In the Old Testament it was the privilege of the high priest to enter into the Holy of Holies, but in the New Testament, thanks to the death of Christ, everyone who receives Him may enter into the spirit and into God.
What do the cherubim that were embroidered on the veil typify? They denote God’s glory (cf. Heb 9:5). All of God’s glory was in Christ (John 1:14), who glorified the Father while He was on the earth (17:4). Christ asked the Father to glorify Him with the glory that he had with the Father before the world was (v. 5). Therefore, Jesus is the Son of God who is full of glory, the Firstborn of all creation, in whom all things were created (Col. 1:15).
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