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Today, the most common time people come into contact with a veil is on a bride at a wedding. Historically, the veil represents the bride’s virginity and purity on her wedding day. In cultures where a woman is considered the possession of her husband, the groom lifting his bride’s veil is symbolic to him taking ownership of her.

Veils have many different meanings in the various religions of the world. Women of the Islam religion are often seen wearing various types of veils or head coverings. The reason for this is to cover the parts of a woman’s body that men find attractive, so that only a woman’s husband sees them. Most Christians, aside from nuns, do not wear veils, but various types of veils can be present on the altar to cover sacred objects in formal worship settings.

The most significant veil is the one that was in the original Temple. The people of Israel were instructed by God to make this veil a certain way, as recorded in Exodus 26:31-33: ““Make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim woven into it by a skilled worker. Hang it with gold hooks on four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold and standing on four silver bases. Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the covenant law behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.”

Back in Old Testament times, the Most Holy Place was where God’s presence lived. Only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place, and only once a year. Because of their belief that no one can see God and live, it was a dangerous job; so dangerous, in fact, that the high priest would wear bells on the bottom of his robes and a rope around his waist. If the bells stopped jingling (meaning that he died), those outside would pull him out by the rope. It was extremely important to have the veil to separate this area from the rest of the Temple.

The next significant time we see this veil is on the day that Jesus died. Luke 23:44-46 records, “It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When he had said this, he breathed his last.”

The job of the veil in the Temple was to keep God’s presence separate from the people. When Jesus died, there was no longer a need for that separation! Through Jesus’ death and resurrection three days later, we can now be in relationship with God. The veil separating us and God’s presence was no longer needed, so it was torn completely in two. When we accept the free gift of God’s grace in our lives, we can freely come to God and do not need to have a veil in between us.

Is there something that is acting like a veil in your life? What is separating you from coming to God’s presence? Is it fear? Is it a busy schedule? Whatever is keeping you from experiencing God, I encourage you to tear it in two like the veil of the Temple so it will no longer cause that separation.