The Veil Was Rent

Matthew recorded what happened immediately after Jesus died on the cross in these words: “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent” (Matthew 27:50-51). Mark gave us a similar account: “And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom” (Mark 15:37-38). Luke also gave us this same detail about the veil of the temple: “And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost” (Luke 23:45-46). Clearly this was an important aspect of what happened on that most significant day. This large curtain in the temple at Jerusalem—estimated to be about four inches thick—was suddenly split in two in a remarkable way when the Savior gave His life on the cross. The New Testament student manual explains: “The Holy of Holies was the most sacred room in the ancient temple; it symbolized the presence of God. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest passed through the veil of the temple and entered into the Holy of Holies, where he sprinkled the blood of a sin offering to atone for the sins of all the congregation of Israel (see Leviticus 16). When the veil of the temple was ‘rent in twain’ (torn in two) at the death of Jesus Christ (Matthew 27:51), it was a dramatic symbol that the Savior, the Great High Priest, had passed through the veil of death and would shortly enter into the presence of God.” And as Jesus entered the presence of God through His atonement, He also broke down the barrier to each of us to return to the presence of the Father. Just as His flesh was torn, so too was this veil torn so that we could overcome spiritual death.

                Paul gave us another interpretation for the symbolism of the veil of the temple in his epistle to the Hebrews. He wrote, “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh” (Hebrews 10:19-20). So, in addition to the veil representing the barrier between us and God, it also represents the way we get to God and is symbolic of the flesh of Jesus Christ. The student manual comments, “Having established the image of Jesus Christ as High Priest entering into the Holy of Holies, or the presence of God, to intercede for us through His blood, Paul then exhorted his readers to follow Christ into God’s presence ‘by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh’ (Hebrews 10:20). Just as the veil of the ancient tabernacle or temple provided access to the Holy of Holies, in Paul’s metaphor, the flesh of Jesus Christ, offered as a sacrifice for sin and raised to resurrected glory, enables us to enter into God’s presence.” The only way back to God is through Jesus Christ. He declared to His apostles, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Just as the veil was the only way into the Holy of Holies, so too is Christ the only means back to our heavenly home. And thus the veil can be seen as a symbol of Christ Himself, and His atonement and death opened the path to God for each of us in a powerful way.  

                While the Book of Mormon does not speak of the veil of the temple, it does mention once the idea of rending the veil. Moroni gave us these words of the Savior directed towards our generation: “Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you” (Ether 4:15). Perhaps with this statement He wanted us to consider the fact that He had rent the physical veil through His great atoning sacrifice. This was the greatest act of faith ever performed, and He asks us to rend our veil of unbelief, living life with perfect faith in Him and His Father. He put all His trust in the Father’s plan, despite the terrible suffering it brought Him, and triumphantly rent the veil to fulfill His great mission. So too we can put our trust in God, rending the veil of our own unbelief so we can see “the great and marvelous things” He has prepared for us.