The ancient Hebrews also knew a veil of separation. This veil would not thin in late September/October, but there was one would go behind the veil on a day set by the Hebrew lunar calendar, around this very time! It was the veil that hung between the manifest presence of Yahweh- the One True God, and the people. There was a very prescribed manner set in the Law of Moses for worship, offering, and sacrifice. There was only ONE day a year (Yom Kippur) that ONE person (the High Priest) would be permitted behind the veil into the very presence of God. Yom Kippur, also known as The Day of Atonement, is a day of fasting, repentance, and cleansing as according to the law given to Moses.
Yet, year after year, the people remained separated from God by the veil, and only the High Priest, their intermediary, was given access- and limited to only one day- and with fear and trembling with the blood of sacrificial animal. The veil remained thick as ever; 60 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 4 inches thick— it is said it would take 300 priests (perhaps an exaggeration) to maneuver the veil. While a barrier, this veil was also protection, lest someone accidentally enter the Holy of Holies unclean and be struck down dead. Under the Law of Moses, the ceremonial cleansing were external matters and were unable to clean the heart and conscious of the worshipper. When Jesus came as the intermediary as the TRUE High Priest, to whom all others before him were a foreshadowing, He entered the Most Holy Place, not of an earthly tabernacle or temple, but the heavenly, and not by the blood of goats and calves, but His very own, spotless, blameless, pure— not just of external and superficial means, but pure through and through and offered Himself to God on our behalf, to cleanse us all and for all time. The cleansing of Jesus is one that is complete, to make pure our sinful conscience that leads to death, that we might have access to serve the living God. (Hebrews 9)
What happened to the veil? The enormous thick separation between the people and the Most Holy Place? It was torn in two— from the TOP down. Heavenward down to man. Giving ACCESS to the very presence of God behind the veil for all who come through the cleansing atonement of Jesus. The death and crucifixion of Jesus fulfilled perfectly the old covenant law and inaugurated a NEW covenant with ALL people. “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirt. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” Matthew 27:50-51 A veil not thinned— a veil torn. Giving full access to the Most High God through the blood of Jesus. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
If the veil between man and God was torn at the finished work of Christ, why then is there so much activity and energy around the “thinning veil” between the physical and spiritual worlds? Why bother with other spirits when we have open access available to God?
Some people may not know the access already provided, and so they continue to try to light their own way through life and seek any knowledge and insight from any source. Others have heard and know, but have rejected it because they love the darkness more than the Light. Many have heard John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” But few continue to read! Verse 19 says:
“And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil”
And still others, I believe know God, and have access, but they struggle to submit to His ways and His timing, especially in times of pain and powerlessness, so they start to seek guidance or power in the spirit realm apart from God. Or, some will start to blur the lines between what is of Light and what is of darkness. God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)
Any light that merely appeases the darkness, or balances the darkness is not of God and will ultimately lead to confusion, bondage, destruction, and ultimately death. What do I mean by this? Any ritual or ceremony that cleanses apart from the blood of Jesus doesn’t deal with the ROOT, only the fruit, or an outer washing that doesn’t cleanse the heart. So, year after year, it continues to sprout and need to be dealt with again. Those seeking behind the thinned veil become bound to the ritual or ceremony or means of knowledge, power or protection. It’s trading one form of bondage for a different one instead of access to true freedom. While there is a sense of control or power, in the end, it is ultimately powerlessness because they have become bound by that which they sought freedom. There is a very real power behind dark spirits, but any healing, knowledge or power from these sources do not lead to God, and ultimately lead to spiritual death and separation from God.
Jesus warns, “Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness.” (Luke 11:35) This is such a striking warning. How can light be darkness? Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11:14, “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” Paul is warning the early church here of the preaching of a different gospel, and a different Jesus. There is nothing new under the sun. There is no “new” knowledge, only a repackaging of the old. Today we hear about the “universal Christ” “Christ consciousness” Jesus as an ascended master or an enlightened prophet. These are not the Jesus of the Bible. These are the very teachings Paul was warning of! We have access to scripture to read and to know who Jesus claimed to be, and the texts of the Bible hold up more accurate than any other ancient text, and proven true for life and healing over any other path or way laid out in any other text or channeled material from other sources. Any source of knowledge or revelation of Jesus that is outside of scripture, either through other texts, words of man, or personal experiences must align to the Jesus of the Bible, it is otherwise the teaching of “another Jesus.” (2 Corinthians 11:3-4)
Those who are knowledgeable and seek behind the thinned veil know there are dark and deceiving spirits. They have methods and rituals for cleansing and protection, but none prevent them from being deceived or misled. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) We are warned to test the spirits and not trust any spirit that claims to be of the Light or that comes to bring knowledge. (1 John 4:1-3) God gives wisdom freely to those who ask. (James 1:5)
There are some marked distinctions between those who receive the torn veil access to God, and those who seek other spirits behind the thinned veil. The most poignant is that of GRACE. Biblical access to God comes by grace through faith alone; faith in the completed work of Jesus Christ. That nothing needs to be added to His work; not our good works, not any approval of man or an intermediary, no ritual or cleansing. The work of Christ is complete. If we believe in our hearts, and confess with our mouths, we are saved (Romans 10:9) We are told to repent (acknowledge our sin turn away from it), and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. (Acts 2:38) Traditions around the thinned veil continues to be shrouded in rites and rituals and ceremony to gain access, power, protection, knowledge, cleansing— all of which Jesus came to provide for free!
Over the years, the church had seen some of these philosophies, such as access to God comes through religious leaders or works. 502 years ago, on October 31st, Martin Luther issued 95 complaints against the established church for allowing the teaching of ‘works’ for salvation. That certain sins were permissible for a price, that salvation only came through a man constructed church. These are practices that were specifically addressed in the Bible, but
the laymen of the time didn’t have access to the scripture. They only knew what they were told by church leadership. When Martin Luther read the scriptures for himself, he saw the error of these practices.
Today we have access to read scripture, in our native tongue, to know what it says about salvation; to know what being a follower of Jesus really means, who Jesus said He was, what He taught, and all that His life and death provide! Many homes have at least one Bible— but is it being read? I urge you, don’t rely on what other people tell you about Jesus, or how imperfect humans may have represented Him. Read for yourself! Start in the Gospel of John. Jesus says “I AM” 7 times. Read them! (And then read them in context) Let no one veil that which Jesus has rendered unveiled.
The Seven “I AM” Sayings of Jesus
#1- John 6:35, 41, 48, 51
#2- John 8:12
#3- John 10:7, 9
#4- John 11:25
#5- John 10: 11, 14
#6- John 14:6
#7- John 15:1, 5