Read Exodus 26:30-37

“And you shall hang the veil from the clasps. Then you shall bring the ark of the Testimony in there, behind the veil. The veil shall be a divider for you between the holy place and the Most Holy.” (Exodus 26:33)

The plans of the tabernacle which Moses was to construct was the embodiment of the Old Covenant. The demand of God’s holiness and the tendency toward Israel’s sinfulness required layers upon layers to be between God and His people. Yes, God was near and that was a blessing for Israel. Yet, at the same time, God was veiled and inaccessible because of His holiness. God’s immediate presence resided over the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant (see Exodus 25:17-22) which was to remain hidden behind the thick veil, only to be accessed by one man, the high priest, once per year on the Day of Atonement (see Leviticus 16:12-14).

“And the LORD said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.” (Leviticus 16:2)

Imagine, if you will, being a high priest and making your way into the presence of God on this very special day of Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). After having made the appropriate sacrifices and cleansing outside in the courts, you then proceed to enter into the tabernacle itself. The first room you enter into is called the Holy Place. It’s much quieter inside, with the golden lampstand flickering brightly on your left and the table of showbread holding 12 loaves of bread on your right.

You can smell the aromas as you pass by and move straight ahead to the Altar of Incense, which stands right before that thick veil which hides the Most Holy Place. You fill your censer with the coals from the Altar, and then begin to push through the thick and heavy veil where the Ark of the Covenant rests — where God’s presence dwells. It is completely dark as you burn incense unto the Lord and sprinkle the blood of the bull across the mercy seat. In reverence and fear, you worship and stand in awe of God’s glory which appears in a cloud. You take it all in that you, as the high priest, are the only person to be this close to the presence of God.

As for everyone else, they all patiently waited outside of the courts of the tabernacle wondering what it would be like to be the high priest and stand before the Mercy Seat of God. Have we forgotten that we are no longer those people?

Praise be to God that today we, as the people of God, are not under the Old Covenant but under the New Covenant! We are no longer those waiting outside, but are those invited inside through the veil that is torn from top to bottom (see Matthew 27:51) to access the immediate presence of God. The blood of Jesus Christ has granted access to all who are redeemed.

“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Hebrews 10:19–22)

Didn’t Jesus, while still on earth, preach that He alone could provide this kind of access to God?

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

Through Jesus! He is both the High Priest and the veil of the New Covenant, and as such, He has authoritatively flung open access to God for all in Him. Our confidence is no longer in the temporary priesthood of the Old, but in the eternal priesthood of the New —

“in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.” (Ephesians 3:12) &  “through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand…” (Romans 5:2)

Beloved, are you taking advantage of this wonderful access to God? Do you come boldly as He has called you? No longer stand outside as a distant observer, but enter into His presence as a near child of God, where you will experience His grace, peace, and glory!

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)