How does Luke 23:45 connect to Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah? Verse at a Glance Luke 23:45 — “for the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.” The Sun Darkened — Prophetic Echoes of Judgment and Redemption • Amos 8:9 — “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.” – Amos ties midday darkness to divine judgment yet ends the book with restoration (Amos 9:11–15), hinting that judgment and redemption can arrive together—exactly what unfolds at the cross. • Joel 2:31 — “The sun will be turned to darkness … before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.” – Peter later cites this passage at Pentecost (Acts 2:16–21), treating the crucifixion–resurrection events as the beginning of that “great day.” • Isaiah 13:10; Zechariah 14:6-7 — both foresee a cosmic dimming when the LORD intervenes. – By recording literal darkness at noon, Luke frames Jesus’ death as that climactic intervention promised by the prophets. The Torn Veil — Foretelling Open Access to God • Exodus 26:31-33 establishes the veil as a barrier “so that the veil will separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy.” – Its tearing signals the barrier is gone; sacrificial blood has done its work once for all (He 10:19-20). • Isaiah 25:7 — “On this mountain He will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations.” – A prophetic picture of God removing the covering that kept humanity at a distance. • Jeremiah 31:31-34 — promise of a new covenant in which “they will all know Me.” – The open curtain announces that covenant’s arrival. • Zechariah 6:12-13 — the Branch (Messiah) will “build the temple of the LORD … and sit and rule on His throne.” – With the old temple veil ripped, the Messiah begins replacing stone-and-curtain worship with Himself as the true meeting place (John 2:19-21). Two Signs, One Message • Cosmic darkness shouts: God’s long-prophesied day of reckoning has come. • Torn veil whispers—and roars: the price is paid, the way is open, the new covenant is here. Together they fulfill layered Old Testament expectations that the Messiah would bear judgment and bring restored fellowship with God. |
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