How does Luke 23:45 relate to the Old Testament temple practices? The Verse in View “When the sun was darkened, the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.” (Luke 23:45) Luke records two simultaneous signs: supernatural darkness and the rending of the temple veil. The second sign links directly to Old Testament cultic practice and theology. What the Veil Was Exodus 26:31-33 and 2 Chronicles 3:14 describe a thick, multicolored veil embroidered with cherubim, separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. According to the Mishnah (Yoma 5:1), the Second-Temple veil was roughly 60 ft high, 30 ft wide, and a hand-breadth thick—so heavy that, Josephus notes (War 5.219), it required some 300 priests to manipulate at festival times. Its Ritual Function Only the high priest could pass the veil, and only once per year on Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16). Blood was sprinkled “eastward toward the mercy seat” (Leviticus 16:14-15) to atone for national sin. The veil therefore: • safeguarded sinful humanity from God’s immediate presence (Isaiah 6:4-5). • symbolized the conditional, mediated access of the old covenant. • functioned as the visual boundary of the sacrificial system. Prophetic Portents of Darkness and Veil Removal a) Darkness—Exodus 10:21-23 (plague on Egypt) and Amos 8:9 (“I will make the sun go down at noon”) prefigure divine judgment. b) Veil removal—Isaiah 25:7 anticipates the day God “will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples.” Luke presents both prophecies converging at the crucifixion. Christ as the Fulfillment of Yom Kippur Hebrews 9:11-12 explains that Jesus, the true High Priest, entered “the greater and more perfect tabernacle… not by the blood of goats and calves but by His own blood.” The torn veil signals that His atoning work has permanently opened direct access (Hebrews 10:19-20). Thus the single historic tear fulfils and terminates the repetitive sacrifices (cf. Daniel 9:27). Transition from Aaronic to Messianic Priesthood With the veil gone, the Aaronic priesthood loses its exclusive mediatorial role. Psalm 110:4’s “order of Melchizedek” is now operative. Believers become “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9), fulfilling Exodus 19:6. Covenant Shift and the End of Temple Centrality Jeremiah 31:31-34 promised a new covenant written on hearts. Luke’s veil-event marks its ratification. Within one generation (AD 70) Rome demolished Herod’s Temple, as predicted (Luke 21:6). Archaeological remains—the “Trumpeting-Place” inscription, ash layers, and Titus’s Arch relief—bear witness to this fulfillment. Confirming Historical Sources • Josephus (War 6.299) relates ominous temple portents preceding AD 70, corroborating Luke’s motif of divine judgment. • The Dead Sea Scroll Temple Scroll (11Q19) mirrors Exodus veil regulations, illustrating continuity between Torah instructions and Second-Temple usage described by Luke. • Multiple early manuscripts—𝔓⁷⁵, Codex Vaticanus (B), Sinaiticus (א)—all agree on Luke 23:45’s wording, underscoring textual stability. Theological Motifs Embedded in the Tearing a) Propitiation—God’s wrath satisfied (Romans 3:25). b) Reconciliation—Jew and Gentile united; the “dividing wall” removed (Ephesians 2:14-18). c) Revelation—God’s glory, once hidden, now unveiled in Christ (2 Corinthians 3:14-16). Practical and Evangelistic Implications Because the veil is gone, repentance and faith grant immediate communion with God—no pilgrimage, priest, or ritual prerequisite. The action invites each skeptic to “draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22). Summary Answer Luke 23:45 links directly to Old Testament temple practice by showing that the instrument which once barred access to God—the veil—was sovereignly destroyed at the very moment the true Passover Lamb died. This historical tear signifies the completion of the sacrificial system, the inauguration of the new covenant, and unhindered access to the Holy of Holies through the crucified and risen Messiah. |
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