What was the significance of the temple veil being torn in two when Jesus died?

The tearing of the temple veil at the moment of Jesus’ death carries profound theological significance. This mysterious event is recorded in three of the four Gospels – Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38, and Luke 23:45. To properly understand the meaning behind the torn veil, we must first understand what the temple veil was and its symbolism.

The temple in Jerusalem consisted of three main areas – the outer court, the inner court or Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place. A massive, thick veil separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. This veil was likely 60 feet tall and four inches thick according to the Jewish historian Josephus. Only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement. The exclusivity of the Most Holy Place represented God’s separation from sinful humanity. The veil served as a barrier that could not be crossed by ordinary men and women.

When the Gospel writers tell us that the temple veil was torn in two, it signifies a profound change in this paradigm. The tearing of the veil at the exact moment of Christ’s death dramatically symbolized that Jesus’ sacrifice opened the way for the reconciliation between God and humanity. Because of Jesus’ atoning death on the cross, the barrier that separated God from humankind was now abolished. Access to God’s presence was no longer restricted to the High Priest, but was now open to all people through Christ.

There are several key theological meanings we can draw from the torn veil:

• It signifies that Jesus’ death gives believers direct access to God. Hebrews 10:19-20 tells us we can enter into the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus. His sacrificial death allows us to approach God’s throne with confidence.
• It symbolizes the fulfillment of Christ’s work as the perfect High Priest. Jesus performed the ultimate Day of Atonement sacrifice on the cross, making the duties of earthly High Priests at the temple obsolete (Hebrews 8-10). The torn veil illustrates this powerful truth.
• It represents the initiation of the New Covenant prophesied by Jeremiah. The tearing of the veil corresponded with the tearing of the priestly garments at Christ’s trial, indicating the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy of a New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
• It signifies the temple’s coming destruction. The torn veil foreshadowed the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 A.D. by the Romans. God was signaling the end of the earthly temple system with its priesthood and sacrifices.
• It illustrates Jesus’ victory of death. The veil symbolized separation from God through sin. Its tearing indicates that Christ’s death defeated sin and removed the separation between God and those who put faith in Christ (Hebrews 2:14-18).

The profound meaning behind the torn veil could not have been missed by the Jewish priests standing in the temple when it occurred. This mysterious event would have sent them reeling as they grappled with its implications. The torn veil definitively revealed that Jesus was no ordinary man or teacher, but the very Son of God who ushered humanity into the direct presence of the Father.

Several additional aspects of the torn temple veil deserve mention:

• The timing – Occurring at the moment of Christ’s death strongly links the meaning of the veil’s tearing to Jesus’ sacrificial death for sins.
• The source – Scripture points to God Himself as the source of the torn veil, not just material deterioration or an earthquake (Matthew 27:51). This indicates divine action behind this amazing event.
• Its visibility – As an outer veil, its tearing was undoubtedly witnessed by priests ministering in the temple. This public display made the significance of the event unmistakable.
• Its uniqueness – Though the Gospel writers describe temple vels being ritually torn at times, a torn veil at Passover with no rituals taking place would be a shocking anomaly.
• Role of the Centurion – Matthew and Mark tie the torn veil to the Roman centurion’s declaration about Jesus as the Son of God. This connection further highlights the theological significance of the event for early readers.

In summary, the tearing of the massive, fortified temple veil at the exact moment of Jesus’ death was a public, divine affirmation of Christ’s all-sufficient sacrifice that replaced the temple system and opened access to God for all who come through faith in Jesus. The Centurion’s exclamation of Jesus’ identity also established this event as an apologetic confirmation of Christ’s divine nature and mission. For these reasons, the veil’s tearing stands as one of the most theologically meaningful signs included in the Gospel narratives of Jesus’ crucifixion.

While all four Gospels depict the death of Jesus on the cross, only Matthew, Mark, and Luke mention the tearing of the temple veil. Why did they include this detail when John omits it? Several factors may explain this difference:

• Emphasis – John’s Gospel tends to emphasize different aspects of Jesus’ life and ministry compared to the other three. The focus of John’s crucifixion account is more on fulfilling Scripture and Jesus’ care for His mother and the beloved disciple (John 19:23-27).
• Audience – Matthew, Mark, and Luke appear to have been written more with Jewish audiences in mind, who would readily grasp the immense significance of a torn temple veil.
• Timing – Some scholars believe John’s account was written after the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. If this was the case, a torn veil may not have carried the same theological weight with John’s readers.
• Detail – John’s Gospel in general contains fewer specific details around events compared to the level of detail in the other three accounts.
• Corroboration – The Synoptic Gospels seem to reinforce the veil’s tearing by recording it in three independent accounts. John may have felt no need to provide further attestation.
• Theological emphasis – John’s Gospel is tailored to emphasize Christ’s divinity. John may have felt the torn veil was simply less relevant to this theological goal.

While we cannot know exactly why John left out the temple veil tearing, it’s likely he felt it was sufficiently established in the other three accounts. The focus and message of John’s Gospel centered on affirming Christ’s divine identity, not on illustrating the theological meaning behind the torn temple veil. For John’s original audience, already familiar with the Synoptic accounts, repetition of the temple veil incident may have been deemed unnecessary.

The fact that all three Synoptic Gospels include the torn veil detail indicates it was well known in the early church as a reliably documented event. Had the temple veil not torn, skeptics could have readily disproven this alleged sign by interviewing priests who had ministered in the temple that day. The authors of Matthew, Mark, and Luke demonstrate no hesitation or uncertainty about reporting this astonishing occurrence precisely at the death of Jesus, likely because its veracity was well-established.

The Synoptic Gospels’ careful correlation between the timing of the veil’s tearing and Jesus’ death also reveals that early Christians understood the deep theological meaning behind it. All three accounts specifically frame the veil’s tearing as occurring at the point of Christ’s death. This shows that the early church recognized this timing was essential in linking the torn veil to the atoning significance of the crucifixion. The writers clearly understood the torn veil did not merely represent the ending of the temple system, but pointed specifically to Jesus’ sacrificial death as the channel of direct access to God.

While the full theological implications of the torn veil may have become more explicit with time, the meticulous detail in all three Synoptic Gospels confirms that this mysterious occurrence was understood from the earliest days as a sign of profound doctrinal significance centered on Jesus’ death for sin. As such, the torn veil rightfully occupies an important place in the Gospel narratives as confirming evidence of Christ’s climactic, atoning work on the cross.

Now let’s explore some key exegetical insights from each of the three Synoptic accounts of the temple veil being torn:

Matthew 27:51 – “And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.”

• Matthew’s account emphasizes the veil was torn from “top to bottom”, underscoring God’s sovereign hand in the event, not just material deterioration.
• Matthew ties the torn veil closely to the death of Jesus in verse 50, highlighting its significance is linked directly to Christ’s atoning sacrifice.
• The veil’s tearing culminates Matthew’s depiction of apocalyptic cosmic upheaval around Jesus’ death – darkness, earthquake, rocks splitting, tombs opening.
• Only Matthew notes resurrected saints appearing in Jerusalem after Jesus’ resurrection, suggesting the torn veil enabled this unprecedented access to God’s presence.

Mark 15:38 – “And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.”

• Mark’s simple statement closely connects the timing of the veil tearing to Jesus’ death.
• Like Matthew, Mark emphasizes the veil was torn from top to bottom, evidencing God’s hand in the event.
• Mark contrasts the torn veil with the seeming finality of Jesus’ loud cry and breath departure, subtly refuting the notion that death thwarted Jesus.
• The torn veil for Mark represents God’s vindication of the obedient Suffering Servant, Jesus, at the very point of His death.

Luke 23:45 – “The curtain of the temple was torn in two.”

• Luke offers the most succinct statement that the temple veil was torn at Jesus’ death.
• For Luke, the veil tearing emphasizes the atoning significance of the crucifixion for shaping the kingdom of God.
• Along with the darkness over the land, Luke correlates apocalyptic signs with Jesus’ death.
• Only Luke notes the subsequent response of the centurion who concluded Jesus was innocent and righteous.

While each Gospel writer records the fact of the torn veil differently, together they present a unified testimony. We see complementary perspectives emphasizing that this extraordinary event stemmed directly from Jesus’ death, signaling God’s sovereign will was on display. Though formulated distinctly, the Synoptic accounts work in chorus to convey the deep theological significance of the temple veil tearing at the crucifixion.

The Gospel of Hebrews in the New Testament provides perhaps the most detailed theological explanation of the torn temple veil. While the Gospels focus on documenting the historical event itself, Hebrews unpacks the doctrinal meaning behind it. A key passage is Hebrews 10:19-22:

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.

Here the author connects the torn temple veil with Jesus providing direct access to God through the atoning sacrifice of “His flesh.” Jesus’ body on the cross serves as the true veil that was torn to provide new access to God’s presence. Several important truths emerge from Hebrews:

• Jesus Himself is the true veil torn to establish the “new and living way” to God. The old temple veil was merely symbolic.
• Christ’s sacrificial death was required to open this “new and living way.” It provides freedom to boldly access God’s presence.
• As both High Priest and sacrifice, Jesus fulfilled and surpassed the old covenant temple system.
• With the veil torn, believers can draw near to God with full confidence because of Jesus’ finished work.

Hebrews gives perhaps the fullest explanation of how the torn veil relates to the broader theme of Jesus as both High Priest and perfect sacrifice. The torn veil signifies unhindered access to God’s throne of grace purchased solely by Christ’s shed blood. This passage in Hebrews enriches our understanding of the profound theological meaning behind the Synoptic accounts of the torn temple veil.

Beyond the Gospels and Hebrews, the torn veil is also potentially alluded to in several verses:

• John 1:51 – Jesus tells Nathanael he will see angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man, suggesting unfettered access to God’s presence through Him.
• John 14:6 – Jesus claims to be “the way” – potentially a reference to the new and living way opened through the torn veil.
• Ephesians 2:14 – Paul says Christ “has broken down the dividing wall” between Jew and Gentile, perhaps echoing the torn temple veil.
• 1 Peter 3:18 – Peter describes Jesus making a way to God by suffering in the flesh, similar to the imagery in Hebrews 10.

These possible allusions to the torn veil reinforce that the early church recognized its significance in pointing to Christ as the open conduit of communication with the Father. The writers of the New Testament draw upon imagery and themes related to the torn veil in teaching doctrines tied to Jesus’ atoning work and subsequent access to God’s presence.

In conclusion, the documented tearing of the massive, fortified temple veil at the exact moment of Jesus’ death carries irrefutable theological significance. This mysterious event beyond human explanation was a public, divine sign affirming that Christ’s sacrifice opened the way into the direct presence of God. The torn veil powerfully symbolized free access for all people to approach God’s throne through faith in Christ alone. It also represented judgment on the old covenant system that excluded most from God’s presence. All four Gospels present a unified attestation of this event as a pivotal, apologetic sign tied to Jesus’ sacrificial crucifixion. The torn veil rightfully occupies an important place in the Gospel narratives as visual confirmation of Christ’s atoning work that permits unobstructed fellowship between God and His people.