fellow Christians, what's your take on this?

Question

Matthew 27:50-"And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook; and the rocks were split"...what does this say to you in terms of man's relationship with God, and 'religious practices and rituals?'

Answer 1

Have you ever seen the veil?? Or a replica of it? I have....man, it is like steel....hundreds of layers of wool woven together and 3 inches thick !!!

I like what I was taught: the veil ripped from TOP downward did away with the separation of the common man/woman from God (and btw: God's Temple, the first one that Solomon built, had an area that was dedicated for WOMEN).
As did the second Temple.

At any rate, once the veil is aside; we Christians can approach the Throne with confidence; and, this was a big argument by the protest ants of "why" they did not need a priest or a pope. The pope and priests who made a darn good living from the common people - did not like this one iota !!! LOL And still don't.

Sometimes I don't like it from the perspective that not having a source of guidance and dogma; we are left with all of the denominations and sects and those people on the christian tv network...ugh...But, I can balance that with: God likes variety and in the many views offered up, a woman or man can find Truth that resonates with her/his soul.

Answer 2

I think its the curtain to the Holy of Holies in the Temple. The High priest was only allowed to go in once a year. I once heard (don't know where in the Old Testament, or if its is in the Talmud) that the priests going in used to be attached to a rope, since if they disobeyed the rules or behaved slightly disrespectfully in the Holy of Holies of the Temple, they were knocked dead, and had to be pulled out by rope!
So by ripping the curtain God was saying the way is now open to come into my Holy presence, via Jesus atonement. The Old Covenant was so poor in its means of atonement that even the chief priests were only allowed into God's inner sanctum in the temple once a year.

As to the earthquake I think it may be just signs and portents ro mark the significance of the event. It also says that it went dark on the friday at some time midday - some kind of eclipse presumably.

The earthquake and darkness fits in with the Joel prophecy Peter quotes in his speech to the crowd at Pentecost about the outpouring of the Spirit on common people ("I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below... The sun will be turned to darkness").

Answer 3

Well, that verse refers to Jesus' death. When He died the veil in the temple separating the Most Holy Place from the rest of the temple ripped in half, bc we now have direct access to God. The earth shaking and rocks splitting just shows that the event was felt by the Earth itself, I guess. It doesn't really have anything to do with religious practices.

Answer 4

We can make our Prayers directly to God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ without a Priest or any man to speak on our behalf.

Hebrews 10:20 - By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

Hebrews 10:15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. 19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 And having an high priest over the house of God; 22 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. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Answer 5

The temple collapsed when Jesus died because God was removing that obstacle. Before Jesus died, certain people could only "communicate" with God through the high priests in the temple. When Jesus died, God gave us all a direct way of communication to Him through Jesus Christ our Savior. In other words, this gave us a more intimate relationship with God through Jesus.

Answer 6

That because of Jesus' blood atoning death on the Cross at Calvary, we now have access to God and no longer need the substitution of a sacrificial animal to atone for our sin ever again.

We can now come boldly before the Throne of God through the righteousness of Jesus who is our High Priest.

Answer 7

This was right when Jesus died on the cross for ALL of our sins like it or not and this was the way God showed his sorrow. ANd the world shook in saddness because they lost the savior but I am so happy he rose in 3 days. I belive that God loves me because if he didn't y would he die for me and you?? My relation ship with God is pretty cool cause we talk often me by words and Him throught the action of the things around me.I love God with all my heart and I know he loves me like his daughter. But the passage tells me that he was so great that even the world cried.

Answer 8

Well, I believe that this symbolize the barrier between us and God being demolished. The barrier being sin, was demolished when Jesus died on the cross, when he died he took our sin and we where forgiven. The veil separated the inner temple from the holy of holies where only head of the synagogue was to enter.

Answer 9

I think that it means that the ritual sacrifices were no longer necessary because Jesus had made the ultimate sacrifice had been made. It also meant that there did not need to be any more separation between man and God

Answer 10

That passage refers to the rending of the temple in Jerusalem during Christ's passion and death. It was the physical demonstration of the fulfillment of the covenant with the mosaic law and the beginning of the new covenant through Christ's sacrifice.