27:52-53 What happened to all these bodies that came up out of their graves?

27:51 What was the significance of the veil in the temple being torn in two from top to bottom when Jesus died?

This veil separated the Holy of Holies, the most holy place in the temple, from the outer sanctuary, where the temple priests ministered (cp He 9:1-6).

Only the high priest was allowed to go beyond this veil into the Holy of Holies, and then only once a year on the day of atonement, to sprinkle the blood of the sin offering – an Old Testament type of the atoning blood of Christ, the New Testament sin offering - on the mercy seat (cp Lev 16:2 with He 9:7-10).

The sprinkling of blood on the mercy seat was an Old Testament type of the forgiveness that is only possible by God’s grace and mercy through the atoning blood of Christ. The Holy of Holies represented God’s throne of grace in heaven where Christ entered into after His death, bearing His own blood to make atonement for sin (cp He 9:11-24).

No other living human being beside the high priest was ever allowed beyond the veil into the Holy of Holies in God’s earthly temple, but when Jesus died on the cross the veil rent in two, God thus signifying that now all can enter into His throne of grace in heaven.

The most holy place in heaven is now open to everyone, but only through Christ and His atoning blood. The veil represented His flesh (cp He 4:14-16; 10:19-23). The veil also represented the middle wall of partition that kept Jews and Gentiles apart.

When the veil was rent it broke down that wall (cp Eph 2:14-18). Christians no longer have any need for earthly high priests to mediate for them – Jesus is both mediator of the New Covenant and their high priest in heaven (cp He 7:22-28; 8:1-6; 9:24-10:23).

See also comments on Eph 2:14; He 8:1-2, 9:1-10, 10:19-20.

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