THE VEIL

​Heavenly Father, thank you for our many blessings. All glory and honor and praise and thanksgiving to God, Most High. Bless those reading this. Amen.
 
God’s plan is that we remember who we are, what our purpose is here, and that we return to Him, in Jesus Christ.
 
Who knows that we all have a purpose? It is the very reason for our existence on earth:
 
“In Him also we have received an inheritance [a destiny—we were claimed by God as His own], having been predestined (chosen, appointed beforehand) according to the purpose of Him who works everything in agreement with the counsel and design of His will,” Ephesians 1:11
 
According to the purpose of Him, with the counsel and design of His Will! Not our own will.
 
THE VEIL
 
“And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18
 
What is the ‘veil’ about which Apostle Paul writes above when he says, ‘with unveiled face’? Plainly speaking, it is a veil over us that keeps us in darkness, and in the dark about who we really are: Light and love, from God, the creator.
 
In Biblical times, the Israelites, who lived under the Mosaic Law, Moses’ Law (the Law), had a veil of blindness and ignorance upon their hearts. The Law was oppressive and difficult to follow, as Jesus tells us in the New Testament. Hebrews 7:18-19 tells us that the law was weak and useless, and never made anything perfect.
 
“For, on the one hand, a former commandment is cancelled because of its weakness and uselessness [because of its inability to justify the sinner before God] (for the Law never made anything perfect). . .” Hebrews 7:18-19
 
Those seem like harsh words. I no longer see them as ‘harsh,’ however, but more frank. The Law condemned people to sin and death.
 
In Matthew 23:23-24 below, Jesus is being frank with the Pharisees and scribes, when He says, woe to them, for not fulfilling the primary spirit of the Law, which is ‘justice and mercy and faithfulness.’
 
He is telling them, I want you to be saved, but how can you escape judgment? By your actions, you will be condemned.

Matthew 23:23-24 “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you give a tenth (tithe) of your mint and dill and cumin [focusing on minor matters], and have neglected the weightier [more important moral and spiritual] provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the [primary] things you ought to have done without neglecting the others. You [spiritually] blind guides, who strain out a gnat [consuming yourselves with miniscule matters] and swallow a camel [ignoring and violating God’s precepts]!”
 
Jesus is judging righteous judgment John 7:24, and not judging by their fancy clothes and kept appearances. He is exposing their unfruitful works of darkness Ephesians 5:11, and warning others to beware of their actions and deeds.
 
Why would God, the creator, allow Mosaic Law into His creation, when it was clearly imperfect? Well, Adam and Eve had a choice, and they chose to disobey God and introduce sin and death into the world.
 
By the Law, we learned what sin is, so that we could learn not to sin through and in Jesus Christ, and once again, be made perfect, like God, light and love, from glory to more glory.
 
“What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, if it had not been for the Law, I would not have recognized sin. For I would not have known [for example] about coveting [what belongs to another, and would have had no sense of guilt] if the Law had not [repeatedly] said, 'You shall not covet.'” Romans 7:7
 
So, the veil of blindness that comes from the Law is taken away through repentance in Christ.
 
2 Corinthians 3
 
14 “But [in fact] their minds were hardened [for they had lost the ability to understand]; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed [only] in Christ. 
 
15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil [of blindness] lies over their heart; 
 
16 but whenever a person turns [in repentance and faith] to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 
 
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom].”
 
 
“ . . . while on the other hand a better hope is introduced [Jesus Christ] through which we now continually draw near to God. Hebrews 7:19
 
From one degree of glory to even more glory …
 
Believers who study the Gospel are happy, for their hearts are free in Christ to follow the way of God’s Commandments. Believers have love and light, and with open face, as if looking in a mirror (reflection), they behold the glory of the Lord.
 
“So then, in everything treat others the same way you want them to treat you, for this is [the essence of] the Law and the [writings of the] Prophets.” Matthew 7:12
 
‘The essence of the law and the writings of the Prophets.’ So, essentially, everything we know about anything, according to God’s Word. These are not JUST words. God’s Word is alive, and is meant to push us from glory to glory, towards Him.
 
Apostle Luke goes into further detail about how to reflect God’s glory, love and light, by treating others the way you want to be treated:
 
Luke 6
 
27 “But I say to you who hear [Me and pay attention to My words]: Love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies, [make it a practice to] do good to those who hate you,
 
28 bless and show kindness to those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
 
29 Whoever strikes you on the cheek, offer him the other one also [simply ignore insignificant insults or losses and do not bother to retaliate—maintain your dignity]. Whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either.
 
30 Give to everyone who asks of you. Whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.
 
31 Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.
 
32 If you [only] love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
 
33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
 
34 If you lend [money] to those from whom you expect to receive [it back], what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners expecting to receive back the same amount.
 
35 But love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; for your reward will be great (rich, abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High; because He Himself is kind and gracious and good to the ungrateful and the wicked.
 
36 Be merciful (responsive, compassionate, tender) just as your [heavenly] Father is merciful.”
 
God’s Words are alive and literal, and truly every action we commit against another individual, we are committing against ourselves, which prohibits us from reaching our God-Willed potential.
 
By loving and treating everyone as if they were us, then we have fulfilled the letter and the intent of the Law, and the prophets, written about (for our sole benefit), to push us to awaken to our true destiny, from one glory to more glory, and return to God, the source of all things.
 
All of this proves that our God is a just, forgiving and merciful God, who does not want any to perish, but all to return to Him, in and through Jesus Christ.
 
He is a God that takes what men meant for evil and turns it to good. Genesis 50:20. Praise God! Amen.
 
The end of one covenant, the Law, and the beginning of a New Covenant, the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ for all men.
 
JESUS’ CRUCIFIXION
 
Luke 23
 
44 “It was now about the sixth hour (noon), and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.), 
 
45 because the sun was obscured; and the veil [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was torn in two [from top to bottom]. 
 
46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit!” Having said this, He breathed His last.”
 
Just like that, in the blink of an eye, the veil [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was torn in two [from top to bottom], and the Law became fulfilled in two simple commands: Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:36-40
 
So, God, the creator, the source of all things 1 Corinthians 8:6, created us perfect, like Him, in light and love.
 
Through sin and death, we were torn and wounded; and,
 
healed by the grace [favor] of God, the Father.
 
Created Perfect
Torn and Wounded
Healed, Bandaged, Revived and Raised Up
 
Hosea 6
 
1 “Come and let us return [in repentance] to the Lord,

For He has torn us, but He will heal us;

He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.
 
2 After two days He will revive us;

On the third day He will raise us up

That we may live before Him.”
 
We were saved by the Grace of God, and we will be raised up through the Word made flesh, the resurrection, which is Jesus Christ.
 
Let’s pray for all of God’s children to remember who they really are, a part of God, the creator, in and through Jesus Christ. Amen.


See also my blog titled, 'The Veil,' to read about My Testimony to God's Power.