Veil
In Scripture, a veil is a covering that can serve literal, symbolic, and theological purposes. Most notably, the temple veil marked restricted access to God's holy presence until Christ's atoning work opened the way.
At a Glance
In Scripture, a veil is a covering that can serve literal, symbolic, and theological purposes. Most notably, the temple veil marked restricted access to God's holy presence until Christ's atoning work opened the way.
Description
In biblical theology, a veil is both a physical covering and a meaningful symbol. The veil of the tabernacle and later the temple stood between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, signifying God's holiness and the restricted access of sinners to His immediate presence under the old covenant. At Jesus' death, the tearing of the temple veil signaled that through His sacrificial work a new and living way to God had been opened for His people. Scripture also uses veil language figuratively, as when Moses veiled his face and when Paul spoke of a veil remaining over hearts apart from Christ, pointing to spiritual dullness removed by turning to the Lord. Because the term covers several contexts, the safest definition is that a veil in Scripture denotes a covering that often symbolizes separation, concealment, or limited access, while in the gospel it especially highlights access to God secured through Christ.