Pre”veil”ing Grace

“The glory of the LORD entered the temple by the gate facing east.” Ezekiel 43:4

So much meaning in so few words. The whole gospel is laid out here in short order. It is the story of the universe in abbreviation.

Because we see the Bible as one inspired book, ultimately penned by one divine Author, we see it as one complete story. When our father Adam sinned he condemned us all to lives of sin and suffering away from God’s paradise. He was kicked out of the Garden to the east, and at the east gate was placed a guardian cherub and a flaming sword to seal the way.

This God called a son of Adam named Abram to father his special people. He would live among them in a temple which was decorated to resemble the Garden. And between his holy throne and the priests was placed a veil facing the east, woven with … you guessed it, cherubs.

When Jesus, the true son of man, the son of Abraham, the Second Adam, died for our sins, the veil in the temple (the cherub guarded gate!) was miraculously torn in two from top to bottom. This was to symbolize that by his death for sin Jesus had opened the way back to God’s paradise.

This is God’s glory, the expression of his magnificence through the cross of his son, where sinners may be saved and where God’s image bearers may once again rule with the Creator over his creation.

Call it the gospel according to Ezekiel.