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by
Doug Ward |
The Gospel of Matthew records that at the time of Jesus'
death on the cross, "the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to
bottom" (Matt 27:51, NIV).
The
tearing of the temple curtain, or "veil," always has been viewed by
Christians as symbolic and highly significant. However, Matthew does not pause
in his narrative to discuss the meaning of this event. Neither do Mark or Luke,
who also mention it (Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45).
Because
the Gospels do not provide explicit interpretations of the curtain's rending,
there has been room for plenty of speculation, and many possibilities have been
proposed over the centuries.1 In this
article I will survey some of the leading proposals, with the goal of
describing as much as possible of what Matthew 27:51 has to teach us.
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Torn
Body and Torn Tunic |
The most familiar interpretation of the torn curtain is one that
appears elsewhere in the New Testament, in the Epistle to the Hebrews. The
author of Hebrews encourages his readers based on the implications of this
event:
"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter
the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for
us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest
over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full
assurance of faith, ... ." (Heb 10:19-22)
The
author of the epistle identifies the torn curtain as the one at the entrance to
the temple's Most Holy Place and sees the curtain as symbolic of Jesus' torn
body. According to this symbolism, the tearing of the curtain points to a key
consequence of Jesus' sacrificial death: Christians, no longer cut off from
God, can come freely before God's throne of grace in heaven (Heb. 4:14-16).
Viewing
the curtain as representing Jesus' body is not the only possibility, though.
Further symbolism is suggested by the wording of Matt 27:51. Scholar David
Daube2 observes a connection between Matt
27:51 and 2 Kings 2:12, where the prophet Elisha rips apart his cloak in
mourning when his mentor Elijah is taken away from him in a whirlwind. Daube notes that the Aramaic word for
the Temple curtain can also denote a tunic, giving a linguistic basis for
associating the curtain with a garment.
A
connection between Matt 27:51 and 2 Kings 2:12 makes sense in the context of
Matt 27. Matthew relates that when Jesus quoted from Psalm 22:1 on the cross
(vv. 45-46), bystanders thought he was calling for Elijah. Someone joked,
"Let's see if Elijah comes to save him" (v. 49). In this context, the
tearing of the curtain could be saying, "Here is a prophet even greater
than Elijah. Elijah's departure was mourned by the tearing of Elisha's cloak.
But Jesus, who will soon depart to his Father in heaven, is mourned by the
tearing of the very curtain of the holy temple."
Daube
shows that additional meanings are suggested when we consider the ancient
custom of tearing a garment as a sign of mourning. A rabbinic tradition based
on 2 Kings 2:12 and 2 Samuel 1:11-12 says that it is appropriate to leave a
torn garment unrepaired when it is ripped for certain special reasons.
According to the Talmud (b. Mo'ed Qatan 26a),
"These tears on the garments are not to be sewn up
again: he who makes a tear for his father or his mother, his master who taught
him wisdom, a patriarch, a principal of the court, for having bad news, for
having heard blasphemy, when a scroll of the Torah has been burned, for seeing
the ruined cities of Judea, the holy house, or Jerusalem."
Several
of the items in this list can be connected with the crucifixion. The torn
temple curtain can be seen as mourning the death of a great teacher of the
Torah who conveyed wisdom to his disciples. Since Jesus prophesied the coming
destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, the tearing could also be a
confirmation of that prophecy. One document from the early centuries of
Christianity, the Clementine Recognitions, gives such an interpretation.
Book 1, Chapter 41 of this document states that "the veil of the temple
was rent, as in lamentation for the destruction impending over the place."
Daube
also mentions the possibility that the tearing of the curtain was an answer to
the high priest Caiaphas, who tore his clothes in response to what he saw as
blasphemy by Jesus (Matt 26:65-66). According to this interpretation, the torn
curtain was responding, "Here is the real blasphemy, that the Messiah was
put to death."
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Symbolism
of the Curtains |
Daube's analysis is impressive, but it turns out that much more can
be said about the message of Matt 27:51. More recently, Daniel M. Gurtner has
carried out an in-depth study of this subject in his doctoral dissertation.
Since
the curtains at the Jerusalem temple were patterned after those from Israel's
tabernacle in the wilderness, Gurtner begins his investigation with a study of
the tabernacle curtains, first described in the book of Exodus.3
There were three such curtains:
1. One curtain was placed at the entrance to
the courtyard of the tabernacle (Exod 27:16-17). The courtyard could be entered
by any Israelite who was in a state of ritual purity and brought a sacrifice.
2. A second curtain separated the courtyard from
the Holy Place (Exod 26:36-37). It could be crossed only by priests, not by
ordinary Israelites.
3. A third curtain stood between the Holy
Place and the Holy of Holies (Exod 26:31-33). It could be crossed only by the
High Priest, and only on the Day of Atonement.
All three of the curtains were carefully constructed from beautiful materials
of the highest quality. The third, inner curtain was the finest of all. Sewn
into it were pictures of cherubim, a detail of symbolic significance. Cherubim
traditionally are guardians and protectors, going back to the Garden of Eden
(Gen 3:24). As cherubim restricted access to the tree of life in Eden, the
inner curtain restricted physical and visual access to the presence of God.
Dr.
Gurtner notes that katapetasma, the Greek word for the curtain in Matt
27:51, is used in the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Scriptures five
times for the curtain at the courtyard entrance, twice for the curtain between
the courtyard and the Holy Place, and thirty one times for the inner curtain.
When the word appears in the Septuagint without any qualification, it always
refers to the inner curtain. Taking into account this data and the symbolic
importance of the inner curtain, Gurtner concurs with the traditional view that
the curtain referred to in Matt 27:51 is the inner curtain.
Gurtner
goes on to investigate the meanings attached to this curtain in Second Temple
Judaism. He shows that the curtain came to be associated with the
"firmament" of Gen 1:6. In this connection the curtain was seen as a
barrier between heaven and earth, behind which were hidden divine secrets. The
idea of temple curtain as firmament is based on Psalm 104:2 and Isa 40:22,
which picture God spreading out the heavens like a curtain. In describing the curtain,
the first-century historian Josephus wrote, "On this tapestry was
portrayed a panorama of the heavens, the signs of the Zodiac excepted" (War
5:214/v.4).
According
to Gurtner's findings, the inner temple curtain served to restrict access to
God's presence and to heavenly secrets. Presumably, the ripping apart of the
curtain would indicate that the curtain could no longer carry out those
functions. Therefore, the torn curtain may be proclaiming that the death of
Jesus brings increased access to God's presence and revelation of heavenly
secrets.
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Hints
from Matthew 27 |
Gurtner demonstrates that these insights are confirmed and extended
when we take into account the additional signs that accompanied the rending of
the curtain. In Matt 27:51-54, we read that at the time of the crucifixion (a)
the earth shook; (b) rocks split; (c) tombs broke open; (d) saints were
restored to life; and (e) Roman soldiers recognized Jesus as the Son of God.
Gurtner
asserts that Israelites who witnessed these events would have been reminded of
two passages from the prophets. One is Zechariah 14, where rocks split and
saints are resurrected at the coming of the messianic age (Zech 14:4-5). So the
signs accompanying Jesus' death can be taken as a statement that the messianic
age had begun.
The
second scripture connected with these signs is Ezekiel 37, which pictures the
earth shaking (v. 7) and graves opening (v. 12). Ezekiel 37 predicts a national
resurrection of Israel in the messianic age, with the nation saved, cleansed
from sin (v. 23) and living in the presence of God (vv. 24-28). The signs of
Matt 27 are thus saying that the fulfillment of Ezekiel 37 is brought about by
the work of Jesus on the cross. Verses earlier in Matthew's Gospel state that
Jesus "will save his people from their sins" (Matt 1:21) and that his
blood "is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matt
26:28). These verses connect well with Ezek 37:23. The torn curtain promises
increased access to God's presence, as pictured in Ezek 37:24-28.
Gurtner
notes that other passages from Matthew support the idea that the torn curtain
symbolizes the possibility of closer fellowship with God. For example, Matt 5:8
says that the pure in heart will "see God", and it is Jesus' work on
the cross that brings forgiveness of sins and thus purity of heart.
Moreover,
the signs in Matt 27 suggest that heavenly secrets are being revealed.
Specifically, Matt 27:53 says that the resurrected saints appeared in "the
holy city", a designation for Jerusalem previously used in Matt 4:5, where
the devil calls into question Jesus' identity as the Son of God. In Matt 27:54,
a centurion who sees the signs accompanying the crucifixion confirms that Jesus
is indeed the Son of God. He has been shown an important secret.
The
tearing of the curtain, with its pictures of cherubim, may also predict the
reopening of Eden. Rev 2:7 and 22:14 promise access to the Tree of Life for the
saints.
|
Conclusion |
The findings of Daube and Gurtner suggest that the torn temple
curtain of Matt 27:51 has multiple meanings, corresponding to the manifold
implications of Jesus' death on the cross. The curtain is a garment, torn in
mourning that a great prophet and teacher has died, and that Jerusalem and its
Temple will soon be destroyed. It is sewn with pictures of cherubim that guard
Eden and God's presence, so that its tearing indicates a reopening of Eden and
an opportunity for closer fellowship with God. (Note that this aspect of the
curtain's symbolism backs up the message of Heb 10.) It represents the heavenly
firmament, so that its tearing announces the revelation of divine secrets. With
the other signs of Matt 27 it announces the inauguration of the messianic age,
bringing the restoration of Israel and resurrection of the saints.
Generally
speaking, "more is better" in the world of biblical symbolism. Since
biblical symbols teach spiritual truths, it is a good thing if a symbol points
toward multiple truths. On the other hand, not all proposed meanings for a
symbol are necessarily valid. A valid meaning must be supported by the text of
scripture.
In
the case of the torn curtain, I do not believe that all meanings that have been
proposed over the centuries are valid. For example, I do not believe that the
torn curtain necessarily announces the obsolescence of the sacrificial system.
On the contrary, Gurtner (The Torn Veil, chapter 5) shows that in
Matthew's Gospel, Jesus gives a positive portrayal of temple worship, although
he strongly corrects those who are in charge of the temple. The early Jerusalem
Christians were active participants in temple worship, as the book of Acts
shows. Prophecy also suggests a future role for worship in a new temple (e.g.,
Ezek 40-48).
1Dr. Daniel M. Gurtner
compiles and classifies a number of these possibilities in the first chapter of
his book, The Torn Veil: Matthew's Exposition of the Death of Jesus,
Cambridge University Press, 2007.
2The New Testament
and Rabbinic Judaism, University of London, Athlone Press, 1956, pp. 23-26.
3See
The Torn Veil, chapters 2 and 3.
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