The Lord Jesus said many profound and significant things. The most significant might well be His cry from the cross—found in John 19:30, "It is finished." What was finished, you ask? Why, the redemption of the world. The sin debt of the world was placed on the Lamb of God and taken away as far as the East is from the West. Sin never again to be charged against man. Thus man, now being reconciled to the Father by the cross of Christ has no sin debt to pay for. That is why salvation is FREE! One simply must appropriate it by faith in the One that paid their debt for them. When Paul was asked, "What must I do to be saved?", he could only reply, "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." (Acts 16:30,31)

The BONA FIDES is found in Matthew 27:51: "And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent." Notice that the Vail in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. Understanding the purpose of the Vail helps to clearly see the tremendous significance of this supernatural event. The Vail was used to separate man and his sin from the presence of God. Because of his sin, man could only approach the presence of God through the priesthood. History tells us that this Vail was special. It was not just a curtain. It was made four inches thick of a continuous weave. No seams. It was 60 cubits in height. Before it was placed in the temple, two teams of oxen were attached to each side to see if they could tear it. If it held, it was suitable for use in the temple. Remember that the Vail is what shielded the Holy of Holies from view and kept sinful man from dying in the presence of a righteous God. Once a year the High Priest was the only one allowed entering beyond the Vail to sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant, for the sins of the nation of Israel. Before he would enter he had to offer a sacrifice for his personal sins. It was so important that he had made an offering for his sin, for, if he entered with a sin not sacrificed for, he would drop dead. You can almost feel his palms sweating. Because of this, bells were attached to the hem of his garment and a rope was tied around his ankle. Once in the Holy of Holies, if the bells were not heard, the rope would be used to drag out his dead body. No one else dared enter.

So what can we learn from the torn Vail?

1) Only God could have torn it from top to bottom.

2) God no longer dwells in a tabernacle made with hands (Heb. 9:11).

3) Everyone may now enter into the presence of the Lord (Heb. 4:16; Rom. 5:1,2).

4) Sin is no longer a barrier between man and God (2 Cor. 5:19).

5) There is no need for sacrifices for sins (Heb. 10:18).

6) There is no need for a sacrificing priesthood (Heb. 7:11-28).

THE VAIL MENDERS had to move rapidly. You can see their dilemma. The religious establishment would be out of business if the Vail were not mended. So the Vail was replaced and the priests were back in business. The Vail Mender society is very busy today in the Roman Catholic Church. Catholicism teaches that:

1) The Vail was not torn. (This is taught by practice.)

2) The sin debt was NOT paid for. (Everyone must expiate his or her sins in purgatory.)

3) Jesus does dwell in tabernacles made by men. (The Tabernacle on every altar.)

4) There must still be priests to offer sacrifices for sins (Sacrament of the Mass).

5) The priest is the path of approach to receive Christ (Sacrament of Holy Orders).

6) Priests are needed for the forgiveness of sins (Sacrament of Confession).

By Vatican theology, Jesus should have cried, "It has only just begun!" instead of "It is finished!" To miss the significance of the torn Vail and the words "it is finished," is to never understand the Grace of God. It is to continue to "try and be saved." It is to place faith and hope in your own "efforts" and maybe you will be saved. This is not why the Lord Jesus came and died for you. 1 John 2:2 says it all, "And He [Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our only, but also for the sins of the whole world." The verb "is" is a present tense verb showing continuous action. In other words, Jesus is and is and is and is… the propitiation. Propitiation means satisfaction for. So Jesus continually is the satisfaction for our sins and remember, not for only believers, but for the WHOLE world.

Vail Menders are a devious bunch that needs to be exposed. We need to reject their teaching and pray that they may see the Gospel for what it truly is: a GIFT. For, as Paul told Timothy, it is not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to His mercy He saved [past tense] us.

Aren’t you glad?

Reaching Catholics For Christ
P.O. Box 7019
Bend, OR 97708
www.reachingcatholics.org