Veil (2665) katapetasma by Greek Word Studies

Veil (2665) (katapetasma from kata = down + petomai = flies) literally means that which is spread out over or downward and hence a veil, a curtain or a cloth drape. It describes that which falls down and thus a curtain or cloth hanging over an opening. The katapetasma was the veil of the tabernacle or temple used to separate the Most Holy Place (Holy of holies - place of the Ark of the Covenant) from the Holy Place. The hope, the anchor, takes hold in the very presence of God. Christ Himself who is there and is the pledge of all that is coming, prevents us from making shipwreck. According to the Talmud, the veils were 60 feet long and 30 feet wide, about the thickness of a man’s palm (four inches), and made of 72 squares that were sown together. The veils were so heavy that it took 300 priests to hang them, according to Jewish tradition. Katapetasma is used 26" class="scriptRef">26.33" class="scriptRef">33 times in the Septuagint (LXX) (Ex. 26:31, 33, 37" class="scriptRef">37; 27.21" class="scriptRef">27:21; 30:6; 5.12" class="scriptRef">35:12; 36:34, 37; 38:18, 27; 39:40; 40:3, 5, 21f, 26; Lev. 4:6, 17; 16:2, 12, 15; 21:23; 24:3; Num. 3:10, 26; 4:5, 32; 18:7; 1Ki. 6:36; 2Chr. 3:14). There are 6 uses of Katapetasma in the NT (Matt. 27:51; Mk. 15:38; Lk. 23:45; Heb 6:19; 9:3; 10:20 - see below and notes on Hebrews 9:3) The synoptic gospel writers record that just before Jesus breathed His last, the veil was rent from top to bottom... And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom (not a natural way for it to tear but a supernatural way indicating that God did it), and the earth shook; and the rocks were split, (Mt 27:51) And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. (Mark 15:38) the sun being obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, INTO THY HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT." And having said this, He breathed His last. (Luke 23:45-46) The tearing of the veil symbolized the opening of the presence of God to mankind through the sacrifice of Jesus, a truth which was elaborated upon by the writer of Hebrews who stated that... Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh (Hebrews 10:19-20) Comment: Christ's body was the Temple as He stated in Jn 2:19, 2:21and His flesh was the "veil". As long as He was alive there was no access to God. His rent flesh opened the way, a new and living way, and made available our "introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand" Romans 5:2. Gnosticism was preoccupied with the curtain between heaven and earth and taught that a cosmic curtain was a hindrance to the heavenly journey of the soul from the cosmos to the pleroma (fullness). The writer of Hebrews demolishes such foolishness. The anchor is out of sight, but it holds and that is what matters. Within the veil is the unseen, eternal reality of the heavenly world. A ship’s anchor goes down to the ocean, the Christian’s anchor goes up into the heavenly sanctuary and "moors" us to God Himself. The outer veil was called by a distinct Greek term, calumma the second (that is, the inner) veil. Jamieson writes that... The first-fruits of our nature are ascended, and so the rest is sanctified. Christ’s ascension is our promotion: and whither the glory of the Head has preceded. thither the hope of the body, too, is called. We ought to keep festal day, since Christ has taken up and set in the heavens the first-fruit of our lump, that is, the human flesh [Chrysostom]. As John Baptist was Christ’s forerunner on earth, so Christ is ours in heaven. (Hebrews 6) Unger has this note on the veil... The veil (Hebrew = pārōket, a “separation”), particularly described in Ex. 26:31-33; 36:35-36, was the screen between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. It was of the same material as the door screens but was embroidered with cherubim. It is thought that there were two, their extended wings touching each other. The veil, like the other hangings, was suspended upon pillars and, probably, “bands” (curtain rods), though the latter are not mentioned. These pillars (and bands) were covered with gold, the hooks were of gold, and the sockets of silver. For the veil four pillars were used, and as no one of them ran up to the peak, it did not, therefore, need to be in the center. The upper corners of the veil were fastened to the gold hooks in the boards. If we follow the proportions of the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place in the Temple, we must suppose the latter in the Tabernacle to have been square and the former to have been twice as long as broad. This will fix the dividing line between the two rooms at two-thirds of the width of the seventh board from the rear; the presumption is that the pillars were wholly within the Most Holy Place. (Unger, M. F., Harrison, R. K., Vos, H. F., Barber, C. J., & Unger, M. F. The New Unger's Bible Dictionary. Chicago: Moody Press) Wuest comments that... We have some rich figures here. This present life is the sea; the soul, a ship; the hidden bottom of the sea, the hidden reality of the heavenly word. The soul is seen as storm-tossed on the troubled sea of life. The soul of the believer, as a tempest-tossed ship, is held by the anchor within the veil, fastened by faith to the blessed reality within the veil. The anchor of the believer’s soul, his hope of eternal life in his High Priest, the Messiah, is fastened securely to a Rock within the veil of the Holy of Holies in heaven. That Rock is Messiah, whom the writer now speaks of as the forerunner. (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans or Logos) F B Hole (Biographical Note) writes that... The Christian's hope is heavenly; therefore it is said to enter into "that within the veil." Within the veil was the holiest of all, typical of the third heaven; that is, the immediate presence of God. That within the veil was the ark of the covenant, typical of Christ. Now Christ is entered into the immediate presence of God, and that on our behalf. He is entered as Forerunner and as High Priest. Our hope being centred in Him acts as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast. Our hope has anchored itself already in the glorified Lord Jesus. We are already anchored to the Person and the place, to whom and to which we are going. It is as though an outgoing Atlantic liner found herself securely attached to New York by an anchor pitched in New York harbour, before ever she had got clear of the English Channel! The fact that Christ has become our Forerunner guarantees that we who are the after-runners shall reach the place where He is. And as High Priest He ever lives to carry us through. That He should be our Forerunner is amazing grace; for in the East where these customs prevail the forerunner is a person of no consequence who clears the way for the important personage who follows after. Think of the Lord Jesus taking a place like that on our account! (Hebrews Commentary Notes) ><> ><> ><> From Our Daily Bread... The president of Gordon College, R. Judson Carlberg, was driving along the ocean near his home in Massachusetts when he saw two stately 17th-century sailing ships. They were replicas that were built for a movie being filmed nearby. "The breeze was stiff," Carlberg reported, "straining the rigging and the crews. Yet each ship stayed the course and didn't capsize." He explained the secret of their stability. "Beneath the waterline each had a deep, heavy keel--a part you don't see." The keel was essential for keeping the vessel steady in rough weather. What is it that holds us steady when fierce winds are blowing across life's sea? What keeps us from capsizing when we are under stress and tension? What enables us to sail on, despite the strain? It's the stabilizing keel of faith in our sovereign God. It's our unseen relationship with Christ. As He commanded the wind and the waves on the Sea of Galilee, He also controls the storms and squalls of life that threaten to sink us or drive us off course. Our faith in Christ is an "anchor of the soul" (Heb. 6:19) that can keep us from ultimate shipwreck. Do you have that unseen keel of faith? --V C Grounds We have an anchor that keeps the soul Steadfast and sure while the billows roll, Fastened to the Rock which cannot move, Grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love. --Owens Faith in Christ will keep us steady in the stormy sea of change. My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less (The Solid Rock) (Click to play, pray & praise the Rock) 1My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ name. 2 When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace; In ev’ry high and stormy gale, My anchor holds within the veil. 3 His oath, His covenant, His blood, Support me in the whelming flood; When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay. 4 When He shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in Him be found, Dressed in His righteousness alone, Faultless to stand before the throne. Chorus On Christ, the Solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand. Alleluia! Sing to Jesus! 4Alleluia! King eternal, Thee the Lord of lords we own: Alleluia! Born of Mary, Earth thy footstool, heaven thy throne: Thou within the veil hast entered, Robed in flesh, our great High Priest: Thou on earth both Priest and Victim In the eucharistic feast. Thou Art Coming, O My Savior 4Thou art coming, we are waiting With a hope that cannot fail; Asking not the day or hour, Resting on thy word of power, Anchored safe within the veil. Time appointed may be long, But the vision must be sure; Certainty shall make us strong, Joyful patience can endure. Thou Art My Hiding Place, O Lord! (Click to play hymn) 1. Thou art my hiding place, O Lord! In thee I put my trust; Encouraged by thy holy word, A feeble child of dust: I have no argument beside, I urge no other plea; And ’tis enough my Saviour died, My Saviour died for me! 2When storms of fierce temptation beat, And furious foes assail, My refuge is the mercy seat, My hope within the veil: From strife of tongues, and bitter words, My spirit flies to thee; Joy to my heart the thought affords, My Saviour died for me! To Thy Temple I Repair 1 To Thy temple I repair Lord, I love to worship there, When within the veil I meet Christ before the mercy seat. “We have an anchor that keeps the soul, Stedfast and sure while the billows roll, Fastened to the Rock which cannot move, Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love.” "Copy and paste the address below into your web browser in order to go to the original page which will allow you to access live links related to the material on this page - these links include Scriptures (which can be read in context), Scripture pop-ups on mouse over, and a variety of related resources such as Bible dictionary articles, commentaries, sermon notes and theological journal articles related to the topic under discussion." http://www.preceptaustin.org/hebrews_619-20.htm#veil

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Veil (2665) katapetasma

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