Introduction

† Everyone talks about the veil tearing in the temple, but almost nobody asks what that veil actually represented.
† The assumption is that it was just a curtain separating rooms, but scripture says the veil was something far greater.
† Paul tells us plainly that the veil was still present whenever the old covenant was read, meaning it wasn't just hanging in a building, it was embedded in the Law itself.
† That changes everything, because now the problem wasn't distance from a room, it was blindness under a covenant.
† When Christ died, the veil began to be removed, but when Jerusalem fell and the Law system was destroyed, the veil was gone completely.
† This ties the cross and AD 70 together in a way most people completely miss.

2 Corinthians 3:14-16

But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts; but whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

† The veil here isn't fabric, it's the old covenant itself blinding their understanding (2 Corinthians 3:14-16)
† Paul says the veil remains when Moses is read, that means the Law was functioning as the barrier, not just a curtain in a building (2 Corinthians 3:15)
† The issue was never just access into a room, it was clarity of covenant, they couldn't see Christ because the Law was still covering their minds (2 Corinthians 3:14)
† The veil is removed when they turn to the Lord, showing this is about revelation and covenant transition, not temple architecture (2 Corinthians 3:16)

2 Corinthians 3:7-11

But if the ministry of death, engraved in letters on stones, came with glory so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness excel in glory. For indeed what had glory in this case has no glory, because of the glory that surpasses it. For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.

† This shows the veil started with Moses, not the temple, proving the veil is tied to the Law itself (2 Corinthians 3:7)
† The glory was already fading under that system, meaning the veil was connected to something temporary (2 Corinthians 3:11)
† Paul calls it the ministry of death and condemnation, directly identifying the Law as the system being removed (2 Corinthians 3:7,9)
† This locks in that the veil is covenantal, not architectural, and it was always meant to pass away

Hebrews 10:20

by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, through His flesh,

† Now the writer of Hebrews defines the veil directly, it's His flesh, not fabric (Hebrews 10:20)
† That means the physical veil in the temple was symbolic, pointing to Christ and the system that separated man from full access (Hebrews 9:8)
† When Christ died, His flesh became the true torn veil, opening the way into what the Law could never provide (Hebrews 10:20)
† This ties the cross directly to the removal of what the Law represented, separation and limited access (Hebrews 10:1)

Matthew 27:51

And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.

† The tearing of the temple veil was a sign, not the full event itself (Matthew 27:51)
† It showed that what the Law represented was being judged and brought to an end (Hebrews 8:13)
† But the Law system didn't disappear overnight, it was still being read, still being followed, still veiling minds (2 Corinthians 3:14)
† The cross initiated the end, but history shows the system continued until its full removal

Hebrews 8:13

When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is about to disappear.

† The old covenant was already becoming obsolete, but not yet fully gone (Hebrews 8:13)
† This proves there was a transition period between the cross and the full removal of the system (Hebrews 8:13)
† The veil was being removed, but the structure that sustained it was still standing physically and covenantally
† That brings us to AD 70, when the system was completely taken out

Luke 21:20

"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near.

† Jesus Himself tied the destruction of Jerusalem to the end of that covenant system (Luke 21:20)
† When the temple was destroyed, the entire Law system tied to it was removed permanently
† No temple, no sacrifices, no priesthood, no veil, everything the Law required was gone
† That is when the veil was fully gone in history, not just symbolically, but completely

Historical References

† Josephus records the destruction of the temple in AD 70, showing the complete end of the sacrificial system and priesthood
† Tacitus confirms the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, aligning with Christ's prophecy of judgment
† Eusebius writes about the fall of Jerusalem as a fulfillment of what Christ warned, marking the end of the old covenant age

How It Applies To Us Today

† We're not under a veil anymore, we're not trying to see through the Law, we've been brought into full clarity in Christ
† There's no system left to return to, no temple, no sacrifices, no priesthood, that world is gone
† Access to God isn't partial, delayed, or hidden, it's open and complete
† If someone goes back to the Law mindset, they're putting the veil back over their own understanding
† We live in the reality that was fully established after AD 70, complete access, clear vision, no barrier

Q & A Appendix

Q I thought the veil was just the curtain in the temple, why go deeper than that?
A Because scripture itself goes deeper. 2 Corinthians 3:14-16 shows the veil was the old covenant blinding minds, not just a physical curtain. The temple veil was a sign of a greater reality.

Q Didn't the veil get removed at the cross?
A It began there. Hebrews 10:20 shows Christ's flesh was the true veil, but Hebrews 8:13 says the old covenant was still becoming obsolete. It wasn't fully gone yet.

Q So when was the veil fully removed?
A When the system that sustained it was destroyed. Luke 21:20 ties that to Jerusalem's fall. Once the temple was gone, the Law system ended completely.

Q Why does this matter for us today?
A Because we're not living in transition anymore. The veil is gone, the system is gone, and we have full access to God without anything in the way (Hebrews 10:19-22).

Q If the veil was the Law, why did God give it in the first place?
A The Law had a purpose for a time. It was a ministry of condemnation and death that pointed forward to Christ (2 Corinthians 3:7,9). It wasn't meant to be permanent, it was preparing the way for what would replace it.

Q Does that mean the Law was bad?
A No, it had glory, but it was fading glory (2 Corinthians 3:11). The problem wasn't that it was evil, it was that it was temporary and couldn't bring full access or life.

Q Why did the veil remain after the cross if Christ removed it?
A Because the covenant system was still standing. Hebrews 8:13 says it was becoming obsolete, not instantly gone. As long as the temple and sacrifices remained, the system that veiled people was still active.

Q What actually ended the old covenant system?
A The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70. Jesus said when Jerusalem was surrounded, its desolation was near (Luke 21:20). That event removed the entire structure of the Law.

Q Can someone still be under the veil today?
A Yes, not covenantally, but mentally. If someone reads Moses and stays in that system, the veil remains over their heart (2 Corinthians 3:15).

Q How is the veil removed now?
A When someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away (2 Corinthians 3:16). It's not about a place, it's about seeing clearly in Christ.

† This is the fulfilled perspective we proclaim at Fulfilled Prophecies †
© Fulfilled Prophecies - Dan Maines.

Source Index

† 2 Corinthians 3:14-16, 2 Corinthians 3:7-11, Hebrews 10:20, Matthew 27:51, Hebrews 8:13, Luke 21:20

† Josephus, Wars of the Jews; Tacitus, Histories; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History