"As we were walking toward home, there they were, 3 of them, coming our way. We had no guns with us, so we began to run towards home, a half mile away. It seems each day these walking dead are getting closer...and closer...."
An apocalypse...is it a real occurrence that is to happen...or is it the perpetual imagination within the nature of mankind?
As Christians, we often think of the Book of Revelation when we hear the word "Apocalypse", or perhaps the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament. Were there zombies mentioned in the bible? Well...not exactly...but there is mention of dead people coming back to life...but they weren't hungry for human flesh...they were set free to join Him...the Risen One.
The word "apocalypse" dates back to Greek origin. Surprisingly, it doesn't really refer to zombies or some horrible cataclysmic event that causes mankind to turn on one another. The word "apocalypse" simply means: "an uncovering, a revelation of knowledge not known, ( and hear is the part that interest me)...a lifting of the veil".
Here is where today's story begins...." a lifting of the veil".
During the days when Jesus walked the earth ( and He was very much alive), the Temple in Jerusalem had a room we refer to as the "Holy of Holies". This was the place where the God of Israel had an earthly dwelling...God's Presence actually resided there. The Holy of Holies was an area that was strictly separated form any other activities going on in the Temple itself.
The thing about the Holy of Holies...it could only be entered into...once a year. And, not just anybody could go in there...only the Jewish High Priest could enter...and make yearly atonement for the sins of the nation of Israel. They even tied a rope to the High Priest...in case things didn't go well and he would never return from this area itself... pretty serious stuff.
This area known as the Holy of Holies had an entrance that was not what we would consider normal...like a door or something. It was referred to as "a veil", and not just any veil...this was "the veil". Historians describe this veil to the entrance of the Holy of Holies as being perhaps 60 feet in height, 30 feet in width, and possibly 4 inches thick ( there is varied opinions as to it's thickness...ranging from the "width of a man's hand" to 4 inches). What we also know from the Book of Exodus it was made of a fine twisted linen with colors of blue, purple, and scarlet. Some say it was more of a weaved carpet rather then a curtain, and the ancient Jewish historian Josephus wrote you could tie horses on each side of this veil and they would not be able to tear it apart in the slightest.
Ok, so far so good...I kind of got a picture in my mind of this...and then...suddenly another description happened. Three of the Gospels describe a situation that included making reference to this veil....it all happened while Jesus was still hanging on the Cross.
A Gleaning form Matthew 27: 50-52
" Jesus once again cried out...with a loud voice...and gave up, He actually dismissed His spirit. It was at this precise moment the curtain in the Temple was torn in two...from top to bottom. Along with this, there was an earthquake and rocks were broke and split apart. And something else was going on....out in the cemeteries...there were tombs that were being opened...and many godly men and women who had already died, were now coming back to life!"
Some write the veil was torn in two from top to bottom instead of bottom to top or side to side...to symbolize God Himself was doing the tearing of the this great curtain.
Along with all this, God Himself moved...He moved out of the Holy of Holies...and made His new home...in our hearts.
Here is another Gleaning from the Sacred Scripture:
A Gleaning from Acts 17: 24-25,29
" This God, who produced, formed, and made the entire world...including everything in it...is truly the Lord of the Skies and the Lord of the Earth...is no longer needing a custom made shrine to dwell in, or to be served through the efforts of human hands with animal sacrifice. for if the truth be told, He has never lacked anything in the first place. It is God who gives life and breath to all who live here...on this very planet we call earth.
We are now God's very own offspring, we no longer need to view God as some sort of idol that is made from men...with gold, silver, or chipped from precious stone. He is no longer an outside entity to be observed a certain times...for now His home is within us...He has chosen to live within our very hearts!"
In 70 A.D., the Roman armies destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem, which was still observing God from an Old Testament view...yet God had already moved out of the Temple, and now resides in the hearts of men. Now, instead of a High Priest atoning for the sins of mankind, Christ Jesus has made a way for each one of us...to stand directly before His Father.
A Gleaning from John 14:6
" I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Without Me, you have no access to the Father (God)."
and in Hebrews, Saint Paul writes......
A Gleaning from Hebrews 10:19-20
" So now my dear friends, we can now...without hesitation and at anytime of day or night...have full confidence to enter in to the "Holy of Holies"...right into God's very Presence. Christ Jesus has made all this possible through the shedding of His Blood for each one of us...at the Cross. The old curtain in the Temple...the very entrance to the "Holy of Holies", is now completely torn in two...because His own human body was torn for us...and now gives us complete access to His Father...who now has become "Our Father!"
Oh, and as far as the godly people who came back to life from the grave...they are with Him now...and trust me, even if there were any still around...they would never hurt you....they are witnesses of how much He loves you!
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