From Grace to Grace Bible Studies
By Kermit Hall
Lesson U
Going Beyond the Veil
Prov 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. Those of you that have been baptized in the name of Jesus and have received the Holy Ghost are called kings and priests in the book of The Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Proverbs tells us that God hides things from us. He puts a veil over certain things to cover it from our eyes. It is the responsibility of the kings (all those born again) to seek that knowledge. The king that will do so receives honor. God is the perfect leader, the perfect manager, the perfect administrator, and the King of Kings; so to be a perfect king called into his service, every one of us must go beyond the veil into the secret place.
Matt 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. From the beginning God placed, allegories, metaphors, similitudes, and parables in the scriptures with concealed lessons of wisdom that will bring honor to all who search them out. We cannot be satisfied to just sit and look at the veil. We must develop a passion and a tremendous craving to go beyond the veil.
Let's Look at what Happens when Common Men w Beyond the Veil.
Here a common man, Isaiah, sees into the temple, as the veil is pulled away!!! Isa 6:1 I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.” Isaiah cried, "Woe is me!" "I am a man of unclean lips." In the same way, Jesus visited Peter as he was cleaning his nets after a long, tough and disappointing night of fishing, during which he caught nothing.
Peter’s business was fishing, he was an excellent fisherman but his nets kept coming up empty. This would frustrate anyone. Jesus had to reveal to Peter that he was the answer and has the answer to every need. Peter questioned the Lord when Jesus told Peter to put his nets back into the water because he could not see behind the veil. Nevertheless, Peter obeyed and a miracle occurred – his net was full of fish. Obedience is the first step in looking behind the veil. When Peter saw past the veil of the flesh he fell to his feet and cried for Jesus to depart. Peter felt so unclean. But just as the Lord had big plans for Isaiah, he also had big plans for Peter, and he also has big plans for you.
Many Men Fell at Sight of Such Glory!!
Job said this when he saw the glory of God. Job 42:5-6 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
Daniel saw what no one with him could see. Daniel10:5-8 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen…. his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. Daniel alone saw the vision; those with him did not. However, the earth quaked around them and fear caused them to hide away. (The Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ tells of those that refused to look beyond the veil, they tried to hide in the rocks from God). He said: Daniel 10:8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.
Habakkuk said this in 3:15-16 Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, through the heap of great waters. When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.
After Paul had seen Jesus, he wrote in 1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
When John saw the glory of God he wrote, in Revelation 1:16-17 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last. When the glory of God is reveled to us, we understand what these men saw.
All Fell in Fear when God's Holiness was Reveled
When man sees past the veil, he sees a great and mighty God. He realizes he is just as a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow. But the one he is looking on has no beginning and no end. He is so overwhelmed with weakness as he realizes how corrupt and depraved he is. He becomes fearful of his condition as he realizes how ignorant and illiterate man is, but the one he is looking upon has all knowledge and all wisdom. Jesus is the knowledge and wisdom of God. Therefore, when one looks past the veil he or she will repent, be so awe struck by what he or she sees, and will cry out for mercy and seek more.
Some men never have the courage to look behind the veil. They are set in their ways thinking they are okay, not realizing they are lost. They are satisfied with where they are, not realizing there are more and greater adventures in Christ ahead.
Adam was Born Inside the Veil, but Left It.
Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. Genesis 3:10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. Adam had immeasurable freedom and liberty in the garden, he never had a concern in the world, and he talked to God without hesitation. But when he became a malefactor, he was naked, ashamed, fearful and imprisoned as a slave to worldliness and sin, so he hid from God. When Adam sinned in paradise, God moved him out, but he didn’t tear down the house. God put a veil between him and his promise, and used a cherubim with a flaming sword as a veil to keep man out.
Some are born inside the church but they never desired to look past the veil and never researched the scriptures. Their parents were born in the church, and all they know is church so often some will take salvation for granted and live in an indeterminate state. They are satisfied with Sunday morning church, letting the pastor do all their research, and often they are satisfied with just hearing about the veil but are not hungry to find out what is really back there. They do not realize that every person who goes past the veil will discover God’s dream for his or her life. Instead of being curious about the veil, they turn from it as Adam did.
In the Temple there were 2 Veils
One veil separated the court of the gentiles from the holy place; to get to the Holy of holies you had to go through two veils. The second veil separated all the people from the Holy of holies. To get to Jesus we must go through two veils. Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh... The first veil is our own flesh, we must leave the court of the world and go into the holy place. This is where we hear of God, believe in Christ, and by faith enter the holy place by repenting (or renting) the flesh. Once inside the Holy place, we are washed, fed the bread of life, and there we offer up sacrifices of praise. In this place, we are baptized in the name of Jesus, renting the second veil going into Christ.
The second veil leads into the covering of Christ. This is where we enter the Holy of holies. Once in there, we are accepted by God and filled with the Holy Spirit there , and we dwell and minister unto the Lord. Heb 6:18-20 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. When you were baptized into Christ you went behind the veil into the Holy of holies. You entered into Christ.
Col 3:3-4 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Some People are Afraid to See the Glory
When you invite these type or people to church, they refuse because they know they may see past the veil and are fearful. For a man to get into the presence of God he must go past the flesh. Song of Songs 5:7 The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. The bride (the church) was seeking the Lord with excitement and zeal, but the watchmen (the devil and those who want to keep us from seeking God) were brutal and took away the bride's veil.
Song of Songs 5:8 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love. She then turns to the church for encouragement. Tell him I’m so lost without his presence that I am sick. Her veil represented her reverence and reputation toward the Lord. The cruelty of the world condemns us in our seeking God and tries to remove our veil. But it is the veils that lie before us with hidden treasure that keep us going from veil to veil, from faith to faith, and from grace to grace.
I came to Christ because I hated my life; I knew there was something better intended for me than trying to satisfy my fleshly desires. I desired to look past the veil because of the repulsiveness of the world. Once I saw past the veil, I ripped it apart so I could get in to Jesus only to discover this was the new beginning and a great life lay behind the many veils that were before me. It was the Holy Spirit striving with me, it was the leaven of the word that worked in me, and it was the grace of God that called me. I shall forever be grateful for the new and living way. I will say this: Even if I thought there was not a mansion awaiting me in heaven, living for Christ is still far greater than living for the flesh and in the world.
If you haven’t made a commitment to go beyond the veil, then it is time you do! Paul said in Acts 22:16, And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Are you ready to look past the veil? Are you ready for a new and living way? Will you fall on the rock, or will you be one of those that cry for the rock to fall on you in judgment?
Rev 6:15-17 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains... Why would a man hide when he can be free?
Col 1:26-28 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. A person can hide in Christ and see the mysteries, or be a sinner and hide in the rocks foolishly thinking that he can escape the Lord's coming wrath.
Questions:
1. Prov 25:2 It is the _ _ _ _ _ of God to ______a thing: but the ______of kings is to ______out a matter.
2. True or False: A person born of the water and Spirit he is a king and a priest.
3. Matt 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the ______was rent in twain from the _ _ _ to the bottom...
4. True or False: From the beginning God placed, allegories, metaphors, similitudes, and parables in the scriptures with meaningless lessons.
5. Isa 6:1 “I saw also the _ _ _ _ sitting upon a throne, high and ______up, and his train filled the ______.”
6. True or False: Isaiah cried, "Woe is me! I am a man of unclean lips".
7. Job 42:5-6 I have heard of thee by the ______of the ear: but now mine eye _ _ _ _ _ thee. Wherefore I _ _ _ _ _ myself, and ______in dust and ashes.
8. 1 Timothy 1:15 This is a ______saying, and ______of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save ______.
9. True or False: Revelation 1:16-17 John saw the glory of God: and fell at his feet.
10. True or False: The whole earth is not full of His glory.
11. True or False: Genesis 3:8-10 When Adam disobeyed God he hid himself.
12. Heb 6:18 That by _ _ _ immutable things, in which it was ______for God to _ _ _ , we might have a strong ______, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the _ _ _ _ set before us.
13. Song 5:7 The ______that went about the city found me, they _ _ _ _ _ me, they ______me; the keepers of the walls took away my _ _ _ _ ...
14. Acts 22:16 “And now why ______thou? Arise, and be ______, and wash _ _ _ _ thy sins, calling on the _ _ _ _ of the Lord.”
15. True or False: Rev 6:15-17 In the future the kings of the earth, great men, and rich men will hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains...
16. Col 1:26-28 Even the ______which hath been _ _ _ from ages and from generations, but now is made ______to his saints.
17. Whom we preach, ______every man, and ______every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man ______in Christ Jesus.