Empty. By now, the holy of holy places in the temple is empty. Gone for some 600 years, the articles in the most holy place have been removed. The presence of God has departed and the room is kept for its historic significance alone.
Now comes Jesus, the most Holy of Holies in the flesh, to replace the mere symbolism of God’s presence with us. For the past 30 some years, He has made His dwelling among us, literally becoming one of us. No more will we be separated from the Holy presence of our Lord. Or will we be? On the day of His death, an earth-shattering event tears the veil from top to bottom (from Heaven to Earth) and exposes the empty room in the temple for what it is; a symbol (Matthew 27:50-51). But it also causes separation between us and our God, this time by death, as He is laid in a tomb.
Jesus was arrested, period. Jesus was tried, period. Jesus was convicted period. Jesus was crucified, period. And then Jesus died, comma! A second earthquake within the span of a just a couple of days bursts open the tomb or “new ark” which held our God (Matthew 28:2). The temple room is empty, and now the tomb is empty as well. Jesus is alive! And this fact is witnessed among people by the hundreds. Jesus’ death paid for our sins, of course. But it’s His resurrection from the dead that grants us eternal life and close intimate relationship with God from now on, exclamation point.
_If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. _-Romans 10:9
