The Gospels of Matthew and Mark both relate the fact of how at the time of Christ’s death “the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” (St. Mark 15:38)
The above-mentioned curtain was actually a massive piece of fabric which hung in front of the Holy of Holies, veiling this sacred space from the rest of the temple. The curtain was 40 cubits (60 feet) long, 20 cubits (30 feet) wide, and about as thick as the “palm of a man’s hand.” Fabricated from “blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and of fine twisted linen” (Exodus 26:31), it also had gold and silver thread work intricately braided throughout. Needless to say it was extremely heavy and had to be hung from the ceiling using large golden rings.
The fact that this huge curtain was torn from top to bottom at the moment of Christ’s death is highly significant because it showed that all barriers between God and man were now destroyed, thus revealing the “at-one-ment” (atonement) that God makes available to us through Christ’s blood.
Also, since this rending coincided with the exact moment in which our Lord gave up His Spirit, there is little doubt that God, Himself, miraculously tore this veil; ripping it from the top downwards. Even if man could have somehow managed to tear into this thick, ultra-dense material, he would still have had to set up intricate scaffolding over sixty feet high in order to reach the top of this curtain.
