Christianity
Matthew
“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;”
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ParallelsA comparative study
ChristianityJudaismIslam
On The Veil
The motif of the veil functions across these traditions as a boundary separating the profane from the holy, yet the theological implications of its removal or retention diverge significantly. In Christianity, the rending of the temple veil signifies the immediate, universal access to God through Christ, whereas in Judaism, the veil remains a necessary boundary preserving the sanctity of the Divine Presence. Islam presents a more complex duality, acknowledging veils as the standard mode of divine communication while simultaneously describing veiled hearts as a barrier to spiritual perception.
What every account tells.
- iA physical or metaphysical barrier exists between the divine and the human.
- iiAccess to the holy is restricted by this barrier.
- iiiThe state of the barrier (intact, torn, or lifted) determines the nature of human-divine interaction.
How each tradition tells it.
Christianity
The tearing of the veil is interpreted as a definitive eschatological event ending the old covenant's separation, granting all believers direct access to the Holy of Holies. This contrasts with traditions where the veil remains a permanent structural element of worship.
Judaism
The veil is maintained as a perpetual boundary, with the High Priest entering only once a year, emphasizing the transcendence and otherness of God. Moses' veiled face further illustrates the necessity of mediation, as the divine glory is too intense for direct, unmediated human endurance.
Islam
The concept of the veil is applied both cosmologically, where God speaks only through revelation or behind a veil, and psychologically, where hearts are veiled by disbelief. Unlike the Christian narrative of a physical tearing, the Islamic focus is often on the removal of the internal veil through faith and revelation.
Read the passages as one.
Christianity
2 Corinthians
“Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.”
Judaism
Exodus
“And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.”
Judaism
Exodus
“And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.”
Islam
Surah 42: Ash-Shuraa (The Consultation)
۞وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُكَلِّمَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِلَّا وَحۡيًا أَوۡ مِن وَرَآيِٕ حِجَابٍ أَوۡ يُرۡسِلَ رَسُولٗا فَيُوحِيَ بِإِذۡنِهِۦ مَا يَشَآءُۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلِيٌّ حَكِيمٞ
“And it is not for any human being that Allah should speak to him except by revelation or from behind a partition or that He sends a messenger to reveal, by His permission, what He wills. Indeed, He is Most High and Wise”
Islam
Surah 2: Al-Baqarah (The Cow)
خَتَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمۡ وَعَلَىٰ سَمۡعِهِمۡۖ وَعَلَىٰٓ أَبۡصَٰرِهِمۡ غِشَٰوَةٞۖ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٞ
“Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing, and over their vision is a veil. And for them is a great punishment”