“Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down” Isaiah 64:1
The cry of Isaiah’s heart was that God would come to earth. Isaiah had been given a daunting task, to preach God’s word to his unresponsive people “until the cities lie ruined” (6:11). It’s no wonder he wanted God to show up. In Jesus, God not only came down but came to stay. He stayed by the presence of his Holy Spirit in his people.
Mark reports, “The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Mark 15:38). This one brief sentence describes what must have been an amazing event. The curtain in the temple was made of heavy material and thought to be 30 feet high. No human hand could’ve torn it from the top to the bottom. The curtain separated the Holy of Holies from the people and the priests since only one priest could enter once a year.
The curtain being torn opened the way into the Holy of Holies and this signifies that the way is open for us to come into the very presence of God. “Since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus … let us draw near to God” (Hebrews 10:19-22). The tearing of the curtain is symbolic of God rending the heavens and coming down to us. What an extraordinary act showing God’s overwhelming desire to be with his people. God wants to deal with anything that stands between me and him, my sin, my shortcomings, my apathy. He will tear heaven in two to do it.
What an awesome thought that the God who made the universe would desire my fellowship that much.
