What the veil is hiding form the masses

One can only imagine the sights and sounds that the children of Israel heard when God presented Moses with the laws for the Children of Israel to follow as His chosen nation.

Moses stated, “And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightning, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die” (Exo. 20:18-19). Later, he recorded, “And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him in mount Sinai. And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.

But when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him” (Exo. 34:32-35). Some fifteen hundred years later, the apostle Paul uses that event as an illustration of people unable to see the truth that is in front of them. He said, “we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart” (II Cor. 3:12-15).

And, the fact is, many are still blinded today about the abolishment of the old law by the death of Christ on the cross. When questioned about using parables, Jesus said, “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes the have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them” (Matt. 13:13-16).

There are several major strands of doctrine within what is called Christianity today that it would seem that vail continues to blind many, for great masses fail to see what is obvious to some. It is our plan to present several articles dealing with specific areas of spiritual blindness prominent today. Due to space, we will present just one brief example in this article.

The masses seem to be blind about what, actually constitutes Christianity. To most today, anyone who believes in Jesus Christ and claims to serve him is a Christian. However, what say the scriptures? First, note that the name Christian is a God given name for the disciples of Christ. Luke records, “And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch” (Acts 11:26). The word that is translated “called” is one that denotes a divine calling. It is the fulfillment of the prophecy made by Isaiah. He wrote, “And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name” (Isa. 62:2).

Luke had just recorded the adding of the Gentiles (house of Cornelius) when he wrote of the disciples being called Christians. Note it is the church, made up of disciples that are called Christians. A disciple of Christ is one that has learned His teachings, embraced His teachings and is promoting those teachings to others. Thus, a Christian is one that has heard the gospel of Christ, believed the gospel of Christ, and obeyed the gospel. We will have more to say on this topic in another article, but those who obey the gospel are then added, by the Lord to His body, the church.

Christianity began on the first Pentecost after the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:41). Then, at the close of that same chapter, Luke reports, “Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47). Jesus once asked, “Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say” (Luke 6:46). It takes more than just believing in Christ and saying you are a Christian in order to be one.