The Veil is Torn and Freedom is Given
A locked door makes a clear statement: access is restricted until the rightful authority opens the way. Dr. Perry Greene uses that image to explain what the veil in the Jerusalem temple represented-a real barrier between a holy God and sinful people-and why the moment it tore at Jesus' death matters.
This episode traces the meaning Dr. Greene draws from Scripture: God Himself removed the barrier, direct access to His presence is now offered through Jesus, and spiritual freedom is meant to shape how people think about civic freedom. Readers will see the symbolism, the biblical connections he highlights, and the practical steps he urges for everyday faith and public life.
Dr. Perry Greene begins with a scene from a historic courthouse. A tour group sees a heavy oak door, reinforced and sealed with iron hinges. Behind it are important land documents and legal records, and only authorized personnel have the key. The guide makes the point plainly: if the door is closed and the key is not yours, entry is not happening. Dr. Greene presents that locked door as a modern picture of what the veil in the temple represented-a barrier.
In the temple, the veil separated the holy place from the most holy place, where God's presence was associated. Dr. Greene stresses the message the veil communicated: God is holy, and sin separates human beings from Him. Access was not casual. Only the high priest could enter, only once a year, and only with blood for atonement.
That background makes the account of Jesus' death in Matthew 27:50-51 central. Dr. Greene notes that the veil was thick, layered, and massive, not something a person could tear. Yet Scripture records that it tore "from top to bottom." For Dr. Greene, the direction is part of the meaning: top to bottom signals divine action. God tore the veil, not man.
Dr. Greene highlights a second truth in the same moment: God Himself opened the way to His presence. He describes the tearing of the veil as the end of a system where access depended on intermediaries, annual rituals, and repeated sacrifices. Through Jesus, God removed what sin had created-a real separation.
He connects that change to Hebrews 10:19-20, which describes confidence to enter the most holy place by the blood of Jesus through a "new and living way" opened through the veil. Dr. Greene emphasizes that Jesus did not merely die in a general sense; His death opened the way for people to come to God.
When the veil tore, Dr. Greene says it announced three realities.
First, access to God is direct. The locked-door message of the veil is replaced with an open way. In Dr. Greene's framing, believers are not meant to live as if they are still kept outside at a distance.
Second, adoption changes the relationship. Dr. Greene points to Romans 8:15 to describe moving from bondage and fear to adoption as sons and daughters, able to cry out to God as Father. The torn veil is not only about permission; it is about belonging.
Third, atonement is completed in Jesus. Dr. Greene describes the sacrifice as finished and sufficient. In that shift, grace replaces ritual and relationship replaces distance. He presents the torn veil as God's declaration that salvation is available to all kinds of people-Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, famous or forgotten.
Dr. Greene then turns to the American story by using the same language of barriers and access. He argues that many people came to America because they faced political, religious, and economic "veils" that blocked ordinary people from liberty, worship, and opportunity. In his view, early Americans spoke of freedom with more than politics in mind. He says they believed God intended His people to live free, spiritually and civically.
To underline that connection, Dr. Greene references a line attributed to Benjamin Franklin: "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom." He uses it to argue that a free republic cannot survive without a morally grounded people, and that civil freedom depends on practicing spiritual truth. In that context, he describes the torn veil as the ultimate freedom-freedom from sin, fear, and spiritual bondage.
Dr. Greene closes with the idea that the torn veil is both an invitation and an announcement. The barrier is gone, access is granted, and the way is opened. He also notes that God is not confined to a small room in a temple. He points to Revelation 3:20, where Jesus stands at the door and knocks, inviting fellowship with anyone who opens. The response Dr. Greene urges is to walk in freedom with reverence, gratitude, and faith-and to keep the practice of entering God's presence burning.
Application
Do not rebuild the veil. Dr. Greene warns that religion can create new barriers through ritual, pride, legalism, hierarchy, and insider language. If God tore the veil, he argues, people should not stitch it back together.
Enter God's presence daily. Because of Jesus, Dr. Greene says access is open and personal. He points to Hebrews 4:16 as a call to come boldly to the throne of grace for mercy and help, and he cautions against living as though the door is still locked.
Defend liberty rooted in God's truth. Dr. Greene compares the spiritual barrier God removed with the political barriers early Americans sought to remove. He frames civic liberty as healthiest when it remains anchored to the moral and spiritual truths that form virtue.
Share the open door. If the veil is torn, Dr. Greene says the world needs to hear it. He describes God as near and reachable, inviting every person to come close-to forgiveness, grace, freedom, and the Father.
TL;DR
Dr. Perry Greene uses a locked courthouse door to illustrate the temple veil as a true barrier of access.
He explains that the veil signaled God's holiness and humanity's separation from Him because of sin.
In Matthew 27:50-51, the veil tears from top to bottom, which Dr. Greene interprets as God's action, not man's.
He connects the torn veil to Hebrews 10:19-20, describing a new and living way opened through Jesus.
Dr. Greene says the torn veil announces direct access to God, adoption as sons and daughters, and completed atonement.
He argues that grace replaces ritual and relationship replaces distance, with salvation available to all people.
He applies the barrier-and-access theme to America, describing founders' efforts to remove political barriers to worship and liberty.
He cites a line attributed to Benjamin Franklin about virtue as necessary for freedom and connects virtue to spiritual truth.
Dr. Greene urges believers not to rebuild barriers, to enter God's presence daily, to defend liberty rooted in truth, and to share the open door.
He closes with Revelation 3:20 as an invitation to open the door to Christ and walk in freedom with reverence and gratitude.
Discussion Questions
Where do barriers to God show up most often in daily life-fear, shame, distraction, or self-reliance-and how does Dr. Greene's message address that?
What does "access to God directly" look like in practical terms when prayer feels difficult or distant?
How does the idea of adoption as sons and daughters (Romans 8:15) reshape the way decisions and failures are handled?
Which kinds of religious habits can quietly "rebuild the veil" through pride or insider language, and what would humility change?
In Dr. Greene's view, how does spiritual truth support civic freedom, and what role does virtue play in preserving liberty?
Apply It This Week
Spend 10 minutes each day this week entering God's presence in prayer, specifically asking for mercy and help in a current need (Hebrews 4:16).
Identify one way legalism, pride, or habit has acted like a barrier in relationships or church life, and replace it with a concrete act of humility.
Write down one freedom that matters-courage, honesty, self-control, or forgiveness-and connect it to the spiritual freedom Dr. Greene describes.
Share the "open door" message with one person by offering prayer, encouragement, or a simple explanation of why access to God is available through Jesus.
Prayer Prompt
Father, thank You for opening the way through Jesus. Help those who feel far away to come near with confidence, to live as beloved sons and daughters, and to walk in freedom with reverence, gratitude, and faith. Amen.