O my soul,

Why has the Lord not acted? Why are you still waiting? You were prepared to be taken to the eleventh hour, waiting and hoping and trusting, but now it’s after midnight.

After midnight for Cinderella: the coach has turned back into a pumpkin, the horses into mice and the footmen lizards. And here too are we, so long past midnight in our own waiting on the Lord. Isn’t it now all far too late?

By no means!

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

― Hebrews 10:23

He who promised is indeed faithful. Rejoice in this wonderful verse, and hold fast without wavering. Hold fast without wavering for his name is Faithful and True.

And so holding fast, we must now carefully read this verse in context.

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

― Hebrews 10:19-25

Let’s begin by reminding ourselves about this curtain, which was originally specified in meticulous detail by the Lord in the context of the tabernacle, that tent the Israelites were instructed to construct even while they were in the wilderness.

Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

― Hebrews 9:1-5

No indeed, we have not time to speak of these things in detail, or we would be reading the original six chapters in Exodus rather than these few verses in Hebrews. But those chapters are worth reading in their entirety to gain some insight into the holiness of God, and the astonishing level of consecration the priests were required to undergo before they could enter the holy place.

And do you remember that holy anointing oil made of myrrh and cassia and cinnamon and olive oil? Hear again the Lord’s instructions to Moses, and marvel anew at the ineffable holiness of God.

“With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils and the basin and its stand. You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them will become holy. You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. And you shall say to the people of Israel, ‘This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. It shall not be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you shall make no other like it in composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. Whoever compounds any like it or whoever puts any of it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’”

― Exodus 30:26-33

I realise I am trying to do the impossible here, to convey something of the awe-inspiring holiness of God in just a couple of minutes, for this simply cannot be done. So go and read those chapters in their entirety with a view to being overwhelmed by the splendour and majesty and profound holiness of God.

For we cannot understand our Cinderella story without having some grasp of the holiness of God, and the stupendous power poured out at the cross, and what this curtain is all about.

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

― Matthew 27:45-54

This story is so familiar that we are in danger of reading straight past what is happening. So I will slow down.

And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

― Matthew 27:51-53

The curtain separating off the Most Holy Place was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook. Rocks were split. Tombs were opened and the dead were raised to life. And there were many witnesses of these things.

In particular one doesn’t become a centurion in Caesar’s legions without surviving the horrors of war and the savagery unleashed on the battlefield. So pay attention to the comment from this battle-hardened veteran who was so very familiar with the awful and the terrible, and yet here was filled with awe. “Truly this was the Son of God!”

Why is this so relevant for the one waiting on the Lord?⸺the one waiting and longing and hoping? Because it shows the enormity of the power that was released when Jesus gave up his life and the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. From top to bottom, mind you!

And because of the holiness of God.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

― Revelation 21:1-4

On that glorious day the dwelling of God will be with his people. But make no mistake. His holiness will not be compromised. He will not lower his standards to let grubby sinners in to his perfect heaven. By no means! He will welcome in all who are holy.

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

― Hebrews 12:12-14

For that holiness without which no-one will see the Lord we must be transformed, even as we are now being transformed.

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

― 2 Corinthians 7:1

And this is what happens after midnight. It is after midnight in the crucible of life when it seems that all has failed that the Lord does his most profound work of transforming grace in our lives, but only as we surrender to his will, trusting without reservation and without holding back from the one whose name is Faithful and True.

He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

― Ephesians 1:4

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

― Philippians 1:6

O my soul, how he will! So trust him, even and especially after midnight, because that is when the things of this world are losing their grip on you. Make the most of your remaining time to repent of all that is unholy, to banish each and every shameful thought and deed, knowing that the power to do this is found only in Jesus.

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.

― Romans 6:6-7

For it is well after midnight and the new day is fast approaching.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

― Hebrews 10:24-25

O my soul, trust the Lord and prepare yourself for the new day which even now is drawing near! 🙏