“And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God.”
2 Samuel 6:6-7 ESV
The tearing of the veil was not the BEGINNING of the breaking of the barrier between us and God. The tearing of the veil was the final piece of the barrier crumbling for complete free will access to the Lord’s presence; here on earth and after death. The barrier began breaking the moment Jesus was born. The Lord wrapped Himself in flesh so that we can have access to Him in the natural. In the days of David (and any time before Jesus was born), unclean and unchosen hands could not even remotely come into contact with God or His holy things.
RELATIONSHIP with us has always been the desire of His heart, and He has always grated that to us. This is why David was able to be called a man after His own heart and Moses was able to be called a friend of God. BUT when Jesus was born, people were able to come in PROXIMITY to Him and touch Him without fear of death. The fact that the woman with the issue of blood was able to touch His hem is a testament to that fact. If the rules of engagement were exactly the same, that woman would’ve been stricken dead at the very moment her finger brushed His hem. Jesus was and is the HOLIEST of the Father’s vessels. Infinitely more holy than the ark. She should’ve had the same fate as Uzzah. Not only did she live, she was HEALED. Mary Magdalene the prostitute turned disciple is another example. She had the brazen audacity to not only approach the Lord, but to anoint His feet. This act caused her to be praised, favored, and blessed for her proximity to Holiness despite her unclean past. They dared to seek after Him and have relationship with Him.
When Jesus died, the veil was torn not only to grant us full access to God even after death, but to ensure that the old ways were not adopted back. That only the “religiously, outwardly clean” people could be in the Presence. The Presence was no longer contained or exclusive, but free for all to come and seek the Lord as they desired. Now, don’t get me wrong. There are still rules of engagement to MAINTAINING relationship with the Lord and being able to ABIDE in the presence. However, the mere access to Him no longer has a cost. It is FREELY given because of Love and Sacrifice. So don’t be afraid to get in relationship AND proximity with Him!