THE MYSTERY OF SPIRIT SOUL AND BODY

The mystery of spirit, soul and body

I would like to talk about a fascinating subject that not only ties in with our everyday living but also very much relates to the Rapture, Tribulation and Millennium. Just like this subject by nature has a progression to it the article will also take on a systematic order.I believe you will enjoy and relate to this writing.

I would like to start with the practical interpretation and go into the prophetic implication towards the end of the article. If we don't understand the progression of what I am saying we will only have a surface understanding of the prophetic implication of some pivotal end-time prophecy verses involved in the number 3.

I like writing articles to edify Believers in Christ but also to invite people that don't know Jesus Christ into their hearts.

This present article was a search-quest for what I did not know. This has got to be one of the most amazing subjects I have ever had the privilege of writing yet it was the most difficult. I have found that we serve a good God. When God sees us searching He starts to reveal His riches in His grace.

The sum of one plus two equals three. As Believes in Jesus Christ we probably will go through 1 and 2 by experience to get to 3. We are Saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2: 8-9). If a Christian dies early he or she may not go through this process.

One (sovereign), two (division) and three ( complete). The mystery of any problems we struggle with is found in our make up (1) Spirit (2) Soul (3) Body. The Apostle Paul says we are comprised of 3 parts (1 Thes. 5:23).

Number 3 is so important. From a Biblical point of view 3 denotes divine perfection.

(1) Spirit, (2) Soul and (3) Body. We have to ask ourselves how the Tabernacle was built. This is paramount for us to understand this because we are comprised of three parts.

When we walk through life we are so conditioned to say (1) Body (2) Soul and (3) Spirit but this is not what the Bible teaches. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ.1 Thes. 5:23.

Notice the order (1) Spirit, (2) Soul (3) Body. There was a reason why the Apostle Paul started with spirit and ended with body. This is how the Tabernacle was constructed. In 1 Cor. 3: 16 the Bible says we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

When anybody really looks at the construction of the Tabernacle God wanted to dwell not only among His people but in His people. The Ark of the Covenant was constructed first and that went in the Holy of Holies to be covered by the Mercy Seat. The Ark represents Jesus Christ (Yeshua). Everything else was built around the Ark.

This is because Jesus Christ changes a person from the inside out. The Bible says in Numbers chapter 2 that the Tabernacle was to be placed in the center of the Twelve Tribes. Everything in the Tabernacle points to Jesus Christ but even more specific our salvation past, present and future are all in Him.The Tabernacle gives us a picture of this.

The outer court represents our spirit and our Salvation in the past tense ( Romans 10: 9-10). The inner court represents our soul and our Salvation in the present tense ( Philippians 2:12). That would be our sanctification through our salvation in the past tense. The Holy of Holies represents our body or our salvation in the future tense. When we get to heaven our body, soul and spirit will be one in Him. Everything that was constructed in the Tabernacle were all symbols of the salvation to come through Jesus Christ.

In Exodus 25:2 relative to the outer court of the Tabernacle God encourages the people to give with their hearts. This involves the spirit of man. The Brazen Altar symbolizes the Cross of Jesus Christ and the Lavor symbolizes the Resurrection.

When we got Saved we accepted Jesus Christ into our hearts ( Spirit) because He died on the Cross ( Brazen Altar) and rose from the dead ( Lavor). Do we see why the Apostle Paul could not say (1) Body (2) Soul (3) Spirit in 1 Thes. 5:23.

When we accepted Jesus Christ into our hearts we did not do that with our body.We did that with our spirit. The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. Romans 8:16.

For the most part the world tries to find God with their soul and body but it can not be done. This was made of bronze and this speaks of judgment. Our sins had to be judged ( bronze). In Lev. 6:13 the Bible tells us the fire was never to go out. This spoke of Jesus Christ dying on the Cross once and for all to take care of the sin problem.

When the people went into the outer court they were very aware that blood had to be shed for the forgiveness of sins. This is exactly what Jesus did for us. He shed His blood for our sins. Heb. 9:22.

The inner court of the Tabernacle which involves our soul or the present tense of our salvation is spoken of in Philippians 2:12-13.This really gives us an incredible picture of our experiential walk with Christ. There is a soulish battle that we have to go through in life and the table of showbread speaks of our experience with Christ on a daily basis.

The Lamp Stand speaks of the body of Christ. We as part of His body are the light of the world. Luke 11:33. There was beaten gold in the inner court which represents our experiences in life. Only the priests could go into the inner court but according to the New Testament in 1 Peter 2:5, Rev. 1:6 we are priests so we are allowed to eat of the Bread of Life ( table of showbread). We read the Scriptures and feed on the Person of Jesus Christ. He is our daily Manna.

Since the veil of the Temple was torn in two we can now come into the presence of God. We obviously need that presence to go through our soulish struggles in life.

After the inner court came the Holy of Holies which is represented of our body or the future tense of our salvation. If the rapture happens as soon as we think it might then we will be airlifted ( raptured) into heaven ( Holy of Holies ).

The High Priest went into the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement. Heb. 9:7. This involves the physical presence of God. We will have our resurrected bodies in His eternal presence. The Ark of the Covenant was placed in the Holy of Holies. Jesus Christ is our Ark. In Exodus 30 the incense was in the inner court and in Hebrews chapter 9 the incense was probably moved from the inner court to the Holy of Holies because our communion is now very close to God because of what Jesus Christ did for us at the Cross. We will be in the very physical presence of God with our new resurrected bodies after the rapture of the Church ( Holy of Holies).

Do you remember when the Apostle Paul got saved? He was really excited and started a church in Damascus but you never heard of those Believers again. Paul probably started that Church in the flesh and they just dwindled off. Paul had to be moved to complete need by Jesus Christ Himself. Perhaps when Paul had a thorn in his flesh he was at the number 2 level. This denotes division and it is being highlighted in his life. This was his soulish struggle.

Suffering is gift from God that nobody wants.Paul was knee deep in pain but his response was submission to God.

In Matthew 18:20 it says " For where TWO ( emphasis mine) or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them." The number 2 is the number of division ( soulish struggle) but it can also be a dual meaning of two Believers coming together.

What is the basic theme of prayer meetings? The World is tough ( division) so let's gather together in prayer as Believers ( uniting). Christians go home but they are still going through the soulish struggle. Life is not nice. What is God doing? He is working through Christians in His power.

All of the characters in the Bible went through soulish struggles. Due to time I will just briefly mention 2 interesting people that made the Hall of Faith in Hebrews chapter 11. Sarah and Samson.

Sarah spent most of her life in isolation and rejection yet she must have allowed God to strengthen her more toward the end of her life because she is in Hebrews chapter 11 (The Hall of Faith). Samson was a trouble maker among other things yet in those last 20 years of his life when he was blinded and held captive he must have let God strengthen him. He is in Hebrews chapter 11 ( The Hall of Faith).

The Holy Spirit is inside of us making us stronger through the grace of Jesus Christ. God wants to take Believers in Him to the third level of experiential completeness in Him. Like I said we are already positionally complete in Christ. Col. 2: 10. He understands that the world is really tough but "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him." Nahum 1:7.

If God sees something lodged inside of us that is not good then we will probably learn the hard way. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior you will probably still go thorough a soulish struggle in life but never get the victory.This is only found through Jesus Christ.

You may not want to be in the script but you have already been scripted in ( past tense) before the foundation of the world because you were born. You have a choice. Since we are so close to the rapture I am praying that many people receive Jesus Christ into their hearts.

Let me just say nobody will ever know some of the really bad soulish struggles that some people did and/are enduring. It will be revealed on the other side. The Apostle Paul spoke of it in Romans chapter 6,7 and 8.

John the Baptist probably said it best in John 3:30. He said " He must increase, but I must decrease." Unless we understand the increase/decrease principle we will never allow God to take us to the third level. When God takes us from the second to third level it is a little mysterious. We will never totally be able to figure it out because a work of God is a mystery. It surpasses all understanding. I know this because that is what the Bible says in Philippians 4:7. By the way I'm not saying a Believer can't go back to the soulish level of their problems. Just because God progresses His children in His experiential power does not mean he or she won't go through another perhaps more intense trial. They probably will.

We are glad that we are just about to be raptured into the loving arms of Jesus Christ in Heaven? It is possible that God can take us so far into the spirit that we might actually forget what our soulish problem even was? In Hebrews 2:9 the Bible is saying Jesus was made for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor. In verse 10 it says our salvation is made PERFECT ( emphasis mine) through sufferings. This perfection is level 3.

This person that I am talking about is already a Christian but God is working on him. I just want to note that the Apostle Paul was circumstantially bound in prison at the end of his life but he was free on the inside through Jesus Christ (Yeshua). God brought the Apostle Paul to the third complete level and I think that it is very interesting that this is when he started writing letters to the Churches. He did not have the full wisdom of God to do this earlier in his ministry.

In Philippians 1:6 it says that God will continue to do a good work in our life until the day of Jesus Christ. I want you to see how different the first level is in comparison to the third level. On the first level (it's more about me;I have a responsibility before God to get saved -- to get right before God ) the third level ( it's all about Jesus Christ). God progresses us to a type of the Holy of Holies.

There is a fork in the road between level 2 and level 3. When we trust God we are meditating on Him.When we worry we are giving the devil meditation. The devil is not capable of granting us anything because he can not even tell the truth.

God has to test our faith. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me...Psalm 138:7.We went through many deep soulish trials and struggles and now we are trusting God that He will give us the strength to face the giants.

When I researched this it made me think about my problems. God of course keeps working on us because He sees the whole picture.

There are so many neat examples I could give you regarding this 1,2,3 principle. (1) Father (2) Son, (3) Holy Spirit. (1) Omniscience (2) Omnipresence (3) Omnipotence. (1) Eternity Past (2) Eternity Present (3) Eternity Future.

When the word Shepherd was ascribed to Jesus Christ, depending upon where He was in eternal history it progressed (1) The Good Shepherd ( John 10:14), (2) The Great Shepherd ( Heb. 13:20), (3) The Chief Shepherd ( 1 Peter 4:5). This title actually progresses from death to resurrection to His glory.

Our Lord's being is perfect and so is His office. (1) Prophet (2) Priest (3) King (Deut. 17: 18). From the back drop of Christianity a person (1) Becomes regenerated ( accepts Jesus Christ into their heart) (2) Attempts to grow in the Lord through problems and trials (soulish struggle) (3) The person hopefully becomes mature after the soulish struggle and starts to focus upon the Person of Jesus Christ to unite rather than divide in the Spirit of God.

This is where we meet God in a deep way so a person at this point has his priorities right and can now focus on Jesus Christ and put His principles into action. There is (1) Faith (2) Hope (3) Love. From the back drop of faith (1) I think I can. (2) I know I can. (3) It is already done. Maturity is a process of completion that God must accomplish in our lives as His children.

I would like to give you just one more example. (1) Primary interpretation. (2) Practical application and (3) Prophetic implication. God is not stopping at the primary and practical. He is going into the prophetic. Jesus is coming very soon.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord, Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:9-10.

Time is truly running out. Today is the day of salvation because there might not be a tomorrow. Nobody is going to want to miss the rapture because the world will get really bad. Jesus Christ is the only answer! Receive Him into your heart and live for Him. Watch for His return and be ready at any moment. Glory to God Jesus Christ is coming very soon!
Bob D.