The human body as the temple

[Bold Believer]

God's tabernacle is often discussed in relation to the Older Covenant with its types and shadows, but has anyone ever given thought to the body-temple?

As the tabernacle had 3 parts (Outer Court/Inner Court/Holy of Holies), so our body has as well.

The outer court is the flesh. Anyone is allowed access, it is seen by all. It is expected to be kept clean by the priest(s), but it is exposed to the elements in our world and can be stained and defiled.

The inner court is the soul. The thoughts of a man appear to be centered here. It too is expected to be kept clean by the priest(s). While covered by the outer court so that not everyone or everything can reach it, it too can be defiled, mainly by the priests' lack of discipline to keep out defiling elements, but also by others who manage to get through the outer court.

The Most Holy Place or Holy of Holies is the spirit. It is here that God dwells in the form of the Holy Spirit. As a believer, this portion of us is secured by Cherubim from defilement precisely because God dwells there. Access to the High Priest occurs here, as Christ is at God's right hand as High Priest, ever making intercession for us.

Are unbelievers also temples? Absolutely, because this is what they were created to be. Since unbelievers are godless in terms of knowing the Living God, their Holy of Holies is empty, OR...it is defiled by the presence of a heathen god, either what the unbelievers worships and holds most dear, or by a demonic entity in rare cases.

[grandma dolittle]

God's tabernacle is often discussed in relation to the Older Covenant with its types and shadows, but has anyone ever given thought to the body-temple?

As the tabernacle had 3 parts (Outer Court/Inner Court/Holy of Holies), so our body has as well.

The outer court is the flesh. Anyone is allowed access, it is seen by all. It is expected to be kept clean by the priest(s), but it is exposed to the elements in our world and can be stained and defiled.

The inner court is the soul. The thoughts of a man appear to be centered here. It too is expected to be kept clean by the priest(s). While covered by the outer court so that not everyone or everything can reach it, it too can be defiled, mainly by the priests' lack of discipline to keep out defiling elements, but also by others who manage to get through the outer court.

The Most Holy Place or Holy of Holies is the spirit. It is here that God dwells in the form of the Holy Spirit. As a believer, this portion of us is secured by Cherubim from defilement precisely because God dwells there. Access to the High Priest occurs here, as Christ is at God's right hand as High Priest, ever making intercession for us.

Are unbelievers also temples? Absolutely, because this is what they were created to be. Since unbelievers are godless in terms of knowing the Living God, their Holy of Holies is empty, OR...it is defiled by the presence of a heathen God, either what the unbelievers worships and holds most dear, or by a demonic entity in rare cases.

I do believe a Christian's body is a temple and there fore we should not desecrate it with tatoos and body pericings. We do not belong to ourselves because Jesus bought us and we became temple for the Living God. I have never though about my soul being the Holy of Holies, but I can see where it would be because the Holy Spirit dwells there. I like that thought.

[Zemke]

God's tabernacle is often discussed in relation to the Older Covenant with its types and shadows, but has anyone ever given thought to the body-temple?

As the tabernacle had 3 parts (Outer Court/Inner Court/Holy of Holies), so our body has as well.

The outer court is the flesh. Anyone is allowed access, it is seen by all. It is expected to be kept clean by the priest(s), but it is exposed to the elements in our world and can be stained and defiled.

The inner court is the soul. The thoughts of a man appear to be centered here. It too is expected to be kept clean by the priest(s). While covered by the outer court so that not everyone or everything can reach it, it too can be defiled, mainly by the priests' lack of discipline to keep out defiling elements, but also by others who manage to get through the outer court.

The Most Holy Place or Holy of Holies is the spirit. It is here that God dwells in the form of the Holy Spirit. As a believer, this portion of us is secured by Cherubim from defilement precisely because God dwells there. Access to the High Priest occurs here, as Christ is at God's right hand as High Priest, ever making intercession for us.

Are unbelievers also temples? Absolutely, because this is what they were created to be. Since unbelievers are godless in terms of knowing the Living God, their Holy of Holies is empty, OR...it is defiled by the presence of a heathen god, either what the unbelievers worships and holds most dear, or by a demonic entity in rare cases.

Yes this is a great consideration for us. Especially with secular psychology today. The inner court is a place where only God can truly see and knows how to heal us. But the world can only see the effects of our soul on the outer court and tries to figure it all out. Only God knows what it takes to heal the soul. Only He knows what is really going on.

I love the teaching of the grain offering from Leviticus 2.

We know the sacrifices in the law point to the Messiah. Well the grain was offered three ways, in the open on the griddle, in the pan and in the oven.

When our Lord was on the cross in the open people could see His outer court, His pain and anguish and they knew He had to be suffering in the soul and could comprehend it to a degree but only the Father could see down into the pan. But clearly no one could see in the oven, seeing nothing of what was going on spiritually in the Holy of Hollies with Jesus.

[jasoncran]

hmm jesus said destroy this temple and in three days i will rear it up again. hmm

[grandma dolittle]

hmm jesus said destroy this temple and in three days i will rear it up again. hmm

Jason, wasn't Jesus talking about himself?

[OneLight]

1 Corinthians 6:19

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

Yes, our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, as scripture tells us. This temple is just one type of temples mentioned in scripture, but a very important one indeed.

[jasoncran]

hmm jesus said destroy this temple and in three days i will rear it up again. hmm

Jason, wasn't Jesus talking about himself?

yes he was and its always why i dont buy the millenial reign of him from jerusalem in a temple.

[gdemoss]

Although I understand my body to be part of the temple of God, I don't see the breakdown of the courts being what is presented here. What scripture was used in the process of coming to this understanding?

Gary

[jasoncran]

the third temple spoken of and the changed covenant could be represented that way. im not sure if that is the case but from what i have heard tis likely.

[Guest shiloh357]

hmm jesus said destroy this temple and in three days i will rear it up again. hmm

Jason, wasn't Jesus talking about himself?

yes he was and its always why i dont buy the millenial reign of him from jerusalem in a temple.

Well, Jesus was referring to His bodily resurrection. So to say that it defies the rebuilding of the temple is a misuse of that passage. It does not serve as a refutation agasint the either third temple that the anti-Christ will defile or the 4th temple shown in Ezekiel 40-48.