Jesus Is Coming Again Pt. 8 Our Body Returns To Dust And We Receive A New Body From God

How did the early church view the second coming of Jesus Christ? We are finding out that they longed for Jesus to return. 

We also discovered that the apostles were focused on showing us how to live, until Jesus does return. 

We are simply following the references as they are found in the Bible, beginning with the book of Acts and going through the rest of the New Testament. 

I find this study to be a great blessing and an exhortation to live for my Lord's glory as I await His return.

Waiting to be clothed with a new, glorified body from God. 

2 Corinthians 5:1   For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 

Paul refers to our body as an earthly house, and describes it as a dwelling place for our soul. In this body, we make a pilgrimage through this life, all while we look for our eternal home in heaven. 

We live as a stranger passing through this world, rather than living for this world. Death dissolves this earthly tabernacle, so that it cannot be a habitation for our soul.

Paul was a well educated, Jewish man before his conversion to Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. 

He uses this picture of our body as an earthly, temporary home, to remind us about the tabernacle of the Old Testament. It too, was a temporary dwelling place for Jehovah to meet with His redeemed people.

Numbers 1:50-51  But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle. 51)  And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. 

This tabernacle of Jehovah, contains many pictures of Christ, and also depicts a believer's relationship with Holy God. {We cannot begin to give the specifics of the tabernacle in this post, for it is a vast, glorious subject.} 

When God told Israel to prepare to move on to a new location, the Levites had to completely disassemble the tabernacle. One of the individual families of the Levites, the Kohathites, were to actually carry all the parts and pieces of the tabernacle. 

God ordained a specific and orderly system for taking down the tabernacle and erecting it again.  The holy things were prepared to move first, for they were the holy place where God met with man. 

The ark of the covenant and its mercy seat were handled by the high priest Aaron and his sons. They were the only ones permitted to carefully prepare and store the holy things of God for their journey (See Numbers 4:1-16). 

When they arrived at the new destination selected by Jehovah, then the process to re-erect the tabernacle began, in reverse order. 

Ephesians 2:21-22  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22) In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. 

This is the beautiful picture that Paul uses to show us what our present body is like. Our body is a temporary house for our new man in Christ, and for the Spirit of God. 

God is the one building the body of Christ, a bride for His Son. Each believer is a living stone in this beautiful temple that God is making and new stones are added each day, as people hear the gospel and turn to Jesus Christ with repentant faith.

Our earthly tabernacle (body) will die.

2 Corinthians 5:1   For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 

The words "earthly house of this tabernacle" remind us that our body is earthly and will one day return to the dust. 

By using the word "tabernacle" Paul reminds us that the state of our bodies are subject to change as we wear out. 

Such physical changes over our lifetime remind us how the tabernacle was taken up, moved, and re-erected may times.

The word "dissolved" refers to that which was previously joined together, being disassembled, brought to nothing. 

Christians would understand this word as a more gentle metaphor for death, very similar to Paul using the word "sleep" referring to Christians who died.   

Jesus said He is preparing a place for us in heaven. 

John 14:1-3  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2)  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3)  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 

The apostle showed us a promise that connects with John 14. Jesus taught us that there are many mansions in His Father's home, and that He is going away to prepare a place for each believer (John 14:

When our earthly tabernacle is dissolved through death, we will enter a new building from God, not made by men, but by our loving Father. 

Rather than having a temporary building that lasts 70 years (or 80 years by reason of strength), this new one will be an eternal home. 

We groan inwardly, waiting for Christ to give us a new body. 

2 Corinthians 5:2-3  For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3)  If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.  

Believers in Christ groan inwardly, with an abiding desire to be clothed with our new house from heaven. 

All creation is also groaning and awaiting the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, for all things to be set right by God. 

The groans of the saints prove the existence of a longing and deep desire for the heavenly glory. This is a desire planted by God within us because it will come to fruition.

Believers long for His glorious return and fervently hope to receive that new body, which will not be plagued by illness, afflictions, or persecutions. 

Heaven is the hope of each believer. We look upon it as a house, or habitation, a dwelling-place, a resting-place, a hiding-place. 

It will be our eternal shelter and refuge in our Father's house, where there are many mansions. It will be our everlasting home. 

God has prepared a house in the heavens for us, which far excels all palaces of this earth, as the heavens are high above the earth. 

It is a building whose builder and maker is God, and therefore is worthy of its Author. We will find all the happiness in what God hath prepared for those that love him.

Believers anticipate entering into happiness immediately after death, as soon as our house of this earthly tabernacle ends.  

Thus, our body, is an earthly house, a tabernacle, that must no longer exist or disassembled like the tabernacle being taken apart. As the nails or pins will be removed, and the cords loosed, so that the tabernacle of God can be moved, so our body will return to dust as it was. 

When this comes to pass, then comes our new house not made with hands. The spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7) and all who have walked with God shall dwell with God for ever. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

Paul's point in teaching us these truths, is to fill us with hope for Christ's return, and to remind us that how we live does matter to our Father in heaven.

Christians who live for self, and the world, are dishonoring God. He has called us to be a holy people, separated from the things of earth, so that we might live for His glory.

Paul warns us that our body is the temple of God, because His Spirit lives in us. We will be judged if we defile our bodies by sinning. 

Therefore, let us seek first the kingdom of God and seek to live for His glory. 

Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to convict us when we sin, so that we confess and forsake our sins and receive fresh cleansing from Christ. 

Let us pray to our Father for Divine help and strength to live day by day, focused on that which is eternal.

Bob

1 Corinthians 3:16-17  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17)  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.