The spirit within and external to man
The Tabernacle of Moses and the Temple of Solomon, both inanimate, symbolize Christ, who would supersede the temple. This is echoed in Jesus’ declaration, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” alluding to the resurrection of His body after death, as recorded in John 2:19-21. Moreover, Jesus embodied the living Christ, for the Holy Spirit dwelt within Him from birth and remained upon Him following His baptism by John, according to John 1:32-33.
John 2:19-21
19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
21 But he spake of the temple of his body.
John 1:32-33
32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Spirit within Jesus served as a teacher, comforter, advocate, and helper, preserving His divine nature. Following His baptism, Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, signifying that He was empowered and thus anointed for His ministry at the age of 30, in accordance with the law’s traditions. Luke 4:1.
Luke 4:1
And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Similarly, believers receive the Holy Spirit (Kingdom of God) within when they are born again by the Spirit of God to learn how to walk in righteousness, and upon them at the baptism of the Holy Spirit to receive power for service to God so that they can grow the body of believers in knowledge and number into the Kingdom of Heaven. Luke 24:49.
Luke 24:49
And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
When Jesus breathed on His disciples in John 20:22, He essentially placed the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) within them to guide them in a change of heart from worldly pleasures to God’s love, joy, peace, and righteousness, and thus they became the temples of the living God (Kingdom of God).
John 20:22
And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
Afterwards, when they waited in Jerusalem and received the Spirit of God to come upon them in Acts 2:1-4, they were ready for service, i.e. to preach, heal the sick, and deliver people from bondage to increase the community of believers in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Acts 2:1-4
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Observe in verse 2, the Spirit of God filled the house, symbolizing the Kingdom of Heaven being manifest, which is external to a community of believers, or the atmosphere crafted by the Holy Spirit for a congregation. The tongues of fire rested upon them, rather than within them, but then filled them with power for service to God, which is why they were granted tongues.
We see from this that the Holy Spirit manifests the Kingdom of Heaven externally to believers when we are united with one voice, and fills them up with power for ministry according to God’s will. At the second appearance of Jesus, the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven will be fully realized across the entire Earth, where even creation will cease to groan from the corruption imposed on it resulting from humanity’s sin. Romans 8:18-23.
Romans 8:18-23
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
We are currently in a time where the Kingdom of Heaven is externally manifested to born-again believers by the Holy Spirit through faith, praise, word, and worship where we feel the presence of God with miracles following the spoken Word. However, we do not experience the fullness and permanence of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth with all its glory until Jesus reappears the second time because flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God or Heaven, 1 Corinthians 15:50. We, therefore, wait with anticipation for Jesus’s reappearance for full salvation, which includes mind and body, when our vile bodies will be transformed into glorious bodies, Philippians 3:20-21.
1 Corinthians 15:50
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Philippians 3:20-21
20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
Until such time, and not to create confusion in this article, I would like to metaphorically refer to the heavenly atmosphere surrounding a community of believers as the “heavenly city” or “New Jerusalem”, symbolizing the Kingdom of Heaven but to a lesser degree of glory than the anticipated Kingdom of Heaven at Jesus’ second appearance. The “New Jerusalem”, present now for us on earth at believer’s congregations because we are flesh and blood, still has the power to manifest God’s glory and safeguard believers from this world’s corruption. This protection does not imply immunity from accidents, health issues, or persecution, but rather that God will preserve us from the hour of temptation and empower us to overcome all temptations from persecution or other dangers. Zechariah 2:4-5.
Zechariah 2:4-5
4 And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein:
5 For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.
The scripture illustrates that Christians are likened to a city without walls, encompassed by the Holy Spirit within and around them, transcending the confines of race or nationality regardless of our scattered geographical locations on earth because the Holy Spirit is ubiquitous and unified. We also see in Revelation 21:1-5 that there is no more sea, representing people of the nations, and the city appearing out of Heaven represents the body of Christ manifested by the Holy Spirit, i.e. the new Jerusalem has already arrived.
Revelation 21:1-5
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Am I saying that the rapture has already taken place? No! But I’m saying, that we are the light of the city set on a hill and should be doing far more than what we are doing, or what we believe can be done because God is with us as per verse 3. Are we not God’s Tabernacle? Of course, we are. Did not Paul and Peter perform amazing miracles that resembled Jesus’s ministry? Of course, they did! Then what is wrong with us? I believe complacency and the good life make us susceptible to temptations and bad habits.
Our spirit is in heaven and in our body simultaneously
John 3:13 says that Jesus was the only one who ascended to heaven, came down from heaven, and is in heaven, signifying that He is in heaven while on Earth.
John 3:13
And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven
This belief is rooted in the Holy Spirit residing within and abiding upon Jesus; the Holy Spirit is deemed the essence of Heaven, both within and around believers. The term “ascended” does not suggest that Jesus was with the Father in bodily form because flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God or heaven. Instead, it indicates that His Spirit was present in Heaven while simultaneously in His earthly body because the Holy Spirit, representing Heaven, was present within and abided upon Him. The Holy Spirit, representing Heaven, pervades the bodies of believers and their surroundings universally, as the Holy Spirit is indivisible and unique. Essentially, the Holy Spirit, an aspect of the Divine, is omnipresent as a single person. Therefore, if the Holy Spirit signifies Heaven within us, then our spirit which dwells in Heaven, is also within the same Heaven that is present within us, for there is only one spiritual Heaven devoid of space and time. This means that God is in us and we are in God in oneness. In essence, our journey should reflect a yearning for God to dwell within us, as we should yearn to dwell in Him, achieving unity. While many believers acknowledge God’s presence within them, they fail to see themselves in God. Reconciliation or unity with God is reciprocal, yet often, we seek only the advantages of a unilateral relationship, which is why we fall short of emulating the early church. John 17:20-23.
John 17:20-23
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Born-again believers are also seated in heaven (Ephesians 2:6) with Christ although Christ already has His spiritual glorious body after His resurrection. Like Jesus, I believe that only our spirit is seated in heavenly places until the second appearance of Christ who will change our vile flesh and blood bodies into glorious bodies because flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.
Ephesians 2:6
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
We are the temples of God
Jesus imparted the Holy Spirit to humanity through His disciples, enabling us to become temples of God, embodying the presence of God (Emmanuel) within us. Thus, our spirits exist simultaneously in heaven and within our bodies as the temples of God on Earth. It is an error to believe that we possess a separate spirit in heaven and another in our body, as the Holy Spirit’s omnipresence means it is the heavenly realm within us where our spirit dwells and it is also the heaven that exists outside us, yet it is one unified Spirit. I reiterate, that Christ lives in us and we live in Christ as one entity, i.e. heaven in us and us in heaven. Our souls and bodies are not yet redeemed until Jesus reappears the second time for the salvation of mind and body. Nevertheless, we are the temples of God because He lives in us and we are in Him. Hence, if we are the temples of God we should not be misled into anticipating another temple in the future, for we are already the temple of the living God. See John 2:19, 1 Corinthian 3:16.
John 2:19
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
1 Corinthians 3:16
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
The colours of the tabernacle
The Word of God suggests that the Tabernacle/Temple was a prophecy of the first apperance of Jesus Christ who removed the sins of humanity and unlocked the Kingdom of Heaven, granting access to the Father in the new Jerusalem (the community of believers). This is despite the fact that the full glory of the new Heaven and Earth has not yet manifested, as Jesus has not reappeared the second time.
Recall that the veil symbolizes Jesus’s body. Observing the three colours on the Tabernacle of Moses’ veil, we understand that Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, manifested Heaven on Earth (Kingdom of Heaven), external to believers, and the spirit within the body (Kingdom of God), internal to the believer. The blue colour signifies heaven (external) or spirit (internal), crimson denotes earth (external) or flesh/blood (internal), and purple illustrates the manifestation of heaven on earth or spirit in the flesh. Mixing blue and crimson yields purple, symbolizing the union of heaven (or spirit) and earth (or body).
It can then be said that Jesus was clothed with the purple robe (merged blue and crimson colours) in Mark 15:16-20, representing that He was the unprecedented king (kings wore purple attire) in opening the Heavens for people on Earth, i.e. He was instrumental in manifesting Heaven (represented by the blue colour) on Earth (represented by the crimson colour) and through the death of the cross He passed it over to mankind as well.
Mark 15:16-20
16 And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.
17 And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,
18 And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!
19 And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.
20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.
The purple robe on Jesus also indicated that He was the King of the Kingdom of God who manifested the spirit (Holy Spirit represented by the blue colour) in a physical body (represented by the crimson colour). Therefore, Jesus was the first heavenly man on Earth (1 Corinthians 15:47-49) Who came to teach would-be believers to turn from their carnality into spiritual/heavenly beings by adopting the born-again experience.
1 Corinthians 15:47-49
47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
Therefore, the Holy Spirit within the believer represents the Kingdom of God which parallels with God appearing within the Tabernacle to the high priest on atonement day, whereas, the Holy Spirit external to the believer represents the Kingdom of Heaven which parallels with God appearing to the congregation outside the Tabernacle, but not to the Kingdom of Heaven in all its glory throughout the Earth which is only expected at the second appearing of Jesus Christ. The Tabernacle, its laws, and rituals did not have this power as it cannot change the hearts of people throughout the Earth, but the Spirit of God can. Whether within the believer or external to the believer it is the Holy Spirit, or Heaven, because it is the Holy Spirit that manifests love, peace, joy, and righteousness within or external to the believer. Romans 14:17.
Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost
Jesus said that God’s will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven. The preposition here is “in” not “on”, therefore referring to the body as opposed to the earth in both Matthew 6:10 and Luke 11:2, indicating that man is referred to being an earthen vessel because man is made from the dust of the earth, 2 Corinthians 4:7. This might signify that the Kingdom of God must be made manifest in mankind before the kingdom of Heaven can be fully manifest externally to the entire Earth/globe at Jesus’s second reappearance. This makes sense because mankind needs to change hearts for God to a certain degree before Jesus’s second appearance when He ushers in the new Kingdom of Heaven and all its glory throughout all the earth. The fact that we are still waiting for the new Kingdom of Heaven throughout all the earth is another reason that makes this sensible. Believers do, however, have access to the Kingdom of Heaven (new Jerusalem or community of believers) which is why we can approach the Father boldly after the veil was torn in two. In other words, believers have the ability, if they dedicate themslesves to God, to walk in the Kingdom of Heaven right now in this corrupt atmosphere of our Heaven and Earth. It is like walking in a heavenly bubble (spiritual city, or new Jerusalem) where we remain righteous by following Jesus, whilst those walking outside the heavenly bubble or city follow corrupt ways. Revelation 22:14-15.
Matthew 6:10
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Luke 11:2
And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
2 Corinthians 4:7
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
Revelation 22:14-15
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
From the scripture above, do we not have the right to the city which is the body of Christ enveloped by the Holy Spirit, and to the tree of Life which is Christ? Of course, but only if we are true believers in Christ and walk obediently with Christ out of the free will.
Jesus already opened the Kingdom of Heaven and of God to give mankind access to God the Father when His body, representing the veil between the Holy and Most Holy places, was torn by His death on the cross. The veil symbolised that the way to the Most Holy Place was not open, and thus man, except for the high priest once a year, could not approach the Father. Now we can all approach the Father because we are meant to be that light in a city on a hill to glory our Father. Exodus 26:31-35, Matthew 27:50-51, Matthew 5:14.
Exodus 26:31-35
31 And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:
32 And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.
33 And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.
34 And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.
35 And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.
Matthew 27:50-51
50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
Matthew 5:14
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”
Beauty for ashes
Jesus died representing beauty turned to ashes which were covered in purple cloth when travelling, symbolic of Jesus’s robe before they led Him to Calvary/Golgotha. The ashes were normally discarded at the foot of the altar after animal sacrifices were burnt, however, Jesus was crucified outside the city reflecting Israel’s rejection. God has always been rejected by mankind, not only at the cross but also when Israel preferred to listen to Moses, when they wanted a king, in the Garden of Eden, and even today, see Numbers 4:4-13.
Numbers 4:4-13
4 This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things:
5 And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it:
6 it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof.
7 And upon the table of shewbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover withal: and the continual bread shall be thereon:
8 And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put in the staves thereof.”
9 And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and his lamps, and his tongs, and his snuffdishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it:
10 And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put it upon a bar.
11 And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put to the staves thereof:
12 And they shall take all the instruments of ministry, wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put them on a bar:
13 And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon:
However, God turns that around for man’s benefit, where Isaiah 61:3 says that God will give man beauty for ashes, meaning joy instead of mourning and praise instead of heaviness, so that we may be called trees righteousness planted by God. Notice that God does the planting of joy and righteousness in man, for man cannot do so.
Isaiah 61:3
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
All other vessels were covered with blue cloth representing spiritual things, except the table of showbread which was covered with a blue and a scarlet cloth representing that fleshy carnal man was involved in communion with God but not directly because the veil had not been torn to open the heaven on earth, only the high priest could meet God in the Most Holy place in the day of atonement after various washings and sacrifices. A layer of the roof of the tabernacle was stained in red, and I believe it represented the blood of Jesus.
The Kingdom of Heaven and of God has been opened
Jesus’s death essentially opened the third heaven (Kingdom of Heaven or new Jerusalem) when the veil in the temple was torn so that we could access the Father in the same fashion He had access to the Father in the kingdom of Heaven while on earth. Therefore the Kingdom of God and of Heaven has arrived, however, humanity needs to have faith and enter the Kingdom of God so that the Kingdom of Heaven (New Jerusalem) can increase with believers before Jesus’s reappearance because God wishes for none to perish. Until then humanity continues to corrupt our heavenly atmosphere of Heaven and Earth while we walk in this heavenly “bubble” of the new Jerusalem or the heavenly city. I believe God is waiting for a certain amount of believers before Jesus reappears, or rather, for a chaste church, to then fully manifest the Kingdom of Heaven and all its glory throughout the earth, and so far it has taken 2,000 years to this point because God wishes for none to perish, but unbelief is delaying His appearing.
This was part of my calling to ministry when God gave it to me in 2006. See my Calling.