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News From Israel MagazineThe Temple of His Body
“Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said” (John 2:19-22).
When we read the introductory passage we notice that Jesus spoke differently than all other men. Often it does not make sense to us. Such was the case when the people in Jerusalem protested Jesus’ claim to rebuild the temple that had taken 46 years to build in only three days. At first glance, the Jews seem justified to make such a statement. They knew the Bible and they knew history; the facts and figures simply did not add up. But there was something they did not know: Jesus was speaking of the temple of His body.
Unbelief in the Resurrection
Why didn’t Jesus explain to the people that the manmade temple was only a shadow of things to come? Why didn’t He tell them He meant His body would be destroyed and arise from death after three days? Because Jesus ignored physical realities and went straight to the spiritual. This reminds us of 1 Corinthians 4:18: “Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.” Everything on this earth is temporal in nature and will perish, but what matters is the invisible, which is eternal. Verse 22 provides a better understanding of Jesus’ aim: “his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.” His intention was to be recognized through the Scripture.
You can attend the best universities and seminaries in the world and obtain a brilliant knowledge of Hebrew and Greek, but the Bible will be nothing more than a book with seven seals unless you are born again of His Spirit. The most intelligent people in the world cannot comprehend the depths of God’s Word without being indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
The Jews were not the only ones who didn’t understand Scripture; the disciples didn’t, either. Although Jesus had announced that prophecy must be fulfilled — He would go to Jerusalem, be crucified and arise on the third day when all this had happened and they received the report of the resurrection, we read: “when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not” (Mark 16:11).
Even the eyewitnesses, the two disciples who walked to Emmaus, had testified they had seen the risen Lord: “they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them” (Mark 16:13).
Why didn’t they believe? Because they were not spiritual-minded; they concerned themselves with the here and now.
The Emmaus Disciples
Let’s take a closer look at Luke 24:13-24: “And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.”
Did Jesus sympathize with them? Did He explain what had transpired in a rational moment? No, He scolded them: “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (verses 25-27).
Unbelief and Hardness of Heart
Later when He appeared to the 11, He identified the reason for not believing in the Scripture: “Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen” (Mark 16:14). Again, He expressed no sympathy for the disciples and used no human logic in explaining the circumstances; instead, He scolded them for their unbelief and hardness of heart.
The New Nature
Scripture contains no promises for the flesh and blood, contrary to the teaching of many of today’s theologians. There is no promise regarding the new person. Jesus made this clear when Nicodemus approached Him: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:3-6). Jesus was not speaking of the fleshly person but the spiritual one. The old nature has no future; it is sinful and is condemned, thus, a new one must be born, and it must come from within.
The Comforter
Jesus testifies of the coming Comforter: “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me” (John 15:26). In John 16:13 of the next chapter, we read: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” This is a prophecy about the coming of the Holy Spirit after the departure of Jesus. The coming of the Holy Spirit “will shew you things to come.”
He further emphasized, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you” (John 16:7). It was necessary for Jesus to depart in order for the Comforter to come. Therefore, it stands to reason the Holy Spirit as the Comforter must depart from earth before Jesus returns.
Just as the Holy Spirit could not come while Jesus was on earth, Jesus cannot return to earth until the Holy Spirit returns to the Father. That will happen the moment the Church has been completed among the Gentiles and has been raptured into heaven.
Then 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 will be fulfilled: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” Notice that Jesus will not come to earth, but the meeting place is clearly described as being “in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.”
Pentecost
We know that the Holy Spirit indwells the Church, and each born-again believer has been born of the Spirit of God. The beginning is recorded in Acts 2:1-4: “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” That was fulfillment of Bible prophecy, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would dwell in the heart of the believer forever.
Understanding Scripture
A person’s eyes are opened the moment he believes and is born again of the Spirit of God. He begins to see the kingdom of God and Scripture becomes a spiritual book that reveals invisible realities that were formerly hidden to him.
Acts 17:2-3 says the following: “And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.” Paul used Scripture to confirm the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He opened to them the prophetic Scriptures.
Only when we are born again will we begin to grasp heavenly and spiritual mysteries.
The Flesh and Blood
On one occasion Jesus made a statement that was very offensive to His disciples: “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever” (John 6:53-58). There was an immediate negative reaction to such a statement: “Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” (verse 60). Now comes an important answer. Jesus explains: “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (verse 63). He wasn’t speaking of His literal flesh and blood, but of “spirit” and “life.”
Even that explanation wasn’t sufficient, because we read in verse 66: “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”
The Temple of His Body
We know that Jesus was sinless. His enemies were silent when He challenged them to show Him where He had sinned. Peter testified: “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth” (1 Peter 2:22). Here we see a perfect man without sin in the land of Israel. All other people on the earth, from the beginning of time until this very day, are sinners. The Bible condemns each of us: “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” and “our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” Grasping this important fact allows us to see Jesus in a different light. He is the Lamb of God, without spot and without wrinkle. He was the only One who could and did become the perfect sacrifice for our sins.
Thus, Peter continued: “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (verses 23-24). We are not healed from our physical infirmities, but we are healed from sin because our sins have been paid in full by Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary’s cross. Note carefully that it says: “ye were healed.” That is in the past tense; it occurred the moment we were born again of the Spirit of God. This has no relation to the healing of our physical bodies. If that were the case, then we would never get sick and we would live forever on this earth in our flesh and blood.
The Temple of the Believer
While we dwell in our fleshly bodies, we are subject to sin, decay and death even though we are born again of the Spirit of God. Nevertheless, the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Paul asked: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). The temple itself has no future, thus the temple that stood on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D. It served its purpose, which is also true in our case. Our time on earth is limited. The Bible says: “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). This applies to the believer and the unbeliever. With the exception of those who are alive at the Rapture, all will have to die, but there is judgment after death. For the believers it will be a judgment or reward and for the unbeliever, it will be a judgment that leads to condemnation. nderstanding the amazing work of grace we have experienced as believers, we can only praise His holy name and follow Him in obedience for the rest of our lives.
From Passover to Easter
Although the word “Easter” is not the best translation, since it is related to pagan worship, we do understand that the Lord Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead, thus we could rename this subheading “From Passover to Resurrection Day.” However, Easter is the word we most commonly use to identify the res-urrection; therefore, we will continue to use it in this article.
Luke reports the following: “Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat … And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer. And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat” (Luke 22:7-8,13-15).
Jesus and His disciples, who were all Jews, celebrated the Passover. That was done since the days of the Exodus. There is no further description in Scripture about the actual Passover meal, but then we read in verses 17-20: “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”
That is not the Passover that served as a memorial of their redemption from Egypt. The Jews were instructed to remember their freedom, but we are instructed to remember His death. The Israelites who had been slaves in the land of Egypt remembered that they had been saved because of the blood of a lamb they had been instructed to apply to their doorpost and lentil. New Testament believers begin with death and celebrate the new life.
The Church has been instructed to break bread, eat it and drink the wine from the cup. Jesus said: “This is my body which is given for you…This cup in the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” We participate in the Lord’s Supper because we are to remember His death — that is, the death of His body.
One would think that Easter is the joyful celebration of resurrection and not of death, yet we are instructed to remember His death: “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come” (1 Corinthians 11:26). The Lord’s Supper not only reminds us that His body was broken and His blood was shed for our redemption, but it also compels us to remember death is part of the glorification of the saint. The Apostle Paul testified: “I die daily.” Do you?
The Resurrection
The Apostle Paul explained that Christ died and rose again according to the Scripture: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
The resurrection is important. If there were no resurrection, then we may justifiably reject all Scripture. Here is what it says: “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished” (1 Corinthians 15:13-18). If there is no resurrection, then there’s no gospel, no forgiveness of sin, and no good news.
Paul continued: “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (verses 20-26). We note that the resurrection power begins with the firstfruits, which is Jesus Christ. The Bible records a number of other resurrections, but none of them belongs to the “firstfruits” because they obviously died again. But Christ rose from the dead and lives forevermore.
Therefore, resurrection Sunday includes prophecy; it speaks of the Rapture in verse 23, Christ’s physical return in verse 24, and the defeat of the last enemy: death.
We are commanded to abstain from sin because of the living hope that we have. “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame” (verses 33-34). Paul used very strong words to expose sin within the Church, and then he repeated two questions that had been asked: “But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?” (verse 35). These questions reveal a carnal-minded Christian, who is interested in intellectual knowledge, in scientific know-how regarding the resurrection. Paul answered: “Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die” (verse 36). In other words, only through death to glory. He calls those who ask such question fools. Why? He explains: “And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body” (verses 37-44).
Occupy Until He Comes
We must never allow our imaginations to wander about our earthly bodies and compare them with the heavenly ones we will receive. The seeds we sow will bring forth fruit. All we know is that it will be glorious, just as the heavenly Jerusalem and its temple: “And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled” (Revelation 15:8). Our intellectual speculation as to how this will transpire will always fail and will lead in a wrong direction. Doubtless, this is part of “evil communications.” We are to serve our Lord in our capacity and task that He has entrusted to us; that is, our calling here and now. We only can walk the way of the Lamb to accomplish His will. We must heed the words Jesus addressed to Peter: “Follow thou me.” What others do or don’t do is none of our business.
The way of the Lamb is also the way of the cross. The hymn writer so wonderfully expressed this when he wrote: “The way of the cross leads home.” But “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” It makes no difference how healthy you are, how much education you have received or how many riches you will have accumulated; these things will not be any help to you. Actually, the accumulation of riches in these last days is specifically described as being a tool of evil. James wrote: “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure to- gether for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you” (James 5:1-6).
Resurrection Rapture
A mystery is being proclaimed for the genuine believer who has been born again of the Spirit of God: “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:50-53).
This clearly reveals we will receive a new body that will be changed from corruptible to incorruptible.
The Bible explains what will happen: “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (verses 54-55). That will be the moment when we experience not only the resurrection, but also the transformation of our bodies into heavenly beings. All who believe will triumphantly call out, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” Death, the last enemy, will be swallowed up in victory.
In view of these facts, and with the realization that we live in the end stages of the endtimes, we are admonished: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).