Contemplation Of New Life Series

The Greek word for tabernacle is skene, which means “tent.” That is the same word that was used for the wilderness tabernacle of the Old Testament in the Septuagint, a translation of the Old Testament into Greek. The Old Testament tabernacle, the Mosaic tabernacle, was a skene, a tent. It was a flimsy sort of thing. Paul had referred to his mortal “body” (4:10-11{2) as “wasting away” (4:16{3). Now he compared his body to a worn-out earthly (on the earth) tent soon to be destroyed. Paul is saying that this “earthly house,” our body, is temporary, like that wilderness tabernacle; but when it is “destroyed” (by death), we have a new “eternal house” (new body) in “heaven,” which “God” has provided for us.

When a believer dies, the body goes to the grave, but the spirit goes to be with Christ. That is what Paul meant when he told the Philippians, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Phil. 1:21, 23). When Jesus Christ returns for His own, He will raise the dead bodies in glory, and body and spirit will be joined together for a glorious eternity in heaven (1 Co. 15:25-58; I Thess. 4:15-18{25).

We need to realize that there is an outward man and an inward man. Paul talked about that in the preceding chapter. The outward man perishes, but the inward man is renewed day by day. A great many people misunderstand that. The body is put in the grave, but the individual, the real person, has gone to be with Christ—if that individual is a believer. The outward man is a physical material being that you can see and touch. The inward man is spiritual, the part of man created in the image of God. You see, God is not a physical material being. “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).

I am seventy-two years old and my health is poor; I have many issues to deal with. I am so looking forward to my inward man moving to a new address. I don’t feel at home here anymore. Like the song says, “I must be traveling on.” But there is one aspect of my life that I really enjoy. I enjoy studying God’s Word and writing Bible commentaries—but I eagerly desire to be taught from the lips of Jesus and those great saints of God who experienced firsthand the teaching and works of God and Jesus Christ.

It is wonderful to know that each passing year brings me closer to being with Him. I am going to see Him someday; I am going to see the face of the Lord Jesus, the one who loved me and gave himself for me. I am thrilled by that prospect. To be very frank with you, I don’t have as much conflict with the world, the flesh, and the Devil as I used to have. I think they have given up on me. This old house is getting old.

Dear reader, I have an eternal house in the heavens. This body will be sown a natural body, but it will be raised a spiritual body. He is going to give us a new body that is suitable for heaven. Although these spiritual bodies will somehow be associated with our old physical bodies (Rom. 8:23{22), they will be of an entirely different nature. They will be imperishable, glorious, and eternal (1 Co. 15:42-44{23). They will be perfect bodies for our new eternal existence with Jesus Christ.