Trinity Concepts (1.12) The Tabernacle of Moses

Holy of Holies

Inner Court

Outer Court

Spirit

Soul

Body

“Now if He (Jesus) were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according the Law; who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for “See” He says, “that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.” (Heb. 8:4-5)

Moses’ Tabernacle, according to this passage, was a “copy and shadow” of things in heaven.  It was a picture of something more profound than the simple elements from which it was made.

“The Jews therefore answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, seeing that You do these things?”  Jesus answered and said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”  The Jews therefore said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”  But He was speaking of the temple of His body.” (Jn. 2:18-21)  In this passage, Jesus analogized the temple to His body.

The Apostle Paul echoes this idea, regarding those who are united to Jesus through faith.  “Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (I Cor. 3:16)  “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?  But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” (I Cor. 6:15,17)

There is a definite pattern of correlation between the Tabernacle and the Human Being.  The Tabernacle is three parts: 1) The Outer Court, 2) The Inner Court, and 3) The Holy of Holies.

The Apostle Paul shows man as tripartite, as well, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Thess. 5:23)  Paul shows man as: 1) Body, 2) Soul, and 3) Spirit.

In comparing the Tabernacle to the Human Being, it becomes evident that the Spirit of Man correlates to the Holy of Holies, the Soul of Man correlates to the Inner Court, and the Body of Man correlates to the Outer Court.

It is even more interesting to note that the Inner Court of the Tabernacle held three distinct objects: 1) The Bread of the Presence Table, 2) The Seven-lamped Menorah, and 3) The Altar of Incense.

As the Inner Court correlates to the Soul of Man, each of these three things also correlates to a specific aspect of the Human Soul.  The Old Testament’s definition of man’s heart (Heb. ‘leb’) is consistent with the three attributes of man’s Mind, Will and Emotions.

The Mind correlates to the Lamp-stand, being illumined with understanding.  The Emotions correlate to the Bread, giving sustenance to the emotion-endoderm relationship (see Trinity Concepts: Food Groups).  The Will correlates to the Altar of Incense, as an obedient will through prayer is as a fragrant aroma to the Father. (see Trinity Concepts: Christian Activity)

The Holy of Holies correlates to Man’s Spirit, as this is where God’s Presence dwells in the inner man of the believer.  “The one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” (I Cor. 6:17)   The Outer Court correlates to Man’s Body, as it is openly visible in the natural realm.

When Jesus breathed His last breath on the cross and cried out, "It is finished!", the veil that divided the Holy of Holies from the Inner Court of the temple was torn, indicating that God’s Presence would no longer inhabit the Tabernacle made by man’s hands.  Rather, He would now, as of the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1), live in the very bodies of those who are united to Christ through faith.  “Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His.”” (2 Tim. 2:19)  “You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (I Pet. 2:5)

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?  For you have been bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.” (I Cor. 6:19-20)

The Tabernacle is a simple picture of Who Christ is, and who we are in Him, inhabited by God Himself, illumined by His light, refreshed by His sustenance, fragrant with His motivation to be a blessing and benefit to the whole earth.

(for more study, see the Trinity Concepts Key)

Trinity Concepts (1.00) Key

God

Father

Son

Holy Spirit

Kingdom Attributes

Righteousness

Peace

Joy

Kingdom Attributes (Time)

Love / Present

Faith / Past

Hope / Future

Godly characteristics (Matt. 23:23)

Justice

Faithfulness

Mercy

Christian activity

Prayer

Study of Word

Worship

Love

Agape

Phileo

Eros

Power

Purpose

Sacrifice          

Unity

Man

Spirit

Soul

Body   

Man’s spirit

Conscience

Intuition

Communion

Man’s soul (basic)

Will

Mind

Emotions

Man’s soul (personalities)

Choleric

Melancholy

Sanguine

Phlegmatic

Man’s soul (styles of learning)

Aural

Visual

Kinesthetic

Man’s soul (decision making)

‘because it’s right’

‘because it will benefit me’

‘because I feel like it’

Man’s flesh (temptations)

Glory- pride of life

Gold- lust of the eyes

Girls- lust of the flesh

Man’s soul (society)

Political

Economic

Social

Man's economies

Sowing/Giving/Forgiving

Reciprocity

Selfishness

Functions of Music and the Arts in Society

Prophetic

Exaltation (amplification)

Performance

Man’s body

Mesoderm- structural

Ectoderm- communications

Endoderm- engine

Man’s body (workout routines)

Mesomorph- strength

Ectomorph- endurance

Endomorph- survival

Food groups

Protiens

Fats

Carbohydrates

Angels

Michael (warring)

Gabriel (messenger)

Lucifer (worship)

Devil’s attributes

Accuser

Deceiver

Tempter

Color

Yellow

Blue

Red

Brown

Tabernacle of Moses

Holy of Holies

Inner Court

Outer Court     

Trinity Concepts (1.03) Kingdom Attributes

Righteousness

Peace

Joy

Will

Mind

Emotions

The Apostle Paul states, “for the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit”. (Rom. 14:17)   Again, a pattern of the triune nature of God is seen, relating to the three divine categories of our existence.  Righteousness, being made right, being forgiven, being accepted, being loved by the Creator, allows one to submit his or her life to the Creator’s will.  Righteousness inspires submission with a willing and grateful heart. Through being made ‘right with God’, or ‘righteous’, we now can make the right choices in life. 

Peace relates to the human mind.  Peace deals with the lust of the eyes, for the eyes of man are never satisfied (Prov. 27:20), but the “peace of God which surpasses all comprehension shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:7)  The peace of God satisfies our minds and keeps our thoughts from racing about.  The imaginations of the human mind run rampant, but God’s peace brings clarity as an un-rippled pond. Here is yet another verse, “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace.” (Is. 26:3)  Peace calms the tumultuous waves of the mind, much like Jesus commanded the sea, “Peace! Be still!” and it was so. 

Joy correlates to the human emotions.  The joy of the Holy Spirit is released into our lives to drive out the lust of the flesh.  (See, devil's attributes and Man's Flesh/ Temptations)  There is no ’high’ that can satisfy the human soul (or body) like that of God’s joy.  ‘Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:17)  “Let him who is merry sing songs.”(James 5:13)  God intends for us to allow His joy to flow through our lives to satisfy our inner need for satisfaction.  More clothes, more food, more entertainment, materialism, narcissism are all counterfeits to God’s joy.  His joy will quell every ungodly lust and desire.  His joy will fill up the deepest yearning of the human soul.  Nothing can satisfy the longings of the human emotions like the joy of the Lord.  He satisfies our deepest desires, and this in turn becomes our strength.  

(for more study, see the Trinity Concepts Key)

Trinity Concepts (2.01) Man's Spirit

Man’s spirit

Conscience

Intuition

Communion

Most people would agree that we as humans have a body and a soul.  But we also have what the Scriptures continually refer to as a spirit.  This is the part of us least detected by the common observer.  One author* characterized the human spirit as our Conscience, Intuition and our Communion with God.  Again, each of these corresponds categorically to the triune nature of God.   Our conscience (or sense of right and wrong) corresponds to the Father, Who will judge the world one day.  Our intuition (or revealed knowledge) corresponds to the Word of God.  Our Communion with God corresponds to the Holy Spirit, as He is here with us on the earth, in Jesus’ absence.  One of His names is Comforter.  (It is easy to see why many young believers mistake the movings of the Holy Spirit with their emotions, since the emotions of the soul are in the same category of [Holy Spirit, Communion with God, Emotions, Endoderm].

*Watchman Nee

(for more study, see the Trinity Concepts Key)

Trinity Concepts (2.00) Man

Man 

Spirit

Soul

Body

Man, created in God’s image, was made to have three main elements to his being.  This is outlined in the Scriptures as “spirit, soul and body”. (I Thess. 5:23) These three areas of our existence each have three parts, reflecting the Trinity ‘dimensions’ within themselves.

The spirit of man is the part of man that touches the supernatural realm, or the spiritual realm.  To one who has not yet received the new birth, which comes through faith in Jesus Christ, his spirit is separated from God.  This produces within him a sensation of a ‘vacuum’, an insatiable hunger driving him to try to fill it with anything that will give some relief.  Just a moment of ‘inspiration’ from a movie or a walk in the park, or wherever he has tasted just a hint of God’s goodness (which is evident all around us), keeps him constantly searching for the next high, or 'fix', that will quell this aching pain within himself.  What he is not aware of is the fact that God is actually leading him to Himself by His goodness. (Rom.2:4)

Some people are lured into the negative power of the spirit realm through the occult, not realizing that spiritual forces can be destructive.  The misconception is that just because something is spiritual, and thus higher and more powerful than the natural realm, that this makes it automatically good.  Falling into this trap produces nothing but failure and destruction.

To the Christian, however, our spirits are joined to the Holy Spirit, united with Him.  We are “blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3)

Our soul is formed by the ‘merging together’ of our spirit and our body.  It is the ‘middle’ part of our being, characterized by our mind (or reasoning capabilities), emotions (or affections) and volition, or will (decision making ability).  Every person has unique strengths and ‘giftings’, based upon how these three areas of their soul function.  One person will have a very quick mind.  Someone else will be the ‘life of the party’ with emotional effectiveness, and yet others can make quick decisions that, more often than not, are correct and good.  These are known as the personality temperaments of our lives.  We each have varied combinations of these three elements, producing within us our own uniqueness. The body also affects our soul and the kind of personalities we have.    According to the field of embryology, the three main aspects of our bodies, formed within the womb, are the Mesoderm, Ectoderm and Endoderm.  In broad terminology, this is the Structural system (bones, muscles, tendons, etc.), the Nervous system (or communication system) and the Fueling System (turning food into energy for the body).  Each of these three parts of our body relate to the Trinity ‘dimensions’ as well.

Following is a discussion of the attributes of man: spirit, soul and body, in more detail.



(for more study, see the Trinity Concepts Key)

Trinity Concepts (1.02) God

God

Father

Son

Holy Spirit

God, at least to us, in this realm as human beings, is revealed in a triune manner.  This triune nature is seen in a ‘hierarchy’ if you will.  Jesus said, “If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I.” (Jn. 14:28)   “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.  He shall glorify Me (Jesus); for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you.” (Jn. 16:13-1)  By these passages, it becomes evident that the ‘order’ of God is: Father, Son (the Word), Holy Spirit. 

Though there is order and priority, there is also balance.  This balance can be illustrated by simple human speech.  If I begin talking and run out of air, but my mouth keeps moving, I have all word and no spirit (breath).  However, if I am speaking with plenty of air-flow, yet my articulate speech becomes slurred and finally non-articulate, I have all spirit and no word.  Both scenarios are imbalanced, both fail to convey the message I desire to communicate.  Similarly, the Father has a message He wants to convey, through the balance of articulation and breath: the Word (Jesus) and the Spirit, respectively.

Everything that will be set forth is based upon this pattern.  The attributes of the Father flow down through every part of creation.  Even though He is seen throughout the other realms of Word and Spirit, there is still a specific influence that comes from the Father ‘dimension’.  The same holds true for the Son (or Word).  There are specific attributes that flow down from Him through every level of existence that uniquely reflect His dimension.  The Holy Spirit’s attributes of existence also fall under the patterns only observable in the dimension He holds. 

“You believe God is One.  You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.” (James 2:19)  My purpose in these statements is not to ‘dissect’, if you will, God Himself, but rather to show His attributes as He reveals Himself to us throughout all of our existence.  The patterns of creation reflect the Creator.  The Trinity can be seen throughout all of life, not simply in a theological or philosophical textbook.  He has revealed Himself to us in so many different ways throughout our life experiences, it would be impossible to enumerate every example.  As the Apostle Paul states, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made…” (Rom. 1:20) 

It would, at this point, be fitting to remember that the Triune God has never been made, as the creation has been made.  He has always existed, and always will exist.  He stands uniquely separate from anyone or anything else that has ever existed, due to the fact that everything else has, or had, a definite beginning and ending.  Jesus, the man in the flesh, obviously had a finite beginning.  However, the seed of the Word, Who lived through the flesh has always been: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Jn. 1:1) 

In attempting to ‘paint a picture’ of the nature of the Trinity, I have spaced the categories across the page for each subject in a semi-triangular way with the Father dimension being top-most and in the center, the Son (or Word) dimension being to the left and the Holy Spirit dimension being to the right.  In doing this, I am trying to depict that the Father is the One from whom the balance of the Word and the Spirit emanate.  He is the One sending the message of His love.  This message is communicated by the articulation of the Word and the empowerment of the breath of the Spirit.  The Word and the Spirit balance each other, with the Word still holding priority.  (Again, the reference of John, chapters 14 and 16 reveal this.) 

The Apostle Paul also shows us this same principle, “Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or the harp?  For if the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle?  So also you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken?  For you will be speaking into the air.  There are, perhaps, a great many kinds of languages in the world, and no kind is without meaning.  If then I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be to the one who speaks a barbarian (foreigner), and the one who speaks will be a barbarian (foreigner) to me.” (I Cor. 14:7-11) 

He is showing us in these passages that all spirit, with no articulation, produces an indistinct sound.  The same is true in the balance of the Trinity.  As the Father communicates to us, He places emphasis on our understanding what He is saying (through the Word), yet He conveys this message by the breath of His Spirit.  If He were to emphasize the Spirit over the Word, He would become inarticulate and the message would be lost.  His perfect balance of priorities, however, carries total power. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Jn. 1:1)  “Then God said, ‘Let there be light’, and there was light.” (Gen. 1:3)  There is a popular proverb among church-goers: “All Word and you dry up.  All Spirit and you blow up.  The Word and the Spirit together and you grow up.”  Through this delicate balance, however, the articulation of the Word still holds priority.

The pattern of the Trinity, with the priority and balance I have just described, again, is seen throughout all of our existence.  The inter-relationship of these three areas (or, dimensions, as I have been calling them) is also seen throughout every part of creation.  All of the following will be derived from these simple fundamental concepts.

(for more study, see the Trinity Concepts Key)