When we get to the New Testament, the human body becomes one antitype of the temporary dwellings. For the purpose of this message, I will be leaning more on the temporary aspect than the permanent dwelling that Richard explained on the first day. As he said, we can still gain some insight from this symbolism. He went through the primary symbolism, so for today, we will look more at this secondary antitype.
Both Paul and Peter refer to their bodies as tents. They use this symbolism to describe the temporariness of human life (II Peter 1:13-14; II Corinthians 5:1, 4). Like dwellings of branches, our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made. They are full of life at the start, but eventually they wear out because the physical creation has been subjected to futility.
Even the Word of God, who was and is God, took on this tent of flesh to tabernacle with mankind (John 1:14). He not only tabernacled with His creation, which He had already done with Israel, but this time He tabernacled as His creation tabernacles. He took on the very same temporary form. It is a truly remarkable thing.
This is part of what God wants us to reflect on. We are commanded to rejoice in the abundance and shelter that God gives, both this week and throughout the year, yet also remember that it does not continue forever. This feast teaches about the impermanence and transitoriness of this life as we follow God on a difficult way. It reminds us of our complete dependence on Him to supply the need during this pilgrimage of 70 or 80 years, and the rejoicing we should do as we see Him provide, time and again.
In II Corinthians 5:1, there is a link between Exodus 25:8-9 and the New Testament.
Paul was talking about his own body being a tabernacle - the tabernacle of God's Holy Spirit. This is why I said that under the New Covenant we become the tabernacle. Just as surely as God wanted that Old Covenant tabernacle to be taken care of in a very formal manner (It was beautiful!), He wants us to take care of ourselves too, and our appearance as well. We are to follow the intent that He gives in the Old Testament in the manner of our formality and our decorum.
Our tents were not designed to last forever. They were only meant to last long enough to get us to our eternal inheritance. Then God will give us an eternal house.
That is, it is no longer a temporary tent or a temporary dwelling; but it is a permanent house from God - an eternal house.
If we overcome and endure to the end, we will be made immortal. We have no doubt of that. So let us not let desire get in the way. That is, the wrong false desire of affluenza.
This is what we have in store for us, so even if we fear death, and even though we get really nervous when we get very sick, in the back of our minds, brethren, we know that we have the Kingdom of God. We know that we are going to be spirit beings, and that God is watching over us, and that He is with us in everything that takes place in our lives.
