I had a profound thought . . .
Once one’s heart and mind are illuminated by the Holy Spirit to understand the true meanings of the scriptures (Luke 24:45, 1 Corinthians 2:14), it becomes apparent that the whole of scripture is one volume that presents physical foreshadows first, and then reveals what the physical was foreshadowing when the spiritual real substance is opened in one’s understanding (1 Corinthians 15:46) .
In that construct from physical foreshadow to spiritual real substance, the real substance is always spiritual, not physical. The physical is used to help human minds to comprehend things that are purely spiritual.
So, it becomes understood that the physical temple in Jerusalem was a foreshadow of the spiritual real substance, which is Messiah’s bride (1 Corinthians 6:19). And, physical Jerusalem itself is a foreshadow of the real substance, which is the New Jerusalem in heaven.
To highlight all of the physical-foreshadow-to-spiritual-real-substance constructs in scripture would actually fill many volumes. But, in pondering these things, it dawned on me that I AM A PHYSICAL FORESHADOW! Scripture teaches that what is physical will all pass away—ashes to ashes and dust to dust.
I am NOT my physical body. I am presently dwelling within this temporary tent. Who I am is an eternal spirit placed into a physical body and given the breath of life, which is the soul. As Elohim (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) said at creation, “Let US make man in OUR image,” all humans are the union of soul (Father), body (Son), and spirit (Holy Spirit), but because of Adam’s sin, all are born into a condemned condition of sin—a dead spirit. We are all born as natural beings—living bodies with nothing but a flesh nature, and a spirit that is dead in sin (a condition called “unbelief”).
Only the Holy Spirit can resurrect the spirit in man to new life, and that is what He does when one is given salvation. At that point, the Holy Spirit will testify to the person of his adoption by the Father (Romans 8:16). Those who have been born again are given the evidence of it directly and personally by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 1:6-8). Those who have not received that personal confirmation from the Holy Spirit have no claim to being saved (which flies in the face of christianity’s false salvation-by-decision, which is declared only by a human).
But, here is what struck me as profound: what I am right now is a spirit that has been resurrected to newness of life by the indwelling Holy Spirit, and as such, I will dwell eternally in heaven as a member of Messiah Yahoshua’s bride. It won’t be in this physical body I am presently using for my relatively brief stay on this earth, but I will be given my glorified body when my spirit is called from this body.
So, as it is understood that in spiritual matters, the physical is never the real substance—the real substance is always spiritual, I am presently just a physical foreshadow of who I will be revealed to be in eternity! This corruptible flesh will be replaced with incorruptible perfection, and I will no longer be imprisoned by the desires of the flesh, for I will no longer be a fleshly creature, but a purely spiritual creation.
And, sadly, those who are not of the one true faith, and who have never been told by the Holy Spirit that they have been redeemed, are also physical foreshadows, but the spiritual real substance that will eventually be revealed about them is that their eternity will be one of darkness and never-ending torment in the eternal lake of fire.
We are ALL physical foreshadows of the spiritual beings we will be in eternity—some will be revealed as eternally righteous in the eyes of the Father, because they were indwelt by the Holy Spirit—the ONLY way man can be righteous. They are the LIGHT. And then, some will be revealed as carnal enemies of the Father who rejected the one true Gospel of Messiah Yahoshua, and who were never given the Holy Spirit. They are the DARKNESS.
So, while humans are physical foreshadows on earth of light and darkness, only those of the light will be revealed in eternity to be Yah’s eternal children, while those of the darkness will be revealed to be Yah’s eternal enemies. And, that is why the light is commanded not to fellowship with the darkness, because, as physical foreshadows, we are to respect the Father’s called-out separation of those who are His children (the light) with those who are not His children (the darkness). This separation of light and darkness was also foreshadowed by the clean vs. unclean ordinances in the law of Moses, which mandated relational separation between physical Jews and Gentiles.
The closer Yah’s children come to living here as they will live there, by striving to deny their flesh and the things of this world (the flesh and the world always work in concert with the devil), the greater their eternal reward will be.
And, Revelation 22:11 completes the picture, as those who are unrighteous on this earth will always be unrighteous in eternity, and those who are filthy on this earth will always be filthy in eternity. Those who are righteous on this earth will always be righteous in eternity, and those who made themselves holy on this earth will always be holy in eternity.
We are all just physical foreshadows of the spiritual real substances of LIGHT and DARKNESS, which actually goes all the way back to the beginning (“And God saw the LIGHT that it was good, and God divided the LIGHT from the DARKNESS.” Genesis 1:4).
Today is the day to repent of any false teachings you’ve believed, and to strive to enter into the light by belief in Messiah Yahoshua and confessing Him before others until the Father gives you His salvation, and places the NEW covenant into you as a member of Messiah Yahoshua’s bride, who will rule and reign with Him for all eternity! When the Father does that in someone, the Holy Spirit will testify directly to that person that he has been adopted as a child of Yahweh.
For more information: Is Salvation Hard to Receive?