What Our Body Tells Us About God

Is it possible that our understandings about our heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are hidden in plain sight? Can it be that the truths about who we really are rest secretly nestled within ourselves, and we have not been aware of the obvious all of our lives?

We are told some profound truths about the body and what it represents that should alert us to its marvelous wisdom. THE HUMAN BODY IS DESIGNED IN THE EXPRESS IMAGE OF OUR CREATOR’S REALITY, AND THAT BODY IS GOD’S TEMPLE, HIS HOLY PLACE! Both the Old and New Testaments confirm the unity of the nature of God and man.

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness ….’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:26-27). (1)

created = bara, “to create or make, only as Elohim can.” (2)

image = tselem, “statue, a replica, of the essential nature in both internal and external characteristics.”

“And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image [tselem],and named him Seth” (Genesis 5:3).

“… the son of Adam, the son of God” (Luke 3:38).

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15).
image = eikon, “likeness, i.e. statue, profile; from eiko,” resemble, as a copy.”

“… who [Christ] being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power …” (Hebrews 1:3).
express image = charakter, “a graver (the tool or the person); an exact copy, the figure stamped.”

“… whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image [eikon] of God, should shine on them” (II Corinthians 4:4).

“For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image [eikon] and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man” (I Corinthians 11:7).

The image of God that we humans are is the same image that Jesus Christ possessed when He was living here on the earth, and He stated, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’” (John 14:9)? This truth is restated in John 12:45, where Jesus said, “And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.” There can be no doubt that the Father — the Ancient of Days — looks like His Son Jesus Christ, which is how we also appear. Note the appearance of the Father on His throne in Ezekiel 1:26.

“And above the firmament over their heads [of the living creatures] was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it.”

These Scriptures give added weight to the statement by Jesus shortly before the crucifixion, when He said to the disciples,

“… that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. and the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be One as We are One” (John 17:21-22).

The Body Is God’s Temple

This “oneness” is not just in physical and spiritual appearance, but also in capabilities of the heart and mind, as John is strongly alluding to here. From this identity of our human body being like that of the Father and the Son, it is a very short leap to the knowledge that, as Scripture so firmly alleges, the body of man is the temple of Elohim, the very vessel of those who possess His spirit. Thus, the spirit of God in us is likened to the Eternal’s temple. Look at the several proofs of this incredible reality.

“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” (I Corinthians 3:16-17).
temple = naos, “a shrine or sanctuary.”

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple [naos] of the holy spirit which is in you, which you have from God, and you are not your own” (I Corinthians 6:19)?

“And what agreement has the temple [naos] of God with idols? For you are the temple [naos] of the living God. As God has said,’I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people’” (II Corinthians 6:16; from Leviticus 26:12 and Ezekiel 37:27).

“Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God though Jesus Christ” (I Peter 2:4-5).
house = oikos, “a dwelling.”

“For we are God’s fellow workers, you are God’s field, you are God’s building” (I Corinthians 3:9).
building = oikodome, “an architectural structure.”

For further proof that we are God’s temple in which He dwells, look at John 2:21, Acts 7:48 and 17:24, Ephesians 2:19-22, I Timothy 3:15, and Hebrews 3:6 and 9:24. Jesus’ body is referred to as God’s temple in some of these references, and in Revelation there are clear references to God’s elect and Christ comprising the temple (Revelation 3:12; 21:2-3, 22). Where Jesus Christ will be in His glorified form we will also be, for He is the firstborn of many brethren (Romans 8:29) and we walk in the same destiny as He does (I Peter 2:21; I John 2:6).

What Does Our Body Tell Us?

• Made in the image or exact likeness of God ….
• Made as the temple, the dwelling place of God ….

Those are awe-inspiring truths that transcend our understanding. Yet, we are given the assurance that what eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into our heart can be revealed to us through God’s indwelling spirit … “But God has revealed them to us through His spirit. For the spirit searches all things, yes, the deep [bathos, “profound”] things of God” (I Corinthians 2:10). God’s word and true science should yield up at least some of the answers to these statements.

Since we are made in the image of the heavenly — as is Christ — then our bodies have great spiritual symbolism. The very nature of Elohim is imprinted within our bodies, as well as in our minds and spirits. This nature must include both the form and function of our bodies … what our bodies are comprised of, and how they work. Perhaps the best place to begin this discussion is with the gestation process of the body, and there is no better place to begin than in Psalm 139:13-16.

“For you formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.”

covered = cakek, “to entwine as a screen, to fence in, cover over, protect.”

frame = ostem, “body.”

skillfully wrought = raqam, “to variegate color, i.e., embroider, to fabricate.”

substance = golem, “wrapped, an unformed mass, i.e., as the embryo.”

book = cepher, “book, tablet, or something you write on.”

Can we grasp the magnificence of what is being said here? After fertilization of the egg with sperm, the human being begins its development through a wonderfully choreographed continuum, cells dividing and divining again, somehow building into a form of over 200 specialized cell types within a body containing the many tissues and organs that constitute the body. See what Psalm 139 says: cover over, entwine, embroider, fabricate, wrap an unformed mass as an embryo and develop the “book” or “tablet” upon which your own personal name is written. This is describing the development of the human body within the mother’s womb. It is a remarkable process! 

 Yet, How Does It Happen?

We are told by traditional biologists that the code which determines who you are is contained in the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) that resides in every cell, that somehow this DNA alone defines what your body is and the uniqueness of each individual. True, DNA does code for the production of RNA (ribonucleic acid) and enzymes that produce the many cells and tissues that build the body — that bring together the minerals, carbon compounds, and other components to build the many, many compounds necessary for life — but that DNA in the chromosomes of the cells does not direct the form of the body as it develops from a single cell to a full-term child, and then to an adult human over the course of years. We will return to this issue of how form develops later.

Let us first examine cells, which comprise the substance of every living thing, be they unicellular or multicellular, all the way to man himself. The fully-developed human body contains around 37 trillion cells (3)  — that’s 37,000,000,000,000! — based on some estimates, and each cell contains the same essential structures, though their form and function differ, depending upon which genes are turned on and off … which depends upon where in the body they are located, and which tissue and organ they inhabit.

The cell is like a miniature universe all by itself, containing a meticulously integrated group of organelles and inclusions that are superbly organized to carry on specific functions. (4)  Let us examine these different cell parts.

Cell membrane. This is the double-layered outer protective covering of the cell consisting of proteins and lipids, which controls the movement of food substances and water into and out of the cell, and expedites the removal of unwanted waste materials. Pores in the membrane expedite this movement. It is comprised of carbohydrates, proteins, phospholipids, and cholesterol. (5)  

Cytoplasm.  The interior of the cell and its organelles reside in a liquid solution, but this is no ordinary solution. The water is structured, a gel which supports the organelles within it but yet allows the movement of food substances through it. As a semi-fluid, it circulates in response to the cell’s needs. Waste products are broken down within its structure. (6)  

Endoplasmic reticulum. This network of membranes — comprised of tubules and vesicles — does at least three major things: (1) manufactures and packages materials, (2) temporarily isolates one organelle from another until the manufacturing process is complete, and (3) folds and transports various types of proteins. There are two types: the rough endoplasmic reticulum, to which ribosomes are attached (where amino acids are assembled into proteins), and the smooth endoplasmic reticulum, a tube-like structure that stores steroids and lipids. Besides, the smooth endoplasmic reticulum contains a specialized structure called the sarcoplasmic reticulum that stores ions for use by the body in times of emergency. (7)  

Lysosomes. These are vesicles that break off from the Golgi bodies, which contain enzymes responsible for nutrient digestion in the cell. They act as the garbage disposal center for the cell, and is called the “suicide bag.” (8)  

Peroxisomes. Similar to lysosomes, these little bodies contain enzymes which produce hydrogen peroxide. Their function is to metabolize energy and break down toxic substances through reaction with hydrogen peroxide. (9)  

Golgi bodies. These sacs, called cisternae, have membranes and process and bundle macromolecules in the cell. This includes modifying, sorting, and packaging proteins, sort of like a post office, by gathering simple molecules and synthesizing them into complex ones. They also help build lysosomes. (10)  

Mitochondria. This organelle acts much like a small cell in itself, having a double membrane and internal matrix within which a continuous supply of energy is fed to the cell. The number of these “powerhouses” varies from thousands to none, totally dependent upon the cell’s energy requirements. The energy comes from the breakdown of energy-rich compounds to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and heat. (11)  

Nucleus. The genetic material (DNA) of the cell is contained in the nucleus, and along with certain proteins comprises chromosomes. There is a double membrane envelope that isolates the nucleus from the rest of the cell. This central “control center” of the cell orders overall cell function, such as food and energy intake, movement, and reproduction (division). (12)  

Microfilaments. These are actin filaments, thin but strong and flexible protein structures that form the cell’s shape and facilitate cell movement. In muscle cells that play a vital role in contraction. (13)  

Microtubules. The microtubules are hollow, fibrous shafts that pair with chromosomes, and enable them to split and attach to a new daughter cell. They also support and give the cell its shape, besides aiding the transport of materials into and out of the cell through membrane pores. In certain cells they combine, and form specialized bundles called cilia or flagella, which are involved in cellular motility. (14)  

The specific types of cells number over 200, but the major types number about 10, and comprise the vast majority of tissues and organs in the body. (15)  These 10 major cell types are as follows.

1. Stem cells. These are undifferentiated cells that are produced primarily in bone marrow, and can migrate to any part of the body for tissue growth or repair. They interestingly differentiate into whatever cell type is required for the site they migrate to … and the means by which they migrate to a needed tissue is a mystery. (16)

2. Bone cells. They form the strong matrix of the skeletal system, that is comprised of collagen and calcium phosphate. The three major types are osteoclasts, osteoblasts, and osteocytes, which decompose bone for resorption and assimilation while healing, regulate bone mineralization, and aid in forming new bone tissue. (17)  

3. Blood cells. Produced in the bone marrow, these include red blood cells (to transport oxygen to all body cells, and remove carbon dioxide), white blood cells (to destroy pathogens and provide disease immunity), and platelets (to form clots and stop the bleeding of damaged blood vessels). (18)  

4. Muscle cells. These cells enable body movement, including skeletal cells (which attach to bones and cause voluntary movement), cardiac cells (that comprise the heart muscle and move involuntarily), and smooth cells (that line the body cavities and form the walls of many organs and blood vessels, and are involuntary). (19)  

5. Fat cells. Called adipocytes, they are the major component of fat tissue, and contain droplets of fat, used as energy by the body. These cells also produce hormones that affect sex hormone metabolism, blood pressure regulation, insulin sensitivity, fat storage and use, blood clotting, and cell signaling. (20)  

6. Nerve cells. These cells form the most basic unit of the nervous system. Nerves send signals from the brain, spinal cord, and other body organs. Neurons send out finger-like axons and dendrites that transmit signals to other cells, especially muscle cells. (21)  

7. Endothelial cells. The inner lining of the cardiovascular and lymphatic system vessels are comprised of these cells, as well as the linings of the brain, lungs, skin, and heart. They order the creation of new blood vessels, and regulate the movement of food molecules, gases, and fluids between the blood and surrounding tissues, while helping regulate blood pressure. (22)  

8. Sex cells. Called gametes, these cells include the female egg and the male sperm, produced by meiosis (versus mitosis in other body cells) in the ovaries and testes. (23)

9. Pancreatic cells. These cells produce both exocrine and endocrine functions, excreting enzymes through ducts to digest proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. In addition, cells in the Isles of Langerhans produce insulin, glucagon, and gastrin that enter the bloodstream and regulate sugar metabolism. (24)  

10. Skin cells. The most numerous of all tissues in the body, skin cells include the epidermis (surface layer), dermis (connective tissue), and an underlying subcutaneous layer. The skin protects internal structures of the body from damage, prevents dehydration, acts as a barrier to disease organisms, stores fat, and produces vitamins and hormones. (25)  

Including these above 10 major cell types, as already mentioned, there are about 200 other types of cell in various areas of the body. Red blood cells comprise an amazing 84% of all cells in the body, followed by blood platelets at 4.9% and lymphocytes at 1.5%. Thus, blood cells make up about 90.4% of total body cell numbers, or 31 trillion cells, more or less. (26)  True to Scripture, life is in the blood (Deuteronomy 12:23)! The total array of these specialized cells is too large to include here, but in summary they can be grouped as follows: (27)  

Cells derived primarily from endoderm

Exocrine secretory epithelial cells

Barrier cells

Hormone-secreting cells

Cells derived primarily from ectoderm

Exocrine secretory epithelial cells

Hormone-secreting cells

Epithelial cells

Oral cells

Nervous system

Sensory transducer cells

Autonomic neuron cells

Sense organ and peripheral neuron supporting cells

Central nervous system neurons and glial cells

Lens cells

Cells derived primarily from mesoderm

Metabolism and storage cells

Secretory cells

Barrier cells

Urinary system

Reproductive system

Circulatory system

Extracellular matrix cells

Contractile cells

Blood and immune system cells

Germ cells (primordially not)

Nurse cell

Interstitial cells

The Systems of the Body

Cells are organized into tissues, masses of cells that are alike. These tissues, in turn, comprise organs of the body, and the organs are further organized into systems. Let us take a look at 12 systems that comprise our bodies, all of them working together in a incredibly ordered way. (28)  

1. Circulatory System. This system, consisting of the heart, blood, blood vessels, arteries, and veins, is designed to move blood, nutrients, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and hormones throughout the body. A single drop of blood contains 5,000,000 red blood cells, 10,000 white blood cells, and 250,000 platelets. The total length of a single person’s blood vessels would wrap around the earth two times. An average human heart will beat about 100,000 times a day, or around 3,000,000,000 times during a lifetime, sending red blood cells around the body in about 20 seconds. The blood cells themselves are produced in the bone marrow. Not to be minimized is the importance of structured water along the inner surfaces of capillaries to help move blood through the capillaries, to cells, and back to the heart.

2. Digestive System. This series of connected organs allows the body to break down and absorb food, and remove waste. It begins with the mouth, where food is chewed and mixed with saliva, which begins the breakdown process, especially with amylase that converts starches into sugars. The tongue pushes food into your throat, and during swallowing the epiglottis folds over your windpipe to prevent choking, and the food passes into the esophagus. When food reaches the end of the esophagus, a ring-like muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter relaxes and lets food pass into your stomach. This sphincter usually stays closed to keep the stomach’s contents from flowing back into the esophagus. In the stomach, muscles mix the food and liquid with digestive juices and slowly empty its contents into the small intestine. Muscles of the small intestine mix food with digestive juices from the pancreas, liver, and intestine, and push the mixture forward for further digestion. The walls of the small intestine absorb water and the digested nutrients into your bloodstream, and are aided in the breakdown of food products by an army of about 100 trillion bacteria, weighing about four pounds for the average adult. Villi along the intestinal wall serve to absorb these nutrients and deliver them to blood capillaries. As peristalsis continues, the waste products of the digestive process move into the large intestine, where further microbial activity creates vitamins, and finally peristalsis moves the material into the rectum. This digestive process greatly aids immunity, accounting for perhaps 70 percent of total immune function.

3. Endocrine and Exocrine System. The endocrine system contains five major glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream which transports them throughout the body, to perform a number of functions including growth, development, metabolism, mood, and reproduction. They include the adrenals, thyroid, hypothalamus, pineal, and the overall master gland, the pituitary. Each gland’s output is controlled by a complex interplay of physiological and mental processes to produce effects amongst all of the body’s tissues, though some of their hormones are targeted to affect certain tissues, such as the thyroid affecting sweating. These hormones travel to different tissues and regulate various bodily functions, such as metabolism, growth, and sexual function. Some organs also contain endocrine tissue — the pancreas, kidneys, ovaries, and testes; the latter two produce the testosterone and estrogen, and other hormones involved in sexual development. The exocrine glands — salivary glands, sweat glands, mammary glands, and sebaceous and lacrimal glands — produce substances that are released through ducts to the exterior of the body.

4. Immune System. This is the body’s defense against bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens that may be harmful. It includes the lymph nodes, the spleen, bone marrow, lymphocytes (including B-cells and T-cells), the thymus gland, and leukocytes, which are white blood cells. The immune system is spread throughout the body and involves many types of cells, organs, proteins, and tissues. Crucially, it can distinguish our own tissue from foreign tissue — self from non-self. Dead and faulty cells are also recognized and cleared away by the immune system. If the immune system encounters a pathogen, such as a bacterium, virus, or parasite, it mounts a so-called immune response. White blood cells (leucocytes) are stored in lymphoid organs, including the thymus, spleen, bone marrow, and lymph nodes. They circulate throughout the body in blood vessels and lymphatic vessels and are on constant patrol for pathogens. When they find a target, they begin to multiply and send signals to other cell types to do likewise. The two main types of leucocytes are phagocytes, which surround and absorb pathogens, and lymphocytes, that help the body remember previous invaders and recognize them if they come back to attack again.

5. Lymphatic System. Lymph nodes, lymph ducts, and lymph vessels, which permeate all cells and organs, also play a major role in the body’s defenses. This system’s main job is to make and move lymph, a clear fluid that contains white blood cells, which helps the body fight infection. The lymphatic system also removes excess lymph fluid from bodily tissues and returns it to the blood. The lymphatic system consists of lymph vessels, ducts, nodes, and other tissues. Around two quarts of fluid leak from the cardiovascular system into body tissues every day, and the lymphatic system is the network of vessels that collects these clear fluids. The lymph vessels form a network of branches that reach most of the body’s tissues, and work in a similar way to the blood vessels, returning fluid from tissues to the blood. Unlike blood, the lymphatic fluid is not pumped but squeezed through the vessels when we use our muscles. These lymphatic vessels have valves inside them to stop fluid from flowing back in the wrong direction. Lymph is drained progressively towards larger vessels until it reaches the two main channels, the lymphatic ducts in our trunk. From there, the filtered lymph fluid returns to the blood in the veins. The vessels branch through junctions called lymph nodes. In the lymph nodes, immune cells examine the lymph for foreign material, such as bacteria, viruses, or fungi, and help remove them. Other lymphatic tissues in the body include the tonsils, spleen, and thymus gland.

6. Nervous System. This marvelous system controls both voluntary action (conscious movement of skeletal muscles) and involuntary actions (such as breathing), and sends signals to different parts of the body. The system controls sensory, integrative, and motor functions throughout the body. The brain consists of the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain, with specific functions tied to various areas within these areas; it has over 100 trillion neural connections. The central nervous system includes the brain, spinal cord, and ganglia. The peripheral nervous system consists of nerves that connect every other part of the body to the central nervous system. There are many types of specialized nerve cells, containing dendrites and axons, for the eyes, ears, tongue, and other body parts to detect messages of pain, heat, cold, pressure, taste (salt, bitter, sweet), and the nuances of hearing, interpreting sounds, and interpreting and then expressing speech, as well as detecting colors and other details of sight.

7. Muscular System. There are about 650 muscles throughout the body that aid in movement, blood flow, and other bodily functions. Three types of muscle are found: skeletal muscle which is connected to bone and enables voluntary movement, smooth muscle which is found inside organs and helps move substances through organs, and cardiac muscle which is found in the heart and pumps blood. The heart is the hardest-working muscle, which pumps 2 ounces of blood with every heartbeat. Daily, the heart pumps at least 2,500 gallons (9,464 liters) of blood. The heart has the ability to beat more than 3 billion times in a person’s life. The main functions of the muscular system are to enable mobility, provide overall body stability, maintain posture, control circulation (contracting or relaxing around arteries), enable respiration (the diaphragm), move food along the intestines and stomach during digestion, enable urination, and move the child out of the uterus during childbirth.

8. Reproductive System. Without this system the human race could not continue and would have been terminated after Adam and Eve’s deaths. The male reproductive system includes the penis and the testes, which produce sperm, and associated ducts and glands. The female reproductive system consists of the vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries, which produce eggs. During conception, a sperm cell fuses with an egg cell, which creates a fertilized egg that implants and grows in the uterus.

9. Skeletal System. Infants are born with about 300 separate bones, and as a child grows some of those bones fuse together until growth stops, typically by the age of 25, leaving the skeleton with 206 bones. Our bones are separated into two categories based on the purpose and location of the bones: the axial skeleton and the appendicular skeleton. The axial skeleton contains 80 bones, including the skull, spine, and rib cage, which form the central structure of the skeleton, with the function of protecting the brain, spinal cord, heart and lungs. The remaining 126 bones make up the appendicular skeleton, and include the arms, legs, shoulder girdle and pelvic girdle. The lower portion of the appendicular skeleton protects the major organs associated with digestion and reproduction and provides stability when a person is walking or running. The upper portion allows for a greater range of motion when lifting and carrying objects. The bones are connected by tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. The skeleton not only enables us to move, but is also involved in the production of blood cells in the marrow, and in the storage and releasing of calcium, phosphorus, and other minerals, as well as fats. The teeth are also part of the skeletal system, but are not considered to be bones.

10. Respiratory System. The marvelous system allows us to take in vital oxygen and expel carbon dioxide in a process we call breathing. It consists mainly of the trachea, the diaphragm, and the lungs. As we breathe, oxygen enters the nose or mouth and passes the sinuses, which are hollow spaces in the skull that help regulate the temperature and humidity of the air we breathe. From the sinuses, air passes through the trachea, also called the windpipe, and into the bronchial tubes, which are the two tubes that carry air into each lung. The bronchial tubes are lined with tiny hairs called cilia that move back and forth, carrying mucus up and out. Mucus is a sticky fluid that collects dust, germs, and other matter that has invaded the lungs and is expelled by sneezing and coughing. The bronchial tubes split up again to carry air into the lobes of each lung. The right lung has three lobes while the left lung has only two, to accommodate room for the heart. The lobes are filled with small, spongy sacs called alveoli where the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide occurs. The alveolar walls are extremely thin (about 0.2 micrometers) and are composed of a single layer of tissues called epithelial cells and tiny blood vessels called pulmonary capillaries. Blood in the capillaries picks up oxygen and drops off carbon dioxide. The oxygenated blood then makes its way to the pulmonary vein. This vein carries oxygen-rich blood to the left side of the heart, where it is pumped to all parts of the body. The carbon dioxide the blood left behind moves into the alveoli and gets expelled in our exhaled breath.

11. Urinary System. This system helps eliminate a waste product called urea from the body, which is produced when certain foods are broken down. The whole system includes two kidneys, two ureters, the bladder, two sphincter muscles, and the urethra. Urine produced by the kidneys travels down the ureters to the bladder, and exits the body through the urethra. The urinary system works with the lungs, skin, and intestines to maintain the balance of chemicals and water in the body. Adults eliminate about 27 to 68 fluid ounces per day. Other factors in urinary system function include fluid lost through perspiring and breathing. The primary organs of the urinary system are the kidneys, which are bean-shaped organs that are located just below the rib cage in the middle of the back. The kidneys remove urea, a waste compound formed by the breakdown of proteins, from the blood through small filtering units called nephrons. Each nephron consists of a ball formed of small blood capillaries, called a glomerulus, and a small tube called a renal tubule. Urea, together with water and other waste substances, forms the urine as it passes through the nephrons and down the renal tubules of the kidney. From the kidneys, urine travels down two thin tubes, called ureters, to the bladder.

12. The Skin, or Integumentary System. The skin is the body’s largest organ. It acts as a protective barrier between the outside and the inside of the body, and is our first defense against bacteria, viruses and other pathogens. Our skin also helps regulate body temperature and eliminate waste through perspiration. In addition to skin, the integumentary system includes hair and nails. In adults, skin accounts for about 14 percent of total body weight and covers a surface area of approximately 22 square feet. There are different thicknesses and textures of skin on different parts of the body, such as skin that is paper-thin underneath the eyes, but is thick on the soles of the feet and palms of the hand. Human skin is composed of three layers of tissue: epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis. The epidermis is the top, visible layer of skin and is constantly being renewed as dead skin cells are shed on a daily basis. The main functions of the epidermis include making new skin cells, giving skin its color, and protecting the skin. The dermis is the middle layer of skin, found underneath the epidermis. It is the thickest layer of skin and contains nerves and blood vessels. It is also home to the sweat glands, oil glands, and hair follicles. The dermis gives skin its flexibility and strength. It is made up mostly of a protein called collagen that makes skin stretchy and strong. The dermis is important for sensing pain and touch, producing sweat and oils, growing hair, bringing blood to the skin, and fighting infection. The hypodermis (subcutaneous fat) is the deepest layer of skin that helps insulate the body from heat and cold. It serves as an energy storage area for fat, which additionally provides padding to cushion internal organs as well as muscles and bones, and protects the body from injuries.

How Is the Body Formed?

So, we have now examined the amazing complexity of individual cells, and looked at their organization into tissues, organs, and entire systems. Together, these systems comprise the human body, the being created in the image of Elohim, the temple of that Creator. That body is unified in its function, just as the body of Christ — the elect — are unified in function.

“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one spirit we were all baptized into one body — whether Jesus (Israelites] or Greeks, whether slaves or free — and have all been made to drink into one spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many …. But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body …. No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need” (I Corinthians 12:12-14, 18-20, 22-24).

Paul goes on in verses 25 to 28 describing how the body must have no divisions, but every part must have the same care for the others. If one part is honored, then all members are honored, or if one part suffers, they all suffer; likewise for the human body. The entire body thrives when all of its organs and systems thrive, and the body lapses into illness when one part of it suffers. Paul goes on to identify these different body parts as apostles, prophets, teachers, miracle workers, teachers, helpers, administrators, and speakers of tongues … gifts that the spirit of God pours out.

Yet, we have this same nagging question before us: How is the body formed? How are the cells organized? How does the body know to grow organs and merge them into systems, in a way that develops a person and not a chimpanzee or a frog? The “DNA alone” concept does not come close to answering these questions. It will take a dive into the true inner nature of man to find our answers.

First, the true essence of man is spirit.

“… the son of Adam, the son of Elohim” (Luke 3:38).

Adam came from the spirit realm as a son of God, and his “spiritual temple,” as it were, was filled with the elements of the earth — carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, iron, zinc, and others — to comprise his physical body.

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7).

formed = yatsar, “squeeze into shape, mould into a form, especially as a potter.”

Yatsar is a potter’s term, often used in connection with a potter at work (Isaiah 29:16; Jeremiah 18:4, 6). This molding and fashioning applies not just to Adam, but to the animals and birds as well (Genesis 2:19). Yatsar is used to describe the forming of the prophet Jeremiah in the womb.

“Before I formed [yatsar] you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).

This “forming from the womb” is figuratively applied to the nation of Israel as God’s special servant (Isaiah 44:2, 24; 45:9, 11; 49:5), again showing that the Eternal molds into shape, like a potter, people and nations into the form He desires. The question remains: How is this done? DNA by itself can not explain this process of development of cells into a particular form, as scientists freely admit.

The last word of Genesis 2:7 gives us a strong clue to what causes this form. The word is nephesh, usually translated soul or being. The word means “self, life, person,” or the essence of life, which refers to the act of breathing. Its fullest definition is in Psalm 103:1, where nephesh is defined as all that is within a person: “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.” In Hebrew thought, there is no opposition of the terms “body” and “soul,” like in modern Western culture, but rather “what one is to oneself” (the inner self) versus “what one appears to be to an observer” (the outer appearance). Therefore, the nephesh is an unseen spiritual essence that gives form, within which the physical body is comprised. That physical body has form, so the form must be in response to that spirit essence.

The Process of Forming — Morphic Resonance

One’s “formation from the womb” involves, therefore, a spiritual template which organizes the development of cells at each specific position within that template. It is the three-dimensional template that determines what the organism will be — single-celled, multicellular, plant, bird, animal, or man — and the process is the same for all living things. The DNA codes for the production of proteins and enzymes that are needed to comprise various tissues in which the cells reside, and the position within the template thus determines which genes are turned on or turned off to synthesize the required compounds. What an amazing creative process the Eternal has designed!

Is there a theory that scientists have come up with that might add to our understanding of the Eternal’s reality? It turns out that there is. That theory is call formative causation, which has been put forward by Dr. Rupert Sheldrake, a biologist from Clare College, Cambridge, U.K. Though a believer in Darwinian evolution, his research has led him to believe in what he calls “morphic resonance.” (29)  

“Morphic resonance is a process whereby self-organizing systems inherit a memory from previous similar systems. In its most general formulation, morphic resonance means that the so-called laws of nature are more like habits. The hypothesis of morphic resonance also leads to a radically new interpretation of memory storage in the brain and of biological inheritance. Memory need not be stored in material traces inside brains, which are more like TV receivers than video recorders, tuning into influences from the past. And biological inheritance need not all be coded in the genes, or in epigenetic modifications of the genes; much of it depends on morphic resonance from previous members of the species.” (30)  

The axoloti, an amphibian found only in a complex of lakes near Mexico City and kept as a freshwater aquarium pet by many, has an incredible ability to regenerate limbs, jaws, spines, and even brains without scarring. They can regenerate the same limb perfectly 100 times! (31) 

Morphic Resonance creates a human body field, as described below.

“The Human Body-Field (HBF) is a homogeneous holographic entity that both oversees and is formed from the interactions of the vast number of process forming the functional body and mind. The HBF subdivides into three primary aspects:

• The Heart Field which integrates and provides coherence between all the fields of the body
• The Matrix which provides a high speed interconnected communication network through all the body
• The Morphogenetic (or Morphic) Field which governs the shape and sizes (morphology) for every part of the physical body from the very small individual cells to whole organs.

“NES unraveled the existence of Morphic Field at the beginning of 2008 when exploring the link between the heart field, the brain, the embryonic layers, genetic information, and the immune system. Through a series of painstaking experiments over several months they gradually pieced together a map of interconnections that became known as the Morphic Field, something they regarded as a hugely important part of the human body field.

“The Morphic Field first forms about three weeks after conception when the three primary embryonic germinal (germ) layers become four (ectoderm, endoderm, mesoderm 1 and mesoderm 2), which then go on to develop into all the tissues, organs, and systems of the body during embryonic/fetal development. The Morphic Field directs this formation process where groups of un-specialized cells become complex tissue structures with highly specialized function forming specific shapes and forms. And far from being only active during development, the Morphic Field remains active throughout life and forms a central aspect to immunity, the holistic interconnection of gene material in all cells, the body’s self-repair mechanism, and of particular importance from a therapy perspective it holds the key to addressing the root cause to many major disorders.” (32)  

In moving from spirit to the material flesh, a “spirit field” must exist to guide the placement of elements and compounds in their proper position. That field has been termed morphogenetic, and applies to the development of each new creature on earth. (33) 

What Sheldrake does not admit is that he is pointing towards unseen, spiritual causes for what he has seen in his studies. Moreover, to presume that people and other organisms “inherit a memory from previous similar systems” implies that he believes that this resonance transcends time. The so-called laws of nature are more like “habits of nature” … and he has some data to back up that statement.

Sheldrake makes the point that cells in all parts of the body have the same genes, but have different form. One can imagine taking bricks, mortar, steel, wood, and nails and building any number of types of buildings, based on an architect’s plans. That blueprint is the morphogenic field. He likens them to a magnet and iron filings. The iron filings will form a three-dimensional pattern around the poles in an unseen force field. In fact, the magnet can be cut in two or more pieces, and each piece will possess separate poles as did the original magnet, so in that sense the magnet is wholistic, like a hologram, which likewise will produce identical pictures if divided. (34)  

These morphogenetic fields shape all organisms, whether single-celled or multi-cellular, and are “nested,” with modular fields nested within others in a hierarchy. This can explain how an amphibian such as a newt, if its leg or tail is cut off, will regenerate an exact replica of the lost member; even its eye lens will regenerate in this way. Likewise, flatworms can be cut in pieces, and each piece will regenerate to a whole flatworm. DNA activity alone cannot explain these phenomena. While the limb of a cow or person will not regenerate in this way, the morphogenetic field for that limb still exists and can be sensed as a “phantom limb,” or photographed through Killian photography. (35)  

A decapitated leaf will still show a complete leaf outlive under Kirlian photography for some time after the damage. (37) 

Sheldrake further tries to explain how morphogenetic fields work, and he admits they defy traditional ideas of physics and chemistry. He claims that the development of form is channeled towards “attractors” and involves frequencies. Water in a small closed vessel, when subjected to a frequency, will form beautiful, delicate flower and branch patterns. Form thus comes through vibrated frequency … a fact confirmed during creation in Genesis 1: “Then God said …” (verses 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24 and 26). Said is the Hebrew amar, meaning “to say,” which involves frequencies or vibrations. Since the entire universe is comprised of an “ether of energy,” as it were, formless through the reaches of space except for heavenly bodies comprised of atoms scattered in places, it is plausible to say that any form is produced by frequencies, by motion within that static field of energy at rest. In fact, this is a phenomenon championed by Dewey Larson in his books. (36)  

Then Sheldrake makes quite a profound allegation that inheritance is not through genes — which merely activate the enzyme and biochemical production process — but rather through morphic resonance. Genes can “turn on and tune into” different morphogenetic fields, thus instigating the over 200 cell types and organ systems in the body. Genes are shown to be overrated. For instance, humans have about 23,000 genes — roughly the same number as fruit flies — while a rice plant has about 35,000 genes. Genes can explain only about 5 to 10% of observed characteristics. (38)  

Morphogenetic resonance also applies to behavior. Sheldrake give examples of laboratory rats learning a maze with increasing precision generation after generation, even though not exposed to the maze by a parent. Proficiency in various skills like computers, carpentry, sports, or cooking becomes easier as generations pass, as people seem to benefit from those who practiced these disciplines before them. Examples include breaking the 4-minute mile and rising IQ test scores over time. Even new chemicals respond to these fields. Old, established compounds like penicillin have a stable melting point, but aspirin, synthesized in the 1800s in Germany, has seen its melting point rise many degrees over the decades since its invention. (39)  

Memory is also found not to be stored in the brain pe se. No researchers have been able to discover where memories are stored because they are found not exclusively in brain tissue, but throughout the body. It is apparent that the brain serves as a processing center for memories that are stored in a spirit essence, a morphogenetic field, as Sheldrake would contend. A television set will receive and convert electromagnetic frequencies to pictures and sounds, but the TV machinery [analagous to the brain] does not store the messages; it only serves to translate them to coherent messages we can understand. In Alzheimer’s patients, their inability to recall memories is apparently due to their loss of the machinery to tune into those memories that still exist in the morphogenetic field. (40)  

Brain nerve cells are regularly dying and being replaced; yet, memories still remain, showing that memories are stored not in brain tissue but in a spirit essence.  Also, it is well-known that memories can be carried along with organs transplanted from one person to another. This transfer does not prove that the tissues themselves are carrying the thoughts, but rather that a morphogenetic field has been carried along with the heart, kidney, liver, or lungs. (41)  

Our True Reality As Spirit

The purpose of belaboring this matter of morphogenetic fields, and genes not explaining inheritance, is to understand better the essence of who we are as a creature made in God’s image. Our true reality is in the spirit, for that spirit holds our memories and has guided our development from a single egg on up to a full-grown adult. The Apostle Paul acknowledged this reality when he stated,

“But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Philippians 1:22-23).

A human being, as well as almost all other creatures, begin life as a single cell, which then progressively divides and takes the form that the “spirit essence” has programmed to produce specific cells that inhabit specific locations in the “spiritual template.” (42) 

Paul acknowledged the “real Paul” was spirit, since it could be here on earth with his fleshly body, or with Christ in the spirit realm. In either case the being was still Paul.

The spirit field — perhaps we should say “nested fields” — guides our development from a single fertilized egg in the mother’s womb to its full-term form, and then to a full-grown adult. Thus, the spirit template that guides the development of a person progressively changes during these 70 + years of man’s life on earth.

Each cell has its own spirit field — and an electromagnetic frequency that can be measured — and each organ likewise has its own spirit field and frequency. The same can be said for each individual, who possesses an overall spirit field with a unique frequency. While the energy emitted by these combined fields is relatively weak, it still is strong enough to emit photons; the light emitted is about a tenth in intensity of the threshold required to see with the naked eye. (43)  

I speculate that the reason “… the eyes of both of them [Adam and Eve] were opened [paquach, ‘to open the senses, especially the eyes’]…” and they knew they were naked (Genesis 3:7) — causing them to sew fig leaves together to cover themselves — was because just before this, before they had sinned by taking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they emitted light, and likely quite high intensity light. Suddenly, upon sinning, that light was gone, and in their utter embarrassment they tried to hide the evidence of their horribly tragic mistake. They even tried to hide from Yahweh Elohim (Genesis 3:8). Their loss of the light that emanates from a perfect God (I John 1:5; John 1:9; 8:12; 9:5; 12:35-36), and which they initially possessed but lost when they sinned, was intimated by Christ when He stated.

“But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness” (Matthew 6:23)!

The light that shone from Moses’ face after he had been in the presence of Yahweh while fasting for forty days (Exodus 34:29) was certainly a reflection of the Eternal’s brilliant nature, so brilliant that, were a person to look upon His face, he would die. So Moses was allowed to see only the back parts of Yahweh on the mountain (Exodus 33:18-23). The fact that Jesus did not shine when He was with mankind on earth, though He was sinless, was due to the fact that He needed to walk among men and not alarm them or draw attention to Himself. He did, however, show His potential to display a glorified form at the Transfiguration: “His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light” (Matthew 17:2). Was this how Adam and Eve first appeared in the Garden of Eden, or at least to a degree?

Further evidence of the reality of morphogenetic/spirit fields that guide the development of the bodies of both people and animals has been uncovered by Dr. Robert Becker, an orthopedic surgeon who studied the concept of electricity and electromagnetism as a part of the essence of the body. Using electrotherapy, he intensely researched how electrical currents and potentials can stimulate the regeneration of limbs in frogs. By maintaining a negative electrical potential on the site of a severed leg, and simulating the changing potential measured for a salamander, whose severed leg grows back automatically, he regrew the legs! (44) 

More recently, Mr. Michael Levin at Tufts University has reignited interest in utilizing bioelectricity to regenerate fingers, limbs, and body organs. A child’s finger tip, if cut off, will grow back, though after age 12 that ability gradually disappears. However, Dr. Levin and other scientists are working on ways to utilize the electrical signals that unlock the codes that will allow cellular regrowth within the form-coding template of the spirit … though they do not use those terms. (45)  The regeneration of hands, ears, livers, kidneys, and other body parts through scientific intervention is not out of the question. Jesus Christ caused these healing procedures through the direct power of the spirit.

By merely speaking or touching, Jesus could heal the blind, lame, dumb, and sick. He corrected the defective spiritual template and made it whole.

“Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed and mute, and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw” (Matthew 12:22).

“Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others, and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them” (Matthew 15:30).

“And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus answered and said, ‘Permit even this.’ And He touched his ear and healed him” (Luke 22:50-51).

Jesus, through the power of the spirit, restored — should we say “filled in” — the cellular organization of the morphogenetic/spirit fields for each of those He healed. The template for each person was present; it simply needed to be returned into its normal state after having been disturbed by injury, sickness, malnutrition, or any other offense that the world of sin and destruction had dealt to the person. The entire perfect person was always there as a spiritual template; it just needed to be returned to its normal state.

The Body — Patterned After Heavenly Things

So we have learned that the body is a spiritual template of His heavenly design, a marvelous creation in the image of the Creator’s very own spiritual body. Can we learn more about the body and its portrayal of what exists in the unseen spiritual realm by looking at its correspondence to things on earth, in either naturally created life forms or in God’s designed structures. The answer is “yes” on both counts!

We are told in Romans 1:20 that “His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead ….” This means that God’s attributes are revealed in the created world — the trees, plants, flowers, insects, fish, animals, minerals, clouds, planets, and cosmos — for all to see, revealing His character. We are restricting our view in this study to mankind, but we must not forget that all of the creation cries out, revealing the power and majesty of the great Creator!

Let us first examine the Tabernacle in the Wilderness and the priesthood, which …

“ … serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, ‘See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain’” (Hebrews 8:5; Exodus 25:8-9).

Is it possible that this pattern of Yahweh’s throne in the heavens somehow pictures us as humans, made in the image of God and the temple in which He dwells? What about the cells that comprise our entire body? Let us first examine cells as they are pictured in the Tabernacle. (46)  

Here are two more views of this Tabernacle and cell correspondence: the Tabernacle showing cell organelles, and cell organelles revealing Tabernacle components.

Let us now look at how the Tabernacle in the wilderness and the heavenly temple picture the entire human body.

The Body Pictures the Tabernacle and Heavenly Temple

Many thanks are extended to David Rives and his interviews with Dr. Chuck Thurston for much of the information contained in this section. For more details on the body picturing the Tabernacle and heavenly temple, go to www.davidrivesministries.org, and order the three DVD set entitled Body Codes—Throne Rooms Walking, Prophetic Patterns in the Tabernacle, and  Holy Bones—The Human Skeletal System. The presentations can also be seen on YouTube. Some of the pictures below come from these presentations. (50)  

The coronary arteries depict a crown of thorns that Christ wore, showing suffering (Matthew 27:29). (51) 

The heart is a neuro-muscle (an EKG displays electrical impulses). When the muscle contracts, it gives a booming sound. Revelation 4:5. From the throne lightnings, thundering’s, and voices. (52)

The heart is surrounded by 24 ribs = 24 elders (Revelation 4:4). The sternum = sword = word of God (Hebrews 4:12; Romans 1:16). Clavicles = keys to life (Revelation 1:18).

The Heart = The Ark = the Father on His Throne

•  Decides and administers policy
•  The symbol of love (I John 4:8)
•  The seat of will and emotions
•  The seat of bodily government
•  A neuro-muscle
•  A “little brain,” non-calculating
•  Stores memories, as for all tissues and organs of the body (53)

The Holy Place and Holy of Holies in the wilderness, designed by God to match the throne in heaven (Hebrews 8:4-5; Exodus 25-30) (54)

The throne of God in heaven, with 24 elders in chairs, four living creatures, seven spirits of God, a sea of glass, and multitudes of messengers (Rev. 4:2-8) (55) 

The lungs picture the covering cherubs over the throne of God (Ezekiel 1;10; Exodus 25:18-22). The bronchial tubes in seven branches, going to the seven lobes of the lungs, picture the seven lamps before the throne=seven spirits of God=an inverted menorah (Revelation 4:5) (56)

In the heart, CO2-rich blood comes from the body to the right auricle, is pumped via the right ventricle to the lungs, receives O2 to glorify and empower it. Oxygenated blood returns to the heart and is pumped through the body. Death CO2 to O2 Life (I John 3:14). Four valves make sounds=four living creatures. (57) 

We have examined here the heart and rib cage as they relate to the wilderness Tabernacle and the throne of God. However, it is likely that every organ in the body could be examined similarly, and they would all show a connection to these structures. One author has drawn a number of connections, as shown in the chart below. (59)  

More Details About the Body and the Tabernacle

To look in more detail into the nature of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, we need to examine in particular the Hebrew words for side. As used in the Old Testament, the word is translated from several different Hebrew words, and it is these differences that enable an understanding of the meanings of the various parts of the Tabernacle. We can then better appreciate the reasons we can assign the legs, thighs, and shoulders, for instance, to parts of the structure. (60)  

Sides of Tabernacle furniture.  The Hebrew word tsela is used for side in Exodus 25:12.

“You shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four corners; two rings shall be on one side, and two rings on the other side.”

side = tsela, “a rib (as curved), or figuratively of a door or leaf; hence, a side, literally (of a person) or figuratively (of an object or the sky); architecturally, a timber or plank.”

We know that the Ark of the Covenant is a representation of Elohim’s presence on earth. Two sides of the Ark are mentioned, like the two sides of our body, with 12 ribs on each side. Exodus 27:7 reiterates these two sides when it speaks of the poles inserted into the rings of the two sides for transport. The brasen alter in the main court of the Tabernacle also had ribs [tsela], which was the first article of furniture one met on entering … which must mean the very Jesus Christ of whom it is said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Thus, when entering the Eternal’s courts, one first must encounter Jesus Christ on the way towards the Father’s presence in the Holy of Holies.

North and south sides of the Tabernacle tent. The tent within the Tabernacle fences was oriented with its longest sides on the north and south

“And you shall make bars of acacia wood: five for the boards on one side [tsela] of the tabernacle, five bars for the boards on the other side [tsela] of the tabernacle …” (Exodus 26:26-27).

 Thus, we see ribs on the north and south sides of this tent structure, but the eastern and western walls of the tent are not spoken of as sides.

West side of the Tabernacle tent. This western side of the tent does not have the same Hebrew word applied to it as the north and south sides.

“… and five bars for the boards of the side [tsela] of the tabernacle, for the far side westward” (Exodus 26:27).

side = yrekah, the flank, used figuratively as the rear or recess; from yarek, “to be soft; the thigh (from its fleshy softness); by euphemism, the generative parts.”

This word yrekah is also used in the same context of “westward” in Exodus 26:22-23 and Exodus 36:27-32. The King James Version in all of these verses translates this phrase “far side westward” as “two sides westward,” while other versions term this phrase as meaning the western wall of the tent. This western wall, which is called “two sides” in the KJV, can refer figuratively to the two thighs of a person, plus the generative parts.

Sides of the eastern gate. Now consider the eastern curtain and gate of the Tabernacle. The total length was 50 cubits, with an opening gateway of 20 cubits wide; a 15-cubit curtain was on either side.

“The hangings on one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets. And on the other side shall be hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets” (Exodus 27:14-15).

side = katheph, “to clothe the shoulder; proper, i.e., the upper end of the arm, as being the spot where the garments hang.”

This was the only entryway into the Tabernacle courtyard from the outside world — from sinful Egypt, as it were — comprised of a linen gate of many colors. So, we see these two 15-cubit sections of curtain on either side of the gateway as shoulders.

Feet and hands: Let us not forget that the Levites and the Tabernacle are considered as one, in that the tribe of Levi was designated to belong to Yahweh.

“Now behold, I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be Mine” (Numbers 3:12).

These Levites were an integral part of the entire Tabernacle and its implements, appointed to carry the items when they moved, to minister for the people and for Yahweh in its midst, to tear it down, and to set it up (Numbers 1:50-51). The Levites were to bear the burdens of the Tabernacle, to carry the entire Tabernacle (the body) and follow the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. As an essential part of the Tabernacle, they were the feet and hands. As the tabernacle was holy, so they were holy. As we see in Numbers 4, Aaron’s sons and their families, the sons of Kohath, Eleazar, Gershon, and Merari, were to each perform specific functions in the service of the Tabernacle. One might say that the Aaronic priesthood was more of the hands than the feet, suggested by Numbers 4:15.

The head. Although  we have no specific Torah teaching regarding the head of the Tabernacle, we do have the clear statements of Paul in Ephesians concerning the head.

“Wives submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body” (Ephesians 5:22-23; see also I Corinthians 11:3).

Since we have identified the Tabernacle as the body of man, made in the express image of Christ and the Father, the head is situated above the shoulders which are on either side of the eastern entrance, where it must be anatomically. There Christ resides as the head of His wife, the ecclesia. Interesting, Christ is pictured as returning from the east, even through the eastern gate of the temple in Ezekiel’s vision (Ezekiel 43;4; see also Isaiah 44:2 and Matthew 24:27).

While the scale of the ribs, thighs, and shoulders in the scheme of the Tabernacle are not to scale, their positioning is accurate.

Made in the Image of God

We have seen by examining Scripture and the findings of biology that the human body is indeed made in Elohim’s image, an image that is embedded within the Tabernacle in the wilderness, and consequently within the heavenly abode of the Father since the earthly Tabernacle was an image of the heavenly reality. What then does this tell about God Himself? By looking at ourselves can we better understand the reality of our Creator? The answer is a resounding “yes”!

1. Our Creator embodies the full array of spiritual talents and gifts that He has distributed to each of us made in His image. “But now God has set the members, each of them, in the body just as He pleased” (I Corinthians 12:18). We can only try to imagine the talents that our Creator possesses, which gifts we have only a small portion of. He contains every gift that we see in the box above.

2. The various parts of the body — each cell, tissue, organ, and organ system — are unified, each caring for one another as a whole. When one part prospers, they all prosper; when one part suffers, they all suffer. Notice the box to the left.

3. The entire body is an expression of love, a love that God’s Tabernacle and heavenly temple also express … and this agape love defines the form of government that God’s people, and ultimately all of mankind, must embody to not only realize the purpose in living, but also the selfless service we must have for one another. THE BODY — THUS THE ENTIRE ABODE OF THE FATHER — DEFINES LOVE AND GOVERNMENT! Notice the arrangement of the throne of God.

•  24 elders on thrones
• Four living creatures (Cherubim)
• Seven spirits
• Innumerable angelic beings and Sons of God
• A sea of glass
• Energy expressed as light and lightnings

These spirit individuals, precious minerals and stones, energy, and praise for the One who makes all things and places Jesus Christ in the midst of this unspeakably awesome array of things, define the government of the Eternal Living God amongst us all, the ecclesia. Notice what John says in Revelation 5:6-12 about this heavenly vision.

“And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.’ Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!’”

The position of Jesus Christ is where we, the elect, after the resurrection and meeting Christ in the air (I Thessalonians 4:16-17), will be … amongst those 24 elders, living creatures, spirits of God, and myriads of other spirits upon the sea of glass. Can we believe this? Notice Revelation 3:21.

“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn of many brethren” (Romans 8:29).

Can we grasp this reality? We will be able to mingle among the elders, creatures, spirits, angels, and Sons of God at our heavenly Father’s throne, the law of commandments, manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded residing there within our Father’s total being. That does not mean we will always be there at the throne, but on occasion we will be. Our efforts, at least for the millennium, will be centered upon the earth: “… and have made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:10).

Knowing that we are made in the image of Elohim, and will upon our resurrection be unable to sin (I John 3:9), and knowing that we will reflect the perfect character of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23), we should receive the impetus necessary to endure to the end of this age and receive the promise of eternal life …the very eternal existence typified by the spirit of God upon the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies, by the Father and Jesus Christ on their thrones in heaven this very moment. This is what our body is telling us.

We are told, “But he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13; see also Matthew 10:22). Notice that this short statement immediately follows the caution, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (verse 12). The implication here is that we must not allow love to grow cold, even in the face of lawlessness and persecution. In a cold, darkened world you must “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and  glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

The challenge our heavenly Father gives us through these evil end-time days is to maintain the love of our Creator and our fellow man, and never compromise the love of God pictured in the body — the Tabernacle — the throne of God. The heart, lungs, brain, liver, skin, kidneys — every part of our holy temple of a body — all cry out the love of our Creator as revealed in His holy heavenly temple. Let us rejoice in this wonderful truth, and endure to the end of the age!

Bibliography

1. All Biblical quotes throughout this paper The are from the New King James Version of the Bible.
2. The word definitions throughout his paper are from James Strong, The New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, edited by John R. Kohlenberger, III, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 2001.
3. Eva Biaconi, et. al., An estimation of the number of cells in the human body, Annals of Human Biology, Nov-Dec 2013;40(6):463-71. doi: 10.3109/03014460.2013.807878. Epub 2013, Jul 5, PubMed.gov.
4. Cell photo: www.gaelmcgill.artstation.com/projects/Pm0JL1, for NASA.
5. Anonymous, Human cell diagram, parts, pictures, structure, and functions, www.healthhype.com; Anonymous, Back to basics: the human cell, www.visiblebody.com; Dr. Raj, MD, Human cell, August 13, 2018, www.healthool.com/human-cell/.
6. See 5. Photo: www.nist.gov.
7. See 5. Photo: www.apkpure.com.
8. See 5.
9. See 5.
10. See 5. Photo: www.medium.com.
11. See 5. Photo: www.news.cals.wisc.edu.
12. See 5. Photo: www.biologyq&a.com.
13. See 5.
14. See 5. Photo: www.ima.umn.edu.
15. Regina Bailey, Types of cells in the human body, November 13, 2019, www.thoughtco.com; Anonymous, List of distinctive cell types in the human body, www.wikipedia.org.
16. See 15. Photo: www.stemcellsgroup.com.
17. See 15. Photo: www.aandpeasyaspanda.wordpress.com.
18. See 15. Photo: www.ratemds.com.
19. See 15. Photo: www.kenhub.com.
20. See 15. Photo: www.thedailymeal.com.
21. See 15. Photo: www.science4thgrade.blogspot.com.
22. See 15. Photo: www.umich.edu.
23. See 15. Photo: www.patterson-science.weebly.com.
24. See 15.
25. See 15. Photo: www.education.seattlepi.com.
26. Anonymous, List of distinctive cell types in the human body, www.wikipedia.org.
27. See 26.
28. Photo: www.x5wellness.com. Jana Vaskovic, MD, Human body systems, February 28, 2022, www.kenhub.com; Rod Brouhard, Understanding the 11 body organ systems, February 16, 2022, www.verywellhealth.com.
29. Rupert Sheldrake, The Presence of the Past, Morphic Resonance and the Habits of Nature, Times Books, 1988.
30. See 29.
31. Baca Selengkapnya, Axoloti, the master of regeneration, October 9, 2017, www.pikabest164.blogspot.com. Photo: www.pikabest164.blogspot.com.
32. See 29.
33. Photo: www.knowledgenots.com.
34. See 29.
35. See 29.
36. Dewey B. Larson, The Universe of Motion, Volume I, North Pacific Publishers, Portland, Oregon, 1959; Dewey B. Larson, The Universe of Motion, Volume III, North Pacific Publishers, Portland, Oregon, 1959;
37. Photo: www.alminewellness.blogspot.com.
38. See 29.
39. See 29.
40. See 29.
41. See 29. Anonymous, Body memory, www.wikipedia.org; Sandeep Joshi, Memory transference in organ transplant recipients, Namah, Journal of New Approaches to Medicine and Health, www.namahjournal.com; Mitchell B. Liester, Personality changes following heart transplantation; the role of cellular memory, Medical Hypotheses, 2020 February;135:109468. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2019.109468. National Library of Medicine, Epub 2019 Oct 31.
42. Photo: www.byjus.com.
43. D. Gary Young, Human electrical frequencies and fields, Quantum Health Consulting, 2022, www.quantumhealthconsulting.com; Anonymous, Frequency of human body, Energicx USA, www.energicxusa.com; Masaki Kobayashi, et. al., Imaging of ultraweak spontaneous photon emission from human body displaying diurnal rhythm, July 16, 2009, PMID: 19606225 PMCID: PMC2707605 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006256, www.pubmed.gov.
44. Robert. O. Becker, The Body Electric: Electromagnetism and the Foundation of Life, HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 2006.
45. Alexander, How can humans regenerate body parts with bioelectricity?, October 31, 2015, www.humanlimbregeneration.com.
46. Top photo: www.believersmagazine.com. Bottom photo: www.gaelmcgill.artstation.com/projects/Pm0JL1, for NASA.
47. Figure: www.mostholyplace.com.
48. Figure: www.mostholyplace.com.
49. Left photo: www.believersmagazine.com.
50. David Rives, David Rives Ministries, www.davidrivesministries.com.
51. Figure: David Rives and Chuck Thurston, Wonders Without Number DVD Series: Bone Patterns; Body Codes—Throne Rooms Walking; Prophetic Patterns in the Tabernacle. Also on YouTube. www.davidrivesministries.com.
52. Figure: See 51.
53. Figure: See 51.
54. Figure: www.deilataylor.com.
55. Figure: www.beaconoflight.blogspot.com.
56. Figure: See 51.
57. Figure: See 51.
58. Figure: See 51.
59. LaShanda Callahan, The Tabernacle in the human body, 2022, www.thechosenportion.com.
60. Thanks are given to the work of Lionel Cabral, The tabernacle of Moses is the body of Jesus Christ, 1993, www.tabernacleofmoses.org.
61. Figure: www.thehumanjesus.org.