I hope you are enjoying our series on the human spirit. We have learned so much over the past several weeks! First, we learned that there is a difference between our souls and spirits. Then we tackled the truth that our human spirits pre-existed our physical conception. Last week I shared with you my personal testimony in learning these things.
This week we are going to take a look at a few more examples from the Bible talking about our human spirits.
Stars
One of the verses we read previously mentions stars singing:
“When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” Job 38:7 (ESV)
When many people read a verse like this one and see stars mentioned, they might automatically think the interpretation is “angels.”
But a proper study of stars in the Bible shows that they represent people most of the time. I’ll give you two examples.
When Abraham first hears of the promise of God for his life and the future nation of Israel and, really, all nations, the Lord uses stars as a reference to future people.
“And he [the LORD] brought him [Abraham] outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” Genesis 15:5-6 (ESV) (words in brackets mine)
The Lord uses stars to represent Abraham’s offspring, you know, actual people. Later on, the Lord confirms this promise and metaphor to Abraham in Genesis 22:17 and then again to Abraham’s son Isaac in Genesis 26:4.
In the second example, Abraham’s great-grandson Joseph dreams a dream. He describes the sun, the moon, and 11 stars bowing down to him, or his star.
“Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” Genesis 37:9-10 (ESV)
Joseph’s father Jacob properly interpreted the dream, attributing the sun to himself, the moon to his wife Rachel, and the 11 stars to Joseph’s 11 brothers. So we see again in this instance: stars represent people.
Going back to Job 38:7, God mentions the morning stars were singing together during the creation event. If stars represent people, or perhaps more specifically, stars represent our human spirits, then I could make a strong case that our human spirits were around for the creation event, even before Adam was created.
The same verse also mentions “all the sons of God shouted for joy.” A fascinating study is every time the phrase “sons of God” shows up in both Old and New Testaments. I won’t go into major detail here, but here’s the gist of it.
In the Old Testament, the phrase “sons of God” typically refers to spiritual beings or angels. But in the New Testament, Jesus elevates us to the status of “sons of God.”
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Matthew 5:9 (ESV)
This verse and others reveal that we, as Holy Spirit-filled Believers in Christ, are sons of God now. (See also Luke 20:36, Romans 8:14, 19, Galatians 3:26.)
At creation, the sons of God shouted in joy, and I believe our human spirits were among those singing and shouting for joy!
Paul Weighs In
The Apostle Paul, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, instructs his son in the faith, Timothy. He writes:
“[God,] who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.” 2 Timothy 1:9 (ESV) (words in brackets mine)
God called us to a holy calling, which He gave to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began. How could He give us something if we didn’t exist to receive it? The fact is, our human spirits received our holy callings before the ages began.
Paul confirms this statement, using himself as an example, in his letter to the Galatian church:
“But when he [God] who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace…” Galatians 1:15 (ESV) (words in brackets mine)
Paul states that God set him apart before he was born. Other translations say, “God, who separated me from my mother’s womb…” The idea is that Paul was chosen in the Lord before his birth, before anyone even knew about him.
Later on, in one of the most amazing passages about our identities in Christ, Paul writes:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.” Ephesians 1:3-5 (ESV)
God chose us to be in Christ before the foundation of the world. Which means, we existed in Christ before the foundation of the world. We received our holy callings, and we were set apart for His holy purposes, with the intention that we would always be inside of Jesus Christ our Savior.
Being inside of someone doesn’t really make sense unless 1) you’re a baby living in your mother’s womb, or 2) you’re a spiritual being inside another spiritual being. We’re all familiar with #1, but #2 should be no shocker to anyone who has ever read the book of Ephesians. Phrases like “in Christ Jesus,” “in Him,” “in Christ,” “in the Lord Jesus,” “with Christ,” show up over and over.
Jesus wonderfully teaches us this concept in John 14:20.
“In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.” John 14:20 (ESV)
Jesus is in the Father. We are in Jesus. Jesus is in us. It’s a beautiful thing!
You were chosen before the foundation of the world. God foreknew you then (Romans 8:29-30). He had great plans and good works for you then and delivered them to your human spirit.
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)
The Wisdom of King Solomon
King Solomon was given amazing wisdom by the Lord (see 2 Chronicles 1 or 1 Kings 3). The book of Ecclesiastes gives us some interesting humanistic philosophical insight, and I believe the book is likely the height of man’s wisdom, mostly apart from the revelation of the Lord. But there are some good golden nuggets in the book, and I’m pulling four verses of interest out to study.
Solomon hits on a subject that I’ve recently been learning a great deal about: time cycles.
“Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has been already in the ages before us.” Ecclesiastes 1:10 (ESV)
The Hebrew word translated “before us” is “panim.” It is commonly used in the Old Testament in reference to God’s presence or God’s face/faces. The word is plural, as indicated by the “im” at the end. To me, it’s almost an indication that our ‘presences’ were around in the ages past, from ancient times.
Later, Solomon writes:
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 (ESV)
Solomon acknowledges the eternity in our hearts. Eternity, by definition, does not start now or when we die and then go on for forever. Eternity has always been, is now, and always will be. If we have an eternal future, then we have an eternal past… with God!
The king also touches on knowledge of beginning and ending. It’s impossible to know what God did in eternity past, that is, unless God reveals it to us. And, I believe the Lord has been busy revealing these things to us for thousands of years. In fact, He reveals these things to us by the Spirit He has given us (1 Corinthians 2:10).
“I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.” Ecclesiastes 3:14-15 (ESV)
“That which is, already has been.” This is a profound statement. And I believe this concept introduces us to a period of time between our creation in Christ at the very beginning and what we think of as the creation of the earth.
The Gap Theory
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Genesis 1:1-2 (ESV)
There are some in Christendom who see a gap of an unknown length of time between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. I used to think this was just so Christians could believe in evolution, and I saw it as undermining the whole creation event. However, I’m seeing it differently now after some things the Lord has shown me in prayer over the last 7 years.
In verse 2, the author of Genesis, likely Moses, describes the earth as formless and void. These are Hebrew words “tohu” and “bohu.” The idea is that the earth was “formlessness, confusion, unreality, emptiness, a place of chaos, a wasteland,” and “emptiness, void, waste, an undistinguishable ruin.” To me this reeks of judgment of evil, and in the next phrase of Genesis 1:2, darkness shows up, indicating death, destruction and sorrow.
Something cataclysmic happened, and the earth became formless and void. I believe this was when Satan was cast to the earth (Revelation 12:9).
In opposition to the empty wasteland and indistinguishable ruin, God says He didn’t create the earth like that.
“For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty [“tohu”], he formed it to be inhabited!): ‘I am the LORD, and there is no other.’” Isaiah 45:18 (ESV) (word in brackets mine)
In Jeremiah’s book, he describes a scene, when he saw the earth formless and void, using the exact same Hebrew words in Genesis 1:2. He writes of his vision:
“I looked on the earth, and behold, it was without form and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light. I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, and all the hills moved to and fro. I looked, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the air had fled. I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were laid in ruins before the LORD, before his fierce anger. For thus says the LORD, ‘The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end.’” Jeremiah 4:23-27 (ESV)
Jeremiah indicates that there had been life on the earth, but it had been snuffed out. He even mentions cities, birds, men, and fruitful land – all gone.
Why?
The question that remains is this: Why? Why would I be teaching you about this? What is the purpose of talking about our human spirits and their ancient past?
Well, in my mind, it boils down to two things:
First, your human spirits are carrying trauma from the fall of satan from Heaven. This was a traumatic event, and there are still lies and injuries from this time. God is healing those things now, in our day and age. He’s cycling them through our bodies and souls so that our spirits can get the healing they need. Many of the issues that people are facing right now, I believe, are related to their human spirits. And we need Holy Spirit discernment to figure out what sort of ministry our human spirits need.
Second, I believe the Lord is revealing some things in our day and age. The Archangel Gabriel told Daniel in Daniel 8:26
“The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.” Daniel 8:26 (ESV)
The implication is that the Lord is going to reveal hidden spiritual things to us, His Church in Christ, in these last days.
A good friend of mine reminded me a little earlier that sometimes we are trained to do things or know things before we actually use them. Like in the movie Karate Kid, where he learned to “wax on, wax off” but had no idea why he was learning. It was training for the future, and the Lord is preparing us for the future, which is exciting and amazing. It’ll be better than we think. How do I know this? I believe the Lord told me!
During a sermon from a couple of weeks ago, this is what I heard from the Lord, and I wanted to share it with you.
“Speak, and you will speak some more. Hear, and you will hear some more. See, and you will see some more. For all of My promises are yes and amen in and through My Precious Son Jesus Christ.
For you will continue to hear and to speak, and these things will change the world. And the world is changing, Brett, not for the worse but for the better. I am manifesting My Presence and My Presences. I am revealing more of who I really am. Not many are ready for this, but you are. Your church is, and there are many like you all that are ready for what I’m doing next. I love this. I love how you (all) seek after Me with whole hearts. I am bringing My Spirit of Soteria into this land; deliverance is decreed for you. You will look and see and many won’t even believe what I’m doing, for it will be amazing, declares the Lord.
Be ready, get ready for the New, for the newness of My Life poured out over all of you, in goodness, love and mercy. Seek after Me, My kids. Seek after Me, My sons. Dwell in My Presence continually, for this is available to all of you. I am available. I have time for you. You are NOT a waste of My time. And I value the time you spend with Me. I value it more than you know, because I know all that you go through and all that you’ve been through and all that you’re seeking after. I know you’ve tried and failed. But you’ve gotten back up, because the Spirit of the Living God dwells inside of you, and I am not a quitter. I am an overcomer, so you too are overcomers, in Me! Believe this, for it is true. These are the true words of God. These things are real and valuable and right and true.”
I pray you now have a much clearer understanding of your human spirit. The good news is this is just scratching the surface. Now it’s up to you to sit with the Lord to discover more. Go spend some time in prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you more about your human spirit. It’s a fun relationship builder between you and the Holy Spirit! Be blessed my friends!
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