Topical Studies
Spirit Beings
(From Forerunner Commentary)
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A common thread runs between English "spirit," Hebrew ruach, and Greek pneuma, even when a spirit-composed being is described. "Spirit" represents something non-physical and normally invisible. We can conclude, except in the one case where "spirit," ruach, or pneuma describes a being that has revealed itself, that spirit is never seen. All that is ever seen is what spirit causes, motivates, inspires, encourages, impels, triggers, stirs, provokes, stimulates, influences, or activates. Why? Because in every other sense, except where spirit clearly means a spirit being who has revealed himself, spirit is seen as a function of the mind, whether it is God's mind, angel's mind, or man's mind. Just as we surely do not see mind, but we do see what mind does, so also we cannot see spirit but only what spirit does. As we understand it, mind is more than spirit, yet "spirit" can figuratively refer to a person's mind.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Holy Spirit and the Trinity (Part 1)
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Genesis 19:1 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
These angels are the other two who were with the Lord when He was entertained by Abraham. The other two "men" are identified conclusively as angels. It is interesting that the story begins in Genesis 18:1 as though these three spirit beings just suddenly appeared, as if one moment Abraham could not see them, and the next moment three people were suddenly there. Apparently, Abraham was of such experience that he recognized immediately who they were. He certainly was not nonplussed because he immediately bowed down and worshipped one of them, recognizing that One as the Lord.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Image and Likeness of God (Part 3)
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Daniel 10:5 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
What did his clothing hang on, if the common conception of spirit as just an essence is true—that there is not really anything there? Casper the Friendly Ghost seems to be covered in a white sheet, and he goes flitting around, but he has no real form or shape there because that is the common conception of spirit—that there is really nothing there. But with angels, there is something there! Spirit beings have substance, though they are spirit. Notice, he even has a waist (or loins, KJV) as human beings do.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Image and Likeness of God (Part 3)
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Luke 24:36-40 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
Consider the context and the time. He is resurrected, composed of Spirit. He is God. Does He indicate at all that being in the body is only a part-time experience for God? No, instead He teaches them that a spirit being's body is not vaporous like a ghost and that it is not composed of earthly flesh and bone. The implications are important in relation to other parts of the Bible. In this case, what He does not say is important because He wants them to answer in their own minds just the opposite of what they originally thought, "This is a ghost. It has no form or shape." Yes, He did have form and shape, and it was solid to the touch. They felt Him, and their hands did not pass through Him. He is saying that He has flesh and bones, but they are not physical. They are spirit flesh and bones.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Image and Likeness of God (Part 1)
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John 3:2-8 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
The "we" in verse 2 implies that the divine identity of the messenger and the source of His message was known to the Pharisees. But they were carnal people, concerned with protecting their status as rulers under the Roman government, not with receiving revelations from God. Jesus perceived the import of Nicodemus's first words. His message was the good news of the coming world government of God'that is, the kingdom of God, which shall rule all nations with the government of God. These Jewish rulers feared that message. Jesus was of their race'a Jew. If they did not oppose Him, they feared being shorn of their power and perhaps put to death as subversives threatening the overthrow the Roman government. And the Pharisees thought Jesus proclaimed the immediate takeover of that rule! Therefore Jesus did not waste words. He struck straight through to the crux point'the Kingdom of God is not of this world'this time, this age'but of the world tomorrow'a different and a following age. Not composed of humans, but of immortals'the God Family! So Jesus said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Notice carefully that being "born again" has a vital connection with the Kingdom of God'with the fact that it is not of this time'this age. But Jesus' abrupt opening statement left Nicodemus confused. The religious leaders and the hundreds of denominations and sects professing Christianity today are confused and deceived! Today's religionists put a different twist on it than did Nicodemus, however. Nicodemus did understand clearly what is meant by being born. He knew it meant being delivered from his mother's womb. It meant being delivered into the world! . . . What Nicodemus could not understand was how'in what manner'anyone could be born again! And of course, being carnal-minded, he could only conceive of a second physical birth. But he knew what being born meant! Puzzled, he asked, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" He was not confused about what is meant by being born. . . . He thought Jesus was talking about a second human birth. . . . His mind could not grasp spiritual things. Now Jesus had made clear that the Kingdom of God is something that can be seen'but not until or unless one is "born again." Not during his physical lifetime! Also, verse 5, the Kingdom of God is something a man may enter into'but not until after he is born again'another and entirely different birth. Here is the crux point that explains it all: Jesus said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh: and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Man is now flesh'human. He is material substance. "Dust thou art," said God to Adam, "and unto dust shalt thou return." Again, "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 soul" (Genesis 3:19; 2:7). But, said Jesus plainly, when one is born of the Spirit he will be spirit! The Kingdom of God will be composed of spirit beings'not of humans! At birth of human flesh, one is delivered from his mother's womb into this world. When born of the Spirit, one will be delivered from the church of God (physical)'the mother of begotten Christians (Galatians 4:26)'into the kingdom of God (a Kingdom of spirit beings). Man is now composed of flesh'material substance'matter. When born again he will be spirit'a spirit being, no longer human. He will be composed of spirit'of spirit composition'with life inherent'with self-containing life'not then existing by the breath of air and the circulation of blood. Of the next age when the Kingdom of God will rule the world'the life after death'the next life'Jesus said, "They neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God . . ." (Matthew 22:30). Marriage is a physical, fleshly union. In the age of God's Kingdom, when "born again" we shall be spirit, not flesh. Born of God as spirit beings, no longer human. Angels are spirits'composed of spirit (Hebrews 1:7). Jesus did not say we shall then be angels'but as the angels'sexless and composed of spirit. Angels are spirit beings'created as such'but not begotten and born of God as God's own born children. We therefore shall be greater than angels! Jesus explained this further to Nicodemus: "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is everyone that is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8). You cannot see wind. Wind is compared to spirit. It is invisible. That is why mortal flesh, as we now are, cannot see the Kingdom of God. Those who inherit it will be spirit'normally invisible to eyes still human. The apostle Paul made clear that the Kingdom of God is something a human may inherit, but not in this age'not while he is composed of material flesh. "The first man is of the earth, earthy [human]: the second man is the Lord from heaven [a divine God being]" (I Corinthians 15:47). This is what Jesus was saying to Nicodemus. He was of the earth, earthy'human. He was flesh, not spirit. He was born of the flesh, so that is what he was'flesh. When one is born of the Spirit, he will BE spirit. . . . But we cannot be spirit in this present age. There is a time element concerned with being born again into God's kingdom.
Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986)
Life After Death?
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John 3:5-8 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
In connection with John 4:24, this verse implies that, since God is Spirit, if one is going to be born of the Spirit, he will be composed of exactly the same substance as God. To make it even clearer, Jesus gives an illustration in verse 8 so that no one would misunderstand His intention. Wind is invisible. When something gets moved by the wind, a person can see that object moving. He does not see the wind moving but the object. The wind, composed of air, is invisible to his eyes. This illustrates one who is born of the Spirit. Spirit is invisible but no less real than air. Nobody would argue that air, of which wind is composed, has no substance, for though it is invisible, it is made up of particles too small to be seen by the unaided eye.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Image and Likeness of God (Part 4)
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1 Corinthians 15:35 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
Do things ever change, or do the same questions keep coming around all the time? This sounds as modern as last year—God has no body. So people in the first century were questioning what kinds of body the sons of God will have in the resurrection. Why were they questioning that? Because there were undoubtedly people, most likely of the Gnostic persuasion, who were saying that God does not have a body. And, they argued, since we are to be made in the image of God, we will not have a body either.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Image and Likeness of God (Part 1)
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1 Corinthians 15:41 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
All things in creation have bodies designed for their purpose in creation. And though there are similarities in design, they are different because of function. Notice how often the word "body" appears in this context, and within its purview, the cherubim, seraphim, and angels are included.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Image and Likeness of God (Part 1)
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1 Corinthians 15:42-49 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
The image Paul speaks of is not merely that we will be composed of spirit even as Christ is, but that our very nature and character be like His. If God desired that we merely be spirit, He could have made us like angels. Angels, however, are not God; they are angels. God is doing a work in us through which we will become like Him, not like angels. His purpose requires that we cooperate. Though our part is very small by comparison to what He is doing, it is nonetheless vital. Notice how Paul draws this beautiful section of I Corinthians to a conclusion by drawing our attention to what it will take on our part to make God's purpose work: "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (I Corinthians 15:57-58).
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Elements of Motivation (Part Three): Hope
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1 Corinthians 15:45-48 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
The heavenly man is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God! Those who are after the heavenly man, so also are those who are heavenly! As we have borne the image of the man of dust, Adam, so we shall also bear the image of the heavenly man! We were one with Adam. Under a new rule of life, we are one with Christ. Even as Adam is the pattern of what we are now, Christ is the pattern for what we shall be. We shall therefore share His life and His being. The conclusion is inescapable. The present body, Paul shows, is corruptible. The future body is incorruptible, unfaded. It has beauty that will never lose its sheen! The present body is dishonest. The future body will be holy, no longer be subject to carnal passion. It will be a pure instrument of service. The bodies we now have full of weakness. The new body will be one of power! So often we are frustrated by our limitations. There is so much more that we wish we could do, but we are encompassed by weakness. We get tired and weary. In the resurrection, we will be clad with power! This present body is natural, subject to sickness and death. The resurrected body will be spiritual and eternal. It will be just like Christ's!
John W. Ritenbaugh
We Shall Be God! (Part 2)
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1 Corinthians 15:47 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
This is what Jesus was saying to Nicodemus. He was of the earth, earthy—human. He was flesh, not spirit. He was born of the flesh, so that is what he was—flesh. When one is born of the Spirit, he will be spirit. Paul is here explaining the same truth. But we cannot be spirit in this present age.
Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986)
Life After Death?
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1 Corinthians 15:49 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
The "heavenly Man" is Jesus Christ. We will be transformed to be like His glorious body. If we are to have a body, which will be like His, then He must also have a body now. When God restored Him to His former glory (Jesus' prayer in John 17:3-5 requests He be restored to the glory He had with the Father before the world was), He then returned to the kind of body He had before when He was the model for Adam. Do we understand what this means? When He was resurrected, He was restored to what He was before when He was the model for mankind. As the model for Adam, He was like He was when He was resurrected. He was God. The composition was spirit, not flesh, but His body had shape and solidity (remember that He was touched in His resurrection appearances).
John W. Ritenbaugh
Image and Likeness of God (Part 2)
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1 Corinthians 15:49 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
As we are now flesh, we shall be spirit?at the resurrection, that is, when we shall be "born again"?when we shall see, enter into, the Kingdom of God?when we are spirit?at the resurrection!
Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986)
Life After Death?
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1 Corinthians 15:50-53 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
The Kingdom of God is something no human, born of flesh and blood, can enter or inherit. It is through the resurrection of those begotten by the Spirit of God during this mortal life, that this mortal will put on immortality and, like God, become immortal, incorruptible—literally born of God's Spirit into the very God Family! That is how we shall enter into the Kingdom of God. Those thus born again, which will include all the Spirit-begotten saints of God through the centuries, will be organized into the executive branch of the government of God to rule this earth's mortals under Jesus Christ (Daniel 7:27; Revelation 2:26-27; 5:10)!
What Is the True Gospel?
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1 Corinthians 15:50 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
No human can inherit the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is not a human kingdom. There are no humans in it! It is a Divine Kingdom—the God Kingdom! Jesus explained it to Nicodemus in John 3:3-8: "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus couldn't understand that. Not many today can understand it! Jesus continued that except a man be born of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. "That which is born of the flesh," continued Jesus, "is flesh." Yes, we were all born of the flesh, therefore Jesus said we are flesh—yes, flesh and blood. And flesh and blood cannot inherit—cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. "That which is born of the Spirit," said Jesus, "is spirit." When we are born of the Spirit, then we shall be spirit—so said Jesus. Did Jesus know what He was talking about—or do some of us think we know better, today?
Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986)
What Is the Reward of the Saved?
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Galatians 3:25 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
With the arrival of Jesus Christ on the scene, there was no need for the agreement—the Old Covenant—to continue. This does not mean God's laws are obsolete, but that the agreement between God and the physical children of Abraham is no longer necessary because there is now a New Covenant that far exceeds the old one in terms of promises and benefits, in addition to the fact that God has divorced Israel (Isaiah 50:1; Jeremiah 3:8). No longer is property or homeland a goal but the entire earth. No longer is physical health an aspiration but a new spiritual body that is not subject to disease or decay. Christians are not bound by the Mosaic covenant, that "guardian" that was intended to keep Israel pointed in the right direction until there was a means by which they could receive a new heart and have access to God through the Holy Spirit. So the Old Covenant is not what we have agreed to, but it should be noted that the laws contained in "the law" (Pentateuch) still have paramount merit, because they are an extension of God's character and mind. There is no need for animal sacrifices, because Christ has fulfilled that, but there are still many lessons that can be learned through contemplating those laws. Other laws, such as the purity laws, may indeed still have a physical application as well as a spiritual one. God recorded those statutes and judgments for our admonition (I Corinthians 10:11), and they help us to see how God lives when we examine them in the light of Christ's ministry and teaching. Obeying them does not make us righteous in God's eyes or earn us salvation, but "a good understanding have all they that do His commandments" (Psalm 111:10). By them, we can learn to live as God lives (Matthew 5:17).
David C. Grabbe
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Hebrews 8:10-11 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
The ultimate fulfillment of this process will culminate when we are completely composed of spirit, and God's law will be our first nature, not just second nature. But, while we are in an embryonic stage, the process has already begun in us, incrementally, as God gradually displaces our carnality and sin, replacing it with His Holy Spirit, leading to righteous behavior and godliness. Actually, no human being is completely converted, but many people are in various stages of conversion. Conversion, then, is a life-long process in which we move from a reactive approach to lawkeeping—motivated by rewards and punishments—to a proactive approach—motivated by a deeply placed inner desire to yield and comply to the law's principles, knowing intrinsically from experience that they work for the good and harmony of all. (Proactive is a term author-speaker Steven Covey uses to distinguish internal motivation to do or accomplish something as opposed to external motivation.)
David F. Maas
Righteousness from Inside-Out
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1 John 3:2 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
This verse does not mean that we do not know what we are going to be in the Kingdom. We know what we will be in the Kingdom, "kings and priests" (Revelation 5:10). We will have these dual responsibilities of rulership and mediation. We do not know how extensive our authority will be, nor what our exact position in the Family will be. But that is not what John is talking about here. By saying that it does not yet appear what we shall be, he means that we are simply not able to comprehend it. We cannot, literally, see it yet! But it is very clear that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him! God could not make it any clearer. He does not say we are going to be a shadow of Him—we will be like Him! He is God, and we are going to be God too! Full-fledged members of the God Family!
John W. Ritenbaugh
We Shall Be God! (Part 2)
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Revelation 1:12-17 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
This is quite a description! Undoubtedly, John was given this vision to set the stage for the entire book. It is symbolic in its application. For instance, He does not always shine with all of His glory before men. After His crucifixion and resurrection, He appeared to the apostles and others in a state in which He did not appear as we see here. He also showed His disciples that He is not just an ethereal, formless, shapeless spirit because He ate a meal with them. Even though he could pass right through solid walls, He nonetheless could eat. The transformation to spirit reveals the glory of the entirety of the person. Christ's body radiates His perfect and pure nature. Symbolically, the radiation of the glory of His nature is what emanates from Him as a result of His character. That is what God is bringing us to!
John W. Ritenbaugh
We Shall Be God! (Part 2)
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Revelation 11:15-18 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
This last—seventh—trumpet announces the coming of Christ, the establishment of God's Kingdom, the judgment upon the nations, and the rewarding of the saints. They occur simultaneously! The last trumpet sounds when Christ returns, not 3½ years before! If we compare verses 11-13 (the resurrection of the Two Witnesses) with verse 19, the "great earthquake" ties the resurrection of the saints with the beginning of the Kingdom (see also Revelation 16:18). In addition, an angel tells John in Revelation 10:7 that when "the seventh angel . . . is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished." There will be no more mystery about man becoming God when the saints are resurrected or changed to eternal spirit beings! Matthew 24:30-31 also verifies this scenario, showing that the trumpet sounds to send the angels to gather the elect from all over the earth to meet Him upon His return. To clinch the argument, verse 29 very plainly says, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days. . ."! Isaiah 27:12-13, Joel 2:1-11 and Zechariah 14:3-5, 9 also confirm these events.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Caught Up in the Rapture
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Revelation 12:7-9 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
Compare the language here with Daniel 10:5-21—spirit beings fighting and being cast down, even as humans fight. Only when humans fight, the loser is cast down in defeat and death. With the angelic beings, they are cast down in defeat, but there is no death. How, then, is essence cast down? Arguments that posit spirit to be essentially insubstantial begin to become ridiculous. How does one cast down smoke, if we can think of essence in terms of smoke? Did Michael and his angels find big fans and blow the demon essence toward the earth? No, these verses give every indication that these spirit beings have substance. They are spirit, but they are substantial, tangible (that is, "capable of being perceived especially by the sense of touch"; synonyms are "palpable," "substantially real," "material"). Gabriel touched Daniel, and he was aware of feeling a hand touch him on the shoulder. Another time a hand touched him on the lips, and he was able to speak. The hand had substance.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Image and Likeness of God (Part 3)
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Revelation 21:22-23 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
This takes place in the heavenly Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven to the earth. Everyone populating the heavenly Jerusalem is someone who has been transformed by resurrection—glorified—and is now in the Kingdom of God.
John W. Ritenbaugh
We Shall Be God! (Part 2)
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