What is a Spirit?

[Davy]

....

I do not understand the purpose for the bodily resurrection at the Second Coming. The dead in Christ will arise first, and then those who are alive . . . I do not understand the purpose of the resurrection of the corruptible body, which as Scripture declares will be transformed into an incorruptible body.

Of those who have visited Heaven they have described the temporary body they were inhabiting as being sort of a translucent spiritual being. But I don't believe the eternal body will be like that. NDEers describe their body as having no genitalia, but procreation is going to continue in Heaven.
"Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this." Isaiah 9:7

Sorry to hear about your wife. Paul told us in 1 Thess.4 to not worry about our dead loved ones, for Jesus will bring them with Him when He returns. Not saying you are worrying, but know she's in good Hands.

It's important to put the many Scriptures on this matter together to properly understand it. It's about two different dimensions of existence, this earthly one we live in vs. the heavenly one where our Heavenly Father and Son are, and the angels, and even the abode of the wicked called hell.

The Scripture I quoted in 1 Cor.15 from Apostle Paul reveals that our flesh body is exchanged for the "spiritual body". It is our "spiritual body" that is raised, not our flesh. And it actually happens at flesh death, which is what Ecclesiastes 12:5-7 is showing.

Remember what our Lord Jesus said to the malefactor crucified with Him; when the malefactor asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom, and Jesus said, "... Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with Me in paradise." (Luke 23:43). Also recall what Jesus taught about paradise in the latter part of Luke 16, that when Lazarus and the rich man died, they were taken to paradise in the heavenly dimension.

In Eccl.12:5-7, we're told about a "silver cord" that is severed at flesh death. Then our spirit goes back to God, and our flesh goes back to the earth where it came from. Many interpret that "spirit" there to mean animate spirit, like what plants and animals have. But per Matthew 10:28 we know it includes our 'soul' too. Our spirit and soul are attached together, and cannot be separated. But our spirit with soul can be separated from our flesh body. This is what the New Testament teaches.

Right now, inside our flesh body, is our spirit body with soul. It is simply loosed at flesh death, and it is of that other dimension. This is how NDE's occur, except the "silver cord" is not severed with an NDE, so death does not take place. In 2 Cor.12, I believe it was Paul speaking of himself being caught up to paradise, as he was once stoned and left for dead. He had an NDE, because obviously he lived.

Whether our soul (our person, or Id) is here in this earthly dimension, or in the heavenly dimension, our soul must have a 'body' to get around in. In this earthly it is a flesh body. In the heavenly it is a spiritual body. And like our Lord Jesus said, that which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of Spirit is spirit. That's the two dimensions of existence. This is why Jesus answered that those of the resurrection are like the angels of God in heaven. It's because the body of the heavenly dimension is a spiritual body.

What is utterly fantastic but true though, is how when The full Godhead returns, God is going to rejoin this earthly dimension with the heavenly dimension, as He is returning back to this earth He once lived upon, as He said He created this earth to be inhabited, i.e., to be lived upon. The manifestation of angels here on earth, appearing to His servants, is an example of that world to come. They could eat man's food and live upon the earth just like us (Gen.18-19).

 

[Stan B]

Stan,

I feel for your loneliness although I'm not as old. I also live alone and can still drive. However, if I couldn't I have a number of people to call on to take me to church.

Could another option be to hold a Bible study in your house with another leading the group? I lead such a group in another's house.

Oz

Oz, thank you for your kind response. I don't think it would be fair to characterize my current life as being one of loneliness. Yes, I am lonely, but for only one person, and I thank God every day for the 50 years we enjoyed together. But she not only gave me sons and grandchildren, but wondrous loving daughters-in-law who are just like daughters.

We probably have an ultra-functional family which thanks to modern electronic communications, are all in touch with one another throughout the day via cell phone text/photo messaging. So most of what is happening is shared with the entire family, sort of like a family get-together. It is not unusual to see over 50 family messages to be shared by noon, including lots of photos and videos of events for the day. Then there are the usual daily cell phone calls running an hour or so, so I don't get much time to indulge in the loneliness thing.

As for attending church, I have the means to get there, but I do not have the stamina to sit there and endure yet another useless vacant repetitive unuseful sermon. Add to that, that 'music' in the church has been largely replaced with a whole bunch of intolerable tuneless guitar-drum junk. I used to love the hymns of the church, and to that end, studied classic pipe organ 50 years ago, but organs in the church have pretty much disappeared.

I am familiar with the neighborhood Bible study concept. My wife had no 'natural' leadership talent for that kind of thing, but I have been astounded by her God-given talent. She was not only instrumental in creating a new "Christian Women's Club" organization in our community but also lead a local Bible Study group for 35 years. I was her secretary, preparing all the paperwork, and designing the monthly advertisement cards to be distributed throughout the community.

 

[Stan B]

Sorry to hear about your wife. Paul told us in 1 Thess.4 to not worry about our dead loved ones, for Jesus will bring them with Him when He returns. Not saying you are worrying, but know she's in good Hands.

It's important to put the many Scriptures on this matter together to properly understand it. It's about two different dimensions of existence, this earthly one we live in vs. the heavenly one where our Heavenly Father and Son are, and the angels, and even the abode of the wicked called hell.

The Scripture I quoted in 1 Cor.15 from Apostle Paul reveals that our flesh body is exchanged for the "spiritual body". It is our "spiritual body" that is raised, not our flesh. And it actually happens at flesh death, which is what Ecclesiastes 12:5-7 is showing.

Remember what our Lord Jesus said to the malefactor crucified with Him; when the malefactor asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom, and Jesus said, "... Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with Me in paradise." (Luke 23:43). Also recall what Jesus taught about paradise in the latter part of Luke 16, that when Lazarus and the rich man died, they were taken to paradise in the heavenly dimension.

In Eccl.12:5-7, we're told about a "silver cord" that is severed at flesh death. Then our spirit goes back to God, and our flesh goes back to the earth where it came from. Many interpret that "spirit" there to mean animate spirit, like what plants and animals have. But per Matthew 10:28 we know it includes our 'soul' too. Our spirit and soul are attached together, and cannot be separated. But our spirit with soul can be separated from our flesh body. This is what the New Testament teaches.

Right now, inside our flesh body, is our spirit body with soul. It is simply loosed at flesh death, and it is of that other dimension. This is how NDE's occur, except the "silver cord" is not severed with an NDE, so death does not take place. In 2 Cor.12, I believe it was Paul speaking of himself being caught up to paradise, as he was once stoned and left for dead. He had an NDE, because obviously he lived.

Whether our soul (our person, or Id) is here in this earthly dimension, or in the heavenly dimension, our soul must have a 'body' to get around in. In this earthly it is a flesh body. In the heavenly it is a spiritual body. And like our Lord Jesus said, that which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of Spirit is spirit. That's the two dimensions of existence. This is why Jesus answered that those of the resurrection are like the angels of God in heaven. It's because the body of the heavenly dimension is a spiritual body.

What is utterly fantastic but true though, is how when The full Godhead returns, God is going to rejoin this earthly dimension with the heavenly dimension, as He is returning back to this earth He once lived upon, as He said He created this earth to be inhabited, i.e., to be lived upon. The manifestation of angels here on earth, appearing to His servants, is an example of that world to come. They could eat man's food and live upon the earth just like us (Gen.18-19).

Davy, I thoroughly loved your post. It is so unusual to meet someone online who shares the same vision that corresponds to my understanding of Scripture

Thanks!