What happens to our earthly tabernacle or body?
The earthly tabernacle, which is the body of flesh, is a temporary tent for the real person—mind, will, emotions, personality. It will dissolve and return to the earth from which it came, unless the rapture occurs, in which case it will be changed. Believers then have an eternal building from God, not made with hands, in the heavens.
Les teaches from 2 Corinthians 5 that Paul is still dealing with the possibility he thought he would die and lose the rest of his ministry, and the Holy Spirit is inspiring his words. The earthly house is described in the Greek more like a tent, a temporary dwelling place. The body is only a dwelling place for the real you and me—the mind, will, emotions, and personality that will go on into eternity. This earthly tabernacle, the body of flesh, is going to dissolve and go back into the earth from which it came, unless the rapture takes place, and then it will just be changed. Even if it is dissolved, that does not stop us, because we are eternal. Instead, we have a building of God, not a tent but something permanent for eternity—a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
More Questions
What does the Greek word for 'earthly house' in 2 Corinthians 5:1 mean?
In 2 Corinthians 5:1 the Greek word behind 'earthly house' means a tent, a temporary dwelling place, and that earthly tabernacle Paul refers to is the body of flesh.