Author and conference speaker, Nancy Missler, did extensive Bible study on Biblical psychology and used the symbolism of Solomon’s Temple to illustrate the important distinctions of man’s spirit, soul, and body. Here are sample quotes from her:
In 1 Corinthians 3:16 Paul says, “Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” What is Paul really saying here?
… I would like to investigate further the spiritual significance of Solomon’s Temple, because I believe it’s a perfect model or blueprint of a New Testament believer indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Truly, as Paul says, we are the Temple of God and the Spirit of God does dwell in us.
…The Holy of Holies in Solomon’s Temple, I believe, is analogous to a believer’s new spirit (pneuma) … and the Outer Court represents a believer’s body (soma),which is the vehicle by which we express our life (soul). Together, our soul and body are known as the “flesh.”
As a born again believer (one who has asked Jesus to come into his heart), the Spirit that now dwells at the core of our being is not our “old” human spirit anymore [Rom. 6:6], but a totally new spirit [Eph. 4:24]. It’s now God Himself (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) dwelling in us. This is exactly what being “born again” means.
It means receiving a totally new power source or life source. God has united our spirit with His and we have become one spirit with Him. 1 Corinthians 6:17 validates this, “…he that is joined unto the Lord is [now] one spirit [with Him].” So, our spirit is now the new energy source that will create God’s Life within us.[1]
In an unbeliever, that power source is going to be the human spirit (Job 32:8), whereas in a born again believer his “spirit” will be united with God’s Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17). This is exactly what it means to be born again. It means our human spirit has been united with God’s Spirit, so we now have a new power source or life source.[2]
[The Christian] recognizes that the soul of man grows out of the interaction between the body and spirit and is the means by which man communicates to the outside world. Through faith in Jesus Christ, the believer possesses the indwelling source of God’s life from whom he is possessed with joy, fulfillment, and victory.
The field of psychology is ultimately doomed to frustration since it cannot penetrate beyond the psyche (soul). It is impossible to infer the inner structure of man from only observing his external behavior. This is just as futile as attempting to ascertain, from its external behavior, the internal architecture of software running on a computer since it is also a self-modifying entity operating inside an infinite state machine.[3]
Nancy went beyond the writers who focus on the simpler model of the Mosaic Tabernacle— She compared the Holy Place with the believer’s new heart, the soul with the inner court and the body with the outer court. She also addressed the need for deeper renewal of the subconscious through the analogy of the Temple’s storage chambers. For more detail, see her book, Be Ye Transformed.
Nancy went to be with the Lord in 2015 at age 77. She and her husband, Chuck, were married for 58 years. Nancy published 13 books including: The Way of Agape, Be Ye Transformed, and Faith in the Night Seasons. Her materials have transformed lives and marriages around the world.
Nancy is the founder of The King’s High Way Ministries; an international ministry dedicated to encouraging and teaching Christians how to “walk out” their faith in God’s Love. She always focused on the practical application of Biblical principles.
(Bio adapted from http://kingshighway.org/nancy-missler/)
J.B.W.
Biblical Psychology 