5. The Sanctuary of the Body

By John Thiel, The Sanctuary Series, study 5, mp3

In our last study we looked at the sanctuary of the heart, the sanctuary in the court and the two apartments.  We saw the brain of the body was the two apartment sanctuary.  We will now enter into a more protracted study in reference to the physiology of the body as a whole. This study is precisely what the Spirit of God has brought to the attention of those who are meant to be presenting God’s word.

The relation of the physical organism to the spiritual life is one of the most important branches of education. It should receive careful attention in the home and in the school. All need to become acquainted with their physical structure and the laws that control natural life. He who remains in willing ignorance of the laws of his physical being and who violates them through ignorance is sinning against God. All should place themselves in the best possible relation to life and health. Our habits should be brought under the control of a mind that is itself under the control of God.  {COL 348.1}

This will be the main thrust of our research in our study.  Understanding the temple body and how it must be controlled by the mind which itself needs to be controlled by God. There are two words applicable to the physical organism – anatomy and physiology.  Anatomy is the structure of the body and all its different organs and physiology is how the body functions together in its life patterns.  That is actually portrayed in the sanctuary itself as a symbol.  We saw in the last study how every instrument in the sanctuary has something to do with the parts of our body.  Anatomy and physiology is portrayed as we see the sanctuary before us.  The brain as we studied last week was the nerve centre which is the actual sanctuary with its two apartments.  The court of the sanctuary is the body of which the brain is the nerve centre. 

The entrance into the sanctuary is through the veils and everything that transpires in the sanctuary comes in through those veils.  That is the portrayal of the nerves of the body that communicate right to the very top.  All the nerves of the body run into the brain just like in the sanctuary everything runs through the two veils to the third apartment. First is the spinal cord with nerves running in and out of it that communicates with the entire body.  It then runs up the spinal cord into the brain for the brain to receive the messages and to decide what to do with those messages.  Our body is the court through which the communications come into the sanctuary.  The areas of the brain that we want to understand in all this are that there are four areas of the brain;

1.    Intellectual – rear part of the brain.

2.    Emotional – middle of the brain, the thalamus.

3.    Pituitary – under the brain

4.    Moral part of the brain – frontal part.

5.    Autonomic system – the brain stem. Together with the cerebrum, these areas deal with all the functions of the body.

The brain is the major organ of the central nervous system and the control centre of all the bodies voluntary and involuntary activities.  It is also responsible for the complexities of thought, memory, emotion and language.  In adults this complex brain is a mere 1.4 kilos in weight containing over a hundred thousand million nerve cells.  Three distinct regions can be easily seen.  Brain stem, cerebellum, and the large cerebrum.  The brain stem controls the vital functions such as breathing and digestion. The cerebrums main function is the maintenance of posture and the co-ordination of body movements. When you see someone wobble, that is the part being affect by the cerebrum. The cerebrum consists of the right and left hemispheres joined by the corpus callosum and is the site of the most intelligent activities. The thalamus is the part where the emotions are governed.  This is a summary of the brain as the nerve centre.  Around the nerve centre lays the body.  In the sanctuary there is the nerve centre and the courtyard, it is the same scenario.  The activities of the sanctuary come in through the veil and they work through the altar of sacrifice as the priests do their work with the offerings.  They then into the first apartment with the table of shewbread and then once a year the high priest goes in and does his work in the most holy place. The government of all Israel comes from the most holy place – the nerve centre.  In this body temple, God wants to rule.  The frontal lobe as we studied last week is the place where the throne of God is to exist.

The brain nerves which communicate with the entire system are the only medium through which Heaven can communicate to man and affect his inmost life. Whatever disturbs the circulation of the electric currents in the nervous system lessens the strength of the vital powers, and the result is a deadening of the sensibilities of the mind. In consideration of these facts, how important that ministers and people who profess Godliness should stand forth clear and untainted from this soul-debasing vice!  {2T 347.2}

What happens in the nerve centre affects what is happening in the court.  The only avenue in is via the brain nerves.  The messages running from one part to the other is conveyed.  Apostle Paul found a problem with himself communicating with God and the two body areas.

Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not.

In me that is in my flesh.  As soon as you come into the sanctuary court, you are coming into the body.  In there is no good thing he says, in his flesh.  All that part is no good.

Romans 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Recall that in the sanctuary is the Ten Commandments.  In his inmost being, he delights in the law of God after the inward man but in his flesh is no good thing. In the first apartment of the sanctuary is the inward part.  The inward man is that which is in the body as well as that which is the outer part of the brain but it is not the inmost person or the most holy place of the sanctuary.  Explore into a person who is completely wicked but is going to come to the point where the inside of him he has the law lodged ultimately, the two inward parts.  Before we get to the fallen condition itself, we read in Romans of a person who had the law in their mind in the inner man.  But look at a person who is not converted.  First we will look at the inward one verses the flesh.

There is a science of Christianity to be mastered–a science as much deeper, broader, higher than any human science as the heavens are higher than the earth. The mind is to be disciplined, educated, trained; for we are to do service for God in ways that are not in harmony with inborn inclination. Hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil must be overcome. Often the education and training of a lifetime must be discarded, that one may become a learner in the school of Christ. Our hearts must be educated to become steadfast in God. We are to form habits of thought that will enable us to resist temptation. We must learn to look upward. The principles of the word of God–principles that are as high as heaven, and that compass eternity–we are to understand in their bearing upon our daily life. Every act, every word, every thought, is to be in accord with these principles. All must be brought into harmony with, and subject to, Christ.  {MH 453.4}

Did you notice that we are actually looking directly as to what must happen to the body sanctuary so that it may be correctly relating to everything in regards to Gods expectations?  It is a science that needs to be mastered.  The science of Christianity.  We are studying a knowledge of science.  It has to do with the mind having to be disciplined and educated.  The mind is to be disciplined, educated and trained; for we are to do service for God in ways that are not in harmony with inborn inclination. The whole body and mind through sin has been deranged and there needs to be a re-training of the entire system from the flesh to the heart, to the mind.  Everything needs to be redisciplined and organised.  There is another part of the body that needs to be reorganised.  It’s the hormonal system.  It is the endocrine system.  It is not something connected through nerves but the blood stream.  This is why it is called the endocrine system.  It has no connections to any part of the brain as every part sits on its own and it injects chemicals to the blood stream which creates emotions and personality traits.  This is another part that needs to be disciplined and organised.  The adrenal glands produce adrenaline.  It gives a thrust in the body for fright or flight.  That is a chemical so that when you get people who are flighty, they continually have adrenalin.  There are the male and female organs.  They produce injections of hormones of chemicals that make a woman a woman and a man a man.  The behaviour patterns of each are affected by these glands. The thyroid gland affects the metabolism.  Some have hyper or hypo active thyroids.  These glands are affected also by sin.  The endocrine system plays games with our senses and that all needs to be governed and disciplined.  In our fallen condition, we read there are inborn inclinations that are not in harmony with the ways of God.

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10 I the LORD search the heart, [I] try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, [and] according to the fruit of his doings.

An unconverted person has no desire to do the law of God, none at all.  It is desperately wicked. I the Lord search the heart.  Here is a body that is completely dark, there is no light shining in it, no Shekinah glory, no beautiful light of Christ, no candlestick, nothing, it is black. That is the fallen condition.

It is not enough to have an intellectual knowledge of the truth. . . . There must be an entrance of the Word into the heart. It must be set home by the power of the Holy Spirit. The will must be brought into harmony with its requirements. Not only the intellect but the heart and conscience must concur in the acceptance of the truth.  {TMK 192.3}

An unconverted person has a frontal of the brain, the most holy place and the holy place, the intellectual part and the spiritual part both need to be instructed.

The brain nerves which communicate with the entire system are the only medium through which Heaven can communicate to man and affect his inmost life. 2T 347

There must be an entrance of the word into the heart.  The entrance through the veil right through into the most holy place.  As this is the only way by which the inmost soul can be reached, God has to work through our senses.  As we were looking at the brain, the senses in the brain are recorded in the middle part of the brain. The hearing, eyesight, seeing, touch, taste, is all in these areas of the brain where the senses receive the messages and it is the only channel by which God can reach the inmost soul.  The messages come right through the intellect and through to the frontal lobe.  God can’t reach us in any other way.  Only one door, one way – through the nervous system.  That is the two apartment concept again. It must go beyond the intellect. This is how God has to work as the heart is desperately wicked.  We recognise that it is in the frontal lobe is where the change must take place.  The throne must be inhabited by God.  The frontal lobe, the moral part of the brain.

“The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psalm 119:130). . . . The wisdom spoken of by the psalmist is that which is attained when the truth is opened to the mind and applied to the heart by the Spirit of God, when its principles are wrought into the character by a life of practical Godliness. . . .  {TMK 193.3}

The only way as you hear and read, it comes in.  The entrance must go through the intellect but it most go beyond into the most holy.

The truth is kept altogether too much in the outer court. Bring it into the inner temple of the soul, enthrone it in the heart, and let it control the life.  {5T 547.1}

Intellectual work without reaching the innermost court is just an academic exercise.  It must go right into the heart, into the inner court.  This is where many have kept the truth only in the outer court.  Bring it in the inner temple, it must be practical.  The brain nerves once they have been illuminated from God must send back the message and then become practical.  Otherwise you get messages to the brain and nothing comes back.  You can be lying there doing nothing as the motor nerves are not working as only the receptor nerves are working.

The word of God should be studied and obeyed, then the heart will find rest and peace and joy, and the aspirations will tend heavenward; but when truth is kept apart from the life, in the outer court, the heart is not warmed with the glowing fire of God’s goodness.  {5T 547.1}

When the Shekinah glory is alight it is glowing with the fire of Gods goodness.  That is the Shekinah glory.  That is what has to be lodged right inside for a person to be able to work on from there.  This is what Jesus was talking about.

Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

If a person is not converted, all the issues that come from the person, no matter what intellect he is using, if he is not converted only the evil comes out because it comes out of the abundance of the heart.  Jesus makes it clear that there is the frontal lobe that sends the condition of the spiritual man out of his life. This is why God has to reach that first as it is where everything comes out.

Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so [is] he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart [is] not with thee.

This is talking about the decisions that come from the controlling force of the person.  We are all sin polluted in an unconverted state and that is the part that needs to be first reached for the rest of the temple to be cleansed.

There are thoughts and feelings (rear part of the brain) suggested and aroused by Satan that annoy even the best of men; but if they are not cherished, if they are repulsed as hateful, the soul is not contaminated with guilt, and no other is defiled by their influence. {2MCP 432.2}

Taking that statement into an unconverted state, what you say and what you do from the heart.  Messages come into the heart and it is the way that you articulate those messages produces what you are.  Satan comes in with those messages and what is in your most holy place, if that gets those messages, and it deals with them and says they are lovely I’m enjoying them and I go and do what those thoughts and feelings are tempting me to do, what must happen for us to do the right thing? We need to expound the physiology of it to know how to stop the wrong action.  We must repulse them as hateful.  Observe the physiological activities of the brain when it is not controlled and disciplined in an unconverted state.

Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

In an unconverted state what were we like?  As the messages came to us the flesh and the mind enjoyed them and there was no repulsing of them.  As the sin offering comes in, sin is taken into the body and then sin is transferred into the altar of incense, onto the horns it is affected by the sin sprinkled. Then it goes in to the innermost person and the whole body is affected by sin right up to the brain. We do the lusts of the flesh and mind and our nature is children of wrath. As this is before conversion, what happens when we become converted if God has only one way to reach the inmost soul?

Ephesians 2:1 And you [hath he quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins:

According to this whole picture there is a death of trespasses and sins, but God comes along and makes alive. We receive an electric shock.  It is by the holy spirit sending his word going into the frontal lobe they are awakened and made alive.  God reaches the inmost soul and what does he do inside when he comes and affects the person and the truth goes into the inmost soul?  He puts his throne there for a person who lets it happen. He quickens us and makes us alive who were dead.  God says give him our heart as he brings the beauty of Christ to our attention, as the priest brings this to our body temple.

Ephesians 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

The frontal lobe is corrupted as we read previously.  God wants to renew the frontal lobe.  The moral part of our brain is the only part that is morally to be pure and righteous. The rest of the body dwells no good thing but I delight as he has already received the new man, the Shekinah glory.  The other bits have to be cleansed and rearranged.  He starts with the heart.  The old man is renewed into a new man.

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Where is the perfect will of God?  The Ten Commandments in the heart and having the mind renewed.  It is inscribed in the heart.  We have written in our hearts the law not on tables of stone but fleshy tables of the heart. In the sanctuary activity of the body, the messages come through the body nerves and the brain nerves are the only way which God can communicate until he has reached the inmost soul.  Once it has submitted itself, God puts in the new man.  Now you are in a position where there are thoughts and feelings that annoy the best of men.  In a mind that doesn’t like what the flesh has, it becomes annoyed by the thoughts and feelings.  The best of men will not cherish it. What mind will expel those thoughts and feelings?

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

How you can discipline something in your mind if you have not got the disciplining force there?  Now that God has changed the mind, he can now discipline the whole being, he can now begin to cleanse the sanctuary.  The whole story of the cleansing of the sanctuary is the cleansing of our life.  A sound mind can now discipline.

Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

It is a sound mind that has been implanted by the renewing of your mind as he does his work.  The next study is to study the high priest as he is in our sanctuary.  There are three priests in the three sanctuaries and one inside of you if you will allow it. This person will work within to take the whole work of the cleansing of the sanctuary as the priest does.

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: [and] again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord [is] at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Is the Lord sitting on your throne?  The heart will be kept if the throne is presided by God.  The Lord is at hand.  As we have been pursuing this study and you let the picture of the sanctuary apply to your body sanctuary, you will understand the processes by which you are going to be cleansed from sin.  It is a science that needs to be mastered. The action of the mind must control the heart and the mind, the action of the brain, the frontal lobe and the other, all working together.  The work spiritually and physically the work goes on and there are responses. What is the sealing?

Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in their foreheads–it is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be moved–.  {4BC 1161.6}

The work of the sanctuary in the time of the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary form 1844 onwards, our body sanctuary has to be so intelligently dealt with so that is the spiritual part of the brain and the intellectual part are all so affected by the entrance of the word that there is a settling into it that you can’t no longer be moved but completely governed by a brain thoroughly dealt with by the word.

Just as soon as God’s people are sealed and prepared for the shaking, it will come. Indeed, it has begun already; the judgments of God are now upon the land, to give us warning, that we may know what is coming (MS 173, 1902).  {4BC 1161.6}

This is a sanctuary subject specific for our time.  We need to be intelligent and understand that science.

The mind is so constituted that it must be occupied with either good or evil. If it takes a low level, it is generally because it is left to deal with commonplace subjects. Man has the power to regulate and control the workings of the mind, and give direction to the current of his thoughts. But this requires greater effort than we can make in our own strength. We must stay our minds on God, if we would have right thoughts, and proper subjects for meditation.  {OHC 111.2}

There are thoughts and feelings that annoy. We now have the understanding from this science, that I have the brain material to be able to govern.  If we don’t let our mind govern, we will go randomly and nothing will hold us.  It must be illuminated by the Word and it must govern and discipline. My brain material will not govern the mind with Gods ways unless by staying our minds on God himself he can then come and flush the system of our brain material.

Few realize that it is a duty to exercise control over their thoughts and imaginations. It is difficult to keep the undisciplined mind fixed upon profitable subjects. But if the thoughts are not properly employed, religion cannot flourish in the soul. The mind must be preoccupied with sacred and eternal things, or it will cherish trifling and superficial thoughts. Both the intellectual and the moral powers must be disciplined, and they will strengthen and improve by exercise.  {OHC 111.3}

The mind must be preoccupied with sacred and eternal tings.  To be cleansed we need to have a brain that is disciplined.

To understand this matter aright, we must remember that our hearts are naturally depraved, and we are unable, of ourselves, to pursue a right course. It is only by the grace of God, combined with the most earnest efforts on our part, that we can gain the victory.  {OHC 111.4}

There are, in the Christian faith, subjects upon which every one should accustom his mind to dwell. The love of Jesus, which passeth knowledge, His sufferings for the fallen race, His work of mediation in our behalf, and His exalted glory–these are the mysteries into which angels desired to look. Heavenly beings find in these themes enough to attract and engage their deepest thoughts; and shall we, who are so intimately concerned, manifest less interest than the angels, in the wonders of redeeming love?  {OHC 111.5}

The intellect, as well as the heart, must be consecrated to the service of God. He has claims upon all there is of us.  {OHC 111.6}

The mental brain must be governed by the spiritual brain or the moral brain.  It must deal with the thoughts and feelings that come and are aroused by Satan.  They come to us.  They must be governed, repelled or received according to the spiritual life.  There is something I must do;

2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Every thought and feeling that comes must be brought into captivity. Apply that to the hormonal system – the feelings.  The pituitary gland is under the thalamus.  This is where the emotional brain functions in its connection with the moral and intellectual.  The intellectual messages are received and affected. As the chemicals come up through the system and the emotional part picks it up and says what do I do?  The pituitary can send a message that says stop this.  The pit will send a chemical to the blood stream which will cancel out the oestrogen or other hormones put them back to sleep again.  It sends an anti-hormone to deal with that.  That is the physiology of the body.  God is telling us, let your mind and heart be disciplined by the word of God and discipline your emotions.  God has a way of dealing with our body sanctuary to cleanse it entirely from all the thoughts and feelings that want to control us.

The teachings of the living oracles cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Satan has great power over the soul, to drag it down to a low level. Those who really want to learn of Christ will have to empty the soul of all its proud imaginings, that there may be room to enthrone Him there.  {OHC 110.4}

The natural, selfish mind, if left to follow out its own evil desires, will act without high motives, without reference to the glory of God or the benefit of mankind. The thoughts will be evil, and only evil, continually. . . . The Spirit of God produces a new life in the soul, bringing the thoughts and desires into obedience to the will of Christ. . . .  {OHC 113.3}

This is how the body temple is cleansed.  What are we to do with the thoughts and feelings that want to solicit our frontal lobe?  We are to preoccupy our minds and use the sound mind that has been illuminated by God.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.

Here is the simple rule of dealing with your brain material.  If there are thoughts and feelings that are not pure but they are true, but not just, but true, it doesn’t mean you think about them.  What if its honest, true but not lovely?  Don’t think about it.  If it’s got all the other things but not virtuous, don’t think about it.  If we practise this, then our body temple will be purified as we will be disciplining and be cleansed from everything arriving in the flesh. That way the flesh can scream as much as it likes, it is brought under discipline. This is how we settle intellectually into the truth.  We have the help of the high priest.  Our next study is the priestly help in the body temple.

Amen.