The apostle Paul wrote:

Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. … For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:1, 10 NIV84, emphasis mine).

Is he referring only to new physical bodies for our individualities—or something more?

Is there a relationship between what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5 and this text:

For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf (Hebrews 9:24 NRSV, emphasis mine)?

Are the “building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands” and a true sanctuary in heaven not made by human hands referring to the very same thing or something different? Consider these verses:

“As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:4–5 NIV84, emphasis mine).

“Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it” (Revelation 3:12 NIV84, emphasis mine).

“Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (Psalm 23:6 NIV84, emphasis mine).

“You are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit (Ephesians 2:19–22 NIV84, emphasis mine).

We are living stones built into a spiritual house, pillars in God’s temple, and never leave it. Does that mean we are locked in a building in heaven for all eternity—or something else? When David wrote that he would dwell in the house of the Lord forever, did he mean he would stay in a building for all eternity, or that as a living stone, he would live forever as part of God’s heavenly temple no matter where in reality he is physically located?

What is this temple in heaven built by God? Is it a real structure but not built out of inanimate material like stone, gold, or wood, but built out of real living beings? Consider other object lessons from Scripture that depict the structure Jesus is building:

• Vine and branches: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 NIV84).
• Lampstand: The central stand represents Jesus, and the six branches represent humanity attached to Jesus. We receive oil/life/Spirit only from being attached to Jesus—separate beings built together into a living whole.

• Body and Head: 1 Corinthians 12:12–27 pictures believers as the many members of one body—eye, hand, foot—each different but sharing one life. Many parts built together into a living whole.
• One loaf from many grains: “We, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf” (1 Corinthians 10:17 NIV84). Many individual grains ground and baked into a single loaf.
• The olive tree with grafted branches: Wild branches grafted in and becoming part of the living whole (Romans 11:16–24).
• The tabernacle curtains and boards “coupled together”: Exodus 26:1–6 and 26:15–30 describe the linen curtains joined by loops and golden clasps, and the standing boards joined by bars running through rings in both cases—so that, in the text’s own words, “the tabernacle shall be one.” Many separate pieces, structurally joined into a single dwelling, representing the temple in heaven built out of living beings cut away, like the cedars in the sanctuary, from their roots in the world and shaped, fitted, covered in gold (righteousness of Christ) and built together into a living whole.
• One flock, one Shepherd: Many individual sheep, formerly of different folds, gathered into one flock under one shepherd—again a living whole (John 10:14–16).
• Bridegroom and Bride: Ephesians 5:25–32 explicitly calls the one-flesh union of Genesis 2:24 (Eve formed from Adam’s side and rejoined to him) “a great mystery … concerning Christ and the church” (NKJV). Revelation 19:7–9 and 21:2, 9 carry the same picture forward—the redeemed as a bride made one with the Bridegroom, a living whole.

Paul is describing the reality of God’s plan; we are like the separate branches branching off of the lampstand that are golden and filled with the oil. We get new bodies only as we are joined together as one in a building built by God’s power of truth and love restored into humanity through Jesus.

This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD. It is he who will build the temple of the LORD, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two” (Zechariah 6:12–13 NIV84, emphasis mine).

Jesus leaves heaven to build God’s temple. If God’s temple was already built in heaven, Jesus wouldn’t have to leave heaven to build it. But how does Jesus build God’s temple? By partaking of the life breathed into Adam and corrupted by Adam, purging that terminal spirit of fear and selfishness, and replacing it in humanity with His sinless Spirit of love and trust. And in so doing, Jesus becomes:

• The second Adam
• The new head of humanity
• The central golden stand of the lampstand from whom we receive life
• The lid to the ark of the covenant, which unites all things together
• The vine into whom we are grafted and receive life
• The Groom to whom the church is united, bonded, wedded, and becomes at-one.
• The chief cornerstone to whom we are connected by faith and become living stones built together into a unified whole—a living house or temple where God’s glory is manifest.

And that is exactly what atonement is: the two being one, as Jesus prayed in John 17, that we will all be one as He and the Father are one. And when does that happen?

It happens now! We are to be united, bonded, wedded, atoned, sealed, settled, purified, made like Him now, so that when He returns, we will see Him face to face!

And Paul does tie this all together with:

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10 NIV84).

What is the judgment seat? It is God’s examining room, where light shines in, where truth shines in, where reality is revealed, and all those who have surrendered in trust to Jesus are purified, cleansed, renewed, healed, and perfected, ready for His appearing. As Malachi describes:

He will be like a refiner’s fire. … He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness. … So I will come near to you for judgment (Malachi 3:2–5 NIV84, emphasis mine).

God comes and diagnoses (judges) accurately what each person has chosen—truth, love, trust in Jesus, which opens the heart, giving Jesus freedom to enter and heal, purify, and cleanse His temple, His people, writing His law in their hearts and minds (Hebrews 8:10). For all who trust Him, He purges the corrupted code, the spirit of fear, the lies, distortions, and restores in us the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

But for all who distrust Him, when the light shines in, it reveals reality, the encoded lies, fear, selfishness, and distrust that actively keep the heart closed, preventing Jesus from healing them. Why?

Because of how reality works! If God used His divine power to make changes in a brain, a heart, a mind, without that person choosing it, against that person’s will, such an act would destroy them. Their individuality and personhood would be erased and replaced with a simulation, a fake, a lookalike, a robot.

The only way God can cleanse His sanctuary, the living stones, and build His temple is through Christ, through the living Word made flesh and all He accomplished, that we ingest, take in the truth, that wins us to trust. And then, in trust, when we open our hearts, we receive His blood, His life, and are reborn, recreated, renewed, and open ourselves fully for Him to cleanse every defect, creating in us clean hearts and right spirits (John 6:53; Psalm 51:10).

But God can cleanse the temple, the hearts and minds, only of those who have surrendered their lives to Him and trust Him.

I invite you, if you haven’t already done so, to surrender your heart to Jesus, invite Him in, let Him heal and restore you into a living stone built by Him for living in His eternal house!