We are those who hear the voice from heaven that says “come up hither”. Where 2 or more are gathered in His name, underneath Her, like the cloud over the tabernacle in the wilderness and of the city in the old testament picture, for “His name is on Her”. She wears His name like a Bride. The two are one.
She is in Him as are we and we are under Her care, comfort and tutelage. She is the other comforter/helper/help mate, wife and bride. When the body of Christ comes together in the physical, the prophets apostles evangelists and teachers, meaning the ekklisia, or church as we say in English, this is when we practice these truths collectively. Just as earthly Jerusalem was a tutor by mirroring the eternal in a physical way to bring us to Christ, so also is the earthly Church (not speaking of buildings). The church like Jerusalem of old is temporary having the same purpose, to bring all into the full stature of the son of God, but “when what is mature has come that which is in part will be done away with”. When faith has come. When the eternal is obtained by faith.
This is why God has given us apostles, prophets and teachers for the edifying of the body of Christ, to “the called out ones” or eklesia. But of all the teacher’s, prophets and such, they are only temporary . For we see in part and know in part. Knowledge will cease, prophecies will fail. When that which is perfect comes , that which is in part is done away with”. Yes all the select offices and ministers of the church are temporary till faith comes. This is the purpose of our interaction with God and others. As Paul put it in Ephesians 4.11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
For some if us that has happened already. The church is like an embryonic sac containing genetic in formation for our transformation but itself is not the mother but a component of mothering. This is why Paul said “When it pleased God to separate me from my mother’s womb to reveal is son in me. He then distances himself from Jerusalem of old and it’s hyarchy saying, I did not confer with flesh and blood. I did not go to the old ….
So you see both Jerusalem of old and the church are temporary embryonic sacs till we acquire the carnally intangible and physically unattainable because “that which is flesh, that which is spirit, you must be born again”. So we show you how.
This is why Paul said of himself that God chose Him last to be a prototype for all to believe . That we would see his transition and follow his progression into the carnally unknowable realities of the spirit. He transitioned from the embryonic sac then saying of Jerusalem on earth “cut off the bondsman (earthen Jerusalem) and her son” showing that it only had temporal importance . He concludes the book with the correct definition of “the Israel of God” as nothing carnal or physical but those of the new creation.
Here is the break down of this hyarchy from Strong’s Greek concordance for your verification
The replacement for Adam and Eve are Christ and His comforter, helper, Holy Spirit, the parents of the new creation. And we are this kind if indeed His spirit dwells in us. As Paul also said in Galatians 4.26 “the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all” And She is the city/bride/wife of Christ/comforter/another helper/Holy Spirit the two come together under the New Covenant to be one for the propagation of the species for the procreation of the new creation of those born of Word/ and Spirit/ helper. Remember “in the beginning was tge Word and tge Word was God”.
John 3.29 He who has the bride (the helper, another comforter, parent so we are not orphans) is the bridegroom”. (past tense) If they were not united, or wed, there would be no offspring and we would still be dead in our sins, but now they are and so are we. If you are this kind. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. As many as are not led by Her are not born of Her and Him. They are not His. For the world cannot know Her or see Her. And this birth too is not a time dimensional concept started with Pentecost, For even Isaac was born of the Spirit. way before the time of Christ. (Gal 4.29). Pentecost just showed in the physical dimension eternal realities in the spirit.
The Bridegroom Has the Bride, The King is in the City on the throne even now! Like He was before He came in the flesh to show us the way. Hebrews 13.8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday today and forever. He never was not King. He was born in the man Jesus being the ever lasting Father and king of Kings. But He is not of “earthly Jerusalem for His kingdom is not of this world. And the City is as eternal as Her King, being the kingdom “finished from the foundations of the world”. He always has been as with Her also.
This is the Kingdom of God which is always at Hand!