Could This Pattern Be in Scripture?

Now that we've seen the heaven/earth pattern in everyday life, let's explore whether it might appear in the Bible as well.

This is one way of seeing things – you might see it differently. But it's interesting to explore whether these themes resonate with biblical narratives.

Creation – Genesis 1

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

Could the very first sentence point to this pattern? It's worth considering.

Notice what happens next:

Heaven acts first: "God said: Let there be light"

  • Information comes first (the word, the command)
  • Heaven (God's will) speaks

Earth responds: "And there was light"

  • Matter responds to the word
  • Earth manifests what heaven declared

This seems to repeat throughout the creation account: "Let there be..." → "And it was so."

Adam and Eve

"The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life." (Gen 2:7)

Look at the pattern:

  • Dust (earth/matter)
  • Breath of life (heaven/spirit)
  • Both combined = Living human

Eve created from Adam:

  • Adam = "heaven" in this relationship (first, namer)
  • Eve = "earth" (manifestation, bearer of life)
  • Together they become "one flesh" – heaven and earth united

If this pattern is there, it absolutely does not suggest inferiority! In our observation, "earth" has the POWER. Without the woman, nothing is born, no family is built, no home is created.

The Fall

In Genesis 3 we see what happens when the pattern is broken:

  • Eve (earth) took the lead without consulting Adam (heaven)
  • Adam (heaven) followed passively instead of leading
  • The pattern was inverted
  • The result: Chaos, fall, death

The pattern broke down – and everything was ruined.

The Tabernacle

God gives incredibly detailed instructions for building the tabernacle:

Heaven: Detailed blueprints given to Moses

  • Exact measurements
  • Specific materials
  • Precise instructions
  • "You shall make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you." (Ex 25:9)

Earth: The craftsmen execute the plan

  • Bezalel and Oholiab (filled with skill)
  • They take the materials
  • They follow the information
  • The physical tabernacle comes into being

The design itself shows the pattern:

  • The Most Holy Place (innermost, most "heaven")
  • The Holy Place (middle, mediating space)
  • The Outer Court (outermost, most "earth")

Heaven → Earth, from innermost to outermost.

The Law and the Spirit

Paul writes much about "the letter" vs "the Spirit":

The Law alone (earth without heaven):

  • Just rules without spirit
  • External obedience without inner transformation
  • "The letter kills" (2 Cor 3:6)

The Spirit (heaven giving life to earth):

  • Spirit working through the law
  • Inner transformation that produces outer obedience
  • "The Spirit gives life"

Both together:

  • The Law (structure/earth) + the Spirit (life/heaven) = holy living
  • "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts" (Jer 31:33)

The Incarnation

"The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." (John 1:14)

This is the ultimate expression of heaven and earth united:

  • The Word (Logos) = heaven (information, meaning, God)
  • Flesh = earth (matter, humanity)
  • Jesus is both fully God (heaven) and fully man (earth)

Christ is the mediator between God (heaven) and humanity (earth). In Him, heaven and earth are perfectly integrated.

He is the pattern we copy.

Head and Body

The Apostle Paul uses this imagery constantly:

"Christ is the head of the church, which is his body." (Eph 5:23)

  • Christ = Head = Heaven (authority, direction, information)
  • Church = Body = Earth (power, action, manifestation)

"The head cannot say to the feet: I don't need you!" (1 Cor 12:21)

Paul emphasizes mutual dependence – the head cannot function without the body. Both aspects are essential.

Marriage

"The husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church." (Eph 5:23)

Could this describe a pattern rather than a hierarchy of value?

  • Husband = Heaven-position in marriage (gives direction)
  • Wife = Earth-position in marriage (manifests family life)

But immediately Paul says: "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her."

Heaven must LOVE earth. The head must serve the body.

And to wives: "The wife should respect her husband."

Earth must respect heaven. The body must honor the head.

When both happen: Beautiful marriage that honors God.

The Pattern in Creating Life

In ancient times, people understood it this way: the man came with the "blueprints" to the woman, who then took those blueprints and built the baby from them. He came with the information, she with the materials.

The man brings the "blueprint":

  • The man's seed contains information, instructions
  • This is like heaven providing the plans
  • The seed is small but contains the entire blueprint

The woman manifests the blueprint:

  • She gathers materials (eats food that becomes the baby)
  • She builds according to the instructions
  • She gives power and substance to what was just information
  • Nine months of earth-work to manifest what the seed contained

The seed is paradoxical – it is an "earthly" piece of heaven. Physical, yet carrying pure information.

The Lord's Prayer

"Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." (Matt 6:10)

Look at the structure:

  • In heaven (where God's will already happens)
  • On earth (where God's will needs to be manifested)
  • The prayer asks: Let earth match heaven

We pray for integration – that earth should reflect heaven.

The Aroma of Christ

"God spreads the knowledge of him as a fragrance everywhere through us. For we are the aroma of Christ to God." (2 Cor 2:14-15)

In the Old Testament, the smell from sacrifices rose up to God – it's called a "pleasing aroma" to the Lord. The sacrifice (earth) rises up to God (heaven).

Paul says we ARE that smell now. Our lives are the sacrifice that rises up. When we live in accordance with the pattern, we produce a "pleasing aroma."

And that fragrance has an effect:

  • For some it is the fragrance of life (draws them to Christ)
  • For others it is the fragrance of death (repels them)
  • But everyone notices it

When you integrate heaven and earth rightly in your life, you produce a spiritual "fragrance" that others notice – even if they can't identify what it is.

Revelation – The Final Goal

"I saw a new heaven and a new earth... And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from heaven, from God." (Rev 21:1-2)

Notice: Heaven AND Earth both renewed. God does not destroy earth and leave only heaven. He renews BOTH.

"God's dwelling is with mankind, and he will dwell with them." (Rev 21:3)

Heaven and earth finally, permanently united. No more separation. God (heaven) dwells with humanity (earth) forever.

Summary: The Pattern Is Everywhere

Throughout Scripture we see the same pattern:

  • Creation: God's word (heaven) + matter (earth) = the universe
  • Humanity: Spirit (heaven) + body (earth) = a human being
  • The Tabernacle: Blueprint (heaven) + craftsmen (earth) = God's dwelling
  • Marriage: Husband (heaven) + wife (earth) = family
  • Christ: God (heaven) + man (earth) = Savior
  • Salvation: Holy Spirit (heaven) + the person (earth) = truly living person
  • The Church: Christ (head/heaven) + us (body/earth) = His manifestation
  • The Future: New heaven + new earth = God's eternal kingdom

The pattern is consistent because God designed reality this way. It is not random – it is His signature on everything that exists.

Why This Gives Hope

Because the pattern is consistent:

  1. You know that reality has structure (not chaos)
  2. You understand your place in the structure
  3. You can see how God designs things to flourish
  4. You have a map for navigating relationships
  5. You know where the story ends (heaven and earth together)

Nothing is meaningless. Everything has its place in the design. And the design is good.