What will happen to our physical bodies when the rapture happens?

**dcbrott99** · January-27th-2012, 03:00 PM

I ask this question because I simply don't know if there is anything in the Bible that says anything about this. I think about the Left Behind books and movies where they depict the physical body just disappearing and clothes and such are left behind. However, is that accurate? Is there any real way to know? I don't think it necessarily matter too much to us that are going wether it is just our souls that go up and not our physical bodies but I think it does make a difference to those left behind. If our bodies are left behind and just our souls taken then it might be easier for the antichrist to explain what happens. I don't know, my brain is just on overload today. Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts about this or, more importantly, if there is anything in the Bible that addresses this. Thanks!

**Sean Osborne** · January-27th-2012, 03:04 PM

Our bodies are instantly transfigured (changed) into spiritual bodies. 1 Corinthians 15:52

**dcbrott99** · January-27th-2012, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by Sean Osborne

Our bodies are instantly transfigured (changed) into spiritual bodies. 1 Corinthians 15:52

So if I am understanding this correctly we will not lose our physical bodies but we will instead simply have them changed to whatever our spiritual bodies will be? Does that sound about right? Thanks for the scripture reference.

**mattfivefour** · January-27th-2012, 05:37 PM

It's more than a "change" it is a total new incorruptible body that will somehow, by God's creative power, spring from the seed of this corruptible one. Our new body will bear the same relation to this body as a corn plant or a wheat plant bears to the seed that gave it its start. In fact, I believe the Bible hints that our first body will "die" in some way in the instant before we are transformed. Read 1 Corinthians 15:35-49 carefully, noting verse 36 in particular .
35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” 36 You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; 37 and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38 But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. 40 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.

**dcbrott99** · January-27th-2012, 05:53 PM

Originally Posted by mattfivefour

It's more than a "change" it is a total new incorruptible body that will somehow, by God's creative power, spring from the seed of this corruptible one. Our new body will bear the same relation to this body as a corn plant or a wheat plant bears to the seed that gave it its start. In fact, I believe the Bible hints that our first body will "die" in some way in the instant before we are transformed. Read 1 Corinthians 15:35-49 carefully, noting verse 36 in particular .
35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” 36 You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; 37 and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38 But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. 40 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.

Thanks Matt for that insight. I look forward to putting on that incorruptible body!

**mattfivefour** · January-27th-2012, 09:29 PM

Me, too!

**acceptedinthebeloved** · January-28th-2012, 02:11 AM

Good answers.

I just thought I would mention a related passage (to 1 Corinthians 15:52, 53, 54 and context) and that is 2 Corinthians 5:1-8, esp verse 4. Here is an excerpt from an article by Dr. Thomas Ice, which might also help:

2 Corinthians 5:1-8

Naked Believers

Since the subject matter of this portion of Scripture relates to the state of the body, whether mortal or resurrected, Paul speaks of the interval between a believer' s death and the resurrection. Robert Gromacki says, " This period between the physical death of a believer and his resurrection is designated as the time of nakedness. It is when the self has neither its old body or its new body. Theologians have called it the intermediate state of the soul." [1] This does not mean that when a believer dies he does not go to be with the Lord, since Scripture says, " to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8). Philip E. Hughes explains as follows:

At the death the soul is separated from the body, and man' s integral nature is disrupted. This important aspect of the disintegrating character of death explains the Apostle' s desire that Christ should return during his lifetime so that he might experience the change into the likeness of Christ' s body of glory (Phil. 3:21) without having to undergo the experience of " nakedness" which results from the separation of soul and body at death. . . . It still means a state of nakedness and a period of waiting until he is clothed with his resurrection body.[2]

This passage, in its indirect way, is teaching the Paul was longing for the rapture to occur before he died, since the interval between Paul' s death and the obtaining of his resurrection body would come at the time of the rapture (1 Thess. 4:13- 18; 1 Cor. 15:51- 58). Thus, 2 Corinthians 5 is a rapture passage. " It is the resurrection and the rapture which the new desire longs for," says Roy Laurin, " because the resurrection and the rapture will bring us this building which is " an house not made with hands." [3] Gromacki notes the rapture connection in the following:

The verb " clothed upon" is a double compound (ependu™ using three words epi, en, du™). It actually means to put one piece of clothing over another which is presently being worn. The usage in this context probably means that Paul wanted to be alive when the Lord returned. In that way, the new body could be put on right over the old one.[4]

Paul further explains in verse 4 why he hopes for the rapture before his death. " For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life." G. Coleman Luck explains, " The thing for which we groan is not death and dissolution of the body. We do not long to be ' unclothed,' so to speak, but rather to be ' clothed upon,' to have our mortal bodies transformed and perfected without dying at the time of the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:17; 1 Cor. 51, 52)." [5]

This passage seems to teach that a believer during the church age who dies before the rapture is with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8), but do not yet have their new resurrection body. This seems to also imply that there is no New Testament basis for those who teach that we have an intermediate body (i.e. not a resurrection body) during the interval between death and the resurrection as we dwell in the presence of the Lord. Otherwise, how do they explain Paul' s desire to not be naked? Further, this passage does not allow for " soul sleep" since the person is very much alive during the interval, it is the body that is " sleeping."

"A Little Used Rapture Passage" by Dr. Thomas Ice

The Thomas Ice Collection

**Kenny64** · January-29th-2012, 02:00 PM

Originally Posted by mattfivefour

It's more than a "change" it is a total new incorruptible body that will somehow, by God's creative power, spring from the seed of this corruptible one. Our new body will bear the same relation to this body as a corn plant or a wheat plant bears to the seed that gave it its start. In fact, I believe the Bible hints that our first body will "die" in some way in the instant before we are transformed. Read 1 Corinthians 15:35-49 carefully, noting verse 36 in particular .
35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” 36 You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; 37 and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38 But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish. 40 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.

. 48 As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.

Amen!!