Resurrection Bodies

ldonjohn

"God said it, that settles it!"
The last 2 Sundays our Sunday School class has been discussing 1 Corinthians 15 and the resurrection of Christians. Someone stated the he believes when Christians are raptured their old bodies will remain on earth and the dead bodies of those who are resurrected will remain in the grave. He said that we will simply receive new bodies instead of having our old bodies transformed into new glorified bodies. His thinking is that the world will say that all those dead bodies are the result of COVID. This person went on to say that God created Adam from the dust of the ground, and that the bible says in Genesis 3:19 that since man was taken from dust and to dust he will return. My reply was that God can take the dust created by our decayed bodies and make us a new body. Also, another scripture I referred to was 1 Corinthians 15:51 "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed"

I objected to that idea pointing to the fact that Jesus's body was resurrected, and did not remain in the tomb. Also, I referred to 1 John 3:2 which says that when we see him we shall be like Him, and will see Him as He is, meaning that our bodies will be changed or transformed into a new glorified body like the body of Jesus. Another scripture I referred to was Revelations 11:11 where the 2 witnesses who had been killed are made alive by the Spirit of God so that their dead bodies stood up on their feet.

Then I was asked if our bodies will have scars in the same way Jesus' body has scars. I answered "yes," but now I'm not sure about that. I know Jesus' body shows the scars from the nails & from his side being pierced, but God had a purpose for those scars to be visible in His body, one being so that the disciples would know that the person claiming to be the risen Jesus really was that person. Another question I was asked was if a Christian has tattoos will his glorified body also have those tattoos; I said "yes," but again, I'm not sure about that either.

I have searched scriptures and I have tried Mr. Google, but I have run out of answers. Any help from my friends here at RF would be much appreciated.

Don/John
 

Misty S

Member
Scars are an indicator of entropy, injury, sin, etc. Christ's scars are completely different for different reasons. Two totally different things. I cannot imagine carrying earthy damage bearing the image of death and sin in a glorified state in a place that is devoid of such dreadful things. That is not a hopeful proposition at all. Do we carry our more prominent disfigurements as well? Scars are a type of them after all. Also the thought of looking at my husband's crying skull tats which cover his injuries while we are in Heaven is hilarious in an absurdly offensive way.

Also, I would not answer "yes" to anything I was not sure of, especially since you are teaching kids under the umbrella of the formidable teaching ministry of the Body. That is dangerous stuff.
 

ldonjohn

"God said it, that settles it!"
Scars are an indicator of entropy, injury, sin, etc. Christ's scars are completely different for different reasons. Two totally different things. I cannot imagine carrying earthy damage bearing the image of death and sin in a glorified state in a place that is devoid of such dreadful things. That is not a hopeful proposition at all. Do we carry our more prominent disfigurements as well? Scars are a type of them after all. Also the thought of looking at my husband's crying skull tats which cover his injuries while we are in Heaven is hilarious in an absurdly offensive way.

Also, I would not answer "yes" to anything I was not sure of, especially since you are teaching kids under the umbrella of the formidable teaching ministry of the Body. That is dangerous stuff.
I am not teaching kids. This is in an adult Sunday School class mostly 60 years and up. As I said, I'm not sure about scars, so looking for scriptures about that, if any.
 

Chris

Administrator
Staff member
Perhaps these will help. I tend to take the view that the scars on Jesus' body in eternity will be visible reminders to us for all of eternity the sacrifice He made for us by going to the Cross. I personally don't see glorified bodies carrying scars, tattoos, etc. in eternity. I can't see how Heaven which is going to be a place of bliss, perfect, holiness, righteousness, etc. is going to be glorified by all sorts of tattoos like "skulls, bones, gang symbols, and all sorts of other ungodly stuff"??? I don't think those things are consistent with what we know about Heaven. JMHO. :idunno


Scars and Deformities in Eternity?
By Jack Kelley

Question: Today I have read your thoughts on the scars of Christ’s incorruptible body, and the thought that ‘my’ scars may be permanent is quite a disappointment. I have several pronounced scars and half a left thumb and these are just ugly and I don’t much care. I don’t mind being ugly in a genderless afterlife but both my eyes have had the lens removed and synthetic replacements installed. I do not look forward to being totally blind for eternity. The verses you gave did not cause me to think that damage done to our mortal bodies would not be transferred to our replacements. Can you help?

Answer: In Rev. 5: 6 John reported seeing a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, at the throne of God. Scholars have interpreted that as meaning the Lord still bears the scars of his crucifixion and add that the marks of His humiliation have become the marks of His glory. The fact that He showed them to Thomas after His resurrection bears this out.

But there’s no Scriptural basis for you to apply that detail about the Lord’s body to yours. 1 John 3:2 says what we will be has not been made known but when we see the Lord we will be like Him. It doesn’t say we will look like Him. And Paul said that just as a plant that grows does not resemble the seed that was planted, but God gives it a body as He has determined, so will our resurrection bodies be. They’ll be sown in dishonor but raised in glory, and sown in weakness but raised in power. (1 Cor. 15:37-38, 42-44).

In summary, no one knows what our resurrection bodies will look like. But from Romans 8:30 we do know that we’ll have glorified bodies. The Greek word means our bodies will be made glorious. You won’t have any reason to be disappointed in the way you look.

https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/scars-and-deformities-in-eternity/


If We’re Perfect, Why The Scars?
By Jack Kelley

Question: I think you wrote somewhere that when the rapture occurs, our mortal bodies will transformed to new immortal bodies and will be perfected, free from imperfection. I also was under the impression that the risen Christ, visible to the Apostles and others in Jerusalem, is a model of what our new risen bodies will be like. I wonder then, if we have perfected bodies, why the scars of the crucifixion were still evident in Christ’s body, the nail holes and his side wound? Was this specific to Christ, or are there certain “scars” that we will also maintain for eternity?

Answer: The passage you’re looking for is 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, and it does state that in the twinkling of an eye our mortal bodies will be changed into perfect, immortal ones. And 1 John 3:2 says when the Lord appears we will be like Him.

We’re also told in John 20:27 and in Rev. 5:6 that scars remain in the resurrection body of Jesus. Why this is so is not explained, but scholars have taken the view that they’ve become emblems of honor, visible reminders of His greatest work and worn with distinction, like a medal or insignia of exalted rank. They’re unique to Him, identifying Him alone as the Savior of mankind. It’s been rightly said that the only man made things in heaven are the scars on the body of our Lord.

https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/if-were-perfect-why-the-scars/


Oh boy, I really agree with this:

It’s been rightly said that the only man made things in heaven are the scars on the body of our Lord.

:thumbup
 

BrotherKev

Servant
Perhaps these will help. I tend to take the view that the scars on Jesus' body in eternity will be visible reminders to us for all of eternity the sacrifice He made for us by going to the Cross. I personally don't see glorified bodies carrying scars, tattoos, etc. in eternity. I can't see how Heaven which is going to be a place of bliss, perfect, holiness, righteousness, etc. is going to be glorified by all sorts of tattoos like "skulls, bones, gang symbols, and all sorts of other ungodly stuff"??? I don't think those things are consistent with what we know about Heaven. JMHO. :idunno


Scars and Deformities in Eternity?
By Jack Kelley

Question: Today I have read your thoughts on the scars of Christ’s incorruptible body, and the thought that ‘my’ scars may be permanent is quite a disappointment. I have several pronounced scars and half a left thumb and these are just ugly and I don’t much care. I don’t mind being ugly in a genderless afterlife but both my eyes have had the lens removed and synthetic replacements installed. I do not look forward to being totally blind for eternity. The verses you gave did not cause me to think that damage done to our mortal bodies would not be transferred to our replacements. Can you help?

Answer: In Rev. 5: 6 John reported seeing a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, at the throne of God. Scholars have interpreted that as meaning the Lord still bears the scars of his crucifixion and add that the marks of His humiliation have become the marks of His glory. The fact that He showed them to Thomas after His resurrection bears this out.

But there’s no Scriptural basis for you to apply that detail about the Lord’s body to yours. 1 John 3:2 says what we will be has not been made known but when we see the Lord we will be like Him. It doesn’t say we will look like Him. And Paul said that just as a plant that grows does not resemble the seed that was planted, but God gives it a body as He has determined, so will our resurrection bodies be. They’ll be sown in dishonor but raised in glory, and sown in weakness but raised in power. (1 Cor. 15:37-38, 42-44).

In summary, no one knows what our resurrection bodies will look like. But from Romans 8:30 we do know that we’ll have glorified bodies. The Greek word means our bodies will be made glorious. You won’t have any reason to be disappointed in the way you look.

https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/scars-and-deformities-in-eternity/


If We’re Perfect, Why The Scars?
By Jack Kelley

Question: I think you wrote somewhere that when the rapture occurs, our mortal bodies will transformed to new immortal bodies and will be perfected, free from imperfection. I also was under the impression that the risen Christ, visible to the Apostles and others in Jerusalem, is a model of what our new risen bodies will be like. I wonder then, if we have perfected bodies, why the scars of the crucifixion were still evident in Christ’s body, the nail holes and his side wound? Was this specific to Christ, or are there certain “scars” that we will also maintain for eternity?

Answer: The passage you’re looking for is 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, and it does state that in the twinkling of an eye our mortal bodies will be changed into perfect, immortal ones. And 1 John 3:2 says when the Lord appears we will be like Him.

We’re also told in John 20:27 and in Rev. 5:6 that scars remain in the resurrection body of Jesus. Why this is so is not explained, but scholars have taken the view that they’ve become emblems of honor, visible reminders of His greatest work and worn with distinction, like a medal or insignia of exalted rank. They’re unique to Him, identifying Him alone as the Savior of mankind. It’s been rightly said that the only man made things in heaven are the scars on the body of our Lord.

https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/if-were-perfect-why-the-scars/


Oh boy, I really agree with this:



:thumbup
Maybe we'll have scars like Him, to remind everyone there that the Church, the Body of Christ, was crucified with Him.
:catball
 

Wings Like Eagles

Well-Known Member
The last 2 Sundays our Sunday School class has been discussing 1 Corinthians 15 and the resurrection of Christians. Someone stated the he believes when Christians are raptured their old bodies will remain on earth and the dead bodies of those who are resurrected will remain in the grave. He said that we will simply receive new bodies instead of having our old bodies transformed into new glorified bodies. His thinking is that the world will say that all those dead bodies are the result of COVID. This person went on to say that God created Adam from the dust of the ground, and that the bible says in Genesis 3:19 that since man was taken from dust and to dust he will return. My reply was that God can take the dust created by our decayed bodies and make us a new body. Also, another scripture I referred to was 1 Corinthians 15:51 "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed"

I objected to that idea pointing to the fact that Jesus's body was resurrected, and did not remain in the tomb. Also, I referred to 1 John 3:2 which says that when we see him we shall be like Him, and will see Him as He is, meaning that our bodies will be changed or transformed into a new glorified body like the body of Jesus. Another scripture I referred to was Revelations 11:11 where the 2 witnesses who had been killed are made alive by the Spirit of God so that their dead bodies stood up on their feet.

Then I was asked if our bodies will have scars in the same way Jesus' body has scars. I answered "yes," but now I'm not sure about that. I know Jesus' body shows the scars from the nails & from his side being pierced, but God had a purpose for those scars to be visible in His body, one being so that the disciples would know that the person claiming to be the risen Jesus really was that person. Another question I was asked was if a Christian has tattoos will his glorified body also have those tattoos; I said "yes," but again, I'm not sure about that either.

I have searched scriptures and I have tried Mr. Google, but I have run out of answers. Any help from my friends here at RF would be much appreciated.

Don/John
In 1 Corinthians 15:44, we are told: "They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are spiritual bodies.

I think of all the Christian martyrs who were burned at the stake--their bodies reduced to ashes and mixed in with the wood ashes. There would have been nothing to bury, and again, I think of those Christians who were lost at sea, their bodies devoured by sea creatures. I do not think that Paul was suggesting that any bit of our dying flesh would be part of our resurrection, as he firmly states in verse 50 that, "...our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever..." And then he goes on to say that we will be "transformed"--not our mortal flesh. But, that word that many English Bibles translate as "transformed" is an interesting word in the Greek root word, enduo. It actually makes a bit more sense in the Greek because the root word, enduo means "to be clothed". In other words, the essence of who we are is "clothed" in mortal flesh now, but that essence (soul/spirit) will be clothed with immortal flesh when we are resurrected. Taken altogether, it may be that Paul is saying that we will be raised in spirit bodies which will become clothed in resurrected bodies, at some point--the First Resurrection spoken of in Revelation 20:6. He says in 1 Corinthians 15:40 that there are "heavenly bodies" just as there are "bodies on the earth".

God the Father Almighty is Spirit, "who lives in unapproachable light" we are told. Angels, as well--both holy and fallen are powerful spiritual beings, but they will not participate in resurrection to what we think of as the physical bodies of this world. Only Jesus is the "first of the resurrection"--so far. He carries His spiritual and physical wounds as badges of honour. Any of the wounds in our corrupted flesh will be gone, in my opinion. What an amazing God we serve.
 

mattfivefour

Well-Known Member
In 1 Corinthians 15:44, we are told: "They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are spiritual bodies.

I think of all the Christian martyrs who were burned at the stake--their bodies reduced to ashes and mixed in with the wood ashes. There would have been nothing to bury, and again, I think of those Christians who were lost at sea, their bodies devoured by sea creatures. I do not think that Paul was suggesting that any bit of our dying flesh would be part of our resurrection, as he firmly states in verse 50 that, "...our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever..." And then he goes on to say that we will be "transformed"--not our mortal flesh. But, that word that many English Bibles translate as "transformed" is an interesting word in the Greek root word, enduo. It actually makes a bit more sense in the Greek because the root word, enduo means "to be clothed". In other words, the essence of who we are is "clothed" in mortal flesh now, but that essence (soul/spirit) will be clothed with immortal flesh when we are resurrected. Taken altogether, it may be that Paul is saying that we will be raised in spirit bodies which will become clothed in resurrected bodies, at some point--the First Resurrection spoken of in Revelation 20:6. He says in 1 Corinthians 15:40 that there are "heavenly bodies" just as there are "bodies on the earth".

God the Father Almighty is Spirit, "who lives in unapproachable light" we are told. Angels, as well--both holy and fallen are powerful spiritual beings, but they will not participate in resurrection to what we think of as the physical bodies of this world. Only Jesus is the "first of the resurrection"--so far. He carries His spiritual and physical wounds as badges of honour. Any of the wounds in our corrupted flesh will be gone, in my opinion. What an amazing God we serve.
Excellent input! I agree wholeheartedly.
 

mattfivefour

Well-Known Member
I agree, Spartan. Paul speaks of this clearly in 1 Corinthians 15:35-49.

35But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” 36You fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37And what you sow is not the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or something else. 38But God gives it a body as He has designed, and to each kind of seed He gives its own body.​

39Not all flesh is the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another, and fish another. 40There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. But the splendor of the heavenly bodies is of one degree, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is of another. 41The sun has one degree of splendor, the moon another, and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.​

42So will it be with the resurrection of the dead: What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable. 43It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being;”e the last Adam a life-giving spirit.​

46The spiritual, however, was not first, but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48As was the earthly man, so also are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. 49And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so also shall we bear the likeness of the heavenly man. (BSB)​

So, I believe this lets us know that the dead body will be instantly changed. It will undergo an instantaneous metamorphosis into a heavenly body. It will not resemble the old body any more than a stalk of wheat or corn resembles the seed from which it sprang, or the butterfly looks anything like the caterpillar from which it came.
 

Spartan Sprinter 1

Formerly known as Shaun
I agree, Spartan. Paul speaks of this clearly in 1 Corinthians 15:35-49.

35But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” 36You fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37And what you sow is not the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or something else. 38But God gives it a body as He has designed, and to each kind of seed He gives its own body.​

39Not all flesh is the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another, and fish another. 40There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. But the splendor of the heavenly bodies is of one degree, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is of another. 41The sun has one degree of splendor, the moon another, and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.​

42So will it be with the resurrection of the dead: What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable. 43It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being;”e the last Adam a life-giving spirit.​

46The spiritual, however, was not first, but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48As was the earthly man, so also are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. 49And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so also shall we bear the likeness of the heavenly man. (BSB)​

So, I believe this lets us know that the dead body will be instantly changed. It will undergo an instantaneous metamorphosis into a heavenly body. It will not resemble the old body any more than a stalk of wheat or corn resembles the seed from which it sprang, or the butterfly looks anything like the caterpillar from which it came.

Thanks pastor Adrian, i could remember mention of this in the bible but couldn't recall the actual verses
 

ldonjohn

"God said it, that settles it!"
I agree, Spartan. Paul speaks of this clearly in 1 Corinthians 15:35-49.

35But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” 36You fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37And what you sow is not the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or something else. 38But God gives it a body as He has designed, and to each kind of seed He gives its own body.​

39Not all flesh is the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another, and fish another. 40There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. But the splendor of the heavenly bodies is of one degree, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is of another. 41The sun has one degree of splendor, the moon another, and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.​

42So will it be with the resurrection of the dead: What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable. 43It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being;”e the last Adam a life-giving spirit.​

46The spiritual, however, was not first, but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48As was the earthly man, so also are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. 49And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so also shall we bear the likeness of the heavenly man. (BSB)​

So, I believe this lets us know that the dead body will be instantly changed. It will undergo an instantaneous metamorphosis into a heavenly body. It will not resemble the old body any more than a stalk of wheat or corn resembles the seed from which it sprang, or the butterfly looks anything like the caterpillar from which it came.

Our Sunday school class has been studying 1 Corinthians 15 for several weeks. Two Sundays ago, after going through the same verses listed in your post, our teacher stated that he believes our old natural bodies will remain in the grave and return to dust; that our resurrected bodies will not be our old bodies that have been transformed into new glorified bodies. Now he did say that he could be wrong about that belief.
When I stated that I believe our new bodies will be like the resurrected body of Jesus he asked me if I believe our bodies will have any visible scars that our old bodies had, and I said "yes." But I'm not really sure I believe that now. I'm looking for scriptures that support either view, and I found 2 that have convinced me that our new glorified bodies will not have scars. Those scriptures are:

Isaiah 53:5, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our inequities: the chastisement or our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Thoughts?
 

mattfivefour

Well-Known Member
My thoughts are identical to Jack Kelley's at https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/scars-and-deformities-in-eternity/. The only reason Christ's wounds are quite possibly part of His resurrected body is as an endless testimony to his love for us in dying to unite us with God for eternity. That same cannot be said for any other person who ever lived; therefore Christ's wounds are unique. In the absence of clear Scripture, I do not believe we can draw any conclusions about our own future selves from His appearance, other than that our eternal bodies will be, like His, invulnerable, unlimited in ability, and immortal.
 

pixelpusher

Well-Known Member
I reckon the actual bodies are going to come out of the graves. If the bodies were obliterated or decayed to dust (Ecclesiastes 12:7), scattered, smothered and/or covered, they will be instantly reconstituted and changed.

Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead. Isaiah 26:19

The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. - Matt 27:52-53

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 Corinthians 5:11

Isaiah 65:17 See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.

*****

If we still had scars from injuries in this life, wouldn't they remind us of the old earth?
 

Wings Like Eagles

Well-Known Member
Will the natural bodies of dead Christians remain in their graves after they are resurrected, and what will happen to the natural bodies of the Christians who are still alive at the moment of the rapture of the church?
Will those old bodies disappear in a burst of light, as Jesus summons our spirit bodies to Himself? Eager to find out, when we join His spiritual Kingdom, in advance of His physical Kingdom being brought to this world by Him, as the Captain of the Armies of Heaven.

In any case, our spirit bodies will need to be separated from our mortal body "clothing"--"in the twinkling of an eye" (thought to be a reference to Rosh Hashanah).
 

ldonjohn

"God said it, that settles it!"
Will those old bodies disappear in a burst of light, as Jesus summons our spirit bodies to Himself? Eager to find out, when we join His spiritual Kingdom, in advance of His physical Kingdom being brought to this world by Him, as the Captain of the Armies of Heaven.

In any case, our spirit bodies will need to be separated from our mortal body "clothing"--"in the twinkling of an eye" (thought to be a reference to Rosh Hashanah).
Can you explain "spirit bodies?"
 

ldonjohn

"God said it, that settles it!"
I reckon the actual bodies are going to come out of the graves. If the bodies were obliterated or decayed to dust (Ecclesiastes 12:7), scattered, smothered and/or covered, they will be instantly reconstituted and changed.

Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead. Isaiah 26:19

The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. - Matt 27:52-53

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 Corinthians 5:11

Isaiah 65:17 See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.

*****

If we still had scars from injuries in this life, wouldn't they remind us of the old earth?
Thanks for those scriptures; that's what I was looking for.
 

Wings Like Eagles

Well-Known Member
Can you explain "spirit bodies?"
For a definitive answer, you're going to have to ask the Apostle Paul (or Jesus Himself) when you get to heaven. Paul is the one who used the expression a number of times in the latter parts of 1 Corinthians 15. I'm assuming that he meant that part of us which is immaterial, as this world counts material. In other words, our spirit bodies are likely to be our "essence". Our soul and spirit--that part of us that is uniquely us. If we are only our bodies (as materialists insist), then identical twins would be interchangeable--but we know they are not

The Bible assures us that God the Father Almighty is Spirit and that He "dwells in unapproachable light". Angels, both holy ones and fallen ones, are powerful spiritual beings who apparently do not die. Satan and his evil angels will apparently die eternally in the Lake of Fire and be tormented there forever.

Those in the Resurrection will, it seems, be immortal as well. We know that Jesus, the first to be resurrected, will live forever. The Apostle Paul states that we will exchange our mortality for immortality. (1 Corinthians 15:53-54).
 

Wings Like Eagles

Well-Known Member
I reckon the actual bodies are going to come out of the graves. If the bodies were obliterated or decayed to dust (Ecclesiastes 12:7), scattered, smothered and/or covered, they will be instantly reconstituted and changed.

Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead. Isaiah 26:19

The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. - Matt 27:52-53

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 Corinthians 5:11

Isaiah 65:17 See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.

*****

If we still had scars from injuries in this life, wouldn't they remind us of the old earth?
Interestingly, there may be a difference between being "raised" and resurrected. It was said that Lazarus was raised by Jesus, but we know he was not resurrected because we are told that Jesus was the first to be resurrected and also, those who are resurrected will be immortal. Since Lazarus is not with us today, we know that he must have died at some point later. And, because Hebrews 9:27 tells us that we can only die once, Lazarus must have "fallen asleep" in some way that his family regarded as death so that Jesus could raise him back to life. In fact, that is what Jesus tells His disciples when they first ask about Lazarus, and He says He will go and "wake him up". Lazarus' sister Martha insists that, since Lazarus had been dead for four days, "the smell will be terrible" but, since there is no hint of decay when Lazarus comes out of the tomb, he was apparently not dead-dead. Raising a dead body is the greatest miracle of healing. But, resurrection is greater still.
 
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