Do We Have Bodies in Heaven
Many people wonder do we have bodies in Heaven. The Christian has beating in his heart the hope of Heaven. God’s holy Word plainly teaches that we will be united again on the other shore in new glorified bodies. And I look forward to that day. I have a loving grandmother who I miss dearly. And a daughter there that I have never met.
When Do We Get Our New Bodies?
1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
1Co 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality.
The dead shall be raised incorruptible. Our flesh and blood corrupt bodies do not go to heaven. They will be changed. Our corruptible bodies will put on incorruption.
This will happen in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Phi 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
1Jo 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Our bodies will be changed at the rapture. Our bodies will be fashioned like unto his glorious body. So when you die your soul goes to heaven and your body goes to the grave awaiting it’s resurrection. Some will ague well what about cremation. Or if your body was eaten by wild dogs. Or, or. It is nothing for God to put it back together again.
John Bunyan wrote. “The beautifying of a raised body and putting it into an immortal state of glory is as easy to the Divine Power as the first framing of it in the womb.” – John Bunyan
Raising our corrupted bodies, no matter what state they are in, is nothing to an Almighty God. Although your soul will be waiting for your new resurrected glorified body, you will still have the form of a body. You will not be a spirit like a vapor just floating around.
In Luke chapter 16 the certain beggar named Lazarus could be seen. He could be recognized.
Luk 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
And the rich man begged that Lazarus would dip the tip of his finger in water to cool his tongue. Lazarus was in bodily form. Lazarus had a finger.
Before the resurrection of the body our souls go to heaven. And before our bodies are resurrected, before we get a new glorified body, our souls go to heaven and they have the form of bodies.
Another example is Moses talking with Jesus on the mount of transfiguration.
Mat 17:3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
Moses did not yet have the glorified body that we get when the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed which happens at the last trump. But they do have bodily form.
What Will Our Heavenly Bodies Look Like?
1Co 15:42 So also [is] the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
1Co 15:43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
1Co 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
What will this glorified body look like?
One of the best ways to see what this glorified body will look like is to look at the body of Jesus after His resurrection.
1Jo 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
So lets look at what He is like after His resurrection.
Joh 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first [day] of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace [be] unto you.
Joh 20:20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them [his] hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
Jesus was recognizable as Jesus.
Will We Know One Another In Heaven?
The Bible indicates that we will indeed recognize each other in Heaven.
Gen 25:8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full [of years]; and was gathered to his people.
Lazarus was recognizable as Lazarus.
Moses and Elias were recognizable as Moses and Elias.
And I will be recognizable as Bryan.
Joh 20:26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: [then] came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace [be] unto you.
Joh 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust [it] into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
Joh 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Joh 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed [are] they that have not seen, and [yet] have believed.
Jesus had a body. Jesus was touchable.
Act 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
Act 1:4 And, being assembled together with [them], commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, [saith he], ye have heard of me.
Jesus was able to communicate.
Jesus spoke to them the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. He taught them for 40 days. He was able to think and talk and reason with people.
Luk 24:36 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace [be] unto you.
Luk 24:37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
Luk 24:38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
Luk 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
Luk 24:40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them [his] hands and [his] feet.
Luk 24:41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?
Luk 24:42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
Luk 24:43 And he took [it], and did eat before them.
Jesus was able to eat.
A question that many people have is can we eat in heaven. Well Jesus could eat in his resurrected body. And there will be a marriage supper.
Rev 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed [are] they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
It is pretty hard to have a supper if you cannot eat.
There is also a tree of life that bears fruit.
Rev 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, [was there] the tree of life, which bare twelve [manner of] fruits, [and] yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree [were] for the healing of the nations.
Rev 22:14 Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Only the redeemed can enter into the gates of the heavenly city. And those who enter have right to the tree of life that bares twelve manner of fruits. This seems to indicate that we will be able to eat the twelve different manner of fruits. I believe that the Bible does teach that we will be able to eat in heaven.
Phi 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
1Jo 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Our bodies will be changed at the rapture. Our bodies will be fashioned like unto his glorious body. Our glorified body will be like Jesus’ and His body was recognizable, touchable, able to move around, walk and stand, and sit. He was able to think, talk, reason with people, and he was able to eat.
I like the way that J. Frank Norris put it.
“We’re just the same individual on the other side as we are here, minus sin and corruption and death.” – J. Frank Norris
We have covered who gets to go to heaven. How long after we die before we get to heaven. We have seen that our souls immediately go to be with the Lord and that our bodies go to the grave. We seen that our souls will have bodily form in heaven before we get our new glorified bodies. We saw that our bodies will be like Jesus’ resurrected body. We will indeed recognize each other in heaven.
The Bible does teach us that we will have bodies in Heaven. What a comfort that is for we all have loved ones who have gone on before us. Loved ones who we long to see.