HEAVEN 31
What God’s Word Says About Our Future Home
Grace Church of Lockeford
12/2/12 123rd SS
QUESTIONS ABOUT HEAVEN
As we have studied heaven I know that there have been a lot of questions raised. We have tried to answer most
of them but I want to take a few weeks and just talk about some of the common questions about heaven.
Will All Effects Of The Fall Be Gone In Our Resurrection Bodies?
YES! Our bodies after the resurrection will be perfect in every way. Turn to 1Corinthians 15:35-58. Thomas
Ice and Timothy Demy put it this way “In our resurrection bodies, the effects of the Fall and of sin will be
removed. The bodies will be real but without the physical limitations that we now experience and without the
effects of disease, disability, or tragedy.” No more bad hair days, wrinkles, fatigue, or anything else associated
with our decaying fleshly bodies.
Why Is Our Present Body Compared To A “Tent” In Scripture?
Turn to 2Corinthians 5:1-4. The short answer is that they are described as tents because they are temporary. Our
resurrection bodies are described as temples or buildings because they are permanent. A commentator
paraphrased Paul’s words like this “Don’t take your physical situation too seriously. Your body is fine to camp
out in for a while, but before long, the tent will begin to sag; a stake or two will be lost along the way; seams
will begin to tear. Our Father is good to gently remind us every time we look in the mirror that we’re rushing
toward eternity. Paul was one who truly understood that his body was only a temporary dwelling.” We saw that
Paul said we groan in this body. We agree, every time we roll out of bed we groan right? This just serves to
remind us that this world is not our home! We were made for something better and that is fast approaching!
Will Our Resurrection Bodies Be Physical Bodies?
YES! We base this largely off the fact that Jesus’ resurrected body was physical. We know this because…
1 – The tomb was empty. All the gospels agree that there was no body in the tomb. This is partially to show that
He was really raised, but also because Jesus body was glorified. The old was gone and replaced with the new!
2 – Jesus’ resurrection body retained the crucifixion scars. After His resurrection Jesus was with His disciples
for 40 days. The body He was in still had the scars; it was the same body He was crucified in, but yet different.
Luke 24:39 says “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.” Jesus’ body was real, either that or He was lying! He had flesh and bones
just like a normal physical body.
3 – Jesus ate food in His resurrection body. This is recorded on 4 separate occasions. Turn to Luke 24:30, 42,
43; John 21:12, 13; Acts 1:4. Jesus Himself said this was proof His body was real.
4 – Jesus’ resurrection body was touched by others. He told them to touch Him to know that it was really Him
risen and alive! It is after Jesus challenged Thomas to touch Him and especially the crucifixion scars that
Thomas declares in John 20:28 “My Lord and my God.”
5 – Jesus’ resurrection body was visible to the naked eye. When the disciples see Jesus it is with normal human
eyes and they hear him with normal ears. It is not a spiritual vision. Though they didn’t recognize Him at first
they all eventually came to believe that it was really Him. They were so convinced of this they died for it!
1
6 – The word “body” used to describe the resurrection body is always used to describe a physical body when
used of individual human beings. The body sown is the same one raised according to 1Corinthians 15.
Since Jesus’ resurrection body was real ours will be as well. Philippians 3:21 states “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.” 1John 3:2 declares “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 real physical bodies, but they will also be immortal and imperishable!
What Age Will Our Resurrection Bodies Appear?
The question is often asked, will we look exactly how we did when we died? We have talked about this before
but I believe we will be resurrected with an ideal youthful age probably in the thirties. Adam and Eve were
created with apparent age, and Jesus was resurrected at His same age. We are told we will be like Him so I
believe we will be the age that He was, around 33. At the same time we will be recognizable by others. When
answering the Thessalonians questions about the resurrection Paul indicated they would know they dead loved
ones. Turn to 1Thessalonians 4:13-17. Norman Geisler suggests that babies will be matured in heaven; “Heaven
is a place of maturity and perfection, and babies stunted in their growth, short of maturity, would not reflect a
state of perfection. It seems to better befit God’s nature and plan for those who were not granted earthly
maturity to attain it in heaven.”
2