(More Bible Studies Available @ www.marktabata.com)
To Receive These (And Other) Free Bible Studies And Updates Via Email, Contact Mark Tabata @ 606-216-1757 (Text Message) Or hazardhomecoc@gmail.com (Email)
Job 19:25-27-For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; 26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, 27 Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
Some believe that when Christ returns, we will not be resurrected. Instead, it is argued that we will be incorporeal ghosts, without a body. This teaching is not new. Some of our friends among the Jehovah’s Witnesses teach the same thing. Indeed, their creed affirms that Jesus did not really rise from the dead: instead, they maintain that God vaporized His body. (They borrowed this teaching from ancient pagan groups).
Well, what about it?
Let’s study.
The Apostle Paul teaches a great deal about the resurrected body. When he wrote to the church of God at Corinth, there were some who denied that the dead are resurrected. He begins by pointing out the historical certainty of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-8), thus showing clearly that resurrection occurs. He then moves on to emphasize that Jesus’ body was changed when He arose, and that in the same way, our bodies will be changed when we arise from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20-24). Later, he begins discussing the nature of that resurrected body.
1 Corinthians 15:42-50-So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 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. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, “THE FIRST MAN ADAM BECAME A LIVING BEING.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
The first thing to notice about this passage is that resurrection is clearly taught. Notice that the natural earthly body is what is under consideration, and it is contrasted with the resurrected body. The same body that is buried in the Earth is the same body that will be resurrected. The same body that is shown in corruption is raised in in corruption. This was true with Jesus’ body, and it will be true with ours.
Second, our resurrected bodies will be changed to be like Jesus’ body, as He was changed when He arose from the dead. Jesus’ body is a pattern that our resurrected bodies will follow. He is the “firstfruits” of our resurrection. The firstfruit had reference to the ceremony of Leviticus 23:10-12, where the first crops were brought to the priest, to be offered to the Lord.
Paul also wrote:
Philippians 3:20-21-For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
Since our resurrected bodies will be like the resurrected body of Jesus, what can we learn from that?
What was Jesus’ body like when He arose from the dead?
His body was tangible and able to be touched.
It was able to be seen, heard, recognized, and touched.
It was capable of walking, talking, eating, and drinking.
Luke 24:36-43-Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.”37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. 38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” 40 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. 41 But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” 42 So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. 43 And He took it and ate in their presence.
John 20:27-28-Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
Acts 10:40-41-Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.
1 John 1:1-3-That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—. 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
So will our resurrected bodies be.
Someone may ask, “But doesn’t this passage say that Christ became a life-giving Spirit?”
It certainly does make this statement.
“Doesn’t mean that Jesus didn’t have a body after He arose?”
Not at all.
Remember that in the Old Testament, we are constantly told about spirits that have the ability to take corporal form. We know them as angels.
“That angels—and even God—can have true corporeality is evident in the Bible. For example, Genesis 18–19 is quite clear that Yahweh Himself and two other divine beings met with Abraham in physical flesh. They ate a meal together (Genesis 18: 1–8). Genesis 19: 10 informs us that the two angels had to physically grab Lot and pull him back into his house to avoid harm in Sodom, something that would be hard to do if the two beings were not truly physical. Another example is Genesis 32: 22–31, where we read that Jacob wrestled with a “man” (32: 24), whom the text also describes as elohim twice (32: 30–31). Hosea 12: 3–4 refers to this incident and describes the being who wrestled with Jacob as elohim and mal’ak (“ angel”). This was a physical struggle, and one that left Jacob injured (32: 31–32). While visual appearances in human form are more common, the New Testament also describes episodes in which angels are best understood as corporeal. In Matthew 4: 11, angels came to Jesus after He was tempted by the devil and “ministered” to Him (cf. Mark 1: 13). Surely this means more than floating around before Jesus’ face. Angels appear and speak (Matthew 28: 5; Luke 1: 11–21, 30–38), instances that presume actual sound waves being created. If a merely auditory experience was meant, one would expect the communication to be described as a dream-vision (Acts 10: 3). Angels open doors (Acts 5: 19) and hit disciples to wake them up (Acts 12: 7). This particular episode is especially interesting, because the text has Peter mistakenly thinking the angel was only a vision.” (Michael S. Heiser, Reversing Hermon: Enoch, the Watchers, and the Forgotten Mission of Jesus Christ, 19 (Kindle Edition): Crane, MO: Defender Publishing)
This Old Testament background is why it would not be a hinderance to the idea of a “spirit” also having corporeal form.
It may objected, “Doesn’t Paul say that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God?”
Yes, he does.
1 Corinthians 15:50-Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
Notice that Paul explains what he means by the statement that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” He obviously doesn’t mean that there won’t be a resurrected body, since he ha spent the entire chapter defending that there will be a resurrected body like unto Jesus! Instead, the first part of 1 Corinthians 15:50 is interpreted by the second part of the verse. The “flesh and blood” that Paul says cannot inherit the kingdom of God means the part of humanity that is prone to “corruption” or “decay.”
“The combination flesh and blood is a Jewish idiom for a human being with a “strong emphasis on ephemeral character, shortsightedness, and moral weakness” or “in contrast to gods.” 320 The two clauses seem to have a nearly synonymous relationship, suggesting that the ephemeral character of human life is foremost in mind in the reference to flesh and blood. 321 Taken together, the two clauses imply that perishable humanity (flesh and blood) cannot inherit the imperishable kingdom of God.” (Roy E. Ciampa, Brian S. Rosner, The First Letter to the Corinthians (The Pillar New Testament Commentary (PNTC)), 1171 (Kindle Edition): Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
When Jesus returns, the dead will be resurrected. We do not know everything about what our bodies will be like (1 John 3:1-3). But we know enough from Scripture to understand that we will not be ghosts.
Father, thank You for the promise of resurrection. We look forward to that Day when we will receive a glorified body. Amen.