What will we look like in Heaven?

[ichthys]

My wife and I were discussing this the other day:

"What will we look like in Heaven? Will we be the last form of our bodies on earth or the prettiest or what?"

I haven't looked up the verses I remember about yet, but I remember them being interpreted as we will have some spiritual form, maybe like light. But we won't have our earthly bodies, because they return to dust, and why would looks matter in Heaven anyway? We will still recognize people we have known based on their inward appearances instead of outward, because it will be all spiritual and not physical like earth.

At least that's what I remember learning a while back. Any other more recent, cogent Biblically-sound answers?

 

[tyndale1946]

Interesting but will we not be of the same composition Jesus resurrection was?... A spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have!... Will not our physical body be resurrected and if not then what did Jesus Christ die for?... Brother Glen

 

[Me2]

We know that we are two part beings....

Spirit and Body.. We will always be existing in two "dimensions at the same time".

just like now...but we are hidden from much of the realities of each.

Our future will contain A New Earth and New Heaven...which means..

we will still live in two dimensions...simultaniously....we will have a new solid body and an invisible spirit.

The bible speaks of flesh and blood not inheriting the spirit kingdom....
how true..spirit exists in the spirit kingdom...and...
the physical body exists in the physical world...at the same time.

just means that the physical cant enter the spiritual. there seperate, yet the 2 parts of man exist and operate together in the 2 seperate environments at the same time.

So what will you look like in heaven ?. ..Your invisible.

Everything described about "seeing" God and his Kingdom...is anthropomorphic language,
as God is describing the undescribable..we all know he's infinite and invisible..

although we humans need physical eyes to see, and physical ears to hear...

Me2

 

[tyndale1946]

What about the reference to the resurrection in the book of Job?

Job 19:[25] For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

[26] And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

[27] Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

What does the phrase... yet in my flesh shall I see God:... if Job is raised in a spiritual body?... What about Job?... How is I Corinthians 15 in complete harmony with that spoken in Job?... Brother Glen

 

[Ben W]

As a Christian when you die, your soul returns to God. it is said that your body is like a glove to your soul, so that In spirit form, your soul has the same features as you. So you will certainley be able to recognise people.

 

[blackbird]

I'll look like me--except in a sinless state of mind as the eternity I'm livin' in rolls on and on--so it doesn't matter what I look like whatever I look like I'll be content with---OOOOHHHH, Brother Glen---you're right---resurrected bodies--flesh and bone---in GloryLand with Jesus!

Blackbird

 

[Jonathan]

I'm away from my study resources (1 Cor. 15 is quite instructive concerning believers) at the moment but I understand that, at the resurrection of the dead, all will recieve glorified bodies that will last forever. This is so that the saved will live for an eternity in heaven and the lost will suffer an eternity of separation in hell.

Another passage that is quite instructive for believers is Luke 21:18 where Christ discusses the difference between death and perishing. I see the phrase "not a hair on your head will perish" to refer to the fact that, not matter the condition of the body during the time between death and resurrection, the body will be fully glorified.

If I am correct in my understanding, would this not imply that body and soul are not eternally separate?

 

[Me2]

God is Spirit...God is Infinite..God has no form, he is everywhere at all times.

He is in us, around us, through us..wherever we go..we are in him and he was "there" always.

We cannot EVER be seperated from God. Man was designed to "house" God. we are the animated creation that will forever express God to himself..ie, we are simply passengers in our own bodies..God is the Pilot, co-pilot, stewardesses, flight crew and ground mechanics....we're just passengers.

come to think of it...God is even "inside" the passenger in the next seat.

------------------------

Faith in God to give me a new body is really not important compared to other mysteries that exist.
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whats more curious to me is....

Who will remember,....Who they are?

Will our memories and experiences in this life be important or required in our next life ?

 

[Artimaeus]

I think perhaps we will look like ourselves but with a body made perfect like Adam and Eve before the fall. Jesus would not let the disciples touch him after the ressurection becasue he had not yet been glorified but by the time Thomas saw him that had changed and he had been glorified and Thomas could put his fingers in his nail prints and his hand in his side. (Someone once said this would be the only man made things in heaven).

 

[Me2]

Jesus is infinite and living through Us,.... Now, as well as forever.

He is Invisible and Infinite. As his Father, and Holy Spirit

There is no physical existence in the spirit realm. The spirit realm is formless

One cannot go to the spirit realm. We exist within it.
You do not "go to" heaven.
....Your already in it.
....You were born in it.
....and you will never leave.

we were created.. two parts: body and spirit.

The spirit realm is invisible. your spirit occupies the same space as your physical body..the same space, the same time. Two realms. Physical and spiritual

Want to go to heaven. maybe closing your eyes might help. but anyway, your always there.

in a spirit world ....We live by faith..not by sight.

we were born with , in and a part of, the spirit realm. and our understanding of it can only be taught to us by God himself. and that lesson will last forever.

many things of discription of heaven have been shown to people in the bible..

it was described to them so that they could comprehend as close as they could imagine what God and heaven were like...It was God condescending to man..allowing him to get an idea while using mans language and understanding, to describe God.

Anthropomorphic language is God using human termonology to describe himself and his methods. Physical thronerooms in a spiritual "heaven"..Sorry, nope...

Does he have a face or back or arms or mouth or eyes..all thats anthropomorphic language.
God is formless. He's spirit. He's infinite..he's everywhere at the same time.

He's described as invisible...you cant see him if you wanted to.

God created mankind to live through us. As we see each other. We "See" God..or Jesus.
That was his plan..his method. for all time, even in eternity.

So please dont get your hope up too high...Religion teaches you that the spirit world can be seen and felt. creatures such as angels that have form exist within it..that life is present.
but thats not the plan for us to exist as a half man with only a invisible formless spirit. we cant see or hear. we cant communicate to each other. We really wouldnt exist as far as anyone could even detect.

Thats where that new earth comes into play. the new body...the eyes and ears and vocal chords. The dimension and mass. Those things in which we use to describe mankind.

At least to detect his physical existence.

 

[go2church]

Who cares we will be in heaven!

 

[Karen]

Originally posted by go2church:
Who cares we will be in heaven!

Yes, but the resurrection of the body is one of the key points taught in Scripture about things to come.

Karen

 

[donnA]

Personally I think if our bodies are going to be resurected we will look like ourselves,,,, will we be flesh? I don't know. But I do think we will be perfected even in our bodies, our blemishes will be gone.

 

[donnA]

But thats just my opinion

 

[Me2]

Kate, Jesus Served us by continuing to teach...even when we wernt paying attention.

He was born in a perfect body.

He died in a perfect body.

He "came back" from the dead in a perfect body.

nobody really noticed any changes. other than he came back
and of course he was warm and breathing again.

everyone recognized him.

 

[just-want-peace]

Will you ladies unashamedly tell everyone your age at that time?

Seriously, regarding ages (earthly, of course) are we going to "BE" our age at death; or will everyone have the same "AGE"?

The reason this intrigues me is that if we retain our "DEATH AGE", then I'm going to be older than my dad!? I'm now 66, and he died at 53.

I have heard the theory that everybody will be "33" since that will (?) be Jesus' earthly age.

(This is the kind of thing to ponder for insomnia; assuming you don't count sheep! )

 

[Aaron]

1 Cor. 15:35-50.

 

[ichthys]

Thanks for the input and ideas everyone.

I know, it isn't the deepest of philosophical/theological questions, given the fact that when it comes time that we will have the answer, we'll be in Heaven, and all else will be moot and insignificant.

It was just a question that my wife and I have been dealing with since we've been dealing with the death of someone close to us, trying to get over the hump, so to speak.

As a result of that struggle, we've asked questions, trying to make sense of the eternal in relation to the now, and that's one that interested us. Probably just to help kind of fill in the blanks of the mental insomnia/lethargy we've felt sometimes. But help is help.

And thanks.

 

[Wisdom Seeker]

Well, this is what I have come to believe, from what I've read primarily.

Our heavenly bodies will be like Jesus, perfect.
Everyone will appear to be in their mid thirties.
All of our souls were created at the same time, so as to us revealing our age...mine is as old as yours.
I believe we will get to take our love with us.

I'm looking forward to Heaven, no more pain, no more sorrow, no more decay, and understanding everything, without having to ask.

 

[Paul of Eugene]

The body will necessarily be perfect - no defects - yet fully adult. Since we have no marriage and no reproduction, that might mean we have no primary sexual characteristics.

I'm not sure what it would mean to assign an "age" to our perfect, eternal physiques.