No, it’s not Halloween yet. One day it came to pass when my inquiring mind wanted to know about the nature of a spiritual body. What follows are the results of my own careful study on the matter.
Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ will be physically resurrected one day, just as Christ was, and we will spend eternity in an actual body according to the New Testament. That will be a glorious day, once again reunited with loved ones who have passed on and trusted in Christ. You may find it fascinating as to what this body will look like. Observe an incident which transpired when Jesus appeared to his disciples after His resurrection:
As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them. (Luke 24:36-45)
What a shocker, no doubt. They thought they were seeing a ghost. To allay their fears Jesus invited them to look at and touch Him, physical evidence that He was in fact real and not a ghost or spirit. Jesus then took it a step further and proceeded to eat a piece of cooked fish right in front of them. The text says at that point Jesus opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. This is a good lesson for the rest of us who struggle with understanding the Bible in general. We simply need to ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in a proper understanding. Trust me, He will.
How are the dead raised?
With that backdrop we need to turn to 1 Corinthians 15 were we find the following descriptions of our future resurrected body:
But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
What is the nature of a spiritual body?
We find that answer in 1 Corinthians 15;
It is heavenly whereas it is presently earthly (verse 40), that one was obvious.
It is imperishable whereas it is presently perishable (verse 42)
It is glorified whereas it is presently dishonorable or sinful (verse 43)
It is raised in power whereas it is presently subject to weakness (verse 43)
It is spiritual whereas it is presently natural (verse 44)
It is bearing Christ’s image whereas it is presently bearing Adam’s image (verse 49)
It is bearing immortal whereas it is presently mortal (verse 53)
We will have a body perfectly suited for life in heaven and on the new earth. A body like Jesus’. A body which will never decay and never experience wants or weaknesses, perfectly able to serve God for all eternity. Which is an inconceivably long time.
Jesus Himself reminds us that our spirit is eternal and will not be extinguished upon death: “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Matthew 25:46. Notice the adjective “eternal” applies to both destinations. Anything Jesus said should never be taken lightly or differed to a more convenient time, for:
“You do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14).
Jim