Glorified Bodies
Someone said, “Getting old is not for sissies!” I guess they were talking about how my eyes don’t see as well as they used to; my ears don’t hear as well; my… well you don’t need the whole organ recital to know what I mean. I guess I’m just feeling my age. Our present natural bodies are temporal (earthy, produced by natural processes), and naturally, they start wearing out shortly after birth. After all, they are not made to last forever. Because of sin, our present bodies are described in the Bible as: perishable, dishonorable, and weak. (1Corinthians 15:42-53) Woe is me.
But, it is interesting and exciting to know that the same passage of scripture declares that after the promised resurrection of those who have placed their trust in Jesus Christ, we will receive glorified bodies. Our new bodies will be made for our eternal home (heavenly, produced by a special act of God). They will be quite different from the old: made to last forever, unaffected by time, sin (and its curse), no longer bound by natural laws, but fit for our new supernatural home. Sickness, pain, hunger and thirst will be no more. The same verses, in 1Corinthians, describe these new bodies as: incorruptible, glorious, and powerful. Let’s take a look at some of those verses:
“So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. . . .As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (1Corinthians 15:42-53)”