What Will Our Resurrected Bodies Look Like?
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When our thoughts turn to eternity and what happens after we die, one of the curiosities we ponder is, “what will our resurrected bodies look like?” While unbelievers probably subscribe to thoughts of nothingness, reincarnation, or even annihilation, a Christian knows that after they die, a resurrected body awaits them when Christ returns (see below for Scripture references).
The important truth is, if we die before He returns, Christ will resurrect all dead bodies, and they will look and function exactly as God wills.
What Will Our Resurrected Bodies Look Like?
The Bible doesn’t give explicit information about how we will look in our resurrected bodies, but much is implied. We will glean what we can from those passages which give us insight. We’ll also consider what we will be like, for that has much to do with how we will look, too.
You’ll notice lots about our resurrection is found in 1 Corinthians 15. It’d be a great starting point to read through that chapter to gain some more background about resurrection — Christ’s and ours.
As we exist in our present state — fallen yet spiritually redeemed — we cannot speculate on how our resurrected bodies will look. Scripture does, however, give us some impressions. (On a personal note. As I researched Scripture and commentaries, I couldn’t help but get excited for our new resurrection bodies. I pray you do as well.)
Our bodies will be newly fitted for immortality.
“For this corruptible body must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body must be clothed with immortality. When this corruptible body is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory’” (1 Corinthians 15:53-54).
No longer will our bodies see decay or be destroyed (1 Corinthians 4:16) as they are now. Our inner selves “are being renewed day by day. For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
Our eternal, resurrected bodies will be fully healthy and we will never die. No pain. No sickness. No death. No more tears (Revelation 7:17).
Our bodies will be similar to, but different from our current bodies.
Our resurrected bodies will have particular connection to our current bodies because we will rise from what we were (1 Corinthians 15:36-41). Yet change will occur in our appearance and substance.
The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 that we are sown in corruption, dishonor, weakness, and with a natural body. We will, however, be raised in incorruption, glory, power, and with a spiritual body. God has not promised us a new body, but has promised to, “bring your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who lives in you” (Romans 8:11).
Philippians 3:21 clarifies what’s coming for us, “He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself” (emphasis added).
Paul also tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:39-41 that different degrees of glory exist within God’s created beings (on earth and in the heavenly realm). Therefore, because we will be glorified, our resurrection bodies will not only have a different kind of life but also a different kind of glory.
The different kind of life includes our relationships.
For instance, Jesus tells us, “But those who are counted worthy to take part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage” (Luke 20:35). We will still be male and female because we were created as such in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). But our fleshly, sexual desire for the opposite sex will no longer exist (1 Corinthians 7:8-9).
Our natural bodies will be changed to a spiritual body at the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:44).
We will be fully under the Holy Spirit’s control with no fleshly nature with which to war (Romans 7:15, 19, 21). We will still have physical bodies, but they will be Spirit-controlled, and we will be fully sanctified!
Those who are in Christ will be so forever.
As we read from 1 Corinthians 15:43, our bodies were “sown in dishonor, raised in glory.” Theologians and writers, Joel R. Beeke and Paul M. Smalley share this stunning eye-opener about our glorified bodies, “Christ will raise it [our body] in glory. A word that denotes honor and often connotes radiant splendor (1 Corinthians 15:41), especially in connection to God's manifest presence. The bodies of resurrected believers will shine with glory (Danial 12:3; Matthew 13:43). Just as Christ Jesus shone at His transfiguration (Matthew 17:2). There will be no ugliness or embarrassment to their bodies on the last day, but only beauty fitting for children of the living God. ‘When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory’ (Colossians 3:4). This glory is by union with Christ, ‘who is our life,’ so that we may even say that believers ‘have a second coming in union with Christ’ for at His second coming, they will appear with Him, sharing in His glory.”
Our resurrected bodies will be totally conformed to Christ’s image in His human character.
We see this in Romans 8:17, 29, and 1 Corinthians 15:47-49. When we ponder what the Bible reports about Jesus after His resurrection, we wonder:
Will we eat food? Christ joined a few different groups of disciples to eat (Luke 24:41-43; John 21:12-13; Acts 10:40-41). What is not clear is if He needed food for sustenance.
Will we be able to appear and disappear at will? Christ appeared and vanished at various times (Luke 24:31; John 20:19; 26). We shouldn’t jump to conclusions. He could have done things supernaturally that cannot be explained any other way than by the Spirit.
Jesus does have a human body, being fully God and fully man (Colossians 2:9; Philippians 2:6-8; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:17). As such, he was visible to people and has the senses of a human (John 20:27). He was raised with his same body but with eternalness. Perhaps His full glory wasn't manifested until He ascended to the Father. As such, we can expect to retain our humanness and not a transformation into something other.
We will exchange weakness for strength.
Our resurrected bodies will have had their weakness exchanged for power by the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:43b). Our weaknesses include physical ailments, and even aging issues. Our cognitive abilities, too, will rise according to the glory given by Christ. No more sadness, just joy.
We will have power which dispels all fatigue and incompetency. No longer will we be stricken with an end of our days, for our spiritual bodies have no expiration date. All the Christlike desires of our glorified hearts will be met with our ability to perform them, and all for His glory with righteous motives and will.
We will worship the Lord with our resurrected bodies and minds and love Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. We will love our neighbors as ourselves. And we will love and honor God’s holy Law. Christ will completely provide us with all we need to reign with Him in His new heaven and new earth.
Living in Already But Not Yet
Christ’s resurrection serves as the inauguration of the “already not yet.” The already is what Christ has accomplished — He has defeated sin and death, believers are already spiritually raised with Him and are part of His kingdom, and Jesus defeated the powers of darkness (Satan and the demons).
The not yet means Christians will still suffer in this life as we wait for Christ’s second coming and the resurrection of the dead and the final judgment of all evil. Until He comes, we will remain in these bodies which groan as we long for “all things new” (2 Corinthians 5:2, 4; Revelation 21:5).
According to all the Law and the prophets (Luke 24:25-27), Christ has and will fulfill all the prophecies spoken/written about Him. He lived the life we cannot live and He died the death we deserve. The Bible tells us, “Dear friends, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).
We also read that the Church (believers) will receive all of God’s promises in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).
And the why of our resurrection is for God’s glory. That’s what everything He ordained has been for and about, for God is omnipotent and nothing and no one is able to thwart any of His plans. He has our resurrection planned and he is faithful to finish what he started in us (Philippians 1:6).
We Christians will worship Him in Spirit and truth forever. Hallelujah!
What Is God’s Will for the Resurrection of Unbelievers?
Daniel 12:2 states, “Many [all] who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, and some to disgrace and eternal contempt.”
The resurrection of the dead will include the wicked — those who were and are not in Christ (unbelievers). The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith states that at the resurrection, “the souls of the wicked are cast into hell; where they remain in torment and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great day” (Luke 16:23-24; John 5:28-29; Jude 6-7). Revelation 20:15 says a lake of fire is reserved for the wicked. The lake of fire is symbolic for eternal, conscious torment.
Because of the importance of the end of all humanity, Christians need to not only be good stewards of these bodies the Lord has given us, but we are also to be wise stewards of the good news of Jesus Christ—the Gospel. Scripture reveals, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).
Dear Christian, it’s the Gospel that’s the power, and not us, for it’s the Spirit who regenerates (brings life to) people so they are born again (John 3:7-8; 6:63) so they may understand the Gospel, repent and accept God’s kind invitation of Christ and eternal life (Romans 2:4). Romans 10:17 tells us, “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.”
That’s the Gospel — that Christ lived the life we sin-sick people cannot, and He died the death we deserve. We are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8).
2 Timothy 1:8-10 states, “So don’t be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, or of me his prisoner. Instead, share in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God. He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. This has now been made evident through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
May we be ever vigilant to share the Good News because we love the Lord Jesus and because we are forever thankful to Him for what He has done, is doing, and will do.
Source
Reformed Systematic Theology Volume 4 by Joel R. Beeke and Paul M. Smalley Copyright ©2024, p.978 Used by permission of Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.
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