Glorified Bodies

by Joni
in More precious that Silver

"... Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve." 1 Corinthians 15:3b-5

People who return from the dead -- whether from the tomb or off the operating table -- aren't, like Christ, able to appear and disappear, walk through walls, or transport themselves through time and space with a single thought, such as Christ did on the road to Emmaus.  Jesus was not revived, He was resurrected.  Today's verse speaks of the sort of body which Jesus assumed for forty days on earth between His resurrection and ascension.  People saw with their eyes a real resurrected body!

But the resurrection body is not all there is.  We know our present bodies by experience; we know the resurrection body only through Christ; but our finally glorified body we only know by a few suggestive hints in scripture.  

1 Corinthians 15:49 tells us, "... there is also a spiritual body... just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven."  

1 John 3:2 hints that, "... what we will be has not yet been made known.  But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." 

No one has ever seen a body glorified -- not even Peter and the Twelve when they saw Christ.  

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9).  

Our glorified bodies will be of an entirely different dimension than anything we know or have heard of on earth.

Here's an analogy:  On this planet, we take the shape of squares; in heaven, we will be like cubes.  Here, we are triangles; there, pyramids.  Here, circles; there, spheres. 

Somewhere in your broken earthly body is the seed of what you will enjoy in your glorified heavenly state.  Your image in heaven will be "you," but a much better, brighter "you" in a new dimension.  At all times and in all places, you shall be perfectly fitted for your new environment, whether it be the new heavens or new earth.  Rejoice in this today.


I have so many questions, Lord... there's so much I don't know.  Nevertheless, thank You that one day I'll step into a new dimension, and the gift of a new glorified body.  My aching bones thank You!

*
P.S. Mary Nell would have LOVED this one!