CHAPTER IX


THE RESURRECTION BODY


It has been established from the testimony of the Scripture that the resurrection of the Righteous will take place at the second coming of Christ, when Christ comes for the living believers. I Thessalonians 4:13-16. This gives us the fact of the resurrection as well as the time. Now, the next logical consideration would be
What will the resurrection bodies of the righteous be like?

All of us who expect to be listed among the righteous should be interested in knowing what kind of a body we are going to have. We should be anxious to learn from the scriptures all we can about the resurrection body.

Here in this life we are very much concerned about our bodies. There- fore, how much more should we be concerned about the bodies we are to have, not for just a few years, but for all eternity.

The resurrection body will not be exactly like the body put in the grave "thou sowest not that body that shall be" (I Cor. 15:37). It will far excel the body that died, yet there must be an identity of substance, or it would not be "resurrection" (the rising of that which fell).

Identity is not necessarily absolute sameness of substance. As it Awas noted in chapter two, we are not the same identical persons we were seven years ago. New cells are continually being added to our bodies, while other cells are continually being removed as waste pro- ducts. The old cells are gradually being replaced by new ones. After this process has continued for a period of approximately seven years all the cells have been replaced. The body, as to actual cells which compose it, has been changed. It is an entirely new body, yet memory and identity remain. And so there will be great changes in the resurrection body from the one put in the grave, yet identity will remain.

The features of the new body that are not characteristic of this mortal state are given by the Apostle Paul.

"How are the dead raised up, and with what body do they come?" This question is asked in I Cor. 15:35 and Paul then answers the question by telling us what the resurrection body will be like.

"It (the body) is sown (buried) in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. " vs. 42. The present body is corruptible and though it is buried a corruptible body, it shall be resurrected an incorruptible body.

In I Corinthians 15:53-54 we read "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."

From the two Scripture references above we see that at the resurrection of the righteous these corruptible bodies will be gloriously changed incorruptible and immortal. "Mortal" means "perishable or subject I to death" and has to do with the body. "Immortal" means "imperishable, not subject to death," and refers to a glorified body. Adam's body became mortal when he sinned and mortality passed with sin, upon all r-ieii. The true word for "immortality" occurs in only three places, (I Timothy 6:16; I Corinthians 15:53,54.)

Inasmuch as the righteous are to be raised to immortality, at this place in our study it would be well to clearly distinguish between "Eternal Existence," "Eternal Life," and "Immortality."

All have eternal existence, both saved and unsaved, whether in heaven or hell.

The difference between eternal existence and eternal life, is that eter- nal life is possessed only by those who have received Christ as their ' personal Savior and have been born again. It refers .to the receiving of the spiritual nature of Christ in regeneration which carries with it the promise of continuing forever in heaven. Only those who accept ' Christ have the "Gift of eternal life"

The. "gift" of immortality is not for everyone. It is not for all who have eternal existence. Only those who have the "gift" of eternal life only those who are saved, born again, are eligible to put on immortality. Those who are eligible do not "put on" this immortality immediately" at death, but the gift of eternal life entitles them to Immortality, which they will "put on" all at the same time at the Resurrection of the ' Righteous at the second coming of Christ, and not before.

While we are on the subject of immortality it is interesting to note what the teachers of the erroneous "soul-sleep" theory tell the public regarding immortality. First, here are the scriptural references which prove that man is now only mortal, and that Christ is the only one that has immortality.

I Corinthians 15:53, "This mortal must put on immortality."

I Corinthians 15:54, "When . . . this mortal shall have put on immor- tality."

Job 4:17, "Shall mortal man be more just than God?"

Romans 6:12, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body."

Romans 8:11, "He that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies."

I Timothy 6:14-16, "Our Lord Jesus Christ. . . only hath Immortality."


Those who teach the false "soul-sleep" theory delight in telling the public that we who hold to the true Orthodox doctrine of life and consciousness after death, believe that man is now immortal. They falsely tell the public that we teach that man is now immortal, but such is not the case. We believe that man is now only mortal, just as the Scriptures state. After they have given the public the wrong impression of our teaching, they then point out the above Scriptures which prove that man is now only mortal, and thus they make the Orthodox clergy appear to the public as false teachers.

The true Orthodox teaching, according to the scripture, is that Man's soul is Immortal, and that his body is Mortal. In preceding chapters we have shown that the soul is alive and conscious after the death of the body, and we remember that Christ said that the soul cannot be killed. Matthew 10:28. The soul of man is immortal, but the body is mortal. The Scripture makes this very clear for if you will notice Romans 6:12 and 8:11 the word "mortal" definitely refers to "body" Romans 6:12. "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body." Romans 8:11, "shall also quicken your mortal bodies."

Here the use of the word "bodies" makes it clear that it is the body that is mortal. I Corinthians 15:51-55 also makes it clear that it is the body that is mortal, for the verses refer to the resurrection of the body.

Now, in the study of what the resurrection body will be like, we I have learned:
First, that the resurrection body will be incorruptible and immortal. "It is sown in corruption, it is raised in Incorruption." I Corinthians 15:42, "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." I Corinthians 15:53.

Second, Paul continues to reveal the character of the resurrection body. "It (body) is sown (buried) in dishonor, it is raised in glory." I Corinthians 15:43. A body of "dishonor" no doubt means a disfigured or deformed body.

There will be no more of this in the resurrection. The body is to be raised "in glory." It will be a glorious body, with no more dishonor or shame.

Third, Paul continues to reveal the character of the resurrection body. "It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power." I Corinthians 15:43. A dead body is a perfect example of weakness, yet God says He will raise it with power, providing it is of one of His saints. The resurrection body is to be a powerful one.

Fourth, "It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." I Corinthians 15:44. The use of the word "spiritual" in connection with the word "body" does not mean that the resurrection body will be one that has no substance, for we shall soon learn that it will be a body capable of being handled.

Thus far we have learned that the resurrection body of the believer will be Incorruptible, Immortal, glorious, powerful, and spiritual. But perhaps the greatest and most wonderful fact revealed concerning the resurrection body is the following. It is one that floods the Christian with joy and hope.

Fifth, The resurrection body of the believer will be like the resurrected, glorified body of Christ.

Few people realize this, but the Scripture declares the believer's resurrection body will be like that of our Saviour. That is, it will have the like-attributesthe like-characteristics, of Christ's resurrec- tion body.

Philippians 3:20-21, "Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body."

I John 3:2, "We know that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."

Psalm 17:15, "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness."

Truly this thought should be a great source of joy and hope for the believer.

Now what was Christ's resurrection body like?

It was a real body of visible shape and form. It was capable of being handled, yet able to pass through materials. Of the ten appearances of Christ in His glorified body after the resurrection, here are the records of three of them. They prove that Christ's body was a real body capable of being handled.

Matthew 28:9, "they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him."

Luke 24-39 when Christ appeared to the eleven. "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have."

John 20:26-27. Eight days later, when the doors of the room were shut, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to Thomas, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, ' and thrust it into my side."

Christ's resurrection body was not only capable of being handled, and able to pass through materials, but it was recognizable. Mary recognized Him. John 20:16. Mary Magdalene also recognized Him. John 20:18. And the disciples recognized Him. John 20:20. The believer's Resurrection body will be a glorified body like Christ's a real body of flesh and bone, capable of being handled, yet able to pass through materials. And it will be a body that others will readily recognize.

Sixth, There is yet another important fact to be considered in connec- tion with the Resurrection body of the believer. The resurrected, glorified body will not be a body of flesh and blood, for the Bible says that "Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." I Corinthians 15:50. Though the believer's body will not be one of "Flesh and Blood" it will be one of "flesh and bone" like Christ's glorified resurrection body. Luke 24:39 says Christ's body was "flesh and bone" but no mention is made of blood. The glorified resurrection body will be bloodless, because "flesh and blood" cannot enter the kingdom of God, and because our body is to be like Christ's glorified body, which was "flesh and bone." The resurrection body will have no blood because there will be no need of it. The purpose and duty of the blood in the present body is to supply nourishment to the wasting cells that are constantly in need of repair. Where there are no wasting body cells and tissue there is no need of blood. We shall see from various statements that there will be no wasting tissue in the glorified body. Therefore, there will be no need of blood.

We read, that in heaven, the inhabitants shall "neither hunger nor thirst," that there shall be tio more sickness or death, that "there will be no night there." Food is to supply nourishment to a wasting body, sickness is a sign of a wasting body, and night is for the purpose of sleep and rest and recuperation of a wasting body. Now then, since none of these three are going to have any place in heaven, it is easily seen that there will be no wasting of the body, and where there is no wasting of the cells of the body, there is no need of blood to supply nourishment.

Seventh, The resurrection body will endure eternally. A body that will not waste away one that is incorruptible, immortal (not subject to death), will be eternal. This agrees with Luke 20:36 which says, "Neither can they die any more," and also Revelation 25:5 which points out that the redeemed "shall reign forever and ever."

Thus from our study we have learned that the resurrection body will be incorruptible, immortal, glorious, powerful, spiritual it will be like Christ's glorious body, a body capable of being handled. It will be a body not of "flesh and blood," but a body of "flesh and bone," that shall endure eternally.

The discussion thus far has been about the resurrection body of the righteous dead, the "dead in Christ," but nothing has been said concerning the living believers, those who shall be "caught up" together with the resurrection saints to meet the Lord in the air.

I Corinthians 15:51-55, which was referred to in the preceding chap- ter, makes it clear that "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." "We shall all be changed," the "dead in Christ" as well as the righteous who are "alive and remain." The next verse tells what the change shall be. "For this corruptible (the dead who shall be raised) must put on incorruption, and this mortal (the living saints) must put on immortality." The change then for the living believer will be from mortality (subject to death) to immortality (not subject to death.) As there will .be no blood in the resurrection body, so fhere will be no blood in the changed body of the living believer, for "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." I Corinthians 15:50. It is only logical and reasonable that the changed body of the living believer will have all the other glorious attributes that are characteristic of an incorruptible resurrection body.