What Is Heaven Like? (Part 3)

What Is Heaven Like?

We've learned this so far:

1. Heaven is a real physical place.

2. Heaven is where we will be with God forever.

There is one last thing I would like to touch on about heaven.  This one this is often overlooked.

There is something that happens to us to allow us to live in this physical place.  We aren’t just spirits floating around on the new heaven and earth.  There is something that happens to us that happened to Jesus on the third day he was in the tomb.

What happened on that third day after Jesus was dead and buried.  He rose from the dead.  He was resurrected!

In this new heaven and earth, we won’t be spirits floating around; we won’t even the same bodies we have now.  We will be resurrected from the dead with glorified bodies.  Look at 1 Corinthians 15: 20-23.

"20But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him."

When Jesus Returns. . .

There will be a resurrection of the dead when Christ returns the 2nd time.  Just as Jesus was raised to life, we too will be raise to life and have real physical bodies one day.

The question becomes.  What will these bodies be like?  What kind of bodies will we have in heaven?  1 Corinthians 15:35-44 tells us,

"35But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?" 36How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. 39All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.

 42So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body."

We will have physical bodies that are different and better than the ones we have now, but also similar in kind. Verse 37 tell us what kind of bodies we will have, "37When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else."

The resurrect body will be different than our physical bodies now.  Just like a seed is different from the plant (1 Cor. 15:37). Just like the skin of a man, fish, or a cow are different, so will our resurrected physical bodies be different from our present bodies. (1 Cor. 15:38-39)  Just like the sun and moon and the stars are different, so will our resurrected physical bodies be different from our present bodies. (1 Cor. 15:40-41)

Does this mean our bodies will look different? (1 Cor. 15:42-44)  Are we going to look like aliens or another creature?  No, remember how God created Adam and Eve.  If you want to know what our bodies will be like, go back to Genesis 2.  Adam and Eve were humans.

So, what’s the difference?  Look at verse 42 through 44,

 "42So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;"  First, our new bodies are imperishable- they can’t die!

"43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory" This new body won’t be under a curse as Adam was in Genesis 3.  It will be perfect and our lives will glorify God.

"it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power." This new body has power- we won’t get tired, we won’t grow old and lose our abilities like running, jumping, walking, or lifting heavy objects!

"44it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." We will be like Jesus.  This is what the spiritual body means- this is what verses 44 and 49 talk about.

Think about how cool this body will be.  We won’t get tired, we won’t grow old.  We be like Jesus.  What could Jesus do? Jesus walked through walls, flew in the air, disappeared, etc.  Can we do this?  I don’t really know.  Scripture doesn't say. 

What’s clear is that we will have real physical bodies in the eternal heaven.  We won’t be spirits; we won’t be playing harps in a cloud; we will be like Adam and Eve before the fall on a perfect earth, in physical resurrected bodies, spending eternity with God.

The Conclusion of the Matter:

What is heaven like? 

1. Heaven is going to be a real, physical place. 
2. Heaven is going to be a place where we spend eternity with God. 
3. Last, we will have real, physical resurrected bodies in heaven that will never die or get old.  These bodies will be powerful and strong.

In reality, if you want to know what heaven will be like, turn to Genesis 2.  You’ll see that Adam and Eve were in a real place, spending time with God, with bodies that would not die or grow old because they had the tree of life.  Heaven is going to be an amazing place.  I hope that you have trust Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins because he is the only door that leads to this glorious place called heaven.