Your New Heavenly Body
Key Passage: 2 Corinthians 5
Date: June 7, 2024
Second Corinthians, chapter 5.
Last Wednesday we started, just probably, I think, unless the Lord changes, just a two Wednesday night, little short series, if you will, about heaven. And, of course, Brother Richard just wanted to be the Lord last Monday, Monday week ago. And so it just ought to be a good time for us to think about heaven. Sometimes we hear it so much and just kind of gets like a fairy tale, you know. You’re a little bit numb to heaven, if you will.
Sometimes when someone passes, you know, they’re in heaven. It makes your mind go there. And the Bible does say, set your affections on things above. And so just trying to make heaven a little bit more real to us. Last week we talked about some glimpses into heaven from the Scripture. And then tonight about our new body in heaven. How about that new body we’re going to get there? Anybody out there looking forward to that new body?
I tell you what, who’s tired? Anybody tired tonight? Anybody tired? Hey, you won’t get tired in heaven. How about that, you know? You say, well, I’m not home yet, so I’m tired right now. I understand, but we’ll be there one day. Amen, a brand new body and no more aches. How many is battling a bug right now? Anybody battling the bug that’s been going around? Wow, I’m shocked. I am. No battling bugs in heaven. Amen. I’m looking forward to all that.
Second Corinthians, chapter number five. We’re going to start in verse number one right there. Second Corinthians five, verse number one. Would you please stand if you’re able to? If you don’t have your new body, you might not be able to. But as I read God’s word together, talk about this new heavenly body we’re going to get one day. He says there, he says, “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved.” Now what’s you’re talking about? He’s talking about your body. The earthly house.
The Lord breathed, God breathed in Adam, and Adam became a living soul, not a living body. Soul’s a big thing. This body is just the house that the soul lives in. Okay? And so he’s saying, therefore, we know that our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
“For in this we groan,” the older you get, the more you groan about it. “For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven.” If so be that being clothed, we should not be found naked, or lost, if you will.
“For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened,” not that we would be unclothed—not like we want to die—but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the same thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. It’s God’s down payment, as yours he is. He gave His Spirit inside of you. That’s His earnest.
Verse number six: “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith and not by sight. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
Just trying to get our minds, maybe just some of this—I don’t know that I’d be real dogmatic about it, be honest with you—but just trying to get our minds and our hearts going towards that new body we’re going to have one day. And maybe helping us get our sights set on eternity in heaven for a bit tonight.
I’m glad to have my bride back with me tonight, talking about our bodies. Most of you know she rolled that ankle and it chipped the bone in the bottom part of her foot, and I’m glad to have her back. Isn’t it amazing—well, I’ve got to be careful what I say right now because I just talk about my wife. Apart from my wife, for the rest of us, the older we get, isn’t it amazing how much sickness and things happen, you know? Someone said, my dad used to say, “Old age is not for sissies.” Amen. A little bit true to that, you know. If it’s not your back, it’s your knee. And if it’s not that, it’s, you know, you’re losing some of this up here, or it’s turning color, or all those good things, you know. It just happens. It’s just part of life. It’s pretty good concerning the alternative, you know. In some ways, it’s either going to be getting old or the other thing.
By the way, it doesn’t matter how much health food you eat. Now, I’m for being healthy. I try to eat right. And in fact, I’ve been drinking Dr. Pepper Zero. What about that? I tell you what, now, you know? Somebody’s like, what in the world? You know, he’s backslid, and I tell you for sure, you know. But I try to do all that, and I’m for exercising sometimes. Not that I do it, but I try to. I’ll get some pickleball in here there, you know. But I’m for all that, but you can do all of that and be perfect at it, never mess up. I mean, just wipe out all the carbs, all the sugar, all that. And, friend, you’re still going to get old. That’s just the way it is. These guys and ladies on YouTube and everywhere else showing off their bodies—friend, they’re going to get old. They can have all the cosmetic surgeries they can have. I don’t care who they are. They can be millionaires, but they’re going to get old. That’s just the way it is.
But one of the joys for a born-again Christian is we’ve got a new body to look forward to one day. By the way, how many of you learn this: isn’t it amazing, they give you medicine to help with something, and it does, but it hurts something else. Isn’t that what I’m talking about? Then they give you a medicine to help what they hurt by giving you that first medicine, you know? I mean, Bill Johan Sr. told me he takes 18 pills a day. No, he didn’t tell me that. There are people like that, though.
But praise the Lord, friend. Look what He says in verse number one. I like this, verse number one right there. He says, “For we know.” I mean, I just know it. I mean, you know one day I’m going to leave this whole world—when the Lord comes back or I die, however it happens—and I know I’m going to have a heavenly body one day. I know that. By the way, I’m going to have ten fingers one day. Amen. I mean, I’m going to have them all back, you know. But we know that.
Can you imagine if you weren’t saved and you never knew that you’d have a new body one day? Wouldn’t that be depressing? Yeah. I mean, you look in the mirror, and there’s, you know, I remember my dad, he used to pull the gray hairs, and it got to a point, he said, “I can’t pull all those anymore,” you know, “won’t have any left,” you know. But can you imagine, oh no, a new wrinkle? If you didn’t have the promise of a new body one day. Man, as Christians, you know, this body—no matter what you’re going to do, you can prolong it a little bit—it’s going to come. We’re going to get old one day. But we know, we know, we have no doubt about it. We’re going to have a brand new body one day.
Well, what a blessing for that. I see Brother Larry a lot of times when we’ll sing a song or something or mention a new body one day. And Brother Larry has a lot of health issues. I mean, Brother Larry says, “Man, I can tell.” He likes to talk about that because, praise the Lord, he knows he’s going to have a new body one day. That’s one of the blessings about being a born-again Christian. I mean, you can just mark it down. We’re going to have a brand new body one day.
That’s what I was told my worship. Before we know that of our earthly house, our body of this type of word dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands. What’s the next word? What is the next word there? Eternal. It was a little bit, I think it was, I can’t remember, maybe it’s going to turn 50, one of those big mile markers. And I don’t think the song leader planned it, but on my birthday, we sang “Never Grow Old.” And I thought, thanks a lot, you know. What a birthday present, you know.
But in heaven, our body, it’s eternal. It never grows old. No knee replacements in heaven, right, Brother Frank? I mean, that’s one of the joys. We’re going to have a body that’s eternal. It lasts forever. Never gets old, never gets tired. It’s, don’t have to have sleep unless you want to get a nap in there. I mean, you just—by the way, it’s going to be good. You can drink Dr. Pepper’s that have sugar in and be all right up there, you know. I mean, I don’t know. Maybe I’ll have a creek on this side, you know, a Mountain Dew in the creek on this side with Dr. Pepper flowing. I mean, you know, all that unhealthy stuff. Amen, we got a new body. It’s eternal. And I don’t know what we’ll eat or drink. We will be eating and drinking. There’s a marriage supper of the Lamb, but I don’t know exactly what we have. But a new body, it’s eternal.
Now let’s look at a couple things about our new body. Look over in 1 Corinthians 15. First Corinthians 15. And it’s a great chapter when you talk about the resurrection in our resurrected body. So much here. We won’t have time to cover it tonight. We’re going to get done by 8:15, be out of here, even if we just got to quit. But there’s a lot here in this chapter about your resurrected body.
Look in 1 Corinthians 15. Look in verse number 44, if you would please. Verse number 44 of 1 Corinthians 15. He says there, he said, “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a…” What kind of body? Spiritual body. There is a natural body, physical, if you will, and there is a spiritual body. We’ll have spiritual bodies in heaven. I think that, and I wasn’t going to get into this, but I’ll just mention it. We won’t look up any verses, but I think our spiritual bodies will be empowered by the Holy Spirit of God when we get to heaven. But we’ll have spiritual bodies.
Look down verse number 45. Let’s just keep going real quickly. Verse number 45. And 15, verse number 45. And he says there, “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul. The last Adam”—that’s talking about Jesus Christ—“the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. 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, so also we shall bear the image of the heavenly.”
All right. So here’s the thing. We’ll talk about it more specifically a little bit later on. But in some way, some form, some fashion, your spiritual body will resemble Jesus Christ, just like our bodies, in some form, some fashion, resemble the first Adam. I mean, most of us have two eyes. Most of us have ten fingers, but not all of us. My two ears, and, you know, and most of us, you know, we got a nose right there. Most of us have hair, not all of us. But I’m saying we have all these things like Adam had. All right. We’re made after the first Adam. The same resemblance—we resemble Adam—will resemble Jesus Christ.
Now, think about this: it’s not a physical body; it’s a spiritual body. So we’ll in some form, some fashion spiritually, will resemble Jesus Christ. Brother Bobby Robertson used to talk about, he took an older preacher—I was a younger preacher—took an older preacher. I had to eat one time. They were out of town, both of them. It wasn’t in the other preacher’s hometown. They went out to a restaurant to eat. And he said we got done eating and went to leave the little restaurant, and a lady stopped us. She never met us, never met the other preacher, and told that other preacher, “Say, I want to say something to you.” And he stopped. “Yes, ma’am?”
And she said, “I don’t know why—I’ve never said this before—but I don’t know why, but you resemble Jesus Christ to me.” And that older preacher, Brother Bobby said he started crying. He said, “Ma’am, I prayed for years that I’d like to be like Jesus. And you don’t know what it means to me to hear just a total stranger say, ‘You remind me of Jesus Christ. You resemble…’” Hey, when we go to heaven, we’ll resemble Jesus Christ. Just like we resemble the first Adam, we’ll resemble the second Adam. And spiritually, we’ll have some of His features physically also, if you will, but we’ll resemble Jesus Christ.
Now, let’s keep going. Jump back up to verse number 35. Verse number 35 of 1 Corinthians 15. And look in verse number 35, if you would, please. 15:35. “But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” Thou fool! That which thou sowest is not quickened except it die, you know.
“And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat or of some other grain.” He’s saying you just put it in there a little bit. How many got a garden? Anybody going to grow a garden this year? Miss Busho is? Brother Patrick’s going to grow a garden this year. How about that? Can you believe a tech guy is going to have a garden? We’ll see how that goes, you know. But you put a couple of beans, just a couple of beans in the ground, and boy, out of that, you get a big old bush and all kind of green beans off that and so on and so. That’s what he’s saying. You sow your body just like a little bitty old piece of wheat, a little grain. Boy, it comes up totally. Boom. Wow. You know, that’s what it’s talking about.
Verse number 38: “But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, to every seed his own body.” You know, down here in our physical body is a comparison, physical to spiritual body. Sometimes we complain, “Well, I wish I was taller. I wish I was like so-and-so. I wish I didn’t have this body type,” and all that. No, God gave you the body as it pleased Him. And God said, “I’m going to do the same thing in your spiritual body. I’m going to give you a spiritual body that I know what’s best for you.” By the way, it would be kind of nice if us short people were taller than the tall people in heaven, though we’ll see what happens. I don’t know how God will do it all, but as it pleased Him.
Verse number 39: “All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption.”
Now, let me just kind of break down what he’s saying. He said, look, your spiritual bodies, they’re not all going to look the same. They’re going to be different. Just like we all, in some form or some fashion—I should say, resemble the first Adam—we’ll all resemble Jesus in our spiritual body, but we all won’t be the same. There’ll be a difference. We’ll look, if you will, different. We’ll have different attributes about us. There’ll be different glories about us. It won’t all be the same. There’ll be a difference in our spiritual bodies; they’ll be different.
Let me say this: I do think that just like now we see someone and, of course, we recognize their physical features right off the bat. Brother Kevin got a haircut. I noticed that right off the bat tonight. I like it; it always looks good, you know. And let’s see here… Oh, I got to be careful if I say somebody gained weight. I’ll be in trouble for sure. I won’t say that now, you know. But we notice their height, the color of hair. No, I wouldn’t talk about… you know, we’ll talk about, you know, if they got a black eye or if they have one of those things that pop out. We’ll see all those physical features, you know. And that’s just why we recognize each other. You know, our bodies are physical.
Now, I do think in heaven when we get our spiritual bodies, we will have spiritual features. I think we might—maybe someone’s just very compassionate—maybe we’ll notice that spiritual attribute right off the bat. Maybe someone, they’re just a person of faith, and I don’t know how exactly the word, but I think we’ll notice their spiritual—maybe you notice their faith right off the bat. Or maybe someone that’s just, they’ve got a lot of joy. We’ll be able to notice that spiritual feature right off the bat. And we’ll have spiritual bodies, and I think it’ll be just what we’ll recognize those spiritual features, whether it be peace or faith or whatever may be, because it’s the spirit. Not all will be the same; there’ll be a difference in them, and I think we’ll notice the spiritual attributes right off the bat.
Now look at the comparisons He gives us—all about three comparisons between our earthly body and our heavenly bodies in these verses. Look back verse number 42 right there. Verse number 42. And look out there. He says, “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption. It is raised in what?”
You know, someone—you’ll go to a nursing home. Brother Bill preached to the nursing home recently. Adam’s place had a little service. Brother Tim’s been preaching, of course, the nursing home for a couple years now, and praise the Lord for those things. And you’ll see a fellow and he’s just all shriveled up and he can’t hardly talk. And I’m not trying to be mean, but he slavers when he eats. Sometimes you’ll see him. They can’t even get out of bed. And someone will come along: “That shriveled up old man? Somebody come along. You know that man back in the day was a great football player.” You’re like, “He was?” Yeah. “That person right there, you wouldn’t believe. I know she’s old and everything, got a lot of wrinkles, but back in the day, she was a beauty queen.” And you’ll hear these statements. You’re like, “What?”
But, you know, it’s sown in corruption. And it’s just our body is just going to corrupt. It’s going to corrupt. It’s just part of this whole flesh. It’s just, it’s sown in corruption, both of the nursing homes. By the way, every once in a while you ought to visit a nursing home. I mean, just visit; it’ll do you good. You walk out there saying, “Praise God for my health,” you know. But these bodies are, they’re sown in corruption. But praise the Lord, they’re raised in incorruption. Amen. It never going to grow old. Never going to get wrinkles. No. We’re sown in corruption, raised in incorruption. Praise the Lord for that.
Look at the next comparison. Very similar. Verse number 43. Verse number 43 right there. He says, “It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory.” Now, I’m not trying to be mean or rude or crude, all that stuff. But honestly, a family member or a nurse or often nurse’s aides in these nursing homes and places, my hat’s off to them. I’m not trying to be mean, but they take care of some disgusting stuff. I’m not trying to be mean; it’s just reality. And if you ever been a caretaker of someone as they’re getting older, it can be pretty rough. And it’s just, it’s embarrassing. I won’t—I won’t say a whole lot of things because it’s just embarrassing to say. You know, and I’m not trying to be mean, but it’s sown in dishonor.
I mean, you know, I remember Jerry Hunter years ago, had open-heart surgery years ago, and he used to often say this. He said, “You know, right before I went in that open-heart surgery,” he said, “I told the nurse or the doctor, you know, me and the president, if he were going, we’re in the same shoes. I mean, it doesn’t matter if the president’s going through open heart; we’re on the same shoes, or just no matter what,” you know. And, you know, you just can’t stop it. We’re sown in dishonor. Kind of a sad thing. And somebody you respect and you love, and maybe a president, but they get old. Well, I loved Ronald Reagan. He was a great president. I liked him. And we spent a whole day in the Ronald Reagan Library out in California. I enjoyed that. We didn’t plan on spending all day, but we got there, just loved it. But, you know, as he got older, and his mind went and everything, great as a man as he was, it was sown in dishonor. That’s what we’re talking about. It’s sown in dishonor, but here’s a wonderful thing about it. He says it’s what? It’s raised in glory.
Now, we’ll talk about that in just a minute here, a little bit more about the glory thing here. But you ever hear anybody talk about the glory days? Those are glory days, you know, the prime and all that. I think that has an aspect of it, talking about the dishonor. But it’s raised in glory. And you just got a glorified body. You have your glory days, if you will, forever. And an eternal body, it’ll always be like that. You’ll get to live in your glory days, if you will.
Verse number 43. Let’s get another comparison He has here about our earthly and our spiritual body there. He says, “It is sown in weakness.” Same thing. It’s always—it’s always a sad thing when you, you know, dads are always the strongest; they can do anything until you get a little bit older and your dad starts declining, and it’s always a sad thing to see your dad in weakness, you know. But if you live long enough, it’s going to happen. And the man, you know, he’s why they can do anything. Why, I loved it when my kids thought I could do anything. Then they got a little bit smarter. Amen. Figured it out. Well, that’s not necessarily true. You know, Dad can’t do anything. But it doesn’t matter who it is. After a while, it’s sown in weakness.
You ever been with someone? You’re just talking about death. You’ve ever been with someone, and they’re trying to whisper something to you, and you just can’t make it out? And that bothers me sometimes. I don’t have the best hearing and discernment on someone. Sometimes I can hear it, but I can’t discern what they’re saying. And that’s hard. I want to understand what they’re saying. But they’re sown in weakness. They’re running out of energy, juice, if you will. They’re sown in weakness, but then he says they’re raised in power. I mean, you’re going to have power in heaven. I mean, your body—you’re going to have power. I think your new body will be strong like the angels.
Look, if you will, over in a couple of—just look, look, look at a couple of verses. Luke 20. Look at verse number—Luke 20, verse number 36. Luke 20, look in verse number 36. Just trying to get our mind going as far as you’re going to have a brand new body one day. I mean, we’re all going to have the weaknesses and problems down here with our bodies as we get older. But praise the Lord, for a Christian, we’ve got a new body coming one day. And I think that new body will be strong like the angels.
Look in Luke 20. Look at verse number 36: “Neither can they die any more; for they are equal unto the angels, and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.” Look over in Psalm 103. Psalm 103 and verse number 20. Psalm 103 and verse number 20. So in heaven, the Bible tells us, we’re equal. They won’t die anymore. We’re equal unto the angels.
Now look over and let’s just see what the Bible emphasizes about the angels in their bodies, their strength. Sown in weakness, raised in power. Psalm 103, look at verse number 20: “Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in…” What’s the next word? Strength. You’re going to be equal of that, “that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.” I mean, they excel in strength.
Look over in 2 Peter chapter 2. Second Peter chapter 2. Second Peter, we’re flipping over a little bit, Wednesday night in Bible study. That’d be all right. Go over to Second Peter chapter 2. Look at verse number 11. Second Peter 2:11: “Whereas angels, which are greater in power…” Kind of reminds me—someone who is raised in power will be equal to them—“…bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.”
Do you realize, remember over there with Lot? And remember the angels came in and the Sodomites weren’t to get to them, and Lot brought them inside, and then the Sodomites, they’re about to break the door down. You know what those angels did? Boom. They smote them with blindness. Well, you’re going to have a body like that. We’re going to excel in strength. You’ve got power. Remember David when he sinned and that angel that came over and that angel killed 70,000 people? One angel talks about over there, and about to go to Jerusalem, and the Lord said, “Oh, hold on, hold on, angel. Don’t go over there.” No, no. That’s one angel. You’re going to have power, your new body.
Here’s what I’m saying, friend: The Incredible Hulk can’t got nothing on you when you get to heaven. You talk about Superman, who-hoo! You’re going to excel in strength. Why, you’ve got a brand new body, be like the angels.
You ever hear stories? Maybe I think about my Aunt Velma. My Aunt Velma is about, oh, maybe four-foot-three, something like that, you know, just a little bitty lady. And just little, little lady. She’s got energy, though. Don’t make her mad, you know. But a little lady like that, you know, and her in a car accident or something, and the car is on her husband or something like that, and that lady, adrenaline rush, and she can pick the whole car up. You ever hear stories like that? That’s why you’ll be in heaven, that brand new body. You’ll excel in strength. Raised, sown in weakness, raised in power.
Look over in Romans chapter number eight. Just a couple of more thoughts before we close it out tonight, our bodies. And we’ll read the verse and we’ll talk about it. Romans 8, look in verse number 23. Romans 8:23. When you’re there, would you say, “Amen”? Good. “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”
Now, you say, what does it mean? It’s like the—the payment’s already been made. Jesus made the payment on the cross of Calvary, all right? But when He comes, we’re going to have the full transaction. Years ago, years ago, John had a—I don’t know—he had some kind of dirt bike. I can’t remember which one it was. And we had ordered a piston for him. Remember, you fellows understand that? You remember those two-strokes? Man, they were fast, but you always had to put a new top end on, always, you know. Just it was one of those. So we ordered a new piston for, and we paid for it. John paid for it, and it was paid for. But it took that piston forever and ever to come in, and John couldn’t ride that motorcycle. He’s a boy; it’s killing him, you know. “Dad, we paid for that thing!” “I know, I know, I know, but, you know, I can’t make it come,” you know. And just got to wait for it, you know.
And he already paid for it, but the full redemption, if you will, is the day he went to that parts store and they handed him that new piston. And our new bodies have been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ, but one day that—and we’re kind of groaning, waiting for that. Man, I’m ready to have that new body, you know. And that’s what we’re talking about. One day we’ll have that brand new body.
Now we’ve mentioned this; let’s go back to it again. Look over in 1 John chapter number three. First John chapter number three. And we’ve mentioned that we’re going to change a little bit the angle of it. We’re just for a minute going to talk about how our bodies will be like Jesus, just for a moment. First John, back part of your Bible—First, Second, Third John, Jude, Revelation. First John, chapter number three, look at verse number two. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”
Look at Philippians chapter number three. Philippians chapter number three. I want to remember that, but we know that when he shall appear. Look in Philippians chapter three. Look in verse number 21. Ephesians, Philippians, Philippians, three. Look in verse number 21: “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious…” I think it’s important, “…glorious body; according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”
Now, so we’ll have this glorious body. But I want you to notice this thing isn’t fully—we don’t get this body like Jesus fully until Jesus comes back. Most think that, you know, Brother Richard just died about a week and a half ago, usually sitting right here, that now until Jesus comes back, he has somewhat of a transitional body. We don’t know a whole lot about it. We know when Jesus will come back; that’s when the final thing will be like Jesus when He shall appear, we just read that in 1 John 3:2.
And during this meantime, we’re not exactly sure, but here’s a little thought. We’re just going to kind of throw it out there. Look over, if you will. It’s found in several places, but look over, if you will, in Matthew chapter number 19. We’re going to go back to that thought, but I want to just interject a little thought in between there, all right? Matthew 19. This is just an interesting little thought. Matthew 19. Look in verse number 14. Matthew 19, verse number 14. And I want you to note what Jesus says—says in several places. But Jesus said, “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
Now, the other gospel is the kingdom of God. That can be very much in our heart, but the kingdom of heaven is a little different. Matthew uses the term kingdom of heaven. It has to do more with heaven, if you will. And if you’re going to set it up here on earth, and they reject Him—and I’m getting off on that—but the kingdom of heaven. Here’s my thought. Here’s my thought. He said, “Of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Watch these little children.
Now, I think when Jesus comes back, we’ll be like Him. I think Jesus was 33 years old when He died on the cross. And many people say that’s the prime. It’s interesting; everybody’s got a different opinion about it. But Wikipedia, I looked it up today. On Wikipedia, they said, for a man, his prime, according to their opinion, is 33 years old. I thought, wow, that’s what I was looking for. I didn’t have to search through 10,000 websites to find that. You can find whatever you want to. You know, they say for a woman, it’s a lot younger, and this, of course, is their opinion. But I think when Jesus comes back, we’ll be in our prime. We’ll be like Jesus. When He died, He was 33 years old. I think He’s a little bit there. But our transitional body, I don’t know that we’ll be just like that.
And I thought about it: they say every year nowadays in modern day, about 73 million babies are aborted every year, worldwide, I’m talking about. Worldwide. And I don’t know—I don’t know what that number was in the '50s or, you know, the '30s. But you imagine how many babies? I mean, they’re covered under grace, so they’ve all gone to heaven. Why, do we know just in America since '73, 1973, about 65 million, something like that? Can you imagine all the babies? Maybe that’s a little bit of reference right there. I don’t know. But maybe Jesus is giving a little glimpse when He said, “Of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Maybe now there is a lot of babies in heaven. Now, I’ve got a brand new body, but we’re not fully like Jesus until He comes back. Just a little thought. We want to put that out. Y’all can argue about that later on. Amen. I’m not dogmatic. I’m not dogmatic. But it’s an interesting thought.
But when Jesus comes back, we’ll be like Him. We know that. But what was Jesus’ resurrected body like? Remember the apostles? They were meeting twice, two different times on Sunday. He just appeared. He didn’t knock on the door like Peter did, and we had to come to the door, you know, the gate there, you know. He just—He just went right through the wall. Boom. You’ll have a body like that. I mean, just—just go wherever.
Remember, we’ve been talking about it here recently a little bit on Sunday mornings, just kind of fell into place. But remember, Jesus told Mary Magdalene, “Don’t touch me. You know, I’m not going to the—not ascended to the Father.” We talked about that Sunday. The High Priest went to cleanse—you couldn’t touch Him until He went in May, the Day of Atonement, you know, Yom Kippur, and all that. And so Jesus, well, just the same day, Jesus went all the way up to heaven, applied His blood, third heaven. You know, the pattern, the real tabernacle up in heaven, the Most Holy Place, the real ark of the covenant, the real mercy seat, applied His blood. And by that afternoon, He was back down on earth with the apostles.
I’m just so much—you can travel. Me and Brother Kevin sometimes joke that I’m going to have a Corvette and he’s going to have a Mustang, and we’re going to lay rubber on the golden street in heaven. We’re going to race in heaven, you know. We talk about that, but, you know, we may have it for fun. Who knows, you know? But, you know, in heaven, we won’t need that, really. We can just, boom, we’re there. I mean, from earth to the third heaven. I mean, our universe is amazing. They say there’s an empty place in the north, and we won’t get into all that, and, you know, how many hundreds and millions of light-years that is away, if that would be it. I mean, boom, we’re there and back, same day. Whole lot faster than the speed of light. I mean, you’ve got a body like Jesus.
Now, He said—we read it over there in Philippians 3:21—He said, “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body.” We’ll be like His glorious body. Let’s talk about Jesus on the matter of transfiguration when we begin to glow. Look over Matthew 17, verse number two. Matthew 17, verse number two. Just trying to get your wheels turning. You may not agree totally like I, you know, think about all this stuff here tonight, and there wouldn’t be a cardinal doctrine that I’d argue over. Sometimes I don’t agree with myself on some of this stuff here, you know. Brother Howes used to say, you know, “You’re pulling more out of the Bible than God put into the Bible,” and sometimes that’s true, you know. Better get our minds and just our wheels turning about our bodies in heaven. I want you just think about it a little bit.
Look at Matthew 17. Look in verse number two. Verse number two, and Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. Verse number two: “And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun.” Oh, the sun’s bright. I mean, you can’t even look at the sun. That’s why Jesus’ face began to shine like that. “And his raiment was white as the light.”
Look over in Luke chapter number nine. Luke chapter number nine in verse number 29. It’s the parallel scripture here. Jesus is on the matter of transfiguration. Just talk about, He said, “We’re going to change our vile body that it might be fashioned unto His glorious body.” Well, this is when Jesus began to have His glory on earth, the Mount of Transfiguration, transfigured into His glorified body. Luke chapter 9, look at verse number 29. Luke 9:29: “And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.”
Now, friend, here’s what I’m saying: in heaven, you get that glorified body. When Jesus comes back, we’re like Him. This vile body is turned to His glorious body. You’ll have a glow or a glory about you. And you’ll have a shine, if you will. And Jesus, man, on the Mount of Transfiguration, man, His face was so bright like the sun. Whoa! You’ll be like that. You’ll glow. I don’t know if you’ll have the same luminosity, if you will, as Jesus. I don’t think we will. Nobody will. But you’ll shine. You’ll have a glory about you. You’ll have your resurrected… Boy, praise the Lord for our white raiment that will glisten because of the raiment of Jesus Christ. We’ll wear it up in heaven.
This is interesting. Look over in Revelation. We’ve got a hurdle in Revelation chapter number 21. Revelation 21. And look at verse number 23: “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.” Boy, in heaven, you don’t need light. Now think about it: there’s a street of gold, that’s 100% pure gold, transparent gold, if you will. And you got the layers of all these jewels and precious stones. I can’t list them. I don’t have them memorized. Couldn’t say them, but if I did have them memorized, we don’t have time to look them up—gates of pearl, and jasper walls—and imagine the beauty of Jesus shining through all that. And Jesus will give light through it all. There’ll be no shadows.
You know, it’s interesting. Jesus, when He comes back, we won’t take time to look it up—I’ll read it before—but Jesus, when He comes back at the Battle of Armageddon, the Antichrist is there, and he’s trying to, you know, defeat the Lord. And let me read for you. You always talk about the sharp two-edged sword, and that’s true, but watch what it says. Let me read it for you. Second Thessalonians 2:8: “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” Jesus is going to be so bright, the devil can’t stand the brightness of Jesus. Just the glow, His face shining like the sun—the devil’s, excuse me, the Antichrist, which the devil is empowered and possessed at that point—he can’t handle just the brightness of Jesus.
And, you know, we’ll have bodies like Him. This is an amazing verse, Romans 8:17: “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” 2 Corinthians 4:17: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” Wow.
Look, two more verses. We’re going to be done. Matthew 13. Matthew 13, real quickly. We’ll look these two up. We’re going to be done. Two verses, we’re done. Matthew 13. Now we’ve described a little bit the glory, the shine, the glistering, the power of Jesus shining. It’s just amazing. The Antichrist can’t handle it. Satan himself can’t handle the brightness of Jesus, sharp two-edged sword and His brightness. But we’ll be like Him when He comes. We’ll have a body like Him.
Look at Matthew 13. Look at verse number 43: “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
Look over in Daniel 12, last verse. Daniel 12. Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos. Look in Daniel chapter number 12. In one verse, Daniel 12. Look at verse number three. Daniel 12, verse number three. Brother Howes was one of my heroes. Not perfect, but one of my heroes. He’d always sign Daniel 12:3 in a Bible. Look at this. Daniel 12:3: “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars.” Remember that 1 Corinthians 15? Different stars. “And they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” You did your part. I’m seeing souls saved, bringing people to righteousness. You’ll glow. You’ll shine like Jesus Christ.
Would you bow your heads? Our heads are bowed, eyes are closed. And friend, don’t get discouraged with this old world. Don’t get discouraged with it. We’re going to have a brand new body one day. Maybe you just want to say, “Lord, I’m going to stay faithful. I want to stay faithful for You. I want to keep living. I want to do my part in winning souls. I want to shine as the brightness of the firmament.” Maybe you say, “You know, instead of complaining, I just need to say, I just need to praise the Lord; I’ve got a brand new body coming one day.”
But would you do this? Would you spend a little time with your Heavenly Father? And would you thank Him that this isn’t it down here—sown in weakness, dishonor, corruption—but praise the Lord, that’s not the end. Would you just thank Him, and maybe would you praise Him a little bit tonight?
Would you please stand? We’ll have a word of prayer. Lord, just tugging at your heart. Would you come to an old-fashioned altar, spend some time with Him? Would you be obedient as He’s leading you, whether it’s standing there or down an altar? You’d be obedient to the Lord. Would you do that? Father, thank You that this isn’t it. And Lord, we’ve messed it up, we’ve sinned. Adam, we did, but we did too. And Lord, death by sin. But thank You, Father, for Your Son. Thank You for the second Adam. Thank You for the new body we’re going to get one day. Lord, preach it to encourage us. Help us be faithful to and for You till that time. And just encourage people with the truth tonight. In Jesus, then we pray. Amen.
Would you just be obedient to the Lord as He’s instantly playing? Would you do that? That new body in heaven one day. Amen. Praise the Lord for that. I’m excited about that. And a glorified body. Wow, what about that? Be like Jesus Christ. It’s going to be a great, great day. And thank you for being in church on the Wednesday night. Honored to have the Copeland’s. Always a blessing to have them with us tonight. And just 16 days away. And goodness gracious, what are they saying? Some people were born free, but some got married. How about that, Angel? I’ll tell you what, you know. I’m teasing. I’m teasing. Congratulations. That’s wonderful. Brother Copeland, would you dismiss us please in word of prayer.
Original File: Pastor Paul Chisgar - - Your New Heavenly Body - Wednesday PM 04032024