Last updated on September 4, 2025
The Resurrection Body: What Will Our Heavenly Form Be?
If by God’s mercy we are counted worthy to partake in the resurrection, one question naturally arises: what will our heavenly bodies be like? How do we “put them on,” and what does Scripture reveal about this mystery?
For many, this subject can be difficult to grasp, but I believe God has given us insight through the writings of the Apostle Paul. His letter to the Corinthians sheds remarkable light on what awaits those who share in the resurrection of Christ.
The Question of the Ages
Paul anticipates the very question many of us ask today:
“But someone will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?’” (1 Corinthians 15:35)
To this, Apostle Paul responds by pointing us to the principle of sowing and reaping. What we plant in the ground does not come to life unless it dies. A seed looks nothing like the plant it will become, yet within it lies the hidden design of God.
In the same way, the body we now have is only a seed of the glorious form yet to come. From this seed, our spirit will grow like a tree and take on its heavenly body, according to the purpose God has appointed for us.
From Seed to Glory
Paul explains:
“What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that will be, but just a seed… But God gives it a body as He has designed, and to each kind of seed He gives its own body.” (1 Corinthians 15:36–38)
Right now, our spirits dwell within a physical frame that is temporary, fragile, and limited. This body of flesh is like a seed planted on earth, a vessel that houses our spirit for a season. Through the experiences we face in this earthly shell, our spirit is shaped and refined. Yet even before all of this, God had already chosen us from the foundation of creation to reflect His light.
But this is not the end of His design. God has prepared for us a spiritual body—one perfectly suited for eternity—that we will inherit once we set aside our mortal flesh. Just as there are many kinds of earthly bodies—human, animal, bird, and fish—and various glories in creation—the blazing sun, the glowing moon, and the brilliance of the stars—so too will our resurrected form carry a glory uniquely its own.
The reality of our heavenly body remains a mystery, yet God has not left us without an example. The Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead and took on His glorified form, showing us the pattern we too will follow. His resurrection reveals the kind of body we shall one day receive—the body of Christ. And just as Christ now has access to His people, who make up His Body, so also we will be given access to those whom God has appointed to us. Together, they will form our spiritual, heavenly body.
The Contrast Between the Natural and the Spiritual
The Apostle Paul paints a striking contrast between our present earthly state and the glory of our future reality:
Sown perishable, raised imperishable – Our mortal body is perishable, destined to decay and return to the dust. Yet the spirit formed within us will be raised as an imperishable body—one that can never again be corrupted, weakened, or destroyed.
Sown in dishonor, raised in glory – In this world, God’s people often suffer dishonor. Demonic forces oppose them in the unseen realm, and those battles sometimes spill into the physical. Yet even in dishonor, our faith is refined. At the appointed time, what was humbled will be raised in glory, shining with the radiance of God’s approval.
Sown in weakness, raised in power – Our earthly condition is marked by frailty and vulnerability. God allows this weakness so that we remain dependent on Him. By ourselves, we lack the strength to overcome the forces of darkness, but through Christ we already share in His power. In the age to come, we will be raised in strength and authority, ruling with God’s chosen people in Christ.
Sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body – For now, we live in natural bodies that rely on physical needs. But when God raises us, He will clothe us with spiritual bodies—perfectly suited for eternity. No longer bound to flesh and blood, we will share in the fullness of His divine design.
Apostle Paul reminds us that the natural comes first, then the spiritual. The first man, Adam, was formed from the dust of the earth, while the second man, Christ, came from heaven. Those who belong to Adam bear his earthly image, but those who belong to Christ will bear His heavenly likeness. In Him, we are destined to share in the spiritual body of Christ.
The Hope We Carry
Apostle Paul concludes with a breathtaking promise:
“Just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so also shall we bear the likeness of the heavenly man.” (1 Corinthians 15:49)
This is the hope of the resurrection. We will not be raised as disembodied spirits but clothed in glorified, spiritual bodies—imperishable, radiant, and filled with the power of God’s life.
A Call to Live with Resurrection in View
This truth calls us to live differently today. If we are destined to be like Christ in glory, then our present lives should reflect the reality of that coming transformation. Though our bodies are now frail and passing away, our faith in the risen Lord assures us that death is not the end—it is the doorway to glory.
So let us press forward, not clinging to the weakness of our earthly frame, but fixing our eyes on the heavenly body promised in Christ Jesus.
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