By Wendy Reaume

If you build your theology on tv commercials we will all have wings in heaven, will play harps, will be able to sit on clouds and we will eat Philadelphia cream cheese. Paintings often echo this and depict those who have died as naked cherub babies flying around and holding harps and certainly every one is chubby and overweight! It’s a good thing we don’t build our theology on commercials and paintings. 

What does the Bible say about how we will look in heaven? Firstly, we are not nor will we be angels. God created us in His image and the angels were created differently and for a different reason. Hebrews 2:7-9 says, ‘It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come…What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honour and put everything under his feet.’ We, not the angels, are the crown of God’s creation. And of course, Jesus is the supreme creation being fully God and fully man.

 In the context of settling disputes between believers in the church, we are told that one day we will judge the angels. 1 Corinthians 6:3 Do you not know that we [believers] will judge the angels? How much more the things of this life! And God makes it clear that the angels watch from the heavenly realm and wonder at the great thing Jesus has done for us and how God offers that to us—to them it is a mystery. We are a ‘different breed.’ 1 Peter 1:12 …when they [the Prophets] spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.  

Angels are not humans who have died, but rather spirits whose role is to watch over us, minister to us, and do God’s will concerning us.  Hebrews 1:14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? 

The Bible clearly teaches that we are not angels. No, we will not be angels in heaven.

The Bible clearly teaches that we, as humans, are the crown of God’s creation. And the Bible clearly teaches that in heaven we will be spirit, and at the second coming of Christ those who have died and gone to heaven already will return with Christ and at that point will receive their heavenly, physical body.  1 Thess. 4:13-18:  Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage each other with these words. 

Those who die in this life and go to heaven will be spirit. They will receive a physical body at the second coming of Christ, but they are present in heaven with Jesus. Those who are still living at the time of the second coming of Christ will then be raptured to meet Christ in the air, and they will be transformed in their bodies as that happens. (also 1 Corinthians 15:51-55)

Tomorrow we will look at what we know about that physical, heavenly body.

Our song for today is One Day (When We All Get to Heaven) by Matt Redman.