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Particulars of Christianity:
303 Bible Cosmology


Bodies in Heaven: Angels and Spirit Bodies

Cosmology: Introduction and Definitions
Part 1: The Old Testament - Buildings in Heaven
Bodies in Heaven: Angels and Spirit Bodies
Humans and Angels: How Similar are We?
Hell in the Old Testament
Part 2: From Christ's Death to His Return
Part 3: Christ's Return Through His Millennial Reign
Part 4: The Final Judgment and Eternity
Replaced or Restored: "Restarts" vs. the First Start
Replaced or Restored: Genesis 1 and Angels
Replaced or Restored: Precedent Reveals Restoration (Part 1)
Replaced or Restored: Precedent Reveals Restoration (Part 2)
Replaced or Restored: More on the Creation of Angels (Part 1)
Replaced or Restored: More on the Creation of Angels (Part 2)
Cosmology: Composite Chart
Cosmogony Illustrations



Although angels are typically thought of by modern Christians as non-corporeal beings (beings who do not have bodies) we can establish in scripture that this is not, in fact, the case. Angels themselves do indeed have bodies, as the following scriptures will demonstrate. Please excuse the long quote but its necessary to establish the scriptural certainty of this claim.

1 Corinthians 15:35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? 36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: 37 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: 38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. 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. 40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 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. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 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. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

In this long passage, Paul discusses the resurrected glorified body. In verse 44, Paul clearly declares, "There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body." As Paul goes on to further explain in verses 44-49, Jesus Christ himself provides the pattern for how we will receive our spiritual body: "It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body." In the resurrection, we will receive a spiritual body, just as Christ Jesus' himself received a glorified body upon his resurrection. Paul goes on to assure us that, "we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." Even for those of us who do not die but are alive at the return of Christ Jesus, we will not be resurrected (because we are not dead) but instead will be directly transformed, receiving the spirit bodies just as the resurrected do.

This is remarkably similar to the words of John in his first epistle.

1 John 3:2 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. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Paul and John are in agreement that when Jesus Christ returns, we will be made like him so that just as Jesus Christ received a glorified body when resurrected, so we will receive glorified (spiritual) bodies when he returns. Paul states this in Philippians also.

Philippians 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

In fact, God's purpose in the resurrection was to provide redemption of the physical body just as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15.

1 Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 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. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality...

To inherit the kingdom of God, we must have a spiritual body and so, it was necessary for God through the resurrection of Christ Jesus to provide a means to transform our corruptible earthly bodies into immortal, incorruptible bodies following the same pattern as established by Jesus Christ himself.

Jesus' resurrected body was physical enough to eat food (Luke 24:39-43) and to be touched by his disciples (Luke 24:39-43, John 20:26-29). And of course Jesus still retained and took his body into heaven when he ascended. In fact, as we have seen, Jesus' took his physical body and blood with him into heaven to the heavenly temple to purify it (Hebrews 9:11-12, 23-26.) So, Jesus' earthly body, scars, blood, and all, entered into heaven in a glorified (resurrected) state. And what about those Old Testaments saints who upon Jesus' death rose from the grave (Matthew 27:50-52)? Where did they go with their resurrected bodies? Back down into the grave? Ephesians 3:15 tells us that some of the family of God is currently in heaven. There is little doubt that among the number of those in heaven are these Old Testament saints that were resurrected when Christ died. They no doubt entered heaven taking their resurrected bodies with them. It is clear from this that heaven is a place with not only structures (such as the heavenly temple) but where a body exists.

But why should this surprise us? We see angels depicted in scriptures doing things remarkably similar to Jesus Christ after his resurrection. In Genesis 18:2,7-8,16 and 19:3 we find angels eating. In Genesis 19:10,16, Acts 12:7, Isaiah 6:6-7, Daniel 8:18, and Matthew 28:2 we find angels touching human beings and other physical (earthly) items. And in the same way that angels do not (usually) interact tangibly with things on the earth but instead are intangible and invisible to us. Though they are able to be visible and tangible from time to time, Jesus was also able to appear suddenly in rooms with locked doors (John 20:19,26.)

It would seem there is a great similarity between the angels and Jesus Christ's body after his resurrection. They can both eat earthly food. They can touch humans and physical objects. Humans can touch them. They can be invisible or visible, tangible or intangible.

But this should not surprise us either. Remember that in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul explicitly writes that when the body is raised, "it is raised a spiritual body." For Jesus himself declares that in the resurrection, humans will be "as the angels of God" and "equal unto the angels."

Matthew 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

Luke 20:35 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: 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.

Oddly enough we see from these two passages that resurrected humans are not permitted to marry because we are like angels. This itself indicates that the account found in Genesis 6 does demonstrate that angels were punished as Jude 1:6 and 2 Peters 2:4 recount because they came down, leaving their heavenly lot, and married women.

In fact, the phrase "equal to the angels" is all one word in the Greek, "isaggelos." Isaggelos is a compound word comprised of two words, "isos" (meaning "equal in quantity or quality) and "aggelos" (meaning "angel.") Notice that in Luke 20, Jesus also states that in the resurrection, "neither can they die any more." This indicates once again that Jesus is speaking of the same thing Paul later recounts when he writes that when we are raised (or changed in the twinkling of an eye) we will be "raised a spiritual body" and "put on immortality." It is clear from the words of Christ Jesus here in Matthew 22 and Luke 20 that not only does the spiritual body that we will receive follow the pattern of Christ's resurrected body, but it also follows the pattern of the angels, just as Jesus says explicitly in Matthew 22:30, "in the resurrection...are as the angels of God in heaven."

And the similarity between humans and angels does not stop there. Psalms 78:23-25 refers to "manna" as "angel's food," adding also that this manna was sent down from heaven and that the Israelites ate this food of angels (Exodus 16:35). So, not only did Jesus Christ eat food with his resurrected body (Luke 24:39-43), and not only can angels eat human food (Genesis 18:2,7-8,16 and 19:3), but angels also have food, which they eat, and humans too can eat this food of angels (Psalms 78:23-25).

It appears that not only does heaven have a physical structures such as the heavenly temple, but it also is a place where bodies exist, including the angles who also have spirit bodies like Christ Jesus' body after his resurrection and like the bodies we will one day have when Christ Jesus returns.

This also explains why even wicked (unsaved) humans will receive resurrected bodies.

John 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

Revelation 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,...11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

In Revelation 20, particularly verse 5, we see that while the righteous dead will be resurrected before the 1000 year reign of Christ, the wicked dead will also be resurrected but only after the 1000 year reign of Christ. In chapter 5 of John's Gospel, Jesus says this exact same thing quite succinctly in a single verse. This second resurrection, the resurrection of the wicked dead, takes place at the Great White Throne Judgment of God, as Revelation states. Then after they are judged, the resurrected wicked will be cast into the lake of Fire. Remember also that the antichrist and the false prophet are thrown alive (that is to say, with living human bodies) into the lake of Fire (Revelation 19:20.) The question is, "why are the wicked dead resurrected at all?"

Jesus himself answers this question for us.

Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

The Lake of Fire was created for angelic beings. Just as Paul writes that one is not fit to inherit the kingdom of God without a spirit body (1 Corinthians 15:50), so too, the wicked must also have angelic spirit bodies in order to go into the Lake of Fire since it was made for angelic beings.



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(Days of Creation)
(Figures 1-6)




Cosmology Chart