{"id":1595,"date":"2020-01-03T14:23:12","date_gmt":"2020-01-03T14:23:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.tyndale.com\/unfoldingfaithblog\/?p=1595"},"modified":"2020-01-03T14:24:01","modified_gmt":"2020-01-03T14:24:01","slug":"what-will-i-look-like-in-heaven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.tyndale.com\/unfoldingfaithblog\/2020\/01\/03\/what-will-i-look-like-in-heaven\/","title":{"rendered":"What Will I Look Like in Heaven?"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Randy Alcorn, excerpted from\u00a0Heaven<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m often asked if people, particularly children, become angels when they die. The answer is no. Death is a relocation of the same person from one place to another. The place changes, but the person remains the same. The same person who becomes absent from his or her body becomes present with the Lord: Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord<\/em> – 2 Corinthians 5:8<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The person who departs is the one who goes to be with Christ: But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ… I\u2019m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. – <\/em>Philippians 1:22-24<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Angels are angels. Humans are humans. Angels are beings with their own histories and memories, with distinct identities, reflected in the fact that they have personal names, such as Michael and Gabriel. Under God\u2019s direction, they serve us on Earth (Hebrews 1:14<\/a>). Michael the archangel serves under God, and the other angels in various positions serve under Michael (Daniel 10:13<\/a>; Revelation 12:7<\/a>). In Heaven human beings will govern angels (1 Corinthians 6:2-3<\/a>). The fact that angels have served us on Earth will make meeting them in Heaven particularly fascinating. They\u2019ve been with us from childhood, protecting us, standing by us, doing whatever they could on our behalf (Matthew 18:10<\/a>). They may have witnessed virtually every moment of our lives. Besides God Himself, no one could know us better.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

What will it be like not only to have them show us around the present Heaven but also to walk and talk with them on the New Earth*? What stories will they tell us, including what really happened that day at the lake thirty-five years ago when we almost drowned? They\u2019ve guarded us, gone to fierce battle for us, served as God\u2019s agents in answering prayers. How great it will be to get to know these brilliant ancient creatures who\u2019ve lived with God from their creation. We\u2019ll consult them as well as advise them, realizing they too can learn from us, God\u2019s image-bearers. Will an angel who guarded us be placed under our management? If we really believed angels were with us daily, here and now, wouldn\u2019t it motivate us to make wiser choices? Wouldn\u2019t we feel an accountability to holy beings who serve us as God\u2019s representatives?<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

*Wondering what the ‘present Heaven’ and the ‘New Earth’ are? Read this article<\/a> to find out what Randy means.–<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Despite what some popular books say, there\u2019s no biblical basis for trying to make contact with angels now. We\u2019re to ask God, not angels, for wisdom (James 1:5<\/a>). As Scripture says, Satan\u2019s servants can \u201cmasquerade as servants of righteousness\u201d and bring us messages that appear to be from God but aren\u2019t (2 Corinthians 11:15<\/a>). Nevertheless, because Scripture teaches that one or more of God\u2019s angels may be in the room with me now, every once in a while I say \u201cThank you\u201d out loud. And sometimes I add, \u201cI look forward to meeting you.\u201d I can\u2019t wait to hear their stories. We won\u2019t be angels, but we\u2019ll be with angels\u2014and that\u2019ll be far better.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

I heard someone say that in Heaven we\u2019ll all have sculpted bodies, without any fat. The comment reflects a yearning for our bodies to be healthy, fit, and beautiful. I expect our bodies will be good-looking, but not with a weight-lifting, artificial-implant, skin-tuck, tanning-booth sort of beauty. The sculpted physique our culture admires would be regarded as freakish in other places and times. Some cultures consider what we call slimness as unhealthy and what we consider plumpness as a sign of vitality and prosperity. The same genetic tendencies that make some people unattractive by one culture\u2019s standards make them attractive in another.<\/p>\n

Our new bodies, I expect, will have a natural beauty that won\u2019t need cosmetics or touch-ups. As for fat, because God created fat as part of our bodies, we\u2019ll surely have some, but in healthy proportion. The most beautiful person you\u2019ve ever seen is under the Curse, a shadow of the beauty that once characterized humanity. If we saw Adam and Eve as they were in Eden, likely they would take our breath away. Had they seen us as we are now, likely they would be filled with shock and pity.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

God will decide what our perfect bodies look like, but we certainly shouldn\u2019t assume they\u2019ll all look alike. Different heights and weights seem as likely as different skin colors. Racial identities will continue (Revelation 5:9<\/a>: your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation<\/em>; 7:9<\/a>: I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language<\/em>), and this involves a genetic carryover from the old body to the new. I\u2019m speculating, but it seems likely that people whose bodies were tall will have tall resurrection bodies; those who were short will likely be short. The naturally thin will be thin, and the naturally thick will be thick. But all of these sizes will be healthy and appealing, untouched by the Curse or disease or restrictions, and we\u2019ll each be perfectly happy with the form God designed for us.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Some people consider this topic unspiritual, but one of the church\u2019s greatest theologians, Augustine, didn\u2019t. He says in The City of God: \u201c[The body] shall be of that size which it either had attained or should have attained in the flower of its youth, and shall enjoy the beauty that arises from preserving symmetry and proportion in all its members . . . overgrown and emaciated persons need not fear that they shall be in heaven of such a figure as they would not be even in this world if they could help it.\u201d We won\u2019t overeat or undereat on the New Earth. With health, vitality, and freedom, we\u2019ll all get plenty of activity.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Will calories affect us the same way they do now? I don\u2019t know. But we certainly won\u2019t experience heart disease, diabetes, asthma, osteoporosis, arthritis, cancer, MS, HIV, or anything else that consumes the body. Most people aren\u2019t longing so much for a perfect body as for the sense of well-being and approval they think goes with it. Of this we can be certain\u2014no matter what we look like, our bodies will please God, ourselves, and others. We won\u2019t gaze into the mirror wishing for a different nose or different cheeks, ears, or teeth. The sinless beauty of the inner person will overflow into the beauty of the outer person. We\u2019ll feel neither insecurity nor arrogance. We won\u2019t attempt to hide or impress. We won\u2019t have to try to look beautiful\u2014we will be beautiful. We\u2019ll be most grateful not about our appearance but our health and strength.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll know that God fashioned us just as He desired and that we\u2019ll never lose the health and beauty He\u2019s graciously given us.<\/p>\n

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\"Front<\/a>Heaven<\/a>\u00a0by\u00a0Randy Alcorn<\/h3>\n
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Bestseller<\/span>\u2013 Over 1,000,000 Sold!\u00a0<\/em><\/div>\n
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What will heaven be like? Randy Alcorn presents a thoroughly biblical answer, based on years of careful study, presented in an engaging, reader-friendly style. His conclusions will surprise readers and stretch their thinking about this important subject.\u00a0Heaven<\/i><\/a>\u00a0will inspire readers to long for heaven while they\u2019re living on earth.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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by Randy Alcorn, excerpted from\u00a0Heaven. I\u2019m often asked if people, particularly children, become angels when they die. The answer is no. Death is a relocation of the same person from one place to another. The place changes, but the person remains the same. The same person who becomes absent from his or her body becomes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":1599,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[329,97,90,7],"tags":[328,143,91,308,14],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.tyndale.com\/unfoldingfaithblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1595"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.tyndale.com\/unfoldingfaithblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.tyndale.com\/unfoldingfaithblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.tyndale.com\/unfoldingfaithblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.tyndale.com\/unfoldingfaithblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1595"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/sites.tyndale.com\/unfoldingfaithblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1595\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1604,"href":"https:\/\/sites.tyndale.com\/unfoldingfaithblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1595\/revisions\/1604"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.tyndale.com\/unfoldingfaithblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.tyndale.com\/unfoldingfaithblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.tyndale.com\/unfoldingfaithblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.tyndale.com\/unfoldingfaithblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}