Heaven

Lesson 4Anticipating Resurrection

In this lesson, we continue our study of Heaven. If you are following along with us in Randy Alcorn’s book, "Heaven", we are currently studying the material found in Section 4 (Chapters 11 – 13). We will be examining what "resurrection" means for us, referring to both Christ’s physical resurrection as well as our own. In other words, what can we learn about our own resurrection by looking at what the Bible tells us about being resurrected, and by looking at the model that Christ set for us through his resurrection?

Heaven

Destined for an eternity living, walking, talking, and worshipping with God, Jesus the Messiah, and His Holy Spirit; we will do so in real, physical, resurrected bodies living in a real and physical new heaven and earth, in the new city of Jerusalem.

So let’s take a look at what having a resurrected body means, and what it will be like to be resurrected as Christ was.

  1. Why is Christ’s resurrection so important to us as Christians? (see 1 Corinthians 15:17-19)
  2. Is the hope of a physical resurrection solely a New Testament hope, or is it evident in the Old Testament as well? Did the Old Testament view envision a bodily and physical resurrection., or something else? (see Job 19:26-27)
  3. When the world is reborn and made new, will it follow the patterns of the current world or be something completely new, something that we have no experience with? (see Matthew 19:28)
  4. What indication do we have that our resurrection will be a physical one? (see 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
  5. Christ explains to us one key and important aspect of God that gives us great hope at the time of our physical death? What does he say about God that gives us this great hope if we have put our faith in Christ? (see Matthew 22:32)
  6. What can we learn about our resurrected bodies from the following verses:
    1. 1 John 3:2
    2. Luke 24:39
    3. 1 Thessalonians 4:14 and Revelation 21:1-3
    4. Luke 24:13-35
    5. John 20:15-16
    6. John 20:24-29
    7. John 21:12

We see from our study that we can look forward to one day having real and physical resurrected bodies. In those bodies, we will still look like human beings. We will have the ability to recognize one another and we will possess other characteristics of a physical body, including the need to eat.

We will be able to walk and talk as we do today, and we will live in the new city of Jerusalem on a new earth in a new heaven, where we will fellowship and worship each day with God, his son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. "What a day of rejoicing that will be, when we all see Jesus!", as the words of an old hymn proclaim. What a day of rejoicing indeed!

Have a great week everyone, and thanks for studying with us.

In Christ,

Wes

[2020]

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