What will we look like in heaven?

Answer

In the book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, Paul discusses the resurrection and the body after resurrection. In verses 35 and onward, he explains that our heavenly bodies will differ from our natural bodies, showing significant differences. While our earthly bodies are mortal (vulnerable to death), our resurrected bodies will be immortal (not subject to death). Similarly, while our earthly bodies are prone to decay, they will become incorruptible “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”, (1 Corinthians 15:53). Additionally, whereas our natural bodies are weak (as evident in individuals aged 40 and above), our resurrected bodies will be strong (verse 43).

Another comparison is that currently, we possess a natural body, but in the future, we will have a spiritual body. This likely does not imply that we will exist as bodiless spirits floating around without interaction with our surroundings. After all, 1 Corinthians 15:49 mentions that we will have a body similar to Jesus’ resurrected body “Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”, (see also 1 John 3:2). Furthermore, after His resurrection, Jesus invited His disciples to touch Him and observed Him eating, proving that He was not just a spirit (Luke 24:37-43)). Instead, it is more probable that just as a natural body is suited for this current life in our physical universe, the spiritual body will be the most suitable for the eternal existence that awaits us in our eternal home. Jesus’ resurrected body had the ability to enter locked rooms at will «Then the same day in the evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and said unto them, Peace be unto you. », (John 20:19). Our earthly bodies constrain us in ways (and/or dimensions) that our spiritual bodies will not.

First Corinthians 15:43 also depicts the change from being “sown in dishonor” to being “raised in glory.” Philippians 3:21 states that Jesus “will transform our lowly body so that it may be conformed to His glorious body.” Our deteriorating bodies are labeled with the term dishonor because they exhibit the effects of sin. Sometimes our bodies bear the consequences of our own personal sins, like a brain that can no longer formulate complete thoughts due to substance abuse. Other times, our bodies bear the scars of sins committed against us by others, such as a scar from a violent act. However, these physical marks of sin are not the only ones. In broader terms, the decaying physical body is a direct outcome of humanity’s plunge into sin. If there had been no sin, there would be no decay and death «The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. », (1 Corinthians 15:56). Yet, God, through Christ’s transformative power, can raise His children with new, glorious bodies, completely liberated from the effects of sin and possessing the splendor of Christ instead.

In conclusion, we are not informed precisely about our appearance in the afterlife, our apparent age, or whether we will appear slim oOur physical bodies may change due to various factors such as overeating, poor diet, hereditary conditions, injuries, or aging. However, these changes will not carry over into our appearance in the afterlife. Most importantly, the sinful nature inherited from Adam will no longer be present, as we will be transformed to reflect the holiness of Christ (Romans 5:12, 1 John 3:2).