Some believers may assume they will be disembodied spirits in Heaven until the resurrection, since their physical bodies remain on Earth upon death and only their soul and spirit enter Heaven. Others may suppose they will receive a temporary body in Heaven until they are clothed with their glorified body at the resurrection.
Likewise, people may assume that those in Hell may or may not receive a temporary body while awaiting the resurrection, before they obtain their permanent body equipped for the lake of fire.
But are those assumptions correct?
Scripture provides a few clues that suggest believers and unbelievers will have functioning bodies when they enter eternity while awaiting the resurrection. The first clue appears in Luke 16, when Jesus spoke about Abraham, the rich man, and Lazarus, all of whom were deceased.
Jesus described Lazarus in Heaven as having a body and body parts like his earthly ones. He revealed that angels carried Lazarus from the earth to Heaven after he died (Luke 16:22), which suggests he was not a disembodied spirit. Jesus also described Lazarus as feeling comfort (Luke 16:25) and having fingers that the rich man in Hell wanted dipped in water to cool his burning tongue (Luke 16:24).
Likewise, Jesus described Abraham in Heaven as having body parts like his earthly body. He had eyes to see Lazarus by his side and the rich man in Hell in the distance (Luke 16:25). Abraham also possessed a voice box and tongue to speak (Luke 16:25-26, 29, 31).
Jesus then described the rich man in Hell as having body parts like those of his earthly body. He had eyes to see Abraham and Lazarus afar off in Heaven (Luke 16:23) as well as a voice box and tongue to speak (Luke 16:24).
The second clue that implies people receive a body when entering eternity appears in Luke’s and Matthew’s Gospels. In Luke’sGospel, Moses and Elijah, who were deceased, left Heaven to join Jesus on a high mountain during His transfiguration. They had voice boxes and tongues to speak (Luke 9:30-31), legs to stand on and walk (Luke 9:32-33), and bodies that Peter, James, and John immediately recognized (Luke 9:33).
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus told His disciples, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Jesus’ words appear to indicate that unbelievers have a body accompanying their soul in Hell while they await their permanent bodies at the resurrection, equipped for the lake of fire.
Whether the bodies and body parts of those in eternity are literal, figurative, or symbolic, one thing is certain: Believers in Heaven and unbelievers in Hell will both be equipped with a spiritual body suited for eternity at the resurrection, whether they spend it in the New Heaven and Earth with Jesus or the lake of fire separated from Him forever.
I hope this brief narrative sheds some light on this interesting subject.
