But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
In this passage, Paul continues explaining the resurrection, tackling two big questions: How are the dead raised? And What kind of body will they have? Let’s start with the first question.
Paul writes:
"Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body." (1 Corinthians 15:36-38)
Paul compares our bodies to seeds, which is a great way to help us visualize resurrection. He’s not introducing a brand-new concept here—Jesus used a similar analogy to describe His own death and resurrection, which we’ll get to shortly. For now, Paul’s point is that resurrection involves transformation. The body that dies isn’t the same as the body that will be raised. Instead, it’s completely transformed, just like a seed turns into a plant. And who’s behind this transformation? God. He’s the one who gives the new body, just as He designed each seed to produce a specific plant.
Paul uses the example of grain or wheat, but this principle works with any seed. Think about it: when you plant a seed, it "dies" because it stops being a seed. Yet, through that process, it transforms into something new—a living, growing plant. It moves from a dry, dormant state to something that produces fruit. This mirrors what happens to our bodies. What is perishable becomes imperishable. What is natural becomes spiritual.
Jesus’ Teaching About Seeds
Paul’s analogy ties directly to what Jesus said about His own death and resurrection. In John 12:24, Jesus says:
"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain."
Jesus is pointing to His death here. Like a seed, He had to die to bring about new life. The "harvest" He mentions is the eternal life made possible for everyone who believes in Him. Just as a seed must stop being a seed to grow into something greater, Jesus’ death was necessary to bring transformation and eternal life to others.
Paul builds on this idea. He’s showing that our bodies must go through a similar process of death and transformation. What dies is no longer the same as what rises. Instead, it’s raised into something new and glorious, reflecting God’s power to transform what is perishable into what is eternal.
The Second Question: What Kind of Body Will We Have?
Now let’s get to the second question, which is often misunderstood. Some people hear the term "spiritual body" and assume it means something non-physical, like a ghost or a floating soul. But that’s not what Paul is saying at all. He actually makes it clear that the "spiritual body" is still a physical, glorified body. Let’s break it down.
Paul writes:
"The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." (1 Corinthians 15:42-44)
Notice the contrast: Paul talks about how the body changes from natural to spiritual, from weak to powerful, from corruptible to incorruptible. But the key is this: it’s still a body. The term "spiritual body" doesn’t mean it’s intangible or non-physical. It means the body is fully powered and perfected by the Spirit of God, instead of being limited by the natural, fallen state we live in now.
Proof That the Spiritual Body Is Still Physical
Let’s look at the clearest proof: Jesus’ resurrection. His resurrected body is the pattern for what our bodies will be like.
Jesus Had Flesh and Bones After Resurrection
After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to His disciples. He wasn’t a ghost or an immaterial being. He told them in Luke 24:39:
"Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have."
He even invited them to touch Him to prove it. And in John 20:27, He told Thomas:
"Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing."
Jesus’ body still bore the scars from the crucifixion, showing continuity with His earthly body, but it was now glorified and immortal.
Jesus Ate Food After Resurrection
In Luke 24:41-43, Jesus ate a piece of broiled fish in front of His disciples. This wasn’t just a vision. He was proving that His body was physical and tangible.
Paul Confirms Our Bodies Will Be Like His
In Philippians 3:21, Paul writes:
"He will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body."
If Jesus’ glorified body was physical, our resurrection bodies will be too.
Romans 8:11 Paul also says:
"He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."
God will transform and renew our current bodies, not replace them with something entirely different or non-physical.
What About "Like Angels"?
Some people bring up Jesus’ words in Matthew 22:30:
"For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels of God in heaven."
Does this mean we’ll lose our physical bodies? Not at all.
Context Is Key
Jesus was responding to a tricky question from the Sadducees, who didn’t even believe in the resurrection. They asked about a woman who married multiple brothers and whose wife she would be in the resurrection. Jesus explained that in the resurrection, marriage won’t exist. When He says we’ll be "like angels," He’s talking about the fact that angels don’t marry, not that we’ll become like them in every way.
Angels Can Appear Physically
Angels are spiritual beings, but they often appear in physical form. For example:
In Genesis 18-19, angels visited Abraham and Lot and even ate food with them.
In Matthew 28:2-5, angels at Jesus’ tomb were described as sitting and speaking.
So being "like angels" in one sense—regarding relationships—doesn’t mean losing physicality.
Jesus’ Body Is Our Model
Jesus’ resurrected body is the prototype for ours, and it was clearly physical. If Jesus’ body was tangible, ours would be, too.
Immortality, Not Immateriality
In Luke 20:36, Jesus says resurrected humans "can no longer die, for they are like the angels." The comparison is about immortality, not about becoming non-physical.
When Paul talks about the resurrection body, he’s describing a transformation, not an escape from physicality. The "spiritual body" is physical, glorified, and immortal, modeled after Jesus’ resurrected body. When Jesus says we’ll be "like angels," He’s talking about immortality and new relationships, not a loss of physical form. The resurrection isn’t about leaving behind the physical but redeeming and perfecting it for eternity.
Let’s talk about where people are resurrected to. Many people think it’s as simple as dying and going to heaven forever, but the Bible actually gives us a much bigger picture. While it’s true that believers who die are with God in heaven, this is only a temporary state. The ultimate destination for resurrected people isn’t "heaven" as we think of it—it’s a renewed creation: a new heavens and new earth. Let’s explore what both the Old and New Testaments say about this.
What Happens Right After Death?
First, let’s address the idea of "going to heaven." The Bible teaches that when believers die, their souls are immediately with God. Here are a few examples:
Paul’s Words About Being with Christ
In Philippians 1:23, Paul says:
"I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far."
Paul knew that when he died, he would be with Jesus right away. He doesn’t mention a physical resurrection here because he’s talking about what happens before that.
Jesus and the Thief on the Cross
In Luke 23:43, Jesus tells the thief:
"Today you will be with me in Paradise."
This "Paradise" refers to being in God’s presence—a place of peace and rest after death.
Paul’s Confidence in 2 Corinthians 5:8
Paul also says:
"To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord."
When believers die, their souls go to be with God. But this is only part of the story.
What Happens After the Resurrection?
While being with God in heaven is comforting, it’s not the end goal. The Bible is clear that resurrection brings people to a new, physical existence in a renewed creation. Let’s look at what the Old and New Testaments say about this.
Old Testament: A Renewed Earth Is the Goal
Daniel 12:2-3
"Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt."
Daniel describes a future resurrection. The righteous are raised to eternal life, which clearly involves a renewed existence. The language of "awake" and "shine like stars" points to a physical restoration.
Isaiah 65:17
"Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind."
Isaiah shows that God’s ultimate plan is to renew the heavens and the earth. This is where His people will live forever, not in a far-off, ethereal heaven.
Psalm 37:29
"The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever."
The Old Testament idea of eternal life is closely tied to the earth—a physical place where God’s people will live with Him.
New Testament: Jesus and the Apostles Expand on This Hope
Jesus and the Meek Inheriting the Earth
In Matthew 5:5, Jesus says:
"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."
Notice He doesn’t say "inherit heaven." Jesus confirms the Old Testament promise that the earth will be the eternal home of the righteous.
Revelation 21:1-3
John gives us a detailed picture of the final destination for God’s people:
"I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God... And I heard a loud voice saying, 'Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them.”
Notice what happens here. The new Jerusalem—heaven, essentially—comes down to the new earth. This shows that the ultimate goal isn’t people going to heaven, but heaven and earth being united. The new earth is where resurrected people will live with God forever.
2 Peter 3:13
Peter also points to this future:
"But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells."
Just like Isaiah and Revelation, Peter confirms that God’s people will live in a renewed, righteous creation.
Romans 8:19-23
Paul explains how the resurrection ties into the renewal of creation:
"The creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies."
This passage connects the resurrection of believers to the renewal of the entire world. It’s not just about our bodies being restored but all of creation being made new.
Addressing the "Heaven Forever" Idea
A lot of people think heaven is the final destination. While heaven is where believers go right after death, the Bible clarifies that this is only temporary. The final destination is life in a new heavens and new earth. Here’s how it works:
Temporary Heaven: When believers die, their souls go to be with God in heaven. This is a place of rest and joy, but it’s not the end goal.
Resurrection and Renewal: At the end of the age, believers will be resurrected with new, glorified bodies. God will unite heaven and earth, creating a perfect, eternal home for His people.
Why Does This Matter?
This matters because it shows God’s plan to restore creation rather than abandon it. The hope of the resurrection isn’t escaping the physical world but having it made perfect. The Bible promises a future where we will live in a physical, glorified earth with real bodies, free from sin, pain, and death, in the full presence of God.
Conclusion
The Bible teaches that the ultimate destination for resurrected people is not "heaven" as a separate realm but a renewed creation—the new heavens and new earth. Heaven is where believers go after death to be with God temporarily, but the resurrection brings them to a restored, physical world where they will live forever in God’s presence. This is the consistent teaching of Scripture, from Isaiah and Daniel to Jesus, Paul, and Revelation. God’s plan is to make all things new, uniting heaven and earth for eternity.