Alan Gomes, in his book “Forty Questions About Heaven And Hell,” says that “‘heaven’ is not the believer’s ‘eternal home’…we will spend eternity on a recreated, physical earth in physical, resurrected bodies.”

Recreated earth? Resurrected bodies? What’s that all about? Admit it. It does make your heart race a bit to ponder it.

But you also wonder, “just how can this body of mine – one that I’m watching waste away (2 Corinthians 4:6), make it 100 years, not to mention a millennium or the unimaginable – eternity?” And would I want it to?

Well, it won’t. This present body you have, personally handcrafted by God (Psalm 139:14), was never intended to last forever. We were uniquely woven together in the womb, and just like snowflakes, there is only one of us. But this body you have now was designed for this life only. Dust to dust, ashes to ashes.

Here’s the good news. God has planned a resurrection of the dead, so that perishable body of yours (“by this time there is a bad odor,” said Martha to Jesus) will be raised imperishable!

Sown in dishonor and weakness, marred by disease or scarred by surgeries and mishaps and deformities, wrinkled and shrunken from old age, the mind not what it used to be – that body will someday soon be raised in glory and power! A superduper model of the former you will be handcrafted by Almighty God that is meant for eternity.

What a wonder! What a mystery! And how encouraging! Charles Wesley got caught up in the greatness of this truth.

Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
Foll’wing our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Pray for Alan Gomes as through livestreaming he leads us this coming Sunday into the beauty of 1 Corinthians 15.

Pray that the chokehold this world has on us might be loosened as we marvel at the wonderful future we have in Christ, who has gone ahead of us, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

40 Questions about Heaven and Hell by Alan Gomes