I have never found or been given any scriptural answers to these questions. Yes people have given me “definitive” answers but none with scripture. I recommend the book Heaven by Randy Alcorn it give a good biblical response to questions about heaven (and by extent the NJ [New Jerusalem]). At amazon it is 14.49 for hard back with marketplace offers starting at 2.99 and 5.78 for paperback with marketplace offers starting at 1.49. I own a hardcover and either is well worth the money. That said I will try to give a respond to each question. I have group them together based on question.
So, when we are resurrected, we can eat as well? However, will resurrected people need to eat, since they will not die again?
We are told of the wedding feast in revelation and as you mentioned Jesus ate after the resurrection. Now some will say we CAN eat but we DON’T HAVE to eat. Of course that could be true but they never point to a verse saying that. It is possible that since God’s design for the human body was to take in fuel for it by eating that that would continue in the NJ. Does Jesus have to eat??? I would say no but remember he is God and we are not nor will we become God (we won’t become the fourth part of the trinity: Father, Son, Holy Ghost and Bride) and as such he would have abilities we do not and the ability to go without food could be one of them.
Will resurrected people still need to breathe, will they require oxygen? If breathing is not required, would it yet still be possible, so that the vocal cords function as before? Or will it be possible for resurrected people to speak without having to breathe first? If resurrected people will not require to eat and to breathe, then will they not require blood? At this time, our blood brings oxygen and nutrients to the parts of our body.
Again I have been given no verses on this answer but would say It is very likely we would breathe after all that is how he designed us. I have heard not so good answers as to why we wouldn’t including how could we fly through space if we had to breathe. Well we could use a space ship. Also I have heard that if we had to breathe and didn’t we would die and since death can’t happen in the NJ we can’t need to breathe. Well that is faulty reasoning since if we had to breathe why would you choose not to?? And also by choosing not to when it is required you would be in open rebellion against God and THAT is definitely not allowed in the NJ.
If this is not required, the blood would not be required. Also, it seems that resurrected people do not have blood. That which was no longer there, in him, was his blood, since Jesus had already shed his blood for our sins. So, will those with resurrected bodies, also not have blood? If there will not be blood, and no need to eat and breathe, then would there still need to be a circulation system? I know that some have taught that instead of blood, the resurrected body will circulate water. However, would that even be necessary?
Again I would point to the fact that since Jesus is God and we are not and will not become God there are differences between us. Since he was our sacrifice he had to lose his blood for us. Now that is not to say we will have blood as again no scripture I know of says we will not or that we will only I a mentioning that while his body does give us a good indication of ours there could still be differences because of his deity and that sans scripture on the subject we can’t be dogmatic about how our bodies will line up with his.
If someone in a resurrection body does eat, like Jesus did, it will be different then it was before they were resurrected. Before they were resurrected, their body took in nutrition, but it put out waste. The waste was corruption, from corruption. But they will be raised incorruptible, with no need for the corruption of dung, which was no doubt a result of the fall of Adam.
On this there again is no scripture but I would proffer two answers: A) we would still eliminate but with special toilets that can break down the waste into atomic or subatomic particle to be reused elsewhere or returned to the soil. Or B) that our bodies will be able to completely use everything we eat and drink with no waste at all. While B is the popular answer because of the repulsion at the idea of sewers in heaven/NJ A also would mean no sewers. Since elimination is not a sin, nowhere is peeing and pooping mentions as sinful in and of itself and logic would dictate that Jesus while on earth did these things and was still without sin, it could exist in heaven/NJ without being against God.
Also, will there still be any requirement to sleep with resurrected bodies? In the new Jerusalem, there will be no night there. Will there be anyone sleeping in the New Jerusalem?
While no scripture exists that I know of to say we will or will not sleep has always been a part of the human condition as he designed the human body to have recharge time in the form of sleep. Yes there is no night it says but we must ask if that is literal night or symbolic night as there is symbolism in revelation. And even if it is literal night that in and of itself does not preclude sleep as there are some of us who sleep during the day here on earth. And while yes it says no night it doesn’t specifically say no darkness. One might be able to pull curtains in one’s room and make it dark for sleeping even with it being light outside the house. I have had someone say sleep was the result of the fall but never provided scripture for it. if they have it i would be willing to listen. Also I again have heard that if we had to sleep and didn’t we would die and since death can’t happen in the NJ we can’t need to sleep. Well again that is faulty reasoning since if we had to sleep why would you choose not to?? And also by choosing not to when it is required you would be in open rebellion against God and THAT is definitely not allowed in the NJ.
We are told there will be no need of sun and moon as God is the light of the NJ. But just as the moon gives less light than the sun could God’s light vary to give off less at times and more at other times??? I in no way would say that the amount of light is equal to his glory and that if he lowered the light he would be giving less of his glory and thus diminishing himself. Jesus was able to keep his true appearance toned down while on earth but showed it at the transfiguration. Yet he was at no point less God than at the transfiguration or before birth. Even after the resurrection his appearance was still toned down as the disciples were not practically blinded by it as during the transfiguration.
While you didn’t mention it we are told Jesus appeared in the midst of them leading some to conclude we will be able to walk through walls. Well 1) it says he appeared in the MIDST of them not that he walked through the wall or door so it sound more like teleportation or transportation for us star trek fans and 2) as I said before he is God and we are not nor will we become God and as such he has abilities we will not have and this could be one of those abilities.
While we only have his resurrected body to go on we can’t assume we will do all he did since he had the added benefit of being God. While the bible doesn’t give us much in the way of answers about our questions on the NJ or the MK we can speculate as long as we make it clear we are speculating and not giving definitive answers. Too many Christians speak “definitively” about things the bible says nothing about. All definitive answers must have scripture in them and must not twist scripture to fit them. Otherwise they are not definitive. Using logic and the bible we can make good guesses but sometimes when we fail to apply one or both of these we can make wild guesses as well. (And I have heard some doozies) We will only know for sure when we get there.
Paul Wilson
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