The Misconception Shattering Text on Heaven

Dirt and Stone for Flesh and Bone - Part 1

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I’m not sure how often we think about the subject of the new series beginning this morning, but there is no doubt all of us have at some time or another. We are most inclined to consider it when a loved one passes away or as we enter the autumn of our lives. At the very least, we all have subconscious ideas about it, something the Bible is fairly clear on, whereas most Christians, pastors, and even theologians are surprisingly not so informed. The subject of this new series is heaven, and if you don’t believe me on how muddled our understanding of the afterlife is, consider this from a theologian of another era, Charles Hodge.

It is obvious that [heaven] is a subject of which we can know nothing, except from divine revelation. We are of necessity as profoundly ignorant of this matter, as of the nature of the inhabitants of the planets or of the sun. The speculations of men concerning the nature of the future body have been numerous; some merely fanciful, others, revolting.

…There seem to be plainly three things implied or asserted in these [Bible]. (1.) That the bodies of men must be specially suited to the state of existence in which they are to live and act. (2.) That our present bodies, that is, our bodies as now organized, consisting as they do of flesh and blood, are not adapted to our future state of being. And (3.) That everything in the organization or constitution of our bodies designed to meet our present necessities, will cease with the life that now is. Nothing of that kind will belong to the resurrection body. If blood be no longer our life, we shall have no need of organs of respiration and nutrition. So long as we are ignorant of the conditions of existence which await us after the resurrection, it is vain to speculate on the constitution of our future bodies. It is enough to know that the glorified people of God will not be cumbered with useless organs, or trammeled by the limitations which are imposed by our present state of existence.¹

No disrespect to Hodge, but he is wrong as much as right as we will soon see. And how about the American theologian, Jonathan Edwards, who wrote long ago that in heaven we will “swim in the ocean of love, and be eternally swallowed up in the infinitely bright, and infinitely mild and sweet beams of divine love; eternally receiving the light, eternally full of it, and eternally compassed round with it, and everlastingly reflecting it back again to its fountain.”² It’s not that he’s off base here, but what the heck does all that mean?

Most folks, and even most pastors and theologians, present heaven as anything from people-turned-into-angels playing harps as they recline on fluffy clouds to our souls existing in some weird, transcendent, disembodied state of bliss that words cannot describe.³ Full transparency: it’s more or less how I presented the final state for the better part of my ministry. I used to believe and teach that heaven is a wholly spiritual existence, unlike the old, corrupt, material one. It was a mystical, indescribable, ethereal existence, minus the stereotypical harps, clouds, and chubby angels, at least. Until I came across a text that blew all that out of the water, one I had read many times and probably even preached on Easter Sunday a time or two.

It’s found at the end of Luke’s gospel when the cross was still wet with Jesus’ blood. The lady disciples had not long returned from the empty tomb, telling fantastic stories of men in dazzling apparel announcing a risen Lord. Peter pondered the linen cloths he found there, neatly folded as if Jesus had awoken from a good night’s sleep and made his bed before strolling away. The two unnamed disciples who unknowingly walked with the resurrected Savior on the road to Emmaus still clutched hearts warm from the burning they felt as he opened their eyes to why he came and who he was, only to disappear. All these and more were gathered together, excitedly chattering. And then, suddenly, as if waiting for just the right moment to make an entrance, Jesus appeared.

36 Now while they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace to you.” 37 But being startled and frightened, they were thinking that they were seeing a spirit. Luke 24:36–37 (LSB)

We must remember that they watched him die on a Roman cross. They knew dead people do not return from that, and if it looked like they did, it must have been an apparition. Jews of the First Century believed a person’s spirit hung around for a few days after they passed. So they assumed they saw Jesus’ tarrying ghost. We totally get that, don’t we? If Mama Jo had sat down in the living room with us after we put her in the ground, nobody would think she had come to life. They’d think her haint came to haunt them! And then they’d run screaming out of the house.

Jesus addresses this.

38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Luke 24:38 (LSB)

“Is this a dream?” they wondered. “Can it indeed be him?” Surely, it’s his spirit hanging around for a bit. Or maybe their hearts were so broken, their minds so exhausted they were seeing things. Fear and doubt crept in, but Jesus assured them with these astounding words (get ready):

39 “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. Luke 24:39–40 (LSB) emphasis mine

First, Jesus demonstrates who he is by showing them his hands and feet. They bore the marks of the crucifixion—and still do. Then, he assures them of what he is not. He is not a spirit, a ghost, because they are immaterial. He, however, is made of FLESH AND BONE. There’s no struggle to understand what Jesus implies; there is no interpretive dilemma here. It’s one of the few places in God’s Word where we can say with doubtless certainty what is intended. Jesus was there literally, bodily, physically in flesh and bone.

This, brothers and sisters, is what shatters our misconceptions of heaven.

You see, if heaven is an immaterial, indescribable place, why was Jesus’ resurrected body material? What sense does it make for the rest of us to be “spiritual,” floating around heaven like whisps of steam, while Jesus walks around in a body made of—and I’m quoting Jesus himself—“flesh and bone”? For those unconvinced who say we will still escape the material to be wholly spiritual even if Jesus did not, look at what the Apostle Paul declares in the resurrection chapter of 1 Corinthians.

20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 1 Corinthians 15:20–24 (LSB)

Jesus’ resurrection 2,000 years ago is the first fruits of the coming resurrection when he returns. He is the first of many to come. First fruits is an agricultural term; they are the harvest’s early ripeners. If the first fruits are grain, the harvest is grain, not apples or turnip greens. If Jesus was resurrected in a physical body and he is the first fruits of the coming harvest at the end of the age when we are resurrected, then our resurrection bodies must be flesh and bone as well, not ethereal or just spiritual. And, here it comes: physical bodies are meant to live in a material, physical place, a place where we will enjoy many of the things we enjoy now, such as eating a good meal.

41 And while they still were not believing because of their joy and were still marveling, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish, 43 and He took it and ate it before them. Luke 24:41–43 (LSB)

This text and the truth it unveils tugs at a thread found woven throughout the Bible if you know how to look for it. We are given a clear and understandable picture of what heaven will be like. And that understanding begins with the truth that heaven (as in our final abode) is not a state or even a dimension but a familiar place made of dirt and stone for flesh and bone.

Why is this important? What does it matter? Think about a major travel destination like Disney World Resort described this way: come visit us; we have stuff, and it’s really fun.

Now, how about this way: Walt Disney World Resort is an entertainment and recreation center of nearly 40 square miles featuring four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom); two water adventure parks (Disney's Blizzard Beach and Disney's Typhoon Lagoon); dozens of resort hotels (24 owned and operated by Walt Disney World); 81 holes of golf on five courses; two full-service spas; Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports complex; and Disney Springs, an entertainment-shopping-dining complex.

Which is more enticing and accurate?

The better the understanding of what awaits us, the more anticipation we have of going there and taking others with us.

So in this new series, Dirt and Stone for Flesh and Bone: A Study on Heaven, we will

• Come to terms with the term heaven and discover how no one is in heaven yet, or hell for that matter.

• Go back to the beginning and see how Genesis confirms what things will be like in the end and how it’s far more familiar than we imagined.

• Discover how an ancient philosopher named Plato influences our misunderstanding of heaven to this day.

• Cover the problem texts that seem to contradict dirt and stone for flesh and bone.

• Do a deep dive into what the Bible reveals about heaven, answering questions like what we will do, who will be there, whether we will know each other, will our deceased pets join us, do we have special powers in our new resurrection bodies, will we remember our past and more.

Even before heaven became a “real” place to me, I looked forward to going there. It wouldn’t have been unusual to hear me say something like, “I can’t wait to get to glory, but I’m not ready to hop on the bus just yet,” because, secretly, I had a lot of living to do and feared the hereafter would be like the toga-clad man in a cartoon reclining on a cloud, holding a harp and sporting wings, who sighed, “Wish I had brought a magazine.” But thanks to Jesus’ revelation in Luke 24 and the testimony of Scripture as a whole, I’d get on that bus right today. The very real and tangible hope of heaven is an anchor in life’s storms. It keeps me going when life beats me down. It thrills my soul to know what awaits.

I look forward to sharing this exciting journey with you.

1. Hodge, C. (1997). Systematic theology (Vol. 3, p. 780). Logos Research Systems, Inc

2. Jonathan Edwards, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, vol. 2 (Carlisle, Pa.: Banner of Truth, 1979), 29.

3. I can’t remember a single class or treatment of such an important doctrine with all my seminary training. Most theology books devote little, if any, space to it.