[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you so very much for your analysis! I'm pinging a few others who might be interested in this discussion.

You might find it interesting that the Kabbalists think our DNA is our “name” in a similar sense that they say the Scriptures are another “name” for God. Perhaps the language of the DNA (or such) will be used to rewrite our resurrection bodies with better stuff than the atoms we are made of now? As you said, nothing is beyond God’s ability.

It appears to me that the bodies which we are intended to have – and will have in the resurrection – are quite different from the ones we currently possess. After the resurrection, Jesus appeared in the midst of closed rooms, sometimes He concealed His identity, yet He ate and offered His body for physical examination by doubting Thomas. There was physical substance – or not – as He wished.

I conclude that our resurrection bodies will not be constrained to what we now call the physical laws - i.e. the limitations of the physical or material realm. Rather, we will be able to enter and leave as we wish, like the angels who appeared to Abraham, Lot, Daniel, Mary, etc.

Also, when Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus, the disciples knew who they were. Abraham recognized the Lord when He appeared to him. And yet, Jesus sometimes concealed Himself and we are warned that some of the strangers we meet may actually be angels.

Seems to me that our resurrection bodies will be incorruptible, immortal, angelic. Instinctively, I believe those bodies will be whole and we will appear to others in eternity as they knew us, or in the alternative they will know us – even if they had never meet us in mortal life at that age, in wholeness, etc.

Here are some Scriptures for Lurkers who may be interested in the subject:

Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. – Matthew 22:29-32

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. – Hebrews 13:2

And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw [them], he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, Genesis 18:1-2

And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing [them] rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. – Genesis 19:1-2

And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus. – Mark 9:4

Now when [Jesus] was risen early the first [day] of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. – Mark 16:9

After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. – Mark 16:12

And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. – Matthew 28:9

And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: - Luke 24:4

And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem [about] threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that, while they communed [together] and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. And he said unto them, What manner of communications [are] these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? - Luke 24:13-17

And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed [it], and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. – Luke 24:30-31

And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace [be] unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. - Luke 24:36

But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, [and looked] into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. – John 20:11-12

And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. – John 20:14

Then the same day at evening, being the first [day] of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace [be] unto you. – John 20:19

And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: [then] came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace [be] unto you. – John 20:26

After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he [himself]. – John 21:1

Jesus saith unto them, Come [and] dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. - John 21:12-13

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory? I Cor 15:52-55

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. – Rev 21:4

[kkindt]

After the resurrection, Jesus appeared in the midst of closed rooms, sometimes He concealed His identity, yet He ate and offered His body for physical examination by doubting Thomas. There was physical substance – or not – as He wished.
My response: I don't think his body ever lacked the property of physical substance. It is just that He manifested properties of that body that He had the power to manifest - i.e. He could make the body's atoms move in ways that we do not understand so that the fallen corrupted eyes we have could not see or He could cause His body to move through or between other atomic masses. We just don't have enough information to say that what His risen body was like compared to His body before His death. But remember this - His body was sinless from the moment of conception. Unlike our sin corrupted bodies His was perfect from the very beginning. Remember how, before His resurrection, He walked on water and gave the power to Peter to do the same until Peter's faith failed him. So even our sin ruined bodies may by His power be enabled to do things they can't do by any inherit properties.

Our Lord is the Master of atoms and molecules, electrons and protons and other particles so small we haven't seen them yet - He is the controller of every substance. So our resurrected bodies will manifest the powers He gives to them but the very nature of our resurrected bodies will be physical - they will always be physical substance - but glorified i.e. much better than they were in their fallen state.

The fact that our Lord ate fish in His risen body indicates to us He had physical substance even in this fallen world but He had that perfect physical body we will one day have and obviously if our bodies will be like His glorified body our fallen bodies will be raised into incorruptible and much more powerful bodies. We lost the beauty and strength of our bodies when Adam sinned. Adam had a perfect body. There is no telling whether his uncorrupted body was capable of doing what our glorified bodies will be enabled to do - it might just be a wonderful restoration to bodies like Adam's uncorrupted body. We do know that in the resurrection there will be no marriage and it might be deduced this means no sexual reproduction for the command to fill the earth I am assuming will have been completed before His second coming when the Heavens and earth are made new.

You stated:
I conclude that our resurrection bodies will not be constrained to what we now call the physical laws - i.e. the limitations of the physical or material realm. Rather, we will be able to enter and leave as we wish, like the angels who appeared to Abraham, Lot, Daniel, Mary, etc.
My answer: "if you have faith as a mustard seed you will say to this mountain.." I think the perfect faith we have when our resurrected bodies and souls are reunited will enable us to do in those bodies whatever God wills us to do and we will do it. If He wishes us to manifest our bodies a billion miles from here in an instant then our bodies will be given that capability.

You wrote:
Also, when Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus, the disciples knew who they were. Abraham recognized the Lord when He appeared to him. And yet, Jesus sometimes concealed Himself and we are warned that some of the strangers we meet may actually be angels.
My answer: They "KNEW" who they were not because of what they looked like but because this knowledge was given to their minds by the Holy Spirit. What we 'see' is dependent upon the physical substance but also on the inner light the Holy Spirit generates for us. It is possible the way a resurrected body can work is that it can reflect light to the eye of the observer in various ways so that the physical substance of the risen body is different not in its actual 'appearance' but in its ability to reflect light differently to the eye of the beholder. We are not told, are we?

The DNA signature idea regarding our name is interesting but speculative because what of DNA twins? The unique name we have in the Mind of our Magnicient all knowing and wise God is one He has invented and whether it is manifested in the DNA or the fingerprints or in the way we walk (I just read that the FBI can tell who you are by how you walk!) He makes each of His children unique for His purposes. We ought not take pride in our uniqueness but we ought to give Him glory and gratitude for such an incredible ability to design each creature to be special to Him.