Posted on 04/21/2017 7:48:58 AM PDT by Salvation
Obviously, I have no idea what will happen to the marks in heaven after the earth burns, but I have no doubt He uses them for a badge of glory to show believers and non believers what He did to save us. It’s not something that He would want forgotten too quickly. If you look at history from the beginning, I think the Creator being beaten humiliated, and killed for His love of His people was a pretty big thing. He could appear as a column of fire and smoke into outer space, but in order to be with you and me, I think a divine angelic body would suit His purposes better. The marks would be a reminder just as a wedding ring is for us.
To make a long story short, God knew us from the foundation of the world and we are made like He is in 3 parts. If a child dies, the spirit and soul will need a suitable body. I believe a fetus that was murdered at 3 months will appear as he/she would at 18-25 or so. That's just me pulling something out of the air as I don't have a Scripture for it. The body is just a container, like a pottery jug to hold water and oil( water and oil is the spirit and the Word of God.) The Potter can make a vase for flowers or a pot for the kitchen to better suit the demand. He will equip us to perform our duties as needed. Jeremiah 18 is a good reading about the Potter and the clay. It is a study on why the clay cannot tell the potter what He is making. There is NOTHING to stop the Potter from throwing the clay into the Potter's field. You don't have a vote on what He makes of you. Frankly, I'll be glad if my garments aren't smoking. I'm standing on the promises that I'm going. I pray that I could be a vessel of honor for Him on Earth.
As a point of fact, Orthodox icons do not show the Holy Wounds. Western art often does.
I have not seen any profound reasoning for the iconographic rule, beyond His body being glorified.
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