Why don't Christians take their bodies to heaven with them?

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NowHereThis

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If Jesus was raised bodily from a subsequently-empty tomb, then took his glorified body with him to heaven when he ascended, why doesn’t the same thing happen to all Christians who are qualified for salvation at their deaths?
 
NowHereThis said:
If Jesus was raised bodily from a subsequently-empty tomb, then took his glorified body with him to heaven when he ascended, why doesn’t the same thing happen to all Christians who are qualified for salvation at their deaths?
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That is exactly what will happen. If you read you bible you will find that it says they will do so when Jesus returns for us at the end of time.
 
Ignatius said:
That is exactly what will happen. If you read you bible you will find that it says they will do so when Jesus returns for us at the end of time.
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Why wait? Why not each qualified Christian, promptly upon their death, leaving an empty tomb as they ascend in their glorified body?
 
NowHereThis said:
Why wait? Why not each qualified Christian, promptly upon their death, leaving an empty tomb as they ascend in their glorified body?
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Because we are not God and this is the way God ordained it. God condemned us to return to dust because of our sin and so to dust must our bodies go. Being saved did not release us from this penalty. We will indeed experience the resurrection in glory, but only at the end of time, and in the presence of every human being that ever lived.
 
porthos11 said:
Because we are not God and this is the way God ordained it. God condemned us to return to dust because of our sin and so to dust must our bodies go. Being saved did not release us from this penalty. We will indeed experience the resurrection in glory, but only at the end of time, and in the presence of every human being that ever lived.
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Jesus is God’s solution to the problem of sin, but he doesn’t cover all aspects of the problem? That seems like an answer that raises a question more problematic than the one it’s meant to resolve: why would God only provide a partial solution?
 
NowHereThis said:
Jesus is God’s solution to the problem of sin, but he doesn’t cover all aspects of the problem? That seems like an answer that raises a question more problematic than the one it’s meant to resolve: why would God only provide a partial solution?
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God did not will that we should be spared the effects of original sin. If he had done that, we would be spared death and disease itself, but he didn’t. He has ordained that he would bring a greater good out of the suffering he has allowed to remain in the world. Jesus’ redeeming work has saved us from eternal separation from God, which is ALL that matters. Even Christ and his mother, both free from sin, experienced the pains of the rest of humanity as a result of that sin, including sorrow and death itself. If they themselves were not spared the effects of fallen human nature, why should we?

We cannot probe the knowledge and wisdom of God. Why or why did he not? Because he is sovereign.
 
Although the Bible says, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ” (1 Cor 15:22-23), it doesn’t say why this particular order was chosen. Perhaps it was ordained this way to give us a chance to exercise our faith. How much faith would we have to exercise if we saw all the Christian faithful rising gloriously three days after they died?
 
NowHereThis said:
Again, why only at the end of the world? Why not promptly at death?
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Because the religion says so! BTW, Judaism essentially believes the same thing, only not due to the Second Coming of Jesus or the First Coming of the Messiah, but rather an end-of-time bodily resurrection of the dead. It is one of the thirteen principles of faith as compiled by Maimonides.
 
NowHereThis said:
Again, why only at the end of the world? Why not promptly at death?
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So in other words, you would like for GOD to show HIS hand to you.

After all if the corpses of the people destined for Heaven disappear we would know, how they were judged.
Then there is another issue with that idea. We know that some of us are NOT ready to enter Heaven when they die.
It is scriptural that some will need to remain “in the prison” until the last penny has been paid. Jesus was speaking of dead people, you cannot get out of hell, hence the prison is neither hell nor Heaven.

When we sin and repent, God does forgive us. However justice demands that we pay the damage. St. Paul tells us about this, as well as other passages of scripture
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So…! Taking our bodies with to the place were we are cleaned up, might not be such a good idea.
Perhaps the way God chose is better? 👍

…
 
NowHereThis said:
Again, why only at the end of the world? Why not promptly at death?
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There have been many HOLY saints assumed into Heaven (MT 27:52-53,) in the future Rev (11:11-12) and Mary are the ones we know about.

In reading St. Paul 1 COR 15 he gives a great explanation as to why this is not the case for everyone. He talks about death and suffering (the grain dying). We are always feverishly trying to avoid pain, suffering, and death and this was at the heart of this issue with Adam and Eve. The apostles did not understand why Jesus had to suffer and even coached him to avoid it, and after the resurrection Jesus in Luke’s gospel on the road to Emmaus tells those disciples that they should have understood He had to suffer. St. Paul telling writing to the Christians in Corinth remind them they their bodies will be glorified, and they will not be the same bodies Like Jesus teaching the Sadducees about the afterlife in Heaven tells them we will be like the Angels not Husband and wife. St. Paul states the seed that goes into the ground looks nothing like the sprout a fruit that comes out, nor will your bodies be the same at all.

God gave us a few examples with those Saints who lived for God above all else and led a sacrificial life, so that we might have encouragement, but I would say that if the ordinary means was that we were all assumed upon death we would quickly forget the sacrificial nature of our bodies and become more like Adam and become cowardly in the face of death.

As St. Paul says in Rom 8 we are children of God provided we suffer, and we are blessed with a faith that God will reward us with our glorified bodies at the time of the general resurrection of all mankind.
 
“Why don’t Christians take their bodies to heaven with them?”

Mine is too heavy to carry.
 
Our Natural Human Bodies are made of and for the earth and physical time, not Heaven and eternal life.

In Life Everlasting, we will be restored to Spiritual Bodies (pneumatikon soma) which will be eternal.

ICXC NIKA
 
meltzerboy said:
Because the religion says so! BTW, Judaism essentially believes the same thing, only not due to the Second Coming of Jesus or the First Coming of the Messiah, but rather an end-of-time bodily resurrection of the dead. It is one of the thirteen principles of faith as compiled by Maimonides.
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Is the end-of-time connected in any way to the coming of Moshiach? If not, when will it be?
 
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