Our regeneration occurs in two stages: first the spiritual, and then the physical. Now on earth, there is spiritual renewal: by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. (Titus 3:5) But there is a limit to our fellowship with the Holy Spirit within our present temple of clay, which through weakness is often contrary to God. This is a reason why there must also be a physical transformation, which shall occur at the return of Christ, even as it is written: when he shall appear, we shall be like Him. (1 John 3:2)
Note that being like Christ does not imply having a body with the same power and glory as Christ. (Even Adam was like Christ to the degree to which God said: Let us make man in our image. (Genesis 1:26)) But our resurrection bodies will, unlike Adam’s, have the same chemistry, as Christ’s. Yet Christ will still be superior to us. Otherwise what hope would there be in the saying: we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2)
Christ’s body is now a glorious, supernatural body. We also, although being derived from the dust, and now natural, shall, I believe, eventually be transformed to the supernatural, in sympathy with the operation of the Spirit of God, for which cause Paul refers to our future body as a spiritual body. (1 Corinthians 15:44) Although sin is a failure to obey conscience, it is also a weakness. And so our supernatural bodies, being both powerful and transformed into sympathy with the Spirit, will be far more perfect.
Paul, answering the question: How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? (1 Corinthians 15:35) looks at the process of planting a grain of wheat, saying: thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him (1 Corinthians 15:37,38). If this is a good picture of the resurrection, then our future bodies must have much continuity with our present natural bodies.
And the continuity of flesh is implied when Paul says in this context: All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. (1 Corinthians 15:39) But just as the morphology of the plant of wheat greatly surpasses that of the grain, so must the glory of our future body greatly surpass that of the present. How can these things be? I will give my theory of four fundamental changes between our present natural state and our future supernatural state. Although this theory is, I believe, consistent with the Scriptures, it is perhaps only a theory. (I now believe this to be more than a theory, but a revelation.)
Firstly, before the transformation can begin, there must be restoration from the deterioration due to Adam’s sin and the genetic mutations that have occurred since. This will make all, to varying degrees, smarter, stronger, and more beautiful or handsome. But we will still retain our identity, and be recognisably different.
Secondly latent DNA may be switched on, such segments needed for enhancement, and such segments that not even Adam could utilise, even before he sinned. (It is thought that not all our DNA is presently utilised.) However, the future DNA of each individual’s resurrection body will have the same genetic sequence of base pairs as the DNA that their natural bodies had.
Thirdly, although the DNA sequence remains the same, the amino acids and proteins that it codes for will be different. And so the chemicals in our resurrection bodies will more stable and active than those of our natural bodies. This enables us to be enhanced without losing our identity? Perhaps our brain cells will reside in approximately the same formation, but the chemical messengers that enable one brain cell to communicate with another will be replaced by more active or stable chemicals. This could make us all much smarter. Perhaps our muscles stay in place, but the chemical that energises the muscle contraction, is replaced by a more potent chemical. And perhaps the fibres of the muscles are strengthened with material the strength of spider’s web. (Very strong in bulk) Such changes could make us much stronger.
The physical mechanism of the transformation, when: Jesus Christ . . . will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, (Philippians 3:20,21 NASB) may be thus: the nucleus, which contains the genetic pattern, of one of our eye cells, is placed within the cytoplasm, (which contains the ribosmomes that determine what amino acids and proteins are made from that genetic pattern,) of one of the cells from Christ's rib. So the church, the body and bride of Christ, is made from Christ's rib, as Eve was made from Adam's rib.
Fourthly, God the Father will transform the atoms of our bodies from the natural to the supernatural. Although these atoms obey the same laws of physics, such as gravity, electromagnetism, and the strong and the weak nuclear force, they are fundamentally different from our present atoms. They will be miniaturised. I do not know exactly what are the differences between natural and supernatural atoms apart from miniaturisation, but think that various ratios of mass and charge and distance may also need to be adjusted to give these atoms stability.
Our resurrection bodies would still be about the same size and mass as our present bodies, but would be composed of a greater number of smaller, lighter atoms, molecules and cells. The greater number of cells in our brain, resulting from the miniaturisation, would allow greater processing power, contributing to an overall enhancement increasing with the degree of miniaturisation. And this in a body not flawed by sin, because of its perfect chemistry.
Those almost a billion people, who dwell in the nations on the earth and whose dwellings are outside the Holy City, shall have their atoms miniaturised two hundred times. Those ten million Jews, whose permanent dwelling is within the New Jerusalem, and who reign, shall have their atoms miniaturised a further tweny-five times to a ratio of five thousand times. Ten million angels also, shall have the atoms of their bodies miniaturised five thousand times, but the chemistry of angels is less perfect than that of man, not being the chemistry of Christ. They do not have that sympathy.
The reaction speed of the atoms increases proportional to the reduction in their linear dimension, which is a ratio of twenty for those whose atoms are miniaturised five thousand times, and about five for those whose atoms are miniaturised two hundred times. This gives an increase in brain processing power of 5,000 by 20 equal to 100,000, and 200 by 5 equal to 1,000 for the two companies. The increase in emotion is not nearly so great but is the product of the total surface area of the atoms multiplied by the increase in reaction rate, as emotion migrates from the surface of the atoms to the spirit within. The ratios are two hundred and fifty, and twenty-five respectively.
This transformation from natural to supernatural will happen: 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. (1 Corinthians 15:52) Those billion or so from the nations, who constitute the body of Christ, are literally made from Christ's rib, in a moment. Those ten million who reign, and who constitute the bride of Christ, are metaphorically made from the rib of Christ, for their bodies metamorphosise in stages of progression until they attain their final state.
The magnitude of the transformation is so great that Paul, speaking of our present body, writes: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. (1 Corinthians 15:50) This does not imply that our resurrection bodies have no flesh or blood. (The context seems to imply the continuity at least of flesh.) But it does imply that our new bodies are very different from our present bodies, both in power and in glory.
We shall still look like men, but clothed with varying degrees of glory, depending on the magnitude of our reward. The angel tells Daniel: they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. (Daniel 12:3) And just as: star differeth from star in glory, (1 Corinthians 15:41) so the degrees of glory vary proportional to our reward.
I will now compare our resurrection body with that of Jesus Christ. As: we shall be like him, the chemistry of atoms and molecules, of Christ’s resurrection body, should be similar to our resurrection body. But as He communicates with a multitude of people simultaneously, His body and brain must be enhanced by greater miniaturisation than any saint. The atoms of his body are miniaturised by a factor of one hundred and forty-four thousand. This is how His body can contain the glory of His Spirit.
There is also a fundamental difference between Jesus Christ's priesthood and ours. People look above us to God when we minister, but people see God in Christ when he ministers. God flows through Christ to others when he ministers, but down from heaven to others when we minister. For this cause Christ has a mediating lobe in his brain, from latent DNA which is switched on in him, but not in us, though he has the same length of DNA as us. Christ does not fulfil some functions bodily and others spiritualy, but he is one. His body and Spirit are coordinated, and the Holy Spirit of the God the Father flows through him, so that: in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (Col 2:9) The form of God in which Christ dwelt before his incarnation (Phil 2) refers not to a non bodily state, but to the degree of his glory.
Jesus Christ’s face shall be: as the sun shineth in his strength, (Revelation 1:16) but we shall shine as stars. This is God’s eternal purpose for us: that we should have a glory, which is the image of Jesus’ greater glory. This is how Romans 8:29 should be understood, which speaks of those whom God: did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son.
Angels also shall develop the mediating lobe, making them superior in empathy to man, and more Christlike in this respect than man. This will compensate them, for what they lack of sympathy. So man has the superior Christlike chemistry, whilst angels have the superior Christlike brain structure. In conclusion they are equally Christ like, and reach the same degree of perfection. Lack of perfection should be thought in terms of completeness rather than the presence of flaws, because both are described as faultless before his presence. Their lack of pefection does not interfere with their duties as they have different roles. To put it simply, they are both good enough, but only Christ shall be fully perfect.