Believers will have a body like Christ's glorious resurrection body — a supernatural, eternal body, not a bodiless spirit.
Scripture and Les Feldick both point to Philippians 3:20-21: the Lord will change the believer's present 'vile' body to be fashioned like His glorious body. The present body is a temporary tent that will dissolve or be changed, but the real person — mind, will, emotions, and personality — continues into eternity in a body. Les uses Christ's 40 days after the resurrection as the perfect picture: a real body, but one not limited by time and space.
Philippians 3:20-21 — Paul directly states that the Lord Jesus Christ will change the believer's vile body and fashion it like His glorious body.
2 Corinthians 5:1 — Paul describes the present body as an earthly tabernacle and promises a building of God, eternal in the heavens.
1 Corinthians 15:49-50 — Paul says believers will bear the image of the heavenly, and that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 15:52-53 — Paul describes the change: the dead raised incorruptible and the living changed, with the corruptible putting on incorruption.
The Bible speaks of the present physical body as an earthly house and a tabernacle. In 2 Corinthians 5:1, Paul writes that if this earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, believers have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. The imagery is that of a temporary dwelling place rather than a permanent home. Paul tells the Philippians that believers' citizenship is in heaven, from where they look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change their vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body (Philippians 3:20-21). In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul says that as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly, and then states plainly that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption (1 Corinthians 15:49-50). The Bible also describes the change itself: the corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality, with the dead raised incorruptible and living believers changed in a moment, at the last trump (1 Corinthians 15:52-53).
Les Feldick has no doubt about this question. When asked whether we will have a body in eternity, his answer is, 'Absolutely! Absolutely!' He points out that never in all of Scripture does the human being operate without a body; the soul and spirit by itself does not operate as an entity — it has to have a body (Clip 2, Clip 3). Les teaches that the present body is simply a temporary dwelling place — an earthly tabernacle — for the real person: the invisible mind, will, emotions, and personality. This earthly tabernacle will dissolve and return to the earth, unless the rapture takes place, in which case it will be changed (Clip 0). Death does not end the believer; the real person goes on into eternity. Les points to Philippians 3:20-21 as the answer to the question. Believers' citizenship is in heaven, and from there they wait for the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change their vile, corrupt, prone-to-death body so that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body (Clip 1, Clip 4, Clip 6). The perfect picture of that future body is the body Jesus had during the forty days after His resurrection: a real body, but supernatural — not limited by time and space, able to pass through walls and ceilings (Clip 1, Clip 3, Clip 4). We will not be invisible spirit beings; we will not be like angels; we will eternally exist in a body on the same order as the present body, though not made of this corrupt flesh and blood (Clip 3, Clip 5). Because flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, a whole new body is required, fashioned after Christ's resurrection body (Clip 5). At the rapture, the dead will be raised with new bodies and living believers will be changed in a split instant, so that the corruptible puts on incorruption and the mortal puts on immortality, making death swallowed up in victory (Clip 7).
Yes. When asked whether believers will have a body in eternity, Les Feldick answers, 'Absolutely! Absolutely!' He teaches that never in all of Scripture does the human being operate without a body — the soul and spirit by itself does not operate as an entity; it has to have a body. He also rejects the idea that believers become bodiless spirits or angels after resurrection.
Les teaches that the present body is an earthly house or 'tent' — a temporary dwelling place. The real person is the invisible mind, will, emotions, and personality living inside that tabernacle. This earthly tabernacle will dissolve and return to the earth from which it came, unless the rapture takes place and changes it instead.
Scripture says the Lord Jesus Christ 'shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body' (Philippians 3:21). Les points to the forty days after Christ's resurrection as the perfect picture of this body. It was a real body — not a spirit — but supernatural: Jesus was not limited by time and space, and He could pass through walls and ceilings. Believers will have a body like His glorious body.
Les points to 1 Corinthians 15:49-50. Believers have borne the image of the earthy, but they will also bear the image of the heavenly. However, 'flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.' Because the present body is flesh and blood and prone to corruption, it cannot enter eternity — it must be replaced with a whole new body suited for the heavenly realm.
Les teaches that the change happens at the rapture/resurrection. He says the dead will be raised first and will naturally have their new body, and living believers will be changed in a split instant. The corruptible body, prone to death, must put on incorruption, and the mortal must put on immortality, so that believers can live for eternity and death is swallowed up in victory.
Les openly says that he once had no concept of spending eternity in a body. He thought people simply died and went to heaven, not knowing whether they would be only soul and spirit. But now he sees from Philippians 3:20-21 that when believers enter the eternal state, they will be there bodily.
The Earthly Body Is a Tent
Les explains that the body is only a temporary dwelling place for the real person — the invisible mind, will, emotions, and personality — and it will dissolve and return to the earth unless the rapture changes it.
Christ's Resurrection Body as the Pattern
Les says believers will one day be transformed into that which is heavenly, with bodies like Christ's, and the best picture is Jesus' 40 days after His resurrection.
We Absolutely Have Bodies in Eternity
Les answers the question with 'Absolutely! Absolutely!' and explains that the soul and spirit never operate without a body.
Not Spirit Beings — Eternally in a Body
Les rejects the idea that resurrected believers are like angels or invisible spirit beings; they will eternally exist in a body on the same order as the present one.
A Supernatural, Glorious Body
Les describes the eternal body as like Christ's glorious resurrection body — supernatural, not limited by time and space, able to pass through walls and ceilings.
Bearing the Heavenly Image
Les shows that believers move from the natural state to the spiritual state, bearing the image of the heavenly, and since flesh and blood cannot inherit God's kingdom, a new body is required.
Citizenship in Heaven Means a Bodily Eternal State
Les admits he once had no concept of spending eternity in a body, but from Philippians 3:20-21 he now knows believers will be in the eternal state bodily.
The Change at the Rapture
Les explains that at the rapture the dead are raised with new bodies and living believers are changed in a split instant, so the corruptible puts on incorruption and the mortal puts on immortality.
2 Corinthians 5:1: For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Grounds the teaching that the present body is temporary and the future body is eternal.
Philippians 3:20: For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Shows believers' citizenship is in heaven and their expectation is the Lord's return.
Philippians 3:21: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
Directly states that the Lord will change the believer's body to be like His glorious body.
1 Corinthians 15:48: As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
Contrasts the natural/earthy state with the future heavenly state.
1 Corinthians 15:49: And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
Confirms believers will bear the image of the heavenly as they now bear the image of the earthy.
1 Corinthians 15:50: Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Explains why the present flesh-and-blood body cannot inherit God's kingdom.
1 Corinthians 15:52: 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.
Describes the moment of change at the last trump.
1 Corinthians 15:53: For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
States the transformation from corruptible/mortal to incorruptible/immortal.
Yes. Les Feldick says 'Absolutely! Absolutely!' and explains that never in Scripture does a human being operate without a body. The soul and spirit by itself does not operate as an entity; it has to have a body.
Believers will have a body like Christ's glorious resurrection body. Les says the perfect illustration is Jesus' 40 days after His resurrection — a real body that was not limited by time and space and could move through walls and ceilings.
The present body is described as an earthly tabernacle — a temporary tent. It dissolves and returns to the earth, unless the rapture takes place and it is changed. The real person — mind, will, emotions, and personality — is eternal and continues.
At the rapture/resurrection, the dead in Christ will be raised and will naturally have their new bodies, while living believers will be changed in a split instant. The corruptible must put on incorruption and the mortal must put on immortality.
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