2 Corinthians 5:1 “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed (talking about our bodies), we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.”
Matthew 17:3-5 3. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. 4. Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters-- one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." 5. While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"
Revelations 6:9-10 refers to the souls under the altar who were slain because of the Word of God. They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" This takes place from the place of the dead believers before the second coming of Jesus. Later in the passage it talks about wearing white robes.
Some good evangelical Christians may not agree on how to best interpret this in between period from our physical death to the resurrection of the bodies at the return of Jesus. Part of the differences rests on determining what is figurative, what is literal, what points to the final resurrected body after Jesus returns and what refers to the existence after death but before the second coming.
We seek to understand a realm or world that we cannot imagine with our minds. But we can still be helped by what is revealed by God in His Word.
2 Corinthians 5:1 (See above) Paul is contrasting tents to buildings. On one side is our physical body; on the other side is our resurrected body. The first is described like a tent which is temporary compared to a permanent building.
I believe there is a peek behind the curtain when we saw Hades and Abraham’s side from Luke’s gospel. I believe another glimpse is shown to us on the Mountain of Transfiguration. Moses and Elijah appeared in some kind of body, though neither yet has his permanent resurrection body. There they were talking, communicating, and evidently recognizable to Peter, James, and John.
When the rich man was in Hades, he asked Lazarus to dip his finger in cool water and touch his tongue. That conveys thirst and suffering, doesn’t it? Was it a literal finger and literal tongue? I think it is open for different interpretations, but willing to say that our souls are manifested in spirit form with body-like characteristics to help us understand we will be: standing and singing, going and coming, speaking and hearing, and thinking, and in one another’s presence.
Application: Thoughts to Meditate on: How would the rich man know Abraham? How would Peter know Moses? How would John know Elijah? There is a unique consciousness that relates to the world beyond.
Prayer: Father, as humans, we seek to understand, but we are reminded that we walk by faith, so we trust You and lean on Your promises of eternal life to all who believe.
