The Wounds of Christ in his Glorified Body (contd.)

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Ed Walsh

Puritan Board Senior
Greetings pilgrims,

There's a good discussion on this topic from 2016 (see below), so we don't need to rehash the whole subject. Much is made of the disciples seeing Christ's scars after his resurrection. But, did the disciples see Christ's glorified body? The answer, I'm pretty sure, is no. We catch a little glimpse of his eternal glory in the Transfiguration, but I think in heaven the site will be even greater*.

So will Christ retain his scars throughout all eternity? I think the answer is that we just don't know. But I want to hear what your ideas are.
Thanks,
Ed

The wounds of Christ in his glorified body
https://puritanboard.com/threads/the-wounds-of-Christ-in-his-glorified-body.88830/

* A well-known Christian writer ( I don't remember who) likened Christ's time of humiliation to an oil lamp with the wick turned quite low. And the Transfiguration as that wick being turned up a bit.
 
His bruises and lesser wounds on his face, etc, seemed not to be retained but his hands and his feet were shown to Thomas and there is no indication that these "healed" or disappeared before Christ ascended.
 
The wounds will be a badge of honor and victory for all eternity.

Again, I agree with your sentiments, but it remains that we know nothing for sure about the glorified body of Christ. No one living has seen Him in that state.
But we are going in circles so if you a third time assert what you have no proof of we will be stuck and I will not respond again.

Thanks for your input,

Ed
 
Proofs:

(1). When Thomas saw him he had his wounds.

(2). Jesus was in his glorified yet un-ascended body.

(3). There is no mention of him changing before his ascension.

(4). He has that same body now in heaven.

(5). The wounds will further cause praise to the saints in heaven.

(6). When Jesus returns he will look the same as when he ascended.
Acts 1:11: "Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."


Further the Venerable Bede gives us 5 reasons Jesus kept his resurrection scars:
  • First and chiefly for Christ’s own glory. Christ “wears [His scars] as an everlasting trophy of His victory.”
  • Second, these scars confirm the hearts of the disciples in the faith in His Resurrection. The scars increase our faith.
  • Third, Christ retained his scars so “that when He pleads for us with the Father, He may always show the manner of death He endured for us.” They have propitiatory signification in Heaven!
  • Fourth, Christ kept His scars so “that He may convince those redeemed in His blood, how mercifully they have been helped, as He exposes before them the traces of the same death.” This reveals that He is the Divine Mercy of God!
  • Fifth, Christ will appeal to His wounds so that during the Judgment Day “He may upbraid them with their just condemnation.” The holy wounds will silently sentence the damned to Hell.
 
There are three appearances of Christ after the ascension: to Stephen in Acts 7, to Paul in Acts 9, and to John in Revelation. In Acts, we learn nothing about the appearance of Christ, only that he was standing and that he spoke. He is described in Revelation 1, but no mention is made of his wounds. However, when Revelation goes on to speak of a "Lamb, as it had been slain" (Rev. 5:6), that does make me wonder how the fact of having been slain was visually made clear.
 
The scourging Christ received at the hands of the Roman soldiers at the word of Pilate would have left His back terribly mutilated—torn apart—and I do not see how these grievous wounds would be left as is. Perhaps His other wounds—His hands, on His head from the crown of thorns, and in His side from the spear—will be healed but the scars still visible?

We will always remember the sacrifice of love our Jesus offered bearing the debt of eternal torment and wrath our sins merited, and it would not detract from His infinite majesty and beauty were our King to have scars from the battle to save His beloved bride.
 
This is an interesting but unknowable topic.. was the resurrected body of Christ His glorified body ?? Luke 24:25
25Then Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones, how slow are your hearts to believe all that the prophets have spoken. 26Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and then to enter His glory?” 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself.

This could be read yes.. or that He was not yet in His glorified body..

Of the transfiguration we read in Mat 17 "1After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2There He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.

That is is not the post-resurrection description the apostles describe ...

In Rev 1 Jesus is described this way

12Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and among the lampstands was One like the Son of Man, dressed in a long robe, with a golden sash around His chest. 14The hair of His head was white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a blazing fire. 15His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters. 16He held in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.

How did Paul describe his encounter Acts 9: 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
Acts 22:9
6About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’

The commonality is the brightness /light emanating from Him... I do not think the apostles saw the full glory of Christ
 
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