"You are all sons of light and sons of the day.
We are not of the night nor of darkness."
(I Thess. 5: 5 nkjv)
"For you were once darkness,
but now you are light in the Lord.
Walk as children of light
(Eph. 5: 8 nkjv)
In this chapter we continue our study of how the body of Christ was glorified, following his resurrection, and how the resurrected saints will have a glorious body like their Lord and Savior. The above texts tell us that believers are "sons of light" and "sons of the day." In the Greek of the first passage it is "sons" (huios) and not "children" of the light. However, in the latter passage it is "children" (teknon). Sons of light is to be connected with "sons of the resurrection."
"Sons" speaks of mature or perfected children and this is what believers will become in the day when they are glorified and perfected. But, they are now "children" because begotten of God (the Greek word for children denoting one born of a father). They are begotten children of light because "God is light and in Him is no darkness at all." (I John 1: 5 nkjv) God "lives in unapproachable light." ( 1 Tim 6:16 ) The Psalmist also said - “you are clothed with honor and majesty, wrapped in light as with a garment.” (Ps 104:1)
They are begotten children of the divine light which is God by faith as Jesus said: “While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” (John 12: 36 nkjv) He also said: "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8: 12 nkjv) John also testified of Christ and his being not only "the way" and "the truth" (John 14: 6) but also "the life" and his "life was the light of men." (John 1: 4)
Believers possess spiritual and eternal life now and so possess light now. But, this is true only in their hearts and minds, in their spirits, but not yet in their physical bodies, nor yet as fully as they will in eternity. Not till the resurrection and glorification of believers will they be superlatively the "sons of light," both literally and symbolically. God is light and this is literally true and yet light is also a symbol of the manifold dimensions of light. Notice these words of the Lord Jesus:
“But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matt. 6: 23 nkjv)
The eye is the means of receiving light and thereby being good for the whole body. But, what some people call light is actually darkness. So testified the prophet Isaiah, saying - "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Isa. 5: 20 kjv)
In the age to come the eye of the body will be superlatively great and so the whole body will then be full of light.
So, what good comes from light? Seeing is the foremost thing that people think of when contemplating this question. But, much other good comes from it than merely that. Light illuminates. Without it we would be in darkness and would be ignorant of many things. But light also means "energy." Light is power. In the Book of Genesis, on the first day of creation, the record says that God created "light" by saying "let there be light." But, the sun and stars were not created until later. Obviously, to me, this is because "light" that was created on the first day signified "energy." God created mass and then energy, the two things that are the stuff of the cosmos.
Light rules and light is the source of life and growth. We see this in photosynthesis wherein plants receive particles of light (photons) and use them as an energy source to sustain life. Also, we read of the sun that God created that it "rules" the day. The light that will radiate from the resurrected and glorified saints, to my mind, will likewise be reviving and a means of ruling. Recall also from an earlier chapter where we spoke of the white stone that will be given to the glorified saints and how I connected it to the Urim and Thummin that the Hebrew priests used to divine the will of God. Those Urim and Thummin stones were also called "lights." Also, God the Father, who is Light, is declared to be "the Father of lights." (Jam. 1: 17) So too will the saints, as sons of God, be a begetter of lights. Paul says that the Christians in his day did "shine like lights in the world" (Phil. 2: 15). Of course, that is a simile for he uses the word "like." But, behind the simile is a literal truth.
That light is energy or power is further seen from that text in Habakkuk where we read of the "rays" or "horns" radiating from the hands of the Lord is connected with "power." We know that photons from the sun not only give energy to plants and other things, but that it heats things. (See Psa. 19: 6; Jam. 1: 11)
So, in summation, we may say that the radiating of light from the glorified bodies of the saints will be for glory, for beauty, for communication, for healing, for vivification, for illumination (or imparting knowledge), for divining the will and mind of God, etc. As plants and animals, yea, all living things, feed off of light and its rays, so too will the ongoing human race feed off the light of God, the light of the Lamb of God, and the light of the resurrected and glorified saints. It will also as stated be a means of saints communicating with each other. To be clothed with light means more than the fact that saints will glow or shine. To think that it simply means that saints will glow like a glow worm does not thrill me, but it does thrill me to think that it involves more than what pertains to bodily appearance.
So, for the saints to shine, or to emanate light and beauty, is also connected with emanating power. That light is connected with power in the context of resurrection and glorification is seen from these words of Paul from that great resurrection chapter: "It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power." (I Cor. 15: 43 nkjv) We also see this fact in the words describing the glorified body of Christ on the holy mount of transfiguration by Peter, who said that scene manifested not only the glory of the body of Christ, but also his "power and coming." (II Peter 1: 16-18) His body radiated power. Further, the mighty angels are simply called "powers" (Eph. 3: 10; Col. 1: 16). This will also be true of the glorified saints who will become powerful beings and emanate power as well as light. About the extent of that power we will have more to say later.
Glorification of the Elect
"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified." (Rom. 8: 29-30 kjv)
"When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." (Col. 3: 4 kjv)
"For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering." (Heb. 2: 10 kjv)
"The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." (Rom. 8: 16-18 kjv)
The above texts affirm that glorification of the body is an integral part of the resurrection of the saints. The glorification of the soul and spirit, however, is begun in time when a sinner is born of God and as he lives the Christian life. That is clear from the following words of the apostle Paul:
"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." (II Cor. 3: 18 kjv)
Notice again a truth we saw earlier, i.e. that there are degrees of glory. Notice also how transformation of the soul and spirit, of the character, proceeds in linear progression by "beholding the glory of the Lord." The transformation of the body, however, will occur in an instant, "in the twinkling of an eye" (I Cor. 15: 52).
Involved in this final glorification of the body will be to make the body to radiate light and all that light represents. So we read where Christ said - "The just shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father." (Matt. 13: 43) The prophet Daniel said the same thing:
“Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel 12:3, NASB)
In the scene on the holy mount of transfiguration, we are informed that Moses and Elijah also appeared in glorious attire, radiating light in addition to Christ. Meyer's commentary says this radiating of glory and light involves "the idea of a sublime display of majestic splendor." Others point out that the implication is that the light of the saints is now hidden, as the sun is by the clouds, but in the day when Christ returns they will burst forth in their full glory. That is true.
Also, the idea of "shining" or being a "star" is used metaphorically by people today when they want to express how someone performed something extremely well, or "stand out" above others, or when they are impressive in appearance or action. So, we call famous movie actors "stars." Certainly the saints will shine in this sense as well as literally shining. People who shine are people who are vibrant, charismatic, and full of life, who have faces that shine with joy and gladness.
The sum of what we have seen thus far is that glorification of the resurrected body involves becoming light, so that light radiates from the saints. One purpose of that light is to greatly enhance the appearance of the saints, that is, to beautify them. We see this fact further proven by these words of the apostle Paul:
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish." (Eph. 5: 25-27 nkjv)
This is clear to the point. Why is the assembly (church) of the redeemed "glorious"? It is because the members of that assembly have been perfected in body and spirit, there being no defects, no "spot or wrinkle" nor "any such thing." Some might object and say 1) Christ still had his wounds and scars in his resurrected body, and 2) some inferior marks on the bodies of believers are memorials and what is integral to people's memory of those persons. To these objections we respond with these words.
First, the wounds of Christ are deliberately left on the body of Christ because they bring glory and praise rather than take away glory. Second, the same may well be true with the bodies of the saints. It may well be true also that glorified saints, like angels, may take on different bodily shapes and appearances, like "shape shifters" in science fiction movies about aliens on other worlds (as in the Star Trek series or movies). Paul said Satan was able to change his appearance. The saints no doubt will be able to do so also, to some extent. For the most part however the saints will have no spots, no scars, no ugliness or defect of any kind. Even people today, in this mortal life, are able to change their appearances in various ways, through exercise and losing weight, by makeup, by attire, etc. Also, every person changes his or her appearance as he or she ages, so that each looks different at birth, at middle age, at old age. Perhaps the saints will be able to change their appearances in a similar way and yet instantly.
Clearly glorification involves perfection. (Eph. 4: 13; Phil. 3: 12) Though perfection is sought after and progressed towards, it is never fully attained in this life. Certainly the body is not perfect for it experiences sickness and death.
Thomas Aquinas, had the following points about the glorified body of Christ, affirming that resurrected bodies will have four basic qualities, or powers (See here):
Impassibility – Like the Risen Lord, those who rise in him will be “impassible,” or incapable of suffering. Although our bodies are subject to aches, pains, decay, and death in this life, they will be free from all suffering and death in the life to come. St. Paul says of the risen body, “It is sown corruptible; it is raised incorruptible” (1 Corinthians 15:42).
Subtlety – After the Resurrection, Jesus could pass through the enclosed tomb and through the locked doors of the Upper Room, but he could also eat food and be touched by the Apostle Thomas (John 20:19 – 29; Luke 24:36 – 43). Our risen bodies will be the same kind of spiritualized matter as the body of Jesus.
Agility – The Risen Lord appeared and disappeared at will, seemingly unconstrained by the ordinary laws of nature (Luke 24:31, 36). In the same way, we can conclude that each glorified body will be under the complete control of the glorified soul.
Clarity – The risen body of Jesus is resplendent with the brightness, or clarity, of his glory. This glory was seen most obviously at the Transfiguration, when Jesus gave his disciples a brief glimpse of his radiant glory. In the same way, Jesus says, “the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matthew 13:43).
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