Questions from children, and answers from the Bible (and science).
This past Wednesday night, I provided an open forum, allowing any questions.
One or our three older boys (9 years old) asked if we would be able to fly when we get to heaven. I said we would not have wings, since we are not angels (never have been, never will be). But I then pointed out that we may be able to move from one place to another in a different way.
We read about Philip ministering to the Ethiopian in the chariot, leading to the Ethiopian's conversion, after which Philip was caught away by the Spirit of God (disappeared from the Ethiopian) and then appeared in Azotus. Also, Enoch was caught away, and Elijah was caught away in a fiery chariot. There will also come a great catching away of Christians in the future, which is called the Rapture. As a human example of this being possible, I referred to radio and digital signals that are sent through the air, and are reproduced as sound and sight in radio and television and computers.
I used the fictional concept of the "transporter room" in Star Trek and the "teleportation" of Mike Teavee in Willy Wonka as an example of God's "translating" us, as He did Enoch. This led to an overview of the nature of atoms, motion, density, speed, which allows for the imagined possibility of passing through wall. Of course, this is more than just an imagined possibility, since Jesus, in His resurrected body, apparently passed through the walls of the room with closed doors (on two occasions). We also may experience this in our glorified bodies, after the resurrection.
We probably will not have the ability to fly, but maybe we will be "translated" or "transported" from location to another, in the service of Christ, in a very expanded geographical field of ministry (possibly space travel or world wide travel). It is also possible that in our resurrection bodies we will not be limited by the restrictions to human barriers, such as walls.
One of the children also asked if we will be able to breathe underwater in our resurrection bodies. I referred to Jonah as an example of Divine intervention, while he was in the belly of the great fish (whale). Obviously it would take Divine power to protect Jonah while he was sloshing around in the water and acids in the sea creatures stomach. Likewise, God may give resurrected bodies the ability to survive under water.
We don't know what it will be like in resurrected bodies, but we can reflect on the miraculous intervention of God in the Bible, which allowed men to be, "translated" through space, "pass through" walls, and survive inside of a great sea creature.
Some people refer to things like "catching away," and walking through walls by "deconstruction and reconstruction of body cells (atoms)", and breathing underwater, and talking animals, as being myths or science fiction or fantasy. But remember, myths are built on facts. Truth existed before fantasy and fiction. Myths, fiction and fantasy are the corrupting or twisting or exaggerating of fact, reality, truth. The false beliefs about God are Satan's counterfeits and erroneous explanations of Divine revelation.
The Bible stories, when told as truth, are true. We do not have to abandon our intellect in order to believe the Bible. We must abandon our dependence on the "natural" in order to understand the "supernatural." The things that seemed to be unexplainable in the past have sometimes become more understandable in modern times. Understanding Bible revelation is second to believing Bible revelation.
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