How old will I be in heaven?
I’ve recently just joined a Bible study group with a team of legend senior high youths. On Sunday, one of these said legends asked, “How old will I be in heaven?” I decided that instead of answer the question then and there, I’d answer it in an article.
In short…
In short, the Bible doesn’t say anything about exactly how old we will be. However, there are some key things it tell us that get us a bit closer to the answer.
When Jesus returns, we’ll be raised
First thing to note: when Jesus returns, he will raise us. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16 we read: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” Or, as we read in 1 Corinthians 15:52, when Jesus returns, “the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” And what will this change look like?
2. Our bodies will be really, really good
Well, when we are raised, we will be given really, really good bodies. Check out 1 Corinthians 15:42-44:
The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.
Our new bodies will be heaps better than our current bodies. They will be imperishable, glorious, powerful. Our current bodies are perishable—they die. They can be dishonoured. They are weak. But our new bodies will be the complete opposite.
3. There will be none of the bad stuff we associate with various ages
And something else—none of the bad stuff we associate with age will be a problem. We’ve already seen the most obvious problem eliminated—death. Our bodies will be imperishable. Check out what else John notices in his vision of the New Creation in Revelation 21:3-4:
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
As well as no death, there will be no mourning or crying or pain.
Usually when people ask questions about age in heaven, they secretly hope that they won’t be too young or too old. If too young, maybe they’ll be miserable because they don’t have the strength of older people, or the immune system of 20-somethings. If too old, maybe they will be more likely to suffer chronic pain or get cancer or some other sickness. Or maybe they fear the loneliness of the elderly.
In the new creation, there is no misery, crying, or pain. Or death.
And best of all, we will experience the complete opposite of loneliness. We will be with Jesus and he will be with us. This often gets forgotten when we talk about heaven/the new creation. We will be with Jesus. That’s the best bit.
Conclusion
So, in the end, it doesn’t really matter how old are bodies will be in heaven. When Jesus returns we’ll be raised. We’ll have great bodies. None of the bad stuff associated with old or young age will impact us anymore. And best of all, we’ll be with Jesus.
