Question:
Can a spiritual body be made visible to human eyes? See Luke 24:39; John 4:24.
Answer:
There is a difference in the meaning of the term “spirit,” which can refer to various concepts. Sometimes, it simply denotes life—specifically, life given by God. At other times, it refers to a spiritual being. This is the context in which the term is used in John 4:24: “God is a spirit,” or as the margin of the Revised Version states, “God is spirit.”
Spiritual beings have the ability to make themselves visible or invisible to humans. Angels of God are always present around His children. As stated in Psalm 34:7, “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.” While angels are generally not seen, there are times when they have made themselves visible, sometimes even appearing as men.
For example, after His resurrection, Jesus, as a spiritual being, walked with the disciples on their way to Emmaus. He sat with them at the table and then vanished from their sight. Later, He returned as an invisible presence with them back to Jerusalem, although they did not initially realize He was there. Shortly after meeting with the disciples in Jerusalem, He appeared again and said, “Handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have.” This suggests that the disciples thought Jesus was a ghost.
Fishermen, in particular, are often superstitious, which is why they assumed that Jesus was a ghost when He walked on the sea. His purpose in eating before them was to demonstrate that He was not merely a phantom; He was a real being with substance—flesh and bones. He showed them His hands and feet, which bore the marks of the nails.
In fact, spiritual beings are more real than mortal beings. Though they are composed of finer material, they are nonetheless substantial. As it is written, “The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45). According to the preceding verse, there is a natural body and a spiritual body. Mortal, corruptible human beings cannot inherit the kingdom of God, but purified spiritual beings shall enter it.
