Our Heavenly Identity:

We will be us, not somebody else. We will be all the things that makes us different from each other. We will bring everything that makes us who we are as individuals. We will even bring our appearance, our bodies and we won’t be clones of each other. We will all be different shape, sizes. We will bring all the things that make us who we are.

We will be similar and recognizable and yet we will be different. We will have our personalities, characteristics mannerisms (Luke 24:15-16, Road to Emmaus), and the diversities that make us different then each other.

1 Corinthians 15:52-54, “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18, Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. ¹⁴ For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵ According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ 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. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Jesus ‘earthly body had direct continuity with his resurrected body. We will be similar and recognizable and yet we will be different. We will have our personalities, characteristics mannerisms and the diversities that make us different then each other.

1 Samuel 28:8-19, (Witch of Endor) Samuel knew Saul’s past, his present (the circumstance he was in) and his future.

Revelation 6:9-11, Souls under the Alter, cried out, "“How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”

We will bring our mannerisms and the other things that define us. Luke 24:15-16, tells how his Disciples recognized him when he broke the bread on the Road to Emmaus.

We will even keep out names just like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and we will also get new names. Isaiah 62:2, 65:15, revelation 2:17, 3:12

We will bring our knowledge, understanding, passions, joys, pleasures and interests into the kingdom because that is what makes us who we are.

Many of our skills, talents, gifts will be brought into the kingdom. Everything that makes us who we are without the sins will follow us.

We will grow in all these things all for the glory of God. We will work and learn without the thrones and thistles.

We will do all types of work for many of our occupations and joys will follow us into the kingdom.

As we learned our skills on earth they will grow in eternity. As the Lord lead us in our careers here, he will lead and develop us there. We will learn from others, and we will grow in our skills and other new skills will be learned and developed.

We will enjoy working and find fulfillment as we serve the Lord. We could be working in fields, forests, office, houses, worship, labs and a host of other professions that are known and not known.

Revelation 5:9, You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.

Revelation 7:9, After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

We will be one people, under one banner, and under one God. We will be ourselves not someone else.