Well, my dear friend, that’s a very interesting question. I must say that I do not believe that our new bodies will be like those of Adam and Eve before the fall. Adam and Eve were formed of the dust, and thus were purely terrestrial (earthly) beings who were clearly intended to dwell on the earth. Our new bodies will be heavenly bodies, formed of that which is suited for heaven; and unlike Adam and Eve prior to the fall, heaven is to be our dwelling place forever (John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 4:16-18; 2 Corinthians 5:1). Furthermore, I believe that Adam and Eve could not be said to be sinless, nor could they be said to be “righteous” but were merely innocent; as we see in Genesis 3, they had the capacity to sin. Their lot, so long as they remained obedient to God’s Word, was to dwell in the Garden of Eden to care for it.  While it is true that born again Christians are sinners (Romans 3:23), it is also true that by faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary, we are redeemed, and our faith is counted to us for righteousness by God (Romans 4:5). Being now born again, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, giving us new life and making us fit for heaven, which is our certain hope (John 3:3-5; Titus 3:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17 and 21). Another difference is that on the earth, Adam and Eve’s relationship was that of husband and wife (Genesis 2:24), but when in heaven in our new bodies, we will not marry (Matthew 22:30). Also, in Genesis 2:16, we see that God provided fruit for Adam to eat; however, in the resurrection, we will not require food, water, nor air to remain alive, our new bodies being immortal (1 Corinthians 15:53-55).

Now, to expand a bit on what we are told in Scripture about our new bodies, a verse that comes to my mind is found in 1 John 3:2 where we read: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as he is.” I fully realize that this verse doesn’t directly describe to us what those new bodies will look like, but I believe that what we can know for certain is that we will be “like Him,” and I believe this is to say that our bodies will be like the glorious body of our Lord Jesus after His resurrection from the dead. Another verse that clarifies even more is found in Philippians 3:20, 21: “…the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body….” And so, what would these new bodies which are like unto His glorious body be like?  Well, for one thing, these new bodies will not be subject to sickness, decay, or death. A verse that confirms this would be 1 Corinthians 15:52-54. Here I will cite verse 52 as follows: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” Another verse that clearly demonstrates that our new bodies are not terrestrial like Adam and Eve’s, and as well demonstrates the heavenly nature of these new bodies is found in 2 Corinthians 5:1: “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” If you also consider John 14:1-3, you’ll find another reference to the heavenly nature and permanence of our new bodies, being described as “abodes”. An abode is a permanent dwelling, and then again, just like 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, we see that the saints, in their new bodies, will be forever with the Lord Jesus, where He is. It is true that Adam and Eve, if they had never sinned, would live forever, but only on the earth, and their bodies could never be said to be “glorious, and they could never be said to be “righteous”.

So, if our new bodies will be like unto His glorious body, then I would have to think that we might get some idea of what our new bodies might be like in the accounts of the post-resurrection appearances of Christ which we find in the last pages of the Gospels. For one thing, Jesus was not limited to time or place. Recall that the stone was rolled away from His tomb on the third day, not to let Him out, but to demonstrate that He had risen and was no longer in that tomb. Looking at His appearances to His disciples in the upper room on the first day of the week (see John 20:19-31), you’ll note that the Lord was not at all limited in His movements, since He appeared to them in that room, while the doors were locked for fear of the Jews. In verse 20 we read: “…he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the LORD.” He was recognizable to His disciples, and so too I believe will His saints be when we receive our new bodies. Now, the Lord Jesus was not just spirit after His resurrection, but He did in fact have a tangible body, as we see in Luke 24:36-43. In this portion, when the disciples were afraid thinking Jesus to be a ghost, He bid them to handle Him and see that He had a real body; He also ate before them, though for sure, neither His body nor our own new bodies will require this as we will then be immortal and have bodies that are incorruptible.

In summary, I do not believe that the bodies of Adam and Eve prior to the fall will have much in common with the new bodies of the saints. We born again Christians, though sinners, are declared righteous by God through our faith in Christ Jesus, and we are told in Scripture that we will forever be with the Lord Jesus where He is. Adam and Eve’s bodies, though as yet not corrupted in the fall, were merely terrestrial, and not at all suited to the heavenly life since they were capable of sin when tempted (not born again with the indwelling Spirit of God).  (SF)  (569.3)