Body/Soul - some more musings

I started reading a book published by Eerdmans, Body, Soul & Life Everlasting. I'm now convinced, that there needs to be an emphasis upon the present life and resurrection. Yet, a biblical anthropology will account for the intermediate state also - the state of one's being after death, and before resurrection. (I think the book is out of print b/c I can't find the link on Eerdmans' web site.) So, whatever view one holds to these are the main issues that Christians need to account for: (1) the intermediate state; (2) the fullness of our present life; (3) the fullness of life to come; and (4) we can't make life in heaven more real than our existence now.

Let me go into more explanation about (4). Plato claimed that our existence on earth was a mere shadow of existence in heaven. Though sin has affected God's creation, God created things on earth as 'GOOD' this is important to remember. I think that the intermediate state is a lesser existence than the one that we have now. Nonetheless, it's important for us to remember that we experience the fullness of life upon our resurrection, but for sin, we would experience the fullness of life now - in a physical form.

One quick note about miracles and the resurrection. This question is for my readers:

What do most Christians think the purpose of the resurrection is?

Would most Christians claim that the resurrection shows that Jesus is the Son of God? Clearly this is wrong, because the resurrection is to show us what we have to look forward to when Jesus rises again. The signs/miracles in the gospel of John demonstrate that Jesus was the Son of God. There are seven signs in the Gospel of John, because 7 is a complete number. So I take this to mean that there was a sufficient amount of evidence given to show that Jesus was the Son of God during His lifetime, so the resurrection, wasn't needed to show that He was the Son of God, but to show the future hope of all Christians. I think Col. 1:18 says it best: "And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeeminence."

I think miracles are the same thing. Miracles don't show that God exists, they show God's power. We know that God exists by looking at the heavens. The fool has said in his heart that there isn't a God.