Will we eat and drink in Heaven?

My hobby is cooking, so this is an important question to me!

In answering it, we should keep a few things in mind:

  • When we enter the new heaven and earth, we will do so with a new
  • Our new body will be the same as Jesus’ resurrected body.
  • Jesus ate food in His resurrected body: “They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and He ate it.” (Luke 24:43)
  • And let’s not forget that the resurrected Jesus prepared a breakfast of bread and fish for His disciples on the beach! (John 21:9-14)

Clearly the resurrected body is capable of consuming food!

As you read through the Bible you discover many references to eating, drinking, feasts, and banquets when it speaks of Heaven – Jesus spoke like this on several occasions. This has led some to suggest that the references are not to be taken literally – they are symbolic, and we will only eat and drink in a spiritual way.

However, well known theologian, Wayne Grudem states:

“There is no strong reason to say these expressions are merely symbolic, without any literal reference. Are symbolic banquets and symbolic wine and symbolic rivers and trees somehow superior to real banquets and real wine and real rivers and trees in God’s eternal plan? These things are just some of the excellent features of the perfection and final goodness of the physical creation that God has made.”

It makes sense to me. In the first Creation, God made us with bodies that had the capacity to eat and one of the goals of God’s plan of salvation is the redemption of our bodies. So why would He take away the joy of eating and drinking in the new heaven?

Best of all, food, and drink – and our taste buds – will no longer be tainted by the effects of sin; so, food and drink are going to taste even better!

Which leads me to another question: will there be recipe books in Heaven?

Q. What is the best meal you have ever eaten?