Raised from the Dead

Last week we learned that when one dies there are no thoughts, no knowing, no more rewards, no memory, no love, hatred or envy, nor any part in anything that happens under the sun, no work, no intelligence, no knowledge or wisdom in the grave. When we die we are in a continuing state of death, yet God said He wouldn't leave us there.

I Corinthians 15
:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery;
    We shall not all sleep, 
    but we shall all be changed,
:52 In a moment, [atomos - a moment so small it cannot be divided]
    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.
:53   For this corruptible must put on incorruption,
        and this mortal must put on immortality.
:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption,
    and this mortal shall have put on immortality,
    then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written,
        Death is swallowed up in victory.
:55   O death, where is thy sting? 
        O grave, where is thy victory?
:56 The sting of death is sin;
    and the strength of sin is the law.
:57 But thanks be to God,
    which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

God will not let man remain in the grave, corrupted and without life. The trumpet will sound and in the smallest moment that cannot longer be divided we will be changed from this corruptible body to an incorruptible body. Then we can say "O death, where is your sting? O grave where is your victory?" It no longer has a hold over us separating us from God the Father and Christ Jesus our risen Lord and savior.

The sting of death is sin, the sin that keeps us apart from God. The transgressions of the law put man in sin. But thanks be to God who gave us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ for he has redeemed us from the law, he was our Passover lamb, the ultimate sacrifice. He fulfilled the law to redeem man because we couldn't do it ourselves. The law was merely a schoolmaster to bring man to the point in time of receiving the messiah. If it wasn't for the saving grace of Jesus Christ death would end life for mankind forever. With the return of Christ we will have victory over death and be raised incorruptible.

In I Corinthians 15 God tells us that Christ died for our sins and was buried and rose again the third day and was seen by the 12 apostles and also over 500 followers at one time. All were witnesses of his resurrection. Even Paul got to see Christ "as one born out of due time" (verse 8).

I Corinthians 15
:12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead,
    how say some among you
        that there is no resurrection of the dead?
:13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead,
    then is Christ not risen:
:14 And if Christ be not risen,
    then is our preaching vain,
    and your faith is also vain.
:15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God;
    because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ:
    whom he raised not up,
        if so be that the dead rise not.
:16 For if the dead rise not,
    then is not Christ raised:
:17 And if Christ be not raised,
    your faith is vain;
    ye are yet in your sins.
:18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ,
    we are of all men most miserable.

Some people, even today, propound that Christ was not raised from the dead. If that is so than we blaspheme saying he is risen and all that have died are perished (lost, ruined, destroyed, not to be recovered). If this is the case than we are of all men most miserable . If Christ is not raised, there will be no resurrection and there is no hope.

BUT!! He is Risen!! And he will return.

:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead,
    and become the firstfruits of them that slept. [he is the first one--there is no other]
:21 For since by man came death, [Adam]
    by man [Jesus Christ] came also the resurrection of the dead.
:22 For as in Adam all die,
    even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
:23 But every man in his own order:
    Christ the firstfruits;
    afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. [parousia - indicating a personal presence]
:24 Then cometh the end,
    when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God,
        even the Father;
    when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
:25 For he must reign,
    till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Death is an enemy. It will be destroyed, it will be the last thing to go but it will be destroyed.

These verses actually cover quite a bit of time in regards to the second coming. All will be brought unto God and every man in his own order.

1. Christ will come for his church
2. Christ will come with his church and the events in Revelation will transpire
3. The first and second resurrections
4. The end when death is destroyed and all things are subdued to God

Christ Will Come for His Church

I Thessalonians 4
:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren,
    concerning them which are asleep,
    that ye sorrow not,
        even as others which have no hope.
:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
    even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord,
    that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord
    shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep.
:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
        with the voice of the archangel,
        and with the trump of God:
    and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds,
    to meet the Lord in the air:
    and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Christ will appear and gather together His Church, the dead will rise first and then we which are still alive will be caught up in the air with him. This is never technically called a resurrection in the bible because some will still be alive, it is a gathering together.

II Thessalonians 2
:1 Now we beseech you, brethren,
    by the coming [parousia] of our Lord Jesus Christ,
    and by our gathering together unto him,
:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind,
    or be troubled,
        neither by spirit,
        nor by word,
        nor by letter as from us,
    as that the day of Christ is at hand.
:3 Let no man deceive you by any means:
    for that day shall not come,
        except there come a falling away first,
        and that man of sin be revealed,
            the son of perdition;

The words 'a falling away' in verse 3 is the Greek words he apostasia. He is the article 'the', apo is a prefix meaning 'away from'. If you had a circle apo would be the line in motion from the exterior of the circle to a distant point.. Stasia means 'to draw out' or 'separate'. The Geneva Bible and Cranmer Bible (1537) and the Tyndale Bible (1539) translate apostasia as "a departure."* Except there is a departure first the day of Christ is not at hand. We will depart and be gathered together unto Christ before the man of sin is exposed (the antichrist).

I am looking forward to the day that the trumpet will sound and in an indivisible moment of time, a twinkling of an eye, we will be changed from corruptible to incorruptible. We get a new look.

    We currently have a natural body but we will get a spiritual body.

I Corinthians 15
:44 It is sown a natural body;
    it is raised a spiritual body.
    There is a natural body,
    and there is a spiritual body.
:45 And so it is written,
    The first man Adam was made a living soul;
    the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual,
    but that which is natural;
    and afterward that which is spiritual.
:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy:
    the second man is the Lord from heaven.
:48 As is the earthy,
        such are they also that are earthy:
    and as is the heavenly,
        such are they also that are heavenly.
:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy,
    we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
:50 Now this I say, brethren,
        that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God;
        neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Until Christ returns those of us that have died will remain dead. If we were not still in the grave we could not be raised and the bible would be full of lies and you might as well through in the trash and go live your life. I choose to believe that it is the truth and God is not a man that He should lie. This is critical to understanding what is going on with Saul and the woman of Endor that has a familiar spirit. I will get back to that subject but we must finish learning about the return of Christ.

Christ coming for His Church (the gathering together - II Thessalonians 2:1) is just the beginning of the end. Christ will return with the saints and angels there will be the first and second resurrection. . .

Continued Next Week . . .