...Bodily Resurrection...
to a man on shore, who relayed the word to another on a hill, and so on
across Britain. The first word, “Wellington,” was signaled. The next word
was “defeated.” Then a fog closed in, and the message was interrupted.
Across England, people wept over the message: “Wellington defeated.”
Then the fog lifted. The communication continued with two additional
words: “the enemy.” And Englishmen celebrated the victory.
There was great sorrow when The Body Of Jesus was carried from The
Cross to the tomb. The signal seemed to say, “Jesus Christ defeated.”
But three days later the fog lifted and It Was Announced, “Jesus Christ
Defeated the enemy!”
Through Christ we have complete victory over our enemies of sin, death,
and Satan, and we have new life, a glorious hope, and the certainty of
our own resurrection one day. But the subject of resurrection in God’s
Word is one that needs to be rightly divided.
In the fifteenth chapter of I Corinthians, Paul speaks of the resurrections,
both prophetic and According To The Revelation Of The Mystery. In verses
23-28, Paul outlines the prophetic “order” of resurrections, and he begins
with Christ’s. As Paul spoke of The Gospel Of Salvation in verses 1-4, he
made it clear that Christ’s Resurrection Was Prophesied:
“Firstfruits,” meaning that His Resurrection is a foretaste of what is
to come. Christ’s Bodily Resurrection Guarantees the great harvest
of bodily resurrections yet to come for both the kingdom saints
and the Body of Christ.
Notice though how Paul says “they [not “we”] that are Christ’s at His
Coming” (I Cor. 15:23), speaking of the resurrection of the prophetic
saints after Christ’s second coming. These saints will be raised and
ushered into the earthly, millennial reign of Christ.
This is the “first resurrection,” and it includes all the saved from the
prophetic program, or in other words, all the saved from the past,
prior to This Dispensation Of Grace, and all the future martyred
Tribulation saints. As Revelation 20:6 states,
He Hath Put all enemies Under His Feet” (I Cor. 15:25), comes the time
when “The last enemy that Shall Be Destroyed is death” (I Cor. 15:26).
After the Great White Throne, “death and hell” will be “cast into the
lake of fire” (Rev. 20:14) and “there shall be no more death” (Rev. 21:4).
The second resurrection, or “resurrection of damnation” (John 5:29),
of all the unsaved of all ages will take place at this time, when they
will be fitted with bodies to endure everlasting punishment.
After Paul gives this prophetic sequence of events regarding resurrection,
in verse 51 he brings up a secret coming and a secret resurrection that
wasn’t ever before revealed.
resurrections. The prophesied “first resurrection” will take place after
Christ’s prophesied second coming. The secret resurrection will take
place at Christ’s secret coming, the Rapture (I Thes. 4:13-18).
This coming of Christ and its resurrection is part of The “Revelation
Of The Mystery” (Rom. 16:25), The Message Which had been Hid in The
Mind Of God and Revealed First to the Apostle Paul (Eph. 3:1-9). All the
previous resurrections, such as Christ’s Resurrection, the first resurrection,
and the resurrection of damnation were all revealed in the Old Testament
(Isa. 53:10; Dan. 12:2), but not the resurrection of the Body of Christ.
Notice how the personal pronouns change from “they” to “we” here as Paul
applies this coming of Christ and resurrection to the Church, the Body of
Christ:
The Rapture is the bodily resurrection day for the Body of Christ only, which
is not referred to or revealed outside of Paul’s letters. The Rapture and its
secret resurrection is part of The Mystery program while the second coming
and its first resurrection belong to the prophetic program.
As we praise our Living Savior for His Resurrection on Resurrection Day this
month, may we also rejoice that we can be looking for His coming and the
Body’s resurrection day also!
(K Sadler)
'link'
Amazing, is it not, How God Plainly And Clearly Differentiates (Rightly Divides)
the they of His Prophetic program From the we Of HIS Mystery Program!? Amen.
Grace, Peace, And JOY In Christ, And In His Word Of Truth, Rightly
Divided (+ I and II)!
“But now is Christ Risen from the dead, and become
the firstfruits of them that slept” (I Cor. 15:20).
To carry the news of the Battle of Waterloo to England, a ship signaledto a man on shore, who relayed the word to another on a hill, and so on
across Britain. The first word, “Wellington,” was signaled. The next word
was “defeated.” Then a fog closed in, and the message was interrupted.
Across England, people wept over the message: “Wellington defeated.”
Then the fog lifted. The communication continued with two additional
words: “the enemy.” And Englishmen celebrated the victory.
There was great sorrow when The Body Of Jesus was carried from The
Cross to the tomb. The signal seemed to say, “Jesus Christ defeated.”
But three days later the fog lifted and It Was Announced, “Jesus Christ
Defeated the enemy!”
Through Christ we have complete victory over our enemies of sin, death,
and Satan, and we have new life, a glorious hope, and the certainty of
our own resurrection one day. But the subject of resurrection in God’s
Word is one that needs to be rightly divided.
“But every man in his own order: Christ The Firstfruits;
afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming” (I Cor. 15:23).
In the fifteenth chapter of I Corinthians, Paul speaks of the resurrections,
both prophetic and According To The Revelation Of The Mystery. In verses
23-28, Paul outlines the prophetic “order” of resurrections, and he begins
with Christ’s. As Paul spoke of The Gospel Of Salvation in verses 1-4, he
made it clear that Christ’s Resurrection Was Prophesied:
“He Rose again the third day According to
The Scriptures” (I Cor. 15:4 cf. Psa. 16:10).
In verses 20 and 23, Paul refers to Christ’s Resurrection as being the“Firstfruits,” meaning that His Resurrection is a foretaste of what is
to come. Christ’s Bodily Resurrection Guarantees the great harvest
of bodily resurrections yet to come for both the kingdom saints
and the Body of Christ.
Notice though how Paul says “they [not “we”] that are Christ’s at His
Coming” (I Cor. 15:23), speaking of the resurrection of the prophetic
saints after Christ’s second coming. These saints will be raised and
ushered into the earthly, millennial reign of Christ.
This is the “first resurrection,” and it includes all the saved from the
prophetic program, or in other words, all the saved from the past,
prior to This Dispensation Of Grace, and all the future martyred
Tribulation saints. As Revelation 20:6 states,
“Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first
resurrection: on such the second death hath no
power, but they shall be priests of God and of
Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”
Following the thousand-year Kingdom, when Christ “must reign, tillHe Hath Put all enemies Under His Feet” (I Cor. 15:25), comes the time
when “The last enemy that Shall Be Destroyed is death” (I Cor. 15:26).
After the Great White Throne, “death and hell” will be “cast into the
lake of fire” (Rev. 20:14) and “there shall be no more death” (Rev. 21:4).
The second resurrection, or “resurrection of damnation” (John 5:29),
of all the unsaved of all ages will take place at this time, when they
will be fitted with bodies to endure everlasting punishment.
After Paul gives this prophetic sequence of events regarding resurrection,
in verse 51 he brings up a secret coming and a secret resurrection that
wasn’t ever before revealed.
“Behold, I shew you A Mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall
all be changed, 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” (I Cor. 15:51,52).
The “first resurrection” and this secret resurrection are two differentresurrections. The prophesied “first resurrection” will take place after
Christ’s prophesied second coming. The secret resurrection will take
place at Christ’s secret coming, the Rapture (I Thes. 4:13-18).
This coming of Christ and its resurrection is part of The “Revelation
Of The Mystery” (Rom. 16:25), The Message Which had been Hid in The
Mind Of God and Revealed First to the Apostle Paul (Eph. 3:1-9). All the
previous resurrections, such as Christ’s Resurrection, the first resurrection,
and the resurrection of damnation were all revealed in the Old Testament
(Isa. 53:10; Dan. 12:2), but not the resurrection of the Body of Christ.
Notice how the personal pronouns change from “they” to “we” here as Paul
applies this coming of Christ and resurrection to the Church, the Body of
Christ:
“We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed” (I Cor. 15:51).
The Rapture is the bodily resurrection day for the Body of Christ only, which
is not referred to or revealed outside of Paul’s letters. The Rapture and its
secret resurrection is part of The Mystery program while the second coming
and its first resurrection belong to the prophetic program.
As we praise our Living Savior for His Resurrection on Resurrection Day this
month, may we also rejoice that we can be looking for His coming and the
Body’s resurrection day also!
“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the
Saviour, The LORD Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it
may be fashioned like unto His Glorious Body” (Phil. 3:20,21).
"(K Sadler)
'link'
Amazing, is it not, How God Plainly And Clearly Differentiates (Rightly Divides)
the they of His Prophetic program From the we Of HIS Mystery Program!? Amen.
Grace, Peace, And JOY In Christ, And In His Word Of Truth, Rightly
Divided (+ I and II)!