The rapture of the church begins the resurrection of life for those in Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:22-23 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.
The first Adam's choice to sin plunged all humanity into the misery of sin and made us subject to death.
Christ, the second Adam obeyed the Father perfectly.
As the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, Jesus suffered and died on a cross taking our place as our sinless substitute.
The Father is fully satisfied with the expiating, propitiating and atoning work of Christ.
When someone hears the gospel of Christ and turns to Jesus with repentant faith, Jesus saves that sinner.
Thus, the second Adam offers a new birth, a new way of life and hope of eternal life in heaven with our Lord.
In our last post we sought to show how Jesus fulfilled the firstfruits offerings of the Old Testament.
The resurrected saints He took home to the Father are indicators of a vast resurrection harvest yet to come (See Ephesians 4:8-10; Psalm 68:18).
Paul used the words "they that are Christ's at His coming" to remind us that Jesus is coming again.
His second coming will have two distinct stages. First is what we call the rapture of His church. This is also part of the resurrection of life.
A glorious day awaits the born again Christians of every generation.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 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 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.
God's Spirit guided Paul to elaborate what he meant by the phrase "those who are Christ's at His coming."
The Spirit of God did this when Paul expounded about the rapture of the church and the resurrection of life while writing to the Thessalonians.
Those who "sleep" in Christ are born again believers who have already died "in Christ."
For a Christian, death is a portal through which we pass into the presence of our Lord.
God has made it clear in His word that there will be a physical, bodily resurrection and that those who died in faith will be reunited with their bodies.
However, we will not be raised with the same body that carries us through this life. Our new body will not have a sin nature inherited from Adam.
We will no longer have a old man to struggle against, no fleshly lusts to contend with.
Rather, we will receive a new, glorified body that is suitable for eternal life in heaven.
This is what God intended at creation with Adam and Eve, and He will bring this to pass.
At the rapture, Jesus will come from heaven for all who have died in Christ, to raise their bodies from the grave to reunite them with a new glorified body.
First, the Lord Jesus Christ will leave heaven with a mighty shout. The Father is sending His Son to bring His bride home to heaven.
The shout of our Lord indicates His infinite joy and eager anticipation of this great resurrection day.
The voice of the archangel will sound and mighty blast of a trumpet will be heard.
The rapture will be accompanied by an earth shattering trumpet sound heard everywhere as it was when God came down on Mount Sinai to meet with Moses.
The overwhelming sights and sounds of Holy God coming to earth.
Exodus 19:16-20 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. 18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. 19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. 20 And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
What the Hebrews experienced in the Old Testament at this moment, may be a preview of the rapture.
Notice that things happened on the third day.
Christ arose from the grave on the third day so this day is intimately connected with resurrection.
There was a mighty trumpet blast that was exceeding loud, like a massive fortissimo in music.
God's trumpet will sound again at the rapture of His church.
When the LORD came down to Mount Sinai, Moses "went up" to commune with Him.
All Christians will be "caught up" in the air to meet Christ and be taken to heaven. The dead in Christ will rise from the grave and receive glorified bodies first.
Then, all believers who are alive at the time Christ returns, will be caught up, receiving a glorified body at that moment.
Jesus shall rule and reign and then deliver His kingdom to the Father.
1 Corinthians 15:24-26 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.
Jesus is going to receive His bride, the church. This is known as the marriage supper of the Lamb (See Matthew 22:1-11; 25:1-13; Revelation 19:6-10).
On earth, the reign of antichrist begins and lasts for seven years.
The tribulation will end when Jesus returns to earth with a mighty army in flaming fire taking vengeance upon all Christ rejecters (See Matthew 24:3-31; Mark 13:1-27; Luke 21:5-28; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-12; Revelation 19:11 to 20:15).
Jesus will rule and reign on earth for one thousand years to literally fulfill all the Old Testament prophecies concerning Christ and His kingdom.
Jesus will rule and reign until all enemies of God are thoroughly vanquished and consigned to Hell.
As the second Adam who offers eternal life, Christ will conquer death and the grave.
When the thousand years are over, eternity will be ushered in for all believers in Christ. Jesus the Son of God will deliver this kingdom to the Father.
1 Corinthians 15:27-28 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
The Holy Spirit guided Paul to show that Jesus Christ will fully exercise His reign as King of kings, and will deliver up the kingdom to the Father.
Then, Jesus Christ the Son of God will be subject to His heavenly Father who had put all things under His Son's authority, for all of eternity.
All of the new heaven and new earth and saints with glorified bodies shall be brought back to the original intention God had at creation. "That God may be all in all."
A careful explanation of a very difficult passage of scripture.
1 Corinthians 15:29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
This is one of the most challenging verses in scripture for Bible commentators.
The most understandable explanation of this text that I have read comes from the pen of Adam Clarke, a very accomplished, careful Bible scholar and preacher (1762 to 1832).
All the text below in light green is quoted from Dr. Clarke's commentary. I think you will find his conclusions to be a great help in understanding what God is saying through Paul.
"Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead" - This is certainly the most difficult verse in the New Testament; for, notwithstanding the greatest and wisest men have labored to explain it, there are to this day nearly as many different interpretations of it as there are interpreters."
"I shall not employ my time, nor that of my reader, with a vast number of discordant and conflicting opinions; I shall make a few remarks:
1. The doctrine of the resurrection of our Lord was a grand doctrine among the apostles; they considered and preached this as the demonstration of the truth of the Gospel.
2. The multitudes who embraced Christianity became converts on the evidence of this resurrection.
3. This resurrection was considered the pledge and proof of the resurrection of all believers in Christ to the possession of the same glory into which he had entered.
4. The baptism which they received they considered as an emblem of their natural death and resurrection. This doctrine Paul most pointedly preaches in Romans 6:3-5.
"Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead, even so we also should walk in newness of life: for, if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in his resurrection."
5. It is evident from this that all who died in the faith of Christ died in the faith of the resurrection; and therefore cheerfully gave up their lives to death, as they took joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing in themselves that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance, (See Hebrews10:34).
6. As is the body, so are the members; those who were properly instructed, and embraced Christianity, believed that as all who had died in the faith of Christ should rise again, so they were baptized in the same faith.
7. As so many of the primitive followers of Christ sealed the truth with their blood, and Satan and his followers continued unchanged, every man who took on him the profession of Christianity, which was done by receiving baptism, considered himself as exposing his life to the most imminent hazard, and offering his life with those who had already offered and laid down theirs.
8. He was therefore baptized in reference to this martyrdom; and, having a regard to those dead, he cheerfully received baptism, that, whether he were taken off by a natural or violent death, he might be raised in the likeness of Jesus Christ’s resurrection, and that of his illustrious martyrs.
9. As martyrdom and baptism were thus so closely and intimately connected, to be baptize, was used to express being put to a violent death by the hands of persecutors.
So Matthew 20:22-23. “But Jesus answered and said, Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of? etc.” (Can ye go through my sufferings?) “They say unto him, We are able. He saith unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of my cup,” (ye shall bear your part of the afflictions of the Gospel), “and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with (that is, ye shall suffer martyrdom.)
See also Mark 10:38. So Luke 12:50; “I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!” That is, I must die a violent death for the salvation of men.
10. The sum of the apostle’s meaning appears to be this: If there be no resurrection of the dead, those who, in becoming Christians, expose themselves to all manner of privations, crosses, severe sufferings, and a violent death, can have no compensation, nor any motive sufficient to induce them to expose themselves to such miseries.
But as they receive baptism as an emblem of death in voluntarily going under the water, so they receive it as an emblem of the resurrection unto eternal life, in coming up out of the water; thus they are baptized for the dead, in perfect faith of the resurrection. The following verses seem to confirm this sense."
1 Corinthians 15:30-32 And why stand we in jeopardy every hour? 31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.
"Is there any reason why we should voluntarily submit to so many sufferings, and every hour be in danger of losing our lives, if the dead rise not?"
"On the conviction of the possibility and certainty of the resurrection, we are thus baptized for the dead. We have counted the cost, despise sufferings, and exult at the prospect of death, because we know we shall have a resurrection unto eternal life."
"I declare by the exultation which I have in Christ Jesus, as having died for my offenses, and risen again for my justification, that I neither fear sufferings nor death; and am daily ready to be offered up, and feel myself continually exposed to death."
"Paul is saying "I profess by the glorying or exultation which I have on account of your salvation, that I anticipate with pleasure the end of my earthly race."
"What the apostle says here is a regular and legitimate conclusion from the doctrine, that there is no resurrection: For if there be no resurrection, then there can be no judgment - no future state of rewards and punishments; why, therefore, should we bear crosses, and keep ourselves under continual discipline?"
"Let us eat and drink, take all the pleasure we can, for tomorrow we die; and there is an end of us for ever. The words, Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die, are taken from Isaiah 22:13)."
May praise God for giving us pastors and teachers who allow scripture to interpret scripture, that we may be edified.
May we praise God for the glory of the resurrection that we hope for in Christ.
May we prepare our hearts to receive more apostolic teaching from Paul about the grand doctrine of Christ's resurrection and our future resurrection.
May we share the blessed hope with those who are without hope in the world.
Bob
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