The Resurrection of the Dead

Today I want to get down to the “ONE hope” of the Gospel, and see exactly what it is (Eph. 4:5). It’s what it’s all about when it’s all said and done, so let’s see what the scriptures show us about this one hope. The apostle Paul put it out straight and true when he declared the following: “Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of THE HOPE and RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD I am called in question” (Acts 23:6). And he said it again the same exact way: “And [I] have HOPE toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD, both of the just and unjust” (Acts 24:15). The same apostle also gave a little more detail about this hope, which he obviously refers to as “the resurrection of the dead:” “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the REDEMPTION OF OUR BODY. For we are saved by HOPE: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it” (Rom. 8:22-25). So it becomes clear that the hope of the Gospel is the redemption of our body at the resurrection of the dead. And again the apostle gives us some detail on the matter: “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit” (II Cor. 5:1-5). In these things we are informed that receiving the holy Ghost is the ‘earnest,’ or firstfruits of the inheritance of immortality and eternal life. The ‘tabernacle’ and ‘house’ that the faithful are to receive from heaven is the immortal body which constitutes “the redemption of our body.” And yet again this apostle says the same thing in more clarified terms: “Who [Christ] shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Philip. 3:21).

The apostle Paul makes it crystal clear that it is our present physical body that will be raised and glorified with immortality: “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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (I Cor. 15:51-53). It is our body that is corruptible and mortal, meaning subject to death. Our soul and spirit never dies but merely goes on to paradise if we die without sin, or to hell if we die IN sin. Our soul and spirit will return to the body at the Lord's coming, making the resurrection complete. The scriptures also declare that Jesus was the first of those who raise from the dead to obtain immortality, and it is certain that he raised in his physical body (Lk. 24:39; Jn. 20:27; I Cor. 15:20-23; Col. 1:18). And it is very integral to note that the resurrection of the just at the second coming of the Lord is what correctly defines salvation, which is referred to in the scriptures as a hope to come rather than something that we presently have: “But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the HOPE of SALVATION. (I Thess. 5:8). The following passages also show clearly that salvation is something hoped for and in the future for those who are already believers in Christ (Mat. 24:12,13; Acts 15:11; Rom. 13:7; Philip. 1:19; Philip. 2:12; II Tim. 2:10; Heb. 1:14; Heb. 9:28; I Pet. 1:5,9). And these things plainly debunk the common Christian tradition of “getting saved,” and thereby obtaining salvation at the BEGINNING of one’s faith in Christ. So the question becomes this: When does this resurrection of the dead, and the redemption of the bodies of the elect of God take place? Well, as long as we stay with what really is in the Bible, this is not a difficult question to answer at all. “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. 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: 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” (I Thess. 4:15-17).

Let’s note that this resurrection of the dead, along with the 'changing' of those who are left alive, takes place at “THE coming of the Lord” back to this world. And that is synonymous with what the two angels who were present when Jesus LEFT this world, told those who saw him go away: “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). They did not say he would come back two more times, but rather that he would come in like manner as he left. And in fact that not only means that he will come from heaven visibly, but that he will also come back to the exact same place from where he left: “Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee… Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives” (Zech. 14:1,3,4; Acts 1:12). And every one of the following references clearly show that there is only ONE second coming of Jesus, all of which references stipulate THE coming of the Lord (I Cor. 1:7; I Thess. 3:13; I Thess. 5:23; II Thess. 2:1; Jas. 5:7,8). And make no mistake my friend, the Lord’s coming is not until AFTER the time of what is called the ‘great tribulation,’ as the scripture clearly states (Mat. 24:29-31). And in the book of Revelation we see that the “first resurrection” is at the second coming of Jesus, which is depicted graphically in the preceding chapter; and that the “second resurrection,” which is the resurrection of the unjust which Paul referred to in our second quoted scripture above, is not until the end of the thousand year reign of Christ and the saints on earth (Rev. 20:4-6). And we also see that holiness is a prerequisite of all who attain unto the first resurrection, which the beloved apostle pointedly confirmed: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath THIS HOPE in him purifieth himself, even as he [Christ] is pure” (I Jn. 3:2,3). So what these things mean is that the popular modern Christian traditions of “going to heaven” and “the rapture,” have usurped the scriptural truth about the one hope of the Gospel, which is THE resurrection of the dead at THE coming of the Lord. These traditions are false and they are contrary to the one hope of the Gospel; neither do they promote true holiness, meaning real pureness of heart in those who believe them. So as always friend, I exhort you to forsake the traditions, doctrines of modern Christianity, and seek the true and living Christ for HIS truth, and abide therein (Jn. 14:26,; Jn. 16:13; I Jn. 2:27; Rev. 2:7). Amen.