~5 min read
Ps Paul Cheng
1 Corinthians 15:50-57
“…not like the crime-story mystery books…”
Dear Bethelites,
The reason why we need to dwell deeply on this topic, “What has Christ’s resurrection got to do with me,” is because as believers, one day, we would be raised from the grave. And it is important to understand what this passage truly means. In our previous pastoral chat, we had considered that we cannot inherit (or enter into) heaven with the physical body which is strictly made for this physical world. We have to be changed and transformed into a glorified body which is fit for heaven. Today, we will consider the mystery of this truth!
I. The Mystery
Verse 51, Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.
The word mystery is not like the crime-story mystery books that some of us like to read. A New Testament mystery always refers to something that has been hidden or unknown in the past, but is now revealed. It is something that was obscured in the Old Testament but it has been revealed in the New Testament. In other words, Paul was saying, “I want to make something that may not be that clear to you before, Behold, I shew you a mystery.”
We shall not all sleep — The word sleep in this context is a reference to dying, or passing away. For the believer, death is likened unto sleep. One must bear in mind that it is the body that goes to sleep, not the soul which is very much alive. When we die, our soul goes to be with God, and our body goes to sleep (as it were), and it will be buried (just like the seed of wheat being placed into the ground, and then it will become a plant of wheat). In other words, if we want to be resurrected, then we have to first die. Our bodies have to die (sleep), and be placed into the ground, and then there will be the resurrection. The resurrection is the time when our bodies will be raised from the grave, to be united with our souls in a glorified state. That is the change and transformation, we are looking forward to!
But notice Paul said, “We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed.” Who are those people who will not die, but shall all be changed or transformed into a glorified body? These are the believers who are alive when Jesus Christ comes in the clouds.
Those Christians who had passed away before the Lord Jesus comes, their souls had gone to be with Him, and their bodies were in the graves (sleeping). But when Jesus comes, there will be a literal bodily resurrection of the dead; those dead bodies will be raised to be united with their souls in a glorified body – that is the resurrection. For those Christians who are still alive when Jesus comes, they will be raptured to meet Him in the clouds. Their bodies will also be changed into a glorified body – that is the rapture.
So, when the Lord comes in the clouds, the believers will experience the power of the rapture or resurrection, and their bodies will be changed and transformed into glorified bodies that are fit for heaven and they will dwell in heaven forever and ever!
Which one will take place first? Resurrection or rapture?
Some may ask, “Which one will take place first, the resurrection of the dead or the rapture?” According to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, the Apostle Paul said, 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. The dead in Christ shall rise first is a reference to those believers who were dead; they shall be resurrected first, and then those who are still alive shall be raptured to meet the Lord in the clouds.
Dear friend, are you a believer? This is extremely important because only the believer in Christ shall participate in the resurrection or the rapture. The unbeliever will one day be raised, not unto life but condemnation. They will be raised to stand on the Great White Throne Judgement, to be judged for their sins and rejection, and cast into the eternal lake of fire.
Interestingly, Paul used the pronoun, we, which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord. It suggests that he expected to be alive when the Lord returns. On one hand, Paul knew that the Lord may return in his lifetime, but on the other hand, he also knew that he may die before the Lord’s return. In 2 Timothy 4:6-7, he said, “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” Obviously, the Lord did not return during Paul’s lifetime for history tells us that he was martyred. But isn’t this confusing, to say that the Lord may return in his lifetime, and then to say he may die before He returns?
Theologians call this the doctrine of the imminent return of Christ. Imminent means that it can happen at any moment. No one knows when the Lord Jesus would return, but at the same time we should never live as if He would never return. So, Paul lived his life with this constant longing and expectation of Christ’s return. This is the same way we should live our lives, with this mindset that our Lord may return at any moment. Remember the hymn we used to sing, “Maybe today, my Lord will come for me!” We do not just sing it, we must believe in it, and live our lives in anticipation of this great truth.
How quick does it take?
Some may ask, “How quick does it take for the resurrection and the rapture to occur? One hour, two hours, or one day?” 1 Corinthians 15:52, 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.
The original Greek word for moment (atomos) is from where we get the English word “atom,” which is the smallest particle. In other words, in the smallest possible amount of time, our bodies will be changed. And Paul went on to emphasize how quick that would be, in the twinkling of an eye.
Scientists have said that it takes one-fiftieth of a second to blink an eye. What a marvellous and comforting way to describe the resurrection, the rapture and the transformation of our glorified body, all happening within the twinkling of an eye. And thereafter we shall be with the Lord forever and ever. What a blessed hope of assurance and comfort!
(To be continued in our next pastoral chat)
With love in Christ,
Pastor Paul Cheng
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How Could Our Resurrection Be Possible? (Part 3) — Example Of The First And Last AdamHow Could Our Resurrection Be Possible? (Part 3) — Example Of The First And Last Adam1 Corinthians 15:45-49
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