1 Cor. 15:51-54 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, [52] in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. [53] For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. [54] When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
Like in our previous discussion this passage here plainly teaches the resurrection in conjunction with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. And also like the previous discussion there are many similarities in the way that Paul describes the great event.
We once again have the trumpet sounding the alarm. If the reader recalls, we previously discussed how the job of the trumpet sounding was to call together the people of God. This was most noticeable in the Old testament and involved the Children of Israel being called together for worship or to be spoken to be God.
Another similarity is this idea that both the living and the dead will be resurrected. One must note that this passage is delivered in the midst of a defense of the resurrection. Again we must assume there were those receiving this letter that were struggling with the death of loved ones and had not been taught or convinced of the resurrection. Paul takes the time to make the case that Jesus is the first born among the dead and that one day we will be like Him and receive a resurrection.
Note that Paul used two very strong adjectives to describe that kind of “state” the resurrected body will be in. He argues that the body will be changed. This change involves bodies that will be imperishable and immortal. This is the eternal, glorified and perfected body that His people long for.
This is also a troubling situation for the Dispensational model. They have the Church, immortal, imperishable, eventually returning with Jesus to rule literally and physically in Jerusalem with those that make it through the Tribulation and those that will be born during this physical millennium. Somehow, and with very little explanation, we are to assume that the immortal, imperishable Saints (Old and New Testament by this time - even in Dispensationalism) will somehow intermingle with still sinful, physical and corrupted beings.
This also is troubling because the Dispensational Millennium ends with Satan rising up an army to attack Jerusalem and Jesus, who is forced to cower behind the walls of Jerusalem and await rescuing from on high! The question here should be: Exactly what threat does Satan’s army pose against an immortal, imperishable saint?
He can’t kill them!
He can’t harm them!
He can’t make them sin!
What’s Satan going to do in this situation?
Tickle them to death?
See the problem here? The Dispensational model sets up a situation that is both hilarious and silly with the threat of Satan’s army against the immortal saints and ultimately sad and insulting to the Lord Jesus Christ by creating a Second Humiliation where Jesus is forced to retreat and hide and wait for the fire from heaven.
This passage is so contrasting to the Dispensational model that one must either ignore or avoid this passage to continue supporting the Dispensational plan. In fact, in the same context in which we find these words we also find the timing of these events and how the order of these events make the Dispensational model impossible. Take special note of verse 54.
[54] When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
According to this verse Paul argues that when this event, the resurrection and Second Coming, takes place then that is proof that death has been swallowed up in victory. Death is no more! With that in mind note the following passage from the same chapter of 1st Corinthians.
1 Cor 15:23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
Paul makes clear the order and timing of events. First is Christ’s resurrection which is the promised inheritance for us. Then at His coming, those who are His. Then the end with the death of death!
No Tribulation.
No Millennium.
Just the resurrection which is proof of death’s being swallowed up and destroyed. This signifies the end! To insert or add anything to the plain reading of this text is pure eisegesis and must be avoided.
Yes there are wonderful passages of hope and glory in which our promised future is foretold. That wionderful and anticiapted day. The day when mortal becomes immortal and perishable becomes imperishable! The day death dies!
The last day!
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