Resurrection Twinkling Change

 

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

1 Cor 15.50-53

 

The context of this scripture is Paul discussing the resurrection of the dead with believers who are alive and wondering what happens to those who have died. Then he shows us a mystery--we shall not all sleep (or die) but we shall all be changed in a moment at the last trump. He is telling them not to worry, the dead will be raised at the last trump--but there will be some people alive at this time and all of us will be changed together (dead and living).

 

Then 1 Thessalonians 4.13-18 confirms this: But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

 

Again, Paul is comforting believers who are alive with the facts of what is going to happen when the Lord returns. They are not to worry about those who have already died, they are going to be resurrected first, then we who are alive will meet them and the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. That does not indicate those who are alive and meet in the air must die later. Finally in verse 18, we are to comfort each other with these words.

 

These two scriptures together indicate we will all be changed, the dead and the living, and will remain with the Lord forever after. The group receives equal treatment. Those living at this time are a special generation that does not die. This appears to me as the King’s prerogative. This group has lived through the tribulation and paid a heavy price.

 

Then in Revelation 20.6 it says: Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

The group that is resurrected from the dead and are alive at His coming are those in Rev 20.6. They shall be priests of God and Christ and reign with Him a thousand years.

 

Earlier in Revelation 20.4 it says: And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

 

This group is also going to reign with Christ. It can be read that they have extra responsibility as Judges. This is higher than being a priest. Samuel was a judge and a priest. These have a higher position, and they are singled out from the rest of the group that has been resurrected from the dead with those who were alive and met them in the air. The rest of the dead must wait until the millennium is over as stated in verse 5.

 

I would have to see clear scripture indicating otherwise for me to believe those living at the resurrection die in the millennium--without clear scripture indicating that specific group by name--that is pure speculation. The evidence weighs heavily against such speculation when taken in the context of Paul comforting those who think they’ll be alive when this event occurs.

 

 

Already Dead - Romans 6.4-8

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,

 

Col 3.3

For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

 

2 Tim 2.11

It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: