And, speaking of questions. Yes, they asked about many things, but I
am sure that most of their questions are the same ones that you and I would
have also asked. So, with that in mind, let's see what they seem
to have asked in this next section of I Corinthians Chapter 15, specifically
in verses 35-58. As you read those verses (printed here for you,
but, as always, you may use your own Bible or another version if you prefer),
see if you can figure out the questions they asked and to which Paul
is responding. And. when you discover a question or a topic, write
it on the line above the section where it is being answered and discussed.
I know you already have done this in lesson #14, the "overview" lesson
for this Study, but ignore what you wrote there and see what the questions
seem to be now. If you end up with the same thing, fine, no problem. That
will just show that you were on the right track then also. So, with
that said, read the following verses and see what they were asking Paul
in each of the two sections below. Hint: There may be more than one question
covered in each section.
,,
_____________________________________________
35. But someone may ask, "How are
the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?" 36.
How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37.
When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed,
perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38. But God gives it
a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own
body. 39. All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh,
animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40. There
are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor
of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies
is another. 41. The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon
another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.
42. So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that
is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43. it is sown
in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised
in power; 44. it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual
body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual
body. 45. So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living
being" ; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46. The spiritual
did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.
47. The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from
heaven. 48. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of
the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of
heaven. 49. And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly
man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.
50. I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit
the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
_____________________________________________
51. Listen, I tell you a mystery:
We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- 52. in
a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet
will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable,
and the mortal with immortality. 54. When the perishable has
been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then
the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up
in victory."
55. "Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?" 56. The sting of death is sin, and
the power of sin is the law. 57. But thanks be to God!
He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58.
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give
yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor
in the Lord is not in vain.
So, with that said. Let's look at what Paul said.
First, since this is a reallllly important thing to know, let's find out what the resurrection bodies of Believers (Christians) are going to "be like".
So, your assignment now is to re read all of the
verses (35-58), not just the ones in the first section, and as you
read these verses, underline or highlight in GREEN (or any color
of your choice) any word or phrase that describes a Resurrection body.
Also underline or highlight in BLACK any word or phrase that describes
the body we now have, the one we are now living in. (Note: don't just
limit your marking or underlining of the descriptive phrases to a human
body but also consider and mark the descriptions for seeds, plants, etc.
since the comments about them are significant and helpful to understanding
the Resurrection body.)
<>< <>< <>< <>< Pause while you do this assignment <>< <>< <>< <><Finished? Wonderful!
..
And, now that we have finished marking, let's
summarize what we have discovered. And, to do that, let's make a list of
our findings on a chart, since that is a great way of summarizing things.
So, on a separate piece of paper, make a chart like the chart
provided below, and on your chart list the facts that you discover
about the natural body (whether of a human or of a seed, plant, etc.) in
the first column and the facts about the Resurrection body (again of either
a human or the 'picture' of a resurrection body depicted by what a seed
produces in the second column. Of course seeds and plants do NOT have
eternal heavenly resurrection bodies such as are being referred to here
but they are given as an illustration or a picture or a 'type'.)
As usual, I will begin this chart for you as an example of how to do this.
..
| ............The Earthly (Natural) Body | ...The Heavenly (Resurrection) Body |
| it is like a seed that is sown | the seed after being sown and dying, comes to life and has a different appearence/body than the original seed had |
| the seed is not the body that it will be, (i.e. it is not the resurrection body) but is just a seed | after the seed is planted (sown and dies), God gives it a different and predetermined body |
| it is perishable (i.e.. it can die) | it is imperishable (i.e. it can NOT die) |
We are told in 1 John 3:2 that "we shall be like Him (Jesus)".
Here (below) is the verse (in its context) that tells us that. As you read
this passage, underline or highlight in GREEN the phrase "we shall
be like him" and any other information you learn about the resurrection
body. Then add that information to your chart in the column describing
the Resurrection Body.
.
1 John 3:1. How great is the
love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of
God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is
that it did not know him. 2. Dear friends, now we are children
of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that
when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he
is.
Hmmmm. John said that when Jesus appears and we are with Him (in our new Resurrection bodies) that "we shall be like him" and "we shall see him (Jesus) as he is". John also said that "what we will be has not yet been made known." Those are true and very interesting insights worth pondering. You might want to underline or highlight and add those other phrases to your chart also, if you haven't already.
We are going to be like Jesus !!!! WOW!
Well, of course we will NOT be exactly like Jesus in that we are NOT going to be GOD or like God with the specific attributes of God such as omnipotence, omniscience, etc.
But apparently we will be like Him in the sense that we are going to have a body which is in some way or ways like Jesus' resurrection body. So, with that idea in mind, let's now look at some of the descriptions of Jesus and what he could do after He was raised from the dead and see how this is similar in some ways to our earthly bodies and yet, in other ways very different.
Printed below is a passage from the New Testament book of Luke that
tells about Jesus AFTER His resurrection -- and you will notice as you
read it that there are some things that He did that we can not do now in
our earthly bodies and which might be a clue to what we might be able to
do in our future resurrection bodies. Also, there are things that Jesus
did that we can do now so apparently there will be some things that we
do now that we will also able to do in our resurrection bodies. As you
find these various descriptions, as before, underline or highlight in GREEN
things that reveal information about Jesus' resurrection body and which
might, therefore, be clues as to what our resurrection bodies might be
like. Then add what you find on the chart in the column describing
the resurrection body.
;
Can our earthly bodies die (perish)?................yes..................no
Can the resurrection body die (perish)?................yes..................no
Will the resurrection body be a natural body? or a spiritual body? (Circle your answer)
Will the resurrection body be weak? or have power? (Circle your answer)
Will the resurrection body be raised in glory?.............yes.............no
Will the resurrection body be like Adam? or like the Lord Jesus Christ? (Circle your answer)
Will the resurrection body be exactly like our bodies today?...........yes...........no
Will the resurrection body be immortal?...............yes..................no
Will the resurrection body be able to appear and
disappear?
...............yes..................no..............
probably...................not
sure
Will the resurrection body be able to pass through
closed locked doors?
...............yes..................no..............
probably...................not
sure
Will the resurrection body be able to eat food?
...............yes..................no..............
probably...................not
sure
Will the resurrection body be a ghost (i.e. a being with no physical substance but just etherial?)..............yes..................no
Will the resurrection body be an angel?...............yes..................no
How do you know the resurrection body will not
be an angel? Answer in the space below:
(hint: remember the 1 John passage)
.
.
.
So, bottom line to your study thus far -- Is
there a significant difference between our bodies now and the ones we will
have for eternity?..................yes..................no
..
Explain in your own words in the space below
what some of the difference or differences are and why.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Hmmmm. Good thinking. And, in case you are wondering,
my answers to those questions were .
yes, no, a spiritual body, have power, yes, like the Lord Jesus Christ,
no, yes, probably, probably, yes, no, no, because 1 John 3:2 says "we shall
be like Him (Jesus)" and angels are not like Jesus but have their own attributes,
characteristics, etc. Also we (Believers) are referred to as children
of God and angels are usually referred to as sons
of God.
And, re. the "bottom line" question, Yes, there is a significant difference. And, your explanation in your own words should have included most or all of the items in your lonnnnnnng list of things you discovered about the Resurrection body and how it is different from the earthly human mortal body we have at the present time. I am sure you adequately and correctly answered that question, too.
Well, all of that is wonderful and exciting, you say. And, I am sure
that you, like I, am eagerly looking forward to getting this new and wonderful
Resurrection body. But, WHEN will we get these bodies?,
you ask. Well, the verses in 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 give us a big hint.
And, there are other passages which also give us a clue. One of these
is 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
So, your assignment now is to read both of these sections (i.e.,
1 Corinthians 15:51-58 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 both of
which I will include below for you.) As you read these passages,
highlight or underline in GOLD or YELLOW or ORANGE (if you have
any of those colors, and if not, use a color you do have that seems 'gloriously
appropriate'), all the words or phrases that tell when we will
get our resurrection bodies.
.
Where will we go?
Yes, we will go to be with Him, Jesus our Lord, forever in heaven !!!
WOW !! Think of that !!! W O W !!!!
But, the folks in the Church in Corinth (and you) ask, what about the believers who had already died before Jesus comes back to take us with Him to heaven? Where are they now? What are they doing? Are they in some kind of a 'soul sleep'? Or What? Well, let's think about that because it is very important. Perhaps you've had a loved one die who was a believer. Where is he/she?
Well Paul answered that question for them and for us in 2 Corinthians
5:6-8. Let's read that verse and when you find the 'answer', underline
or highlight it in gold or yellow or orange or whatever 'gloriously appropriate'
color you have been using.
..
Therefore, the Bible is telling us that when
a Believer/Christian dies, his/her spirit immediately goes to heaven while
the physical body remains behind and will remain until Jesus comes in the
air at the last trumpet. Then the physical body will be changed into
the resurrection body and will be re-united with the spirit. So,
when a believer dies, his/her spirit goes immediately to be with the Lord
in heaven!!!
During the interval between the time of death
until this meeting in the air when we get our new resurrection bodies,
the spirit of that person is with the Lord and is enjoying the glories
of heaven !!! How awesome! So, even though we miss them, they
are not 'a moldering in the grave'. They are in heaven, with the
Lord Jesus Christ and God the father, and with friends (old and new)! Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord!
Yes, they are awaiting their final resurrection
body. But they are not waiting to go in heaven. They are there!!!! Their
spirit is in heaven! Their body remains behind. But one day, in the
future, the old physical body will be changed into the glorious resurrection
body and will be reunited with the spirit.
And, a split second later, the body of each of
those who are still alive will also be changed into the glorious resurrection
body. Then all believers (those who had already died and those who were
still alive at His coming) will together as a group ascend to heaven with
Jesus to be with Him FOREVER !!!
WOW!
But WHEN does this happen? I Corinthians
15:52 says it will be at ___ ____ _______ .
And I Thessalonians 4:16 says it will be when "...the Lord Himself
will come down from heaven, with a loud ________, with the voice of the
___________, and with the ___________ call of God. ..."
Hmmmm. So WHEN is that? What and when is the last trumpet? Is this referring to the trumpets in the Book of Revelation? Or is it referring to something else? Good Question. And, let's think about that.
When was I Corinthians written? in about _______________
When was I Thessalonians written? in about _______________
When was Revelation written ? in about ______________
You probably knew when I Corinthians was written since we discussed that in early lessons in this course. So, I assume you said it was written in about 55 AD. But, what about those other 2 dates? Well, you probably do not have that information at your fingertips. So, I'll tell you. Most 'scholars' believe that I Thessalonians was written in about 51 AD and Revelation in about 95 AD.
So with that information, does it seem likely that Paul is referring
to the "last trumpet" (of the 7 trumpets) in the book of Revelation?
......................................circle
your answer..........................YES..............NO
Correct, it is very likely that Paul is NOT referring to the "last trumpet" (of the 7 trumpets) in the book of Revelation when he speaks of the "last trumpet" because that book had not been written at the time he was telling the Corinthians about this. So, could there be another 'last trumpet' that he and others knew about?
Yes, he might have been referring to the Jewish Feast of the Trumpets trumpets.
The folks in the church at Corinth, even though many or most were gentiles (non Jews), would surely know about the Jewish feasts which were observed throughout the year. And one of the major feasts was the Feast of Trumpets which was observed annually at the time of the beginning of the Jewish civil year.
During the Feast of Trumpets" there was "...a memorial blowing of the trumpets, an holy convocation..." (Leviticus 23:24). And the Last Trumpet that was blown in the long series of Trumpets was a special lonnnnnnng blow. Could this be the Last Trumpet to which Paul was referring???
(In our Bible Study of the Book of Leviticus, we study these Feasts in some detail, so we will not go into them here. But, if you are interested, you might look at that course.)
The Jewish feasts are important because they contain many types and pictures foretelling future events. Is it possible that the Feast of the Trumpets is a type/picture of "the Last Trumpet"? Well, I can't say for sure, but it is something to think about.
And, of course, there might still be another time for "the trumpet of God" -- i.e. any time at all.
So we don't know with certainty WHEN the "Last Trumpet" will be blown. The Last Trumpet is probably NOT the 7th Trumpet in the Book of Revelation. But, it might be the last one blown during the Feast of Trumpets. Or, it could happen at any time.
But, even though we do not know the precise WHEN, the important thing is to know that there WILL be a Last Trumpet! At that Last Trumpet, believers (whether dead or still alive) will receive their new resurrection bodies and will go with Jesus to be with Him FOREVER in heaven.
But, anyone who is not a believer will be left behind!
So, the question we need to ask as we end this lesson is: Are YOU a believer? Specifically, have you repented and confessed your sins to Jesus and asked for His forgiveness? Have you accepted His FREE gift of salvation? Have you asked Him to be Lord of your life? Are you willing to let Him be Lord of your life in every aspect and area of it?
If so, then, you can be assured that when that Last Trumpet sounds, you will be one of those who will "...be changed-- in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ... and ..will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ...
Are you ready to meet the Lord in the air? If so, rejoice and listen for the shout and the Last Trumpet!
But, if you are not ready, then, for your 'last assignment' in this lesson, I would strongly urge you to consider your eternal destiny and accept God's gift of forgiveness and salvation before it is too late. Where you will spend eternity hangs in the balance! Time is getting shorter by the day and could be shorter than any of us imagine. So, do NOT put this off !