Paul had instructed the Corinthian believers on both the reality (I Corinthians 15:4) and the necessity (I Corinthians 15:14) of Christ’s bodily resurrection from the dead. He also confirmed the inevitability of the believer’s resurrection (I Corinthians 15:20) and the nature of that resurrected body (I Corinthians 15:42-44). But what about those believers still alive at Christ’s return? Resurrection is by definition a “post-mortem” event. One cannot be raised from the dead if he or she has not died first. How would these ones share in the glories of the resurrection body to which Paul spoke so promisingly?
The answer is quite simple and rests in the mighty power of God. “Behold, I show 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 all be changed” (I Corinthians 15:51-52; emphasis added). The word “sleep” is a reference to death for the Christian. Those who have believed in Christ and have died are counted as “asleep” in the Lord. Their spirits are at “home” with the Lord in heaven and their bodies await resurrection.
In his first epistle to the Thessalonians, Paul provides some insight to this marvelous event. “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 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” (I Thessalonians 4:14-15). Christ will return for all those who “believe that Jesus died and rose again”, i.e. have put their trust in his sacrifice on Calvary for their sin (Romans 10:9-10), whether they have died or are still living. Those that are living shall not precede (prevent, old English) those that are asleep. Those that are asleep shall be raised and all shall be changed!
Paul tells us that this will happen “in the twinkling of an eye,” about as near to instantaneous as one might guess. He goes on to say (speaking of our bodies) “when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then…Death is swallowed up in victory” (I Corinthians 15:54). There is no death for the Christian! Rather, we are “fashioned like unto his glorious body” (Philippians 3:21).
Christ is indeed coming again. When he ascended into heaven in the presence of his disciples after his resurrection, Luke records for us that “a cloud received him out of their sight” (Acts 1:9). Those watching his ascension received the promise “this same Jesus…shall so come [again] in like manner” (Acts 1:11). To this Paul adds “then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds…and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (I Thessalonians 4:17). Are you ready for his coming?
From the Chaplain 