I Corinthians 15:35

"But some man will say, `How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?'"


I had a call recently where a gentlemen asked that same question, "When resurrection happens what are we going to be like? Are we just going to be invisible spirit beings, or are we going to be like angels?" But you see he's not alone, and I'm not faulting him at all. Remember even Paul was also constantly bombarded, "Well how, if we're going to be resurrected, are we going to exist? What's it going to be like?" Well we are going to be eternally existing in a body, but it's not going to be the same flesh and blood body like we have now; it will be on the same order. I think the best illustration I can give of our resurrected body is The Lord Jesus in His 40 days after His resurrection. So basing that on Scripture let's turn to the Book of Philippians where this same Apostle Paul (and he's the only one that does) gives us a real detailed explanation of resurrection. Now the Old Testament saints believed in resurrection, we know that Job used that expression:


Job 19:25,26

"For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God."


When David lost the child from Bathsheba as a result of the adultery, he wept and fasted for seven days, but finally came to the realization:


II Samuel 12:23

"But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me."


So David also understood that there was resurrection. But now as Paul just enlarges on all of the questions that people have concerning resurrection, he lays it out so clearly. But here in the Book of Philippians, I just love these two verses in Chapter 3, they are so simple:


Philippians 3:20,21

"For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven; (remember the Book of Colossians says, `we've already been translated into the kingdom of heaven.') from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."


Do you see how plain that is? So all we really have to take time to study is those 40 days after His resurrection, and before His ascension from the Mount of Olives, and we're going to do that in just a moment. But before we leave Paul's reference to all of this, let's go to the Book of Ephesians Chapter 1, to another couple of verses that I just love to teach because so many hearts have been opened by my simple reading of the verses. I haven't had to comment on these verses, but rather just as I read them it was if all of a sudden I saw something that I had never seen before, so I do like to read these two verses.


Ephesians 1:13,14

"In whom (Christ of verse 12) ye also trusted, (placed your faith) after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: (see the core of eternal life is believing the Gospel) in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest (or down payment) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."


If you analyze that verse, the first thing you should ask is, "Well I thought I was already redeemed." We are, but what part of us is not yet redeemed? The body.

свернуть