THE RESURRECTION DAY THE SOUNDING OF THE TRUMPET Is the world going to go on and on forever? I don t even think the most optimistic scientist would dare express such a notion, or believe such a thing And besides, that is why they are exploring the possibility of maybe populating somewhere else in the galaxy, or galaxies or wherever! The Bible, on the other hand, teaches that Jesus is coming back again to reign as King on this earth. It is what He promised, and we believe He will! During this past fortnight the Lord has taken two of our number into His presence so this is a good time to look into God s Word and see what lies ahead for the Christian. I have been reading from J.C. Ryle recently, and he places a great emphasis on the victory of Christ over death with special reference to His Second Coming. He wrote, I believe that the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is the great event which will wind up the present dispensation, and for which we ought daily to long and pray... We look backward, if we have saving faith, to Christ dying on the cross, and we ought to look forward no less, if we have hope, to Christ coming again. Till then our redemption is not perfectly enjoyed; as Paul tells the Ephesians, We are sealed unto the day of redemption. (Eph. 4:30).... In short, our best things are yet to come. I was with the Colonel shortly In fact, more correctly, I was with his old body, - the one he had left behind for he has no more use for it. Similarly, we laid Ken s body in the grave because, - once again, - he doesn t need it. It has fulfilled its purpose, and it has been left behind here on earth. It is not fit, or suitable, for Heaven because it is corrupted, earthly and mortal. It wasn t made to last. Some folk try to work out how their loved one is looking just now in Heaven. They reckon they probably have a brand new body and then they wonder what the body looks like Well, the simple teaching of Scripture is that our body doesn t enter Heaven in any shape or form, but it is our soul, the spirits of just men [and women] made perfect (Heb. 12:23). Eventually, when God s plan has been fulfilled here on earth and all His chosen people have come to acknowledge Christ as their Saviour, there will be another wonderful experience when the saints of God will be clothed in the resurrection body. I Cor. 15:52 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 be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. This is the new resurrection body prepared for eternity we shall be changed.
2 When Lazarus died Jesus assured Martha, Jn. 11:23 Thy brother shall rise again. Yes, she replied, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day (v.24). She was familiar with the teaching concerning the resurrection. Then Jesus explained to her, v.25 I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Therefore, because Jesus is the Resurrection, the promise is that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 6:23) And this was a theme at the core of the preaching of the apostles. To preach Christ was to preach Him Who had been resurrected from the tomb! You will remember that when they were choosing a replacement for Judas Iscariot they said that must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection (Acts 1:22). The replacement for Judas Iscariot needs to be one who met personally with the risen Lord. Also, on the Day of Pentecost, Peter preached the resurrection of Christ (Acts 2:31). Shortly afterwards, Peter and John grieved the Sadducees because they preached to the people the resurrection from the dead (4:2) and when they were freed after their arrest they continued to preach v.33 with great power of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. When Paul was in Athens, he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection (17:18). The whole thrust of the Gospel preaching was that Jesus is alive! Yes, they preached Jesus died, but they also preached Jesus rose again! You see, I believe J.C. Ryle was right. In another place he wrote that sometimes we evangelicals spend all our time looking back to the cross, - which is absolutely and altogether correct, - but often we do not spend sufficient time looking forward unto the day of our redemption (Eph. 4:30). It is by faith we look back to the cross but when Jesus comes again, we shall actually be there to meet Him! Paul told the Corinthians I Cor. 15:13 if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Our message is futile and of no use to anybody if Christ is dead, and if He is not coming back again! His first coming is of little use if we do not believe He shall return If He s dead, our faith is dead too and the promises we claim are empty. But since Christ has risen from the dead, He is the hope we preach to others because we shall be raised on the resurrection day! Phil. 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Again, Paul made it abundantly clear, v.21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every
3 man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Now, what exactly will happen to the saints who have died in Christ on this resurrection day? They will be clothed in a new body, I Cor. 15:52 raised incorruptible changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. You see, the resurrection deals with the body not the soul because the soul is already alive in Heaven. The soul enters Heaven when you die; at the resurrection, the soul returns with Christ and is clothed in the new incorruptible and immortal body... as Paul wrote, II Cor. 5:2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven. Those who will be alive on earth on that day have no need to die, that is why Paul explains, I Thess. 4:16 the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. On that day, though, all the saints will be glorified. They will be changed both those who have died and those who will be alive. In an instant, everyone of them will be clothed with the new resurrection body, I Cor. 15:51 Behold, I show 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. This change will take place in the twinkling of an eye (I Cor. 15:52). Isaiah prophesied, 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. We ll not only put on new clothes we ll put on new bodies to wear them! And strange as it may sound so precious to the Lord is the day we depart this earth, Ps. 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints and even more precious will be the day when He comes for His Bride in all her wonderful beauty! The glory will all be His, - He will be the centre of that day. Every eye will be upon Him. Every song of praise will reverberate through Heaven and earth and Hell as He calls His saints onto Himself I Cor. 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; 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. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
4 Shall we have hands and feet and all the features we have in this present body? Yes, we shall but there will be nothing lingering over from this world that would defile the new body fitted for Heaven, - there will be no tears (Rev. 21:4), nor death, nor pain. There will be no wearing away and becoming old. It will not be the body that was lowered into the grave that will be resurrected but we shall have a new body a real body perfect in accordance with God s requirements perfect like the body of our first parents in the Garden of Eden before the Fall! Shall we know each other in Heaven? Yes. If we know each other here we ll know each other there for what kind of a family would it be if we didn t know each other! How do we know we shall have a real body? Some people think we re going to turn into angels but no, we re not! For one thing, angels don t have human bodies, - the Christian in Glory will have a body but it will be different to what we have here on earth. For another thing, angels are a different creation to you and me and besides, it was for you and me the Saviour died. Something else Mt. 22:30 in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. The Colonel was married twice, - the first died, and he married again In Heaven, has he two wives? What a silly question but it was the kind of silliness the Sadducees displayed when they tried to trap Jesus, when they asked Him about whose wife a woman would be out of all the seven men she would marry on earth, Lk. 20:33 in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife. He replied, v.34 The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: 35 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: 36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. So, there is the blessed hope of the resurrection body What examples do we find in the Scriptures? The reason Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac at the altar on Mount Moriah was because he believed in the bodily resurrection, Heb. 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. 18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead When Job was in the absolute misery of his flesh he looked forward, Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. He was looking forward to possessing a new body! Daniel believed it too,
5 12:2 many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Souls don t sleep in the dust, - they will be in Heaven, - but bodies sleep in the dust! Isaiah also referred to such an event, 26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Hosea also, 6:1 Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. 2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. The Lord Jesus Himself told the Pharisees, Jn. 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life. And when Christ died on the cross, Mt. 27:52 the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. On the Mount of Transfiguration the disciples saw the glorified bodies of Elijah and Moses (Mt. 17) and they recognised them ( as we shall all recognise each other in Glory). In the cave at Endor, how did Saul know it was Samuel who appeared? Saul knew it was Samuel because Saul knew Samuel! I Sam. 28:14 An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself. When Jesus Himself was raised from the dead, His features did not change in His resurrection body, Jn. 20:20 he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. What shall we look like at the resurrection? Beyond any shadow of a doubt, we shall be altogether recognisable! We shall be known by all, and we shall know them too. Whatever way we shall look we shall be ourselves! Our bodies will be raised incorruptible. Paul made that point, I Cor. 6:13 Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. In other words, the body of the believer, - as well as the soul, - belongs to the Lord. It is the temple of the Holy Spirit, I Cor. 6:15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Your actual bodies! Yes, and the point Paul was making is that you don t abuse the dwelling place of God the Holy Spirit because one day it will be glorified and raised incorruptible, undefiled, free of earth s restraints and, therefore, perfect! Both the flesh and the soul belong to God and at death He takes the soul unto Himself and then later He resurrects the body, Rom. 8:23 even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
The greatest proof of the resurrection of the body is, - of course, - the fact that Christ rose from the dead, - His soul and His body and since He is the firstfruits (I Cor. 15:20), therefore, we shall rise soul and body also. By the way, did Jesus have a soul? Yes, because He was both human and divine. What a wonderful practical truth the subject of the Resurrection Day is for every child of God! Paul wrote the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death (I Cor. 15:26) When we stand beside the body of the believer who has departed into Heaven, we shed tears but not concerning their soul s eternal destiny because we know they are already and forever with the Lord. We wouldn t wish them back again, - where they are now and how they are now is far better than anything here on earth. They have been safely brought into God s Heavenly presence the immortality of the soul. Then, at the time appointed and known only to the Father, the body that has been deposited in the grave will one day form again and rise to meet Christ in the air and it will have been changed in the twinkling of an eye. It will be a new body, - from head to toe. It won t matter what the years of time have done to it in the grave When the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed (I Cor. 15:52). The body will rise again, and will clothe the soul, - a miracle guaranteed by God Himself! It is with such confidence we look forward to that Resurrection Day when the Bridegroom comes for His Bride, and all the preparations will have been completed. That is the great of the Day of the Lord when we shall meet Him and Is. 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied for, I Cor. 15:54 when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 6