The Human Soul Part Two
In our previous study we examined the unbeliever at physical death.
Let’s now briefly look at the physical death of the believer:
When the believer dies, the soul and spirit leave the body and go into the presence of the Lord ( 2 Corinthians 5:8 ). In the original language the literal interpretation is “face to face, instantly.”
The body returns to dust, and together with the sin nature, both become defunct. The original body has no further use, for there will be a new resurrection body (Philippians 3:21).
The soul and spirit remain in the presence of the Lord until the rapture, when the dead IN CHRIST rise first. The old body gets a new body, which will be like Christ’s resurrection body (1 Corinthians 15:49-54). The soul and spirit come down with Christ to receive the new resurrection body (1 Corinthians 15:42-44), and this new body will meet the soul and spirit in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) in our new body with our soul & spirit. This is called “ultimate sanctification.” The Rapture is the completion of the redemption of the body (Philippians 3:20,21;1 John 3:2).
The Rapture is the First Resurrection of Believers only.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 describes what we call the “Rapture.” Corinthians 15:51-53 details the facts of the First Resurrection. We will do an exegesis of these two passages because the Rapture, or First Resurrection, are extremely important doctrines. There are some denominations that do not properly interpret these two passages of Scripture.
The original Koiné Greek language (at the time it was written) expresses the exact meaning clearly. Also these same denominations do not understand dispensations in light of the fact that they are unlearned and therefore unstable, distorting Scripture by improper interpretations (2 Peter 3:16).
Dispensations are clearly proclaimed in God’s Word (1 Corinthians 9:17; Ephesians 1:10; 3:2; Colossians 1:25; 2 Timothy 3:15 ). Jesus Himself also spoke of dispensations in Acts 1:7 “And He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons.” The two words that we are interested in at the moment are the Greek words for “times and seasons.” The Greek word for “times” is “chronos,” and the Greek word for “seasons” is “kairos.”
These two words both refer to tine, but with this difference: the word “chronos” means a succession of events. It is the word from which we get chronology in the English — a succession of events, one following the other. The word “kairos,” on the other hand, refers to these events organized by their components into dispensations. It is time, but it is time broken up into segments — its periods or epochs or eras. Having established that dispensations are clearly distinguished in God’s Word, we will continue our study of the soul as it pertains to the Rapture and the First Resurrection.
Facts of the First Resurrection at the Rapture
1 Corinthians 15:51-53
Facts:
1 Corinthians 15:51-53. This passage is written to believers, and is about believers, only.
◊ Verse 51: The “mystery” refers to the “Church Age,” which started at Pentecost and ends with the Rapture of the church and includes all believers during this time period. The Church Age was hidden from Old Testament believers. The “church” is called the “Body of Christ” (Ephesians 1:22,23). The Rapture is pertinent to the CHURCH AGE only.
“… we shall not all sleep”: Some believers will be “asleep” (dead) some will be “awake” (alive) when Christ comes in the air at the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
“… we shall all (dead and living) be changed.”: We will receive our resurrection body.
◊ Verse 52: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye…”: Faster than winking.
“the dead shall be raised incorruptible”: This refers to the body, which is corruptible because of sin in the flesh (the sin nature).
Our new resurrection body raised incorruptible: … “we shall be changed” (Believers who are alive).
◊ Verse 53: “this corruptible…”: (The dead believer’s body) “must put on incorruption”: The resurrection body (1 John 3:1,2; Philippians 3:21). “… this mortal”: (The living believer). “…must put on immortality”: The new resurrection body will never die.
Those believers who are alive when the Rapture occurs will not experience physical death. They will just be instantly transformed “in the twinkling of an eye”.