The resurrection has NOT taken place. Paul makes it clear that it is in the future.
Paul walked “as though� he has not already attained the resurrection of the dead (Phi 3:12), as though he were still striving for it, that he MIGHT ATTAIN it. That does not mean that he has NOT attained it; it means that he doesn’t “count� himself as having already attained it (verse 13). And HE tells US ALSO to “
be thus minded�.
Because what did Jesus say?
Joh 9:41 Jesus said unto them,
If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.[/list:u]
Paul knew and understood that we must endure to the end; that we are running “a race� and that there would be many who would “fall away� or be “lead astray�; that wolves would come in to devour the flock.
So at what point can someone say “I have reached the goal�? At what point can someone (even Paul) say “I have attained�?
At NO point!! It is all by the will and the power of God.
He even tells us:
whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.[/list:u]
What Rule? Walk “as though� you HAVE NOT already attained, either were already perfected. Count NOT yourself to ALREADY have apprehended. In other words... endure to the end.
Very much like what Jesus said: If you say that you can see, your sin REMAINS.
He goes on to point out that the Lord will change “
our vile body�, that it may be fashioned after His glorious body.
The Son of God if being formed IN US… IN these “vile bodies�.
We are not being “unclothed�, we are being “clothed upon�. (2 Cor 5)
Yes, one day we will all die physically and rid ourselves of this body of flesh, this body of death. But Christ did not come to tell us how we can have life LATER. HE came to GIVE US LIFE NOW. Because unless we eat of HIS flesh and drink of HIS blood,
we have NO LIFE IN US.
Christ came TO THE DEAD, to bring LIFE. What has that to do with the PHYSICALLY dead?
He used physical healings and physical resurrections as “examples� of spiritual truths.
The blind are made to see; the deaf are made to hear; the lame are made to walk;
and THE DEAD ARE RAISED. He performed all those miracles physically to indicate the miracles that He would perform spiritually, by the power of the Holy Spirit, after His crucifixion and resurrection.
God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. That is why
whether was wake or sleep we live TOGETHER WITH HIM. That is how
the tares and the wheat grow TOGETHER UNTIL HARVEST. That is why Christ died and was resurrected and revived…
so that He would be Lord of BOTH the living and the dead. (Not the PHYSICALLY DEAD, those who have “no life in them�; those who “sleep�, the “tares�.)
Paul said that the DEAD in Christ shall rise first. How does this apply to the elect who are PHYSICALLY DEAD, when the scriptures tell us that
the last will be FIRST and the first will be LAST and that at the time of harvest
THE TARES WILL BE GATHERED FIRST?
The “dead in Christ� that RISE FIRST are the “tares�; those that sleep. Paul said that WE will NOT PREVENT “those that sleep�. He's not talking about those who are PHYSICALLY dead... he's talking about those who also remain who have not passed from death unto life; those who are not a part of the first resurrection, receiving life now... passing from the NIGHT into THE DAY.
I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. (they have no hope, because they are 'dead', 'asleep'... though physically alive.)1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 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.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:
and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17
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.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.[/list:u]
Them that are “asleep� are not physically dead people; they are they who are walking in darkness, not having passed from death unto life, not knowing the love of God or one another.
And “those who are ALIVE and remain� (those who are dead ALSO “remain�) will not prevent them; for they will be caught up first (the tares are harvested FIRST; Mat 13:30). THEN “those who are alive and remain" will be caught up together with them.
As I see it now, the last trump has already begun to sound and the dead are being raised to life. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the FIRST resurrection (those who pass from death unto life NOW) for the second death will have no power over them. For they will be kings and priests and shall reign with Christ a thousand years in His kingdom.
Jesus said: “my kingdom is NOT of this world�.
And what of this?
Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and
the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,Rev 1:6
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.[/list:u]
The book of Revelation is about the revelation or revealing of Christ... who comes as a thief IN THE NIGHT.
The things that are written in the book that we are to KEEP, we are keeping NOW. And the promises that are made "to those who overcome" are being fulfilled now, as I see it.
How else can you explain how the TARES are harvest first. If you claim the elect are resurrected first?Didn’t the Jews miss the coming of their Messiah because they were looking for a physical kingdom? How is our looking for a physical kingdom, with a hope of being made literal kings and priests in it any different?
And how else can you explain:
Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers,
Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.[/list:u]
That fits perfectly together with what Paul said about those who are ASLEEP (or the DEAD in Christ) shall RISE FIRST... THEN those who are ALIVE AND REMAIN shall be caught up together with them.... if you understand that BOTH categories of people are PHYSICALLY alive, some are "awake" (living in THE DAY) and some are "asleep" (walking in THE NIGHT; those who sleep sleep at night).
1Th 5:10 Who died for us, that,
whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.[/list:u]
Both the wheat and the tares grow together til harvest. The tares are harvested first. Please someone explain to me how that can be if the resurrection is yet future and the "elect" are resurrected first, long (a symbolic thousand years)
before the tares/wicked?
Blessings,
Chrissie