Resurrection and Rapture ... In That Order

"And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem" Luke 9:30-31

    Here we have the occasion on which Jesus appeared with Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration, in one of the most intriguing and mysterious scriptures. This one sentence is packed with food for thought. (Read the entire chapter, along with Matthew 17 and Mark 9 for a broader picture.)

     Peter, James and John looked on in amazement as Jesus Christ was 'transfigured' right before their very eyes.(Mark 9:2)  This happened on top of a mountain, which seems always to be where people appear from heaven. These are often referred to as "high places" in the Old Testament.  They are areas which serve as a portal to the spirit world, for both the heavenly hosts and the demonic spirit world. You will often see these high places on the History Channel when it shows old or abandoned pagan sites which were used for worship in such places as the mountains of Tibet, etc.

     Christ had been praying all night, after which he was 'transfigured' i.e., a metamorphous - transformed into a representation of his glorified [heavenly] body, which he received after he was resurrected from the grave.  His appearance also exhibited a supernatural whiteness coming from his being, his Presence itself, and reflecting out and through his clothing which also appeared as lightning-white.

     Amazingly, appearing with him were Moses (who the Scriptures say was buried by God Himself, and whose body has never been discovered) and Elijah, who was raptured into heaven (2 Kings 2:11). Moses had 'died' 15oo years prior, and Elijah some 900 years before.

     And for what purpose were they there? Well, we are told that they discussed the upcoming events in Jerusalem, Jesus' death, burial and resurrection. I believe that part of the reason they came to Jesus was to encourage him in his human state - to review the events to come, perhaps to comfort him by assuring him that they and many others would be watching the events and praying for him every moment. I have always found this to be extremely interesting. We know that Christ was fully human (as well as fully God). Why wouldn't he be attended to by residents of heaven itself? His would be no ordinary death; he would feel the entire weight of all the sin and evil throughout history and throughout His entire creation, the cosmos. This was the entire purpose ... his choice ... in entering the stream of human history.

 ~ ~ (I've got to move on with this. It's so interesting to me that I could write on and on) ~ ~

     This event was not for the Lord's benefit only. It undoubtedly served to encourage and uplift the three disciples who observed it. They were probably extremely bewildered at the time, but later after Christ was crucified, buried and resurrected, they would remember it and be built up in their faith greatly throughout their entire ministries. While they probably never understood the event in its entirety, it would have given them much greater understanding and a deeper basis for comprehension of life after death.

     Not only was it for the disciples - it was for US. What an exciting thought! This happening, along with others in the scriptures, gives us an unprecedented view into what is going on in heaven, and of the interaction between the residents of heaven and the residents of earth. Here are a few things on which it enlightens us:

• Our resurrection bodies are real, tangible and filled with light.
• The assurance of life after death is exhibited by the presence of Moses and Elijah.
• The involvement of the heavenlies in the affairs of earth throughout history, and NOW.
• The continuity of life, whether or heaven or on earth, throughout the ages of history.
• The recognition of those who have gone on before us. We will know them and vice versa.
• The reality of the kingdom of God on earth; a glimpse of its future power and glory.
• The manner in which we will depart the earth, and the manner in which Christ will meet us in the air.
• The reality of resurrection - and rapture. 

     If you read all three gospel accounts it will teach you even more.

  

     I want to focus on the resurrection and the rapture of saints:

 

i Thessalonians 4: 16-17

"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 [resurrection]: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together [rapture] with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."

     And that event, my friends, is referred to as The Blessed Hope.  When was the last time you heard anything at all about this in church? In spite of the fact that the Bible promises us a special blessing for studying the Revelation of Jesus Christ... Do you see the problem?

 Royal Heir

Our Resurrected Bodies: What Will They Be Like?

Well, now, here we get into my very favorite section of my favorite chapter in the Bible. It doesn't get any better than this ... until, that is, it becomes the reality and actually happens. To some it already has happened. Remember, everything happens in its own order.

First of all, the body that comes out of the grave is NOT the same one that went into the grave. (Thank God for that alone!)

1 Corinthians 35-38: "But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, [!] that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body." Paul is answering our very question: What will our resurrected bodies be like?

He says that only a fool doesn't understand that before our new bodies can live (be quickened), our old bodies obviously must die first. He says it is obvious to anyone that it is like planting seed. The bare seed must be planted (sown), and that seed is completely unlike the resulting plant that emerges. Just as God gives each type of seed its own mature plant, in the same way our seed (earthly bodies) must be planted before the mature body can emerge. You plant corn seed; you get corn. You plant bean seed; you get beans. You plant Carole seed; you get the Carole plant (!).

Verse 40-44: "There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial [earthly]: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. " So, we begin to get the picture.

Verses 49-50: "And as we have borne the image of the earthly [human], we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption." Remember when Jesus was resurrected? He told Mary not to touch him yet. Later, he appeared and disappeared at will (or was that their sight?). His body had changed. And yet he ate food. There are new qualities to a new body ... it can do many things that our bodies simply cannot do. Let's cut to the chase.

Our new bodies will have at least four new qualities:

Our bodies will be indestructible and incorruptible. 1 Cor. 15:42. They will not age, they will not wear out, they will have no pain, disease or death; nor will they get tired.

Our bodies will be identifiable. The Bible says we shall 'know as we are known.' Jesus was recognized by all of his followers. Even in the 'intermediate' state, Lazarus and the rich man recognized each other. Moses and Elijah were recognized on the Mount of Transfiguration. Philippians 3:20-21 says: "For our conversation is in 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..." Also, 1 John 1-3 gives us glimpses. Luke 24:39: Jesus says: "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." It's a real body (not like Casper, the friendly ghost). Jesus ate with his disciples, Luke 24:43. We know we will eat. We see this again in John 21:12-13: "Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise."

Our bodies will have unlimited abilities. John 20:19 says that Jesus appeared in their midst when the doors had been shut ... he just appeared. He pointed out his sides and his hands, which showed the signs of his crucifixion, and Thomas examined them, so he was touchable. It was a real body. We will be able to see things we cannot see now, we will know things we don't know now, and understand things we cannot understand now. 1 Cor. 13:12. We will recognize our friends and the saints of old. Matt. 8:11. We will have memory. I believe we will have the ability to 'think it, and it will happen' ... words not required. In a lesser way than God, our words will have power. Our words right now have far more power than we attribute to them; this is why the scriptures warn us of the evil potential of the tongue. The tongue can also be given great power by the Holy Spirit, which can accomplish great things that he wants us to do through words.

Our bodies will be infinite (boundless, endless, immeasurably great). We will have an infinite capacity for forgiveness and mercy, and an infinite capacity for knowledge and understanding. Our bodies will not be immaterial, but rather they will be substantial, and have infinite capacities which we do not now have. They will have infinite spiritual capacities. We will no longer be bound or controlled by bad habits or appetites. No more weight problems, overuse of drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, bad attitudes, unfruitful words, etc. Our appetites will be infinitely under the influence of the Holy Spirit instead of the human soul. We will be infinitely incorruptible. We will be infinitely perfected, as God is perfect. We will be fit and suited for eternity, infinitely like our Father in heaven.

Look, the bottom line is that our new bodies will be MORE ... not less ... than the ones we have now.

Are you excited yet? And this is only the beginning of any kind of understanding, because we 'see through a glass darkly.' This tiny seed of comprehension that God has given us in his Word is glorious indeed. The reality will be infinitely beyond anything we can think of while in this corruptible earthly body.

And think about this ... when we are raptured, and I'm firmly convinced that we will be, we will change on the way up ... whatever 'up' might mean in spiritually dimensional terms - another pesky earthbound enigma.

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, but have been very lukewarm in your spiritual walk with Him, you need to immediately ask Him for forgiveness and for renewal. He will instantly forgive you, and fill your heart with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Then, you need to begin a daily walk of prayer and personal Bible study.

If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, but have come to realize His reality and the approaching end of the age, and want to accept His FREE Gift of eternal life you can do so now, in the privacy of your home. Once you accept Him as your Savior, you are spiritually born again, and are as assured of heaven as if you were already there. Then nothing can separate you from the love and acceptance of God. It's a once-for-all thing.

This blog is for the express purpose of spreading the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to non-Christians, and for teaching and building up the knowledge and faith of Christians, most of whom have virtually no knowledge of God's Word.

Whatever your situation, if you would like to talk to me about anything you may have questions about please feel free to write or call me at the information under "About Me." You may also email me at: reyners@comcast.net. Please make a note of the email address. I don't often put it on the blog due to spam and junk email.

May the Lord bless you and lead you into an understanding of His mercy and grace. The time is short.

A Child of The King