First, it addresses the resurrection of Jesus Christ: "Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain." V. 12-14.
So the first thing Paul has to say is that Christianity itself rises and falls on the resurrection of Christ. If he was not resurrected, then the entire thing falls apart. Fortunately, it is established beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was resurrected. Then he goes on to tell the further implications that would be involved if Christ were not resurrected. We would be liars, our sins would not be covered by the blood sacrifice of Christ, and mankind would have no hope of resurrection and eternal life. We would be worse off than anyone on earth:
"Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." V. 15-19.
He then goes on in verses 20-21 to say: "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." He is saying that there is no need to fear, because Christ IS risen from the dead and, indeed, he is the first one to be resurrected, therefore assuring the resurrection of all the righteous saints who have previously gone to sleep (died) in the past and, of course, in the future. Because:
"For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." Here, in verses 22-23 he is making clear that just as physical and spiritual death came into the world through a man, Adam, so also a god/man (Jesus Christ) brought into the world physical and spiritual eternal life! Paul spells it out with perfect clarity.
In verse 23 he explains that there is an order to resurrection: "But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming." Christ was resurrected first. Immediately after his resurrection there were other resurrections that occurred, and there will be more when he comes the second time. Just as the cosmos and everything in it has perfect order, so does God's schedule of resurrections for mankind.
Paul then goes on to say in verses 24-26 that, "Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."
I believe we are very near the end. That is, the rapture, the rule of the Antichrist, the second coming of Christ and the redemption of Israel. That's a lot to happen within about a 7-year period. That's why time seems to be passing so fast. Things are speeding up, in actual fact. There are intersections during this period between the dimensions of time and space - and other realities - to which we are soon to be introduced. It's going to be a very exciting time for the Christian ... and for God's people, the Jews, very soon after.
When Christ returns to earth after Armageddon he will reign and rule right here on earth (not in the heavens), and we will reign with him. He will reign for 1,000 years, during which Satan will be chained in the abyss. After the 1,000 years he will be loosed once again for a short time, after which he will be out of business for good. There will be many more events during that time, the details which remain murky to us in this time frame.
One thing we do know is at the end of that period the "New Jerusalem" will descend from the heavens, and the old heavens and earth will be transformed - or made new - right here in this same location. Where people get the idea that we will spend eternity in the upper heavens playing harps I do not know (maybe from the horned one -). That's a complete fantasy and it's not what the Bible says. What the Bible does say is infinitely better.
Tomorrow we'll continue through 1 Cor. 15 and take a peek at what our resurrection bodies will be like. Certainly far better than the ones we've got now! It's one of the most exciting things imaginable and, in fact, completely beyond anything we could possible come up with in our own imaginings. The Bible gives us a huge amount of information concerning it.
You'll see why this is my favorite chapter.
A Child of the King
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