When Will the Dead in Christ Rise?

Dearly beloved of God, we are sealed for the day of redemption by the spirit of sonship we received when we were born again. The spirit of sonship is the down payment, the deposit that secures the inheritance we will receive on the day of redemption when Christ returns for us.

When Christ, who is our life shall appear, then we will appear with him in glory. God called us to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, dearly beloved.

When Christ returns we will receive in full all that God has reserved for us in the heavenly realm. He wants us to know the hope of His calling and the riches of the glory of His inheritance in His beloved saints – that’s us!

Many people believe that when we die, we either go to heaven or hell. This teaching does not come from God, but from Plato and the Greek philosophers.

Dearly beloved, the Word of God teaches us that death is an enemy, not a welcomed friend that brings us to an afterlife in another realm. Death is the loss of life, not an entrance into life.

The Word teaches us that the body corrupts and decays when we breathe our last breath and we die. If we are born of God’s spirit, the spirit goes back to God who gave it.

There is only one man in heaven today. “And no man has ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.” John 3:13

Where are the dead if they are not in heaven? They remain in their graves; they are dead, not alive. When will the dead be made alive?

“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the fist fruits of them that slept. For since by man [Adam] came death, by man [Jesus Christ] came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward they that are Christ’s, at his coming.” I Corinthians 15:20-23

The dead will be made alive by the Lord Jesus Christ AT HIS COMING.

God gave His Son the power and authority to raise the dead, and every grave will come forth at his command.

The Word of God does not say that when we die we go to heaven. Jesus Christ did NOT say, “You will come to me when you die.” He said, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:3

Every person who ever died is still dead and in the grave. Jesus Christ is the only one to rise out from among all the dead people never to die again.

Since we confessed Jesus as Lord and believed that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved. Today we have the hope of everlasting life, and we will receive it when Christ comes to redeem us, either from death or this evil world.

When he raises us to life again we will have glorious bodies like his glorious body; we will be as he is! We will no longer be mortal and subject to death; we will have deathless bodies like his glorious body. He will raise us by his power, the power he has to subdue all things unto himself.

If we are yet alive when he comes, he will transform us to be like him, and both the dead in Christ and those who are still alive will be gathered together up to meet him in the air.

We will have glorious spiritual bodies and everlasting life like he does. We will appear with him in glory! We are exhorted to comfort ourselves with these words, dearly beloved.

Since there is no mental activity of any kind in death and no awareness of time, the next thing we will know will be to see the Lord Jesus Christ when we are raptured up to meet him in the air. We will not only see him, we will be like him, and never leave him again.

The Word of God uses figures of speech that compare death to sleep because of their likeness. Christ will awaken us from death when he comes, just as we awaken from a good night’s sleep. What vast power the Father has given His Son!

Until then, God’s spirit bears witness with our inner being that we are the children of God, and if children, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ. If we suffer together, we shall also be glorified together as heirs.

Dearly beloved, the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to compare with the glory that will be revealed to us! Rejoice!

There will be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain for us, only life, fullness of joy, comfort, rest, and glory at his coming.

Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, dearly beloved, so keep your eyes on the hope, and press toward the mark for the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus. We have the hope of receiving the glory of God.

It will take our Father the ages to come to demonstrate the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Come quickly Lord Jesus! Until then, live with thanksgiving and joy for all our Father has done for us in Christ Jesus.