The Daily Word of Righteousness

The True Hope: "Rapture" or Resurrection?, #29

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 11:15)

The seventh and last trumpet will sound, the dead and living believers will be changed into immortality, and the Kingdom of God will come to the earth, just as the Apostle Paul stated.

The resurrection and ascension are shown as taking place at the time of the sounding of the seventh trumpet.

And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. (Revelation 11:11,12).

Since the Greek language makes no distinction between the "heaven" that is the sky and the "heaven" that is the spirit realm of God, the Lord Jesus, the saints, and holy angels, it is likely that the above passage is speaking of the saints ascending into the sky until a cloud hid them from view. This is how the ascension of the Lord Jesus took place.

And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. (Acts 1:9)

Notice that they (the witnessing saints of all ages) are resurrected before they ascend. "They stood upon their feet" is the accurate definition of the term resurrection. They are able to stand on their feet because of their change from dead, fleshly bodies to bodies fashioned from the substance of incorruptible, eternal life.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (I Corinthians 15:53,54)

The above is the resurrection from the dead, the true hope of the Christian Church.

Notice the similarity:

"This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."

"To her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white."

Can you see that the resurrection from the dead is not a rising into the air but a putting on of immortality?

Notice also:

For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. (II Corinthians 5:4)

"Put on immortality."

"Arrayed in fine linen."

"Clothed upon."

Paul's hope was to be clothed with incorruptible life. Paul's hope was not to be carried into the air to escape Antichrist or the great tribulation.

To be continued.