Paul doesn’t just make this up. He quotes prophecy to confirm what will happen to them. In 1 Corinthians 15:54, he writes, “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 that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” That saying comes directly from Isaiah 25:8: “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces.” This is a prophecy about Israel, not the Body of Christ. When Israel enters into her kingdom reign with Christ, death will be defeated, tears will be wiped away, and the reproach of God’s people will be removed. Paul is using prophecy to assure the Church of God that their hope is real and rooted in God’s promises to their nation. He’s not talking about a heavenly destiny. He’s talking about an earthly kingdom.
The Need to Sever the Narrative
If you’re struggling to see this, it’s probably because the narrative you’ve been taught is blinding you to what the text actually says. That narrative says that all the Bible is written to us, that we’re Israel, that we’re going to reign with Christ on Earth. But that’s not what the Bible teaches. Paul is writing to the Church of God, a Jewish assembly under a performance-based acceptance system, looking forward to a literal, physical kingdom. We’re not part of that program. We’re part of the Body of Christ, revealed later in Paul’s prison epistles. The sooner we sever the old narrative, the sooner we’ll begin to understand the Bible as it really is. And I know this is challenging. I know it runs against what most people have been taught. But the truth is, there are over 43,000 denominations in Christendom, each with their own narrative, each claiming scripture to back it up. That’s why we must go back to the Word itself—outside the narrative—and let it speak.
The Danger of Religious Narratives
Do you really think Christendom is a reliable source of biblical information? The truth is, nearly every denomination and tradition is filled with narratives that keep people locked in, shackled, and handcuffed to a particular way of thinking. Every box you see—every church on every street corner—has a narrative. And that narrative is deadly. It stops your growth in Christ and prevents you from seeing the whole picture of the Bible. When I speak of Christendom, I’m not just talking about one group; I’m talking about the entire system of religious boxes that we’ve all been part of at some point. But if we’re going to understand the Bible as it really is, we have to step outside those boxes and let the Word speak for itself. That’s the only way to grow in understanding.
Resurrection: A Divine Principle
Today, I want us to understand resurrection in a deeper way. The concept of resurrection isn’t new with Paul. He’s quoting the prophet Isaiah, showing that resurrection was always part of God’s plan for Israel. But Jesus also taught this principle. In John 12:24, He said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” This is a divine principle of life. It’s how God works—in the plant kingdom, in the animal kingdom, and in His plan for mankind. There’s a sequence: life, death, and life again. That’s the order God established. And yet, so many people today believe they’re going to get a resurrected body without dying. They’re trying to skip a step in God’s plan. But you cannot be raised from the dead if you haven’t first died. That’s the process. You cannot be living somewhere else—like heaven—and then be resurrected. If you’re already alive, you’re not dead. My Bible says, “The dead know not anything.” So we’re talking about the resurrection of the dead—not the resurrection of those who are still living, as some preachers claim.
Paul’s Warning: You Must Die to Be Raised
For those who think they’re going to leave this Earth without dying, listen to what Paul says. In 1 Corinthians 15:36, he writes, “Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die.” The word “quickened” means to be made alive. In the context of resurrection, Paul is saying something very clear: you cannot be resurrected unless you first die. Let me put it plainly: “You fool, you will not be resurrected unless you die.” That’s what this verse is saying. This isn’t my opinion—it’s what the Bible teaches. So why would anyone want to continue in the way of fools? Why hold onto a narrative that contradicts the plain teaching of Scripture? Resurrection is for the dead. If you’re not dead, you can’t be resurrected. It’s that simple. And that’s why the hope of the Church of God was not a secret rapture of living believers, but a resurrection from the dead to enter the kingdom.
The Call to Believe God’s Word
So I ask you: will you continue in the narrative you’ve been taught, or will you believe what the Bible actually says? The principle is clear: death must come before resurrection. That’s what Jesus taught. That’s what Paul confirmed. And that’s what the prophets foretold. The religious boxes may tell you something different, but their narratives are not reliable. Only God’s Word is. And if we’re going to grow in Christ, if we’re going to understand the whole counsel of God, we must be willing to lay aside the traditions of men and embrace the truth of Scripture. The choice is yours: remain in the box, or step out into the light of God’s Word.
Death Before Resurrection: A Non-Negotiable Truth
Paul makes it absolutely clear: without death, there is no resurrection. You have to die. So again, if you’re thinking about leaving this planet without dying, listen to what the inspired apostle Paul—who wrote all Scripture by the inspiration of God—says: “Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die.” Let me be clear: I’m not saying this; Paul is. If you don’t like it, take it up with him. But now that Paul has their attention, he explains how resurrection works. And this is very important. In 1 Corinthians 15:37, he writes, “And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain.” What’s sown in the ground bears no resemblance to what comes out. Think of a pumpkin seed—it’s small, flat, unimpressive. But when it’s planted and dies, what comes up is a great orange pumpkin. The seed and the plant look nothing alike. Paul uses this analogy to show that our current bodies, when sown in the ground, will not be what is raised. God gives it a new body, as it pleases Him.
God Determines the Resurrection Body
Paul continues in verse 38: “But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.” In other words, what comes out of the ground is determined by God. Whether it’s a flower, an apple tree, or a pumpkin, God decides the form it takes. Then Paul expands this principle to all of creation: “All flesh is not the same flesh: there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.” He even moves beyond the earthly: “There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.” There is a glory of the sun, another of the moon, and another of the stars. Each has its own distinct glory. And then Paul brings it home in verse 42: “So also is the resurrection of the dead.” There’s no doubt what he’s talking about. This isn’t about a secret rapture of living people. It’s about the resurrection of the dead. You have to be dead to be raised. It’s that simple.
Resurrection: From Corruption to Incorruption
Paul’s teaching is direct and undeniable: “It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption.” If you’ve ever been to a funeral, you’ve seen this. You see the body lying in the casket, lifeless, corruptible. Then you go to the gravesite and watch as it’s lowered into the earth. It is sown in corruption. Paul says this is necessary. The human body must go into the ground to be done away with. This isn’t just a magical transformation where you fly off to heaven to play volleyball with Jesus. This is a real death, followed by a real resurrection. And what comes up is not what went down. The resurrection body will be glorious, incorruptible, and immortal—because God gives it that form. Paul is not describing a rapture. He’s describing a resurrection. And it’s for the dead, not the living.
The Call to Believe What’s Written
It would be nice if more people just believed what’s on the page. Paul is not ambiguous. He’s not hinting at some secret escape for living believers. He’s teaching the resurrection of the dead—plain and simple. And if we’re going to understand the Bible, we have to be willing to let go of the narratives that tell us otherwise. The seed must die before it can live again. The body must be sown in corruption before it can be raised in incorruption. That’s God’s plan. That’s the hope of the Church of God. And that’s what Paul so clearly lays out in 1 Corinthians 15. The question is: will we believe it?
From Natural to Spiritual: The Order of Resurrection
Paul continues his teaching by emphasizing the sequence of resurrection: “It is sown in dishonor; 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’s a clear progression here. The natural must come first, and then the spiritual. The natural body must be laid in the ground before the spiritual body can be raised. Paul roots this in the creation order itself: “The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.” In other words, the earthly comes first, then the heavenly. As Paul says, “Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.” The natural body must be sown in corruption so that the spiritual body can be raised in glory. That’s the divine order. And if we’re going to understand resurrection, we have to accept this sequence: death first, then resurrection; corruption first, then glory.
Bearing the Heavenly Image
Paul then makes a profound connection: “The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.” Just as we have borne the image of the earthy Adam, so we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Christ. But Paul is clear: in order to bear the image of the heavenly, you must first be sown in corruption. There is no shortcut. You cannot bypass death and still be resurrected. This is the teaching, and it’s consistent throughout Scripture. The hope of the Church of God—the little flock to whom Paul is writing—is not a secret rapture or a spiritual escape. It’s a resurrection that follows death, leading to a glorified body that will bear the image of the heavenly Man.
A Stolen Hope: Christendom and Israel’s Promise
Now, here’s the section that Christendom has stolen from Israel’s program and claimed for itself. Paul’s comments about resurrection are general, but we must never forget who he’s writing to. He’s writing to the Church of God, Jewish believers who are part of Israel’s prophetic program. Their hope is to enter the kingdom, reign with Christ as kings and priests, and bless all the nations of the earth. This is what the whole Bible is about—Israel becoming a kingdom of priests. When Jesus returns, as we read in 1 John 3:2, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” This is the second coming of Christ. At that moment, they will receive their glorified bodies. They will never die again. They will live and reign throughout the thousand-year kingdom, fulfilling God’s promise to bless all nations through them.
Purification and the Straight Gate
For these people, this hope was not just a future promise—it had present implications. John writes, “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” What does that mean? It means entering in at the strait gate. It means living in a way that reflects their hope of entering the kingdom and reigning with Christ. This is performance-based acceptance, not the grace message we preach today. Christendom has taken Israel’s hope and made it its own, but it doesn’t belong to us. It belongs to them. And until we recognize that, we’ll keep misreading the Bible and misapplying promises that were never meant for us. The call is clear: if we want to understand the Bible, we have to let Israel be Israel, and let their hope be theirs. Only then will we see the whole story as God intended.
The Resurrection and the Kingdom: Not for Everyone
Paul makes it clear that not everyone is going to reign with Christ. But this has nothing to do with you or me. Paul is still talking about the kingdom. In 1 Corinthians 15:50, he writes, “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” He’s still talking about the same kingdom he’s been referring to throughout the chapter—the literal, physical, future kingdom that will be established on Earth. This resurrection is directly tied to entering that kingdom. Take your time if you’re having a hard time grasping this, but that’s what the text says. Paul is writing to people who are going into the kingdom—the Church of God, the little flock of Jewish believers. And he wrote this under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The only people who don’t understand that he’s talking about a future kingdom—one that has nothing to do with us—are those shackled by the narratives of Christendom that say the opposite. These people knew all about this resurrection, its purpose, and where they were headed. That’s who Paul is writing to.
The Mystery Revealed: Something New
Now, while there are several Old Testament verses that speak of resurrection—like Isaiah 25:8, which Paul quoted earlier—what Paul is about to reveal is something not found in the Old Testament. It’s a mystery. And don’t forget, as we look at this, Paul is writing to the Church of God. That’s critical. The problem in Christendom is that people say, “No, he’s writing to me.” But he’s not. He’s writing to them, and to them only. So what Paul is about to show them was not spoken of in the Old Testament. At the end of Daniel’s 70th week, when the resurrection happens at the second coming of Christ, many people will be raised. But here’s the mystery: “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.” The “we” here refers to the people Paul is addressing—the little flock, the Church of God. He’s not talking about everyone in the world. He’s talking about a specific group of people who are part of a prophetic program that you and I have nothing to do with.
The “All” in Verse 51: A Specific Group
So who are the “all” in verse 51? It’s the people Paul is addressing. If I’m speaking to an audience right now and I say, “You all,” I’m not talking about every person in the world. I’m talking about the people in front of me. In the same way, Paul is addressing a specific group of people at a specific moment in redemptive history. This is not a universal statement. It’s addressed to the Church of God, who are part of a prophetic program centered on Israel and the kingdom. And if there’s one thing these people didn’t know before Paul wrote this, it was that at the second coming, not all of them would sleep—meaning not all of them would die. Some would be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, without experiencing death. That’s the mystery. That’s the new revelation. And it has nothing to do with us. It’s about them, their hope, and their future in the kingdom.
The Importance of Context
This is why context is so important. If we ignore who Paul is writing to, we’ll misapply the text. We’ll think that “we shall not all sleep” refers to us, that it’s about a rapture of the Church. But it’s not. It’s about the Church of God, the little flock, who will be alive at the second coming and will be changed without dying. That’s their hope, not ours. And until we sever ourselves from the narrative that makes everything in the Bible about us, we’ll never fully understand what Paul is saying. The mystery in 1 Corinthians 15:51 is not about a secret rapture. It’s about a specific group of people at a specific time in God’s prophetic plan. And that’s the truth we need to see.
The Mystery Revealed: Not All Will Sleep
We know there’s a resurrection promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the Old Testament saints. But what about those who are alive at the second coming—those who have faithfully made it through the tribulation? What happens to them? Paul answers with a mystery: “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed.” The “we” here is not you and me. It’s them—the Church of God, the little flock Paul is addressing. Not every one of them will die, but all of them will be changed. And when they are changed, they become that kingdom of priests. Both groups—those who are resurrected and those who are alive—will be transformed. How will it happen? “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.” Trumpets, as we should know, have everything to do with Israel and nothing to do with a secret rapture. The last trump signals the resurrection of the dead and the changing of the living. And it’s all for Israel.
The Last Trump and the End of Death
Paul continues: “The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. Then, Paul says, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” Now, there are three ways people often interpret these verses. Some say this is the rapture. But it can’t be, because after the rapture, death still continues. This passage says death is swallowed up in victory—there is no more sting of death. Others say this is talking about the end of the millennium, when death is finally destroyed. But I don’t think that’s what Paul means. The third view—and the one I believe fits the context—is that this is speaking of those who believe Jesus is the Messiah of Israel. When they are resurrected and changed, they become a kingdom of priests who will live and reign throughout the millennium. They receive glorified bodies, and death has no more power over them.
The Importance of Knowing the Audience
How you interpret this passage depends entirely on whether you understand who Paul is writing to. If you think he’s writing to you, you’ll be confused. You’ll try to fit these verses into a rapture theology that doesn’t belong here. But if you recognize that Paul is writing to the Church of God—Jewish believers who are part of Israel’s prophetic program—then everything makes sense. These words come from prophecy, and they have nothing to do with us. We’re not part of prophecy. We’re not the ones becoming a kingdom of priests. This is about them. And if you can’t wrap your head around that, it’s because the narrative you’ve been taught has you choked, shackled, and handcuffed. The Bible is about Israel, not us. And until we accept that, we’ll keep misapplying their promises to our lives.
The Call to Believe the Bible
Some of you right now are so tied down by the narrative that you’ll never understand this. If you don’t want to release it, you’ll always want to argue. But if you can believe the words on the page—if you can see who’s being spoken to and understand the whole picture of the Bible—this will make perfect sense. There is no rapture in these verses. There is no secret catching away. There is only the resurrection and transformation of Israel, so they can become the kingdom of priests God promised they would be. And I’d rather believe that—believe the Bible with the continuity we’ve seen today—than cling to a narrative that contradicts it. Ultimately, you can believe whatever you want. But I’d rather believe what’s actually written.
The King, the Kingdom, and God’s Purpose
In the end, it’s all about a King and a Kingdom. Paul makes this clear right in 1 Corinthians 15:50 when he speaks of entering into the kingdom. He’s telling us exactly what he’s talking about. The entire Bible—this whole book—is about God’s plan for Israel, how He separated them from the nations, and how He will raise them up to fulfill their priestly calling. When they enter that kingdom on the other side of the resurrection, they will live forever as a kingdom of priests. Yes, there will still be death in the millennium for others, but for those who are like Christ—glorified and raised to reign—death will be no more. This is the hope Paul is describing, and it fits perfectly with the whole of Scripture. I’m not trying to steal the rapture from you; I’m trying to replace it with the truth of God’s Word. God has a much better plan for you than what Christendom has manufactured—a plan rooted not in the visions of a 15-year-old girl with a fever, but in the unshakable promises of God.
The Call to Stand on Scripture Alone
You may not find this message helpful—and that’s okay. The goal here isn’t to build big crowds or win popular approval. If your walk with the Lord has ever felt lonely, know that standing with God sometimes means standing alone, even when others walk away. People will leave, and that choice is theirs to make. But you must keep going with what Scripture says. You can do no other.
The hope is that this is helping you—helping you see the beauty and continuity of God’s plan for Israel, and how it stands apart from the calling you have today. But if you refuse to let go of the narrative you’ve always known, there’s nothing more anyone can do for you. The choice is yours: cling to tradition, or embrace the truth.
A Prayer for Understanding
Lord, thank You for Your Word. Thank You that there is continuity in the Scripture You have given us, that if we will study it diligently, we will see it. But if all we listen to is the narrative of men and allow that to form the foundation of our understanding, we are doomed to confusion. I pray for those, Lord, who are shackled by that confusion over these beautiful subjects—subjects that even Paul confirmed for Israel. I thank You for the clarity of Your Word, for the hope of Israel, and for the distinct hope You have given us in this age. All these things I pray in the name that is above every name, the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen
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