1Cor.15:20-24: THE ORDER OF THE RESURRECTION
1Co 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
1Co 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24 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.
1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
1Co 15:27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
1Co 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
Sometimes what Paul sets forth in I Corinthians 15:20–24 about the order of the resurrection of the dead confuses folks when it comes to the issue of the Lord’s coming for us and our rapture/resurrection at the end of this present dispensation, because they expect that Paul would include our rapture/ resurrection in the order that he gives, but it seems clear that he does not. Or sometimes they think that when he says in verse 23, “afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming” that this is referring to the Lord’s coming for us at the end of this dispensation. But then this too bothers them, or confuses them, because they realize that if this is what Paul is referring to then this puts the Lord’s coming for us and our resurrection at the same time as that of redeemed Israel’s resurrection when the Lord comes to establish His kingdom at the end of the final installment in Israel’s program. For it is clear that there is only one ‘coming of Christ’ spoken about by Paul in verse 23, and it is evident from what he says that it has to be His coming to establish His kingdom on the earth. Wherefore, as I said, sometimes what Paul says in this passage confuses folks.
1Th 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
1Th 2:20 For ye are our glory and joy.
However there is no need for folks to be confused, or to think that what Paul says in this passage negatively impacts, or contradicts, the truth of the Lord’s coming for us at the end of this present dispensation and before He resumes His program with Israel and this earth. For the truth of the matter is that Paul has no need to make reference to the Lord’s coming for us and our rapture/resurrection in this passage, (and so he does not mention it), for it does not belong with what he is describing. Even though Paul is dealing with the overall subject of the resurrection of the dead in I Corinthians 15; and even though the truth of the resurrection of the dead and the receiving of a changed body in connection with it is something that we are going to partake of when the Lord comes for us at the end of this present dispensation; because of what Paul is specifically dealing with in verses 20–28 he has no reason to refer to, or include, the issue of our rapture/resurrection.
Mat 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Mat 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
For what Paul is saying in verses 20–28 *only* pertains to what God has prophesied about the resurrection of the dead since death entered the world and since He declared that He would destroy death through Christ’s ministry of fulfilling the Davidic Covenant. And the reason why what Paul says in verses 20–28 *only* pertains to and *only* includes what God has prophesied about the resurrection of the dead is because what Paul is doing in verses 20–28 is proving from ‘the doctrine of the Christ,’ (and thereby from the Scriptures themselves), that the resurrection of the dead has to take place. Keep in mind that from verse 1 all the way to verse 34 what Paul is doing is that he is proving the validity of, and the reality of, and the necessity of, the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead; and he is doing this in view of the fact that it was being denied and was being ridiculed as preposterous.
1Co 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
1Co 15:43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
1Co 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
1Co 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
1Co 15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
1Co 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
1Co 15:48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
1Co 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
And as he sets forth his various proofs that prove that God will raise the dead, his main proof in verses 20–28 is the fact that the resurrection of the dead is an integral part of the ‘doctrine of the Christ,’ and that in connection with fulfilling the prophesied mandates of the Davidic Covenant the Lord Jesus Christ not only has to raise the dead in accordance with those mandates, but He will resurrect the dead in perfect accordance with the timing of those mandates of the Davidic Covenant. This is what Paul sets forth in verses 20–28. But the issue of the Lord’s coming for us at the end of this present dispensation and our rapture/ resurrection at that time is not part of the prophesied order of the resurrections of the dead as per the Davidic Covenant. Therefore Paul does not it, or include it, in what he sets forth in verses 20–28. Instead the Lord’s coming for us and our rapture/resurrection is part of “the revelation of the mystery of Christ,” and as such is dealt with separately by Paul later on in verses 50 and following, after he has proven from the Scriptures that the overall doctrine of the resurrection of the dead is both true and necessary.
1Co 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1Co 15:54 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.
1Co 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
So then what Paul says in I Corinthians 15:20–28 does not either negatively impact, or contradict in any way, the truth of the Lord’s distinct and separate coming for us and our rapture/resurrection at the end of the this present dispensation. For what Paul says in verses 20–28 deliberately excludes our rapture/resurrection from the listing of the prophesied order of the resurrections of the dead. Therefore do not look for our rapture/resurrection in this passage, or try to put into it; for it does not belong there and will not fit.
1Ti 6:14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
1Ti 6:15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
1Ti 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
Re: I Timothy 6:14–15. — The “appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ” in verse 14 is directly referring to the appearing/ coming of the Lord that we look forward to at the conclusion of this present dispensation. For it is when God concludes this dispensation of His longsuffering and grace, and the Lord comes for us to ‘rapture’ His “new creature” unto Himself, that He will then begin to have “his times,” which verse 15 describes, in which the Lord will “shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords.” During the first of the Lord’s “times” following His appearing/coming for us He will show Himself to be “the blessed and only Potentate.” This is what He will do when He ‘rounds up’ and removes Satan and his co-horts from their positions in the heavenly places and then has them physically cast down to the earth during the first part of the final installment in His program with Israel. The Lord’s title of being “the blessed and only Potentate” is His title in connection with the revelation of “the mystery of Christ” and His position as the head of all the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. And this is what He shows Himself to be first when “his times” for ruling and reigning in accordance with His inherited titles arrives following the conclusion of this present dispensation.
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
After showing Himself to be “the blessed and only Potentate” by removing Satan and his co-horts from the heavenly places, the Lord will then show Himself to be “the King of kings, and Lord of lords” during the remainder of “his times,” or during the remainder of the final installment of Israel’s program. His title “the King of kings, and Lord of lords” is His title in connection with His inherited right to rule over all the earth in fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant. So in verse 15 Paul uses the Lord’s two titles of inherited rulership: (1) “the blessed and only Potentate” being His title in accordance with the revelation of “the mystery of Christ” and this dispensation of grace, by which He is now revealed to be “the head of all principality and power” in the heavenly places; and (2) “the King of kings, and Lord of lords,” which is His title in connection with the establishment of His kingdom on this earth in fulfillment of His program with Israel and this earth.
Wherefore “the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ” in verse 14 is the Lord’s appearing/coming for us at the end of this present dispensation and before resuming His program with Israel. For it is not until God concludes this present dispensation of His longsuffering and grace, that He will have His Son begin to show Himself to be what His two titles of inheritance declare Him to be.
Keith Blades
Enjoy The Bible Ministries