QUESTION: I’ve noticed on the Internet that many brothers and sisters fall prey to protestant views concerning the resurrection of the remnant of the 144000. Basically, they promote the “rapture” doctrine, which says the last ones of Christ’s body are taken to heaven without having to die first. They base their conclusion on a literal interpretation of Paul’s words “we shall not all fall asleep in death, but we shall all be changed” (1 Cor 15:51) and the notion of being “caught away” with the Lord. What is your position on this?

ANSWER:  The simple truth that seems to elude the majority, is that there is a distinction between “sleeping in death” and death.

In that very same 15th chapter of Corinthians Paul explained to the unreasonable Corinthians how the resurrection works. He used an illustration of a grain of wheat and he explained that a shaft of wheat does not come into existence unless first the  seed dies, so that the end result is a plant is produced and there is nothing left of the seed from which it came. The same is true with the heavenly resurrection. A spirit does not come into being unless first the anointed human dies.

In the case of those who die before Jesus’ parousia commences they must sleep in death – just as the billions of non-anointed persons who have died. As for the chosen ones who are living at the time of Jesus’ return they too must die but they did not go into a state of unconsciousness. Instead, upon their deaths, they are instantaneously changed from flesh to spirit – “in the twinkling of an eye.” The “change” will leave behind a human corpse, but will produce an immortal and indestructible new creation.

 

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