How Are the Dead Raised?

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

 

In 1 Corinthians 15:35 an interesting question is posed by Paul as he writes to the Christians at Corinth. He states, “But someone may ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?’” He answers his own question rather bluntly “How foolish!” He then goes into some rather deep explanations of what the real answer is to what he calls a foolish question.

 

He talks about the seeds of plants in nature. How they must, in a sense, die before they are able to spring to life and grow into a living producing plant. He discusses how different kinds of animals have different kinds of bodies. He also makes a dramatic point that animals have one kind of body and man has a totally different one. On a side note, there’s a hidden hint here that evolution is not valid. He shows no association between men and animals in regards to their body and makes a point to say God designed it this way.

 

But let’s get back to our question of “How are the dead raised?” Paul continues with statements of comparison by saying, “There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another.” He talks of the sun, moon and stars and how they have different kinds of splendor. His point is that each has a place in God’s creation and each has a splendor in its own special way, the way God intended.

 

Finally in verse 42 Paul begins to clarify his answer to the question “How are the dead raised?” He states that all these examples he has given beforehand leads to the truth that the resurrection of the dead will bring forth a specific different body than the one that lived before. He then begins to illustrate the difference between the earthly body of a Christian who accepts Christ as Savior and has died and the “new” body this person will receive upon their resurrection. He states, “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 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.” What does he mean by these statements?

 

Well we all know the body we now possess is perishable. The day we are born, we begin a process of growth, but a process that ultimately leads us to our death. As we age we begin to notice the changes. In our youth we feel strong and invincible. As we reach middle age and beyond our frailty and weakness become ever so apparent. We can’t do the things we once could, and if we try, we pay for it dearly. We seem to come down with illness and disease much easier and more frequently. Our body begins to show wrinkles, our hair turns gray or we lose it altogether. We begin to grow hair in places we never thought we would or should. Body odors become more pungent and they fight off our efforts of battling them with deodorant and perfume. Yes our natural physical bodies are perishable, weak and temporary. They are in a sense very dishonoring to us as we struggle to keep them going while we live on this earth.

 

But Paul shares here in this passage that the bodies God’s Christian children will receive when they are resurrected will be totally different from the ones we possess on earth during our natural lives. They will be imperishable. They will be glorified bodies. They will be powerful bodies that are spiritual. These bodies will be a wonderful experience for they shall never perish nor fail us. No longer will we feel the aches and pains of joints and sore muscles. No longer will we have to fear cancer or disease. The common cold will not visit our nasal passages and throats. We will be able to do things in our resurrected glorified heavenly bodies that we never even imagined we could do while in our natural earthly bodies.

 

In verses 44-49 of this chapter Paul compares the differences between the first Adam and the second Adam (Jesus Christ). He states the first Adam was a living being, naturally made from the dust of the earth by God Himself. The second Adam, Jesus Christ, was a life-giving Spirit from heaven. While he makes this contrast, he gives us a marvelous hope of what is to come. He states that Christians are born in the likeness of the earthly man, Adam, but when they are spiritually born again, they are born in the likeness of the Man from heaven, Jesus Christ.

 

But you may ask, “Why do we have to receive these spiritually, glorified bodies when we are resurrected as Christians?” The answer lies in the fact that we cannot enter heaven with our natural, weak, earthly, dishonorable bodies. Just like astronauts must wear space suits to enter the black airless void of space or divers must wear rubber suits and oxygen tanks to swim deep under water, we must take on a new body in order to be able to live in heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Paul states it this way, “I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.” What he is basically saying is we could not survive living in heaven in our natural bodies. Natural bodies are not meant to be there and for good reason. Remember the verse Exodus 33:20. Moses asked to see God’s glory. God told Moses that no one could see Him and live. Moses hid in a cleft of a rock cliff and saw only a shadow of God’s glory as He passed by. Moses’ natural earthly body would have perished if God had manifested His glory to Moses directly. When we go to heaven in our glorified bodies we will be able to see God in all His glory and remain alive. We will remain alive because we will have glorified bodies that will enable us to withstand the presence of God Himself in all His majesty.

 

Paul then tells of a mystery, something that is so unimaginable that we can’t comprehend it with our feeble weak minds. He states, “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”  

 

Do you understand what he is saying? Those Christians who die will be resurrected from the dead. The fragments of dust or whatever molecules might be left of their bodies in the grave will be transformed into a new, strong, powerful, spiritually glorified body. While this sounds beyond belief. Our omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent Heavenly Father can handle it. God will also resurrect the body of Roger Williams, founder of Rhode Island. Who is Roger Williams you ask. In 1860 a body was uncovered in the backyard of a home on Benefit Street in Providence, Rhode Island. It was the result of a search for the body of Roger Williams, founder of Rhode Island. Roger Williams was a Christian who founded Rhode Island so that it could be a refuge for those desiring religious freedom. Upon his death, he was buried in an unmarked grave in the corner of a back yard. His body had lain in this grave for over 200 years until this search discovered his resting place. But, that is not the whole story. It was also discovered that an apple tree had taken root at the head of the coffin Roger was buried in and one of its roots had sought out Roger’s body. It had penetrated the coffin and curved around where Roger’s head was. It continued to grow, entering his chest cavity, growing down his spine. Its root split into two and each of these grew down his legs and then each root upturned into his feet. In essence what this tree accomplished was to grow through Roger Williams body, nourishing itself on the chemicals and minerals contained within it. In essence, this apple tree ate Roger Williams. Not only that, but Roger Williams earthly body became part of this apple tree. Some of the minerals and elements of his body helped produce the blossoms of the apple tree, and yes, you guessed it, helped develop the apples that were picked and eaten raw. It’s also true as well, that elements of Roger Williams ended up in luscious apple pies on the tables of homes in New England which were eaten. Now the question arises; if Roger Williams was consumed by the apple tree and its apples were eaten by people, can God actually resurrect Roger Williams upon the return of Christ and grant him the glorified body that he is promised. Absolutely YES! Our all-powerful God can handle this. Nothing is too difficult for the Creator of the universe, not even this miracle.

 

But what happens to those of us who are alive when Christ returns. We will not die, but our bodies will be transformed while we see Jesus descend from the heavens (1 Thessalonians 4:16). All of this will take place in a tiny, infinitesimal time period so short that it will be like the blink of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52). Every cell in our body will be changed by the power of God Himself into an imperishable glorified body at the return of Christ to the earth. This will prove to the whole world and us in dramatic fashion that there is victory over death in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

 

Paul continues in verses 55-58 stating, “’Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

Paul leaves us with this hope of a resurrected and glorified body by stating the following encouragement, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

 

In order to receive such a gloried spiritual body and see the Lord in all His glory, you must accept Christ as Savior and Lord. The proof that you have made such a decision is reflected in the way in which you live your life in service to Him. As we let the Word of God dwell richly within us by studying it and applying it to our lives, we keep in step with His Holy Spirit who lives within us. When we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior a wonderful gift was given to us, the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit came to dwell within us and as we keep in step with His guidance and instruction, we grow not only in knowledge of God, but also increase in our love for Him and others. We must always be watching and waiting for the Lord’s return for He will one day appear in the clouds with a loud trumpet blast, suddenly without any warning. On that day, be prepared as a Christian to experience a most amazing feeling of having your body transformed from perishable to imperishable, from weakness to power and natural to spiritual.

 

On a tombstone in the cemetery of Christ’s Church in Philadelphia is an epitaph. It states;

 

“The body of Franklin, printer, like the cover of an old book the contents torn out and stripped of it’s lettering and gilding lies here food for worms. But the work will not be lost. For it will appear once more in a new and more elegant edition, revised and corrected by the author.”

Benjamin Franklin

 

Benjamin Franklin summarized it very well. When Christ returns we will be changed in the blink of an eye to live with Him for eternity in new glorified heavenly bodies.

 

Praise God! What a day that will be.

 

I CAN’T WAIT!

 

If you have not received Christ as your Lord and Savior, I would ask you to consider what He has to offer; eternal life, overwhelming love, forgiveness for your sins, strength and power to live life to its fullest, wisdom to make good choices and a caring church family to assist you in growing in your spiritual life. Don’t put this decision off! God’s Son is due to come back at any moment. You don’t want to be found unprepared for His return!