BELIEVERS NEVER DIE:
But Are Transformed!
"Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)
For believers, death is unlike it is for those who are not saved. When we die, our spirit and soul go to heaven immediately, while our body waits in the grave for the Rapture, at which time that body will be transformed into a new supernatural body and be rejoined with the soul and spirit of that believer. This means that the time of deadness is merely a temporary state of transition, not a permanent state of being, as the secular world believes it to be. For death is a permanent condition. And this has been the case since Jesus Resurrection, when all those believing bodies that had passed away prior to that time, were waiting….
“and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went to ther holy city and appeared to many.” (Matthew 27:52-53)
HOW glorious for them! They were fully redeemed at that moment. And when the soon End Times Rapture happens, we will finally be fully redeemed— body, soul and spirit—
“Now when these thing begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:28)
Moreover, there is one more Rapture, which makes a grand total of 3, which is a number of perfection, wholeness and completeness, and even reproduction, growth and trinity….
Symbolic Meaning Of Number 3 In The Bible: Completeness
A final Rapture will happen at the end point of the Great Tribulation/Jacob’s Trouble is how God refers to this period for the unsaved Jews, who become born-again during that terrible time. See Revelation 14:1-5.
Therefore, since this first Rapture of Christ-followers, every body that has passed since is waiting for either the resurrection unto heaven or the resurrection unto, eternal death in the Lake of Fire—For now, they are awaiting this permanent placement while in hell. God will call them from hell, (their temporary holding place) hand down their judgment, and then cast into their permanent residence: The Lake of Fire—
“Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:14-15)
But first, they will stand before the LORD and be judged, this is the “White Throne Judgment;” a judgment specifically for the wicked in which God will cast out and away forever—
“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small land great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15)
NOTE: Passages that use the past tense for future events are those of John’s vision, in which he is referring, hence the usage of the past tense; he already had the vision…
Moreover, for those still in the body at this time, death will not occur at all for those who are still walking about on the Day Jesus Comes Back will be taken in the body and that body will be transformed instantaneously and to taken in His Rapture of His church—
“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” (1Corinithians 15:51-54)
Although our earthly bodies are only temporary, our new lives in Heaven will never end and neither will our bodies ever grow old and feeble—
"For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord." (1Thessalonians 4:15-17)
NOTE: The word ‘sleep’ or ‘asleep’ in this context refers to believers who have passed away. For, death is permanent, but their lifeless bodies are waiting to be taken up in glory!
Furthermore, through the use of parallels, we can see this confirmed through other passages of Scripture. Through the verses below, we can readily make this distinction between what the Rapture will be like for Christians—glorious! And how it will be for nonbelievers—devastatingly shocking and ominous. How sad it will be for ‘them.’
BELIEVERS ARE 'WE'
"Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord." (1Thessalonians 4:17)
THE UNSAVED ARE 'THEY'
"For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape." (1Thessalonians 5:3)
Furthermore, this knowledge is a glorious one. Even Paul used this amazing Truth to comfort his church. Not only had they not missed the Rapture, as the rumors floating around claimed, which comforted them regarding their loved ones who had passed away, but they would be enjoying a glorious reunion with them at the time of their death. And given that they thought the Rapture could happen in their day, they were comforted even more so! As Paul says after he beautifully depicts the Rapture before his church in 1Thessalonians 4:13-17. Therefore, we see several reasons for why the Rapture is so wonderfully and divinely comforting!—
“Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1Thessalonians 4:18)
“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.” (2Thessalonians 2:1-2)
Therefore, let us who know the TRUTH be about our Father’s Business and spread this WORD in the form of warning whenever we possibility can! And continue in prayer for the lost……WE DON’T WANT THEM TO BURN IN HELL, BUT TO LIVE IN PERFECT PEACE AND JOY THROUGHOUT ALL ETERNITY with us and our LORD JESUS CHRIST—
"So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1Corinthians 15:54-57)
NKJV