Eschatology 2 Of 16 Our Glorified Bodies (1 Of 2)

• In the first message in this series, we talked about THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.

• Tonight we want to talk about the GLORIFIED BODIES that we will receive at the RAPTURE.

Look at these verses in 1 Cor. 15:51-52, “Behold, I show 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

Notice, when Paul talks about those who are living when Christ returns, he says that these mortal bodies will be changed to glorified bodies.

Paul refers to this as a mystery. I do not know how it is going to take place, nor does anyone else, that is why Paul refers to this as a “mystery”.

But notice how fast this is going to happen. The Word of God says, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.” It does not say the wink of an eye, that would be fast, but in the twinkling of an eye.

The rapture is going to take place so fast that it is going to be over before we realize what happened.

• All those who have died in the Lord are coming out of those graves in the twinkling of an eye.

• But also, almost simultaneously, when the dead in Christ shall be resurrected, the Bible states that those who are living at this time will be changed, and their bodies will become glorified bodies in the twinkling of an eye.

WHY ARE WE GIVEN THESE NEW GLORIFIED BODIES? Because these mortal bodies that we are living in are not designed for celestial living.

Illus: We all have seen the astronauts when they travel into space, into the second heaven. They have to wear space suits in order to survive.

For us to survive in the third heaven, God is going to give us a glorified body or else we would perish.

Look at 1 Cor. 15:53-55, we read, “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 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. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

The Bible refers to death as something all of us will experience.

It is referred to as the “Sting of death”.

• When a loved one dies, the “Sting of death” is so severe that it takes months and years to get over it.

• In some cases we never do get over it, we just get to where we can live with it.

But one day, when the Lord comes back and raptures the church, we will never again have to stand beside the grave of a loved one, weeping. All those who are saved are going to be given a glorified body, and we can point our finger in the face of death and say, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

No wonder God’s Word says in 1 Thess. 4:1, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

One of these days, we are going to get our NEW GLORIFIED BODIES! Every Christian here should be excited about receiving their NEW GLORIFIED BODY! WHY? Because these mortal bodies that we live in are constantly giving us problems.

Illus: A national television program was doing a documentary on the demand for plastic surgery in our society. What made this documentary so interesting was that they were showing what we consider some of the most attractive people in Hollywood who are not happy with their bodies. They are paying big bucks to have their bodies changed, because they are so unhappy with them.

Illus: Linda Tripp became famous during the Monica Lewinski sexual escapade with the former president, Bill Clinton. She was taken to court to defend herself, but before she went she had a complete makeover. When the plastic surgeon got through with her, it was hard to believe that she was the same woman.

Listen, the Lord will RAPTURE us, and “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,” God’s people are going to be changed from THEIR MORTAL BODIES into their GLORIFIED BODIES.

WHAT KIND OF BODY WILL WE RECEIVE?

I. OUR GLORIFIED BODY WILL BE LIKE THE BODY OF CHRIST

Look at Philippians 3:21, we read, “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”

Notice, the Word of God says we are going to be changed from our “Vile” bodies into GLORIFIED BODIES LIKE HIS.