EVERYONE WILL DIE

When you believe that ALL Scripture is inspired by God, you automatically know that it is ALL true.  And if ALL Scripture is true, whenever there appears to be a contradiction, it is due to my failure to understand what the Word of God is actually saying.  When this happens, it is my responsibility to study the "contradictory passages," and try to reconcile them.  Because I am incapable of understanding ALL that God has revealed in His Word, I am humbled by my human limitations, and I must simply "file" the topics in a "drawer" labeled "I'll understand it all, by-and-by!"  For the really spiritual, and truly brilliant children of God, their "drawer" is relatively small; for me, my "drawer" is the size of the Grand Canyon! 

Every once in a while, the Lord reveals something to me that enables me to remove an item from my "drawer," praise God!  Yesterday, a friend and I were discussing the change that takes place when the Rapture occurs.  During the conversation, we discussed the apparent contradiction of there being a Rapture in which believers, living at that time, would escape death, and yet, there is Scripture which indicates that ALL men die.  Romans 5:12 states, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon ALL men, for that ALL have sinned."  Hebrews 9:27 says, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."  In weeks past, we had already reconciled fact that although Enoch and Elijah had not died (Gen.5:24; 2 Kg. 2:11), we believe it is they who will be the two witnesses who die during the Tribulation (Rev. 11:7).  But, how is it possible to reconcile the Rapture with Hebrews 9:27?

We came to the conclusion that those being "raptured," would actually die and be resurrected, ALL in "a moment, in a twinkling of an eye" (1 Cor. 15:52)!  Looking at the context of this verse, we see that the "dead in Christ" are resurrected first, and then, the same change that happens to them, happens to us:

"Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.  Behold, I shew 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.  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'" (1 Cor. 15:50-54).

 

We will be transformed from life to death to life instantaneously!