The Destiny of the Redeemed

1 Corinthians 15:46-58 emphasizes several precious truths regarding our resurrection in Christ. First, a key principle is laid down for us: There is a clear progression of life, from the natural to the spiritual. The Holy Spirit had said this already in verse 44, where He stated, “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.” Now, He establishes the principle in terms of Adam and Christ. Listen to His clear reasoning: 1 Corinthians 15:46-47-

46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

He plainly states that when Adam was created, he was made of the earth. But, when Christ came, He came as the Lord from heaven. Adam was natural; Christ is spiritual. This is simple, but clear. Now the Holy Spirit applies this same principle to the resurrection of the redeemed, in verses 48 and 49.

48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

In Adam we have all borne the image of the earthy; in Christ we shall all bear the image of the heavenly. The remainder of the passage, through verse 57, reveals why we must pass through death into resurrection life. Since death passed upon all men when Adam fell into sin, God cannot simply set it aside altogether. Death is the ultimate form of corruption, and it was decreed by God to be the penalty for sin. He told Adam that on the day that he would choose to eat of the fruit of the tree that was forbidden to him, he would surely die. So then death, with all its corruption, fell upon the entire race that sprang from Adam’s loins. But, notice carefully verse 50:

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Everything in Adam after the Fall is seething with corruption. And the kingdom of God is completely without any form of corruption. The two simply cannot be brought together. They are entirely different from one another on an essential level. In the same way that one cannot mix oil and water, that which is of corrupt Adam cannot be brought into the utter purity of the kingdom of God. Verse 51 goes on to identify how this will be made possible for those who have not died when Christ returns to set up the Father’s kingdom.

51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.

Those that have died will be raised up through resurrection. Those that have not died “be changed.” The next two verses state again why this has to happen:

52 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. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Because corrupt Adam cannot inherit the kingdom of God, this mortal must put on incorruption!

As staggering as this is, it merely serves to prepare us for even greater revelations yet to come! We must ask an important question, and one that is too often neglected in musings on our heavenly destiny: Why? Why does God intend to raise up redeemed members of Adam’s rebel race? Are we just going to be cruising around heaven in glorified bodies like starry-eyed tourists, as we have suggested earlier? In our final post in this series we shall see that such is emphatically not the case! God is raising up redeemed members of the rebel race of Adam for very specific purposes!

Why? Why does God intend to raise up redeemed members of Adam’s rebel race? Are we just going to be cruising around heaven in glorified bodies like starry-eyed tourists, as we have suggested earlier? Verse 58 of our passage in 1 Corinthians 15 supplies the answer, when seen in its full context.

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

The way this verse is ordinarily seen in the context is simple. Since there is definitely a resurrection morning coming, in which all redeemed members of Adam’s rebel race will be raised incorruptible, all our labor in bringing folks to Christ is not in vain. This is quite true, and aligns with the context. But, there is far more, in light of what we have been seeing! Let me begin by posing another question.

If you knew the earth was going to be utterly destroyed, who would you choose to escape the destruction and begin an entirely new life elsewhere?

God is going to destroy this earth, together with the heavens that have been in any manner corrupted through its influence. And, God is going to bring out from the ashes those who will ultimately survive its final destruction. And, these ‘survivors’ will begin an entirely new life elsewhere! There will be new heavens and a new earth, as we have seen. And the redeemed ‘survivors’ of Adam’s doomed race will be taken over into this entirely new creation! But, what shall they do, once there?

Look with me at several verses from the book of Revelation, please. First, Revelation 22:3, where we are plainly told, “his [Christ’s] servants shall serve him.” Whatever else may form part of life for these redeemed descendants of a doomed race in the new heavens and the new earth, they shall be serving Christ. This is wonderful, is it not? But, what way will they serve Him? What will this service look like? We are given several very clear indications, right here in Revelation.

Look with me at Revelation 1:5-6.

5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Notice in verse 5 two interesting titles for the Lord Jesus Christ. He is spoken of as “the first begotten of the dead,” and “the prince of the kings of the earth.” The emphasis upon Him being the first begotten of the dead certainly calls to mind all that we have been seeing in our contemplations of the resurrection. He is the first begotten, to be followed by others! But, then He is given a curious title: the prince of the kings of the earth. The reason this is curious is that it is in this book of Revelation that we are shown that complete destruction of this earth! Is Christ, then, the prince of a dead race of meaningless kings? The answer lies in the next verse, where we are told that Christ “hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father.” Are we being spoken of a kings and priests unto God in a dying world? Or ought we perhaps to rethink this?

Consider now also Revelation 5:10, where this same truth is identified again:

10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

In this passage we see the throne of the Lamb being surrounded by a vast multitude of the redeemed from every kindred, and tongue, and people and nation singing these words, together with others. They are literally singing about being made kings and priests unto God, as had been identified in Revelation 1:6! They add to the song the words: “and we shall reign on the earth.” Shall this be only during the Millennial reign of Christ for a thousand years, after which the Devil and his angels shall be cast into the lake of fire? Or does it suggest even more?

Before we consider this, we must identify two simple realities. We are to become kings and priests unto God. What does this mean? In the simplest of terms, a king is someone who exercise dominion. This is precisely the purpose for which God created Adam. Adam’s dominion over God’s creation fell into terrible disarray when he chose sin and death. But, in Christ, God is restoring that dominion, and far more! And a priest, what is his function? A priest represents God before others, and others before God. Shall we, in the new heavens and the new earth, serve in these capacities? Shall we exercise dominion in His new creation? Shall we stand before Him for others, and before others for Him?

In the final two chapters of Revelation we are shown the new heavens and the new earth. See Revelation 21:1, which plainly states, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away...” Shortly after this the Lord speaks more fully of this reality, as the new heaven hovers over the new earth. Look at verse 24.

24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

It is interesting, isn’t it, that we are told that the kings of the [new] earth bring their glory and honour(sic) into the new heaven? Who are these kings? Are we being raised up, incorruptible and immortal so that we may serve as kings and as priests unto our God in His new heavens and new earth? Does this labor extend far into an entirely newly-created span of endless heavens? We are told that “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9) What, indeed, does God have in store for the redeemed sons of Adam’s rebel race, raised to immortality and incorruption?