The Mystery of the Rapture or the Transformation of Living Believers and the Resurrection of Dead Believers. 1 Corinthians 15:50
The Background of the Mystery
Paul is explaining the reality and nature of resurrection. chapter 15
Paul is explaining the necessity of resurrection. v. 50
Flesh and blood are not able to inherit a future aspect of the Kingdom of God.
³Kingdom of God² is anartharous [has not definite article] therefore, it referred to as an aspect or quality of the Kingdom.
³Flesh and Blood² refers to our present state of existence. Our present body is animated by blood. The shedding of blood is equated with death.
Presently, the life, the animating principle of the body is in the blood. Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 17:11
When Christ rose from the dead, He was in a real glorified body of flesh and bone not flesh and blood. Luke 24:39
When Christ ascended to the Father, He took His literal blood into the heavenly tabernacle where it remains and will remain at least into the kingdom. Hebrews 9:12-13; 12:24
Paul¹s point is that God will have to bring about a change so that we are no longer flesh animated by blood but flesh and bone. The resurrection is genuinely physical but the physical nature differs from the present state. cp 15:35ff
Corruption [decay] is not able to inherit a future aspect of the Kingdom of God.
This refers to the decay of death.
Dead people can not inherit the kingdom in their state of decay.
God will have to resurrect and change their state of decay so that they too may inherit the kingdom.
Something must change, so that we, whether alive or dead are able to inherit this future aspect of the Kingdom.
The Nature of the Mystery
The significance of the term ³mystery² to this transformation and resurrection.
A mystery is a New Testament truth, unrevealed in the Old Testament
The resurrection was revealed in the Old Testament.
Job 25:6 - ³After my is taken off [death/decay] then from out of [that is looking out from] my flesh I shall see God.² Since this is likely the first book written in the Old Testament, this is the earliest know reference to a literal physical resurrection.
Daniel 12:2 - ³Many from among the sleepers of the dust shall awake...²
Isaiah 26:12 - ³Your dead shall live, your dead bodies shall arise ...²
Ezekiel 37:5, 6 - ³... I will cause breath to enter into you and you shall live.  And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.² This verse is important, for in verse 14 it is connected with the nation of Israel entering her land and the Holy Spirit coming into them as the inauguration of the New Covenant.
Therefore, this mystery refers to an event which is distinct from the resurrection of Old Testament saints.
The content of the mystery. 1 Corinthians 15
We will not all sleep. v. 51 - Some of us will not die.
We will all be changed. v. 51 - This includes both those who have died and those who are living. This ³change² answers the questions raised in the statement, ³flesh and blood can not inherit the kingdom of God.² We will all be changed so that we will not be flesh and blood.
In an atom - a small particle - hence a very short time.
In a twinkling of an eye - the fraction of a second it takes light to hit the eye and reflect.
In the last trump - not the last of the seven in Revelation. The last in the short series connected with this event. We are all changed at the last trumpet.
A trumpet trumpets [A.V. ³sounds²] and the dead are raised. v. 52
They are raised at a trumpet of God.
They are raised incorruptible. The decay experienced by their vacated physical bodies is changed.
The corruption puts on incorruption - i.e. decay put on undecayableness.
At the last trumpet we will be changed. v. 52
We have already read in verse 51 that we will be changed at the last trumpet.
Our flesh and blood bodies will be changed into flesh and bone bodies like to Christ¹s glorified body. cp Philippians 3:21; 1 John 3:2-3
Our mortal [subject to death] puts on immortality [not subject to death].
The benefit of this mystery. 1 Corinthians
The death is swallowed in victory. v. 54
Paul quotes Isaiah 25:8 a statement regarding resurrection. While the word, ³raised² is the same, ³resurrect² is reserved for those who upon living, do not return to death. Both the resurrection of Old Testament saints and the Rapture [two separate events] are events which swallow death with victory.
This picture of death being swallowed by victory is akin to the picture of our glorified body out of heaven, clothing over us at the Rapture. 2 Corinthians 5:3.
Where is your sting, death? v. 55
The sting of death is the sin nature. As long as we are subject to death, we contend with the sin nature. It is with us as long as we live in bodies which can die. v. 56
The power of the sin nature is the Law. v. 56 The Law functions to goad the sin nature to action, so that it may be plainly seen as sinful. Romans 7:13
It is grace by God that He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. v. 57
We have victory now through the Lord Jesus Christ as our position upon which we reckon. cp Romans 6:11
We will have victory in the future when our Lord Jesus Christ comes for us and we are changed.
Where is your victory, Hades. v. 55
Hades is the place in the heart of the earth, in which the dead resided until resurrection.
The unsaved dead are still in Hades.
When Jesus Christ rose from the dead and ascended, He took as liberated captives, the believers who waited at rest [but conscious] in Hades.
From an Old Testament point of view, Hades loses its victory, as the place of the dead, through resurrection which removes dead ones from its domain.
Conclusion
This mystery reveals an event not previously revealed involving glorification and resurrection
This mystery encourages us to be steadfast, unmovable and abounding in the work of the Lord (v. 58) because:
We will all be glorified.
The dead will be raised.

The Mystery of the Rapture - Distinguishing Resurrections
Review
This is a mystery truth so it was not previously revealed and is therefore distinct from the resurrections previously revealed in the Old Testament Scriptures.
This event is the next prophetic event in God¹s revealed plan.
No signs are said to precede it.
No other identifiable events need take place.
The Rapture, will precede Daniel¹s 70th week and therefore the events associated with and following that 7 year period: resurrection of Old Testament saints, Millennial kingdom, the final resurrection.
What about passages which supposedly teach a single resurrection of all people, both of the righteous and unrighteous?
Many people in Christendom have taught a single general resurrection. ³Christ has in reserve for his church a period of universal expansion and of preeminent spiritual prosperity, when the spirit and character of the ³noble army of martyrs² shall be reproduced again in the great body of God¹s people in an unprecedented measure, and when these martyrs shall, in the general triumph of their cause, and in the overthrow of that of their enemies, receive judgment over their foes and reign in the earth; while the party of Satan, ³the rest of the dead,² shall not flourish again until the thousand years be ended, when it shall prevail again for a little season.² A.A. Hodge Outlines of Theology, p. 571
Hodge belittles pre-millenialism, ³The Apostolic Fathers of the Jewish Christian branch of the church, such as Barnabas, Hermes, and Papias, adopted it [millenialism]. It prevailed generally through the Church from A.D. 150, to A.D. 250, being advocated by Irenaeus and Tertullian. Since that time the doctrine taught in this chapter has been the one generally recognized by the whole church, while Millenarianism or  Chilianism has been confined to individuals and transient parties.² p. 569 and ³The theory is evidently Jewish in its origin and Judaizing in its tendency.² p. 570.
He belittles it by stating that it has not be the prevalent view during Church history.
He belittles it by associating it with Judaism and states that it tends to make people act like Jews.
It should be noted that in the New Testament Scriptures the phrase, ³resurrection of the dead² is literally ³resurrection out from among the dead ones².
The former translation does not represent the plural noun ³dead ones².
The former translation does not represent the Greek preposition ek.
This later translation while being more literal also communicates the idea of the removal of some out from dead ones and some dead ones remaining behind.
This translation only makes sense when at least two resurrection occur at two separate times.
Daniel 12:2 - ³many from among the sleepers of the dust shall away; these shall be unto eternal life; but those shall be unto shame and eternal contempt.²
In reality this distinguishes between two resurrections.
The first resurrection, or the one that takes place at the point following 12:1 [the end of Daniel¹s 70th week], consists of those who awake unto eternal life out from among the sleepers of the dust. They are taken out from among, indicated by the Hebrew word miyeshne - miy - from among + eshne - sleepers.
The second resurrection consists of those left in the dust of the earth and will eventually be raised unto shame and eternal contempt.
John 5:28-29 - ³... for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear his voice and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto a resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto a resurrection of judgment.²
Hour, it is conjectured, means this is one short event involving everyone.
In John 4:21, 23, Christ refers to an hour which has already extended nearly 2,000 years.
In John 5:35, Christ stated that John shined as a light for an hour. John¹s ministry lasted at least a year.
In John 16:12, Christ refers to an hour in which those who kill His disciples will think they are serving God, e.g. Saul.
The use of ³hour² does not define this as a specially short time.
Nothing in this text necessitates changing our understanding of two resurrections found in clearer texts. The hour refers only to the general future time in which these resurrections will take place. Since the Rapture was still a mystery this would refer to the resurrection of Old Testament saints at the beginning of the kingdom and the wicked at the end. So, the hour is 1,000 years.
John 11:25-26 - ³...I know he shall rise in the resurrection in the last day² This is simply a reference to the resurrection of the righteous, for Lazarus would have been a part of that resurrection. The Old Testament saints anticipated resurrection in the last day, so that they would enter their promised kingdom and land.
Acts 24:15 - ³...that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.² Again, this statement only asserts that both the righteous and wicked will be raised. It does not assert that these resurrections take place simultaneously. It would be similar to saying, ³There will be an apple harvest of both ____ and _____.², in which two varieties might be harvested two months apart.
The Resurrections of Believers - or the First Resurrection [i.e. first kind of resurrection].
Christ¹s was the first - He was the first fruits. 1 Corinthians 15:23
First fruits refers to the first sample of the harvest, which anticipated that the whole harvest would be of that quality.
The Church at the Rapture. 1 Thessalonians 4
The dead, their spirits and souls, come back with Jesus. v. 14
The dead in Christ will rise first. v. 16
Note, these dead are ³in Christ².
No one was ³in Christ² until the day of Pentecost at which time the Spirit began to put believers into Christ by ³baptism².
The ³dead in Christ² includes only believer who have lived during this present dispensation of Grace. Remember, the Rapture is a mystery truth and has a relationship to the other mysteries.
The Two Witnesses. Revelation 11
They are killed by the beast when they have finished their witness. v. 7
Their dead bodies lie on display in Jerusalem for three days, with the earth-dwellers rejoicing over them. vv. 8-10
They are raised after three days and called up into heaven. v. 12
The Saints of the Old Testament. Daniel 12:2, 11-13
The resurrection of those to eternal life is distinguished from the resurrection of those to reproach and eternal contempt.
The resurrection of the Old Testament saints is 1290 days after the middle of Daniel¹s 70th Week. That is about 30 days after the end of the Tribulation.
The Mystery of the Rapture Is Practical!
As with many doctrines, some contend that if doctrine stirs any controversy, we ought to avoid it. In fact, some would suggest that it will all be straightened out in the future any way, so why worry what¹s right, ³Let¹s just love God and each other.²
Doctrine is not time-consuming mind-benders for idle Christians. God has revealed these truths for a reason. The pre-tribulational Rapture is not only Biblical but very practical. Failing to understand  Biblical doctrine affects our lives.
Grace teachs us to eagerly expect the Rapture.
Titus 2:11-14 - ³The grace from God ... child trains us ... to be eagerly expecting the happy hope even the appearing of the glory belonging to the great God even our Savior Jesus Christ.²
Note, it is not fear of the future but God¹s undeserved love [grace] which teaches us to anticipate that appearing.
It is a happy hope. The Rapture, when properly taught and understood is not a time of fear or dread but one for which there exists eager anticipation.
The Greek grammar equates ³our great God² and ³Our Savior Jesus Christ.² Paul wrote this in such a manner that they refer to the same person.
Purity is encouraged by the hope for the Rapture.
1 John 3:2-3 - ³ Beloved, now we are the children from God and is not yet plain what we shall be, but we know as a fact, that whenever He shall be plain, we shall be like Him, because we will see Him for ourselves as He is. And everyone having this hope upon himself, he purifies himself, as that one is pure.²
We will be like Christ when we see Him.
The hope of seeing Him and being like Him, spurs purity, not a fear of a future, post-rapture discipline or judgment.
cp. 2 Timothy 2:14-16 - When the resurrection of believers is misplaced or mistaught, it removes this hope and affects how believers live.
1 Corinthians 15:19 - If our hope in Christ is only for this present life, we are more pitiable [in need of more mercy] than all men.
1 Corinthians 15:32-33 - If we have no hope, then the mentality is to enjoy the pleasures of life, because we might die tomorrow. This mentality is expressed in the world and can rub off on believers, ³Evil company, corrupts good habits.²
Living in our position in Christ, is sampling, our future. It is enjoying or experiencing now some of the benefits we will know fully, when the Rapture takes place, such as, freedom from the sin nature. cp 1 Corinthians 15:56-57
A proper perspective on the things of this life and the World system is encouraged by the Rapture.
1 Corinthians 7 - It gives us a perspective on the world system.
The time [season] is short. v. 29 - In this context, Paul is writing about marriage. He is addressing those who want to get married, those who are married and those who have daughters wishing to marry. The desires associated with marriage are placed in perspective, when Paul reminds them that the time is short. Marriage is a relationship associated with this present time and places additional pressure on us from the world system.
Those that have wives, live as though they do not have wives. v. 29 - Simply, in light of the shortness of this life, don¹t let your wife take the place of God. Keep all things, including marriage in proper perspective.
But the short time applies to many matters of this life. vv. 30-31
Those that weep as not  weeping. v. 30 - Sorrow is not prohibited, but even sorrow should be viewed through God¹s calendar.
Those that joy as not joying. v. 30 - Joy is a wonderful virtue but it too can detract us from the shortness of time.
Those that buy as not possessing. v. 30 - Our possessions should always be held to lightly. Selfish, possessiveness is a danger sign of worldiness.
Those that make use of the world system as not making it an end. v. 31 - We do use the system but should never become so involved in it, that it consumes us, and we are using it to the full.
The very outward face of this world system is passing away. v. 31 This system is pictured as a play with temporary scenery, which is already passing from the scene.
A proper attitude concerning our service for God is encouraged by the Rapture.
1 Corinthians 15:29-33 - We are not like soldiers marching to die without a purpose.
Baptism places believers into Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:13
Each believer placed into Christ is potentially taking the place of another believer who has served before him and has died or will die. 1 Corinthians 15:29
If those who have gone before us, will not be raised, then we are like soldiers, awaiting our turn to fill the front ranks and to die, with not other hope or purpose. v. 29
If those, whose ranks we fill do not rise:
Why should we put ourselves in danger every hour? v. 30
Paul died every day, that is, he lived in danger every day. v. 31
Why did Paul have to contend with wild beasts - men - in Ephesus? v. 32
All this is a waste, if there is no resurrection and our resurrection is that mystery truth - the Rapture.
1 Corinthians 15:58 - It reminds us to remain firm.  ³My beloved ones, you become firm ones, unmoveable ones.² The Rapture, encourages us to be firm while we live out this life.
We are to be always abounding in the work from the Lord. - We were created in Christ Jesus unto good works.
We should know that our labor in the Lord is not in vain, ie - empty, without result or effect.
Our minds can be held together [girdled] by the hope of the Rapture. 1 Peter 1:13  
We anticipate our completed salvation. vv. 4-9
We experience grief by a variety of temptations. peirasmos - to test with the intent of find that which is lacking in character. v. 6
We view persecution as the proving of our faith. v. 7 Proving, to assay what is of worth in it.
Our souls will be the last of our members saved. This happens when we see Christ. vv. 7, 9
We know that when our Savior appears, He is coming with grace for us. v. 13
He is not coming to punish us.
He is coming to snatch us to Himself, and He comes with grace. A failure to know that He is bringing grace, has caused some to fear the future.
We are to bind tight, as with a girdle, our minds by hoping on that grace.
A comfort concerning those who have died is provided by understanding the Rapture 1 Thessalonians 4:18
We can know that God [Jesus] will bring them with Him when He comes for us, so that they might be raised. v. 14
We know that they will be raised and together we will be caught up to be always with the Lord. v. 17
We are, therefore, not hopeless like the unsaved. Our grief is tempered by this hope and we can encourage one another concerning lost believers.
We can not be troubled by those who teach we are in the Tribulation, if we know the facts about the  Rapture 2 Thessalonians 2:3 -
Note that even while Paul was alive, people were already teaching the heresy that Church saints will go into the day of the Lord. v. 2
We are not to be shaken from our mind. v. 2
We are not to be disturbed. v. 2
We are to guard against this on behalf of our Lord¹s appearing and our gathering to Him. v. 1 This is the Rapture.
It guards us against those who would deceive us, that we must go through a purging period in the Tribulation which is inconsistent with grace.
We are reminded that we are citizens of heavens and not of this earth.  Philippians 3:21 We are only pilgrims or travelers here.
We are awaiting our Lord from heaven. v. 20
We know we will be changed by Him to be like Him in His glory.
We are citizens of heavens.
We are encouraged to be alert and not apathetic in our spiritual lives. Romans 13:11-14
Our salvation is nearer now, than when we believed. v. 11
It is time for us to awake. v. 11 - When believer live like unsaved people, it is likened to being asleep among dead ones cp Ephesians 5:14 Paul is encouraging saints to consider our future and live in light of that great future, when our salvation is completed.
We should cast off the works of darkness. v. 12 Darkness is the absence of God¹s manifest life. Therefore, these works would be those which do not manifest God¹s kind of life. Paul details some of these works in v. 13.
We walk in the day, in the light, in light of the soon coming of our Lord to takes us away, by putting on the Lord Jesus Christ. v. 14 ³Putting² Him on is reflectively thinking on our position in Christ. It is operating or orangizing our lives in the realm of our position.


Imminency of our Lord¹s coming for us and the Rapture.
Of all the proofs given on behalf of the Rapture, and most are very powerful proofs, the fact that the New Testament writers expected the Lord¹s coming to take place during their lives is the strongest. This is also one of the most practical aspects of the Rapture. New Testament saints didn¹t spend much time arguing ³pre-trib², ³mid-trib², ³post-trib² because they lived in anticipation of the Lord¹s imminent coming for them. They believed it so firmly, that it transformed lives. They believed it so firmly, that views which taught believers to anticipate intervening events simply didn¹t fit. On two occasions Paul, deals with false ideas because such ideas were troubling saints who hadn¹t been taught enough.
Imminency defined
Imminence indicates that an event or person is ready to happen or to arrive. The ideas means that nothing must intervene before this takes place.
Imminence allows for other events that may take place.
Imminence is from man¹s perspective.
God knows every last believer He has chosen to place into the body of Christ. Every last believer will be in the body before the Rapture takes place.
God knows when the last believer will be placed into the body, we do not.
God knows exactly when the Son will come for us.
Since we do not know these facts, and God has not revealed anything else that we are to look for or expect prior to the Son¹s coming for us, this event is imminent to us.
Imminency demonstrated from the anticipation of the New Testament writers. Some of these Scriptures have a stronger sense of imminency than others, but all picture the Rapture as coming soon.
Romans 13:11b-12a ³...for now our salvation is nearer than when we believed. The night is advancing the day is near.² Paul uses ³night² as a word-picture of the coming judgments in the Day of the Lord. That time is coming closer and the day, which is a reference to the completion of our salvation, is near. As both approach, the distinction between believers and unbelievers become increasingly obvious.
Romans 16:20 ³the God of peace will quickly tread Satan under your feet.² We will have part in Christ¹s reign and even during the Tribulation will view God¹s decimation of Satan and his kingdom.
1 Corinthians 15:15 - ³...we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.² Paul wrote, expecting to be among the living not the sleeping. Since he was alive, he didn¹t anticipate dying.
1 Corinthians 16:22 - ³Maran atha² an Aramaic expression common among New Testament saints, which meant, ³Our Lord is coming.²
2 Corinthians 5:1 - ³If our earthly house consisting of the tent [body] should happen to be taken down...² Paul uses the third class condition in the Greek to express a possibility which he considers less likely to happen. He expected to see the Lord in flesh so taking down this tent was less likely. This would have been clear to the readers, reading Paul¹s Greek letter.
Philippians 3:20 - ³...out of which [heaven] we eagerly expect [await] the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ² Paul was eagerly expecting Him along with the Philippians. There were not  expecting Him to come in some distant future or with intervening events.
1 Thessalonians 1:10 - ³... to await His Son out from the heavens ... the One rescuing us from the coming wrath.² Paul uses a different word for ³await² than in Philippians. It is simple patient waiting but waiting which expects Him to come. Paul was not waiting for death but for His Lord.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 - ³And the dead ones in Christ will rise first then we the living ones, the remaining behind ones, we will all be snatched up together in clouds ...² Again, Paul expected to be among the living at the time the Lord would come and snatch us to Himself.
2 Thessalonians 2:1 - ³I request, you brothers, on behalf of the presence [coming/appearing] of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering to Him...² Paul used a Greek grammatical construction which equates Christ¹s presence and our gathering. This is called a Grandville Sharp¹s Rule construction.
1 Timothy 6:14 - ³...that you guard the commandment ... until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.² Paul believed Timothy would be alive until the appearing of our Lord and could therefore, guard this commandment.
Titus 2:12-14 - ³The grace from God ... teaches us ... to be eagerly expecting that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our Great God even Savior Jesus Christ.² This is eager expectation.
Hebrews 10:37 - ³For yet a little while and the One coming, will come.² These believers could control their souls as they waited for the Lord¹s coming for us. That time was ³a little while².
James 5:7-8 - ³Therefore, suffer long, brothers, until the presence of our Lord. ... You also suffer long, you make your hearts firm, because the presence of the Lord is near [at hand].
These believers are suffering at the hands of the rich, but they are to suffer long [in both cases the verb form of a part of the fruit from the Spirit]. James expected that they could be longsuffering until Christ appeared.
The expression at hand meant literally that, to be so near that you were at arms length.
1 John 2:28 - ³And now little children, abide in Him, in order that, whenever He appears [lit. ³if He should happen to appear - the ³if² relates to time not whether or not it will take place.]. They lived with such an expectation that John did not expect anything else to necessarily take place prior to His coming.
John wrote the Revelation from Jesus Christ and was aware of many future events.
John wasn¹t expecting any of these things to take place prior to the Rapture.
John expected Christ to come for us at any moment and therefore could write to these believers at the end of the first century as thought they might be alive when He appeared.
1 John 3:2 - ³But we know that whenever He appears.² This is the same type of Greek construction as in 2:28.
The Importance of Imminency
Imminency sets a tenor for the believer¹s life. The believer can always live as though this hour might be the hour that our Lord will come for us. The believer does not expect some distant coming of the Lord but eagerly expects it to take place now. While some might use this as a motivator from fear to ³good² behavior, most Scriptures encourage believers to anticipate it.
Imminency encourages believers to love the Lord¹s appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8
Love is an attitude expressed in an action, therefore, this ³loving His appearing² affects the manner in which these believers live. It affects their actions.
For this reason, the crown given to a believer who loves his Lord¹s appearing, is called a crown of righteousness. His eager expectation of the Lord¹s coming, His love to see His Lord appear, encouraged righteous living.