Immortal at Salvation?

[Mellontes]

Immortal at Salvation?

1 Corinthians 15:53-54 – For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 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.
The time when the “mortal” puts on “immortality” is when “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

Now, when is “Death is swallowed up in victory”?

It occurs at the same time that “the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces” (Isaiah 25:8)

Isaiah 25:8 – He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

So, what is the context of Isaiah 25:8?

Well, we know from Isaiah 25:9 that this is the day of salvation!

Isaiah 25:9 – And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

We are all familiar with the time that God wipes away our tears in Revelation:

Revelation 21:1-4 – And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Notice the connection with death being swallowed up from 1 Corinthians 15:54 and Isaiah 25:8 with that of “there shall be no more death” in Revelation 21:4. Now, when does God wipe away all these tears? Here are five linking events:

1. “A new heaven and a new earth”
2. “The first heaven and the first earth were passed away”
3. “No more sea”
4. “New Jerusalem…prepared as a bride adorned for her husband”
5. “The tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people”

But first, a little more on the new Jerusalem from this same chapter:

Revelation 21:9-10 – … Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. 10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

There can be no question (at least not for me) that the arrival of the new heaven and new earth is the same time of the arrival of the new Jerusalem. It is WITHIN these that God wipes away our tears! According to Isaiah 25, this is the day of salvation. I am sure that most preterists associate the new Jerusalem with the new covenant in Christ – salvation. Dispensationalists do not. Peter refers to the new heaven and earth as a place where righteousness dwells:

2 Peter 3:13 – Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

But we are not done proving this fact. Let’s look a little closer at point #5 from above.

In a continuation of the “dry bones of Israel” that is prophesied to one day have life, Ezekiel states the following:

Ezekiel 37:26-28 – Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. 27 My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 28 And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.

[I recommend reading Ezekiel 37:15-25, the portion between the “dry bones” and the above passage. It speaks of the unity in the one stick – the key word here being “one.”]

The three bolded and underlined points from Ezekiel 37 are found elsewhere. Dispensationalists are reluctant to admit that the same points are exhibited in the church!

2 Corinthians 6:16 – And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

I believe we have successfully connected Ezekiel’s prophesy with both Revelation and the church. Salvation, new heaven and new earth, new Jerusalem is concerning the church. Now, there is some controversy concerning the extent of the new heaven and earth. Some believe that all present nations exist under the umbrella of the new heaven and earth. Under this umbrella also exits the new Jerusalem. To this group, the new Jerusalem is not to be equated with the new heaven and earth. For others, the new Jerusalem is equated with the new heaven and earth. I equate the two as being equal entities, but I do not believe that all people are dwelling in the new heaven and earth.

So, does what Peter say regarding the new heaven and earth mean that righteousness exists “under the umbrella” or IS the “umbrella”? We need to go back to Isaiah 65 this time.

Isaiah 65:17-19 – For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: or, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.

The bolded and underlined portion matches very well with that of Revelation 21:4’s “and there shall be no more … sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

But there is a bit more from Isaiah 65…

Isaiah 65:25 – The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

Which is strangely similar to Isaiah 11…

Isaiah 11:6 – The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

And these events occur “in that day” when Isaiah 11:10 is given its fulfillment:

Isaiah 11:10 – And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

Which we know to be fulfilled in Paul’s day when he refers to the Gentiles becoming co-heirs of the promise and part of the same body in Jesus Christ as the believing Jews…

Romans 15:8-12 – Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: 9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. 10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. 11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. 12 And again, Isaiah saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.

Romans 15:12 is quoting Isaiah 11:10 from the Septuagint (a matter for personal study). Paul is using Isaiah 11:10 and three other OT passages (Psalm 18:49, Deut 32:43, Psalm 117:1) to prove his point that what was current in his day is that which was prophesied a long time ago. Dispensationalists do not agree because, to them, Isaiah’s reference to the wolf and the lamb indicate a return to the Garden state when animals resort back to being kind, gentle and peace loving. This allegedly occurs in their millennial kingdom which is still a future event.

However, this is exactly what does happen – only it is totally figurative in nature. What happened in the Garden is reversed by the seed prophecy of Genesis 3:15:

Genesis 3:15 – And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

And we know that the true seed is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the Lord Jesus Christ who brings salvation! What was lost in the garden is regained in Jesus Christ. We get back to the Tree of Life as Revelation clearly (at least to me) indicates (Revelation 2:7; 22:2,14).

So, initially we started out in what is known as the resurrection chapter, 1 Corinthians 15. We learned that immortality and incorruption are obtained at this time. We also learned that at this time “death would be swallowed up in victory.” Death is swallowed up in victory the same time God wipes away our tears. This is in the new heaven and earth and in the new Jerusalem. It is when salvation occurs. It is when we, as new believers, become new creations (ktisis – Strong’s 2937) in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). Therefore, we are immortal and incorrupt at the moment of salvation! Also, the idea that a physical, bodily resurrection stems from 1 Corinthians 15 is totally false. Even the view of new spiritual bodies being given to passed away saints is false. It has nothing to do with the death of a believer! It is all about salvation – being raised from the dead (separation from God because of sin), not being raised from physical death! We are already raised!

John 5:24 - Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

1 John 3:14 - We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

The only thing left is the fact that in the new heaven a new earth there is no longer the “sea.” It was the first heaven and earth that contained the “sea.” The only heaven and earth that I know of that contained the “sea” is found in Genesis chapter one! But that is a whole different discussion...