.
.
I John 5:19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in wickedness.
The word “lies“ means to be permanently set, placed or fixed. It is used of placing a dead body in a tomb, and of a city being set on a hill. Neither the dead body nor the city is going to move.
The word “wickedness” should be translated “the wicked”. It’s not just wicked, it’s the wicked. It’s the same word used in the previous verse, and can be understood as the wicked one, or the wickedness of the wicked one.
The more like God you become, the more you see the wickedness, the idiocy, pain and sorrow so rampant in the world today, as well as the cause of it. As the time was in the day of Noah, so will be the time just before the return of Jesus Christ.
Genesis 6:5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
As God provided for the saving of mankind by means of the ark, so He has provided for the saving of mankind from the day (or time) of judgment (also known as the day of the Lord, or the day of Christ) by the return of His son, Jesus Christ. This return will come about, not because the world has become so wonderful, but because it has become so wicked.
Hebrews 10:12 But this man, (Jesus) after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; From then on waiting for the time when his enemies will be made his footstool.
Acts 1:6, 7 When they (Jesus & his apostles) therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, will you at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in His own power.
We don’t need to know when it will happen, only that it will. Even Jesus doesn’t know when it will happen. Only his Father, God, knows. Until then we’re waiting; even as Jesus is waiting. When that time does come, here’s how it will begin:
II Thessalonians 2:1-3 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That you be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come, unless there come the falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
The “day of Christ” is that period of time of judgment, when terrible things are going to happen on the earth to mankind. This is not a time to look forward to, and so Paul is encouraging the believers, saying that day won’t happen until after they leave the earth (“falling away“) to be gathered together unto Christ. The encouragement here for the believers is that it is not the time of judgment we are to look forward to, but rather the “gathering together,” for it must happen first.
I Corinthians 15:52-54 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpeting; 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.
“Corruptible” refers to the physical. “Mortality” refers to the life. The dead, whose bodies have corrupted in the grave, will take on incorruptible bodies. We, who are alive at the return of Christ, will be changed from having a body which can corrupt to one which cannot. Both the dead and those alive at this moment will take on the life which cannot die, and it will become the sole life of their incorruptible bodies.
I Thessalonians 4:15-17 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede them who are asleep (dead in Christ). For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpeting of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Before those who are alive are changed and gathered up into the air, the dead in Christ will get up with incorruptible bodies. Then we’ll all go at the same time. We won’t really notice this happening; it’ll be a “What just happened!?!” moment. We’ll realize it has already happened, rather than be aware that it’s in the process of happening. Snap your fingers. That is how long it will take for all this to happen.
And what will it be like, this being clothed with a new physical body which cannot corrupt?
I John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
I Corinthians 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
Philippians 3:20,21 For our citizenship is in heaven; from where also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working (energizing) by which he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
Our bodies will be like his is now and has been since the time of his resurrection. Our knowing of him will be without hindrance, and will be by the spirit of God, as is his knowing of us right now.
He could change his appearance at will. John 21:1-14 is the record of the third time his disciples saw him, yet they did not recognize him for a while. Luke 24:13-31 is the record of two of Jesus’ most intimate disciples walking with him and listening to him interpret to them the Scriptures, yet they did not recognize him for a long time.
He could travel outside his body. Luke 24:36 says that Jesus “stood in the midst” of them, as they were talking. He simply took on a body out of thin air so that they could see him.
He could fly through the air. Acts 1:9, 10 indicates that Jesus went up into the sky and disappeared from the view of his apostles.
The abilities he has, we will have. Where will we live?
II Peter 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells (only) righteousness.
Revelation 21:1 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.
What will we do? Will we marry? Have children? Will there be only a fixed number of people forever? Will we eat? What will we eat? Will there be sports? Work? Fishing? Play? Learning? Inventions? Discoveries? These are good questions. To be answered in a future study… Meanwhile…
Hebrews 10:24, 25 And let us consider one another, to provoke (one another) unto love and unto good works; Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, (as the manner of some is); but exhorting (one another); and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.
_________________________________________
..
The book, Give Me Christ … Revelations of the Glorified Christ is now available on Amazon.
You can subscribe at the upper right of this page by supplying your name and e-mail. You’ll be notified by e-mail whenever a new study is posted, every couple of weeks or so. Your e-mail is not shared with anyone else. After you subscribe, add our address to your contact list, so that the notifications are not sent to your junk folder.
Other studies:
Our Inheritance
Love of the Unknown
What is Glory?
Eternity awaits!
