The Death of Death

The arrival of Jesus at the end of the age will result in our resurrection and the end of the last enemy, Death - 1 Corinthians 15:24-28.

The Apostle Paul responded to denials of the future resurrection by explaining that bodily resurrection is essential to Christian salvation, and he pointed to Christ's own death and resurrection as the precedent of this hope.

The resurrection is central to the biblical doctrine of salvation, and the New Testament locates this event on the day when Christ arrives from heaven. Moreover, the basis of our future resurrection is the past death and resurrection of the Nazarene – (For example, John 6:40, 11:24-26. Revelation 1:5, 1:18, 2:8, 2:11, 20:4-5, 20:14, 21:4).

Paul identifies death as 'the last enemy'. Death is the ultimate enemy of humanity. It is the final enemy, not only because it will be eliminated last chronologically, but because death is our greatest and most unrelenting enemy, and the fear of death enslaves every man, woman and child. We all die in the end. Short of resurrection, there is no escape – (1 Corinthians 15:26. See Hebrews 2:14-18).

[Photo by Alexandra (Poland) on Unsplash]

The same hope is found in the Book of Revelation. Because Jesus has “ the keys of Death and Hades,” they will both be thrown into the Lake of the Fire on the Last Day – (Revelation 1:18).

• “ And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire ” – (Revelation 20:14).

• “ And he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more ” – (Revelation 21:4. Compare Revelation 7:14-17, 22:3).

Jesus conquered death by dying the same death that every man dies. Because of his “ obedience unto death,” God resurrected him, vindicating his obedience. Death could not hold him, nor will it hold us forever.

Thus, Jesus voided the sentence of death that hangs over every man. He “ brought life and immortality to light,” and he has removed the “ curse ” caused by Adam's sin that condemned all men to death– (Genesis 3:16-19, 2 Timothy 1:10).

• “ And the curse will be no more. And the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will minister to him ” – (Revelation 22:3).

• “ For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ will all be made alive ” – (1 Corinthians 15:21-22. Compare Romans 5:12-17).

In the first chapter of the Book of Revelation, the victory and present reign of Jesus are linked to his past death and resurrection. Christ is the Faithful Witness, the Firstborn of the Dead, and the Chief Prince of the Kings of the Earth - (Revelation 1:4-6).

Jesus is the Living One who died and now lives forever. Having conquered his enemies through his death, the resurrected Christ has authority even over Death and Hades:

• “Fear not! I AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST. And I am the Living One, and I was dead. And behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have THE KEYS of Death and of Hades” – (Revelation 1:17-18. Note the verbal allusions to Isaiah 22:22, 44:6, 48:12).

Jesus is the only man who has conquered death; therefore, he is fully qualified to encourage the Christians of Asia to persevere in their testimony, even if doing so results in imprisonment and death (“He who is the first and the last declares these things, he who was dead and lived” - Revelation 2:8, 3:7).

Christians who remain faithful will partake of “the tree of life” in the City of God. They will not be harmed by “the Second Death.” Their names will be written in the Book of Life, and Christ himself will proclaim their names before the divine throne. They will become pillars in the Sanctuary of God. They will see God, and His name will be written on their foreheads. The victorious saints will sit with Jesus on his Father’s throne - (Revelation 2:7, 2:11,3:5, 3:12, 3:21, 21:8, 22:1-2, 22:4).

IN CORINTH

We remain mortal and continue to die. However, like our forerunner, Jesus Christ, death will not have the final word - (Acts 2:24, Philippians 2:8, 2 Timothy 1:10, Hebrews 2:14-15, 12:2).

We will be raised from the dead and receive immortal bodies when Jesus arrives, and death will be terminated forevermore. In 1 Corinthians, Paul reveals something new, a “mystery.” Those Christians who are alive at that moment will be transformed and receive immortal bodies. They will not know death – (1 Corinthians 15:1-58).

In 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, Paul describes several events that will precede or coincide with the arrival of Jesus, but he first poses a rhetorical question to his audience:

• “If Christ is proclaimed, that he has been raised from among the dead, how say some of you there is no resurrection of the dead?” – (1 Corinthians 15:12).

Resurrection is necessary to complete our salvation, and this hope is based on the firm foundation of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which also fulfilled scriptural promises:

• “For I delivered to you first of all that which also I received, that Christ DIED FOR OUR SINS, according to the scriptures; and that he was buried; and that HE HAS BEEN RAISED on the third day, according to the scriptures” – (1 Corinthians 15:3-4. Note the allusions to Isaiah 53:10-12 and Psalm 16:10-11. Compare Acts 2:24-36, Romans 4:25, Galatians 3:13).

If God does not raise us from the dead at the end of the age, then Christ himself was never resurrected, and therefore, preaching the Gospel is pointless. The hope of resurrection is essential to the message of salvation, and this teaching must not be compromised or abandoned:

• “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then is our preaching vain, your faith also is vain. Indeed, we are found false witnesses of God, because we witnessed of God, that he raised up Christ, whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain. You are still in your sins!” - (1 Corinthians 15:13-17).

All Christians will be raised from the dead, “but each in his own order.” Jesus was the “first fruits,” the first to rise. The rest will follow when Christ arrives to gather his elect – (Matthew 24:29-31, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2).

And so, the resurrection of the dead began with Jesus. Elsewhere, the New Testament designates Christ as the “firstborn of the dead.” When he returns, the process of resurrection will be brought to completion. This description refers to the fact that Jesus was the first one resurrected, but he will certainly not be the last. The term ‘firstborn of the dead’ appears several times in the New Testament:

• “And I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth” - (Psalm 89:27).

• “Christ is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, THE FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence” – (Colossians 1:18).

• “Jesus Christ, the Faithful Witness, THE FIRSTBORN OF THE DEAD, and THE RULER OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH” – (Revelation 1:5).

THE ARRIVAL OF JESUS

In 1 Corinthians 15:23, Paul uses the Greek noun ‘Parousia’ (παρουσια) for the “arrival” of Jesus. He applies the same term to this event in his two letters to the Thessalonians, where Paul also links the gathering of his saints to the arrival of Christ - (1 Thessalonians 2:19, 3:13, 4:12-15, 5:23, 2 Thessalonians 2:8).

• “Now, we beseech you, brethren, concerning the arrival [‘Parousia’] of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him” - (2 Thessalonians 2:1. Compare Matthew 24:31 [“Then the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven. <…> And he will send his angels to gather his elect from one end of heaven to the other”]).

• “But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits; then they that are Christ's, at his arrival [‘Parousia’]. Then the end comes, when he will deliver the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he will abolish all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign until he has PUT ALL HIS ENEMIES UNDER HIS FEET. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For HE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when he says, ALL THINGS ARE PUT IN SUBJECTION, it is evident that he is excepted who did subject all things to him. And when all things have been subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him that subjected all things unto him, that God may be all in all” - (1 Corinthians 15:23-28. Note the repeated allusion to Psalm 110:1).

The return of Jesus will mean the end of the present age and the subjugation of all the opponents of Christ. The final enemy that will be destroyed is death itself, that is, death as a reality and inevitable process. Only when this “last enemy” is overthrown will Jesus deliver the completed kingdom to his God and Father.

Paul’s purpose is not to describe every detail of the events that will precede the return of the Son of God. He introduces specific subjects because they support his larger argument concerning the resurrection of the righteous dead.

Jesus was raised as the forerunner of all righteous men who have ever died, and he is the guarantor of their future resurrection. We will participate in the same kind of resurrection as he did, but at the appointed time. The curse of Adam’s sin and the sentence of death have been invalidated. Therefore, death will not hold us, and on the Last Day, we will shout in triumph:

• “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY! OH DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? OH DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” – (1 Corinthians 15:54-57, citing Isaiah 25:8 and Hosea 13:14).

• “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us” – (Galatians 3:13).

• “And the curse will be no more. And the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city. And his servants will serve him. And they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads” – (Revelation 22:3-4).

However, resurrection does not mean the resuscitation of decayed corpses. Our mortal bodies will be transformed into another kind of body, one equipped for life in the Spirit. It will not be subject to disease, corruption, or death. The evidence for this is the glorified body of Jesus:

• “So, also, is the raising of the dead. It is sown in corruption. It is raised incorruptible. It is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. So also it has been written: THE FIRST MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL. The last Adam, a life-giving spirit” - (1 Corinthians 15:42-45. Compare Genesis 2:7 and 1 John 3:2).

• “Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed” - (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

The mystery revealed by Paul is that believers who remain alive when Jesus returns will be physically transformed and receive immortal bodies without experiencing death. Both living and dead saints will receive immortality.

The salvation hope of the Church is based on belief in our future resurrection and everlasting life in the New Heavens and New Earth. This belief is built on the unshakable foundation of the past death and resurrection of Christ, and we must live our lives accordingly.

• “Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy living and godliness, looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells” – (2 Peter 3:11-13. Compare Revelation 21:1-2, 22:1-3).

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[Citations of Old Testament passages in this article are based on the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint (see the links here and here). Text printed in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS represents quotations and verbal allusions from the Old Testament. The Septuagint is represented by the Roman numeral for ‘seventy’ or LXX based on the Latin name of the translation, ‘Interpretatio septuaginta virorum’]

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SEE ALSO:

• The Ruler of Kings - (Jesus, the Faithful Witness, now reigns supreme over the Kings of the Earth, and he is shepherding the nations to the Holy City of New Jerusalem)

• Shepherding the Nations - (Jesus is the promised ruler from the line of David, the King who is shepherding the nations to New Jerusalem – Revelation 12:5)

• The Salvation of the Lord - ('Jesus’ means “Yahweh saves.” In the man of Nazareth, the salvation promised by the God of Abraham has arrived)

• La Fin de la Mort - (L'arrivée de Jésus à la fin de l'âge signifiera notre résurrection et la fin du dernier ennemi, la mort - 1 Corinthiens 15: 24-28)