1 Corinthians 15:50-53 meaning

In 1 Corinthians 15:50-53, Paul reveals the mystery that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God (v 50), so at the last trumpet the dead will be raised imperishable and the living will be changed through resurrection in the twinkling of an eye. He states first the necessity of resurrection for the receipt of God's future promise: Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable (v 50).

Paul now uses the phrase flesh and blood as a synonym for what he has spoken of in the prior verses as "natural" and "earthy" bodies (1 Corinthians 15:46-47). It refers to humanity in its present, mortal constitution. Our earthly body that runs on blood and breath is headed for the grave. This is because our current earthly bodies are made in the image of Adam, as emphasized in the prior verse (1 Corinthians 15:49).

That kind of earthy, natural, flesh and blood body cannot inherit the kingdom of God (v 50), for the same reason a fish cannot inherit the sky: the organism and the realm are mismatched. God's kingdom in its fullness is imperishable, and the perishable would perish in it. Jesus asserted to Pilate that His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36). In order to inherit a kingdom that is not of this world, a body suitable for the new world that is to come is required.

The Greek root "kleronomeo" translated inherit also appears in Revelation 21:7:

"He who overcomes will inherit ["kleronomeo"] these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son."
(Revelation 21:7)

This inheritance likely refers to the reward promised to those who are faithful witnesses in their lives on earth, and are, accordingly, those who overcome. As Jesus says in Revelation 3:21, each of His servants who "overcomes" He "will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne."

Jesus inherited all things, as He was given authority over heaven and earth because He was a faithful witness (Philippians 2:5-10, Matthew 28:18, Hebrews 2:9). He was given the reward of being named "Son" as a human for His faithfulness (Hebrews 1:5). His desire is to share His inheritance with those who follow Him in being faithful witnesses (Hebrews 2:10).

Paul teaches this throughout his letters. For example, Paul says the suffering he has endured is nothing compared to the glory awaiting those who are faithful witnesses for Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:17). As Paul says in Romans 8:17, all believers have God as an inheritance; He is our Father regardless of our choices. But as Romans 8:17 also says, it will be only those who suffer as Jesus suffered, enduring rejection because of His faithful witness, who will share in Christ’s inheritance as "fellow heirs with Christ."

A prerequisite for inheriting a heavenly kingdom is to possess a heavenly body. Paul's inferred argument in verse 51 is that the great promise of reward for faithfulness cannot be possessed without resurrection; a new, heavenly body is required. Paul continues to hammer home the complete necessity that each believer will follow Jesus in resurrection and possess a new, spiritual body.

Now Paul makes a turn from defending the logical necessity and essential reality of the resurrection to elevate a mystery regarding resurrection. Not all will die before being resurrected, some will be resurrected directly, without dying:

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 imperishable, and we will be changed (v 52).

A mystery in Paul's usage is a truth previously hidden in God and now revealed (Romans 16:25-26). The Old Testament promised resurrection for the dead (Daniel 12:2, Isaiah 26:19); it had said nothing about the generation found alive when this moment comes. Paul now reveals that we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed (v 52).

Some believers will be alive at the Lord's coming and pass into glory without dying. Paul speaks of this at length in his first letter to the Thessalonians. He comforted concern among the Thessalonians that those who died before Christ returned might not get to be resurrected. Paul asserts that "we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep" (1 Thessalonians 4:15).

Believers who have died will "rise first" when Jesus descends "from heaven with a shout" when He returns to earth again (1 Thessalonians 4:16). After those who are in Christ are raised, then Paul says those who are "alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Paul's we places himself among those who might be alive at the coming, the posture of expectancy he commends to every generation. The change occurs in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (v 52). The Greek word "atomos" rendered moment refers to an instant that cannot be cut or divided, the smallest slice of time the language affords, just like the similar word and meaning of "atom."

Jesus's return comes at the last trumpet. The trumpet is Scripture's signal for the gathering and summons of God's people. The sound of a trumpet announced the Lord's descent at Sinai where God had assembled Israel to meet Him (Exodus 19:16-19). A trumpet was used to call Israel to assemble (Numbers 10:2-3). The Jewish holiday "the Feast of Trumpets" called for a "holy convocation" which can also be translated "holy rehearsal" (Leviticus 23:24). This feast likely foreshadows this resurrection at Jesus’s return.

The Feast of Trumpets occurred when the first sliver of the new moon occurred, meaning the exact time was unknown. Similarly, although Jesus's return is certain, the time is unknown. Paul waited expectantly for Jesus's return, and so should all generations. The Feast of Trumpets seems to point to a time when Jesus will return. This will be the last trumpet, because it will signal the current era is coming to an end.

Paul states in 1 Thessalonians that the Lord will descend "with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first," then the living will be caught up together with them (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). At that blast, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed (v 52).

Paul has been speaking of the certainty and reality of the resurrection throughout this chapter. Here it is the same--that we will be changed points directly to the changing of an earthy body for a heavenly body. A fleshly body for a spiritual body. A body that cannot inherit the kingdom to a body that can inherit the kingdom. A body that is perishable for one that is not.

As Paul insists: For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality (v. 53). Resurrection is a necessity for God's plan to be fulfilled.

Our current body is perishable, and the resurrection body will be imperishable. Our current body is mortal. Our resurrection body will be clothed with immortality. The demonstrative this indicates that this message is personal to each individual, including Paul. Each person, including Paul, will shed his or her old clothing and put on new clothing. Each believer is pictured as undressing from wearing the old body and putting on a new one.

Paul develops the same image in 2 Corinthians 5:2-4, longing to be "clothed with our dwelling from heaven...so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life." Resurrection ends with the body dressed in immortality, the completed adoption as sons we long for, which Paul calls "the redemption of our body" (Romans 8:23).

Paul has now contrasted our old bodies with the new bodies in numerous ways:

Our personhood will not change, we will still be ourselves. What will change is our clothing, our domicile, the body we occupy. The old body is not suited for the new life in the new earth. Our current bodies are incapable of being in God's unveiled presence and continuing to live (Exodus 33:20). Our current bodies contain the flesh, in which nothing good dwells (Romans 7:18).

In the new earth, sin will be no more. The earth will be filled with righteousness (2 Peter 3:13). God will dwell among us on the new earth (Revelation 21:3). Thus, heaven will come to earth, because God will dwell on the earth.

The Lamb's presence will shine so brightly that the sun will not be necessary (Revelation 21:23). That certainly sounds like an earth our old bodies could not tolerate. In the new earth, the new, resurrected bodies of the believer will prosper and thrive (Revelation 21:4, 26). It will be fully capable of inheriting the kingdom.