The first part of this study in 1 Corinthians 15 revealed how Paul was having to renew The Gospel in the hearts and minds of many at the Church of Corinth. Some there had corrupted the simple understanding of our Lord Christ’s Resurrection, and thus the resurrection of the dead in general. Paul even gave us examples of his trials at Ephesus among “beasts“, i.e. those who follow Satan. He and his fellow brethren who went there held the “sentence of death” in their hearts, as already being prepared to die in the flesh (compare 1 Cor.15:32 with 2 Cor.1:7-9). And that so that they would be more willing to follow GOD through Christ, and not man.
     In this study, Paul will explain deeper as to what body those who resurrect ‘put on’ after death in the flesh. Some believers may consider this Biblical subject as too difficult to grasp, and impossible to know or understand. Most often, that attitude is the result of this matter not being fully taught to them directly from God’s Word. Our Heavenly Father gave It to His to know, through Paul His “chosen vessel”. And as the state of death of the flesh is a natural phenomenon of the ‘flesh realm’, likewise the resurrection of the “spiritual body” to the Heavenly dimension where God dwells, is even more natural.
     Let’s continue this 1 Corinthians 15 study in verse 34, as we ask a Word of Wisdom from our Heavenly Father in Christ Jesus Yashu’a’s Precious Name, Amen.

1 Cor 15:34       Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

     “Wake up out of your stupor!”, that’s what Paul is saying to those at the Church of Corinth, and… also for many believers today which are in Biblical ignorance. Use plain old common sense, and put away the doubt that some would have us lodge upon. Some do not realize the importance of Christ’s Mission as Saviour and His Resurrection from the dead. Those “have not the knowledge of God”. Thus Paul was speaking to “some” among the Church at Corinth who had crept in, and were distorting The Gospel of Christ Jesus. For those who once believed, it’s to their own “shame” also, because they would rather listen to doubters and fad makers, than the simple Word of God as written. (Recall back in 1 Corinthians 15:12 that “some” among those at Corinth were denying the resurrection of the dead?)

1 Cor 15:35      But some man will say, “How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?”

     Since those at Corinth were having difficulty in understanding the resurrection of the dead, Paul felt it necessary to explain this spiritual matter in detail. In the Greek, this question can be worded as, “In what way are the dead raised? And with what sort of body do they appear with?”
     Our Lord Christ’s Transfiguration should not be confused with this particular working Paul is getting ready to explain here. Our Lord Jesus’ Body was transfigured to further show that God raised Him. The body of Moses was buried in Moab by God Himself, yet Moses later appeared on the mount with Elijah in front of Christ’s disciples (Deut.34; Matt.17). In other words, we know Moses really did die in the flesh, but his body may have been transfigured also, likewise as Enoch and Elijah were taken, and were not (see Jude 1:9). But all others part the flesh with that earthly body going back to the dust as written (Ecclesiastes 12:5-7).

1 Cor 15:36     Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
37    And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:

     The Greek for “fool” as used here can mean ‘ignorant‘, ‘egotistic‘, or ‘unbelieving‘ (‘aphron‘; Strong’s 878). Paul’s just saying, “Don’t be silly and ignorant of The Truth.”
     This verse begins a simple analogy as to how the resurrection happens compared with a sown seed that germinates and grows. The word “quickened” is Greek ‘zoopoieo‘, meaning ‘to vitalize’. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon has it as ‘to cause to live, to produce alive, to restore to life’, etc. (Strong’s 2227).
     One major difference to keep in mind with this analogy of a seed which is ‘dormant’, and then springs a new life from within when it is sown in the ground and germinates, is that the flesh and the spirit are two distinctly different dimensions. Paul will make that distinction later on in this Chapter also.
     The main point of this sowing analogy, is that even God has ordained His Power to make even a dormant (dead) plant seed show a new life when it germinates to another plant. But even that dead plant seed or kernel is not the body that will spring forth with new life (i.e., “thou sowest not that body that shall be”). That dead kernel or seed came from an older plant which had already died. It’s easily seen when a seed such as a kernel of corn is planted, and it becomes a ‘new’ tall plant with ears of corn growing from it. That germinating growth within the seed feeds off of the dead outer shell until it takes root in the ground.
     We know our flesh natural body cannot be compared exactly to a plant seed in that operation, so don’t get too literal with this analogy. The main point here is that the seed had to die first, before a ‘new plant’ bearing fruit could come forth. Likewise it is with our own flesh body, when our ‘spiritual body’ will merely step out of its old flesh body at death. Instead of a seed producing ‘another’ new ‘flesh’ plant like the one it originally came from, our spirit body will not be a product… of a new flesh body. If one believes our resurrected body will be of the flesh order, then they have believed on a false doctrine like that of reincarnation. Some may not like to hear that, but nevertheless, that’s the belief the evil one has tricked many into, if they believe in being raised into a new ‘flesh’ body after death.

1 Cor 15:38     But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased Him, and to every seed his own body.
39    All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.

     Now Paul is going to mark the difference between various flesh bodies, and how God set different operations into existence. Each “seed” has its own type of nature. We cannot expect to plant an apple seed and get a lemon tree plant. The two are genetically different. So it is with animals, and also with mankind, each given a body to which it was purposed by God in His flesh creation.
     The point being made with these two verses about the flesh, is also of how God created and formed man’s ‘flesh image’ to be in the likeness of His Image and that of the angels (Genesis 1:26-27). The ‘image’ for flesh man didn’t originate with that man Adam. The Image of Man began with GOD’s Own Image, and His Son was The Perfect Pattern of That Heavenly Image of Man on earth as The Saviour (Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:12-15; Exod.24:10-11; Ezekiel 1:26; Matt.1:23 with “Emmanuel“). Paul is going to ‘cross borders’ so to speak with this Message of That Heavenly Image of Man a bit later. Right now, he’s still giving analogies as to the differences between bodies within this flesh dimension.

1 Cor 15:40     There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
41    There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

     By this “celestial bodies”, it is meant as heavenly orbs above the earth, as in outside away from this earth, but “bodies terrestrial” means today’s earthly nature, such as flesh. The “glory“, or splendor of the heavenly orbs is of one ‘order’, and the glory or operation of the earthly is another. Each celestial body of nebula, planet, star, solar system, and galaxy each have their own type of order and appearance, and reason for existence in God’s material part of His creation. The sun and the moon, which are of the same material dimension, are obviously different, and have different operations and purposes. Yet they both operate within the same material dimension. It’s important to realize Paul is not speaking of God’s Heavenly dimension Abode with the word “celestial“. Paul is simply giving an example of how there are different orders even within this same material dimension, i.e. the sun being a celestial body, and this earth being a terrestrial body, yet both in the same material dimension.
Also in the Heavenly dimension order, there are different glories also. The “it” part below is speaking of our spirit body which exists in the Heavenly Order.

1 Cor 15:42     So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
43    It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

     Likewise, with all the different orders of existence God created, so it is when our flesh body dies or at the change of the “last trump”, our “spiritual body” is suddenly revealed in the Heavenly order. “It” was put into an earthly flesh body at conception, being sown in corruption, “it” will be raised in incorruption of the Heavenly Order.
     This is where many get confused with the differences between the ‘soul’ (spirit intellect), and the spiritual vehicle body that transports the ‘soul’ intellect. Let me say that again. The ‘soul’ (Hebrew ‘nephesh‘ but used in various applications), which is our ‘personality’ or ‘intellect’, is attached to a “spiritual body” within the flesh. When God formed our flesh in our mother’s womb, He placed a ‘spiritual body’ within it, which has our ‘soul’ intellect or ‘self’. Paul will clarify this distinction between the natural body and the spiritual body in the next few verses.
     The spiritual body is “sown in corruption”, meaning it is placed inside a flesh body that gets weak, sick, and dies. We all well know about the weakness which the flesh body is under. At death of the flesh body, the spiritual body “is raised in incorruption”. The Greek word for “incorruption” is ‘aphthrsia‘, meaning ‘incorruptibility, unending existence’ (Strong’s 861). Our spiritual body was sown into the flesh in “weakness“; it will be “raised in power”, meaning of the power of the Heavenly dimension. (Don’t get ahead of me just yet with this, for with some in that Heavenly dimension, their ‘spiritual body’ can still perish in the “lake of fire”, and “be no more”, as Revelation 20:15 and Psalms 104:35 puts it).
     This “it” is the spiritual body with which the dead also must appear with before Christ’s Judgment Seat, as per the following 2 Corinthians 5 verses:

2 Cor 5:8     We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
9    Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him.
10    For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

     When Paul stated “all” will appear in front of Christ per that 2 Cor.5:10 verse, that’s exactly what he meant. All… the “just“, and the “unjust“, will appear before the Judgment Seat of our Lord Christ Jesus, to receive reward for serving Him, or punishment for serving the evil one (see Acts 24:15). As stated in Part I of this study, only Satan and his angels have already been judged and sentenced to perish in the “lake of fire”. None else have yet.

1 Cor 15:44     It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

     Paul is noting the distinction between ‘two’ bodies we each have. This word “natural” is Greek ‘psuchikos‘, meaning ‘animate‘ which is the part we have in common with the animals, i.e. a gross sensuous nature. And the word “spiritual” is Greek ‘pneumatikos‘, meaning ‘non-carnal, i.e. (humanly) ethereal (as opposed to gross)’ (Strong’s 5591, 4152). Ethereal means of the Heavenly dimension.
     We each have ‘both’ bodies while in the flesh, together at the same time, for as Paul said here, “…there is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body”. That means present tense, as in ‘right now’.
     So at death of the flesh, the “spiritual body” which already is inside our flesh vehicle, merely steps out with its ‘soul’ intact, and separates from the flesh at death, the “silver cord” being “loosed” (Ecclesiastes 12:5-7). This is a very natural operation which God setup, and we should never fear it, even though the devil’s own do everything they can to distort this Truth, and cause many to fear it.

1 Cor 15:45     And so it is written, “The first man Adam was made a living soul;’ the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.”

     The “first man Adam”, meaning the fleshy pattern for man created from the Heavenly Pattern Image of God and the angels for this second earth age, was made “a living soul” by God placing a soul with a spirit body, into an earthly formed flesh vehicle (Gen.1-2). The “last Adam”, meaning Jesus Christ Begotten as The Perfect Pattern of Man of the Heavenly, was made a Glorious Spirit, quickened by God’s Spirit when He raised His Only Begotten Son from death on the cross. The “last Adam” is also The Pattern believers on Christ will be made similar to, and are the “sons of God” (1 John 3). That means as children of God, in the Heavenly state like the angels of God (Mark 12:25).
     This final Heavenly state of “the last Adam” which Paul is speaking of here is not just the imperishable ‘spiritual body’ which will not be subject to the earthy elements of hot, cold, sickness, etc., but it is the final Pattern of glory for God’s Eternal Kingdom. That spiritual bodily Pattern is modeled after The Son (1 John 3).

1 Cor 15:46     Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
47    The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

     For the deeper Bible students, this first state is speaking of when God created Adam “also” flesh, and placed his soul into a flesh formed body (Gen.2; Gen.6:3). There was another heavenly world/earth age before this second one which God began at Genesis 1:2 (see the Genesis studies). Our Heavenly Father destroyed that pre-Adamic age when Satan rebelled and brought this age of flesh so as to offer Salvation through His Son Who died on the cross for the remission of our sins. So the flesh state is first for this second worldly age, and then after death of the flesh comes the spiritual state. Likewise also, the first patterned flesh man is of the earthy state Adam, but the Pattern for the “second man”, as quickened by God’s Spirit is The Heavenly Christ Jesus. Though believers on The Saviour will go through a similar change in being quickened in their spiritual body to the Heavenly, we shall never be ‘a Christ’, but we are “sons of God”, calling out “Abba“, which means ‘Father’ (Galatians 4:6; Romans 8:15).

1 Cor 15:48    As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
49    And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

     In John 3 our Lord mentioned that one must be “born again” to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (John 3:3-9). If you’ll get your Strong’s Concordance out and look, you’ll discover that “born again” in the Greek means ‘born from above’ (‘anothen‘; Strong’s 509). Well, born ‘from above’ where? It means our soul being placed inside our flesh by God and being born of ‘water’ of woman’s womb. We must also receive God’s Spirit inside us by believing on His Saviour Jesus Christ. So as we have held the “image of the earthy”, i.e. flesh body, so will we hold the “image of the heavenly”. It occurs when our ‘spiritual body’ goes back to The Father at flesh death, as written in Ecclesiastes 12:5-7.

1 Cor 15:50     Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

     This is how we know for certain, that our spiritual body with our soul is ethereal, and of the Heavenly, and not of flesh, period. A spiritual body in the Heavenly cannot be a body of “corruption” like the flesh body is. Simply, flesh cannot go there where God is. This is why Isaiah got so nervous when his ‘spirit’ was allowed to see God in a vision (Isa.6). Isaiah figured himself to be dead, for he knew none could see God without having died in the flesh. Therefore, this verse is yet another example that the flesh and the spirit are two separate and different dimensions of existence. Because angels have appeared to flesh man during this flesh age, and also because of the example of the Heavenly manna feeding flesh children of Israel in the wilderness, we know this is how God’s Eternity will be different, but will still include a material earth (see 2 Peter 3:13; Isaiah 65; 66; Rev.21).

1 Cor 15:51     Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52    In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

     If Paul hadn’t covered enough of this spiritual matter already towards the end of this Chapter, he’s going deeper. So it’s not time to drift off with this study.
     Not all of those ‘in Christ’ will have passed on to the spiritual state before our Lord Christ finally returns. Many brethren in Christ are still going to be here on earth in their flesh body up to the second coming of our Lord Christ Jesus, along with the ‘spiritually dead’ (unbelievers and deceived). How do we know? Because as Paul states, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump:…“, that’s when everyone will be in the Heavenly dimension on earth. The “dead” in this verse, meaning the ‘spiritual dead’ who are still alive on earth in the flesh, will also be raised into an incorruptible ‘spiritual body’, and we all are going to be different (“changed” = Greek ‘allasso‘, i.e. ‘to make different’; Strong’s 236).
     Thus the Heavenly dimension will be revealed to all, and all knees will bow to Christ Jesus as KING and LORD. By this… working is ‘how’ even those who pierced Him on the cross will be able to see Him when He comes (Rev.1:5-7; John 19:37; Zechariah 12:10). We all will be in our ‘spiritual body’ at that point.
     By counting the number of trumpets in Revelation, we know this “last trump” is the seventh and last angel sounding of Revelation 11:15, and is when all the kingdoms of this world will become Christ’s. That also means our Lord is coming here; we’re not going anywhere up in the atmosphere, as the Heavenly will be revealed upon the earth when all put off their flesh body shell (see Zechariah 14). Many confuse these 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 verses with the so-called ‘secret rapture’ doctrine, of being ‘taken out’ before Christ comes. That ‘secret rapture’ idea is not written, as Paul even gave us the timing here for the “last trump” when everyone alive on the earth will also have their flesh cast off and their spiritual body revealed. The separation between God’s servants through Christ Jesus will then occur… upon the earth (again see Zech.14; Matthew 25; Rev.20; Ezekiel 44).
     Those who preach the false ‘secret rapture’ doctrine of flying away like to link that doctrine with these verses, and with 1 Thessalonians 4, so let’s turn there for a moment:

1 Thes 4:13     But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

     Paul didn’t want our brethren at Thessalonica to be ignorant of the resurrection either, like some at Corinth were. He’s saying, “I want you to know where those who have died in Christ are (i.e. “asleep“), and not to be ignorant as the heathen are, who don’t believe in the resurrection, and are thus without hope. Don’t even sorrow for those in Christ who have died,” he is saying.

1 Thes 4:14    For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.

     If those in Christ believe that God raised His Son from the dead, then also those in Christ who have already died, our Lord Jesus will bring with Him when He comes back to earth. Plain enough.
     Now ‘how’ can Jesus bring those believers who have already died with Him if they’re not already where He is beforehand? Give Satan enough time, and he’ll figure out a way to twist these verses, and he has, with a so-called false ‘secret rapture’, i.e. that some on the earth rapture up to meet Christ before the great tribulation, and then come back down with Him, like a bouncing ball.

1 Thes 4:15     For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

     Those in Christ who are still alive in the flesh and remain upon the earth until His coming, shall in no way ‘precede‘ (“prevent“) those who are asleep in Christ which have already parted from their flesh bodies at death. How’s that? It’s because those “asleep” in Jesus are already with Him (see what Christ said to the malefactor crucified with Him in Luke 23:42-43).
The Greek word for this “prevent” in the New Testament Manuscripts is ‘phthano‘, and it means ‘to be beforehand, i.e. anticipate or precede’ (Strong’s 5348). That means believers still in their flesh bodies upon earth will not ‘go before’ those in Christ who have already died. That’s very insightful, because according to God’s Power He setup governing the resurrection of the dead, one must leave their flesh body behind to resurrect to the Heavenly, just as God raised His Son Jesus Christ from the dead (excepting our Lord’s Body being transfigured; ours will not be, but will be cast off). This is how the saints (those “asleep“) per Zechariah 14 can, and will return with Christ, when He sets foot upon the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

1 Thes 4:16    For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

     Per Zechariah 14:4-5, Christ’s feet will touch down on the Mount of Olives, which is on the “last trump”, the seventh of Revelation 11:15. But the “dead in Christ” (not the ‘spiritually dead’), i.e. those already “asleep“, resurrect when they leave the flesh now. This is just as Paul stated that those who are alive and remain will not ‘precede‘ (“prevent“) those who have already gone on to be with our Lord Jesus (see also 2 Cor.5). Paul is just giving a short summary, and means “the dead in Christ shall rise first” when they die. Separate the colon (:) above into separate subjects. That’s what a colon does in English grammar.
     Why in the world the KJV translators chose that word “prevent” for Greek ‘phthano‘ which means ‘precede‘, is beyond me. If you speak another language, then how would you translate ‘precede’ to that other language? One certainly wouldn’t use meanings which imply to ‘prevent’ a working of God. So we could only reconcile that word ‘prevent’ as meaning, “you can’t prevent those who die in the flesh today from their spiritual body leaving it!” We can’t stop the resurrection of the dead from happening, for God has ordained it to happen immediately when one dies! (Eccl.12:5-7 again).

1 Thes 4:17    Then we which 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.
18    Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

     This “shall be caught up” phrase is the sole Greek word ‘harpazo‘, and it means ‘to seize (in various applications)’ (Strong’s 726). As used in this verse, it means those in Christ will “flee” as a great gathering, to where our Lord Jesus Christ will be. We are ‘seized’ to Him in our spiritual body. Greek ‘harpazo‘ does not mean ‘up’, as the KJV translators missed much in this verse, but the direction will be more of ‘over there’. Where’s ‘over there’,” you might ask? Let’s look in Zechariah 14, which tells us of our Lord Christ’s return:

Zech 14:4    And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
5    And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with Thee.

     This is where those in Christ which are still alive and remain in their flesh body at His coming will go to at the ‘change’ into their “spiritual body”. So where’s the Mount of Olives? It’s where Jerusalem is today, and is also the spot where our Lord Jesus ascended to Heaven from (Acts 1). This certainly will be no ‘secret rapture’, nor anything like that. It will be a “gathering” together to Christ, as Paul explained in 2 Thessalonians 2:1 with the Greek word ‘episunagogue‘ (Strong’s 1997).
     The word “air” in that 1 Thessalonians 4:17 verse is Greek ‘aer’, and it is – ‘from aemi (to breathe unconsciously, i.e. respire; by analogy, to blow)’ (Strong’s 109). The definition is about the breath which God put into man that sustains our flesh, but is spirit. In John 3:8 our Lord Jesus also used ‘wind‘ as an analogy for the ‘spiritual body’. A more correct translation of this “to meet the Lord in the air” would be the act of being seized to The Lord ‘in the breath’, or Breath of Life spirit body. In other words, it just means to flee to our Lord where He will be upon the earth when He appears, and we will flee to Him in our revealed Heavenly dimension “spiritual body”.
     But for the Biblical unlearned, they are easily swayed into taking the KJV translator’s expression as meaning to go up into the atmospheric clouds to meet Christ, above the earth, and live in the ‘clouds‘ forevermore. Obviously, per the Zechariah 14 verses above, our Lord Jesus returns to set foot upon the earth where His Kingdom Rule will be established. That is not up in the ‘clouds’ to live friend. Paul was using an expression with this “in the clouds” phrase, as meaning a great gathering together of Christ’s Body, The Church.
     Back to 1 Corinthians 15…

1 Cor 15:53   For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

     For those who have already tired of this long study and left or put it down, they will have missed the deepest mystery Paul touches on in this verse. These next few verses are the highlight of the teaching on the resurrection of the dead. Not to get off the subject with this, but it seems many times within our Lord’s Word, part of His protection of deeper Truths within It, is that many of them appear in the middle, or weaved within and without historical verses, or just before the Chapter ends. It means those who have taken the time, been patient in The Word, and kept to being thorough all the way to the end, will not miss the “pearls” of God’s Treasures. Thus a true disciple of Christ requires self-discipline in The Word.
     I put the words above in the 1 Corinthians 15:53 verse in bold because… each one of those words in the Greek has a different and separate meaning about our “natural body” vs. the “spiritual body”, and a ‘mortal’ soul vs. an ‘immortal’ soul. This is very important to take back to the Greek. Otherwise we won’t really know what Paul is speaking of here.
     The word “corruptible” is Greek ‘phthartos‘, and means ‘decayed, i.e. (by implication) perishable’ (Strong’s 5349). That applies to our weak flesh body which goes back to the earthly elements it came from when it dies. The word “incorruption” is Greek ‘aphthrsia’, and means ‘incorruptibility, genetive case unending existence’ (Strong’s 861). It means the “spiritual body” which we covered back in verses 42 and 50. This “spiritual body” doesn’t get sick, feels no pain, won’t die like the flesh, but is a body of the Heavenly order by God’s Power. This incorruptible spirit body is what we ‘all’ have dwelling within our flesh. Even the wicked have this kind of spirit body within their flesh today. It separates from our flesh body at death by the parting of a “silver cord” (Eccl.12:5-7).
     To explain this more simply, whichever dimension of existence our soul is in, it requires a vehicle to get around in that state of existence. For this flesh material dimension, it requires a “corruptible” (Greek ‘phthartos‘) flesh body. In the heavenly Order by God’s Power, the soul requires a “spiritual body” vehicle to get around in (Greek ‘aphthrsia‘).  But there’s more…
     Our soul must go through a change in Christ Jesus to have Everlasting Life. The word “mortal” in the Greek is ‘thnetos‘, meaning ‘liable to die’ (Strong’s 2349). This ‘mortal‘ is a ‘condition’ of the ‘soul’, or soul intellect. So what’s the word “immortality” which the ‘soul’ must put on to have Eternal Life? “Immortality” is Greek ‘athanasia‘ meaning ‘deathlessness‘ (Strong’s 110). The spiritual state of our ‘soul’ must put on “immortality” to be with The Father and Son forevermore. It must become totally free from the power of death. Per Revelation 20:14, we know the power of “death” will not be destroyed until the end of our Lord Christ’s “thousand years” reign upon the earth. That means the “spiritual body” of some at that future time, along with their “mortal” soul, can still be under the power of ‘death‘.
     Now put all that together you say? All, the “just” and the “unjust” will be changed into their ‘incorruptible body’ (aphthrsia) at our Lord Christ’s coming. But the ‘soul’ of the “unjust” will be in a state which is still ‘liable to die’ (thnetos). Thus in God’s Word, there is such a matter as both a ‘mortal’ soul, and an immortal soul. “How can a ‘spiritual body’ in the Heavenly with a soul perish,” you might ask?

Matt 10:28    And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him Which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

     This is what our Lord meant with “both soul and body” still able to be destroyed in “hell” (‘hell‘ is Greek ‘geena‘ here; used as a metaphor for the “lake of fire” event of Rev.20). The destruction of one’s ‘soul’ in the “lake of fire”, even while they have left the flesh, and are in their ‘spiritual body‘, is… the “second death”…

Rev 2:11    He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

     Those who overcome in Christ Jesus during this flesh age will not experience the “second death”. The ‘second death’ is the perishing of the “spiritual body” (aphthrsia) along with the “mortal” (thnetos) ‘soul’, in the “lake of fire”. The power of death, and the one (Lucifer) given control over it, along with the wicked and their holding place (hell, pit, the abyss, prison, etc.), will all perish in that lake of fire.

Rev 20:6    Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

     Moreover, those who overcome in Christ will be of the “first resurrection”, which is the ‘soul’ putting on ‘athanasia‘, i.e. ‘immortality‘ or deathlessness; a spiritual body with a soul that cannot die, ever! “Well done, thou good and faithful servant:…”, as our Lord would say in Matthew 25.

Rev 20:14     And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15    And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

     Those of verse 15 above are the ones who will be in a ‘spiritual body’ during Christ’s “thousand years” reign, but with a ‘soul’ that is ‘thnetos‘, or still ‘liable to die’ in the “lake of fire” at the end of Christ’s reign (Rev.20). Satan and his angels have already been sentenced to perish in that ‘lake of fire’. None else have yet (see also Rev.21:8).
     So if there is a “first resurrection” as written, then is there another resurrection later, i.e. a second one? In other words, will some during Christ’s reign who are still in a “liable to die” spirit body and soul, put on ‘athanasia‘ (‘immortality’) in Christ Jesus later? Yes:

Rev 20:5    But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

     Based on what our Lord revealed through Paul about the state of the soul in a “spiritual body” during that “thousand years”, some who will have a ‘mortal‘ soul throughout, will later put on ‘immortality‘. Those will come to Christ Jesus as their KING and LORD and be like the “first resurrection”. Those will not perish in the “lake of fire” with Satan, hell, and the wicked. Thus, they will ‘live’ again in the everlasting immortal sense, to be with The Father and Son Eternal.
     Continuing in 1 Corinthians 15…

1 Cor 15:54    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.”
55    “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”
56    The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

     So when all born into the flesh are finally ‘changed’ and done with that “corruptible” flesh body, and then step into their “spiritual body” that is of the Heavenly and is “incorruption“,… and when those in Christ with “mortal” souls puts on “immortality“, only then will occur the saying, “Death is swallowed up in victory”.
     As long as you grasp the difference between the four states or conditions we each must go through in Christ, then the many fads and leaven traditions formed by man’s ‘topical’ understanding on the resurrection of the dead, become exposed for what they are.
     The “strength of sin is the law”. Please let that soak in. If you also understand about the first earth age, and that this second age, which is of flesh, is not how God originally setup His creation, then that’s why the carnal nature cannot please God as written (Romans 8, where Paul also covered much about that first formation of the heavens and the earth, long ‘before’ Lucifer rebelled). The carnal state cannot be mindful and stable in adhering to God’s Law. For Eternal Peace to happen, man must be freed from that perishing nature. Our Father sent His Son Jesus Christ to get us out of the bondage of the carnal, and bring us to Himself, and live according to God in the spirit.

1 Cor 15:57     But thanks be to God, Which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58    Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

     This teaching our Lord Christ gave us through His apostle Paul should produce greater strength and peace of mind for one in Christ. That especially for these latter day times. Those at Corinth were receiving the “strong meat” of this teaching of our Lord through Paul, in the Greek language (Hebrews 5). Thus they understood these different meanings of the flesh vs. the heavenly body states. Many of our brethren, who also love The Father through His Son, are not being taught this fuller meaning from the New Testament Greek by Christ’s apostle Paul. They have accepted something else, based on a ‘topical’ understanding of this Chapter as given by the KJV translators. If you’ve understood this, then what else have you missed by not going back to the original Bible languages using a simple Strong’s Concordance?
     So that’s a very important Chapter in God’s Word, and helps explain God’s Operation of the resurrection of the dead. I hope and pray through Christ Jesus that your ‘spirit’ begins to remember this order which is according to God’s Plan of Salvation.

Peace be to you in Christ Jesus,
Dave Ramey