In the last post, I pointed out that the resurrection of Jesus from the tomb marked the beginning of the general resurrection of the dead, so you might well wonder when it will be resumed and completed. The general resurrection will take place when Jesus returns:

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Notice that Paul’s discussion on this topic is there so that 1) we will not be ignorant, and 2) to give each of us hope, a hope that can sustain us in our darkest hour.

From that moment forward, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away”.

The fourth point in our continuing discussion of Christian Apocalyptic Theology and the resurrection of Christ is that the resurrection of Jesus signaled the beginning of the last age, which is the “present evil age” in which we live now. The early church knew that there was no age of the earth that would come after this, for when Jesus returned for His Bride, He would also preside over the final judgment, with what we have come to call “heaven” following. Earlier Jewish apocalyptic teaching held that the dead would be raised, marking the arrival of the Kingdom of God in its fullness, and so they were right about that; Jesus’ resurrection marks the beginning of the process. During this time, the Kingdom of God is present on the earth, but it shares the earth with the “kingdom” of Satan, and this provides the setting for spiritual conflict between the two, and this is why Revelation paints us the constant picture of battle between God and His forces, and Satan and his forces, and the conflict’s manifestation in the physical realm in which we currently live. Dear reader, if you are astute, you have already recognized what I am about to tell you, and this is an utterly profound reality of our lives: The “kingdom of Satan” has controlled the earth ever since the aftermath of the Fall, way back in the Garden, as we can see in the histories of the Old Testament. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the tomb, and the subsequent pouring out of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, was the first move in God’s invasion of the satanic kingdom, and the Body of Christ is God’s invasion force. Our artillery is the prayers of the saints for God’s will to be done. The ground forces go on the attack against the forces of darkness by proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ and the making of disciples. Our supply line is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the enemies are really not flash and blood. Victory for God’s invasion is assured. Here’s an illustration:

In 1939-1941, the powers of the Axis (Germany, Italy and Japan) were invincible as they conquered nation after nation. In 1942, the tide began to turn in the direction of the Allies. In 1943-1945, the Allies swept to victory after victory, with the end result that the evil of the Axis powers was totally destroyed.

In the same way, Satan and his forces rolled over the entire earth from the Fall onward. When Jesus came and began His earthly ministry, the tide began to change, and with His resurrection came God’s invasion force, the Church. Just as in 1943, it hasn’t always been obvious that victory was inevitable, but in the end, with the return of Jesus Christ, the enemies of God are to be entirely obliterated from the face of the earth; this is the Revelation story.

And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.

Romans 13:11-14