God raises our physical body
from the dead and then clothes our resurrected flesh and bones with the white robe of righteousness that has been formed as we have obeyed the Holy Spirit throughout our discipleship.
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:28-29)
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (2 Corinthians 5:1)
The mortal remains of every person who has lived on the earth will one day hear the voice of Christ, come forth, and stand before God to await his or her destiny.
There will be two resurrections, the first at the beginning of the thousand-year Kingdom Age; the second at the end of the thousand-year Kingdom Age.
The first resurrection is for the royal priesthood. This resurrection must be attained by living the victorious Christian life. Every individual who is not raised during the first resurrection, that which will take place at the appearing of the Lord from Heaven, will be raised in the second resurrection.
At the second resurrection the books of record will be opened and the newly resurrected people will be judged according to their works. Those who have behaved righteously will be brought forward to eternal life in the new heaven and earth reign of King Jesus. Those who have practiced evil will be sentenced appropriately. Those whose names do not appear in the Book of Life will be thrown into the Lake of Fire.
The first resurrection is well worth the effort required to attain to it. Those who are raised at the sounding of the trumpet of the Lord will come forth. At some point before or after the reviving of their mortal remains, their flesh and bones will be clothed with the robe of righteousness that has been formed as they have overcome the world, sin, and self-will.
Every individual will be clothed in his or her own works. We shall reap precisely what we have sown.
This is salvation. This is the removing of the presence of sin from our personality. We have been faithful in putting to death the deeds of our body. Now the Lord has rewarded us by finally removing the very presence of sin from us so we no longer have to keep controlling its urges. Remember, the final removal of sin will not be given to those who have made little or no attempt to overcome sin. The final removal of sin will come to those who are patiently bearing the cross behind Christ. The remainder of those who are saved will be dealt with by Divine fire.
We have come to believe that those who are residing in Paradise at the time of the return of the Lord will be given their new body, their new robe, before they descend with the Lord.
And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. (Revelation 6:11)
When they return with the Lord their spirits, now clothed with the body from Heaven, will take up their mortal remains just as the Lord Jesus laid down and then brought forth again His mortal body.
The living saints will experience physical death while they are standing on their feet and immediately will be revived by being clothed with their body from Heaven. Immortality will swallow up mortality.
As we have said, the last vestiges of worldliness, lust, and self-will shall be removed from those who have faithfully overcome sin by the Spirit of the Lord. The new body will be driven by an intense desire for righteousness just as the old body was driven by an intense desire for sin. For those who love the Lord this is all the reward they ever could desire.
But the new body is only the beginning. Having overcome all the darkness and death that has come against them, the saints now are sentenced to be always with the Lord for eternity.
This is the royal priesthood. The Lake of Fire has no authority over them because there is no sin in them. They are as terrible as an army with banners. They will hurtle downward on the white war stallions, following the Commander in Chief whose robe has been dipped in blood. Their mission is to drive sin from the creation of God, and this they shall do.
Their Leader is Faithful and True. His followers are called, chosen, and faithful. They have revealed on the earth that they will not compromise with sin. They are dead-living people riding each in his rank, just as they did during their time of testing on the earth.
This is Joel's army. This is the revealing of the sons of God. The savage calvary charge of Armageddon marks the end of sin in the creation. Although a thousand years must pass before the sons of God are fully prepared to see the Face of their Father, the doom of all sin and sinners already has been established for eternity. The everlasting Kingdom of righteousness is here.