Flesh and Blood Cannot Inherit the Kingdom
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall 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 shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
Listen to the "Verse by Verse" episode covering this scripture.
This chapter, 1 Corinthians 15, has been called the Resurrection Chapter because it talks about not only Jesus Christ’s resurrection, but also the resurrections of human beings. Verses 50-53 describe the resurrection of the saints at the last trumpet—the trumpet that announces the return of Jesus Christ to the earth.
This resurrection is also described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. It involves bringing the dead “in Christ” (faithful followers who had God’s Spirit) to life in the spiritual realm. They will no longer be mortal and able to die. The apostle Paul also mentions that those who are alive will be changed from flesh and blood to incorruptible spirit.
For more on this incredible promise, which the apostle John called the “first resurrection” (Revelation 20:4, 5), see our article “What Are the Resurrections?”
