1 Corinthians 15:50-52
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
⁵¹Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵²In 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. (KJV)

1 Thessalonians 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:

1 Thessalonians 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. (KJV)

1. In order to illustrate this, Jesus said----

Matthew 24:38-42
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, ³⁹And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. ⁴⁰Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. ⁴¹Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. ⁴²Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. (KJV)

2. Thus, the SAVED shall be snatched away into the air to meet JESUS, and the LOST shall remain on the earth for the WRATH of God.
    
3. The fact that Jesus told us to "WATCH," shows that He is not coming in a secret way!

Matthew 24:29-36
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: ³⁰And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
     ³²Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: ³³So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it(He) is near, even at the doors. ³⁴Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. ³⁵Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. ³⁶But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. (KJV)

Matthew 24:27
For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (KJV)

Revelation 1:7
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

4. In order for those who "PIERCED" Him to SEE Him, they would be in the resurrection! "THE" resurrection shows by the definite article, there is only one resurrection of ALL!

John 5:28-29
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, ²⁹And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (KJV)

The PHYSICAL , earthly body, was made to conform to the conditions of this planet. The physical body is animated (life principle–the life is in the blood) by BLOOD. In the resurrection body, the life principle will not be blood, but some other substance. Jesus took His very own precious blood into the true sanctuary above when He ascended immediately after His resurrection, and told the disciples later about His bloodless body.

Luke 24:39
Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. (KJV)

1 Corinthians 15:48-51
As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. ⁴⁹And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. ⁵⁰Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
⁵¹Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (KJV)

1 Corinthians 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. (KJV)

Revelation 21:4-5
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. ⁵And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. (KJV)

1. This is very important: There are those who teach that all that The LORD is going to do is to RENOVATE these heavens & earth! This is false! Jesus said that these heavens & earth will pass away. Other scriptures say that they will be dissolved; will perish! The very fact that the word "create," means to bring into existence that which did not exist previously proves this, but we have the definition of the word, "NEW," showing this.

Mark 13:31
Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

Isaiah 34:4
And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree. (KJV)

Psalm 102:25-26
Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. ²⁶They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: (KJV)

2 Peter 3:10-13
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
     ¹¹Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, ¹²Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? ¹³Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (KJV)

Isaiah 65:17-18
For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. ¹⁸But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. (KJV)

2. new = kainos {kahee-nos’}
   = recently made; fresh, unused, unworn, recent; of a new kind, unprecedented; unheard of; as respects to form.

3. were passed away = parerchomai {par-er’-khom-ahee}
   = perish; pass away.
   This verb is in the second Aorist tense = emphasis is on the point or punctiliar action; the concept being that an action is already done;
   It is in the Active voice = the subject is doing the action; &
   in the Indicative mood = a simple statement of fact.

Revelation 20:11
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. (KJV)

John 14:2-3
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (KJV)

Hebrews 11:10 (Abraham)
For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. (KJV)

Hebrews 11:13
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. (KJV)

Hebrews 11:16
But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. (KJV)

Hebrews 11:39-40
And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. (KJV)

4. The SAVED are already citizens of heaven!

Philippians 3:20-21
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: ²¹Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (KJV)

conversation = politeuma {pol-it’-yoo-mah}
= (only use of this Greek in N.T.)
= the commonwealth of citizens; citizenship; a commonwealth.

1. We shall live on a new earth and in a new City called a holy, great city that descends out of heaven (where Jesus has been preparing it for His Bride ,The Church-saved). It descends upon the new earth that has just been created.
    

2. It is beautiful beyond description!

Revelation 21:1-2
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. ²And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (KJV)

Revelation 21:9-10
And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. ¹⁰And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, (KJV)

3. Just as Jehovah was married to Israel, so Jesus is married to the Church. We are His bride. Jesus has gone to prepare His bride a "home" of unspeakable beauty!

1. Almighty God said that He would "put His Name" in a place where He chose out of all of the tribes of Israel. This was found out to be earthly Jerusalem.

Deuteronomy 12:5
But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come: (KJV)

2. To "put His Name," means to marry her & give her His Name.

Jeremiah 3:14
Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: (KJV)

3. Earthly Jerusalem is called "the mother harlot," & her two daughters are Judah & Israel. They followed in their mother’s ways & became harlots also.

Jeremiah 3:8-11
And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. ⁹And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. ¹⁰And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD. ¹¹And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah. (KJV)

4. In speaking of Jerusalem, (see Ezekiel 16:1ff), The LORD shows how He took her as an infant cast away and made her to be a beautiful young virgin & took her to be His. Later, Jerusalem became unfaithful to Jehovah, & became a "contrary" whore.

Ezekiel 16:5-8
None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born.
     ⁶And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live. ⁷I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare. ⁸Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.

Ezekiel 16:14-16
And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.
¹⁵But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was. ¹⁶And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so. (KJV)

5. The entire book of Hosea is a picture of Jerusalem’s END. She will be left of her many "lovers" whom she has PAID to come in unto her (this is "contrary" to others) & brought to desolation as Gomer (Hosea’s wife) was & no one will want her or come to her rescue, NOT EVEN the U.S.A.

Lamentations 4:17-18
As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us. ¹⁸They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come. (KJV)

Revelation 17:15-18
And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. ¹⁶And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. ¹⁷For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. ¹⁸And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. (KJV)

= a city, not an empire.

6. There is yet a remnant of Israel to be saved by God’s grace just at the end of time. These will be caught up together with ALL of the redeemed in the clouds with Jesus!

Romans 11:5-7
Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. ⁶And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. ⁷What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (KJV)

Revelation 7:2-4
And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, ³Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. ⁴And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. (KJV)

Romans 11:25-28
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. ²⁶And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: ²⁷For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. ²⁸As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. (KJV)

(( imp.= "all Israel" is speaking of ALL OF SPIRITUAL ISRAEL, not all fleshly descendants as the scripture plainly teaches in Romans 9:6-8 ))

Romans 9:6-8
Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: ⁷Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. ⁸That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. (KJV)

4. ALL of The LORD’s saved (spiritually born again) will rise together to meet the Lord Jesus in the air & be taken to the Bride’s prepared home on the new earth and in the new heavenly Jerusalem!

Revelation 21:9-14
And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. ¹⁰And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, ¹¹Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; ¹²And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: ¹³On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. ¹⁴And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

1. A city is its citizenship! The inhabitants make up the city; not buildings, roads, etc.

2. Much could be & has been written about the marriage procedure in the days of Jesus. The bride( to be) waited on the husband to go & prepare a "dwelling place" for them & when it was ready, he would return at an uncertain hour and take his waiting bride.

Ephesians 5:25-27
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; ²⁶That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, ²⁷That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (KJV)

3. The purpose of Almighty God shall have then been brought to it’s fruition. HE will dwell with His redeemed ones, having been made in His own Image & Likeness.

Revelation 21:2-4
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. ⁴And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (KJV)

Revelation 21:22-23
And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. ²³And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. (KJV)

Revelation 21:27
And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. (KJV)

Romans 8:28-29
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
²⁹For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (KJV)

4. The size of that City:
   Erich Sauer, in his book, The Triumph of the Crucified, p.193, gives the dimensions of this new City as follows:

"This is expressed figuratively by the gigantic measurements of the new Jerusalem – 1,500 miles long, broad, and high, that is to say, 3,000 millions of cubic miles in the whole. All the buildings in the world, all houses and halls, all cities and villages, everything which the 2,000 millions of men today inhabit, taken together do not make 300 cubit miles. Thus there is room in the heavenly Jerusalem for hundreds of thousands of generations, and yet, according to Biblical chronology, only 200 generations have passed since Adam."

5. The population of that City:

Revelation 7:9
After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; (KJV)

Revelation 22:15
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. (KJV)

6. Sin and all of it’s destructive elements will be gone forever.

Revelation 21:4-5
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. ⁵And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. (KJV)

Revelation 22:1-7
And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. ²In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. ³And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: ⁴And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. ⁵And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
     ⁶And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. ⁷Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. (KJV)

John 14:1-3
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. ²In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (KJV)

John 17:24-26
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. ²⁶And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. (KJV) AMEN!