Hello Dave,
Thank you for responding to the OP.
* However, 1 Corinthians 15:54 leaves no room for doubt or dispute as to when death is swallowed up in victory, it is when corruption shall put on incorruption and mortality put on immortality, and that takes place at the resurrection.
I think you're missing the point of the raising of the dead to a body of incorruption, because the wicked dead get a resurrection too. The body of incorruption Paul spoke of is simply the "image of the heavenly", meaning of the heavenly dimension. When Jesus returns, the heavenly dimension is going to be revealed right here on earth. There won't be anyone in a flesh body anymore after His coming when God's consuming fire burns the elements off the surface of this earth. Yet not all the wicked will be destroyed then either.
In Rev.3, Jesus told one group of His elect that He will make those of the "synagogue of Satan" to come worship at their feet. That can only occur during His future 1,000 years reign when His elect reigns with Him as promised. The fact that those wicked are still there, and still unsaved in that time, reveals those in a condemned state to damnation.
Apostle Paul actually taught this when he gave 4 different Greek words to describe 2 different conditions of the soul in that future Millennial time.
1 Cor 15:51-53
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.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
KJV
Jesus showed in John 5:28-29 that BOTH resurrection types occur on the day of His coming. You are not accounting for the "resurrection of damnation" He mentioned there for that day, I do.
In the 1 Cor.15:51 verse, Paul said we shall ALL be changed. That doesn't just apply only to those in Christ; the John 5:28-29 Scripture has to be kept in mind, including the Old Testament prophets like Zechariah who prophesied of the wicked still existing in
Christ's future time of reign at His return (Zech.14).
In the above 1 Cor.15:53 verse, Paul used 4 Greek words to shows 2 separates states, of which ONLY those in Christ will have both states...
1. "corruptible" (
phthartos = decayed, perishable. A flesh body)
MUST PUT ON...
"incorruption" (
aphthrsia = incorruptibility; unending existence. The spiritual body, the image of the heavenly.)
AND...
2. "this mortal" (
thnetos = liable to die. A soul in a liable to perish condition.)
MUST PUT ON...
"immortality" (
athanasia = deathlessness. The "resurrection of life" for those in Christ.)
For those of the "resurrection of damnation" that are raised on the day of Christ's 2nd coming also, they will only be raised to that no.1 condition. Their souls will still be in 'liable to die' state, subject to the "second death" of Revelation 20:14.
That shouldn't be difficult to understand, because our Lord Jesus and His Apostles showed the difference between the believer on Christ vs. the unbelieving that are still alive. The unsaved are treated as if they are spiritually 'dead' inside, even though their flesh is still alive living on the earth. It means their souls are still 'mortal' and subject to perish in the future lake of fire. Those will remain in that spiritually dead state after Jesus' coming, and throughout His 1,000 years reign. But what God's Word shows, is they too will be changed on the day of Jesus' coming, just not putting on "immortality" through Faith on Christ Jesus.