We believe that the Lord Jesus will utilize His most devout saints, His firstfruits, to judge the remainder of the elect, as He mentioned to the faithful disciples who had left all to follow Him. Perhaps this is the manner in which the whole Wife of the Lamb will arrive at the fullness of holiness and obedience.

Finally, every other person on the earth will be raised in his body and will be judged according to his works. The wicked will be cast into the Lake of Fire. The righteous will be brought forward to eternal life on the new earth, becoming the nations of saved peoples of the earth (Revelation 21:24,26; Isaiah 60:11).

Each human being will be rewarded according to the manner in which he has behaved in his body. We shall receive what we have sown.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (II Corinthians 5:10)

The lost will be punished in their bodies. They will be cast into Hell in their bodies.

And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. (Matthew 5:30)

And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases [dead bodies] of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh. (Isaiah 66:24)

"Unto all flesh." Since the above verse is speaking of the ages to come, it is interesting that the Lord refers to the people of the new world as "all flesh." Perhaps the new heaven and earth reign of Christ will not be as purely spiritual as we have thought.

The first Adam was made a living soul. The last Adam was made a life-giving Spirit. The body we have now is suitable as a vehicle for our soul. But as we are being created a life-giving spirit (in the image of the life-giving Spirit—Jesus), the old "wineskin" is cracking.

We groan for the redemption of our mortal body, the redeeming of it with eternal life. God will so transform our body it will reflect in its every member the resurrection life being created in us now.

The precious stones that adorn the foundations of the wall of the new Jerusalem are being formed in us by means of great heat and pressure. Our new body will be compatible with the glory that today is being created in our inner nature.

We do not desire to be naked, that is, to lose our mortal body. Rather we are groaning that our house from Heaven, which is being formed in the Presence of God as our earthly body is being sown to the death of the cross, would clothe our mortal frame. Then we shall be free to serve God in righteousness, peace, and joy forever.

To be continued.