As Christian attention is turned away from mansions in Heaven and emphasis is placed on our being raised from the dead and our future life on the earth in God's Kingdom, the question of how the dead are raised and with what kind of body they will come to the earth will be of increasing interest and importance to the saints.

We know from the Scriptures that two bodies will be involved in the resurrection. Our present body of flesh and bones will be raised from the dead. We also have a spiritual body, or "robe," or "house," that is being fashioned in Heaven according to our spiritual progress on the earth.

At what point our spiritual body will clothe our flesh and bones we do not know.

It may be true that the Lord will come with our spiritual body and place it over our flesh and bones, and then raise the glorified body from the dust.

Perhaps our flesh and bones will be raised from the ground (or the water if we have drowned) and brought to a place of reunion on earth with all saints. Then all of us together, the former dead and the living, will be raised to meet the Lord in the air. Perhaps at that point we will be clothed with our "house from heaven" and then assigned to one of the governing thrones in the air that has been vacated, or else placed in our rank in the army that is about to descend to the Mount of Olives.

A third alternative, the one we prefer at the present time, is that the white robe (the house from Heaven) will be given to the deceased saints at some point prior to the coming of the Lord, and then they will return to the Lord Jesus and raise their own remains from the place of burial. At the same time the white robe will be given to those who are alive and remain.

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)

And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. (Revelation 19:8)

Remember, this is the first resurrection and it is only for the true Christians, the disciples, those whose life Christ Is.

The believers of today may not be ready for the Presence of the Lord. If they were caught up to the Consuming Fire of Israel they would be in an agony as that holy Fire touched the fleshly adamic life of their personality.

Could lukewarm church-attenders bear being changed from mortality to immortality while standing on their feet? When they felt their flesh-and-blood systems being changed to resurrection life would they panic? They might withdraw from the process in unbelief. Remember Lot's wife!

To be continued.