Believers have reported recognizing relatives and friends in the spirit realm, which suggests that our inner man may, in some respects, resemble our outward man.

The flesh and bone body. Perhaps one of the most neglected aspects of teaching concerning the resurrection from the dead is the role of our flesh and bone body.

It is clear that the Lord Jesus was raised in a flesh and bone body, and it appears to be both scriptural and reasonable that our resurrection will be patterned after His.

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. (Luke 24:39)

The resurrection of the physical body is one of the central aspects of the Divine redemption. The fifteenth chapter of the Book of First Corinthians is devoted to the doctrine concerning raising the flesh and bone body from the dead.

The inner man of the human being cannot "perish." Death to the inner man is not extinction as is true of the outward man. The inner man always is existing somewhere.

Therefore the meaning of John 3:16 is, God gave His Son, Christ, so we—our outward man—"should not perish, but have everlasting life."

The Christian teaching of today does not place nearly enough emphasis on the redemption of the flesh and bone body of the human personality.

There are at least three reasons why current teaching does not emphasize the reviving of the flesh and bone body:

Going to Heaven, to the realm of spirits, is believed to be the goal of the Divine redemption. Since one does not need to be resurrected in order to enter the spirit realm, the unscriptural emphasis on "going to Heaven" has obscured greatly the scriptural doctrine of the redemption of the mortal body.

An ascension (the so-called "pre-tribulation rapture") is taught in place of the doctrine of the resurrection. This destructive heresy virtually ignores the resurrection of the body. It stresses a flight to the spirit realm on the part of untransformed believers so they may escape the troubles of the world.

The doctrine of the pre-tribulation "rapture" of the saints is a deception and has caused harm to the understanding of the Scriptures. It also has produced immaturity, sin, and self-centeredness in the believers. They refuse to prepare themselves for the day of trouble because they have been taught God loves them too much to allow them to suffer.

Paul's teaching of the "house which is from heaven," of the fifth chapter of Second Corinthians, often is confused with the doctrine of the resurrection of the fifteenth chapter of First Corinthians. Many believe that since we have a "heavenly body" there is no need to revive the dead physical body.

This is not clear thinking. The heavenly body cannot be resurrected, because it is not subject to corruption and death. Only the dead physical body can be resurrected. If the dead physical body is not to be resurrected there is no resurrection from the dead. One of the primary aspects of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is then destroyed.

To be continued.