Salvation Completed (Made Perfect)

This article is another piece of my manuscript, Waiting for The Day and Hour:

The day the rapture occurs is the day when the body of Christ is finally made perfect. Its salvation process is completed. As I have mentioned previously, the final process in our salvation experience is our earthly bodies will be changed miraculously into heavenly bodies; they become glorified.

“Listen, I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this corruptible body must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body must be clothed with immortality.” (1 Cor. 15:51-53, CSB).

The hour the church age is over on the Earth is when the body of Christ will be redeemed spirit, soul, and body (1 Thess.5:23). At this time, the true Church will be sanctified or made pure. Everyone snatched away into heaven from the Earth will, in an instant, never sin again. When the last trump sounds, the body of Christ, who is still living, will be transformed from earthly beings to heavenly beings. That is what πάντες οὐ κοιμηθησόμεθα (pántes ou koimithisómetha) “We all won't sleep” (15:51b, mGNT) means. In a ἄτομος (átomos) “moment,” the transition will take place. The metamorphosis will happen ἐν ῥιπῇ ὀφθαλμοῦ (en ripí ofthalmoús) “in the blink of an eye” (mGNT). The believers in heaven will be reunited with their earthly bodies, as I mentioned above under the heading, In the Clouds. 

There were trumpets blown in ancient Israel for various reasons: Feast of Trumpets [Yom Teruah] (Lev. 23:23-25); to sound alarms (Num. 10:5-6); to assemble the people (Ex. 19:13); to announce the Year of Jubilee (Lev. 25:9-10); temple worship and praise (2 Chron. 15:14),[1] and more. Angels will be given trumpets to blow during Israel’s 70^th week (Isa. 27:13; Zech. 9:14; Rev. 8:2, 13; 9:13-14; Matt. 24:31; Mk. 13:27). The trumpet of God that will sound when the rapture occurs is not only to announce the church age is over but to also alert the dead in Christ to rise (1 Thess. 4:16).

The “last trumpet” in 1 Corinthians 15:52 is the same trumpet of God in 1 Thessalonians 4:16. Some disagree because they contend there is an interval between the time of the rapture and the moment the body of Christ receives heavenly bodies. They believe there is an indefinite amount of time between the two events. I disagree because I argue both events are simultaneous. They believe the body of Christ will fly up to the clouds like Jesus did when he was raptured. I mentioned this above as well. I said there that when Jesus was taken up into heaven, it was to correspond with his 2^nd coming, as the two angels proclaimed. But when the body of Christ is raptured, it will be different than the rapture of Jesus and the rapture of Elijah. The body of Christ will be seized out of this world suddenly. That is what the Greek term ἁρπάζω (harpazō) means: Seized quickly, to grab with force. The body of Christ will suddenly disappear. That would explain Paul’s explanation that the body of Christ is changed from earthly beings to heavenly beings in a átomos (moment), en ripí ofthalmoús (in the blink of an eye). One second, the body of Christ is on the earth, and in the blink of an eye, they vanish. The transformation from earthly beings to heavenly beings is straightaway, instantly.   

When a person receives Christ and becomes born-again, the Holy Spirit immediately becomes one with their spirit-being. Immediately, that person’s spirit-being is sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13; 4:30). This transformation allows them to communicate with God through their spirit-being and he with them. At that instant, that person’s body becomes a temple for the Spirit of God to dwell in (1 Cor. 6:19). The believer is then “justified by his [Christ’s] blood” (Rom. 5:9a, KJV). The believer is δικαιωθέντες (dikaiothéntes) vindicated by faith [in Christ] (Rom. 5:1)—many English translations say, justified. The believer now enters the state of ἁγιασμόν (agiasmón) sanctification, which leads to eternal life (Rom. 6:22). Sanctification means the believer now goes through the process of being separated from the world to God (1 Cor. 1:30).[2]

In the simplest terms, sanctification is the transformation the believer goes through to become heavenly beings (glorified people). When Jesus asked his Father to sanctify the disciples by the truth, he was asking his Father to separate the disciples from the world (John 17:16). Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit done in the believer throughout their life as the believer submits to him and obeys the word of God (1 Pet. 1:15; Jn. 17:17).

When the body of Christ’s salvation is completed (at the hour the rapture occurs) and is in Eternity, do not be surprised if there is a room containing church chronicles. In these archives, there is not only a record of the works of the church in every generation, but every believer can view how they contributed to the work of the Lord. This will be the Record of Rewards.[3] Do not be surprised about the room dedicated to the Journal of the Holy Spirit. In this room is a record of how the Holy Spirit brought the body of Christ through the salvation process to a victorious completion. This record reveals how Christ was able to sanctify the church by cleansing her with a λουτρῷ τοῦ ὕδατος ἐν ῥήματι (loutró toú ýdatos en rímati) “bath of water in the word” (Eph. 5:26b, mGNT). The records will show how Christ was able to: “Present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish [or holy and blameless] (Eph. 5:27, ESV).

God has chosen the believer to partake in the transformation process. The follower of Christ is to offer their earthly body to God as a living sacrifice, it is an act of worship (Rom. 12:1). The believer must not conform to the ways of the world any longer but change the way he thinks by replacing the old man with the new man (Rom.12:2; Eph.4:22-24). Because the church of God has his promises, it must cleanse itself: “From every impurity of the flesh and spirit, bringing holiness to completion [or spirit, perfecting holiness] in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 7:1b, CSB).

Picture: Pixabay (kiberstalker)

Free for use under the Pixabay Content License

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[1] Understanding the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah)

https://icejusa.org/2023/08/02/understanding-the-feast-of-trumpets-yom-teruah/#:~:text=For%20example%2C%20a%20trumpet%20blast,Psalm%2081%3A4%E2%80%936)

(Accessed 2/11/2025)

[2] What is sanctification? What is the definition of Christian sanctification?

https://www.gotquestions.org/sanctification.html

(Accessed 2/14/2025)

[3] What are some Bible verses about rewards?

https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-verses-about-rewards.html

(Accessed 2/14/2025)

Gateways

 

The article below is a small portion of my manuscript, Waiting For The Day And Hour:

This invisible wall that separates the spiritual world, from the physical world, has gateways. This is how the holy angels travel from the heavenly realm into Earth’s physical realm. We cannot see the holy angels come directly through these gateways, but once they come through, they are visible to whomever they have come to minister to. These spiritual gateways are also called portals or doorways. This is how the fallen angels travel back and forth. They travel from the heavenly realms they can access, to the physical realm through gateways. The 200 angels that produced Nephilim with women before the Great Flood (Gen. 6:2, 4; Enoch 6:2) came through a gateway that exists over Ardîs, which is the summit of Mount Hermon (Enoch 6:6)—a spiritual portal is supposed to be there. It is believed that the high mountain Jesus took Peter, John, and James up to where they witnessed him transfigured was Mount Hermon[1] (Matt. 17:1-8). When Moses and Elijah appeared, they were in glorified bodies as I mentioned above under the heading, In the Clouds (Lk. 9:30). This means they are in their heavenly garments already. If you recall, I wrote about this in chapter #6, in its introduction. Moses and Elijah would have traveled from heaven and entered Earth through a spiritual doorway to get to Mount Hermon. The theory that there is a spiritual gateway over Mount Hermon is plausible.  

Both holy and fallen angels are not limited to entering Earth’s atmosphere only but can also enter Earth’s outer space, through portals. A lack of oxygen and gravity does not affect these angelic beings. You might ask why angels would travel into Earth’s outer space. What would be the purpose? I can think of one reason fallen angels would travel to Earth’s outer space, and it has to do with man’s exploration of Earth’s outer space. Their purpose is to lead the world astray by deception.

Gateways in the invisible wall separating the spiritual and physical realms are how the angel Gabriel arrived to visit Zechariah, the priest, and the virgin, Mary. Gabriel would have come through a spiritual portal to talk to Daniel. In Jacob’s dream at Bethel, he saw a gateway into the heavenly realm where he witnessed angels going back and forth on a stairway; Yahweh even spoke to him through this gateway—Jacob called it שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם (shaa'ar hashemhamyim) “Heaven’s Gate” (Gen.28:10-17).

When the apostle John was on the Island of Patmos, he heard a loud voice like a trumpet, which told him to write the things he saw and send them to the seven churches in Asia (Rev. 1:9-11). When he turned, he witnessed Jesus in a vision (Rev. 1:12-20). After writing down the messages he received to the seven churches in Asia (Rev. 2-3), he looked and saw a (spiritual) doorway open leading into heaven (Rev. 4:1a). The voice like a trumpet he had heard at the beginning of his vision spoke again: υσα, Ἀνάβα ὧδε καὶ δείξω σοι ἃ δεῖ γενέσθαι μετὰ ταῦτα (ysa, Anáva óde kaí deíxo soi á deí genésthai metá tafta) “Come up here and I will show you what must happen after this.” (Rev. 4:1c, Textus Receptus). John was then immediately taken deep in his vision: εὐθέως ἐγενόμην ἐν πνεύματι (efthéos egenómin en pnévmati) “I was born directly in spirit” (Rev. 4:2a, Textus Receptus). This phrase, efthéos egenómin en pnévmati (I was born directly in spirit), may mean that John lost awareness of his earthly body and was only aware of his spirit-being. This allowed him to see deep in his vision, so, he could witness the inner sanctuary of heaven. When this spiritual encounter occurred, he could go through the spiritual doorway that leads into heaven where he saw God the Father on his throne and the twenty-four elders on their thrones (Rev. 4:2b-4). In John’s vision, he was transferred from his earthly body so he could function in his spirit-man, he could then go through the doorway in the invisible wall that separates the physical realm and the realm of heaven. John’s spirit-man at this time was sealed with the Holy Spirit of God.

When the apostle Paul was translated up into the inner sanctuary of God, he too would have been translated from his earthly body to function in his spirit-man (2 Cor. 12:2-3). He too was sealed with the Holy Spirit at the time.   

When Isaiah saw the אֲדֹנָי (Adonai) Lord sitting on his throne (Isa. 6:1-13), he would have lost awareness of his body and been only aware of his spirit-being. Was Isaiah’s spirit born again? I believe it was. The Scriptures record that the Old Testament men of God had the Holy Spirit. Sometimes the Scriptures say the Spirit came upon them, and sometimes they say the Spirit was in them. This means they were sealed with the Spirit. In the book of Numbers, it says: אֶל־מֹשֶׁה קַח־לְךָ אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן־נוּן אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־רוּחַ בּוֹ (el-moshue kach-lech et-yehoshoo'a been-noon ish ashuer-roo'ach bo) “Moses took Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom was the spirit” (Num. 27:18, Masoretic Text). King Belshazzar of Babylon said to Daniel: “I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods [or Spirit of God] is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you (Dan. 5:14, ESV). Ezekiel said: “As he spoke to me, the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet, and I listened to the one who was speaking to me” (Ezek. 2:2, CSB).

How could the Old Testament prophets communicate with Yahweh unless the Spirit of God dwelled within them? Sometimes their communication was conveyed by angels, but at other times the prophets heard God speak within their spirit-being. The apostle Peter recorded that the Spirit of God was in the prophets (1 Pet. 1:10-12). When Elijah was raptured, he would have had to be born again or he could not have entered heaven (2 Kgs. 2:11). Neither would he have been able to appear to Jesus with Moses on Mount Hermon without his glorified body. Moses must have had the Spirit of God dwell in him or he would not have been able to enter heaven, and he would not have been able to visit Jesus with Elijah without his glorified body. It is believed that when Michael, the archangel, disputed with Satan over Moses' dead body, God then raptured Moses' dead body into heaven so that the fallen angels would not desecrate his body. That would explain how Moses was able to be in a heavenly body on Mount Hermon—Moses’ dead body resurrected into heaven was a template to the dead-in-Christ having their dead bodies resurrected into heaven at the moment the body of Christ is raptured (1 Thess. 4:13-14).

Jesus said to Nicodemus the Pharisee: “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again [or from above], he cannot see the kingdom of God” (Jn. 3:3, CSB). The born-again effect is not something new with the birth of the church. For the Old Testament prophets and saints to be in heaven, they would have had to be born again at their death—their renewed spirit-being was how they were ushered into the kingdom of heaven. The saints and prophets of the Old Testament were looking to the day when their Messiah would appear which means they had faith in Jesus before he made his first appearance. When the rapture of the body of Christ happens the Old Testament prophets and saints will meet Jesus in the air with all those who have fallen asleep in Christ because they had faith in Yahweh. People like Abraham: “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad” (Jn. 8:56, CSB). Like Isaiah: “Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him” (Jn. 12:41, ESV). Like Moses: “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me” (Jn. 5:46, KJV).

The Old Testament prophets and saints were not saved by keeping the Law because no one is saved by keeping the Law (Rom. 3:20; Gal. 2:16a; 3:11a). Rather the Old Testament prophets and saints were justified by faith: “For we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law” (Rom. 3:28, CSB). Just like the church, the prophets and saints of the Old Testament are in heaven because they had faith in Yahweh (Hab. 2:4b; Rom. 1:7; Gal. 3:11b; Heb. 10:38a). They could not be saved by obeying the Law but saved by the gift of God, his grace (Eph. 2:8-9). They are in heaven with the dead-in-Christ waiting for the rapture to occur so their dead bodies can be resurrected into heavenly bodies.  

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[1] What is the significance of Mount Hermon in the Bible?

https://www.gotquestions.org/mount-Hermon.html

(Accessed 2/7/2025)