Quickening of the Spirit


Resurrection is quickening of the spirit (…the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them, John 5:21. It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing, John 6:63). The soul that departs from the body and returns to God (Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it, Ecclesiastes 12:7), is not quickened immediately (I saw under the alter the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost not thou judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on earth? 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 fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled, Revelation 6:9 - 11.)

In some exceptional cases some people, after their death were brought back to life. Lazarus was. John 11:1 - 45; and some others too, II Kings 13:21; Mark 5:37 - 43; Matthew 27:52.But they were not resurrected. They were merely brought back to life in flesh. Their spirits were not quickened. They lived in flesh and blood and died again.

Christ was the first to be resurrected (But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept, I Corinthians 15:20), not in flesh and blood but in spirit (Christ was put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit, I Peter 3:18. The last Adam was made a quickening spirit, I Corinthians 15:45). For he rose to heaven (He was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God, Mark 16:19).

He merely took a bodily form to convince the unbelieving disciples that he has risen. Remember none of the disciples, who were always with Jesus, recognized him by sight. Well, he was not the first spirit to be thus seen by humans. Angels (not taking into account the incidents when the sons of god took the daughters of men as wives to themselves, Genesis 6:1 & 2) from Jacob's time, have appeared to humans in physical form, to be seen by men. Genesis 32:1 & 2; John 20:11&12. Numbers 22:31; Judges 2:1, 6:11;. And even ate human food, as did Jesus, Genesis 19:1 - 3; Genesis 18:1-8.

The spirit of the righteous, the believers, at Christ's second coming, were also quickened, as have the righteous after them, also been. What kind of body they will have, we are not sure. Now are we the sons of God, and it doth not appear what we shall be, I John 3:2. But that they will have a body, is sure (earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is in heaven, II Corinthians 5:2). The body will be from heaven, not from earth. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy, and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly, I Corinthians 15: 48. But we know that when Christ appears we shall be like him because we shall see him as he is, I John 3:2. We would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord, II Corinthians 5:8.

David clearly knew of resurrection. He knew that the soul clings to this body of dust and will be severed and quickened (My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word, Psalm 119:25). He also knew that once Christ is resurrected, the others, the faithful too will be resurrected (Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself. So will we not go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name, Psalm 80:17 & 18. For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them even so the son quickeneth whom he will. John 5:21).

He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you, Romans 8:11. Quickening of the mortal bodies is not making the body of flesh and blood perfect imperishable mortal bodies. Corruption does not inherit incorruption. It is the soul that is imperishable. It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing, John 6:63. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the king of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption, I Corinthians 15:50. As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. There is no kingdom of God on earth. The New Jerusalem, new heaven and new earth with no sea and no sun and moon and which come down from heaven, where those whose names were found in the Lamb's book of life, enter is not the earth we know, Revelation chapter 21. I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; ... while the earth remaineth, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease, Genesis 8: 21 & 22, Genesis 9:8 - 17. In fact this new earth and new heaven is not even a physical plane. And there came unto me one of the seven angels ... and talked with me saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife ... and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Revelation 21:9 & 10. The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or lo there! For, behold, the kingdom of God is within you, Luke 17:20 & 21.

Please read Kingdom of God on Earth.