billy-brown 2

It seems that without the physical bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, our faith is vain.

Yep.

And it seems also that the Christian faith is absolutely dependent upon it.

And so, let's have Paul tell it:

1 Cor.15
12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

Now, this verse indicates that Christ was preached that He rose from the dead; thus, no one can say that there is no resurrection from the dead, because that would mean that Christ did not die for our sins and rise again from the dead and so on.

(Indeed, one has to have died to even be put in position to be resurrected from the dead.)

And Paul tells the rest of it here:

1 Cor.15
13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

Yep. This is quite logical.

Thus, Paul indicates the following:

I Cor. 15
20But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

Now, here Paul indicates that many are still dead physically already, but Christ has been raised already from the dead.

And when Christ was raised from the dead, He ascended up to the right hand of the Father with a glorified body to reign until death is abolished for "those who are asleep" and so on. This means that Christ has abolished death already, but "those that are asleep" have not had death abolished yet. In other words, when Christ comes again, "those who are asleep" will be resurrected just as He was resurrected. This is what Paul is saying below:

1 Cor. 15
21For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming,
24 then comes the end, . . .

Yep. The end.

Now, when is the end?

Well, the end is when Christ comes the second time; thus, Christ's second coming features bodily resurrection--even at the last day:

John 6
40“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

Phil 3
18For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ,
19whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.
20For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
21who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

Also, the end is when . . . well, let's let Paul tell it; he has told us when the end is:

I Cor. 15
24a . . . when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.
25For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
26The last enemy that will be abolished is death.

In other words, "the end" is "when" bodily resurrection unto immortality occurs, because that's how death is "cheated" or abolished:

I Cor. 15
51Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,
52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

And apparently, it takes Kingdom power to "cheat" death, because after death is abolished, King Jesus will "hand over" the Kingdom to the Father when He has "abolished" death. This would mean that Jesus is the Immortal King already--and before the "end" comes. And there would have been no way for Jesus to be immortal physically--with a glorified body--unless that had occurred when He rose from the dead and ascended on high in the 1st century as our King and Priest.

Finally, the main reason this age has lasted so long (ca. 2000 years so far and so on) is because of the longsuffering of our God--as Peter tells us below (in bold):

I Pet. 3
3Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts,

4and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”

5For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water,

6through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.

7But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

8But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.

9The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

11Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

12looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!

13But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.