1Corinthians 15:50-52 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
‘Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.’ Natural men cannot inherit the kingdom of God, but they can and will enter it. They will inherit the earthly sphere of the universal kingdom of God which commence during the Millennium (Matt. 5:5; 25:34; Ps.37:11); but they will never inherit the whole realm of God over all the universe, as glorified saints will (Rom. 8:17).
‘Corruption inherit incorruption.’ Corruption must be laid aside and incorruption take its place in the bodies of the resurrected (15:51-54). Flesh and blood cannot inherit glory or the spiritual body (15:42-49), but flesh and bones can (Luke 24:39; Php. 3:21).
‘I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.’ This is one of Paul’s revelations – all will not die physically, but some will be changed to the likeness of those who do die (1Thess. 4:13-17). The living will be changed from mortality to immortality as quickly as the dead will be raised to immortality. The time needed for this is but a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. The Greek says en atomo, in an atom of time (15:2). It will happen at the last of two trumpets which will sound at this time. At the first trumpet, the dead will be raised to immortality. At the second or last trumpet, the living will be changed to immortality and be caught up with those who were dead to meet the Lord in the air (15:52; 1Thess. 4:16-17).
‘Incorruptible’ [Greek: aphthartos] immortal, describing the eternal existence or a never-dying condition of the soul and body. The word immortal is found only once in Scripture and is used of God (1Tim. 1:17). This same Greek word is translated not corruptible in speaking of “the hidden man of the heart” and of the “spirit” of man in 1Peter 3:4, thus proving beyond doubt that the inner man is immortal (See also Ps. 22:26). It is translated incorruptible in referring to the eternal inheritance, and the crown that believers are to receive at the end of this life (9:25; 1Pet. 1:4). It is translated incorruptible, referring to the Word of God (1Pet. 1:23) and of the resurrected bodies of saints (15:52). Thus we can conclude that God, the Word of God, the soul and spirit of man, the future crown, the inheritance of saints, and the resurrected bodies of believers are all immortal and incorruptible.
Living the Word 