John 11:25-26
I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead,
yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.
By not observing the context, all kinds of strange doctrines have been fabricated from this passage of Scripture. Some even claim that believers do not die, but somehow they have gone to be with The Lord Jesus already. Most people can't believe such wild doctrines but may pretend to do so while knowing all along in their hearts that death is hard to explain away.
If you read the whole chapter very carefully, especially John 11:24, the Truth of it will be revealed. Do not miss any words; Martha had hoped that the Lord would come soon enough to heal her brother (John 11:21-22). But now, even though Lazarus is dead, Martha expresses the hope that the Lord might raise her brother. In fact, she believes that anything the Lord asks of His Father will be done.
The Lord then makes the remark that Lazarus will rise again (John 11:23). Martha takes that right up, for she is a believer and has The Hope of the Jews, so she knew that her brother would rise on the last day (John 11:24).
On the last day, this is the key we have been looking for. It is the key to the next two verses. It is left out, but it is up to us to fill the ellipsis.
So the Lord tells her that on that last day, He will be The Power of The Resurrection and The Giver of Life. And that on that day, He will raise all dead believers, those that sleep in Jesus, making Him The Resurrection, The Hope of Israel. And those believers that are living in that last day will never die, for He will give Life to them. Now we can know what He meant when He said, I AM The Resurrection and the Life. I AM is none other than Jehovah, and He will bring immortality to all believers on the last day.
Paul speaks of the same thing when he wrote 1 Cor. 15:51-52. He makes plain that on the last day, not all will be sleeping in death, but that all will be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. It will be at the last trump (Rev. 11:15), where the Lord takes over the kingdoms of this world and rules. This was no secret, for the Lord had told the same thing to Martha years before. Those who try to make you believe that this passage in 1 Cor. 15:51-52 is a part of The Dispensation of The Mystery will have a hard time convincing many that this Hope of the Jews is also The Hope of The Church. Search the Scriptures and see for they speak of Him Who is The Resurrection!
But again, in 1 Thes. 4:15-17, we find the same message. It says that the living believers will not precede the dead or sleeping believers. The dead will rise, and they, with the living believers, will be caught up in the air, not heaven, to meet the Lord as He comes to take over the kingdoms of this world and reign in Jerusalem on the throne of His father, David. And note that the setting is with the voice of the archangel and a trumpet. Also, if they are not going to heaven, where will they ever be with the Lord? If He is coming to the earth to set up His Kingdom, then they will meet Him and come back with Him and be with Him for the age or The Millennium.
Once, Paul hoped to take part in this event, but he gained a New Hope (Col. 3:1-4) and resigned himself to death till That Hope comes 2 Tim. 4:6).
