The document discusses the state of departed Christians after death. It makes three key points: 1) Departed Christians are already with the Lord in heaven in glorified bodies, not awaiting the future return of Christ. 2) The idea that glorified bodies are still to come is not supported by Scripture. When it refers to the dead rising, it means persons, not bodies alone. 3) According to passages like 1 Corinthians 15 and 2 Corinthians 5, when believers die their souls are made alive in heaven with new glorified spiritual bodies, not naked souls. They will appear from heaven, not the grave, when Christ returns.

1. The departed Christians are with the Lord in heaven with a glorified body now, not sometime in the future when the Lord returns for the Church. The teaching that the glorified body for the departed believers is yet to come is not supported by the Scriptures. The dead in Christ shall rise first: note it is not referring to bodies, but to persons. A body without the soul is not a person. The dead in Christ shall rise doesn't mean that they will be coming from the grave because you are already told in vs. 14 that Jesus will bring them with Him. Rightly so because they are with Him in heaven now. The principle applied to the resurrection body is stated in 1 Cor. 15:35-38. Whatever is sown, when it is quickened it appears with a new body. In the case of the departed believer, the moment he is made alive, he awakens with a glorified body and not a ' naked soul' (read 2 Cor 5: 1-4)We are told in MATTHEW 27:52-53 that saints who have died appeared to many ( with a body ). With what body then one may ask? 1 Cor 15:37-38 says that it’s not the body that they used to have. It’s no longer a terrestrial body or a natural body (vss40, 44) but a celestial body. As it is raised in incorruption, it is raised a spiritual BODY. Not just soul. The dead in Christ shall rise means then that with a dead body in view, the believers living at that time will see those who have departed to be alive again, just like in Matthew 27, only this time they will be coming from heaven, not the grave, to appear FIRST (the dead in Christ shall rise FIRST) before we are all together CAUGHT up with them to meet the Lord. Prior to our meeting with the Lord is our meeting with the departed saints.<br />