48 As was the1man of dust, so also are those whoaremade of dust; aand as is the heavenly Man, so also are those whoare heavenly.
49 And aas we have borne the image of the man of dust, bwe shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
Our Final Victory
50 Now this I say, brethren, that aflesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I tell you a1 mystery: aWe shall not all sleep, bbut we shall all be changed—
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. aFor the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and athis mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: a“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O1a Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and athe strength of sin is the law.
57aBut thanks be to God, who gives us bthe victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58aTherefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing bthat your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Flesh and blood mortals, including the church, cannot inherit the kingdom of God. God's children, begotten by the indwelling Holy Spirit, will be changed to spirit at Christ's return and then enter the Kingdom. This change redeems them from their corrupted nature and body of death to an incorruptible nature. The last trumpet announces both the resurrection of the saints and Christ's return to establish the Kingdom. Only then is the final redemption complete, fulfilling Passover.
1 Corinthians 15:50-53
Only the just, the righteous, will rise at Christ's second coming. God will raise the martyred saints to eternal life, but the unjust dead will not be resurrected until the end of this period. If we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us when we die, we will be resurrected through the power of that same Spirit at that time (Romans 8:9, 11, 14). In addition to the dead in Christ, those who are true Christians at His coming will rise in the first resurrection. The Feast of Trumpets celebrates the second coming of Jesus Christ to intervene in world affairs, resurrect the firstfruits, and establish God's Kingdom on earth (Matthew 24:30-31; Revelation 11:15).
Since the church is composed of flesh and blood mortals, it cannot be the Kingdom of God! God's children, begotten by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11, 14-17), will be born again—changed to spirit like God is (John 4:24)—at Christ's return (I Thessalonians 4:16-17), and then we will enter into God's Kingdom. Thus, only Jesus Christ and His Father comprise the Kingdom of God in its fullness at this time.
This verse is parallel to I Thessalonians 4:15-17. The phrase "the kingdom of God" in I Corinthians parallels "the coming of the Lord" in I Thessalonians. Likewise, "the last trumpet" parallels "the trumpet of God." The last trumpet announces both the resurrection of the saints and Christ's triumphant return to earth to set up His Kingdom! Revelation 11:15-18 confirms when the last trumpet sounds.
Flesh and blood mortals, including the church, cannot inherit the kingdom of God. God's children, begotten by the indwelling Holy Spirit, will be changed to spirit at Christ's return and then enter the Kingdom. This change redeems them from their corrupted nature and body of death to an incorruptible nature. The last trumpet announces both the resurrection of the saints and Christ's return to establish the Kingdom. Only then is the final redemption complete, fulfilling Passover.