Let's begin here: Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
1 Corinthians 15:50
This is a very big statement. Here the Apostle did not mince words, flesh and blood will not inherit (make it into) the kingdom of God. This kingdom is NOT referring to the Kingdom of Jesus (Revelation 20:4-6) that will last 1,000 years, but rather points to the Fathers Kingdom of Revelation chapter 21-22. In Jesus's kingdom there will still be flesh and blood people still keeping the law and at least one feast day that EVERYONE will HAVE to keep (Zechariah 14:1-5,12,16-17).
But how can we be sure? What clues does the Bible (the Word) provide us with that might help us understand the statement Paul made to the church at Corinth.
We have learned in previous installments of #OnlineBibleBootCamp that God only gave man 7 days to "get it right." Technically we learned that God gave man 6 days to work, and the 7th day to rest. We also learned that the purpose of God's rest is to make us remember Jesus kingdom (that's why it says, "Remember the Sabbath Day") when the earth will be at rest because Satan will be chained for 1,000 years (Revelation 20).
I would now like to show you some double entendre's, that The Most High God uses to drive home the point about man having 7 days. The Bible will speak about more specifically to Paul's point of the Kingdom of God which will occur AFTER the 7th day.
The Lord has 7 annual feast days, that Christians are supposed to honor and keep. The Sabbath Day, The Feast of Unleavened Bread (2days), the feast of Pentecost, the Day of Atonement, the feast of Tabernacles & the Eighth Day feast. Let's check out two of them here:
"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings." Leviticus 23:1-3
Here is the Sabbath again (you just can't escape the Sabbath).
"In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the Lord : seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord. On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord : on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord : it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.
Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.
And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month." Leviticus 23:5-8, 34-36, 39, 41
•Also, These two feast days are to be held for 7 days.
Let's explore some other instances using the number 7. The number of completion of God concerning man.
"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.
But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six days." Leviticus 12:2, 5
So when a woman has a son he is unclean for seven and if she likewise has a daughter she is unclean for two weeks which is two sets of seven days.
Let's stay with birth for a moment:
"And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant." Genesis 17:9-12,14
And Again...
"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean. And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised." Leviticus 12:1-3 KJV
So, when a son is born he can live for 7 days with his foreskin. However, on the 8th day he MUST BE circumcised.
These small thing that people have tried to nullify tells us a great message:
Man has 7 days to get it right," and on the 8th day (which represents the Father's Kingdom 1 Corinthians 15:50) there will be no more flesh and blood. 1 part ancient sanitary practices, 1 part prophetic symbolism!
Even when trying to determine diseases God finds a way to work 7 days in there:
"When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests: And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean. If the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh, and in sight be not deeper than the skin, and the hair thereof be not turned white; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague seven days: And the priest shall look on him the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague in his sight be at a stay, and the plague spread not in the skin; then the priest shall shut him up seven days more:" Leviticus 13:2-5
When a man has a running issue in his flesh, AND a woman's menstrual cycle:
"And when he that hath an issue is cleansed of his issue; then he shall number to himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean.
And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even." Leviticus 15:13, 19
Not only are the laws of a woman's menstrual cycle for sanitation reasons, it is also symbolic! She is set apart 7 days, and after that she is 'clean.' After the 7th day, After Jesus Kingdom there will be no more blood! (flesh and blood)
I would love to hear your thoughts, questions, comments. Please leave a comment below.