To understand the text of I Corinthians 15:55 in more depth, let us use a moment in the life of David, which we all know: the day he defeated Goliath (I Sam 17). The Philistines gathered to fight against Israel. Goliath, the champion of the Philistines, confronted the army of Israel for forty days, and there was no one who could fight against him and defeat him (I Sam 17:16). Goliath typifies death. It confronted man for a long time, and there was no one who could fight against it and defeat it. Saul and his army were brave men, faithful and victorious in battle, but they could not face this type of adversary.
Goliath was six cubits and a span tall; on his head he wore a bronze helmet; he wore a coat of mail that weighed five thousand shekels of bronze; He had bronze greaves on his feet and a bronze shield between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and its head weighed six hundred shekels of iron, and his shield-bearer went before him (1 Samuel 17:4-7). These things represent the arguments of death against man, to show that it cannot be overcome. Jesse, a type of God the Father, sent his son David, a type of Jesus, to see how his brothers were doing in the war. He told him to take bread for them and to return with news of them, and to bring a pledge so that his father would be sure that David had truly been with his brothers and that they were well (1 Samuel 17:18). Jesus was sent by the Father. He brought us the true bread from heaven. He came to see how the man He created was doing, and He found him oppressed by all kinds of sickness, oppression, and above all, affronted by death. When He found the man He loved so much subject to death, He wept (John 11:35). Jesus was interested in knowing the man's situation in order to free him, heal him, and restore his communion with God, but his brothers did not welcome him. They despised him. They did not want him around. They wanted him to return to the Father (I Sam 17:28). The man was ashamed of not being able to fight this battle.
David said: What have I done now? Just as Jesus said: Why do you strike me?
David took his staff in his hand, just as Jesus came as the good shepherd to care for his flock.
David takes five pebbles from the brook that represent Jesus' ministry. Taken from the waters. Same meaning as Moses' name; and the Word said that the Lord would raise up a prophet like Moses from among his brothers (Deut 18:18).
The stone that was thrown is the Lord Jesus Himself: The stone cut out in Eternity, not by the will of man, but by the mercy and love of God (Dan 2:34). - Goliath mocked David: Am I a dog, that you come against me with clubs? Prophecy that death would be defeated when Jesus was hung on the tree. Am I a dog?
In fact, for David, Goliath was less than a dog. “Who then is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26)
The stone that David threw stuck in his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. “It will strike your head” (Genesis 3:15).
Goliath was killed by the sword. The Word killed him (Revelation 19:13).
David defeated Goliath. The giant meant nothing to David. The Lord Jesus conquered death. Death is nothing before the author of life. The text of 1 Corinthians 15:55 mocks death: “O death, where is your sting?”
“Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Cor 15:54).
David took Goliath’s head to Jerusalem (1 Sam 17:54). David took the pledge his father had asked for; the guarantee that his children were well.
The Lord Jesus also took the pledge of our victory; the blood-stained garments were presented to the Father (Gen 37:31-33; Rev 19:13). His death was proof that he was with man. And “he ascended on high, he led captivity captive” (Eph 4:8). The victory in the resurrection is the guarantee that the children are well. Goliath represented death and David cut off his head and took it to show his father that his brothers were well, because he had put an end to death. Jesus put an end to death. “O death, where is your sting?” Thus, in Jesus we will also overcome death and the time of this life to be with him for all eternity.
The Message of the Church That Will Be Raptured
Paul, typifying the Holy Spirit or being His voice through the epistles, wrote to the Romans, as we have seen previously, that he always prays, asking for a good opportunity to be with the church (Romans 1:10). Now in this text from I Corinthians 16:7-9 he says that he does not want to see the church in passing, but hopes to stay with it for a while. What a glorious desire and wonderful love the Holy Spirit has dedicated to the church! Just as Jesus said: I have greatly desired to eat this Passover with you (Luke 22:15), demonstrating how much He desired to come, fulfill His ministry and give Himself for man. Now, the Holy Spirit does the same saying that He “hopes to stay with us for a while.” “But I will stay in Ephesus.”
The Holy Spirit says: I about the primitive church (in Ephesus) and remains with it until our days and will remain until the rapture. The history of the seven times of the church in this world, from Pentecost until the rapture, is described prophetically in the history of the seven churches of Asia in Revelation (Rev 1:4). In all times there have been great battles, but in all battles the church has won because God's plan is to place it in the promised land, Eternity. This was already prophetic, when Israel had to defeat seven nations to conquer the promised land (Deut 7:1). The Lord's guidance to Israel was not to mix/become related to those nations, just as the church does not mix and has no commitment to that which is of this world (Deut 7:3). The Word presents the history of the church using the characteristics of seven churches in Asia, where John was a pastor. And the name of each of them demonstrates the historical-prophetic emphasis that it would experience in its approximately two thousand years of existence. The first church was called Ephesus, which means “acceptable.” The Holy Spirit then says that it will remain in Ephesus.
The church that is under the rule of the Holy Spirit is the church that is acceptable to God. The church that will be raptured is the acceptable church. He will remain with it until the day of Pentecost. And here he speaks of the moment of his departure.
Approximately two thousand years ago, on the day of Pentecost, suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a rushing mighty wind. It was the descent of the Holy Spirit. On that day, he did not come just in passing, as he did so many times in the Old Testament, when the Spirit descended on specific people, but he remains with us for some time, between this Pentecost and the next Pentecost, the rapture, being poured out without measure (Joel 2:18).
The true biblical message is for the Salvation of the human being
1st. We use the Word to speak of Christ and his mysteries.
2nd. We do so with sincerity.
3rd. We speak of God in the presence of God – with fear.