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Answer
In his initial letter to the Corinthians, Paul emphasizes the future resurrection of believers from the dead. Some individuals denied the reality of the future resurrection, and Paul defends this truth to the believers in Corinth who had been misled by that false teaching. Paul explains that the resurrection of believers in Christ is certain because Jesus Christ Himself rose from the dead “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:”, (1 Corinthians 15:13).
Paul then anticipates the second coming of Christ, when He will come back with the resurrected saints and will destroy “all dominion, authority, and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:24-26).
The enemies of God that will be eliminated include Satan, who, through his deceit and lies, corrupted Adam and Eve and all humanity thereafter. All human beings inherit the sinful nature from Adam “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”, (Romans 5:12), and all must live in bondage to sin unless delivered by Christ from their sinful state. Satan destroyed the innocence of Adam and Eve when he tempted them to rebel against God. However, Jesus, who has redeemed the chosen ones, will ultimately triumph over Satan and his demons when they are eternally destroyed (Revelation 20:1-10).
Another enemy to be eradicated is sin, which all human beings are guilty of committing. On the cross, Jesus saved
He saved His people from the punishment and the power of sin. Believers no longer need to fear God’s wrath for their sin because Jesus bore the punishment sinners deserve. He also freed believers from the power of sin, giving us the strength to resist sin through the Holy Spirit’s power within us, which is greater than the power of sin. Eventually, sin will be completely eradicated, and believers will no longer be surrounded by sin. The apostle John envisions the New Jerusalem descending from heaven, completely sin-free: “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” «And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.», (Revelation 21:27).
In 1 Corinthians 15:26, it is stated that the final enemy to be vanquished is death. Death will be the ultimate foe to be conquered because it is the “wages of sin” «For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.», (Romans 6:23) and must persist until sin is eradicated. Death was the last enemy to appear, and it will be the final one to be eliminated. How will this occur? Those who belong to Christ will be raised to eternal life in God’s presence and will never die again. Even unbelievers will endure eternal life in the lake of fire, where there will be no more physical death for them «where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. », (Mark 9:48). Physical death is the ultimate enemy to be defeated, for both the righteous and the wicked.
The triumph over death by the God of life is a testament to His power.The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead is confirmed. Death can only be eliminated by the resurrection of both the wicked and the righteous, who will never die again. Without a resurrection, death will continue to reign, and people will remain subject to it. The assurance of the resurrection lies in the destruction of death. “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory’” (1 Corinthians 15:54;cf: Isaiah 25:8).
