Verse 21. “By man came death”, carries us back in thought to the first man, to Adam and his wife at the dawn of human history. Then it was that, as we read in Rom. 5:1212Wherefore, 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),
“By one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”
What a scene of sorrow this world has become through sin! Earlier or later, sickness and death are the common lot of man, because man is by nature a sinner.
But the Spirit of God here mentions the first man and his family in order to present in bright contrast another Man, concerning whom it is written,
Coming into the world as man, but without sin; indeed, the sinless One, Christ at every step in His earthly pathway glorified God; and dying, gave His life that we might live eternally with Him. Death could not retain Him in its grasp, and He rose from among the dead. That victory was for us who trust in Him, and He in rising, was the first fruits of those fallen asleep, i.e., the dead in Christ; by Him is the resurrection of the dead.
Verse 22. There are thus in the world two families: the original stock or Adam family; and the new creation of God, the Christ family, which includes all that are truly His. Adam brought death into his family; Christ imparts life in the power of resurrection. And what are the identification marks of the Christ family? O, there are many of them. One is found in Rom. 10
“The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart; that is, the word of faith which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.” (verses 8-11.)
“In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” After that, “and he died” became the rule, beginning in the fifth chapter.
“Even so in Christ shall all be made alive”, treats of the members of Christ’s family in resurrection-life-”they that are Christ’s”, as in the 23rd verse.
“Wherefore remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh... that at that time ye were without Christ... having no hope, and without God in the world; but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” Eph. 2:11, 12, 1311Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:11‑13). Are you “in Christ”, dear reader?
Verse 23. The resurrection of the lost is not in view here, but only of Christ and His own. Each is in his own rank, the first fruits, Christ; then those that are Christ’s at His coming, when what in John 5:2929And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:29) is called the resurrection of life, takes place.
“Then the end. when He gives up the kingdom to Him (who is) God and Father, when He shall have annulled all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy (that) is annulled (is) death. For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says that all things are put in subjection, it is evident that (it is) except Him who put all things in subjection to Him. But when all things shall have been brought into subjection to Him, then the Son also Himself shall be placed in subjection to Him who put all things in subjection to Him, that God may be all in all” (verses 24-28, N. T.).
The resurrection of the lost, in order that they may be judged, forms only a secondary part of the Holy Spirit’s theme in this chapter; it is, however, evident that verse 21, “by man came also the resurrection of the dead”, while primarily applying to Christ’s resurrection and that of those who are His own, takes in also the raising of the rest of the dead, which will follow by the space of a thousand years the raising of believers who have died (Rev. 20:55But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. (Revelation 20:5); John 5:25-2925Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 26For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 28Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:25‑29) and 17:2). So also, in the quoted verses 24-28, the resurrection of the lost is included, though not mentioned specifically.
The Father has given Christ power over all flesh (John 17:22As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. (John 17:2)) and in the exercise of that power He will, after the resurrection of those that are His, rule as man according to the 8th Psalm-a passage which is in fact referred to in our verse 27. Among many passages dealing with the subject, we may refer to Rev. 19:11-1611And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:11‑16) and following; Matt. 24:27-4427For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 28For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. 29Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 32Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 35Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. (Matthew 24:27‑44), and 25:31-46.
“The end”, in verse 24 is the end of Christ’s kingdom as Son of man, and the dawn of eternity in its fullest sense; then the judgment of the great white throne will have followed the thousand years’ reign, and hell will have received both the lost, and the devil that deceived them. Then will He deliver up the kingdom to Him who is God and Father, having put down (or annulled) all rule and all authority and power.
He must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet. The nineteenth and twentieth chapters of the Revelation reveal these closing dealings with most of these enemies; and other prophetic Scriptures tell of others.
The last enemy to be annulled is death; this involves the resurrection of those that are not Christ’s, to meet their judgment, but as has been indicated, the subject of the chapter is the resurrection of believers, and the resurrection of the remainder of mankind is passed over in silence.
The 27th and 28th verses will perhaps be made clearer if the reader will refer to Rev. 5, where the Son, as man, takes over the execution of the divine judgments expressed in the book. Just so in these verses of 1 Cor. 15, He is looked at as man, ruling in the kingdom given to Him until that special kingdom has served its purpose; then He as man will be subject to Him that put all things under Him, that God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) may be all in all. He will be eternally man, and as such He will be subject as He was during His life on earth; but He is and ever will be God, and one with the Father, even as He also was here on earth. (John 10:3030I and my Father are one. (John 10:30)). As Man He will be forever the Head of the whole redeemed family, the Church His Bride.