18 Aug. Jesus was the first to be raised from the dead
"Now, brothers and sisters, I want you to remember the Good News I brought to you... I passed on to you what I received, of which this was most important: that Christ died for our sins, as the Scriptures say; that he was buried and was raised to life on the third day as the Scriptures say; and that he was seen by Peter and then by the twelve apostles."
"After that, Jesus was seen by more than 500 of the believers at the same time. Most of them are still living today, but some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all he was seen by me..."
"Now since we preached that Christ was raised from the dead, why do some of you say that people will not be raised from the dead? If no one is ever raised from the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is worth nothing, and your faith is worth nothing..."
"But Christ has truly been raised from the dead - the first one, and proof that those who sleep in death will also be raised."
"Death has come because of what one man did, but the rising from death also comes because of one man. In Adam all of us die. In the same way, in Christ all of us will be made alive again."
"But everyone will be raised to life in the right order. Christ was first to be raised. When Christ comes again, those who belong to him will be raised to life, and then the end will come. At that time Christ will destroy all rulers, authorities and powers, and he will hand over the kingdom to God the Father."
"Christ must rule until he puts all enemies under his control. The last enemy to be destroyed will be death."
(1 Corinthians 15:1-26)
Before he finishes his letter to the believers in Corinth, Paul repeats the Good News about the saving grace of Jesus, and reminds them that he has, himself, witnessed the resurrection of Jesus: “I passed on to you what I received … that Christ died for our sins, as the Scriptures say; that he was buried and was raised to life on the third day; and that he was seen by Peter and then by the twelve apostles … Last of all he was seen by me” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8) (see Luke 24:34-36, Matthew 28:16-17, Mark 16:14, John 20:19 & Acts 9:3-6).
Because God raised Jesus from the dead, Paul goes on to assure the believers that they, too, will rise from death. “But Christ has truly been raised from the dead – the first one and proof that those who sleep in death will also be raised” (1 Corinthians 15:20).
Paul reminds the believers that those who die will "sleep in death" until Christ comes to earth a second time. At that point, the dead will be raised to life again, and the world as we know it will come to an end.
All earthly powers and authorities will be abolished, and God will raise up a "new heaven and a new earth" (Revelation 21:1) where God lives with his resurrected people. "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, sadness, crying or pain, because all the old ways are gone." (Revelation 21:4)
The photo shows a reconstruction of a 1st century tomb at the Biblical Resources Institute at En Kerem.
You can read more about life after death from Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians @ https://www.thebiblejourney.org/…/the-risen-lord-jesus-app…/