Paul's mystery is that not every believer will die—living believers will be instantly changed at the last trumpet.
In 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, Paul reveals what had been a secret: 'We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.' A group of believers alive at the end will not experience physical death; instead, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, they will be changed—the corruptible putting on incorruption and the mortal putting on immortality.
1 Corinthians 15:51-53 — Paul explicitly introduces this as a mystery and describes the sudden change of living believers.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:51, 'Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.' The word 'mystery' signals a truth that had not been publicly revealed before. Verse 52 goes on to describe the change: 'In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.' Verse 53 gives the reason for this transformation: 'For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.' Scripture therefore states that not all believers will die; living believers will be transformed instantly when the trumpet sounds.
Les Feldick explains that Paul calls the truth in 1 Corinthians 15:51 a mystery because it had never been revealed before—it was kept secret in the mind of God until revealed to the apostle Paul. Les says, 'I show you a secret, we shall not all sleep or die physically, but we shall all be changed.' He calls the change a 'metamorphosis' and equates it with the rapture, a Pauline doctrine not found anywhere else in Scripture. Les teaches that believers alive at the end will be changed in an instant, while the dead in Christ are raised first, and together they meet the Lord. He also points to 1 Thessalonians 4 as part of the same mystery, describing the outcalling or rapture of the church.
Paul calls the truth in 1 Corinthians 15:51 a mystery or secret because, as Les emphasizes, it had never been revealed before. It was 'kept secret in the mind of God' until He revealed it to the apostle Paul. Paul introduces it with 'Behold, I shew you a mystery.' Even today, Les says people struggle with it because it was never referred to anywhere else in Scripture.
Les explains that believers 'shall not all sleep or die physically,' but they must be changed. In 1 Corinthians 15:52, the change is instantaneous—'in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.' The dead in Christ are raised incorruptible first, and then living believers, like Paul expected to be among them, are changed and take flight with them. The corruptible puts on incorruption, and the mortal puts on immortality.
Les ties this mystery to what is called the rapture or outcalling of the church. He says the rapture is a Pauline doctrine you won't find anywhere else in the Bible. Although Paul does not use the word 'mystery' in 1 Thessalonians 4, Les says he is talking about the same thing—the rapture of the church. This is the event where living believers are changed and caught up with the resurrected dead in Christ.
God vs. Satan's Magicians: Why Aaron's Rod Swallowed Theirs
I think we're living in a time that we better see what the Scripture says. What has happened? Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers, and now the magicians of Egypt, the sorcerers, those who practice the occult, they drew their power from the powers of Satan.
Change as Metamorphosis
Les describes the change for living believers as a metamorphosis rather than a death-and-resurrection experience; it happens in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
Secret Revealed to Paul
Les stresses that Paul is about to reveal a secret which God had kept hidden until this point; the mystery had never been revealed before.
Mystery Kept Secret
Les connects 1 Corinthians 15:51 to the Pauline revelation of the Body of Christ, and reads the verse as 'we shall not all sleep... but we shall all be changed.'
Rapture Part of the Mystery
Les identifies the mystery as the rapture/outcalling of the church and says Paul reveals that not all believers will die physically before being changed.
Order at the Last Trumpet
Les walks through the order of the event: dead in Christ are raised incorruptible first, and living believers are changed and take flight with them.
Rapture a Pauline Doctrine
Les calls the rapture a Pauline doctrine not found anywhere else in the Bible, and says 1 Corinthians 15:51 reveals that a group of believers will not die physically.
Never Before Revealed
Les emphasizes that this secret was never alluded to or hinted at anywhere in Scripture until Paul revealed that a group of believers will not die physically.
1 Corinthians 15:51: Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
Paul introduces the mystery that not all believers will die but all will be changed.
1 Corinthians 15:52: In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
This verse describes the instantaneous change that occurs when the trumpet sounds.
1 Corinthians 15:53: For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
This verse states the necessity of the change: the mortal body must put on immortality.
Les interprets 'sleep' as physical death. Paul is revealing that a group of believers will not die; instead they will be changed in an instant at the last trumpet. This had not been revealed before Paul.
It happens 'in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.' Les says it is an instant, split-second change for believers who are alive and remain.
Les says yes. He calls the rapture a Pauline doctrine and connects 1 Corinthians 15:51 to 1 Thessalonians 4, where Paul describes the outcalling or rapture of the church.
Watch the Teaching: God vs. Satan's Magicians: Why Aaron's Rod Swallowed Theirs