That the change of the living, in the context, has any reference to changing them into immortal beings, I cannot admit without further evidence.  It is contrary to the whole tenor of revelation—­it is contrary to our text, which declares that all, who are made alive in Christ first die in Adam.  As the change of the living is an important point in our present investigation, we will give it further attention.  That the Christians were to experience a great and sudden change at the destruction of Jerusalem is certain.  They were to be delivered from all their trials and persecutions, and be raised into the full and felicitous enjoyment of the reign of Christ.  Those Christians, who had not seen our Saviour alive from the dead, who had believed on the testimony of his apostles and of the “five hundred brethren,” were delivered from all their doubts and fears on seeing his predictions fulfilled, were perfected in faith, and their “hearts established unblamable in holiness.”  This was to them a resurrection day, not only in reviving their faith and hope in the doctrine of the immortal resurrection of all that died in Adam, but in delivering them from their sufferings, and raising them into the sublime enjoyments of the reign of Christ.  In reference to this period, Jesus says, “thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.”  And Paul says, “If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead, not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect.”  What sense would there be in his saying—­if by any means I might, by my exertions, become an immortal being, not as though I had already attained to immortal existence?  No sense at all.  But the apostles meaning is clear, if we render it thus—­If by any means I might continue faithful unto the end, and obtain a crown of life in the first resurrection at that day when Christ shall come in his kingdom to destroy his enemies and to deliver and elevate Christians to honor.  We shall notice this more particularly in our next when we come to comment on Philippians iii.  Chap.  Again he says—­“Who concerning the truth have erred, saying the resurrection is past already, and overthrow the faith of some.”  That is, to make the Christians believe that their promised deliverance was past, while they were yet in the midst of their sufferings, was calculated to overthrow their faith.  We will notice the change of the living still further.  Jesus says, that those, who were in their graves, and had done good, should come forth to the resurrection of life.  And Daniel says, that many of them who sleep in the dust of the earth should awake to everlasting life, and those, who were wise, should shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turned many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.  Here Daniel and Jesus represent the low, suffering, and distressed condition of the Christians previous to the destruction of Jerusalem, and their final deliverance and exaltation at that period, by sleeping in the dust, being dead in their graves, and suddenly coming forth to life and shining like the brightness of the firmament and the stars forever and ever.  This is equivalent with being “caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”