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Are you saying that only THEY recieved the clothing of life and we do not until we die? I do not believe that is possible.

But isn't it reality for us at the point of belief?

This is an interesting question and one that I have wanted to address but had little opportunity until now. What is "believe" in this sense? Did not Judas "believe"? The two who lied about the price of their land, did they "believe"? Did not those who chose to remain in their high seats in the synogogues of Satan after meeting with Christ where they could not be seen of others "believe"? Of course, belief is nothing in and of itself. The devils believe and tremble! Look carefully at these verses.

Matthew 17:16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Now notice at the time Christ upraided them for their unbelief, were they not believers in a sense? There are other instances of them being upraided for unbelief. Also, please note that fasting once again is mentioned and I have been trying to make you see it's importance and here is an instance where prayer alone, without fasting would not have been successful. Also Paul taught them to defraud not one another except for a time that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer. This one's for you, Nate!

Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

I have spoken in these tongues because I believed. The only thing stopping anyone from fulfillment in Christ is unbelief.

Remember, they were the bride of Christ and the firstfruits. No one up until they were clothed upon with immortality had attained to everlasting life under the new covenant Christ purchased with his blood. Once they were married to Christ, all was fulfilled and the New Jerusalem became a reality and the Kingdom of God is now with us. They set the standard if you will. When Jesus said "believe on him and you shall never die" this is what he meant, not all men but the firstfruits. Rest assuredly, we today will all die physically.

They were the firstfuits of the New Covenant, not the first fruits of the resurrected, they were the second and so are we. Christ was the first fruits of the resurrected. Very important clarification.

Thank you because I understand your point much better, but here is why I disagree.

Heb 8:1 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister in the sanctuary and the true tent which is set up not by man but by the Lord. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; hence it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary; for when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, "See that you make everything according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain."
6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry which is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.

What are thos epromises if we are in the same boat as Paul and the "second fruits?"
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion for a second. 8 For he finds fault with them when he says: "The days will come, says the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;

Is the house of Israel the believers? Those who by faith, are heirs through the "SEED" (Christ)?

9 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they did not continue in my covenant, and so I paid no heed to them, says the Lord.
10 This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel afterthose days,

Was Paul after those days? NO!!

He was the last of the Old days, all after the resurrection are "after those days" (US).

says the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 11 And they shall not teach every one his fellow or every one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for all shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more."

And this is why it is a better covenant, a perfect one. This is why the Church is those who have the law in their hearts, not people who hang out in a building.
This is why we can have "assumed" authority figures teaching half truths but still be saved. This is why we can disagree here and later hug in heaven!!

13 In speaking of a new covenant he treats the first as obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

If we are in the same waiting stage that Paul was in, only for us, we have to die first, then we DO NOT HAVE A BETTER COVENANT!!
Because we have the same fears, will face the same judgment, will have our sins weighed against us (12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more."

Just because the event of the Old Covenant resurrection happened in the past, doesn't mean we don't recieve our reward, spiritualy, before we die. At the point of belief that I will now address.

Of course, belief is nothing in and of itself. The devils believe and tremble!

I looked at your verses. I agree simple belief is not enough because "simple" belief is NOT BELIEF.
Joh 12:46 - I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.
Joh 14:12 - "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father.

And we all know the warnings from James and 1 John.
Are the promises now based on faith or not?
Only God can determine an actual believer just like only God can award the reward of eternal life. Do YOU believe? If so, why worry?

Rest assuredly, we today will all die physically.

So did they and that is our #1 seperation. Only the dead can inherit the spiritual body.

1 Cor 15:35 But some one will ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?" 36 You foolish man! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body which is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body.

Paul called them foolish for believing in a "physical" resurrection. To have your body change from it's physical body to a spiritual one, the physical HAS TO DIE.

That is why:
1. If there WAS a rapture, the bodies of them died first.
2. The "rapture" was a spiritual event for the living, they were not caught up literaly, but were "further clothed with life"!

You cannot have it both ways. They either died physically on their way up (which is not scriptural) or they were "changed" while alive and remained alive until they died physicaly some time later.
Remember, I believe the rapture was a spiritual event. I am going to do a paper on what I believe this weekend (Lord willing).