When I was much younger, I saw a cocoon on one of the large bushes in my backyard. It was huge in comparison to many cocoons a person may find. It was brown and rough to the touch and looked rather dead by outward appearances. I had a small bug catcher at my disposal, so I clipped a piece of the branch the cocoon was attached to and placed it and some other vegetation in my bug catcher so I could watch its future development.
Months must have gone by and I soon forgot about the cocoon in my bug catcher. One day, I was sitting at my desk in my bedroom working on some school work. My desk happened to be facing the window looking into the backyard. I heard a noise. It was a crackling noise that sounded like my cat playing with wadded up pieces of paper. I looked around for the cat but I didn’t see it. Then I heard the noise again and again. So I got up from my chair and started searching around the room. Lo and behold, I followed my ears to the bug catcher that held the cocoon. My heart pounded with excitement knowing that the caterpillar’s transformation was now complete. I picked up the bug catcher off the floor and noticed a huge, white, and beautiful moth fluttering inside. Its wings seemed to stretch from one side of the container to the other.
I placed it on top of my desk to admire God’s handiwork for myself. Upon further examination, my excitement turned to agitation and discomfort. Let me explain. When a moth or a butterfly comes out of its cocoon, it is not ready for immediate flight. It must spread out its soggy wings from its body so they will dry off and allow it to fly. Unfortunately, as this moth spread out its wings to dry, it began to hit its wings on the branch and vegetation that was inside the bug catcher as well as rubbing its wings on the sides of the container. There was not enough room in its confinement to properly spread out its wings. So, to its demise, the wings were damaged with holes and tares. I decided to let it go from its captivity but I knew it wouldn’t last very long. I opened my window and dropped it outside.
In a similar way, ALL people will also go through a transformation after their physical death. The apostle Paul said, “. . . there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked” Acts 24:15). On one hand, the resurrection of the wicked are represented by the butterfly that comes out of its transformation from its cocoon having damaged wings and ; therefore, can never fly and live up to its intended potential. There is no hope for the resurrection of the wicked to be with God in heaven; so, the quality of their existence will be that of destruction (cf. Mt. 25:31-33, 41-46; 2 Pet. 2; 1 Cor. 10:1-14). On the other hand, the resurrection of the righteous is like the butterfly that comes out from its cocoon with undamaged wings and is able to fly as it was intended to do. There is great anticipation for the righteous and it is the assurance of eternal life with God in heaven (cf. Dan. 12:2-3; Mt. 25:31-40; Jn. 5:25-29; 1 Thess. 4:13-14, 18).
Months must have gone by and I soon forgot about the cocoon in my bug catcher. One day, I was sitting at my desk in my bedroom working on some school work. My desk happened to be facing the window looking into the backyard. I heard a noise. It was a crackling noise that sounded like my cat playing with wadded up pieces of paper. I looked around for the cat but I didn’t see it. Then I heard the noise again and again. So I got up from my chair and started searching around the room. Lo and behold, I followed my ears to the bug catcher that held the cocoon. My heart pounded with excitement knowing that the caterpillar’s transformation was now complete. I picked up the bug catcher off the floor and noticed a huge, white, and beautiful moth fluttering inside. Its wings seemed to stretch from one side of the container to the other.
I placed it on top of my desk to admire God’s handiwork for myself. Upon further examination, my excitement turned to agitation and discomfort. Let me explain. When a moth or a butterfly comes out of its cocoon, it is not ready for immediate flight. It must spread out its soggy wings from its body so they will dry off and allow it to fly. Unfortunately, as this moth spread out its wings to dry, it began to hit its wings on the branch and vegetation that was inside the bug catcher as well as rubbing its wings on the sides of the container. There was not enough room in its confinement to properly spread out its wings. So, to its demise, the wings were damaged with holes and tares. I decided to let it go from its captivity but I knew it wouldn’t last very long. I opened my window and dropped it outside.
In a similar way, ALL people will also go through a transformation after their physical death. The apostle Paul said, “. . . there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked” Acts 24:15). On one hand, the resurrection of the wicked are represented by the butterfly that comes out of its transformation from its cocoon having damaged wings and ; therefore, can never fly and live up to its intended potential. There is no hope for the resurrection of the wicked to be with God in heaven; so, the quality of their existence will be that of destruction (cf. Mt. 25:31-33, 41-46; 2 Pet. 2; 1 Cor. 10:1-14). On the other hand, the resurrection of the righteous is like the butterfly that comes out from its cocoon with undamaged wings and is able to fly as it was intended to do. There is great anticipation for the righteous and it is the assurance of eternal life with God in heaven (cf. Dan. 12:2-3; Mt. 25:31-40; Jn. 5:25-29; 1 Thess. 4:13-14, 18).