A little further clarification:

To our understanding, all who died previously to our Lord’s parousia (the Second Advent) passed into a “sleep” or “unclothed” condition to wait for this time, when the sleeping should be awakened in resurrection by their Lord, or the unclothed be clothed upon of their spiritual body—their house from heaven. It has not been a blessing to die and thus fall asleep; but NOW since we live in the time when we may step from the earthly tabernacle into the heavenly (spiritual) body, without a moment’s sleep, it is a blessing. To be thus “changed in a moment“- –not unclothed for an instant, but translated from the natural to the spiritual condition instantly, is a privilege never before enjoyed. Since this glorious time is come,

*“Blessed are the dead (Col 3:3) which die in the Lord from henceforth,” (Rev. 14:13,) because as Paul expresses it, they may NOW be “clothed upon with their house which is from heaven.” (2 Cor. 5:1-4)

The human is to die–the earthly form must be laid off, as Jesus our pattern showed us, (2 Pet. 1:14) but the new life hid with Christ will not die, though it slept until now.

Now we understand that the exaltation of the members of the Christ who were asleep all these past 2000 years HAS taken place, (viz. “the dead in Christ will rise first”) and the exaltation of those who are still alive and remain, is NOW due; and the remaining members of the body will, each in his turn soon experience that glorious change, at the moment of death to the perfection of life as immortal spiritual beings like himself–by investing or clothing them with their house from heaven.

Thus it may readily be seen that we the living, left over unto the presence do not precede the sleeping ones, but they rise first: Then we shall be changed in a moment to the same immortal condition–like unto Christ’s glorious body. As did Jesus so must we all, fully lose humanity, putting off this “tabernacle even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed.” (2 Pet. 1:14; Rev 2:10)

This tabernacle–the flesh, was consecrated to death and MUST FULLY DIE, but we, the new creatures who inhabit these bodies, do not die and will not need even to sleep, but instantly we shall become more alive than ever; or as Paul says, have “mortality swallowed up of life.”

“I said, “You are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High. But you shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.” (Psa 82:6, 7)

We tarry only as the mouth-pieces –Priests of God, to sound the trumpet notes of truth until the white robed Levites (advanced justified believers) learn to sing the song of restitution and the fullness of salvation, purchased through the precious blood of Christ. (2 Chron. 5:12-14.) R344

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*“For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Col 3:3)

When you (the consecrated), following in the Master’s footsteps first made your consecration, you bound (or surrendered) yourself to the LORD. (Entered into covenant relationship with the Father, Psa 50:5), this was typified in the tabernacle picture by the tying of the two goats at the door of the Tabernacle proper. Here upon acceptance of your consecration you passed beneath the First Vail, you died that is your WILL died (the will represents the individual) and as such when you surrendered your will you died.

This same thing is pictured in water baptism. As it was with our Lord following the acceptance of his consecration he rose and was anointed with the Holy Spirit so too do we receive this anointing as we rise from beneath the first vail into the “holy” of the tabernacle, BUT NOT as individuals, only as we be in Christ, only as we become members of the body by a joint participation in his sacrifice, “planted in the likeness of his death” (Rom 6:5).

From the time of begetting onward, our “life is hid with Christ in God” and will remain so UNTIL “He, who is our Life, shall appear,” (at his second advent).

As the passing of the first vail represented the death of the HUMAN WILL, so the passing of the second vail represented the death of the HUMAN BODY; and both are requisite to complete our `sacrifice.’ “Be thou faithful until death (finish your sacrifice), and I will give you the crown of life.” (Rev 2:10)

Uniformly throughout the Bible, except in this one instance, death is represented as the “enemy,” a dreadful disaster.

But NOW at this time, “Blessed are the dead (who died symbolically when they surrendered their will for that of Lord’s), which die (literally, physically) in the Lord (who are joined to Christ, hidden in him) FROM HENCEFORTH” (Rev 14:13), for they will not need to “sleep” unclothed as their brethren before them had to, no not even for a moment, but will immediately upon the faithful completion of their covenant of sacrifice, be translated in the “twinkling of an eye” to their new “clothed” condition, their new spirit bodies.