John Calvin Commentary 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." — 1 Corinthians 15:52 (ASV)

In a moment. This is still of a general nature; that is, it includes all. For in all, the change will be sudden and instantaneous, because Christ’s advent will be sudden. And to convey the idea of a moment, he later uses the phrase twinkling (or jerk) of the eye, for in the Greek manuscripts there is a twofold reading—ῥοπὣ (jerk,) or ῥιπὣ (twinkling.) It makes no difference, however, to the meaning. Paul has selected a movement of the body that surpasses all others in quickness, for nothing is more rapid than a movement of the eye, though at the same time he has made an allusion to sleep, with which twinkling of the eye is contrasted.

With the last trump. Though the repetition of the term might seem to place it beyond a doubt that the word trumpet is here taken in its literal meaning, I yet prefer to understand the expression as metaphorical. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16, he connects together the voice of the archangel and the trump of God. Therefore, just as a commander summons his army to battle with the sound of a trumpet, so Christ, by His resounding proclamation which will be heard throughout the whole world, will summon all the dead.

Moses tells us (Exodus 19:16) what loud and terrible sounds were uttered on the occasion of the promulgation of the Law. Far different will be the commotion then, when not just one people, but the whole world will be summoned to the tribunal of God. Nor will the living only be summoned, but even the dead will be called forth from their graves. Furthermore, a commandment must be given to dry bones and dust that, resuming their former appearance and reunited to the spirit, they come forth immediately as living men into the presence of Christ.

The dead shall rise. What he had declared generally concerning all, he now explains particularly concerning the living and the dead. This distinction, therefore, is simply an exposition of the previous statement—that all will not die, but all will be changed. “Those who have already died,” he says, “will rise again incorruptible.” See what a change there will be for the dead! “Those,” he says, “who will be still alive will themselves also be changed.” So you see in relation to both. Now you perceive how it is that change will be common to all, but not sleep.

When he says, We shall be changed, he includes himself among those who would live until the advent of Christ. As it was now the last times, (1 John 2:18), that day (2 Timothy 1:18) was to be looked for by the saints every hour. At the same time, in writing to the Thessalonians, he makes that memorable prediction concerning the scattering that would take place in the Church before Christ’s coming (2 Thessalonians 2:3). This, however, does not prevent him from, by bringing the Corinthians, as it were, into immediate contact with the event, associating himself and them with those who would at that time be alive.