“For the
Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an
archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” (1
Thessalonians 4:16-17)
It
seems the believers were concerned with the fate of those believers who were no
longer alive when Christ returns*. Paul sets the record straight by revealing
that those who are dead shall rise first to meet the Lord in the clouds. Christ’s 2nd Coming is referred to
as The Blessed Hope of the Church. It is
also referred to as the Rapture of the Church; the catching away of believers
to be with the Lord for all eternity.
This is truly a blessed event.
There is much debate regarding when this will take place; whether before, during or after what is known as the Great Tribulation. It matters little if you are spiritually prepared to meet the Lord. For those who are not in right standing with God there is much to be anxious about. Not believing in God or in Christ’s return for His church doesn’t negate its reality.
It’s curious to me that so many are willing to risk their future based on a faith issue or simply the lack of faith or belief. If this does take place as it is predicted in the Bible, then once it does it will be too late for those left behind. For those who have been forgiven, this blessed event ushers them into eternity with their Lord. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!
There is much debate regarding when this will take place; whether before, during or after what is known as the Great Tribulation. It matters little if you are spiritually prepared to meet the Lord. For those who are not in right standing with God there is much to be anxious about. Not believing in God or in Christ’s return for His church doesn’t negate its reality.
It’s curious to me that so many are willing to risk their future based on a faith issue or simply the lack of faith or belief. If this does take place as it is predicted in the Bible, then once it does it will be too late for those left behind. For those who have been forgiven, this blessed event ushers them into eternity with their Lord. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!
* FYI – Christ’s returns, aka, The 2nd Coming
of Christ. The Greek word is parousia, pronounced pe-roo’ze-ah or pa-roo-se’ah.
