Christ is coming back – and all biblical indications shout-out: He is coming soon! He promised He would return. In fact, Jesus returns to earth twice in the end times. Wow! What a promise to look forward to.
What happens in that scintillating moment
What happens in that breakout moment when Christ returns… when, of a sudden, the dead in Christ are raised up, and we who are alive are Raptured? Can you imagine this scene? The Apostle Paul explained it in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18:
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a [a]shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore, [b]comfort one another with these words.
It all will happen by His design – this way:
♦ ♦ The Lord Himself will descend from heaven, not just His angels, but He Himself, the God over all that is.
♦ ♦ The Lord will give-out a shout [Verse 15; Note a…Or cry of command].
To we who are alive
when He returns, God may shout (though we are not told):
_______
Let’s roll!
or
¡Adelante!
_______
or
“Rise up, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.”
– Song of Solomon 2:verses 10-13
_______
______________________
To the dead who died “in Christ“
God may shout (though we are not told):
______________________
“My followers, come out!”
or, simply:
“Beloved, come out – come up!”
______________________
This would be like what Jesus did with Lazarus in John 11:1-46 (verse 43), to raise Lazarus from the dead, “He shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” It has been theorized that He specified “Lazarus” – so that not everyone would come out of their graves! God is THAT powerful.
Personally, I think He will say something like: “Rise up, all my beautiful ones, and come away.” And the dead in Christ, and then those who are alive — “will be caught up together… in the clouds” to meet Jesus in the air.
♦ ♦ The shout will be “with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God”
We will hear all three:
(1) the shout-out of “command” by Christ;
(2) the voice of the archangel and
(3) the trumpet of God
♦ ♦ FIRST: verse 16 “The dead in Christ will rise first.”
We who died before this grand, scintillating day – will suddenly be made alive again, with new bodies, and will find ourselves in the skies with Jesus and His host of angels.
Verses 51-53 of
1 Corinthians 15:50-58
“we will not all sleep [in death], but we will all be [completely] changed [wondrously transformed], 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at [the sound of] the last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead [who believed in Christ] will be raised imperishable, and we will be [completely] changed [wondrously transformed]. 53 For this perishable [part of us] must put on the imperishable [nature], and this mortal [part of us that is capable of dying] must put on immortality [which is freedom from death].”
♦ ♦ SECOND: verse 17 “Then we who are alive, who remain living, will be caught up together with them in the clouds”
We lucky ones who are still living on earth when He returns, will suddenly, without warning – rise up into the air and meet Jesus up there. We, the now alive saints, plus the resurrected “dead in Christ” will join all His host of angels.
Verse 17 of 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
“Then we who are alive and remain [on the earth] will simultaneously be caught up (raptured) together with them [the resurrected ones] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air….”
Verses 51-52 of 1 Corinthians 15:50-58
“…we will not all sleep [in death], but we will all be [completely] changed [wondrously transformed], 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at [the sound of] the last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead [who believed in Christ] will be raised imperishable, and we will be [completely] changed [wondrously transformed].”
♦ ♦ “To meet the Lord in the air”
This will be the greatest moment of all time: to finally be with God, in His Kingdom, forever.
The purpose of this grand event will be for God to finally raise the dead in Christ, and get us who are alive — off the planet so that the restraining power of the Holy Spirit can be taken out of the world. See: We are now in “Birth Pangs” times, and then – the End
♦ ♦ “And so we will always be with the Lord.”
Verse 18 Therefore, [b]comfort one another with these words.
Hebrews 12:2
“[looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, [a]disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].“
The final realization of joy everlasting will surely be that we are now with the Lord forever:
Verse 17…and so
we will always
be with the Lord.
FOR MORE:
“There is more than one Rapture mentioned in the Bible”
“Incidentally, there is more than one Rapture mentioned in the Bible. Including the Rapture of the Believers, there are possibly eight different Raptures.
Enoch was raptured in Genesis 5:24, Elijah was taken up in 2 Kings 2:11-12, and Yeshua was caught up in Revelation 12:5. Philip (Acts 8:39-40) and Paul (2 Corinthians 123:1-4) were temporarily raptured.
John was possibly raptured in Revelation 4:1-2, the believers will be raptured according to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and finally, the two witnesses in Revelation 11:11-12.
So, the future Rapture of the believers is one of several, but definitely the most important in the history of mankind.” – Source: The Rapture: One Second Before and One Second After! – By
What joy and exhilaration – soon
Jesus Returns to Earth Twice in the End Times’
What we know about the Rapture
List of References to the Rapture
Understanding the Rapture and associated models
– From interrupts165 YouTube Channel Series
Be cautious and active in faith
We are now in “Birth Pangs” times, and then – the End
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