Among Christians some of the biggest fights and angry disagreements have been over “eschatological issues” – especially over the timing of the “rapture” (the “catching away of Christians” to be with their Lord). It’s tragic really!
On that issue, my Bible reading today included an “authoritative passage” that deals with that subject. Apostle Paul declared that he “did not want the Thessalonian believers “to be uninformed” and what he was sharing with them was “a word from the Lord!”
Based upon what that passage teaches, Christians can be sure of this… DEAD OR ALIVE AT THE COMING OF THE LORD WE WILL CAUGHT AWAY TO BE WITH THE LORD FOREVER! What a wonderful hope and expectation!
Here it is right out of the Bible…
“This we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, 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. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (From 1 Thessalonians 4:15–18 ESV)
We don’t know the precise timing (the “day or hour” – cp. Matthew 25:13) of His coming – that’s up to the Lord (but the indicators it is near are everywhere)! But we can know and can be confident of the result of His coming – dead or alive! And upon that Christians ought to be able to agree! And I intend to stay alert and prepared for “the sound of that cry of command, the archangel’s voice, and the sound of God’s trumpet!” With my Lord forever – imagine that!!! My response? Hallelujah… a thousand Hallelujah’s!
Coffee With The Lord 