Good morning, reader! I pray that you are receiving some encouragement with this series when the Rapture could happen! This topic is what led me to the Lord in the first place. A miracle occurred when God sent my best friend to visit me on her vacation. She had no idea that I was interested in the future of this world. I read after famous ancient authors looking for answers. She brought along a recording of a Bible scholar who was renown for end time prophecy. Everything he said was backed up by Scripture. He spoke of the Rapture: I had never heard of such a thing in my religion. It was then that I found the One True God and the salvation He provides! So I pray that you, too, are searching and that this devotional series will lead you to Christ, our Saviour!
Three things will happen at the Rapture: the dead in Christ will be resurrected and the born-again Christians who are alive will be transformed in an instant, and will be caught up in the air to be joined with Jesus Christ. This transformation will happen in an instant! The transformation of those Christians who are alive at the time of the Rapture is described in 1 Corinthians 15:51-54 (below) as the corruptible and mortal body being instantly changed to an incorruptible and immortal one (verses 52-53).
1Th 4:14-17 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. (16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Co 15:51-54 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (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. (53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (54) So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
Isn’t this wonderful? Just as Noah and his family entered the ark and were protected against the flood that affected the entire earth, so shall born-again Christians be protected from the coming Tribulation. If you notice, 1 Thessalonians 4:17 says that we meet Jesus in the air and that we will forever be with Him! How exciting this is to the believer! What an encouragement it is to know that nothing will separate us from Him for all eternity! This is our hope, dear reader! The unbeliever has no hope! I recall that prior to my salvation, I too had no hope! I “hoped” that I would go to heaven but I was never certain.
1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
Luk 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
As we continue this series, you will come to see how it all fits together for those who are saved. We await a wonderful event! Paul encourages the believers in Thessalonica with the promise of the Rapture. In fact, he tells them to comfort themselves together as the end approaches! (1 Thessalonians 5:11) Why? Because this event will usher in the most terrible time this earth has ever experienced since the creation of man! We thought Noah’s flood was bad, well apparently the Tribulation will be worse!
Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
If you are a born-again Christian and have never studied this out, I hope you are blessed by it and encouraged in your heart. If you are not born again, I urge you to settle the matter right now! Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!