“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: 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.” (1Th 4:16-17 AV)
This passage came across my phone this morning. No doubt as an encouragement for the saints in light of the wicked direction of our nation. Jesus is coming back. This is our hope. Eternity is our hope. Whether we see Jesus sooner than we anticipated, or at the conclusion of our pilgrimage, it is inevitable. The world can persecute God’s people all they want. It will not change a thing. No one lives forever. We will all eventually be somewhere. When we are where God is, the wickedness of humanity, the devil, and the temptations of the flesh can no longer molest. Not only will we go where Jesus is at, we will be there forever. This filthy world will be in our past. We will never return! Except for a brief 1,000 reign, our eternity is in the perfect glory of God the Father and Our LORD Jesus Christ!
There is a special feeling while sitting at an airport, waiting for departure. That feeling grows even stronger when we sit on the plane, waiting to taxi. This feeling particularly intensifies when we initiate the takeoff procedure. The feeling that one is leaving behind an entire set of circumstances for a new world. Whether we are traveling back to family or on vacation, we are leaving the life we had behind. Even for a short while, the feeling of deliverance is evident. The stress of paying bills, our careers, family obligations, ministries, etc all appear in the rearview mirror, so to speak, and there is before us a wide-open sky. Many years ago, I used to play a flight simulator for hours on end. I was proficient to where, with the help of an instructor, I flew a real airplane by instruments. The reason I played flight simulator for many hours was as a way of escape. I could sit in the cockpit and my attention was on a wide-open horizon and the problems of life far below. It was cathartic, in a way. Playing flight simulator allowed me to exist above my troubles, even for a short period.
The rapture of the church will be infinitely greater. A trumpet will sound and those who are dead in Christ Jesus will rise first. Then those of us who are alive will join them in the air. But the most important promise follows. When we do join our fellow believers in the air, we will meet Jesus where we will be forevermore. What is truly sad is those who hate God and are doing all they can to stick it to Him do not realize what they are throwing away. For what? Temporary indulgence? How truly tragic. They are thumbing their nose at the Creator and controller of the universe over immorality and debauchery. The bodies they used to indulge in such abominations will grow old and die, anyway. The pleasure they think is so important as to throw away an eternity of peace and blessedness is temporary. Worms will eat their bodies just like they will mine. How horribly sad. We have a hope that is available to all. If the lost will simply repent of their sin and trust Jesus Christ, then they too will have pleasures unspeakable for ever more. What a promise! I don’t know about you, but eternity, and not this present world, is the source of my hope!
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