Our Hope In The Rapture (Part 2) - 1 Thessalonians 4:16

Our time in God’s Word is focused on First Thessalonians 4:16. The Bible teaches there will be a future return of Jesus. Verse 16 directs our attention to the Lord’s descent. We’ll learn about the scene surrounding Christ’s return. The Lord Himself will come down from heaven in the clouds. Jesus came the first time when He came to the earth to be a sacrifice for sin. His perfect life, His sacrifice on the cross, and His resurrection on the third day. This verse teaches that Jesus will return again, this time in the clouds. On this future day, three sounds will be heard. There will be shout, there will be the voice of an archangel, and there will be the trumpet of God. When this takes place, there will be a sequence of two particular events. First, the dead in Christ will be raised. This is the resurrection of believers who have died in Christ. After this, we who are alive and remain will be raptured. The English word rapture is taken from the Latin word which means to be caught up and snatched away. Until the coming of Jesus in the clouds, we are to be walking with the Lord (Colossians 2:6-7) and working for the Lord (First Corinthians 15:58). In order for us to accomplish this, we need the Lord’s help. As we wait for the return of Jesus in the air, let us be watching, loving God, and serving one another in love.