I Thessalonians 4:17
“Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.”
This verse is referring to the rapture. The is an event that happens towards the end of history when Jesus calls His children to heaven. The dead are raised first, then we who are alive follow. Several movies have been made about this, Left Behind was one and another was made in the 70’s called A Thief in the Night.
Why does the Lord take us before the Great Tribulation? To avoid the judgment on the earth. This harsh time is partially a wake-up call for those on the earth. History is ending and eternity is beginning. It’s time to get right with God. The christians don’t a wake-up call. Thus, the rapture takes us into eternity.
This message is often shared at rallies that lean towards being evangelistic. I have heard dozens of them. The rapture is a scary occurrence if we don’t know Christ. Part of the reason most fear death is the mystery of the “other side”. Most assume they will live until old age. However, the rapture introduces the possibility of entering eternity any day. Many have come to Christ for this reason.
How are we as believers to view the rapture? With anticipation. We’ve been praying, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done” for a long time. We finally get to live with the Lord in fulness. I Corinthians 13:12 says that “we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face”. We are presently walking with the Lord and experiencing Him. However, it’s veiled. That’s the His intention, as it’s to be by faith. However, then it will be face to face. He gives us fulness of joy now, it will be greater than we can imagine then.
How are we to conduct ourselves knowing the rapture is imminent? We busy ourselves in a responsible manner with our lives. We are to be good workers, good parents, friends and neighbors. I Corinthians 10:31 tells us to “do all for the glory of God.”
Lord, we look forward to the rapture. Help us to live responsibly and with anticipation.