What will the circumstances leading up to the Rapture be like for Christians? Will we enjoy pleasant conditions or face rough seas?
To get God’s perspective, let’s look at a Bible passage Christians rely on more than any other to teach about the Rapture.
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then 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. 18Therefore comfort one another with these words.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
The church in Thessalonica worried about the future status of believers who died before Jesus returned to Earth. Would these saints miss the Second Coming?
Paul assures the Thessalonians all Christ’s followers will witness His return. The Lord will lift the living into the clouds to meet Him in the sky. And He will raise the dead so they can join Him.
Three times in this passage Paul refers to deceased believers as those who are “asleep.” It’s as easy for God to resurrect the dead as it is for us to wake up a person from a nap. Nothing’s too difficult for the Lord!
The apostle concludes with a practical application of this truth: comfort each other! Far from missing the Rapture, deceased Christians will be the first to meet Jesus. Paul meant for his excursus to cheer the saints by dispelling their anxieties.
But in the context of encouragement, he included a warning.
Twice Paul refers to “we who are alive and remain” (vss. 15 and 17). The phrase appears to be little more than a contrast with dead Christians (those who are “asleep”). This is correct as a basic framework. Paul is discussing two groups of believers: those who are alive at the time of the Lord’s return and those who aren’t. Two terms characterize the former (“alive” and “remain”), but only one identifies the latter (“asleep”).
Why the extra word in the first case? “Alive” and “asleep” are dissimilar so we get Paul’s point. There are two distinct groups of Christians. Why add “remain?”
One reason could be the apostle’s reliance on the Hebrew writing technique of repetition or redundancy. (See what I did there?) (The literary term is pleonasm.) The Scriptures will say something twice (with different wording) to stress an idea. Sometimes, the thought of a whole line will get repeated.
“And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord 47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.’” – Luke 1:46-47
See the similarities? My soul–my spirit; glorifies–rejoices; the Lord–God.
In modern writing, an editor would cut the second line because it adds nothing the first one didn’t say. But that’s not how the ancients thought. Repetition reinforces reasons.
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ – John 3:3 (NASB)
Christ is sharing the notion of spiritual rebirth with Nicodemus, whom He called a significant teacher (John 3:10). He adds “truly” not once, but twice, to emphasize a truth which Nicodemus ought to have known already but didn’t.
“By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin.” – Psalm 102:5 (KJV)
We understand what “groaning” means; a person is in pain, whether in mind or in body. “The voice of” is unnecessary; “by reason of my groaning” works fine. But the psalmist adds the extra words to stress the expression of his deep discomfort. He doesn’t keep his misery to himself; he cries out to God.
So we have biblical grounds for supposing Paul wanted to emphasize the blessing of being alive at the return of Christ. And this he does, but not at the expense of those who’ve died. They, too, will meet Jesus. He rewards every disciple.
All this sounds positive, doesn’t it? Whether we’re alive or not, we Christians will take part in the Rapture. God’s guaranteed it! And Paul doesn’t delve into a discourse on suffering, so we could assume everything will be okay. Life might not be awesome, but it will be normal when Jesus returns. Some will be alive and going about their business. Others will be resting in their graves. But all Christians will respond to the blast of the angel’s trumpet. We will hear and be changed!
“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed– 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” – 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
So there’s no cause for concern.
Unless “remain” has other meanings. If so, what are they?
Well, that’s enough for me. Until next week, then.
Keep trusting in Jesus!
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