“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep (die), but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed”. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord”. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
Suddenly, there is a shrill blast of the trumpet. Not anything like the sound you have ever heard. The sound reverberates round the entire globe. The direction of the sound is in the clouds. In some nations, it is night-time while in others, it is broad day-light. The time of day does not really matter. The unfolding drama of glory in the sky outshines the sun. It has caught everyone unexpectedly. What is going on? It is less than a minute since the trumpet sounded. Suddenly, there are tremors all over. The normally silent graveyards all over the world instantly become very active. The graves worldwide are shattered and burst open! However, not all the graves are affected. Some are still intact.
Behold, something amazing is happening. From the opened graves, men and women arise, shining greatly with the glory of God. With the mighty power of Jesus Christ who is standing in the sky, they are lifted up into the shining clouds above. The opening of the graves has attracted passersby and the cemetery attendants. At the opening of the graves and glorious ascension of the resurrected saints, the passersby and cemetery attendants all take to their heels due to great fright! What has happened? It is the resurrection/rapture!
At the death/resurrection of Jesus Christ, an earthquake occurred. Some graves were opened and many bodies of the dead saints arose. They came out of the graves after the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ, went to Jerusalem and appeared to many people (Matthew 27:51-53). This supernatural occurrence was a precedent and a shadow of that which will happen on the great resurrection/rapture day. “…for the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible…” (1 Corinthians 15:52).
While people are wondering at the unfolding drama in the graveyards worldwide and the earth tremors all over, another wave of living men, women and children are lifted up supernaturally to the sky by the mighty power of Jesus Christ who is still standing in the sky. Countless numbers of living men, women and children are ascending up to the clouds apparently unaided, from every nation and race worldwide. Some raptured saints are sleeping in beds in their pyjamas, others are bathing or in their bathrobes while some are at work in working clothes or driving to their working places. Amazingly, they all instantly become transformed gloriously in shining white garments and make their way into the cloud of glory above. What is going on? It is the glorious rapture! “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord”. (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Soon, there is panic everywhere. Why? A man lying in bed with his wife, suddenly notice her caught up to the sky while he is left behind. Panic! A mother taking her little children to school, watch helplessly as her children are caught up to the sky while she is left behind. Panic! A wife is chatting excitedly with her husband in the sitting room, suddenly the husband is caught up to the sky while she is left behind. Panic! A man is about to eat breakfast at the dining table with his wife and little children, suddenly the wife and children are caught up to the sky while he is left behind. Panic!
Husband and wife are watching an interesting video with their little children in the sitting room, suddenly the children are caught up to the sky while the parents are left behind. Panic! Husband and wife are discussing with their grown-up children in the garden, suddenly the children notice their parents caught up to the sky while they are left behind. Panic! Two farmers are working in the farm, suddenly one of them is caught up to the sky while the other one is left behind. Panic! Two female friends are preparing dinner in the kitchen, suddenly one of them is caught up to the sky while the other one is left behind. Panic! A boss is dictating to his secretary in the office, suddenly the secretary is caught up to the sky while the boss is left behind. Panic!
At a particular church, the pastor is preaching at the pulpit, suddenly his church members are caught up to the sky while the pastor is left behind. Panic! In another church, suddenly the preaching pastor is caught up to the sky while his church members are left behind. Panic! In some churches, suddenly the children are caught up to the sky while their parents and presiding pastors are left behind. Panic! In one large church service with 5,000 worshippers, suddenly only 500 worshippers are caught up to the sky while the remaining 4,500 worshippers as well as the presiding pastor are left behind. Panic! Some Christians at a church service will not find words for their feelings because they will watch helplessly, while the truth will dawn on them that they are left behind on rapture day.
Rapture is a glorious event of all generations. It is going to be splendid, wonderful and rewarding for the saints more than any event in the history of the world. Then it will leave behind gloom, doom and destructive reign of the Antichrist (RFID chip: mark of the Beast/666) during the tribulation period for people who will miss the Rapture. On rapture day, the “dead in Christ” would rise first before the living believers in Jesus Christ. This indicates that all people who trusted in Jesus Christ from the Day of Pentecost (over 2000 years ago) until the moment of “rapture”, both the living and the dead, would join Jesus Christ in the air on rapture day. This is an event solely for those who have genuinely accepted the great salvation offer of Jesus Christ and perpetually ready for His glorious appearance.
Some people will be left behind by Jesus Christ on rapture day if they are Muslims, unbelievers, idol or satanic worshipers, occultists, unrepentant sinners or lukewarm/cold Christians. Accept the salvation offer of Jesus Christ today! It is free! Tomorrow may be too late! The people left behind on rapture day will suffer terribly during the great tribulation period. If you are not raptured, you must be ready to die as a martyr during the great tribulation period if you want to come to heaven (Revelation 6:9-11).
As true believers in Jesus Christ, the “rapture” will facilitate for us a quick trip alive to heaven. We will fly with the speed of light. Very wonderful! No need for an airplane or space shuttle. It will be a supersonic flight to heavenly New Jerusalem with Jesus Christ and the angels escorting us. We will enjoy this marvelous experience on the glorious rapture day. In John 14, after Jesus had made the Upper Room announcement that He was departing, He reassured His disciples by telling them that His departure was related to what He was doing for His true believers, preparing an eternal dwelling place (Heavenly Mansions) for them. Then He told them He would be coming back to take them to that place. Therefore, Jesus Christ will take us to be with Him at the “rapture” due to His promise of a wonderful place for us in His heavenly kingdom. The moment living believers are ushered into Christ’s presence, they will receive their new glorious bodies. “…but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet…For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality”. (1 Corinthians 15: 51-53).
Imagine the thrill of hearing the shout of the Lord Jesus Christ, the voice of the Archangel Michael and the trumpet of God. Imagine looking up and seeing the glorious Jesus Christ with His Open arms, ready to hold you for an eternity. Imagine these things, only if you are a genuinely born-again Christian. If you are an unbeliever, unrepentant sinner or cold/lukewarm Christian, you will not hear the shouts and trumpet blasts. You will be left behind! If you are left behind on “rapture” day, you will hear news reports worldwide that whole congregations of people disappeared suddenly, employees or employers suddenly vanished and vital public services are disrupted due to mass absenteeism. Therefore, you will notice with great fear that “rapture” indeed occurred. No matter how blinded the unbelieving world may be to the events in the sky on rapture day, they will soon know that something extraordinary has occurred. Imagine reading the news report below in a newspaper after the “rapture”.
Breaking News: Millions Reported Missing!
News reports arriving from cities around the globe tell of a mysterious disappearance of thousands and thousands of people. In some instances, entire families have vanished without a trace….
Could this headline and lead paragraph appear in your newspaper tomorrow? Is it possible that Jesus Christ could return today and suddenly remove His true followers from this earth, leaving an unbelieving world to wonder where all the Christians have gone? This is an extremely practical issue. If Jesus Christ could return today, we need to be ready. We cannot afford to take the future for granted. Those who live in the perpetual expectation that Jesus Christ could return at any moment have reason to live a different and better life than unbelievers. It gives everyone who knows the way to heaven urgent reason to introduce others to Jesus Christ, before it is too late.
Everyone who looks for Christ’s return has reason to live the kind of life that will please the Lord at His coming (“Glorious Rapture”). The Apostle John recognized this when he wrote,”…when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3: 2-3).Only genuinely born again Christians whose faith in Jesus Christ remain unshaken will be gathered to meet the Lord Jesus Christ in the air on the great “Rapture” day (1 Corinthians 5:51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18). Ensure that you sustain your faith with fervent prayers on a daily basis in order to remain steadfast with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Scoffers have been scoffing for over 2,000 years. However, Jesus Christ can be trusted to keep His promise to return for His true followers (John 14:2-3). As a redeemed believer, you should maintain an attitude and condition of perpetual readiness for the rapture (Matthew 24:44). You cannot know the day Jesus will return. It will be suddenly and unexpectedly when Jesus Christ will descend toward earth one day. As He does, the mighty sound of a heavenly trumpet and a cry of triumph will pierce the air. Then the resurrection and the “glorious rapture” will occur (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18; 1 Corinthians 5:51-53). You should maintain constant readiness. “Rapture” can occur at any moment. Whether you believe it or not, it will take place one day. Be perpetually ready!
As rapture ready believers, Jesus Christ has a strong warning for us in the Bible. “When the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) comes, it will be the same as the thing that happened during Noah’s time. In those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking. People were marrying and giving their children to be married. The people were still doing those things until the day Noah entered the boat. Those people knew nothing about what was happening. But then the flood came and all those people were destroyed. It will be the same when the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) comes. Two men will be working together in the field. One man will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain with a mill. One woman will be taken and the other woman will be left. So always be ready. You don’t know the day your Lord (Jesus Christ) will come….The Son of Man (Jesus Christ) will come at a time when you don’t expect him”. (Matthew 24:37-44).
Are you perpetually ready for the rapture? Will you be raptured or left behind on rapture day? Remember, the first step is to repent from your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour. Do that now if you are still an unbeliever or sinner. Tomorrow may be too late! If you are a cold/lukewarm Christian, you will be left behind on rapture day. Wake up from your spiritual slumber and become very hot (active) for Jesus Christ. Pray for divine enablement through the power of the Holy Spirit of God. Rapture is inevitable! Whether people believe it or not, the rapture will occur suddenly one day. Rapture is upon us! Remain perpetually ready! MARANATHA!