Raptured!

Behold, I tell you a mystery: we shall not all sleep, 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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).

The rapture of the church is imminent. That means that it could happen at any time. The early church lived in the expectation of the rapture and it produced holiness of lifestyle. You know that the rapture and the second coming are two separate events and are separated by at least seven years. There are scripture yet to be fulfilled for the second coming to occur, but there are none to be fulfilled for the rapture to take place.

Here’s the scenario. One day, a trumpet will sound, perhaps in the spirit realm and we’ll be pulled from within to leave this planet. The above verse says it will happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. The word moment is the Greek word where we get the word atom and refers to the smallest increment of time. The twinkling of an eye is a single blink of the eye. That’s pretty fast. One moment we’re here, the next moment, we’re gone!

Those believers who have already preceded us to heaven will come from heaven and be united with a glorified body that will be resurrected from their grave at that time. Then we will be caught up to meet Jesus in the air. In the second coming, Jesus comes back and His feet touch the Mount of Olives. But in the rapture, we meet him in the air. He doesn’t come down and completely touch the ground. See 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Philippians 3:21 reveals that the corporeal substance of our bodies will change at the time of the rapture; our bodies will transition from a flesh and blood body to a flesh and bone body just like Jesus had when He was raised from the dead. These glorified bodies will enable us to live in the presence of God for eternity and will give us new powers of locomotion. Jesus appeared in an instant, materializing in a room with the disciples when He resurrected from the dead. The doors and windows were shut tight!

Soon we will here the call to come up! There will be no time for last minute preparations. You won’t have time to mend a relationship or prepare your family. This event will take you by surprise. Are you living the way you want to be living when the rapture occurs? Will you be confident before Jesus when you see Him because of your obedience to Him and to the Word? We are to be alert, watchful, on guard against sin, and ready. If you’re not, take time right now to make the adjustments you need to make.

We’ve heard these things so much, but now the world is changing and you can sense that we’re entering the season of His coming. Jesus said, One day, when you think not, the Son of man comes! Let’s live ready!