1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NKJV 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 together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
The night before the Lord was crucified, He met with His disciples and spoke of things to come. He wanted them and all believers to know that there is hope and a future. The words He spoke referred to the great preparations that are being made for everyone who puts their faith and trust in God.
John 14:2-3 NKJV In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
We have this hope that the Lord Jesus Christ will soon appear in clouds of glory. On the day of His ascension back to the Father in heaven, they were told how this would happen. We are not told exactly how many people were gathered with the Lord when He was sharing His final message. He spoke to them about the kingdom and about God’s plans for believers. As a result of what He said, one-hundred and twenty gathered in Jerusalem and waited for the Holy Spirit to come upon them. Jesus said, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…”
Acts 1:9-11 NKJV Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
He has gone to prepare a place for us in the Father’s house. He will come again in the same manner, that He ascended up into heaven. Now, He must come again to receive us to Himself so that where He is, we may be also.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 says, “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.”
This is the hope and joy of all who believe and trust in Jesus. It impacts everything that we face in this life. This same Jesus that went away into heaven is coming back to receive us unto Himself. His resurrection and ascension shows us what we have to look forward to. Jesus arose from the grave with a real body.
He told His disciples in Luke 24:38-39 — “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”
In John 21- Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James, John and two other disciples were fishing on the Sea of Galilee when they saw Jesus on the shore. When they arrived on shore, Jesus had some fish on some coals and bread laid beside them. They ate breakfast with Jesus by the shore.
This same Jesus ascended into heaven.
The Bible says, He shall come in ‘a like manner as they saw Him go into heaven.’
The Bible is a book about the Second coming of Christ. The incarnation of Christ was necessary for our salvation, yet, there is more written about His second coming. Everything that was said about Jesus’ birth, life and death were perfectly fulfilled. He was born in Bethlehem. He healed the sick, raised the dead, set captives free and preached the good news. He rode into Jerusalem on a colt and went into Pilates judgment hall and received many stripes on His back. He was wounded, bruised, and crucified on a cross. Three days later Jesus arose from the grave with victory over hell and death.
Jesus literally fulfilled the Scriptures…
Everything that is happening in our world right now is telling us that Jesus is about to come again.
What will happen when Jesus RETURNS?
First, the Savior will descend from heaven to the air above the earth.
He will call out all of His saints to His Father’s house. Bodies of believers will be raised from their graves. Living believers will be changed in an instant and will arise to meet the Lord in the air. He will take us to the place He has prepared for us.
Second, He will return with us to earth to set up His throne and rule and reign for 1,000 years.
When the Lord is finished, everything will be wrapped up in victory and triumph. There will be no tempter then. Satan and all of the fallen angels and all of the wicked from all of the ages will be cast into the eternal lake of fire.
Many people want to know if this is the time for His return.
Listen to what Jesus said about this.
Matthew 24:4-8 NKJV And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Matthew 24:36-39 NKJV “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
No one but the Father in heaven knows when He will send His Son to split the eastern skies and call God’s children home.
Jesus had a special word for all of us who are facing days, hours and events like these.
Matthew 24:42-44 NIV Jesus said, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come…. 44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
His coming is going to be sudden, unexpected, and when many are not expecting it to happen. At the conclusion of the Revelation that John was given, Jesus said, “Surely, I am coming quickly,” (Revelation 22:20). You can know without a doubt that Jesus Christ is coming soon.
When He appears in clouds of glory there will be a glorious resurrection.
Death and the grave will be conquered in victory. I have stood by the grave of many sainted loved ones. I have preached their funerals and wept with those who have sorrowed at the death of those they loved. You need to know that death is not final. Those graves are going to give up their dead.
Hallelujah!!!!
1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 NKJV But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For 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 by no means precede those who are asleep. 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 together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
The trumpet of the Lord shall sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
As soon as the Lord is revealed in clouds of glory, things are going to dramatically change. Mortal bodies must become immortal. Decaying bodies will be reassembled. The spirits of the departed saints will enter into their new glorious bodies. There will never be sickness, weakness, pain or death. A glorious host will arise from the cemeteries. Armies of saints will assemble from battlefields. The redeemed shall blossom from the sea. The dead in Christ shall rise.
Paul cried, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” When Jesus comes, we shall be delivered from this body. This is a resurrection promise and fact for every Christian.
According to Romans 8:10-11, the same Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies.
When Jesus Christ is revealed, there will be a glad reunion.
Those who are alive shall be caught up together with those who have died. We will meet the Lord in the air. We who will be found living will be suddenly changed. We will be caught up with the Christian dead who are raised. Mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers will meet around the throne. We will see those who have gone on before us to be with the Lord.
Jesus has made promises about the things that are about to happen very soon.
You need to be ready. Jesus is coming again.