First, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the Trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” (ESV – emphasis is mine.)
Please note that when Paul states “brothers,” it also applies to “sisters.” After all, Romans 10:13, Joel 2:32, and Acts 2:21 all state, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” When he uses the term “asleep,” that refers to those who have already died.
Next, 1 Corinthians 15:51-53; “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 imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.”
In several books of the Bible, we’re given signs of what will be taking place on this earth as we get closer and closer to the end of this age.
In Matthew 24:36, Jesus states, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” Sadly, some people use this to say that if Jesus didn’t know this, how could He possibly be a part of the Godhead?
Looking at Hebrews 2:17, “Therefore, He had to be made like His brothers in every respect, so that He might become a merciful and faithful High Priest in the service of God, to make propitiation [acceptable substitute] for the sins of the people.” Jesus allowed Himself to become lower than the angels for a little while (Hebrews 2:9) in order that He could provide the perfect, sinless, and acceptable blood sacrifice for all who would receive and accept Him. No animal’s blood could ever cover human sins, but only that of a perfect, sinless human.
For anyone who may believe they are not sinners, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, and Romans 6:23 cover this very well. Simply stated, we all sin and fall short of the glory of God, and if it weren’t for Jesus, we would all be condemned forever.
Ephesians 2:8-9 states, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast.”
While none of this is new, the times we are living in are fulfilling prophecy daily. Numerous Biblical pastors are stating that the end of this age is very close. Nothing new has to take place before all true believers are taken up from this earth to meet Jesus in the air to be kept from the coming wrath/tribulation 7-year period of time (1 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, and Revelation 3:10).
As stated in 1 Corinthians 15:52, “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye…” The speed of this is so rapid that it’s hard to measure in a time frame we can comprehend.
A 2024 song by Danny Gokey called “Only For a Moment” is a song that the last line covers very well: “Something beautiful is on the way.”
1.) Even here there is hope, buried in the hurt. Before the bloom of a rose, there’s a season of dirt. But something beautiful is on the way; where you are is not where you were made to stay.
Ref) It’s only for a moment, so keep holdin’ on. It’s only for a moment; no, it won’t be long. His plan for you is perfect, and the season has a purpose. It’s only for a moment; it’s only for a moment.
2.) You are not on your own, planted where you are. So let the rain help you grow; the harvest isn’t far. Because something beautiful is on the way; where you are is not where you were made to stay. (ref)
3.) God saw something beautiful the day He sowed the seed. The winter bows to His command; it can’t deny the spring. So don’t dig up those roots just yet; He’s watering the ground. The promise of tomorrow stands on what He’s doing now. (ref)
4.) It’s only for a moment; it’s only for a moment. It’s only for a moment; you can trust in Him. ‘Cause even in this moment, He’s working it out. And when you feel hopeless, just trust in the Lord. Something beautiful is on the way. (ref.)
We’re told in 2 Timothy 3:16 that all scripture is from God. Also, 2 Peter 1:20-21 states that all prophecy is from the Holy Spirit. Going into eternity, there are only two paths, not many ways as false prophets today are trying to have us believe.
Matthew 7:13-14 is pure instruction for us, as given by our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ; “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide, and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
The “hard” part about the narrow gate is accepting that we can’t do more to earn or buy our eternal Salvation. Just read Ephesians 2:8-9 again.
Those who have Jesus in their hearts as their Savior will be ready when that “twinkling of an eye” takes place. In fact, our daily prayer includes: “Come, Lord Jesus! (Maranatha!)”
For any who have not received and accepted Jesus but think they will be able to call out when the Rapture starts, it will be over before they can take a breath. The best action anyone could take is to do the A-B-Cs of Salvation – ASAP!
A – Admit you are a sinner and know we cannot save ourselves.
B – Believe and have faith that Jesus is our Savior who came to this earth as a human, lived a perfect, sinless life, and became the only pure blood sacrifice that our Heavenly Father could accept, and that He rose from the dead to conquer sin and death for us.
C – Call out to Jesus to forgive you, and to have the Holy Spirit come to live within you and keep you as part of The Savior’s precious flock.
Then, know that when the “Restrainer” is removed so that the ultimate anti-christ can come forth (2 Thessalonians 2:7), all who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Restrainer) will be taken up to meet Jesus and not be here for the worst time this earth has ever seen.
For anyone who understands that we will sin as long as we’re in these fallible human bodies, the Father has provided 1 John 1:8-10 for our means to receive forgiveness. And before anyone believes they have sinned more than God can forgive, please remember that the only unforgivable sin is to take your last breath here without Jesus as your Savior.
Now would not be too early to call out to our Shepherd and become a part of His flock. Tomorrow could just be too late.
Shalom! May the Peace of the Father be with you!