As the sun goes down on the world, a Christian looks upward. We must refocus — since we actually and easily belong also to this world — tainted by a sin propensity inherited from our parents. (They got theirs from their parents who got theirs from their parents and so on.) We gaze skyward to where our precious Father and Savior has prepared a sinless residence, which awaits us at the time of our death or even before — at the snatching away of the Church at 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15.
The shout of the Lord, as a commander inciting his troops, will pierce the sky. A trumpet will reverberate, or bombastically blast out. Bright angelic tones sound out like the sun bursting through clouds — and all of it happening in a moment, (indivisible time), in the twinkling of an eye. (the flapping of a wing, the buzz of a gnat, the quivering of a harp, the twinkling of a star.) Greek usage. A.T. Robertson
1Thessalonians 4:16 tells us, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout.” (of a conqueror),And the dead in Christ shall rise first. They shall awaken, collect their new undecaying faculties — they are changed.
Then,
Just as: Matthew_11:12, uses the same word, “the violent take it by force;” and Matk_13:19,uses the same word, “then cometh the wicked one and snatcheth away;” John_6:15, again, “that they would come and take him by force; and also John_10:12, “the wolf catcheth them;” Act_8:39,repeats, “the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip; 2Corinthians_12:2, “such an one caught up to the third heaven;”
.. Those who are alive and remain are rapturiously snatched, taken away, taken by the force of God Himself — and join the risen dead ones in the clouds, united in one body. We there encounter the Lord, so shall we ever be with Him. So,
“corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1Corinthians 15:54-57
In closing, brothers and sisters,
“be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” v 58
1Thessalonians 4:18 adds, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
