Page 61 - Eschatology - Masters revised

those who believed in Jesus Christ and were part of the church, the bride of Jesus Christ, would be
raised from the dead to be raptured along with those who were still alive.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 (NIV84)13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who
fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and
rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15
According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the
coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself
will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the
trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and
are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we
will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.

When Paul was in Thessalonica, he obviously taught the churches there about the Rapture of the church
of Jesus Christ. Therefore, they were looking forward to that Rapture and the new glorified bodies they
would receive on their way to be with Jesus Christ forever. We can assume that Paul heard about the
grief of these people and the questions they were asking. So, he included an answer in his first letter to
these churches.

Paul assured them that their fellow believers who had physically died would not miss the Rapture of the
church of Jesus Christ and the glorification of their bodies. All those who had believed in Jesus Christ and
His death for eternal life would be instantly raised from the dead with their new glorified bodies to join
those still alive to be raptured. Those who are alive when the Rapture occurs will not precede those who
have died. Jesus will bring back their souls and spirits with Him to be joined with their instantly
resurrected and glorified bodies to be raptured up to meet Him and return to heaven. Those who are
alive and have not experienced physical death will be instantly changed to having glorified bodies and be
raptured up to meet Jesus Christ in the air and be taken to heaven.

Our great anticipation is to finally be joined together with Jesus. The bride longs to be with her
bridegroom. So, in the same way, the church longs to be with Jesus, our bridegroom. And the promise is
that we will never be separated from Him again. We will be with the Lord forever. This is to be a great
encouragement for every believer.

In conclusion, scripture reveals that the church of Jesus Christ awaits her bridegroom to finish His
preparation for her and then surprise her by removing her from this earth to take her to heaven to be
with Him forever. Believers who have physically died will be resurrected first, with glorified bodies.
Then, the living believers will experience the instantaneous change whereby their bodies will be
glorified. Next, together, all believers in Christ will be caught up to meet Him in the air and be taken to
heaven to be with Him forever.

Tony Evans – Rapture of the Church

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG0COZVFhyg

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