Dead in Christ rise first, then those still alive meet them to gather with Jesus Christ in the air.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

“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.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13

The Holy Spirit, speaking through Paul, wants us to be aware of what happens to us followers of Jesus Christ after we have died. The Lord does not want us to be sad about death but to rejoice in the promise of eternal life, as quoted, “So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then will be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.  O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?...If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” 1 Corinthians 15:54-55, 1 Corinthians 15:19

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…” Philippians 3:20

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and will not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.” John 5:24-25

“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 4:14

That is the Gospel message, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 The Holy Spirit in us is our guarantee of our eternal inheritance, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance…” Ephesians 1:13-14

We know we have the Holy Spirit if we do not speak against Christ Jesus and we are able to say that He is Lord, as quoted, “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:3

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. “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…” John 14:1-3

“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.” 1 Thessalonians 4:15

Everyone who followed the way of Jesus Christ in this life, then died, will be resurrected from the dead to live eternally with our Lord Jesus. What about the Christians who are still alive when the Lord returns? They will be called home to live eternally with the Lord, too, but not called home before those who have died. The dead in Christ will be called first, then the Believers who are still alive will be called home. The Believers who are alive when Jesus returns will by no means be called home before the Christians who are in their grave.

Some people believe that Christians will not be on the earth at the same time as the beast during the tribulation of the world. For them who believe that, before it is time for them to be called home, all they would have to do is check Christian graves to see if they are empty yet. When they see the empty graves of Believers, then they will know that somewhere down the line their time to leave the earth is nearby. The dead will rise first and then those who are still alive will be called up to be with the lord.

The trend in today’s fallen churches is to focus on the “rapture”, even though they have abandoned the Gospel of Jesus Christ to align with community standards. Those who believe that Christians will not be on the earth at the same time as the beast are the same ones who cannot admit that there is a presence in the world that has power over physiology to give people what to say, do, think, and feel. That is the beast that gives breath/life to the image of the beast to speak by speaking and living through people. By what they are given to say and do they are being conformed to the mark, name, number of the beast.

“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.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

The Lord Jesus Christ returns with the trumpet of God, and that is the Seventh Trumpet of Revelations 11:15-19, as quoted, “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever!” Revelations 11:15 The Seventh Trumpet sounds after the events of the the other six trumpets of Revelations chapters 8 and 9, after the Seven Thunders of Revelations 10, and after the events of the Seven Plagues of Revelations 16. The Day of the Lord is described in the post on Zachariah 14.

When Jesus returns. three things happen: First, Jesus will be seen in the clouds by all the world, “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.” Revelations 1:7 Second, the dead Christians will be resurrected and called up to meet Christ in the air. Third, Christians who are still alive at that time will meet the resurrected Christians in the air with Jesus Christ.

“Therefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:18

Those three things mentioned above are all one event, and happens after the tribulation. Jesus says that His return will be after the global tribulation, and that is when He gathers His people to be with Him, ““Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” Matthew 24:29-31

The image below shows Christ Jesus in the air, calling His followers to be with Him. The dead in Christ are seen rising from their graves to be with him in the air. Those who are still alive are also seen rising up through the air to meet with Christ and with the the resurrected Believers. That is all one event, all at same time, at the return of Christ Jesus. And thus we will always be with the Lord.

I envision the clouds that we are caught up together with to be the angels/armies of Heaven, as quoted,  “And the armies in heaven, clothed in pure white linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.” Revelation 19:14 The armies in heaven are described like this, “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands…” Revelations 5:11

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1