Scripture to Read: 1 Corinthians 15:51–53
God had Paul give a little insight into the moment when Christ will resurrect His children. We read in 1 Corinthians 15:51–53, “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 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 will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.” God allowed Paul to describe this beautiful moment in time when Jesus will gather His children to Himself for the glorified bodily resurrection. God had Paul write about this same event in 1 Thessalonians 4:15–18. Our Lord Jesus Christ, in an instant, in the blink of an eye, as soon as God the Father tells Him it’s time, will gather all of the Christians to Himself in the clouds. This event has been called the rapture after the Latin word for “caught up,” which is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. That day is still to come. It will happen when God’s eternal plan all comes together. God will give every follower of Christ their glorified resurrected bodies at that moment. Every redeemed soul through the centuries will be gathered together, even those still on the earth at that time will rise up to meet the Lord in the clouds and will receive their glorified resurrected bodies. Those who are with the Lord now (2 Corinthians 5:8) await their final resurrection body, but no doubt, they are with Him.
Challenge & Application
As Christians, what do we get to look forward to if Christ comes for His bride while we’re still here on earth?
What are the saints who are currently present with the Lord looking forward to when Christ gathers His bride?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!