1 Thess. 4:13-18
The Lord Jesus told His disciples on the Mt. of Olives that He would come to earth in power and great glory (Matt. 21:27). He told them also that He would come again and reive them unto Himself.” John 14:3.
After Jesus had gone back to Heaven, those who loved Him looked for Him to return to set up His Kingdom. After some years, it was given for the apostle Paul to tell the people of a coming of the Lord, not to earth to begin His rule, but in the air to call those who believed on Him to Himself.
Paul wrote this to the believers in the city of Corinth, Greece; he told them as something new and before hidden:
“Behold, I show 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed,” 1 Corinthians 15:51,52.
Paul also wrote of this coming to those who believed in Christ in another city:
“The Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17.
Those were very wonderful words to those who believed in the Lord Jesus, and they are just as wonderful to all now who love Him, for His people still wait for this coming in the air. His coming is certain, for Paul was told “by the word of the Lord.” It is called a hope, but the word hope in the Bible means something sure to come, not something simply wished for, as we use the word (1 John 3:3).
Many boys and girls, as well as grown people, have been happy to learn of this hope, and many now look and wait for the Lord Jesus. The verses show that His coming will be very quick, so quick it will be “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye”. There will be no time then to prepare; that must be done before: the way to be ready is to believe and trust the Lord Jesus now; those He will call will have already trusted Him as their Saviour.
It is not told that even those who believe, will see the Lord coming in the air, but will he called by His voice. But of His coming to earth in power, it is written,
“Every eye shall see Him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.” (Rev. 1:7; Matt. 21:30).
Both of these comings seem mentioned in these words:
“Looking for ‘that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:13.
ML 10/03/1943