| “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 15:52). |
| Perhaps you have read this verse before, but have you ever wondered how long the twinkling of an eye is? It is a very short time. It is certainly less than half a second, and some have calculated it to be as short as 1/10th of a second. It is amazing to think that the Lord’s coming for us will take place that quickly. During this short time, the dead in Christ will rise first, and will receive their glorified bodies. Then we who are alive will be changed, meaning that we too will suddenly have glorified bodies. We will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. These details are given to us in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. It is a wonderful prospect to which we can look forward, and it may happen at any moment. |
| It is the same mighty power that raised the Lord Jesus from the dead that will raise from the dead all those who have died in Christ. Many of them have been dead for thousands of years, and their bodies have decayed — gone back to dust, as God had said. Some bodies have been buried at sea, when people died while on a ship. Others have been burned, but the Lord knows where each one is. He is able to raise them from the dead, to give them bodies of glory, and take them up with Him, to be with Him forever. |
| In heaven we will all have glorified bodies that will be absolutely perfect — none of the effects of sin will be seen in them. There will be no one with wrinkles, or scars, or grey hair. There will be no one who limps, or who has to use a wheelchair. No one will be missing a leg, or an arm. |
| But there will be One there who will have marks on His body that are there because He bore the punishment for our sins. The Lord Jesus will have the nail prints in His hands, and the spear mark in His side, to remind us for all eternity that He suffered for us. The Bible never calls them scars, but rather wounds. Why is that? It is because a scar is an old wound that has healed, but a wound is fresh — something that has happened recently. The marks in the Lord’s body will always be wounds, so that we do not forget. |
