Every Christian believes that, at some time or other, Christ will come again, but there are many opinions as to Where, How and When the will come. One express Scripture statement: upon the matter ought to suffice to set the Christian’s mind entirely at rest, and such a ‘statement, so far as it relates to the Where and How of His coming, for believers, we have in these words “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 who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” (1 Thess. 4:16, 1716For 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: 17Then 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)).
If we are among those spoken of in the passage for whom the Lord will come, then we “shall be caught up.... to meet the Lord in the air.” And if, by grace, we indeed believe in our hearts upon Jesus the Savior, then we are ready at this moment to meet Him.
How does He come to the air? He descends from heaven not as He did 1900 years ago—to enter this world in weakness—to become the Man of Sorrows—and to die a sacrifice for our sins upon the tree, but glorious, joyful, triumphant, to call to the Father’s house on high the blessed company of all saints. “The Lord Himself,” saith the Scripture—Himself, who washed us from our sins in His own blood—Himself, who is now our daily strength and Hope—Himself, the Jesus whom we love. And thus does He descend.
(1) “With a shout”—which shout is no mere loud outcry, but peculiar and special such a shout as a commander gives to his troops, and which his men understand; this rallying cry, this voice of the Lord, each one of His people, whether asleep or awake, shall hear, and to it in a moment—in the twinkling of an eye, all shall respond.
(2) “With the voice of the archangel.” Man is weak and mortal, the angels “excel in strength,” at that day, the mightiest of them shall pass on the Lord’s Word, and angels shall witness frail man leave earth’s dust and rise victoriously to the clouds, as did Jesus Himself. Then will Satan, “the prince of the power of the air,” have forever lost all power of harassing and tempting Christ’s risen ones.
(3) “With the trump of God.” “For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” That glad blast shall awake or change us, and bring in “the redemption of our body.” That great assembly call shall bid us enter into the full blessedness of the Lord’s resurrection, and when those silver tones are heard, shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
But When shall these things be? We ask not when shall the times and seasons be fulfilled and Jesus come to this earth, we inquire when will He come to the air? His own words supply the answer. “Surely I come quickly.” (Rev. 22-20). “Surely!” There is no mistake—it may seem to be a long time, but He says, “I come quickly.” For a wise purpose the hour of His coming is hidden; did we know the secret, we should forsake our expectant attitude, and watch and wait no longer—our hearts would not respond to His own word “Quickly” with “Amen, even so, come Lord Jesus.”
Reader—Are you waiting for God’s “Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come?” Do the hallowed prospects of that morn bring comfort to your heart? Got delays this coming, in order that sinners may prove the saving virtue of Jesus’s blood, hence, if still unsaved, believe now, for now—this little moment—this shortening interval—“Now is the accepted time.”