Tuesday, July 6, 2021
Caught Away
“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 4:17 NKJV).
Some people say the teaching of the Rapture is escapism.
Yes, that’s exactly what it is. Christ will come for His Church and take us off this earth.
In 1 Thessalonians 4, we find probably the most definitive passage on the Rapture: “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” (verses 16-17 NKJV).
The term caught up is an interesting one because there are many shades of meaning. One way to translate it is “to catch away quickly.” This is the same translation in Acts 8:39, where we read that after Philip led the Ethiopian official to Christ, “the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away” (NKJV).
In the same way, the Rapture will take place in a quick period of time. The Bible says, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52 NKJV).
In fact, “the twinkling of an eye” reportedly lasts about one thousandth of a second. That means if you’re a Christian, one moment you’ll be going about your life on Earth, and the next moment you’ll find yourself the presence of Christ Himself.
The Rapture could take place so rapidly that we wouldn’t even know it, except that we’d be hurtled into God’s presence. In light of this, we should live each day in expectation of the Lord’s return.
Copyright © 2021 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
and
Listen to Greg Laurie's daily broadcast on OnePlace.com and weekly podcast on LifeAudio.com.
Watch Greg Laurie's weekly television broadcast on LightSource.com.
In thanks for your gift, you can receive a copy of Jesus Revolution by Greg Laurie
God used the Jesus Movement to reach an entire generation with the hope of the gospel. In Jesus Revolution, Greg Laurie shares the true story behind this spiritual awakening and the people God used to change countless lives. Written with Ellen Vaughn, this book offers an inspiring look at how revival spread during one of America’s most turbulent decades.
Support Harvest Ministries this month and receive Jesus Revolution as our thank-you gift. For gifts of $50 or more, you’ll also receive the Jesus Revolution DVD to enjoy and share with others.
Was this resource helpful? Add Christianity.com as a trusted source for Biblical content.
