1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
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.

Application: 

Throughout the letter, Paul repeatedly tells the Thessalonians that Jesus is coming back (see John 14:1-3). Now we understand how he will return. It will be a loud event, as the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout. Jesus arrived the first time like a whisper, and most people, in fact, missed him. However, no believer will miss him the second time.

What will Jesus shout when he returns? There’s another instance in Scripture when Jesus shouted—when he called the dead man Lazarus by name, and Lazarus walked out of the grave (see John 11:43-44). When Jesus comes back, he will do that again, many times over. I’m going to hear, “Evans, come forth!” And my old body, decayed in the grave, is going to come back to life and be reunited with my spirit and soul.

Many of us have heard the word rapture, which comes from this verse where Paul mentions that we will be caught up together. The Latin word for “caught up” is rapturo. At the rapture, those of us who are still alive will join other brothers and sisters in Christ and meet them in the clouds. 

Our bodies will no longer be limited in the same ways they are today. Not only will our broken bodies be restored, but you and I will literally be able to walk on cloud nine since we will possess a resurrected body like his (see 1 John 3:2). Since those who are alive will join those returning with the Lord, this clearly demonstrates that believers who die immediately go to be with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8).

This body transformation and rapture will occur in the blink of an eye, as stated in 1 Corinthians 15:50-55; death is now defeated!*

Reference: Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2019), 1265–1266.
*My note.

To God be the glory!

Our Lord Jesus Christ created everything! By Him, For Him!

“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

Disclaimer

When God inspires me, I write blogs. Consider this writing as a Bible study. Like the Bereans in Acts 17:11, search the Scriptures to determine whether what I write is so. Always consult with your church ministers about biblical matters. I am also not a professional writer, so some grammar or spelling errors may be present. I try my best to write as efficiently as possible. Your brother in Christ, Ricardo

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My book, “Battle Strategy: God’s Plan Amid Chaos.” It’s packed with helpful insights into Bible study and understanding. You can get a free digital version on my website. Fifty percent of the proceeds from this book go to helping children. The book covers the main biblical points and salvation, so you’ll find something valuable. 

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