Just as there are people like me who believe in Bible prophecy yet to be fulfilled, there are others (and it seems to be a growing group) who are downplaying prophecy in Scripture. Especially what a lot of folks call the rapture or the snatching away, being caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. They see it as something that has either already taken place in some mysterious way, or they say that when Paul wrote about the snatching away in 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 that he was not speaking about a literal event, but instead he was talking about something figurative. But as you read the passage in 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 Paul is speaking about people who have literally died (not figuratively died) and he is trying to bring literal encouragement and literal comfort to people who are experiencing literal grief over the death of people they love. As he does this, he is speaking about a resurrection to come. The dead in Christ being resurrected from the grave and at the same time those believers who are alive and remain being caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. If The Apostle Paul was talking about a figurative event, how in the world could that possibly bring even the slightest bit of comfort to the hearts of people who have literally lost loved ones to death?
Have you ever lost a loved one? Have you experienced the pain and sorrow of waking up realizing that they have died? What comfort is there for any of us if death is the end? There must be more. This cannot be all there is. God most certainly must have a plan that goes beyond the cycle of birth and death which permeates the earth.
Christ Himself spoke of being “the resurrection.” Jesus Himself died and rose again.
I believe just as Christ literally rose from the dead our hope is in a very literal future resurrection.
In his first letter to the Corinthians the Apostle Paul spoke of the need for our mortal and corruptible bodies to put on immortality and in-corruption. Was he speaking of literal mortality and literal corruption? The answer is yes! Therefore he had to be speaking of putting on literal immortality and literal in-corruption. This has not happened yet, but one day it will.
The Apostle Paul tells us that at a certain point in time, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye we shall be changed. Know one knows when this will happen, but one day it most certainly will.
Knowing this is to bring us comfort and hope as we know that death is not the end. We find comfort knowing that just as our Savior and Lord Christ Jesus was raised from the dead, so will we!
Therefore, comfort one another with these words.