The Most Glorious Hope!

What happens to departed believers? Can we know in part but perhaps not all the details? Something about death is so mysterious and yet, God has given us verses that give us a glimpse into the future. Perhaps in light of several recent deaths of people that I know and then our Sunday School lesson yesterday, I have been thinking a lot about the

Believer’s Most Glorious Hope!

I Thess. 4:13 - “I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep…”

Are departed believers literally just ‘sleeping’ somewhere? Is death just a state of semi-consciousness, an existence somewhat like a deep sleep? I heard this insinuated at a funeral one time and it troubled me greatly. Is that a Scriptural teaching? I think Scripture would indicate differently…

Luke 23:43 - Jesus told the thief on the cross “TODAY you will be with me in paradise.”

II Cor. 5:6-8 Paul says, “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”

Phil. 1:23 Paul again says he desires to depart and to be with Christ.

These Scriptures would say that departed believers are with the Lord, living face to face with Him. Even though we may not fully understand exactly where Paradise is we can be assured that they are in the presence of God.

“Asleep” is simply a word to describe their departure from this world. It is a picture of resting from the trials and sufferings of this world.

Further in I Thess. 4:13 Jesus says He does not want us to sorrow as those who have no hope. What an INDESCRIBABLE GIFT to know that as believers, we will see each other again. I cannot imagine the hopelessness of not having that assurance. Jesus was well acquainted with grief. When Lazarus died, He wept. It’s okay to grieve and to weep, but we should not sorrow excessively as though we have no hope of a coming reunion day.

I Thess. 4:15 - “Them that are asleep (at rest) in Jesus will God bring with Him when He returns.”

v. 16 - What an event this will be!! Picture it with me…

“For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout (I cannot help but believe that this is a shout that will be heard in every corner of the world!), with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God…”

Just imagine that! Some day this is really, actually going to happen! A shout, a voice of the archangel, and a trumpet….I don’t doubt it will have our full attention! The whole universe…both earth and heaven, believers, unbelievers, and angels.

“…then the dead in Christ will rise first; then we which are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.”

Picture that with me…the departed believers being joined to their buried bodies, rising with transformed, incorruptible bodies, and right behind them are those of us who are alive in Christ, millions joined together in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air! Again, I don’t think there will be anything secretive about this event…I believe “every eye shall see Him.” Rev. 1:7

Our present bodies are corruptible- they age, deteriorate, die, decay, and decompose. Until Jesus returns, every earthly body will someday return to the earth. But on that day we will receive incorruptible bodies! A heavenly transformation, a perfect body that will never age, deteriorate, die, decay, or decompose - completely free from defilement and depravity - perfected forever to live with God in the new heaven.

I Thess. 4:17b “…and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

The experience of living face to face with the Lord begins. The most wonderful event will be seeing our Lord face-to-face for the very first time! Is there any question what our first thoughts will be?!

I Thess. 4:18 “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

God does not reveal the events of the end time to satisfy our curiosity

 but so that we can prepare and comfort one another with this

Most Glorious Hope!

Are you ready for that day?

Have you made your preparations?

Are you living in light of the Lord's return?