Caught Up Together

Last week, for the on-line study of Revelation I am doing with Bible Study Fellowship, I read a series of Bible verses relating to God's promises about eternal life. They were all a comfort to me as I contemplated the judgment to come and the hope of the risen Savior. One of the verses in particular brought tears of joy to my eyes as I realized what it could mean for me and my family, and I wanted to share it with you today.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

One of the themes of Revelation is the certainty that Jesus is coming back again in victory. If I am blessed to still be alive on this earth when Christ returns, I will see Christ come down from heaven, I will see the dead in Christ, including my son, Oliver, rise and join Him, and then I will be caught up in the air with them as well. What hope! What encouragement! Come Lord Jesus, bring us together with you forever! Amen!

A couple of pictures of "sky" from our time in eastern Washington