Read | 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
When it comes to learning about the end times and the return of Christ, many believers feel confused by the elaborate symbolism the Bible uses to describe these events. Clearly there are certain mysteries regarding the end of life as we know it, and God has chosen to present some of these topics in unique and interesting terms.
One revelation, however, is quite clear: We can be certain of the sights, sounds, and feelings surrounding the moment when Jesus returns, as today’s passage makes clear.
We will hear the magnificent voice of the Lord as He descends from heaven. The voice of the archangel and the sound of a trumpet of God will also be audible (v. 16).
We will see Jesus Christ with the archangel, and the deceased saints who had trusted in the Lord will be raised to meet them in the air (vv. 16-17).
We will feel our bodies instantly transformed as we are “caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord” (v. 17).
With these miraculous happenings mapped out for us in God’s Word, there is no reason to feel fearful about the return of our Savior. It will be a time of worship and rejoicing. No matter what happens in the world around us from now until then, we know that we can place our confidence in Jesus Christ. Just as He promised, He will return—accompanied by the archangel and announced by a trumpet—to take His children home for eternity.
