You know the scenario. A man wakes up in the morning. His wife is not in bed beside him. In fact, she’s nowhere in the house. He checks with his neighbors. The neighbor’s wife says her husband also is missing. Did the two run away together? Not really. It’s the rapture, don’t you know? Jesus has come, and has secretly snatched away believers here and there. And left others behind. You’ve heard it preached. You’ve read about it. You’ve even seen it in movies.
The big question: Is the above imaginary scene a true picture of what will really happen when Jesus returns?
There’s a sure way to find out. Just read the Bible. John 14 is a good place to start. Jesus said, “There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I wouldn’t tell you this, unless it was true. I am going there to prepare a place for each of you. After I have done this, I will come back and take you with me. Then we will be together.” (John 14:2, 3, CEV).
The Bible tells us just how this will happen. “With a loud command and with the shout of the chief angel and a blast of God’s trumpet, the Lord will return from heaven. Then those who had faith in Christ before they died will be raised to life. Next, all of us who are alive will be taken up into the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the sky. From that time on we will all be with the Lord forever” (I Thessalonians 4:16. 17, CEV).
But what will happen to the lawless, disobedient people who won’t be making the trip? “And then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will…destroy with the brightness of His coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8, NKJV).
No One Left Behind
So, with the graves of all the saved people opening up, and all the living saved people being caught up in the air to join them, and those who have decided against Christ dying all around, you can see that His second coming will hardly be a secret. And no one will be “left behind” alive to be given a second chance, while wondering what happened to everyone else.
The main thing is for us to be ready when Jesus comes again. The Bible says, “Always be ready! You don’t know when the Son of Man will come” (Matthew 24:44, CEV).
Being ready is as simple as inviting Christ into your heart and life as your Redeemer. Won’t you accept Him now?
