1 Cor 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Cor 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

In the truest sense, Christ was the first fruits. Just as a farmer is able to harvest part of hi8s crop early and calls it his first fruits so was Christ Himself god's first fruits in that He was firs resurrected from the dead 2000 years ago. Then we have identified for us in Rev 20:4-6 that there will be some who take part in the first resurrection which could also be considered a kind of first fruits and the rest of the dead will not rise until the second resurrection a thousand years later.

James 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Here we are being told that Christ brought us forth by His Word of Truth. We were not taught by Christ directly as He is no longer on the earth, but we have received training and instruction from others He commissioned to go and to preach the Word to others. We are also able to read the Bible and books about the Bible, and internet web-sites about the Bible. We have the hope held out before us to be among the first fruits that will be part of the first resurrection at His coming.

1 Cor 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.

The mystery referred to here is what some call the rapture. The taking away or gathering of the elect is when they will be changed to immortality and will be with Christ. This is a mystery for us now. It requires us to have faith in something we have never seen nor experienced for ourselves. It is presented to us in the Bible. We can believe that it will indeed happen at the appointed time. Also we can expect to be among those taken provided we have properly prepared ourselves.

1 Cor 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptable, and we shall be changed.

If there is going to be a last trumpet. There has to be a series of them. The only series of trumpets mentioned in the New Testament is found in Rev 8-11.

Rev 8:2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

This vision is the start of the presentation of the events connected with the sounding of the seven trumpets.

Rev 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

It is interesting to note that when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet of God, this means that the mystery of God is finished. There does not seem to be room for a seven additional years of tribulation before the end. If there were to be seven more years, we would read in the "final years" and not "the days" of the sounding of the seventh angel.

Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; an he shall reign for ever and ever.

The 7th trumpet sounded, Loud voices in heaven saying kingdoms of the world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ and He shall reign forever, thus the seventh or last trumpet is associated with Christ and His saints being in control of this world.

Matt 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

This is a clear description of the gathering of His faithful followers or the elect from all over the earth when the last or seventh trumpet sounds. There is no room for a seven year period between the sounding of the seventh trumpet and the declaration, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ."

1Thes 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

This is the hope of His faithful followers. Notice that the exact day or time is not given. But rather at the sounding of the last trumpet which could mean literally just a short while before the feet of Christ touch down on the Mount of Olives. Perhaps it will be even only a matter of minutes before. This hope is why Paul wrote that we need to make our calling sure.

1 Thes 4:17 Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

This does not tell us that they will disappear without a trace. The words here "caught up" are where the word "rapture" comes from, even though the word rapture does not appear any where in the bible, Paul does say living believers will be caught up. Jesus' coming is in the air, the event here described is; the return of Christ in the air, the rapture of living believers, reunion with those resurrected from death.

Popular conventional wisdom expects Christ to return twice in two distinct phases. The first, Jesus returns silently and secretly, unnoticed by the world, and christians will be "caught up", or raptured, which is interpreted as the sudden vanishing of millions of people from all over the world. All those left behind are expected by many to experience seven year tribulation period. Actually the expected "tribulation period" is a future event some 1000 years after this.

Popular interpretation of these two verses in 2 Thes is Christians being taken by a secret selective return of Christ. A popular illustration of this is automobiles going down a highway without drivers, etc. There are some problems with this view. There are no direct scriptural references to support a secret return.

Actually v17 will not occur until Christ comes back visibly. Compare v15 with v17. Believers will be caught up at the visible coming of the Lord, not 7 years before it. The "parousia'" is the key word. In 1 Thes:16 & 17 the Lord Himself shall descent wth a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God. This is one of the noisest verse in the bible.

Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

While we do not know how it will happen, God is telling us here that His supernatural power is going to enable everyone on earth to see Christ as He returns, descending from the clouds and everyone will mourn because of him. Since all are going to see Him, His return can hardly be described as being a secret. Rev 19:11-16 tells us that the second coming of Jesus will appear in a glorious event which this verse tells us all of the world will see.

Last modified on Friday, September 2, 2005

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