Paul answers a question many of us think about at times – what happens after we die? Actually, in this instance he only addresses a question about believers in Jesus who pass on before the rest of us. But his answer blows me away.
Paul shares a hopeful message—God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep (died) in him. Then Paul paints an astonishing picture of an unknowable day in the future—The Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
After the trumpet sounds, and the dead rise, those followers of Jesus still alive (who didn’t die of a heart attack already) will be caught up in the clouds and meet Jesus in the air.
As we join the Lord in the clouds, those of us who follow Jesus (I’m aspiring to that hopeful group) will meet many of our ancestors for the first time.
I wonder—will we know each other’s names?
Will I recognize my great-great-great-grandfather (assuming he and I are both there)? Will he recognize me? Will I know the names of my fellow believers from India and China and Egypt and Iran and Delaware?
Reunions involve lots of introductions, long stories, comments about what young person looks like what old person, and sharing the twists and turns of life.
But this get-together in the air promises much more. The result? We will be with the Lord forever.
I have a feeling we’ll know each other’s names. As Paul writes, encourage one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4 in week twenty-five of reading the Bible cover to cover
Photo by Nick Scheerbart
Marantha!