Tag: 1 Corinthians 15:51-55

Light in the Last Days – Day 46

On By KateIn Devotionals, Light in the Last DaysLeave a comment

Now that we’ve established the “what” and the “who” of the Rapture, it’s time to talk about the “where.” A common misconception is that the Rapture and the Second Coming are the same event, but the geography tells a different story. While the Second Coming brings Christ all the way to the earth, the Rapture is a divine rendezvous in the sky. Today, we’re diving into why the distinction matters: the fact that the Church is called to meet Jesus Christ in the air, rather than waiting for His feet to touch the ground.

Acts 1:9-11  And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.  (10)  And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;  (11)  Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

1 Thessalonians 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.

The geographic location of the Second Coming highlights its difference from the Rapture. The same feet that left the earth from the Mount of Olives two thousand years ago will return to that exact location. This literal “touchdown” in Jerusalem marks the end of the world as we know it and the beginning of Christ’s earthly reign. His return will to the Mount of Olives will transform the local landscape with a massive earthquake that creates a new valley for those seeking refuge.

Zechariah 14:4  And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

Because the Church meets Jesus in the air, the Rapture must occur before the Tribulation. This event is defined by the Greek word Harpazo, which means to be “caught up” or “snatched away.” We will be suddenly taken into the clouds to meet the Lord and accompany Him back to Heaven. In that instant, our physical forms will be transformed in the “twinkling of an eye,” trading our earthly bodies for eternal ones modeled after Christ’s resurrected body. While the world might witness the Church ascending, the transformation itself happens too fast for the human eye to capture.

1 Corinthians 15:51-55  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,  (52)  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. [Heaven cannot accept an earthly, corrupt body. This is why a change has to be made.] (54)  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (55)  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 

1 Thessalonians 4:14-18  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. [Jesus will bring the souls of those believers who died before the Rapture to meet their glorified body in the air.] (15)  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  (16)  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  (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.  (18)  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

I can hardly imagine the glory of that day! For me, the wait began in April 1980, and my heart still longs for the blessed hope promised in Titus 2:13. If you haven’t made the decision to follow Christ, consider that God has placed you here “for such a time as this” to hear the Gospel. Why stay behind when you could be part of the Church’s great assembly in the clouds? You can secure your place for that heavenly meeting right now. (1 Thessalonians 4:17) Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Light in the Last Days – Day 42

On By KateIn Devotionals, Light in the Last DaysLeave a comment

Have you caught the news lately? It’s hard to ignore the feeling that the world has completely shifted gears; honestly, it feels a bit chaotic! If you’ve been thinking the same thing, you’re definitely not alone. We are a long way from the early 2000s. In your opinion, what’s the biggest difference between then and now, and what do you think triggered such a massive shift?

Let’s take a look at what the Apostle Paul warned Timothy would happen when this world would reach its near end:

2 Timothy 3:1-5  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  (2)  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  (3)  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,  (4)  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;  (5)  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Look at the world today: every single one of Paul’s warnings is manifesting simultaneously. We’ve seen these things throughout history, but never all together like this! I urge you to study these underlined words deeply. Dig into their definitions and observe how they define our current reality ‘to a T.’ I was surprised by how much I missed until I did the research—once I understood the true meanings, everything clicked into place.

It is an incredible time to be alive, especially when we look forward with joy to the return of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, to gather His Church! While the Rapture was a mystery hidden throughout the Old Testament, the New Testament reveals it with absolute clarity. We know it was a fresh revelation because the Apostle Paul, who always grounded his teachings in Old Testament Scripture, presented it as a new truth directly from the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:51-55  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,  (52)  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  (53)  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  (54)  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.  (55)  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul introduces an exciting ‘mystery’: the truth that not every believer will experience physical death, or ‘sleep’, before Christ returns. He explains that for those who have already passed away, death is only a temporary rest for the body. While their spirits are currently present with the Lord in Heaven, they are awaiting the final redemption of their physical forms. At the moment of the Rapture, these souls will descend with Jesus to be reunited with their bodies, which will be raised from the grave and instantly transformed into an incorruptible, glorified state suitable for the Kingdom of God.

2 Corinthians 5:6  Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

In a ‘twinkling of an eye,’ Paul tells us, everything shifts. This isn’t just a spiritual update; it is a total physical makeover. Those who have died will be raised with bodies that can never again face death, while those living will be transformed without ever tasting death! But Paul doesn’t leave us guessing about the result. By letting Scripture explain Scripture, we see in verses 53 and 54 that this ‘change’ is our final victory over the grave. We are being “fitted” for eternity, trading our temporary, earthly ‘tents’ for permanent, spiritual bodies that are immune to disease, sin, and time. Hallelujah!

1 Corinthians 15:53-54  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  (54)  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

Why can’t our current bodies enter Heaven? I’ve heard it put this way: “They are perishable, and the eternal cannot be built on a foundation of decay.” Whether a believer is in the grave or alive at the moment of the Rapture, they carry a body corrupted by the fall of man. This corruption isn’t just physical aging; it is the spiritual reality of our sin nature inherited from Adam. Death is the proof of that sin. To step into eternity, we require a radical upgrade, a complete makeover, if you will. We must trade our sinful, dying flesh for a body that is ‘incorruptible’; a permanent, heavenly body that is no longer subject to the curse of death.

Romans 5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

The first sin didn’t just bring physical death into the world; it introduced spiritual death, a state of separation from God that affects every human being from the moment of birth. This reality is exactly why Jesus’ ministry was necessary. Because we inherit a sinful nature from Adam, we are naturally born on a path that leads away from God toward eternal judgment. However, the message of the Gospel is one of rescue: by placing our faith in Jesus Christ, we are ‘born again,’ effectively changing our eternal destination from separation to life everlasting with Him.

John 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

John 5:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Once a person is born again, that person will live eternally, whether he dies before the Rapture or is alive at the time of the Rapture. No corruptible body of sin can enter Heaven. The born-again believer has become part of the body of Christ, the Church/Bride, and at the Rapture, that body will join the Head of the Church, her Lord/Groom! Jesus Christ will not allow His own body, the Bride, to go through any part of the terrible Tribulation period. He calls her out of the world to join Him in the clouds so He can protect her from it.

That is the whole purpose of the Rapture! It is not to judge the church because Jesus took that judgment upon Himself.

Romans 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

If we are in Christ Jesus, then we are counted worthy because HE is worthy! Jesus Himself gave us a glimpse of this when He spoke of the end times in Luke 21:5-36. The key verse is:

Luke 21:36  Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

When Jesus mentions ‘all these things,’ He is pointing back to the entire sequence of end-times events He described from Luke 21:5 through 35. This comprehensive list covers everything from global upheaval to spiritual trials. Just as God established a pattern of rescue by shielding Noah from the Flood and leading Lot out of Sodom before judgment fell, He continues that pattern today. He provides a divine escape for His Church, His own Bride and ‘flesh and blood’, ensuring that those who belong to Him are protected from the coming wrath.

As we learned in the last post, the word Rapture doesn’t appear in the English Bible. The New Testament was initially written in Greek. It was translated from Greek into Latin from which the English translation came.

  • The Greeks’ word for rapture was “harpazo”;
  • when it was translated into Latin, that word was translated to “rapturo” which is where today we get our English word rapture;
  • but when the word was translated into English, it was translated as “caught up.”

Paul tells us that this “Rapture” will occur in the twinkling of an eye. Our physical bodies will be changed into the same type of body that Jesus had at His resurrection. (Luke 24:36-39) When we receive this new body, we can then have what it takes to enter Heaven with Jesus. Be encouraged, reader!

It isn’t by chance that you’ve been called to live in these significant times. God has a specific purpose for your life, starting with the invitation to receive the gift of salvation today. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Any Day Now – Day 46

On By KateIn Any Day Now, DevotionalsLeave a comment

We have covered the “What and Who” of the Rapture. Today we are covering the “Where”! The Rapture and the Second Coming are not the same event. The Church meets Jesus Christ in the air, not on earth.

Act 1:9-11  And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.  (10)  And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;  (11)  Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

1Th 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.

When Jesus Christ comes to end World Word III at the end of the Tribulation, He actually and literally steps foot on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

Zec 14:4  And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

So the Rapture is not going to happen after the Tribulation. The Church meets Jesus in the air. Harpazo, the Greek word for Rapture, is defined as “caught up or to snatch away.” The Church will be caught up and snatched away into the clouds to meet Jesus there. Then we will go to Heaven with Him!

At that moment, believers will be changed in the twinkling of an eye. Their earthly bodies will be changed into eternal bodies, just as Jesus had when He rose from the dead. The world will not see the changing of the old body to the new body as one cannot even measure the “twinkling of an eye.” Now the world might see us rising away from the earth, but they won’t see that change from earthly body to eternal body.

1Co 15:51-55  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,  (52)  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. [Heaven cannot accept an earthly, corrupt body. This is why a change has to be made.] (54)  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (55)  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 

1Th 4:14-18  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. [Jesus will bring the souls of those believers who died before the Rapture to meet their glorified body in the air.] (15)  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  (16)  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  (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.  (18)  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

What a glorious event it will be indeed! I have been waiting for the Rapture since April 1980. I longingly await the blessed hope of Titus 2:13! Friend, if you are not born again, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Don’t you want to be a part of the Church when she is raptured into the clouds to meet Jesus? (1 Thessalonians 4:17) Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Any Day Now – Day 42

On By KateIn Any Day Now, DevotionalsLeave a comment

Are you paying attention to today’s news? Even just a little bit, you have to come to the conclusion that our world has drastically changed. It appears to have lots its mind! If you have noticed, I’m in total agreement with your conclusion and it is absolutely spot on, reader! Today’s world is not the same world as back in the first decade of this millennium! So what do you think has changed? More importantly, what do you think has caused this change?

Let’s take a look at what the Apostle Paul warned Timothy would happen when this world would reach its near end:

2 Timothy 3:1-5  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  (2)  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  (3)  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,  (4)  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;  (5)  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Anyone who reads this passage can see that each and every one of the things Paul warns us about is occurring today. Yes, they’ve been going on for hundreds of year, but not all together at the same time! I challenge you to take each one of the underlined words and study what God has to say about it. Look up the definitions, and write down what you see in the world around you which defines it to a “T”! There are some words which were vague to me as I didn’t know exactly their definition. But after I researched them, my eyes were opened.

Living in these days is quite exciting, at least it can be if you look at it with anticipation that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Jews’ Yeshua Messiah, is about to Rapture His Church! The Rapture is a mystery that was not revealed in the Old Testament. However, just because it was not, we can clearly see that it is beautifully revealed in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul would have brought up the Old Testament prophecies if it had been prophesied.

1 Corinthians 15:51-55  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,  (52)  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  (53)  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  (54)  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.  (55)  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Paul begins to teach on the Rapture by informing the Corinthian Church that not everyone will sleep when the Rapture occurs. What do you mean, Paul? Christians who have already died, are in Heaven with Jesus. Their souls are with Him but will unite with their incorruptible body at the Rapture.

2 Corinthians 5:6  Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

So what actually is Paul referring to in 1 Corinthians 15:52? Paul is saying that at the time of the Rapture, those who are “asleep” (dead in Christ) will be changed just as those who are alive at the time of the Rapture. Paul says twice in today’s passage that we shall be changed. Changed into what? As you know, Scripture interprets Scripture and we see that interpretation in the verses following this change.

1 Corinthians 15:53-54  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  (54)  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

The physical mortal bodies of every born-again believer cannot enter Heaven because our bodies are corruptible. Those who are in the grave at the time of the Rapture can attest to that. But what about those who are alive at that time? Our bodies are still as corrupt as the ones who are in the grave. Corrupt with what? The answer to that is sin. We were born into sin and have a sinful nature. Because of that sin, our bodies die. If Adam and Eve had never sinned, the sin nature would not have been passed on to every generation and death would not have followed. Therefore, our sinful bodies cannot enter into Heaven. Corruption cannot be in an eternal heavenly body so our body must be assigned an incorruptible body like Jesus had at His resurrection from the dead!

Romans 5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Not only did physical death occur at the time of the first sin, but spiritual death as well. That is the whole purpose of Jesus’ ministry! When we are born, we are born with a sinful nature. The life of the unsaved person is already destined for Hell. We can only change that destination by believing on Jesus Christ!

John 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

John 5:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Once a person is born again, that person will live eternally whether he dies before the Rapture or is alive at the time of the Rapture. No corruptible body of sin can enter Heaven. The born-again believer has become part of the body of Christ, the Church/Bride, and at the Rapture, that body will join the Head of the Church, her Lord/Groom! Jesus Christ will not allow His own body, the Bride, to go through any part of the terrible Tribulation period. He calls her out of the world to join Him in the clouds so He can protect her from it.

That is the whole purpose of the Rapture! It is not to judge the church because Jesus took that judgment upon Himself.

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

If we are in Christ Jesus, then we are counted worthy because HE is worthy! Jesus Himself gave us a glimpse of this when He spoke of the end times in Luke 21:5-36. The key verse is:

Luk 21:36  Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

What is Jesus referring to when He says “all these things”? The response is all the things from verse Luke 21:5 through 35! He is speaking of the end times! Just as God gave Noah and his family protection, as well as Lot and his family, He is providing protection to His Church, His Bride; His own flesh and blood!

As we learned in the last post, the word Rapture doesn’t appear in the King James Bible. The New Testament was initially written in Greek. It was translated into Latin from which the English translation came.

  • The Greeks’ word for rapture was “harpazo”;
  • when it was translated into Latin, that word was translated to “rapturo” which is where today we get our English word rapture;
  • but when the word was translated into English, it was translated as “caught up.”

Paul tells us that this “Rapture” will occur in the twinkling of an eye. Our physical bodies will be changed into the same type of body that Jesus had at His resurrection. (Luke 24:36-39) When we receive this new body, we can then have what it takes to enter Heaven with Jesus. Be encouraged, reader!

Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!