What Does the Rapture Mean for Us?
Let’s consider some of the effects of the rapture on each of us:.
The rapture means no death.
As I said earlier, there is a generation that will not see death. Are we that generation? I cannot say with certainty that we are, but if we are not, I believe that we are very close to His return. However, He warned us not to try to set dates for His return (Matthew 24:42).
The rapture is a transformation.
As 1 Corinthians 15:51–52 says, “We shall all be changed in a moment.” The word for changed in the Greek is “transformed.” God will give us a brand new body:
“But we are citizens of Heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior. He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same mighty power that He will use to conquer everything, everywhere” (Philippians 3:20–21 NLT).
The rapture is instantaneous.
It happens in a moment—in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:51–52). It has been said that the “twinkling of an eye” is about one-thousandth of a second. The Greek word for it is atomos, from which we get the word “atom.” It means something that cannot be divided.
In other words, the rapture will occur so quickly and suddenly, the time frame in which it appears cannot be humanly divided.
Think of it! In the flash of a second, every living believer on earth will suddenly, instantaneously be gone.
The rapture is a reunion.
The question is often asked, “Will we see our loved ones again?” The apostle Paul wrote these words to reassure the Thessalonians who had believing loved ones who had already died. They were afraid that their departed loved ones would be in some other part of God’s plan. They were afraid that they would never see them again. Paul’s words were very comforting. He says that the dead in Christ will rise first, “then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17).
We will be reunited with our departed believing friends and family.
We will not only meet the Lord in the rapture, but we will also be reunited with our friends and loved ones who have gone on to already meet the Lord.
One moment we will be going about our life here on earth—and the next moment we will be hurtled into the presence of departed loved ones. Above all, we will have a face-to-face meeting with Him whose death in our place made it all happen. Death is the great separator, but Jesus Christ is the great reconciler.
We will be reunited with those we have led to Christ.
“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19).
Paul said that his spiritual children in Thessalonica will be His crown of rejoicing in the Lord’s presence when He comes. From this it appears that each of us will have grouped around those we have helped to believe in Jesus.
This should make us want to redouble our efforts to witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. To see one person standing there before our Savior in a glorified body because we were faithful to preach the gospel to him or her would be worth it all!
We will recognize our loved ones in Heaven.
While the Bible does not reveal all the details of this reunion, we do read that on the Mount of Transfiguration, the three disciples knew and recognized both Moses and Elijah (see Mark 9:1–8). It would seem that in Heaven we will be able to do the same. Speaking of the knowledge we will have in the Lord’s presence, Paul writes, “Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).
