When the Last Trumpet Sounds

2008-02-09 23:19

When the seventh angel sounds the last trumpet, the dead will be raised imperishable, and whoever lives and believes will be transformed like the glorious body of Christ in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.

The apostle Paul, who already knew about it, said, "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.'" (1 Corinthians 15:51-54).

Though man is destined to die once, there will be those who will not die but live, who will be transformed in the twinkling of an eye and will see the Lord. Also having this hope, the apostle Paul said the glad mystery of God. It is written, "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?'" (John 11:25-26). Whoever lives and believes in Jesus will never die.

And also, the Bible says about the blessed who will not die but live, who will meet the Lord, "But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets." (Revelation 10:7).

Believing in the gospel of the mystery of God that the blessed would not die but live and would meet the Lord, the apostle Paul sent the first letter to the church in Corinth. And again, he said about it in his second letter, "Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked." (2 Corinthians 5:1-3).

He also sent letters to the church of the Thessalonians as he did to the church in Corinth. It is written, "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

So then, there is not only the gospel that he who believes in Jesus will live, even though he dies, but also the gospel that whoever lives and believes in Jesus will never die. And so, the Bible said, "From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another." (John 1:16).

Those who live and believe in Jesus are those who reach from faith to faith. The Bible says about those who live and believe in Jesus, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship." (Romans 12:1).

The sacrifice that pleases God the most is not the sacrifice of the body of beast, but the sacrifice of the body of man. Therefore, it is written, "offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God."

All the people who with Christ have offered their bodies as living sacrifices in Christ Jesus belong to "us" with the apostle Paul. And so, the apostle Paul said, "we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." Those people are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, with Christ.

Those people have offered their bodies as living sacrifices and their bodies have already become the temple of God where the Spirit of God lives. Even while in the world, they inherit the kingdom of God and have promise for both the present life and the life to come. In other words, they have perfected holiness.

The Bible said about it, "Jesus replied, 'Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.'" (Matthew 19:11-12). And also, "For this is what the LORD says: 'To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant--to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off." (Isaiah 56:4-5).

Therefore, the apostle Paul said, "A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. But she is happier if she remains as she is, according to my judgment--and I think I also have the Spirit of God" (1 Corinthians 7:39-40).

"But she is happier if she remains as she is, according to my judgment--and I think I also have the Spirit of God." Amen.

"Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it." Amen, Amen.

These people will never die but live, and will see the Lord. Thank you, Lord.