Let’s start by reading 2 Corinthians 5:8, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”  This teaches us that when a believer in Christ dies, their spirit and soul is automatically transferred into the presence of the Lord.  While the body is buried in the ground, the spirit and soul are experiencing “fulness of joy.” (Psalm 16:11).

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”  In this portion, those who are “asleep” are literally dead.  (Compare John 11:11-13).  When the Lord comes to rapture His church, He will bring all those who “sleep in Jesus” with Him…those mentioned in 2 Corinthians 5:8.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, “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. 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: 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 Lord’s return will be heralded with a shout, the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. 
• All believers who are alive at the rapture will not prevent, or precede, those who have died (asleep).
• The spirit and soul of the saints the Lord will bring with Him will be rejoined with their bodies and they will “rise first.”  There is an exact order, but this will happen so suddenly and quickly, it will all seem like a single action.
• When the dead saints have received their resurrected bodies, we will all be “caught up” together to meet the Lord “in the air.”  It’s important to know that at the rapture of the church, the Lord does not come to the earth.  He comes to the clouds, and we will all rise to meet Him there. 

Now, let’s take a look at the rapture from another perspective by reading 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” 

This describes the change that living believers will go through when we are raptured up to meet the Lord in the clouds. 

• If we are living on the earth when the Lord returns, we will not die.  We will be changed…our mortal bodies must be changed to immortal bodies.
• This will happen so quickly…in the twinkling of an eye.  Someone has described this as being about 1/60 of a second.
• This occurs at the same trumpet sound that we read about in 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
• When the dead in Christ are rejoined with their bodies, their bodies will be incorruptible, just like the bodies we will be changed into.  This will occur at the same time as we read in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. 

“…and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”  What a blessed thought that when we are raptured to be with the Lord, all believers will have their glorified bodies and we will always be in the Lord’s presence, never to leave His side!  When will this Rapture take place?  We are not told, but we realize it could take place at any second.  There is NOTHING that needs to be fulfilled before the Lord can return for His church.  Are you ready?  Are you in the Lord’s church?  The only way to be in the true church is to put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  We read in Acts 2:47, “…And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (NKJV).  Have you accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior?  If so, you are promised eternal life and you will have your part in the Rapture of the church.  (CC)  (567.2)