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For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.
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The above could not be any clearer! Those who have died in Christ, will rise first immortal and glorified. After they have been raised, then we who are still alive will be changed and caught up with them.
The dead in Christ is referring every believer who has died since the beginning of the church up until the resurrection takes place. Immediately after that, those in Christ who are still alive when the resurrection takes place, will be changed immortal and glorified and will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. This information shows this to be a group event and which takes place almost simultaneously.
Really?! While it is true that we are taking on the characteristics of Christ, i.e. the fruits of the Spirit, the change that is going to take place at our gathering, will be from mortal to immortal. And it is not a gradual change, but immediate one. I can tell you from personal experience from being in Christ for over 45 years, that I have not gradually taken on any immortal characteristics, as my body is still aging and has aches and pains, etc.
What I would suggest to you, is to copy and paste I Thessalonians 4:13-18 and I Corinthians 15:51-53 and read them over and over and over and over ………. Until you understand what you are reading and what is being said. Because what you are suggesting is not what the scripture teaches, at all. According to your belief, you would have people waiting in the air for 2000 years, because it says that we will be caught up together. That's a group event, not individual.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.
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The above could not be any clearer! Those who have died in Christ, will rise first immortal and glorified. After they have been raised, then we who are still alive will be changed and caught up with them.
The dead in Christ is referring every believer who has died since the beginning of the church up until the resurrection takes place. Immediately after that, those in Christ who are still alive when the resurrection takes place, will be changed immortal and glorified and will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. This information shows this to be a group event and which takes place almost simultaneously.
Really?! While it is true that we are taking on the characteristics of Christ, i.e. the fruits of the Spirit, the change that is going to take place at our gathering, will be from mortal to immortal. And it is not a gradual change, but immediate one. I can tell you from personal experience from being in Christ for over 45 years, that I have not gradually taken on any immortal characteristics, as my body is still aging and has aches and pains, etc.
What I would suggest to you, is to copy and paste I Thessalonians 4:13-18 and I Corinthians 15:51-53 and read them over and over and over and over ………. Until you understand what you are reading and what is being said. Because what you are suggesting is not what the scripture teaches, at all. According to your belief, you would have people waiting in the air for 2000 years, because it says that we will be caught up together. That's a group event, not individual.