1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. (16) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. (17) Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. (18) Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
In the above passage of scripture, the Holy Spirit refers to the dead in Christ rising first. All who are dead in Christ are currently with Christ, in heaven. For the scripture teaches us that when the saints fall asleep, that they depart this life to be with the Lord Jesus in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:8). In the same passage quoted above, the Holy Spirit goes on to say that there will be saints alive on the earth, when our Lord Jesus returns to the earth. And so, clearly the church will be located in both heaven and on the earth, when our Lord Jesus returns on that day. Because the saints in heaven are currently with Christ, they will not be taken by surprise, at the return of the Lord. However, that will not be the case for all the saints on the earth. The requirement for the saints on the earth, to not be taken by surprise at the Lord’s return is to watch.
Mark 13:35-37 “Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming--in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning-- (36) lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. (37) And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”
In Mark’s gospel quoted above, our Lord Jesus admonishes us to watch for His coming. The reason He tells us to watch, is so that we will not be found sleeping at His return. So, what are we to watch for? We are to watch the fig tree, to see if its leaves have begun to show yet.
Michael E.B. Maher
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