One of the key things that we need to understand about the rapture is that it involves a bodily
resurrection of those who are asleep in Jesus, the dead in Christ, and it also involves us
who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord being bodily caught up together in
the clouds with Christ.
This isn't just a spiritual catching way, it's actually a bodily resurrection and catching
away.
In 1 Thessalonians 4, it says in verse 13,
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.
So in this scripture, it's very clear that when the dead in Christ rise first, we're
talking about their bodies.
Their souls are already in heaven.
That's why it says that they which are asleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
He's coming from heaven, he's bringing the souls, but the bodies are in the earth.
So the dead in Christ rise first, their bodies come up out of the graves, and then we which
are alive and remain are caught up together to meet them in the air.
Philippians chapter 3 says that Christ on that day shall change our vile body that it
may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able
even to subdue all things unto himself.
So the rapture and this resurrection of the dead have to do with the body, not just a
spirit going up to heaven.
Why is that important?
Well, because most pre-trib believers that I've talked to will try to say that the rapture
is recorded in Revelation 4, 1 and 2, where the Bible talks about John being in the spirit,
one guy spiritually being caught up to heaven.
That has nothing to do with the rapture because the rapture is all believers, and it's a bodily
catching away.
God bless you, God bless you, God bless you, God bless you, God bless you, God bless you.