Birth pains vs. disaster kit…. Boy O boy did we have quite the weekend trying to put together a disaster kit, trust me it turned out to be a “simple kit.” All the trips back and forth to the store, reminded me of the prepared baby bag to go to the hospital for the big day. Well remembering back to those days, yes the family did get tired of all the false alarms, but when the “water broke” we were finally prepared!! This weekend was like that for us, the “what if’s” got us to thinking, so we started preparing because it would be better to be prepared than not, so we did start putting together a disaster kit. Hey, it isn’t easy I tell you! It’s hard to think up all that stuff, but ya’ll know it would be foolish not to be prepared, so good luck at the back and forth trips!!!!!

Alton

The dead in Christ shall rise first

           “Surely the Lord GOD will do “nothing” but he “revealeth” His secret unto his servants the prophets” Amos 3:7.

Many have believed that the rapture is going to happen “all” together at the same time in a disappearing vanishing moment, but is that really what the Bible says about the rapture? If you are a student or a teacher of the rapture we all should know the first thing that happens at the rapture and why the dead rise first.
The 3 key points on the rapture are, the dead will rise first and the mortals will be changed and then we will be caught up in the clouds to see Jesus. 1Cor15:52 # 1: At this first event the dead shall be raised [1453]  [egeiro] from perishable to imperishable.

Does the Bible actually say why the dead rise first? Does it say how these will be carried out? What will it look like to see the dead rise up out of their graves? Does the Bible give us anything to compare to, to see just how it will play out? What the Bible says may be very shocking to look at, and as a matter fact Paul does say in 1Thess 4:13-17 that He does not want us, as brothers and sisters in Christ, to be ignorant or mistaken or uninformed about the dead in Christ. There is something very interesting in this text in the Bible, all the verses but one is addressing the dead in Christ. Why is this so important to Paul for us as Christians not to be uninformed about the dead? Let’s see if we are close enough to the Lords return for this mystery to be revealed and what is it that the Bible clearly and plainly says on this subject.

Looking at these 3 parts on the rapture and what they mean can be “very shocking”. Now let’s unfold the mystery that Paul does not want us to be blindsided about.

The biggest and most surprising thing about the rapture is when the dead are raised to imperishable, see 1 Corinthians15:52. That word means raised [1453] ἐγείρω [egeiro /eg·i·ro/] to recall the dead to life, rise up, to cause to appear, bring before the public. Can you imagine that, to see the dead walking among us like Jesus did? But that’s what it means and this same word is used again in Matt27 :52 when many others saints rose up after Jesus did and showed themselves to many people. Now keep in mind all the resurrections in the Bible were witnessed by people. Is this the only instance talked about in the Bible? No. 1Thess 4:14 is very clear in comparing the dead in Christ to how Christ rose. Verse14 reads "If we believe that Jesus died and rose [450] again, even “SO” [3779] [οὕτως[houto] “after this manner” in this manner thus, even so, on this fashion] God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. So in verse 14 God is going to raise the dead in Christ the same way He raised Jesus. Verse 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord. Now in v16 when the dead rise first that word rise[450] is the same word for Jesus rose [450] in V14 That word rose means [450] ἀναπηδάω, ἀνίστημι [anistemi] to cause to rise up, to cause to appear, bring forward of those about to enter into conversation or dispute with anyone, or to undertake some business,] Now that’s not a disappearing and vanishing moment. We should never add to a meaning of a word in the Bible. Wow, can you imagine seeing the dead in Christ appear to us as Christ appeared to his disciples and many others!

Now the next event #2, v17 we that are alive and remain [4035] and it means [leave over, to remain over, to survive.] So at this point these two are not going to happen at the same time. What is very interesting about the mortal being changed[236] in the moment, in the twinkling of an eye, again it does not means to disappear or vanish. The word change[236]  to exchange one thing for another, to transform.], it just means to change one to the other real fast, the words do not mean to disappear or vanish at all and again we should never add to a definition of the meaning of a word to the Bible….A word picture or a parallel that might help to see this point, is to take a coin between your thump and index finger and flip it from heads to tales as fast as you can without dropping it. It does not mean to disappear and vanish.

Now the last event is #3, the up, up and away. 1Thess4:17 “caught up”, the great gathering together in the clouds, to be with Lord always. The rapture[ 726] [harpazo] “catch away” twice, “pluck” twice, “catch” once, and “pull” once. 1 to seize, carry off by force. 2 to seize on, claim for one’s self eagerly. 3 to snatch out or away. This is also a very fast event but the word does not mean to disappear, vanishing. It’s just not this definition, let us remember Jesus is going to appear in the clouds to call us home. Yes the rapture will be quite the undeniable event with graves open, mortals caught up in the clouds to be with Jesus, wow. I bet some reports will say UFO’s have done this.

So let’s be ready for one last revival, can you imagine the souls to bring in at this time? One more thing I would like to mention in 1Thess 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, The Greek word here, Shout [2752] ke,leusma (pronounced "kelusma"), means "a shout, a command, a signal, a loud summons to carry out a procedure, a stimulating cry, that shout is called awakening blast to raise the dead in Christ. This word corresponds perfectly with the Hebrew word teruah. This "shout" which is given at the time of Messiah's return is the "teruah" a time of 40 days of repentance to turning back to the Lord, seeking forgiveness, to make wrongs right. The 40 days of Jesus resurrection was in perfect alignment with “Terauh” in how Jesus spent his 40 days of time to get his own to return to him and repent before he departed into the clouds. When the resurrection saints raise up like Jesus rose at the rapture, you will have a answer out of the Bible why they have risen first. Having a answer to why this is happening and be able to turn to loved ones and friends to say, we only have a few days to get right with God because when The trumpet of God is sounded in verse16 it will be a very frightening thing to those who repented not and are left to experience the Great Tribulation.
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My last words are:

When the graves are open and people start to run to and fro asking you questions, just like the disciples on Jesus resurrection day, don’t be ignorant and uninformed, caught off guard; don’t be so confused yourself, to the point that people won’t believe any credible thing you can say. We are to be ready to give an answer out of the word. 1 Peter 3:15 Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, Paul does not want us to be ignorant about the dead in Christ. Get ready to witness, for the dead in Christ will rise like Jesus rose.

The first thing that will happen at the rapture is the dead will rise first. Yet many Christians don't even have a clue of why that is.
Did you know that there is something Paul does not want us as Christians to be uninformed about those asleep in Christ? Why is it that  after the dead  rise first, we that are alive will remain? The mystery in I Cor. 15:51 is,that not all will be asleep. Paul states we all that are alive will be the ones that are changed ' in the twinkling of an eye'. Verse 52 says the dead are raised to imperishable and we the living will be changed. Notice God raises the dead but changes the living. These are two different words with different meanings. The word "raised" here does not means to disappear and vanish, but it means the opposite. It means to rise up, cause to appear and bring before the public. This same word is used in Matt. 27:52-53 "and the graves were opened and many bodies of the saints which slept rose and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the Holy City, and appeared unto many." (KJV)
This book depicts that very thing. What would it really be like to see our deceased love ones raised to imperishable and walk among us today?