What happens after death?

[blessed07]

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.


:angelfly::angelfly:

 

[RJ]

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.


:angelfly::angelfly:

Also look at this:

1 Corinthians 13
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes ( some translations say perfection), what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

To become into the presence of absolute perfection, one has to be made perfect!

 

[stephen]

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.


:angelfly::angelfly:

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant

That was the point of Pauls message here. To give understanding.

We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

This was the revelation he sought to give. People were wondering what would happen to those who had already died. Believing in Jesus.

These words were to comfort the families of who had died 'in the faith'
Death is not the end. They also will be raised.

[/For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Etc. Paul is teaching the 'Rapture'

 

[blessed07]

amen

amen ! may god continue to bless you brothers and lift you, so you may continue to spread his word.


shalom

 

[april showers]

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.


QUOTE]

Look at this:

"so we believe that God will bring with Jesus"

and this:

"to meet the Lord in the air"

Where is Jesus going and for what purpose? Plus, where does it say that the believers are brought to Heaven, and where does it say they are brought to Heaven forever?

I do not get out of these verses the simple conclusion that this implies a "rapture".

What is the purpose of a "rapture"? Is God so weak that He must remove His people from trouble so they won't get hurt?

Rather, God is so strong that He can leave His people in the fire and they won't get burned. Only thier bonds will be removed:

Daniel 3:27-29 (King James Version)



<SUP id=en-KJV-21835 class=versenum>27</SUP>And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
<SUP id=en-KJV-21836 class=versenum>28</SUP>Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. <SUP id=en-KJV-21837 class=versenum>29</SUP>Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.



God's plan is to cleanse the heavens of the the wicked spiritual rulers there, that is why we meet the Lord in the AIR. It is so we can first battle the Prince of the Power of the Air. Then the Lord and His mighty army of overcoming saints descends to earth for the final battle. Needless to say, this all happens at the END of the tribulation period.

There is not one case in the old or new testament where God REMOVED people from trouble. Rather, He always made a way for them THROUGH IT. Even Jesus was not rescued from an agonizing death on the cross; He had to go THROUGH IT. But God gave Him the grace and the vision of future glory so He could endure it.

There is no escape. But I will say that the most glorious time to live as a Christian will be during the end times. It will be hard, but that is the time when God is more active and present.

If you believe in a rapture, what are you going to do when it doesn't happen and things start getting really bad? It is not the rapture that should be the basis of anyone's faith, but rather Jesus as thier refuge in time of trouble.