The Meeting In the Air

Luke 21:25–36 KJV 1900

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

It’s no secret that our world has drastically changed. W, e see more and more desperate people. People live as if they don’t care anymore. They live as if they have no hope. We are raising a generation that believe that coming to church will make them better or at least feel better about themselves.

It’s no secret that our world has drastically changed. We see more and more desperate people. People live as if they don’t care anymore. They live as if they have no hope. We are raising a generation that believe that coming to church will make them better or at least feel better about themselves.

We have raised a generation who have been taught to shake the preacher’s hand or join the church in order to be saved. They don’t read their Bibles and are not taught to pray. We come to church as a meeting place, have some coffee, sing a few songs, listen to a positive message, shake hands and go home. We say “See you next week” as if that’s all there is.

We have forgotten that life can change in a moment. It’s as if no one is prepared for life anymore nor prepared for the return of Jesus.

Jesus gives an account of his return and the events leading up it in . He goes as far as to inform us that because of the terror that will come to our Earth, men’s hearts will fail them for fear. That people will live in a frightened state of mind.

He then instructs his believers to look up, lift up our heads because our redemption (deliverance) is nigh. As if to say “don’t you be afraid, you lift up your head”.

Everything and anything in this world can change in a second. This is why Jesus teaches us not to worry about tomorrow. That we are supposed to place our trust, our hopes, and all we have in Him. He knows how it all ends anyway.

Where are those people who got saved and fell in love with Jesus. They gave up everything in order to follow him. In Paul’s letter to the church at Thessaloniki, he commends them on the change he saw in them. Paul writes of them: You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

But no change is seen in today’s church. New converts are not taught nor seeking change. But Jesus teaches to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow him. This is the fulfilled life, the life that leads to rewards.

Change will come after a genuine repentance and a blood washed salvation. You start to produce good fruit, and have a deep love and passion for lost, hurting people. You begin to learn of him, have personal communion with him, and look expectingly to his return.

1 Thessalonians 4 KJV 1900

Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more; And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 KJV 1900

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:8–13 KJV 1900

He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more; And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

Early believers had seen Jesus on the earth for 40 days after His resurrection.  In He ascended into heaven and  “This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven”   These early Christians expected Jesus to return very soon.

The word rapture comes from Paul’s words “caught up” in

“Caught up” is translated from the Greek Word harpazo which means “to seize”, “to carry off, “snatch away”.   The Greek word harpazo became the Latin word raptus which became the English word rapture.

At the rapture:  The Lord will meet His Body “in the air”.

All who come to Jesus will “meet Him in the air” at the sound of the trumpet.  Those who have already died in Christ will have their physical bodies resurrected first and then those of us who are still living will follow. 

Romans 8:10–11 KJV 1900

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 KJV 1900

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.

1 Thessalonians 4:18 KJV 1900

Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Hebrews 10:25 KJV 1900

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

It’s a promise that we all should hold dear to hearts tonight. We should hold it so close that we don’t allow anyone or anything to steal that promise from us.

There is going to be a meeting in the air in the sweet, sweet by and by I am going to meet you, meet you over there in that home beyond the sky Such singing you will hear never heard by mortal ear Twill be glorious I do declare And God's own Son will be the leading one at that meeting in the air

I am going to meet you, meet you over there in that home beyond the sky Such singing you will hear never heard by mortal ear Twill be glorious I do declare And God's own Son will be the leading one at that meeting in the air