The Everlasting Encounter

Read 1 Corinthians 15:51–55. What “mystery” (1 Cor. 15:51) is Paul

explaining?

Some popular preachers suggest that this “mystery” (1 Cor. 15:51) is

the “secret rapture” of the church, which is to occur seven years prior

to Christ’s glorious second coming. In this “secret rapture” faithful

Christians are suddenly, quietly, and secretly whisked off to heaven

while everyone else remains here wondering what happened to them.

People might suddenly find themselves in a driverless car, because the

driver was raptured to heaven, and all that “remains is their clothes.”

The 16-volume best-selling Left Behind series, turned into four movies,

promoted this false teaching, exposing millions to it.

Of course, no biblical passage endorses such an artificial distinc-

tion between the rapture and the Second Coming. The “mystery”

Paul is referring to is simply the transformation of the living

righteous to join the resurrected righteous at Christ’s second com-

ing. This is the “rapture.” There is no “secret rapture” because the

Second Coming will be visible to all living human beings (Rev. 1:7),

and both the resurrection of the dead and the transformation of the

living ones will occur at the sound of the trumpet at Christ’s return

(1 Cor. 15:51, 52).

Christ’s second coming will bring about the most amazing encounter

ever. The living righteous are changed “in a moment, in the twinkling

of an eye” (1 Cor. 15:52). At the voice of God, they are glorified; now

they are made immortal and with the risen saints are caught up to meet

their Lord in the air. Angels “ ‘gather together His elect from the four

winds, from one end of heaven to the other’ ” (Matt. 24:31, NKJV).

“Little children are borne by holy angels to their mothers’ arms.

Friends long separated by death are united, nevermore to part, and

with songs of gladness ascend together to the City of God.”—Ellen G.

White, The Great Controversy, p. 645.

This is such an amazing promise, something so different from

anything that we have experienced that it’s hard to grasp. But

think about the vastness of the cosmos, as well as the incredible

complexity of life here. Creation itself testifies to God’s amazing

power. What does all this teach us about the power of God to

translate the living and raise the dead at Jesus’ second coming?