Caught up to Heaven - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2025

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 4:16–17

Caught up to Heaven
Wonderful promise for all believers! The Lord Jesus, our beloved Bridegroom, will not send the most powerful angel to take us out of this world and bring us to Himself in heaven. The Lord Himself will come with the greatest possible power in creation. With one mighty call He will raise from among the dead all those who are His, in whatever period they may have lived. With unimaginable power He will draw them to Himself, out of the realm and power of death. He will unite them with all believers who are living when He returns. And He will do so in a “split-second” (Greek, atomos), an indivisible moment (1 Cor. 15:52)!

Just as the smallest particle in nature cannot be divided, so the Lord will work this miraculous event in a moment that cannot be divided. Not only that, but He will also take all the living believers to Himself, transforming them and bringing them to heaven at the last trumpet (1 Cor. 15:52). He will call out of their tombs all believers who passed away, even those who have been burned to death or drowned. He will raise them up from where they are, bring them to life, and lift them up beyond the power of death into heaven! The Old Testament believers will be the wedding guests, whereas all those who have believed since the Day of Pentecost will be His Bride, clothed in the best wedding garment ever (Rev. 19:1–9).

After the rapture, God will save many others who will belong to different families of believers (cf. Rev. 7). How great He is!

Alfred E. Bouter