The Hope Revisited

Hope is anticipation. Hope is waiting for something that you can’t have now. In other words, it is not
available, yet. There is one thing that all Christian believers cannot have, but, will, in time, receive it. This
thing that is so tremendous that if you keep this in your thoughts it helps you stand-now, it roots us so
that we are like a great oaks that are not bothered by the howling storms that surround us. What I am
talking about is “THE HOPE” and it is found in I Thessalonians chapter four.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (KJV)
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead),
that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep (are born
again, but, have died) in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the
coming (for his church) of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep (have
died.)
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel,
and with the trump (trumpet) of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 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.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
I keep telling you that this world and all you see will pass away, it is not our home we are just sojourners
here. Our home is in Heaven!
Death is a sting, it is painful to lose a loved one, but, we will see them again, so, God tells us not sorrow
don’t grieve like the unbelievers for in their minds death is the end all. They can’t see anything past
someone’s last breath. But, we know that this is not the end this is just the beginning.
In verse fourteen it says “even so them also which sleep (are born again, but, have died) in Jesus
will God bring with him.” There are two parts to Jesus Christ’s second coming. The first is
Christ coming for his church and the second is Christ coming with his Church, which is called
the Day of the Lord.
When Jesus Christ comes for his Church not all of the believers will be dead so the progression is the
born again believers who have died rise first THEN we that are still alive are caught up together with
them in the clouds and together, as one group we go to Heaven.
These words should be a comfort to every Christian.
There is another record in I Corinthians that, also, describes the gathering together.
1 Corinthians 15:35-58 (KJV)
35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may
chance of wheat, or of some other grain:38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts,
another of fishes, and another of birds.
40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and
the glory of the terrestrial is another.
41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars:
for one star differeth from another star in glory.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a
spiritual body.
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a
quickening spirit.
46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that
which is spiritual.
47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also
that are heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth
corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the
dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in
victory.
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of
the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
The more the hope of Christ’s return resonates in your soul and life the more you steadfast and
unmovable like the mighty oak, standing for God and abounding in the work of the Lord