By Adren Bivins

Special to the Post-Searchlight

The Bible informs us that Jesus is coming back again.
Although the word rapture is not in the Bible, the Bible dictionary (the Holman) defines rapture as the, “catching up of believers by Christ at the time of his return.” The word came into use by the way of the Latin “rapio” used to translate the Greek term of the First Thessalonians 4:17 “harpagesometha.”
Living believers are said to be caught up to meet the Lord at his coming. Everyone needs to know about this important event, when the Lord will return to gather his people. We also need to understand the events of his return. There will be certain signs to let us know when the Lord will return.
Christ will return visibly with a loud command. There will be an unmistakable cry from an angel. There will be a trumpet fanfare such as we have never heard before. Believers in Christ who are already dead will rise from their grave and the believers who are alive will be caught up in the clouds to meet Christ, our Lord and Savior. The purpose of First Thessalonians was to strengthen the Thessalonians in their faith and give them the assurance of Christ’s return. It is also to strengthen our faith as believers today.
There are only five chapters in this book of the Bible and it was written in 51 AD from Corinth by the Apostle Paul.  The location of Thessalonica was a seaport and trade center on the Egnatian Way, a busy international highway. Thessalonica and Corinth were important commercial centers in Greece. Greece is a peninsular west of the Aegean Sea on the east.
The Thessalonians were wondering why many of their fellow believers had died and what would happen to them when Christ returned. The Apostle Paul wanted them to understand that death is not the end of the story. When Christ returns, all believers dead and alive will be reunited, never to suffer again (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
The Bible informs us that we do not need to be ignorant about those who fall asleep or grieve like those who have no hope. The Bible informs us that if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, that those who have fallen asleep in him according to the Lord’s own words, that we who are still alive who are left until the coming of the Lord would not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with the voice of the arch angel and with the trumpet call of God and the dead will rise first, (1 Thessalonians 4:13-16). After that, we who are still alive and left will be caught up together with them in the cloud to meet the Lord in the air and so we will be with the Lord forever. First Thessalonians 4:17-18, informs us that we should encourage each other with those words and believe them. Because Jesus Christ came back to life, so will all Christians and believers live with Christ forever.  We will meet our loved ones again, who have died before us and are with the Lord.
Jesus is coming back and we need to work while it is day. When night comes, no man can work, (John 9:4b). We need to stay ready at all times, because God will soon tell his son, Jesus to go and get His children. It can be at midnight, early in the morning, at midday or evening. We must be ready for the rapture.