For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 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 4:15-17)

The Greatest Day

There is coming a day that will be the most important day in the history of the world. It is not the first day of creation or the day of the flood that destroyed all life except eight souls. The history of Israel filled with miracles, wonders, and signs is not the focus of the day that will take place. Two thousand years ago, the birth of Jesus heralded the unfolding of the mystery of God that would be completed more than three decades later when Jesus died on a cross. Through the resurrection of the Son of God, the Father’s love filled the earth, but that was not the most important day in the history of the world. There is coming a day that will be culmination, fulfillment, and completion of the divine plan of God when Jesus Christ descends from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel and the trumpet of God.

A day yet to come will be the greatest day in the history of man because it will be the fulfillment of God’s grace. Jesus is coming back the second time because He came the first time. The birth of Jesus was an incredible day of glory when God sent His Son into the world to live as a man of flesh. When Jesus rose from the dead, the mystery of the Father filled the earth with the gospel message of salvation. The world changed when Jesus came. Time is measured by the life of Jesus. The hope of the world is found in the only way, truth and life given to humanity. God’s word is the only avenue of truth that men can know. Still, a day is yet to come that will eclipse all of these events. Jesus is coming back.

The great day of the Lord will be when the Father sends Jesus Christ to the realm of men with a great noise. There will be no silent entrance for Christ as if an unknown rapture occurs. The shout of God will pierce the earth as no sound has ever been heard. It is not known what the voice of an archangel sounds like, but the nature of its description easily convinces men it will be something everyone will hear in deafening tones. The same can be said about the trumpet of God. A trumpet is a loud and piercing instrument. There is no trumpet made by men that will match the sound of God’s trumpet. Everyone from all four corners of the earth will hear the trumpet of God – vociferously.

Those who have died from the beginning of time that are faithful to the Lord will rise from their graves: Abel, Adam, Eve, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, David, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, Habakkuk, Dorcas, Timothy, and the innumerable hosts of God’s elect. Then all the faithful Christians living who have obeyed the word of the Lord will not see death but be caught up together with the dead to meet the Lord in the air. This will be the greatest day because that is where the saved will always be – in the presence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God’s plan is complete. Jesus confirmed the will of the Father by His death. God glorified the Son in the resurrection. Finally, the world comes to an end, and all the saved gather before the Father, and eternal glory begins. What a day that will be. That will be the greatest day. Lord, come quickly. Are you ready?