When We All Get To Heaven

I've been teaching each Sunday on some of the traditional hymns of the Church and recently had the opportunity to talk about "When We All Get to Heaven,” a Christian hymn written by Eliza Hewitt and met Emily D. Wilson in 1898. Hewitt praises the wondrous love of Jesus:

When we all get to heaven

What a day of rejoicing that will be

When we all see Jesus

We'll sing and shout the victory

If we are going to talk about ‘getting to heaven’ two sections of scripture immediately come to mind.  The first is 1 Thessalonians 4:16 & 17 

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord."

There is a companion verse as well. Companion verses are often the same wording found elsewhere or a similar recollection or event.   1 Thes 4:16 is a prophetic verse of a future event so a companion prophetic verse speaks to and provides additional insight into the same prophetic event.  That verse is 1 Corinthians 15:51 & 52 

"Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, on a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed."

So how do we learn from these verses?  

First – notice that in these two verses, the word that is used for those that died by the Apostle Paul is sleep.  The prophet Daniel affirmed that those who “sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake” (Dan. 12:2). This obviously is a reference to the physical body.

Jesus once said to his disciples: “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep but I go that I may awake him out of sleep” (Jn. 11:11).

I prefer thinking of the dead as being asleep.   When you sleep you are peaceful.   The anxiety of the day, the stress of life, all of our aches and pains, they disappear in the bliss of a good nights rest.  Yes, sleep is good.

The early church used the same term; they thought of death in the same way.  They even called their burial grounds koimeteria, or “sleeping places,” and from this term derives our modern word, “cemetery,” a place to which the bodies of our loved ones are kept until they awaken.

The term sleep refers to the body….the body is said to be asleep.  It does not say the same about the soul.  We are both SOUL and BODY.  

HOWEVER,  At the same time, we have very little in the BIBLE about what heaven is LIKE PRIOR to this event, that we are reading about in 1 Thes 4:16

Second, in these verses, Does Paul really describe what many call the "rapture"? That word “RAPTURE” has many fans and just as many detractors.  Many look forward to what is called the rapture but may not know where it comes from. Others, may argue that the word "rapture" is nowhere to be found in Scripture.

Well, let me settle that argument once and for all, the word ‘rapture’ is certainly in the Bible, you just have to use the Latin Vulgate version which was the primary Bible translation utilized for one thousand years preceding the Reformation. In our English version we read that we are to be “caught up” which is the English translation of the Greek word harpazo which was translated "rapturo" in the Latin Vulgate that derives the English words "Rapture" or "raptured". Setting aside the argument that the word rapture is not found in modern translations, the more important question is what does the original Greek word harpazo actually mean?

Well, in Greek, harpazo means to snatch up or take suddenly and vehemently, often with violence and speed or quickly and without warning.

So, this teaching of a ‘rapture’ is part of the broader teaching of the second coming of the Lord or what’s know as the Day of the Lord or the END TIMES.

There are many Bible scholars, pastors and teachers and I am included who believe that the second coming of Jesus Christ will be in two phases. First, Jesus will come for believers, both living and dead, in the “rapture”.  We see that these verses in 1 Thes 4 and 1 Cor 15 that show the transformation and catching up of all Christians, dead or alive, to meet Christ in the air—it will be sudden, and in secret, no one knows the day or the hour and it will be unknown to the world of unbelievers at the time.

I believe that it is amazing event, this removal of a countless millions of people that will usher that which is known as the seven years of tribulation and that at the end of this seven years, Christ will return to the earth with His church, the saints who were raptured along with those that are known as the “Tribulation Saints” (all of them martyrs).   There are many verses that substantiate this second coming including Matthew 24:30, 2 Thessalonians 1:7, 1 Peter 1:13, Revelation 1:7, Revelation 19:11-14).

Christ will be victorious over His enemies and will reign on the earth for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:3) with His saints, the church.

THEN After 1,000 years, living unbelievers and the wicked dead now raised to life will be judged at the great white throne judgment. They will then be cast into the lake of fire, while the saved will live forever with Christ in a new heaven and earth (Revelation, chapters 20-22).

The primary teaching of these verses in 1 Thessalonians 4 and also 1 Corinthians 15 is that 1) this event is sure, it will happen just as all other prophecies regarding the first and second coming of Jesus has and will happen 2) it is for God’s people, for those that know Jesus, for the SHEEP of his pasture,  we want to make sure that we are included in that group of true believers and 3) HEAVEN (or what we know of the ultimate heaven) is exclusively a gathering of ALL BELIEVERS of ALL AGES and ONLY BELIEVERS and the Bible teaches that this resurrection is a transformation of the same bodies we had on earth.

This teaching by Paul ends with this encouragement.  18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The hymn, “When We All Get to Heaven,” by Eliza Hewitt and Emily D. Wilson is one great encouragement as well:

When we all get to heaven

What a day of rejoicing that will be

When we all see Jesus

We'll sing and shout the victory

While we walk the pilgrim's pathway

Clouds will overspread the sky

But when trav'ling days are over

Not a shadow not a sigh

1st Week of Advent - Hope

This week, many Christians around the world will be celebrating the first week of advent.  The word “Advent” means coming or arrival.  

During this time, we celebrate the arrival of the Christ child, the Nativity of the Son of God, in Bethlehem.  At the same time we are looking forward to His second coming.   Each of the four Sundays in Advent are assigned one special focus or application:  Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.

In this first week of advent we look at Hope.  It is very fitting to start with Hope as it was the hope of the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah that filled the hearts of the angels, shepherds and wise men with joy.

Just as importantly, we have what the Bible tells us is the Blessed Hope of the Second Coming of Jesus.   Paul tells us that the grace of God enables us “to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”  (Titus 2:12-13)

The blessed hope of every Christian is the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ, our great God and Savior.  This hope is not uncertain, but an assurance that Jesus will return just has Jesus said he would return.    By the blessed hope we look forward to an event called the rapture.  This word rapture The word “rapture” was from the Latin “rapio” meaning to be “caught up” used in 1st Thessalonians 4:17. 

After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (NIV)

 This same event is also described in 1 Corinthians 15:51-58

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

This event called the rapture is eminent, meaning there are no prerequisites before Jesus  is to return.  The ancient church was convinced that Jesus was going to return and I believe it is exactly the way every Christian generation should live.  While there are no prerequisites to the second coming of Jesus, the prophets tell of certain events that will happen including the gathering of the dispersed people of Israel and their return to Jerusalem, the holy city.  Jesus also promised in Matthew 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

So this week, the First Week of Advent we celebrate Hope. 

There’s a song by Chris Tomlin that speaks of this blessed hope.  It’s called “I will Rise”  

Here’s a portion: 

There's a day that's drawing near
When this darkness breaks to light
And the shadows disappear
And my faith shall be my eyes

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

Yes, It's A Wonderful Life

Yes, It’s a wonderful Life

I enjoy the seasons.  While the official seasons of Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring don’t change much in Florida, the holidays are still special.   For Christmas, my wife and I enjoy getting into the mood by listening to Christmas carols on the radio or our old CD’s and of course watching the Hallmark Channels endless movie offerings, all with the same theme, often the same actors and just the right amount of snow.

There are standards however and every Christmas movie’s standard is Frank Capra’s, “Its a Wonderful Life.”  Released 70 years ago, with Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey and Donna Reed as Mary Hatch Bailey, the reason for its success is the heart-felt lessons that it teaches all of us through the intervention of Clarence the Angel.  

If we look past the dramatic over-acting that was common for its day and the non-biblical view of angels (angels are created beings, not dead people earning wings), there are two spiritual truths to be understood

1. God’s greatest gift to you is your very life in its entirety

George Bailey was constantly searching for something different, something better.   As a young man, we see him planning on traveling the world.  Trains and steamships take you places where it must be better than Beford Falls.    He’s ready to leave again when his brother, Harry gets married and ruins his plans of escape.

George and Mary get married and have children but George is still a busy guy.  Too busy to be thankful for the life he has as he constantly laments the life he hasn’t been given.    George obviously envies his good friend Sam Wainwright who had introduced George to his future wife, Mary.

Old man Potter tells George that he’s worth more dead than alive and George decides to believe Potter who lies, cheats, defrauds and oppresses the townspeople.  It’s interesting how people are more likely to believe a lie even when it’s from a source that is despicable.

God’s greatest gift is George’s life itself with all of its ups and downs, the heartache, difficulties as well as its moments of ecstasy.    To make sure we don’t miss this lesson in the movie, Clarence’s angel boss, “Franklin” states clearly, “At exactly 10:45 p.m. tonight, Earth time, that man will be thinking seriously of throwing away God's greatest gift.”

God’s greatest gift is life itself!

2) Our measure of success is not to be money or houses or wealth

A few years ago I was interviewing a candidate and on the top of his resume his objective was ‘to become a success’.

We often measure success all wrong and it can really mess up our lives.  Ambition is good but when it drives us to value things and devalue people we have our priorities all wrong.   George is ambitious and industrious but it creates unhappiness and dissatisfaction.   Beyond some prayers by Mary and the children towards the end of the movie, we don’t see any obvious reference to Christian values.  

Honoring God, serving mankind, personal integrity, fidelity in marriage, hospitality to family and neighbors, parental responsibilities and citizenship are all present at various times in the movie but never noticeably appreciated by George.

Clarence is supposedly an angel and makes an attempt to clear up any misunderstanding of what success is about.  In the dedication of the book that was given to George he writes,  "Dear George, remember no man is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings. Love, Clarence."

"Having Friends," yes, that is definitely a priority.  More to the point, the Westminster catechism clarifies our priorities succinctly: Question 1. “What is the chief end of man?” Answer: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

Wrestling with God

Today I was reading the story of Jacob meeting his brother Esau many years after Jacob had tricked his father into giving him his older brother's blessing.  Jacob feared that Esau might want to kill him.  The Bible says he was in ‘great fear and distress’ (Genesis 32:7).

Jacob separated his family and all of his goods into two groups reasoning that if Esau attacked one, perhaps the other could be spared.  After he then prayed he had a very strange encounter that is later described as Jacob ‘wrestling with God’.

There are at least two takeaways from this unique story in Genesis.  First is the idea of wrestling with God.   When I was in college, my friends and I rented a home off campus and one of our favorite pastimes was wrestling.  Fortunately, we had very old furniture and not much in our living room as it served as our arena.   I can tell you that while I was likely in the best physical shape of my life, there was nothing more exhausting and physically draining than wrestling.    Also, like Jacob, almost all of our wrestling matches ended in a draw.  

The second takeaway the name change of Jacob.  Jacob asked the angel for a blessing and he received not only a blessing but a name change

“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” he said. “It will be Israel because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.” (Gen 32:28)

It is at this time that Jacob finally recognized that he was dealing with an angel or someone near-deity.  Many theologians identify this as a theophany, an appearance of God. 

Where’s the blessing?  It’s in the name itself.  Jacob we are told had a name that meant deceiver or supplanter.  God changed Jacob’s name to Israel when the angel said, “You have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.” 

Not only was Jacob’s name changed but the entire nation, all of his offspring for all future generations to this present time would be known as Israel.  Often, the blessing is in the name.   God’s people were to be known to have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.

As believers, we also learn from this remarkable event that our lives are also meant to be a struggle.  In this struggle, God is always present.  If we choose, we can struggle or wrestle with God but it is best that we submit to His will.  To end this unique story about Jacob we can be reminded that God will give each of us that is victorious a white stone with a new name (Rev 2:17).  Perhaps like Jacob, that new name will reveal how God sees us rather than how we now may be known presently.

Jesus: Man of Contrasts

The seven-day period from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, for centuries has been the Christian ‘Holy Week.’  While the traditions added over the centuries were full of symbolism, the allegory included in the palms, processions, prayers, pageantry and programs all point to the stark reality of the coming of Jesus.

The coming of Jesus into Jerusalem on what we now know as ‘Palm Sunday’ is one of the unique events recorded in all four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  The reason is because it is a pivotal event that clearly illustrated the Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophecies of the coming King and Messiah.   For three years, Jesus had been preaching, teaching and healing throughout Judea and into Samaria.  Many had come to believe that he was the Messiah however just as many had their doubts.  

The prophecies in the scriptures are much more clearly understood in hindsight.   Jesus rode into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday on a donkey.   A donkey is mentioned in Zechariah 9:9 as the means by which the coming King of Zion comes into Jerusalem.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

    Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king is coming to you;

    righteous and having salvation is he,

humble and mounted on a donkey,

    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

                        (Zechariah 9:9)

It’s interesting to note that this king comes humbly and on a donkey rather than a horse, a mighty steed.  Most Bible commentators note two important reasons why Jesus rode in on a donkey.  First, a king or ruler coming in peace would often be depicted as riding a donkey.   This was a sign of humility and is used in sacred scripture not only in this passage in Zechariah but also in Genesis 49:10-11 also in reference to the coming King of Judah and in regard to Deborah in Judges 5:10 and King David in 1 Kings 1:38-40

This Jesus however was a mystery to many, a man of contrasts.   Jesus had been hailed as a miracle worker and great teacher and rabbi but now is being hailed as a king.  The streets of Jerusalem seem to be open to receiving a King.   The disciples and others that had met and knew Jesus had been told to be quiet about Him but now are almost encouraged to join in with the crowd to acknowledge Jesus as both Messiah and King.

As I mentioned however, the scriptures are much more clearly understood in hindsight.   Many of the people and undoubtedly the Pharisees and Sadducees knew the next verse in Zechariah.

I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim

    and the war horse from Jerusalem;

and the battle bow shall be cut off,

    and he shall speak peace to the nations;

his rule shall be from sea to sea,

    and from the River to the ends of the earth.

       (Zechariah 9:10)

This Jesus to the Jews would be the ruler that would break the chains of the Romans but in contrast Jesus had come to break the chains of sin.    The people of Jerusalem were looking for an earthly ruler but Jesus had come to rule in the hearts and minds of his followers.    The people flock to Jesus putting down palm branches and their cloaks to receive a King who they hope would lead a revolt against the Roman occupiers and restore the kingdom of Israel.   When Jesus was arrested later in the week, these same people would turn against him and cry out, “crucify him”

So secondly, this Jesus, this man of contrasts, will fulfill the 10th verse of Zechariah.   Jesus we now know will come again in glory. When he comes "every eye will see Him."   He will be clothed in a robe, dipped in blood and the armies of heaven will be with Him (Rev. 19:110-16) No one knew there would be this 2,000 year pause between verses nine and ten.   Daniels seventieth week is still to be fulfilled; all of the prophecies of the coming King and the Messianic rule over all of the nations will be fulfilled.

Today, we continue to wait for the coming of the Messiah.  For those of us that are waiting, it is known as the ‘blessed hope’.   Paul writes to Titus regarding this coming, while we wait for the blessed hope--the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Palm Sunday, the beginning of the triumphal reign of Jesus Christ.  Now after 2,000 years, even closer to the ultimate fulfillment of the Kingdom of God.

Just Stuck

Being stuck is worse than being in a rut.  No, I’m not talking about the side streets in Chicago in February,  I’m talking about life.   Being stuck in a situation or place for some time usually results in some form of emotional angst, from simple frustration to full-blown anger.   Regardless of how quick we are to go from frustration to anger, all of us dislike it when we are not making progress and feeling like we are stuck.

Sometimes, we wonder exactly what God may be doing in our life when we feel stuck.  All of us experience times when we have been waiting for something to happen. Perhaps a new job, a solution to some family situation or often it's something even more frustrating. Waiting on God when things are really not going well is rough. And, for some reason, the time often keeps passing without much relief in sight.

A few years ago, I learned some lessons from a time of "feeling stuck" and while I'm not fully equipped to explain why God often puts us in situations where we feel that we are stuck, let me articulate some of my thoughts:

Thought #1: Being stuck may be better than where you were headed.

The rock and Roll song "American Pie", by Don McLean, has a reference in the lyrics "the day the music died, " to the deaths of rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson.  These three and their pilot climbed into a four-seater plane in 1959 and all died when the plane went down on a snowy February evening. Waylon Jennings, in his 20’s at the time, and a future Country Music superstar, had given up his seat in the plane to the Big Bopper and survived.

The Bible is full of examples of people that were stuck.  The people of Israel in the desert and again in Babylon.  Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as well as King David, to name just of few of the obvious, were men that felt stuck for years while God worked on their character.  Back then and to this day, God prepares individuals, nations and events specifically for a later time when things would fit together and we would see the fulfillment of His specific callings and purposes. Don't be so quick to see a lack of momentum as wasted time; being stuck is better than sinking into rebellion from God and His purpose for your life.

Thought #2: Being stuck is needed sometime to cool off

Galatians 5:22 is the verse that lists what the Apostle Paul identifies as the "Fruits of the Spirit" and this great list includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. This word "patience" is translated "longsuffering" in the King James version which is a great way of understanding patience.  The Greek word being translated "Patience" is makrothumia which literally means being "long-tempered". I like that definition as it is the opposite of short-tempered.

I think most of us can understand that sometimes we just need to cool off.  Back a few years ago (it seems like a different life), I was a securities principal and broker and worked with stocks, bonds and public companies. The SEC requires a "cooling off period" of a minimum of 20 days from the time a public company files a prospectus or written intentions of selling securities and the actual public offering of the securities. While most CEOs dislike the 20 days of waiting, the SEC understands that even companies need to "cool off" before they offer huge blocks of ownership of their company to the general public.

Thought #3, Being Stuck can be an active way of waiting

I’ve noticed that some people find a way to remain productive when the rest of us are just stuck. We don't like waiting but it really seems like it's a necessary part of life. It’s also a very important ingredient of our spiritual life. In the Bible, God often tells His people to wait. For example, Psalm 27:14 says, "Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord." From God's perspective, it's often better to wait.

Finally, our waiting on the Lord is to be active not passive. In Isaiah we are given the word picture that waiting is like an eagle that flies by fixing his wings and riding the wind. Isaiah 40:31 says, "Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary."

So, remember, you are not just stuck. You may be in a very special place in God's plan and there are always lessons to be learned.