For the Lord Himself will descend with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive 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. Therefore encourage one another with these words.     1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 HCSB

Let’s face it, most of us fear the unknown. I have had people tell me the rapture scares them. This is where brings His children home. This should not be scary. If you study Revelation, you will find yourself wanting to go to heaven in the rapture. You certainly don’t want to be here for the tribulation.

In our study on the book of Revelation, we are just beginning to study what heaven will be like. What we need to understand is that when we leave this world either through death or through the rapture, we will go to one of two places. Prior to the rapture those who are unsaved will go to Hades, which is basically hell’s waiting room. For those who are saved, they go to be with the Lord.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8, “So, we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight, and we are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord.” Paul goes on to talk about how we must all appear at the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for the deeds in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad in verse 10.

I personally knew two people who claimed to have died. Now, I don’t know whether they had some type of dream or vision or some type of near-death experience. I’m not here to debate the biblical impossibility or possibility of these happenings.  I am here to tell you that these two people never knew each other, and both had severe medical issues. One had a ruptured appendix in the early 1900s and the other was shot six times back in the early 1990s. These two people both told me very similar accounts of dying and going to a place where the light shone very brightly and there was a peace that cannot be explained or understood here on earth. Neither wanted to return to earth but were told they had work here to do and both lived many, many years after this encounter.

I can tell you that after speaking with these two, it has left me longing to get to that place. When my parents died, I missed them terribly, but I had such a joy in my heart that they were experiencing this wonderful place filled with light and peace and beauty.

I’m telling you these things to tell you that going to heaven should not frighten us. Heaven is a place where all our tears will be wiped away (Revelation 21:4). It’s a place of unimaginable peace and joy. You will have no more anxiety or stress, think about that.

But the alternative is scary. We are told that those who are not raptured will endure the great tribulation which is to last 7 years.

In Revelation 21:8 we are told that the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers and sexually immoral persons, sorcerers and idolaters and all liars will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone and will suffer the second death. Now that’s scary.

My friend, Jesus told His disciples in John 14:2 that in His Father’s house are many mansions and that he was going to prepare a place for them. If we accept Him as our Savior and surrender to Him, He has a home prepared for us in heaven as well.

Living in a mansion prepared by the Lord for us, walking on streets of gold surrounded by city walls made of fine gemstones and gates made with pearls doesn’t sound so scary to me. It’s the alternative that frightens me. This is why I do all I can to be sure I make it to heaven.

I pray that you are doing the same.

Have a great day!