March 20, 2023
An Awesome Spectacle
“Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.” John 5:28-29 (NASB)
“…for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice…” This is hour is known as the Rapture when Jesus comes to collect His people. He takes those to heaven who are known by Him. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 also describes, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” What an awesome spectacle to behold one day. I can only imagine the voice of Him who created all things past, present, and future. The One who spoke all into existence. The voice of One who will call all who are known by Him to heaven. The One who will also judge those who reject Him as well. For “those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.” What an eternally terrifying thing to think about.
But when? This passage leaves an ambiguous timeline when Jesus says, “for an hour is coming.” Let’s face it, for those of us who want times and dates, we might as well forget. Jesus doesn’t know. In fact, the Father in heaven is the only One who knows. Matthew tells us, “But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” (Matthew 24:36). If Jesus doesn’t know the timing, I kind of doubt you and I are more righteous than Jesus to receive the answer. We have to trust in faith God knows the hour. The word, “hour” is defined as hōra; which means a time or period, an hour.[1] Note also by this definition that God knows when the hour will come. It won’t be by sheer happenstance or guess. All is well within His hand and control. When the hour comes, many will rise to perfection in-Christ, while others who are remain will face a terrible time ahead. Those who lived in the past who rejected Christ, also now experience a great pain and suffering. They know it all could have been different if they would have made the right choice- Jesus. Some might think they can control their destiny, but the story below helps put life into perspective for those who think otherwise.
“It is said that when Emperor Julian, who apostatized from a profession of the Christian faith and sought to restore pagan worship, was on the march with his army in the campaign against Persia in the year 363, one of his soldiers who was abusing a Christian said, ‘Where is your carpenter now?’ ‘He is making your coffin for your emperor,’ was the reply of the Christian. A few months afterward, Julian received a mortal wound in battle. The rumor spread through the army that the wound had been inflicted by a Christian soldier in the ranks of the Roman army. According to the story, Julian, realizing that his death was near, dipped his hand in the blood of his wound and threw the blood toward heaven, exclaiming as he did so, ‘Thou hast conquered, O Galilean!’” God knew the hour Julian would pass into eternity. An hour is coming.
[1] Robert L. Thomas, New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries : Updated Edition (Anaheim: Foundation Publications, Inc., 1998).