Left Behind

One day I was left behind at the Tamale airport because I arrived late, just in time to see the plane airborne without me.  Although I was unhappy about it, the consequence was nowhere near the ultimate “left behind” picture painted in the Bible.

The “left behind” scenario is captured in the scriptures in relation to the second coming of Christ.  Paul writes that, “The Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 

“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” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17).

Caught up together

This “caught up together” to meet the Lord in the air is referred to in Christendom as “the rapture”—a term that is not mentioned in the New Testament but which is as real as daylight; and as real as heaven and earth, and as real as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (the Trinity).

To understand why the word “rapture” is used by Christians to describe being “caught up to meet the Lord in the air,” look at what the English word rapture means— “ecstasy”, “delight”, “joy”, “bliss”, “rhapsody” among others.  

In fact, the synonyms of “rapture” include “heaven”, while its antonyms include “gloom”. So, if those who will be caught up in the rapture with Jesus will be in such delightful fellowship with him, how about those who will be left behind?

Will they go to purgatory?  Remain on earth for another thousand years?  Go directly to the place of torment? For me, I don’t want to know or be anywhere else.  I want to be raptured with Jesus and be where he would be!

Big words

When it comes to biblical studies and theology, there are far too many “big” words in them for my liking, such as “eschatology”, “tribulation”, “trinitarian”, “righteousness”, “justification”, “sanctification”, and so on.

The big word “eschatology” simply means the study of end times, or, as the Oxford Dictionary puts it, “the part of theology concerned with death, judgement, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind.”

All these are studied by biblical scholars and theologians who publish huge books and pursue academic courses to obtain degrees.

But thanks to the Lord Jesus whose teachings are simple and devoid of such big words, so that every ordinary person can believe in him, be saved, and not be left behind when he returns.

Don’t be left behind

When Jesus returns to earth to take his own, will you go with him or will you be left behind?  It is the answer to this question that is paramount to our future happiness or future sorrow. Whatever you do, avoid being left behind!

If we miss our flight at the airport, we can rebook for the next flight, but if we miss the rapture, we will be left behind forever.  I suspect that Satan will be waiting for those who will be left behind, to carry them to his doom!

Jesus said that on his return, “two people will be asleep in one bed (perhaps husband and wife); one will be taken, the other left” (Luke 17:34).  At the cross, one criminal went with Jesus to Paradise and the other was left behind. Why?  Because the one who went to Paradise repented and received Jesus while the other proudly denied him. 

The Bible does not mince words at all about the truth that, “We must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Good news

The good news is that, believers will not be condemned. “There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ” (Romans 8:1).  

On this subject, here is a statement I got from the NIV Bible Commentary: “The purpose of Jesus’ first mission on earth was not to judge people but to show them the way to find salvation and eternal life.  When he comes again, one of his main purposes will be to judge people for how they lived on earth. 

“On the day of judgement, those who accepted Jesus and lived his way will be raised to eternal life, and those who rejected Jesus and lived any way they pleased will face eternal punishment.  Decide now which side you will be on, for the consequences of your decision last forever.”

Because salvation is obtained on earth before we face judgement, we have the opportunity to choose the outcome of the verdict right here on earth, so as not to be left behind.