The Great Reunion

Picture this:
One day you are going about your normal routine when you suddenly hear a shout.  It's loud, explosive, authoritative; whoever it belongs to certainly means business.  This shout is something everyone can hear.  Your curiosity is piqued so you head outside to see what the racket is about.

Are the neighbors fighting again?

Is there a home football game tonight?

Kids arguing over the last slice of pizza?

Maybe you recognize the voice and it sounds inviting to you.  Maybe you don't and it gives you cause to tremble a little.  You ask, "What's going on here?"  The rest of the world is suddenly and eerily silent, poised at the precipice of something epic, something that you can't quite explain.

On the heels of the shout, you hear another sound, another voice.  What was that?  Who was that?  What is going on here?  You have now heard the voice of the archangel.  This isn't some cherubic baby looking angel you see around Valentine's Day.  This voice is loud, commanding and it belongs to a warrior. One of God's messengers.  Maybe it's Gabriel, who brought the news to Mary that she would bear God's Son.  Maybe it's Michael:

Revelation 12:7 - 9 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 

Maybe we don't know this archangel's name.  But make no mistake, this guy means business and his booming voice follows on the heels of the Lord's triumphant, majestic call to His own.

As you advance to your yard, you hear a trumpet blast.  This sound comes straight from the Lord's trumpet.  You can hear the perfect pitches of this instrument, a crescendo of whole notes mixed with half notes, building to eighth notes and sixteenths.  This wall of heavenly sound continues it's crescendo in equal parts to the pomp and circumstance now unfolding in the Heavens.  Who has seen and heard the Lord's trumpet?  This fanfare has never been heard on Earth before.  This is a fanfare worthy of heralding the arrival of a risen King, as the sky splits open and you and the rest of mankind see the majesty of the Saviour.

But that's not all!  Suddenly, the sky is filled with people that you know for a fact have died.  How can this be?  Your Grandma is rising to meet her Jesus!  There's Grandpa not far behind!  Your neighbor, your old pastor and the guy down the street, they are all ascending to the Heavens.  As you look on in wonder, the sky is filled with saints long buried in their graves!

You are overwhelmed by this sight, by this reunion in the sky.  You begin to sink to your knees.  You knew this would happen because you believed and you read about it, and yet the fulfillment of it is still too amazing and awesome and powerful to have fully sunk in; Christ has returned for His people, just like He said He would.

But your knees never meet your perfectly manicured lawn, because at the very moment you fell in reverence to God, He gathered you to His side.  You have been caught up with Christ, with the saints who died before and those who still remained alive at His return for His church.

The bridegroom has returned for His bride.

And all that's left is eternity.

None of the junk of this life matters anymore.

No more bone tired weariness.

No tears.

No longing.

No wishing to go home, because finally, finally, you are there.  Your journey is complete.

All that's left now is the continual praise for a loving, faithful Father.  All that's left now is the continual praise for God the Holy Spirit who is always with you, even at the darkest times of your life.  All that's left now is the continual praise of God the Son, the sacrificial lamb who's atoning blood made this entire scenario possible for you.

All that's left now is eternity with the Lord and nothing else matters anymore.

Find comfort in this:  He's coming back.  Someday.  Be ready and watchful.  Because we don't know when it will be, but we rest on the promise that it will be, whether we go first when He opens our grave or second, while we are going about our daily routine.  However it may happen for you, be assured, you won't miss the call. The shout from the Lord and the trumpet of God will be music to our longing ears.

What a reunion that will be.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18:
18 For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall arise first.
17 Then, we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore, comfort one another with these words.