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The Abomination of Desolation - St. Marys Coptic Orthodox Church

The Abomination of Desolation - St. Marys Coptic Orthodox Church

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DAY OF THE LORD 155<br />

“the trumpeter <strong>of</strong> the resurrection.” <strong>The</strong> trumpet is also mentioned in<br />

I Corinthians 15:52:<br />

In a moment, in the twinkling <strong>of</strong> an eye, at the last trump: for the<br />

trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we<br />

shall be changed.<br />

THE RAPTURE:<br />

Immediately following that, Christ will send His angels, to gather the<br />

rest <strong>of</strong> the elect who are alive at His second coming, and bring them up<br />

to meet Him on the clouds. <strong>The</strong>y will not die, but will be suddenly<br />

changed into the body <strong>of</strong> the resurrection, a body similar to the body <strong>of</strong><br />

the resurrection <strong>of</strong> the Lord (an immortal body). Please note that in I<br />

Corinthians 15:52, we are told that when the trumpet sounds, the dead<br />

(in Christ) shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed. <strong>St</strong>.<br />

Paul emphasizes this again in I Corinthians 15:51 “Behold, I shew you<br />

a mystery; We shall not all sleep , but we shall all be changed.” <strong>St</strong>. Paul<br />

here is speaking about the elect that will be alive at the second coming<br />

<strong>of</strong> our Lord, who will not sleep (die), but will be changed. That the<br />

change will make our mortal bodies similar to the glorified body <strong>of</strong> the<br />

resurrection <strong>of</strong> the Lord is explained to us in Philippians 3:21, “Who<br />

shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his<br />

glorious body.” <strong>St</strong>. Paul emphasizes that the resurrection <strong>of</strong> those who<br />

died in Christ will precede the “change” <strong>of</strong> those who are alive at the<br />

second coming:<br />

For this we say unto you by the word <strong>of</strong> the Lord, that we which are<br />

alive and remain unto the coming <strong>of</strong> the Lord shall not prevent them<br />

which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with<br />

a shout, with the voice <strong>of</strong> the archangel, and with the trump <strong>of</strong> God: and<br />

the dead in Christ shall rise first. (I <strong>The</strong>s 4:15-16)<br />

<strong>The</strong> change <strong>of</strong> the bodies <strong>of</strong> the elect will be followed immediately by<br />

“the rapture,” a technical term applied to the gathering <strong>of</strong> the elect<br />

unto the Lord in the clouds, as we are told in 1 <strong>The</strong>ssalonians 4:17:<br />

<strong>The</strong>n we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with<br />

them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be<br />

with the Lord.

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