Daniel 12:2-3 says, “And many that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.”
How do you do with flying? Do you get motion sickness? When it comes to the rapture, which many of us hope to be a part of, how will you handle floating up through the clouds without an airplane?
Tom took me up in a small single-engine plane. He had earned his pilot’s license and had just qualified to be able to take a passenger. Things went okay except when I threw up in a manilla envelope, which dissolved on the floor. I then felt fine. Somehow Tom got landed without loosing his supper. The man running the little landing strip, then tried to sell Tom a small “tail dragger” plane (so called because of the small wheel under the tail). We had to try it out. First we had to jump start the battery. It then started, but ran rough, until it warmed up. Part of the headliner was hanging down, and the seat upholstery was worn out. Tom and the man sat side-by-side in the front and I in a small seat behind them. Tom was flying while the man seated by him gave instructions. When coming in to land the man asked, “Ever land a tail dragger before?” Tom replied, “No.” “Just before you touch down, pull up on the control wheel, so the tail touches first.” Tom pulled up a little, but not enough. Then the instructor yelled “pull up!” and grabbed the wheel himself, yanking it all the way out. The tail went down. The weak bearing was bad and made a horrible ripping sound. I got out and almost kissed the ground.
Let me ask again. How do you do with flying? I Thessalonians 4:16-18 states, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, (loud enough to wake the dead), with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
Paul also said, “Behold I shew you a mystery, We shall not all sleep (or die), but we shall all be changed, In a moment in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed (I Corinthians 15:51-52). Finally, how fast will we rise? Probably like Jesus did in Acts 1:9 & 10, “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;” In the next verse they said He would come again in like manner.
Peter could walk on water as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus. If we keep looking to Him, we will rise safely. In the meantime let’s “turn many to righteousness.” Then RISE AND SHINE!
