From my devotional, His Song in the Night
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 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. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
On December 15, 1967, a tragedy occurred without warning. The Silver Bridge, an architectural marvel at its opening in 1928, suddenly gave way beneath the weight of rush-hour traffic, plunging forty-six people into the icy Ohio River. It was eventually determined that an eye bar linked between every eye bar spanning the bridge had failed, leading to the disaster. [1]
Each of those entering eternity that day had a story. Many were Christmas shopping, and the gifts were found floating down the river. Some were on their last trip over the bridge before they started a new job or a planned retirement the next day. Not one of them knew when they woke up that morning that it would be their last. Life seemed to go on like normal until it did not.
Those who were left behind grappled with the “what ifs.” What if my loved one had just stopped for gas a moment sooner? What if they had not been caught in the traffic at that precise time? Those whose lives had been spared by a last-minute inconvenience or decision felt enormous relief, but also grief for the lives lost.
When Jesus arrives and calls His believers home to Heaven, it will be just as sudden and noticeable as that bridge collapse was that day. Those who rise into the clouds at His command will be gone in the twinkling of an eye. Unmanned cars and planes will cause unimaginable chaos. Families will be separated. Those who did not place their faith in Jesus will be left behind, wondering where their loved ones went.
All the questions will remain with those here on earth, while those with Jesus will be finally Home. Their tears will be wiped away, and joy will be there to stay. This is the comfort the Apostle Paul included in his words in 1 Thessalonians 4:18. It is also the theme Bill and Gloria Gaither sought to highlight in their song, “The King is Coming.”
When the Gaithers thought about writing this song, they began to think of how normal the day would seem before Jesus called His children to Heaven. They imagined the instant healing many would receive and the loved ones who would be together again. They reveled in the great heavenly choir assembled for the first time as they penned the joyful chorus lines.
The King is coming! The King is coming!
I just heard the trumpet sounding, and now His face I see,
Oh, the King is coming! The King is coming!
Praise God, He’s coming for me! [2]
For those who have called upon Jesus to save them from their sins and invited Him into their lives, the day of His return will be unexpectedly great! For those who have not, it will be a chaotic and confusing one. While we have time, we must be about the business of preparing those we love for the day of Jesus’ return. He has promised it will come, and so we wait with purpose and with hope. Our goal must be that no one is left behind.
[1] Stephan G Bullard et al., The Silver Bridge Disaster of 1967 (Arcadia Publishing, 2012).
[2] Gloria Gaither, Because He Lives: The Stories and Inspiration behind the Songs of Bill and Gloria Gaither (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Pub. House, 1997). 83. (Used with permission).
His Song in the Night 