THE PROMISED REUNION
By Matt Leasher
For the Lord Himself
will descend from
heaven with a shout,
with the voice of an
archangel, and with
the trumpet of God.
And the dead in Christ
will rise first.
Then we who are
alive and remain
shall be caught up
together with them
in the clouds to
meet the Lord in the
air. And thus shall
we always be with
the Lord. (1
Thessalonians
4:16-17)
For all of us Bible
believing Christians
that have ever lost
a loved one, we can
never get tired of
reading that above
verse for it is our
divine confirmation
that we will see our
loved ones that have
died in Christ
again.
It says that
we will be caught up
together with
them…”
If we are caught up
together
with them
then it only makes
sense that God would
reunite us with our
immediate loved ones
in heaven since He
is the one that
united us all
together here on
earth.
Trusting in
that promise from
the Lord we
believers grieve
differently then
those that don’t
know Christ.
“But I do not want
you to be ignorant,
brethren, concerning
those who have
fallen asleep, lest
you sorrow as others
who have no hope.”
(1
Thessalonians 4:13)
We do not grieve
like those that have
no hope because we
KNOW that our
citizenship is in
heaven, (Philippians
3:20), and we
KNOW that we
WILL see our
loved ones again and
we have Jesus Christ
to fully thank for
it.
Christ is the
sole source of our
blessed reunion.
We know that
when we accept Jesus
Christ as our Lord
and Savior we become
adopted into the
family of God,
(Romans 8:15-17),
and we will be
glorified together.
Knowing that we will
see our loved ones
again through Christ
makes heaven even
that much more
greater to look
forward to.
1 Corinthians
13:12 tells us that
when we meet Christ
face to face we will
know Him as He knows
us.
Since Jesus
knows everything
about us then He
knows the
relationships that
we had here on this
earth that were of
true genuine Godly
love and what they
meant to us.
If a
relationship is
built upon Christ
then He is the bond
that unites us with
our loved ones for
eternity.
“Assuredly I say to
you, whatever you
bind on earth will
be bound in heaven
and whatever you
loose on earth will
be loosed in
heaven”. (Matthew
18:18)
The departing of our
believing loved ones
is not the end of
our relationship
with them; it is
just an interruption
of our physical
togetherness. We
have not
lost them
because we know
where they are – in
heaven with the
Lord!
For something
to be lost would
mean that you don’t
know where it is but
our loved ones in
Christ had inherited
eternal life the
moment they believed
in Christ and became
indwelt with the
Holy Spirit as the
guarantee of their
inheritance in
heaven.
“In Him you also
trusted, after you
heard the word of
truth, the gospel of
your salvation; in
whom also, having
believed, you were
sealed with the Holy
Spirit of promise,
who is the guarantee
of our inheritance
until the redemption
of the purchased
possession, to the
praise of His
glory.” (1 Ephesians
13-14)
When two Bible
believing loved ones
share in that trust
of that promise then
they are never
really separated.
Their love for each
other is sealed and
bonded together with
the Holy Spirit.
If one
departs this earth
before the other,
(which is usually
the case), then the
one remaining here
on earth has the
consolation from
God’s Word of a
future resurrection
and a reunion in
heaven. That is what
separates the grief
of Christians from
the grief of
unbelievers.
For the
Christian there is
great hope, but for
the unbeliever all
hope is gone.
In 2 Samuel 12:22-23
we have another
confirmation that we
will be reunited
with our loved ones
in heaven. In this
situation King David
was mourning the
loss of his newborn
child through his
sinful affair with
Bathsheba.
When David
was asked why he
stopped fasting when
he found out that
his child had died
he said:
“While the child was
alive, I fasted and
wept; for I said,
‘Who can tell
whether the Lord
will be gracious to
me, that the child
may live?’ But now
he is dead; why
should I fast? Can I
bring him back
again?
I shall go to him,
but he shall not
return to me”.
Notice that last
line that I have
bolded?
David said
that he will
eventually go to
where his child
went, (heaven), but
the child cannot
return to where he
is (earth).
This is also
a Biblical assurance
that young children,
(who are not able to
be held accountable
for themselves), are
immediately accepted
into heaven at their
death.
Jesus also
hints towards this
notion in Matthew
19:14 when He said:
“Let the little
children come to Me,
and do not forbid
them; for of such is
the kingdom of
Heaven.”
(See also Matthew
18:10)
The loss of a loved
one is painful to us
here on earth but in
heaven there is
rejoicing as they
enter into that
marvelous glory.
Psalm 116:15
says:
“Precious in the
sight of the Lord,
is the death of His
saints”.
The passing of our
loved ones in Christ
is precious from
God’s perspective
because they are
coming home to be
with the Lord and we
know that they will
be there waiting for
us when our time
comes. Our physical
existence in this
world is temporary
but our spirits are
eternal.
That is why
our physical bodies
remain here on earth
when we die and our
spirits return to
God, (Ecclesiastes
12:7). The apostles
Paul and Peter both
describe their
physical bodies
using the analogy of
a tent.
A tent is a
temporary dwelling
place that is broken
down when it is time
to move on just like
our physical bodies
break down when our
spirit leaves it.
Our spirits
are eternal and our
spirits are who we
really are, so when
our departed loves
ones that were in
Christ leave this
world they have gone
on to the place that
God has prepared
especially for them.
Jesus said:
“Let not your heart
be troubled; you
believe in God,
believe also in Me.
In My Father’s house
are many mansions;
if it were not so I
would have told you.
I go to prepare a
place for you. And
if I go and prepare
a place for you, I
will come again and
receive you to
Myself; that where I
am, there you may be
also.” (John 14:1-3)
Again, if you had a
relationship here on
earth with Christ as
the foundation of
that relationship
then that special
place that God has
prepared for you
will have your loved
ones there.
The important
thing is that the
relationship was
truly
built upon Christ.
In our modern
day culture marriage
is too commonly just
a legal matter and
not a true bond as
it was intended to
be, for Jesus said:
“Have you not read
that He who made
them at the
beginning made them
male and female, and
said ‘For this
reason a man shall
leave his father and
mother and be joined
to his wife, and the
two shall become one
flesh’.
So then, they
are no longer two
but one flesh.
Therefore
what God has joined
together, let not
man separate.”
(Matthew 19:4-6)
There is much to be
learned about the
Godly institution of
marriage from that
passage but what is
most significant to
this study is the
last line that says,
“what God has joined
together, let not
man separate”.
If God has
joined two people
together in a Godly
marriage here on
earth then it only
seems likely that He
will reunite them in
heaven.
Even though
Jesus said that
there will be no
marriage between
individual people in
heaven, (Matthew
22:30), there will
still be a marriage
in heaven.
The only
marriage that will
take place will be
between the Bride of
Christ, (ALL of the
unified believing
saints), to the
Bridegroom, (Jesus
Christ).
Ephesians
5:22-32 exemplifies
that the God
ordained marriage of
humans here on earth
is an illustration
of the glorious
forthcoming marriage
of Christ to His
Church.
The deep
relationship that
has been built
between two
individuals that
were married here on
earth will not end
in heaven. In fact,
it will flourish
even greater as sin,
pain and sorrow will
not be able to
interfere with the
relationship.
So your loved
ones will be with us
when the whole body
of Christ
participates in the
wedding supper of
the Lamb,
(Revelation 19:7-9).
The amount of
love that will be
involved in that
event is just
overwhelming to the
Bible believing
Christian mind.
You will
first meet Christ
face to face, then
see all of your
loved ones that died
in Christ again,
then everyone will
be joined together
in a glorious
heavenly matrimony
that will pale in
comparison to any
royal wedding gala
event that we have
ever seen here on
earth.
In fact the
things that are
waiting for us in
heaven are almost
impossible to be
described because
they are so glorious
there is nothing
here on earth to
compare it to so
that we could
understand it.
“Eye has not seen,
nor ear heard, nor
have entered into
the heart of man the
things which God has
prepared for those
who love Him.” (1
Corinthians 2:9)
The things in heaven
are so marvelous and
inexpressible that
even the apostle
Paul wasn’t
permitted or able to
describe them when
He was caught up
into heaven for a
visit and then sent
back to earth, (see
2 Corinthians
12:1-6).
The apostle
Paul leaves us
wondering because
our earthly minds
have no point of
reference for the
things that are in
heaven but we know
that it is a place
of no sorrow,
crying, or pain and
best of all – no
death! (Revelation
21:4)
With death
removed, heaven is a
place of never
having to say
goodbye to anyone
ever again.
So knowing
that our citizenship
is in heaven,
(Philippians 3:20),
in essence, we
really do not have
to say goodbye to
our departed loved
ones in Christ while
here on earth
either. Christian
funerals should not
be about saying
goodbye. They should
be about glorifying
God with patient
trust in His
promises that we
will be reunited
again.
God has
promised this and He
keeps His promises!
Don’t get me wrong I
am not making light
of the grieving
process of losing a
loved one.
Christians are not
immune to the pain
of the loss of a
loved one. Even
Jesus wept with Mary
and Martha as they
grieved the death of
their brother
Lazarus, (John
11:35).
But perhaps
it is wise for us
observe the way that
Job grieved when
tragedy struck his
household when his
servants, his sons,
and his daughters
were killed.
“Then Job arose,
tore his robe, and
shaved his head; and
he fell to the
ground and
worshipped. And he
said: “Naked I came
from my mothers womb
and naked shall I
return there. The
Lord gave, and the
Lord has taken away;
blessed be the name
of the Lord.” In all
this Job did not sin
nor charge God with
wrong.”
(Job 1:20-22)
Job fell to the
ground and
worshipped God when
he found out his
sons and daughters
were killed?
Why?
This is
because Job knew and
trusted in the
sovereignty of God.
A few verses
later in Job 2:10,
he says:
“Shall we indeed
accept good from
God, and shall we
not accept
adversity?”
We all need to be
like Job. Secure in
God’s promises and
sovereignty. We
secure ourselves in
His promises by
studying His Word in
our Bibles.
That is why
it is so important
to read and study
the Word of God
daily. His Word is
our consolation. If
we ignore His Word
then we are ignoring
His consolations and
there is no greater
or more solid
consolation than the
Word of God, for
Jesus confirms us
that
“Thy Word is Truth”,
(John 17:17).
It is
important to trust
in God’s promises of
our eternal future.
Colossians 3:1-2
tells us to
set our minds on
things above, not on
things on earth.
If we are focused on
the vertical then we
will be well
grounded on the
horizontal. This way
when a sudden
tragedy should come
our way we can be
spiritually
prepared when they
happen. This is not
to say that our
emotions won’t kick
into overdrive, but
that which is
spiritual is
separate from that
which is emotional.
When we are grounded
in His promises from
His Word, our
spiritual confidence
in Christ keeps our
emotions restrained
to a degree. Again,
we don’t grieve like
those who have no
hope.
“Blessed are they
that mourn, for they
shall be comforted”
(Matthew 5:4)
The Lord is our sole
comfort in our
grieving and
suffering. 2
Corinthians 1:3-4
describes God as
“…the Father of
mercies and God of
all comfort, who
comforts us in all
our tribulation,
that we may be able
to comfort those who
are in any trouble
with the comfort
with which we
ourselves are
comforted by God.”
Not only does
God comfort us but
He also prepares us
so that we can
comfort others with
the comfort that He
gave to us. God is
not absent in our
sorrows. In Isaiah
53:4, (a prophecy of
Christ as the
suffering servant)
it says,
“Surely He has borne
our griefs and
carried our
sorrows.”
When
Christ went to the
cross to atone for
our sins, He was
bearing all of the
griefs and sorrows
that we endure
because of sin,
which includes
death. That is why
we put
ALL of our trust
in Christ for our
comfort and
strength.
He bore grief
and suffering just
as we do!
That is how
much He loves us.
God has a plan in
progress.
If He knows
the beginning from
the end (Isaiah
46:10) and if He
knows all of our own
days before they
were even lived
(Psalm 139:16), then
He certainly knows
everything that is
happening in
between. Nothing
takes Him by
surprise. However,
many things
do take us by
surprise and an
untimely tragic
death of a loved one
is one of the
hardest trials that
we will ever have to
face here on this
earth. But we know
that when we put it
all in the Lords
hands we become
stronger through our
trials, (James 1:2-4
and 1 Peter 1:7),
and when we trust in
the Lord through our
trials we will not
only get through it
but there awaits a
reward for our
trusting faith.
“Blessed is the man
who endures
temptation; for when
he has been
approved, he will
receive the crown of
life which the Lord
has promised to
those who love Him.”
(James 1:12)
Tragic trials like
the sudden and
untimely death of
loved ones are
indeed temptations.
Many are
tempted to blame or
curse God when these
things happen. But
if we curse God at a
time like this then
Satan wins but if we
praise God at a time
like this then God
wins and the victory
belongs to Him.
That victory
was achieved at the
Cross. When Christ
died on the cross He
died for the sin of
the world and
defeated sin and
then when He rose
from the dead three
days later He
defeated death. All
who simply believe
and
trust in what
Jesus has done can
claim that victory
unto themselves.
Christ wants to
share that victory
with you.
That is why
He did it. Our
greatest victory in
Christ will be
manifested at the
Rapture when in the
blink of an eye our
mortal bodies will
instantly be changed
to glorified eternal
bodies victorious
over sin’s
consequence of
death.
“So when this
corruptible has put
on incorruption, and
this mortal has put
on immortality, then
shall be brought to
pass the saying that
is written: ‘Death
is swallowed up in
victory.
O’ Death,
where is your sting?
O’ Hades,
where is your
victory?’” (1
Corinthians
15:54-55)
While we are waiting
for this Day of
Christ’s redeeming
of His Church we are
to be living
victoriously knowing
that we have this
solid promise from
our Lord.
For the
faithful followers
of Jesus Christ we
face the world
around us fighting
from
victory not
for victory
because the victory
has already been
won. When we are
called by Christ, we
are called to a
battlefield. Jesus
warned us that, “in
the world you will
have tribulation;
but be of good
cheer, I have
overcome the
world”(John 16:33).
While Jesus
has overcome the
world, it is our
faith in Him
that is the baton
that passes that
victory from Christ
unto us.
“For whatever is
born of God
overcomes the world.
And this is the
victory that has
overcome the world –
our faith. Who is he
who overcomes the
world, but he who
believes that Jesus
is the Son of God?”
(1 John 5:4-5)
Our faith in Christ
grants us power and
victory through the
most trying times of
our life. The
victory that we have
in Jesus Christ is
an eternal victory
that we take with us
into eternity! If
you truly trust in
Him then you’ll be
victorious forever.
When our time comes
that we pass out of
this world and into
His glorious
presence and see
Christ face to face,
we will fall to our
knees in thankful
awe but He will lift
us back up and then
step aside and
behind Him will be
our most significant
loved ones that
we’ve lost while we
were here on earth
and He will then
say…
“See, they live”!
Dedicated to my
beloved wife Terry.
1963 – 2011
I will meet you at
the feet of Jesus.