There are many mysteries in life, and recently the mystery of a woman missing since 1979 was identified through DNA evidence.  The 45-year-old secretary vanished in the middle of the night, leaving behind four children.  A body was found two months later, but was not positively identified as the missing woman until DNA evidence matched one of her children.

        “Words from Above” in the Bible tell us about a great mystery revealed by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthian Church.  He told them that, contrary to popular belief, not all people will die, but all people who follow the Lord will be changed.  He was speaking about the change that will take place at the time when the Son of God returns to the earth to gather up His followers in an event called the Rapture. 

        Paul says that this great event will occur “in the twinkling of an eye”, and it will be announced by the sound of a trumpet.  Followers of God who are alive at the time of the Rapture will be taken out of the earth and will be taken to their eternal home in heaven.  On the other hand, those who died before the time of the Rapture will be raised to life, but both the dead and the living will undergo a dramatic change.

        Paul says that all believers will receive a new body, one that will no longer be subject to corruption and one that will be immortal.  This body will be equipped to travel through time and space to arrive at its destination in heaven, which God promises to His faithful followers in His Word.  Such a change will be a victory over the power of death, which the devil inflicted upon the human race when he deceived Adam and Eve into eating from the tree in the middle of the garden of Eden.  The way that Paul describes this change is that “death is swallowed up in victory”.  He asks two extremely important questions: “O death, where is your sting?  O grave, where is your victory?”

        This change will be made possible because of the voluntary death of Jesus on the Cross, followed by His resurrection from the dead three days later.  God raised Him from the dead, and God will also raise those who die as His faithful followers from the dead on the day of the Rapture.  They will escape what the Bible calls the second death, which is the permanent death of the human soul.  Exactly how all this will happen is in itself a mystery, but there is no mystery about the fact that God can do all things.

Larry R. Steffee is pastor of the Center Hill Brethren In Christ Church on Miller Road in Smithville.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  For informa-tion, you may email lrsteffeetn@yahoo.com.