Maby a little off-topic:
Angels are mentioned 273 times in the Bible. This means that this number is very powerfull. What is exactly the meaning of the number 273?
Your post was the first one I clicked on this morning, and I have to tell you that YOU MADE MY DAY!!! Thank you, dear Star, for that blessed assurance from the Lord!!
Thank you, Star. What wonderful encouragement from our God! Praise Jesus.
Max, your question is very interesting to me! Last year during the Spring (I think in May), as I was waking up I heard the number "273" so clearly that I repeated it outloud, and I've wondered about it ever since.
I am reading a book about angels, which is writen by a dutch theologian and pastor. He mentioned the 273 times, that the Holy Bible is speaking about angels. So yes Charity, I think that the number 273 that you heared, is very significant.
[13 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. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 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. 17 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 we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.] MAYBE, CLUES IN CONTEXT! The reference to the resurrection of Christ, and to those that REMAIN! WOW! Love to All, Neal
[13 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. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 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. 17 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 we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.] MAYBE, CLUES IN CONTEXT! The reference to the resurrection of Christ, and to those that REMAIN! WOW! Love to All, Neal
I don't know if you folks were watching Dr. Charles Stanley on TBN yesterday afternoon, for he was talking about this same thing, but failed to mention "this" very text. Why ministers fail to read the above text is beyond me.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
I just love and respect Charles Stanley very much, but in all the years I've watching him, I've never once heard him talk about the rapture, and this is definitely a rapture verse. If a minister doesn't believe in the pre-trib rapture, then who is coming back with Jesus? The new and old testament saints who don't have resurrected bodies yet? You see, the verse doesn't make sense to a post-trib believing minister who doesn't believe that the rapture will take place until the second coming...so that's probably why they don't include it.