Trumpet Blast

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.  And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.  And his appearance was like lightning and his garment as white as snow; and the guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.

And the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.  He is not here for He has risen just as He said.  Come, see the place where He was lying and go quickly and tell the disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going before you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

When it was therefore evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”  And when He said this, He showed them both His hands and His side.  The disciples therefore rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

But Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.  Therefore, he said to them, “Unless I shall see in His hands the imprint of the nails and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

And after eight days again Jesus came and stood in their midst.  Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here your finger and see my hands; and reach here your hand and put it into my side; and be not unbelieving, but believing.”

Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed?  Blessed are they who did not see and yet believed.”

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 shall 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 we shall always be with the Lord.