1 Thessalonians 4:13, 18
The Departing Call
1Thess 4:13 But I would not have you to be
ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are
asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which
have no hope.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these
words.
We continue our study on End Times. We have seen:
1. The condition the world is in. I mentioned this then and again
now because one thing is different now, i.e. mankind has
removed the foundation of God. \\#Romans 1:21\\ Man has always
believed in god. In fact, the problem was that man believed in
too many gods. In the late 1800s, things changed so that they
reject the notion of God altogether. This laid a false
foundation from which Paul may be saying has no recovery.
2. The five major future events:
a. Rapture - It is confusing to call that the 2nd coming
of Jesus because so many refer to the Advent as the
2nd coming. To keep it separate, I am trying not to
refer to any of Jesus’ comings by a number.
b. Tribulation
c. Advent
d. Reign of Jesus (Millennial Reign)
e. Eternity
3. (Some of) The reasons I am both pretribulational and
premillennial as far as the timing of the rapture.
But we need to understand what the rapture is. What is it that we
anticipating? What does it mean to us? These verses describe the
event that we call the rapture.
Some say the rapture is not in the Bible. Those who do seem to fall
into one of three categories:
1. Some do not believe in the rapture at all.
2. Some mean that the word "rapture" is not in the Bible.
3. Some may mean that the rapture will not occur as we believe,
before the Tribulation and before the millennial.
1. Some deny the rapture. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about
religion and the rapture.
Most Christian denominations do not subscribe to
rapture theology and have a different
interpretation of the aerial gathering described
in 1 Thessalonians 4. Catholics, Eastern
Orthodox, Lutherans, Anglicans, Episcopalians,
Presbyterians, the United Church of Christ, most
Methodist and Reformed Christians, Unity Church,
Mormons, etc. do not generally use rapture as a
specific theological term, nor do they generally
subscribe to the premillennial dispensational
views associated with its use. Instead these
groups typically interpret rapture in the sense
of the elect gathering with Christ in Heaven
after his second coming and reject the idea that
a large segment of humanity will be left behind
on earth for an extended tribulation period after
the events of 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapture
I am not sure that article accurately states the beliefs of those who
reject a pre rapture return of Jesus, but I can assure you that there
will be no “dead in Christ” in heaven needing to be "caught up" from
their graves—-which is what the articles says. If the article is
accurate and the other religions just don’t believe in a rapture on
this earth at all, then they are Bible deniers, and I pity them for I
don’t believe God will.
2. The English word “rapture” is not found in the English Bible, but
both the Greek word that it is translated from and the event are.
The word “rapture” is actually a Latin translation of the Greek
phrase “caught up,” used in 1Thess 4:17. As English is the
predominant world language today, so there was a time when Latin was.
In their language, the phrase "caught up" was "rapture," and so the
rapture means the “catching up” of the believers off of this world.
The event is recorded in 1Thess 4. You can argue that the English
word "rapture," but to deny the “catching up” is in the Bible is to
deny the Bible itself.
3. Then some just disagree with us as to when the rapture will occur.
That’s fine since the Bible does not clearly say, but as I have
pointed out, there are a lot of hints. Personally, am thankful
that I am in the minority. Whenever you are in the majority, you
can pretty well bet you are going AGAINST God. Let them wait for
an anti-Christ. I’ll wait on the Christ. Let them wait for the
Tribulation. I will wait for the transformation.
Notice somethings about the Departing Call:
I. The Departing Call is intended to give hope.
A. I have mentioned this separately but notice how Paul’s
purpose fits with the text.
B. \\#1Th 4:13\\outlines the need for hope.
1. Some Thessalonians had died and the remaining
Thessalonians were sorrowing, wanting to know if, when,
and how they would see them again.
2. The Thessalonians already knew about heaven and life after
death for the resurrection of Jesus Christ established
that truth for them just as much as it does for us.
3. They wanted to know if there was any possibility, any
hope, of seeing their loved ones any sooner.
C. \\#1Thess 4:18\\ Paul stated that the hope they longed for had
been now been given to them. Both here and again in
\\#1Th 5:11\\, Paul made reference to a new comfort that was
theirs, one that they had not heard of before.
D. \\#1Thess 4:14-17\\ So the declaration of the hope must lie
between!
1. This is one of the reasons I am a PRE.
2. A delayed rapture could only give a delayed comfort.
II. The Departing Call is for the believers.
1Thess 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died
and rose again….
A. I will not labor this point for it should be plain.
B. The rapture offers no hope to unbelievers for there is no hope
for unbelievers.
III. The Departing Call outlined:
A. This text, better than any other section of Scripture, tells
us both what will happen and the exact order in which it will
happen.
1. \\#14\\ Jesus will bring the sleeping with Him.
1Thess 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died
and rose again, even so them also which sleep in
Jesus will God bring with him.
a. The sleeping are being brought back with Jesus.
(1) Being brought back from where? From heaven
where Jesus is and will be.
(2) Brought back to where? To earth, the only place
where the dead in Christ will ever sleep.
(3) Perhaps the article misstated the location where
the many religions believe the "catching up"
will take place at, but death will never enter
heaven so if that is what they believe, they
are just plain wrong.
b. So at the onset, we see the part of the reason Paul
said this event gives comfort to the living.
c. The sleeping are being brought back to those who are
alive and remain. That means three things:
(1) That means the sleeping are not deceased, just
sleeping.
(2) And that means the separation of death is not
permanent, just temporary.
(3) And that means the Thessalonians MIGHT not have
to wait until they died of natural causes to see
their loved ones again.
2. \\#15\\ Both the living and the sleeping have a part in
the rapture.
1Thess 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word
of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain
unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent
them which are asleep.
a. As already mentioned, the sleeping (the dead in
Christ) will be brought back to be reunited with
their bodies first and their family and friends
second.
b. Paul reveals that the living also have a part.
(1) In this verse, he simply stated that the living
will not "prevent" or hinder what is going to
happen to the dead.
(2) "Prevent" means to stop or hinder.
(3) Neither we nor anything else is going to stop
God’s plan for the dead.
(a) Remember, he was writing to comfort the
living about the dead.
(b) Paul was making it clear that no matter what
will be happening on this earth when Jesus
returns is going to stop God’s plan for
those who are asleep in Jesus.
3. \\#16\\ Jesus will descend from heaven.
1Thess 4;16 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:
a. \\#14 said Jesus would come. \\#16\\ says He will
descend.
b. Note that: Jesus will come out from the heavens.
(1) From where? From heaven.
(2) To where?
(a) where the living are.
(b) Where is that?
(c) The earth.
(3) The Bible never says that Jesus actually touches
the earth and that is another reason for not
calling the rapture the second coming.
(4) Jesus does come, but it is more of a very brief
visit and, as far as we know, no earthly eye or
earthly device will see Him.
(a) I doubt that any of man’s thousands of
satellites will get a picture of Him or of
us meeting with Him.
(b) I suspect that fact will be used by many to
dismiss the rapture as an explanation for
what happens to the raptured multitudes.
c. With this descent, there will be a shout and a
trumpet.
(1) At this moment, I believe it is Jesus who is
shouting.
(2) I believe the shout will be a command, "Come up
hither!"
(3) And I believe as Lazarus obeyed so the saved of
earth will obey that voice!
d. The should will sound like the voice of an archangel.
(1) Why use that comparison?
(a) Because it will not be the human voice that
Jesus used when He walked on this earth.
(No offense to His sinless body but that
voice would be too weak for this purpose.)
(b) Neither will it be the voice that thunders
causing all of the earth to take note. (The
lost will never know His voice rang out.)
(2) It will be the voice of an archangel. For
example:
(a) Loud enough for those to whom it is intended
to hear it.
(b) Firm, factual but forceful. (Impossible to
be disobeyed, but not frightening in the
least.)
4-5. \\#16\\ The dead in Christ shall rise FIRST, then the
saved living \\#17\\.
1Thess 4:16 ..and the dead in Christ shall rise
first:
1Thess 4:17 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.
a. This is the part the Thessalonians were particularly
interested in.
b. At this point in this book, no additional details are
given, but they are in 1Cor 15.
c. There the "change" that will happen to both the dead
in Christ and the living in Christ is described.
1Cor 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We
shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at
the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and
the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we
shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on
incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on
incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the
saying that is written, Death is swallowed up
in victory.
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where
is thy victory?
d. Is it is the same change for both the dead and the
living.
(1) Yes.
(2) Someone says, "Why? The living aren’t
corrupting."
(3) Yes, we are—just not as fast as those who have
already been buried.
6. And then we will all be together forever!
B. With those details, how anyone could deny that there is a
rapture is beyond me.
1. Jesus is coming back to the earth to claim both the dead
and the living who are His.
2. The earth is the only place where both the living and the
dead in Christ will ever live, and the earth is the only
place Jesus can return to from heaven.
3. The issue is not if there is a rapture.
4. The only issue is will the rapture be before the
Tribulation, during the middle of it, or at the end of
it.
C. And as to why I am a PRE, notice Paul included himself in
those who might be raptured off the earth:
1. \\1Thess 4:17\\
a. "Then we which are alive and remain"
b. "so shall we ever be with the Lord."
2. But he did not include himself with those who might be
sleeping when the Day of the Lord begins:
2Thess 5:3 For when THEY shall say, Peace and
safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon THEM,
as travail upon a woman with child; and THEY
shall not escape.
(a) Some would dismiss that by saying Paul did not count
himself as being one of the sleepers.
(b) Maybe, but I would say neither did Paul count himself
as one who might possibly be here for the Day of the
Lord!
D. As far as I know, there are four main reasons why Bible
believers reject the pretribulation, premillennial rapture
of the church.
1. In church history, it was rejected because there was no
Israel to fulfill God’s promises. God took care of that
in 1948.
2. Some want to place the trumpet of \\#1Thess 4:16\\ with
the Trumpet judgments of Revelation 8-9 (mid-tribulation
folk), but God can have a trumpet blown for anything He
wants.
3. \\#John 6:40\\ Jesus promised that He would not loose
anyone but raise them up in the last day. There are so
many possible ways that Jesus could have meant that, but
the simplest is that the rapture is the last day of the
church age.
This is what I am looking for, the rapture. You do not have to look
for it to be saved, but I don’t see how you could believe the Bible
and not look for it. Might I encourage not to let you theology keep
from believing the Bible? Let’s listen for the Departing Call.
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