I. Intro: Jesus promised to return and take us to be with Him forever.
A. The Lord is preparing a place for us & He will come again to gather us to Himself.
1. John 14:1-3
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 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. 3 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.”
2. Mansions: moné, dwelling places. The Lord is preparing an eternal dwelling place for us.
3. Luke 16:9 “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous ]mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.”
a. fail: leave, die
b. Be generous with your money and help the saints, and they will receive you in their eternal dwelling places.
B. But scripture tells us that in the last days, people will scoff at the Lord’s promise.
1. 2 Peter 3:3&4
“3…knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”
2. We have to guard against this attitude as we await the Lord’s return. (My testimony.)
3. Vs 8&9
8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
a. Father is giving people time to repent.
C. This strategy of the evil one is the same as it was in the garden.
1. 2 Cor 2:11 We’re not ignorant of his (satan’s) schemes.
2. “Did God really say?” The strategy is to make humans doubt God’s Word, God’s integrity and faithfulness. (Gen 3)
3. Jesus said he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44) So we have to be own guard against the lies of the evil one that would try to make us doubt the Lord’s promise to return.
D. The Second Coming, our gathering to Him, the resurrection and rapture of the saints.
1. The resurrection, the rapture and the Coming of the Lord all coincide. These events take place in the same sequence of events, as we will see.
2. 1 Cor 15:51&52
51 Behold, I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed
3. My position: I believe the resurrection of the saints, the rapture and the Second Coming all take place after the tribulation, otherwise the Lord would have to come back a 3rd time. I believe the tribulation is not 7 years but 3.5 and many in the church are kept safe by the Lord in a place that He has prepared for them (Rev 12:14).
4. To fully expound on this will require an in depth series that we can do in the future. In the meantime, refer to Kevin Connor’s book The Christian Millennium and his commentary on Daniel, and The Bible and its End-Time Events by Richard J. Holland.
5. I urge us all to remember the Moravian Maxim: “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity (love).”
II. The Coming of the Lord. (Please turn to 1 Thess 4.)
A. Backstory.
1. Thessalonica was a major city in Macedonia, now Greece. Paul and Silas started the church with great persecution and difficulty, but the church was faithful under pressure.
2. Paul had previously taught them about the Lord’s Second Advent, and after he left, some in the church were afraid that their loved ones who had died would miss out on the Lord’s return and the resurrection of the saints.
a. “If Jesus is coming soon, what happens to the faithful who die before His return.”
3. Between Paul’s 2 letters to them, false doctrine was taught about the 2nd Coming which caused confusion and sorrow, so Paul wrote to clarify and establish correct doctrine on the 2nd Coming.
4. Order of events and Paul’s letters to them.
a. Problem: “Will our loved ones who died miss the 2nd Coming?”
b. 1 Thess 4: “No, they will be resurrected at the coming of the Lord.”
c. Problem: “Have we already missed the 2nd Coming?”
d. 2 Thess 2: “No, these events must happen first, so don’t be deceived.”
B. 1 Thess 4:13-18
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.
C. Vs 13&14.
1. Vs 13 Paul writes to clarify the doctrine for them. He knows that ignorance to the truth will cause unnecessary grief. (Ignorance to God’s will, ways and purposes causes sorrow.)
a. Christians grieve the loss of loved ones in a different way than the world.
b. We grieve but with hope, knowing that we will be reunited with them again.
c. The world grieves without hope.
d. “No Christ— no hope. Know Christ— know hope.”
2. Vs 14 In order to be saved, we must believe that Jesus died for our sins AND rose from the dead.
a. Rom 4:25 “… who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.
b. A dead savior cannot save, but Jesus is alive, having justified us, He lives on to intercede for us (Heb 7:25) and He is preparing a place for us. (John 14)
3. The Lord’s resurrection means our own resurrection, if we die before He returns.
a. Jesus conquered death and has power to give life to whoever He wills. (Jn 10:28)
b. The dead in Christ will be resurrected because Jesus was resurrected.
c. Rom 8:11
“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
D. The ‘sleep’ of death.
1. Notice that three times in this passage Paul uses the term ‘sleep’ to refer to death. What does this mean? What is the condition of the spirit and the soul when the believer dies?
2. Remember, we have to consider to whom this was written. What would their understanding of this be? Sleep was a common metaphor for death in the ancient world among Jews, Greeks and the early church. It referred to the death of the body, and did not mean that the the soul & spirit were unconsciousness.
3. This term is used throughout the bible.
a. Dan 12:2 “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake.”
b. Jn 11:11-14 Jesus says Lazarus is asleep, then clarifies, “Lazarus is dead.”
c. Acts 7:60 says that Stephen ‘fell asleep’ when he died.
4. What we need to understand from this is that when used in this sense, sleep refers to the condition of the body in death and the temporary nature of death for the believer— as sleep is temporary, so is death.
5. The body is resting, the soul & spirit are with Jesus and our resurrection is guaranteed because Jesus rose from the dead.
6. Jesus speaks of the continuity of consciousness after death.
a. Matt 22:31&32 “Not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
b. Luke 16:19-31 The Parable of the rich and Lazarus. (Abe’s bosom vs. Hades)
c. John 11:25 “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”
d. Another indicator is the Mt. of Transfiguration. (Matt 17:1-8)
E. What happens to the soul & spirit when a believer dies?
1. When a believer dies, the body is laid to rest but the soul & spirit are with the Lord.
2. Key passages:
a. Luke 23:38-46 “Today, you will be with Me in Paradise.”
b. Acts 7:55-60 Stephen prayed “Lord Jesus receive my spirit.”
c. 2 Cor 5:6-8 6
So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
d. Phil 1:21-23
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
e. Heb 12:22-24 “the heavenly Jerusalem…angels… to the spirits of just men made
perfect.”
f. Rev 6:9-11
9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.
g. Rev 13:15 speaks of those martyred by the antichrist for refusing to worship him.
Rev 15:2-4 reveals they are in heaven.
2 And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. 3 They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty!Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! 4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested.”
F. This was believed and taught by the early church.
1. Justin Martyr (AD 100-165); Irenaeus (AD 130-202); Tertullian (AD 155-240); Augustine (AD 354-430); Origen (AD 185-254); Lactantius (AD 250-325); Cyril of Jerusalem (AD 315-386).
2. Quotes:
a. Tertullian: “Consciousness after death remains intact.”
b. Augustine: “The souls of the dead are alive and they are conscious and they await the resurrection of the body.”
c. Origen: “The soul lives on after death… retaining consciousness and awaiting judgment.”
d. Lactantius: “The soul is immortal and retains sense and understanding after the death of the body.”
e. Cyril of Jerusalem: “The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God and they are alive and they are conscious.”
G. Why is this important?
Because it reassures us to know that in whatever state we find ourselves in, whether in the body or out of
the body, we are always with our Emmanuel Jesus. He always takes responsibility to care for His people.
It reassures us to know that our loved ones in Christ who have pre-deceased us are with the Lord in
glory, where He comforts them and they enjoy the fellowship of God and the saints. As Vs 14 promises,
the Lord will bring them with Him when He returns. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in
Jesus.
III. The rapture. 1 Thess 4:15-18
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.
A. Definition.
1. Rapture definition.
a. The word ‘rapture’ is not used in the bible, but it is an accurate translation.
b. Gr word: harpazo, “to snatch away, to catch away, to pull up…”
c. Rapture from raptus in Latin, meaning caught up.
B. The Order of Events.
1. Vs 16a The Lord descends from heaven with (1) a shout (2) the voice of an archangel and (3) the trumpet of God.
2. Vs 16b “And the dead in Christ shall rise first.”
a. This is the first resurrection of the saints. (Rev 20:6)
b. The dead in Christ are raised (not all the dead, just the dead in Christ), they are given spiritual bodies that are united with their souls & spirits.
c. 1 Cor 15:42-44
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 3. Vs 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.”
a. The saints who are alive at the Lord’s return will be changed, given a new spiritual body.
b. 1 Jn 3:2&3
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
4. This aligns with 1 Cor 15:50-53
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
a. Those saints alive at the return of the Lord will experience what Enoch and Elijah
experienced.
5. BOTH of these groups of people, the dead in Christ and the saints who remain alive at His coming, are caught up, raptured, to meet the Lord in the air. And from then on, we will always be with the Lord.
IV. Closing and Application.
A. The Lord is returning, so how should we live today?
1. Not meant to create fear, but readiness.
2. Luke 12:42-47
42 And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. 45 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
B. Anchor your hope in the resurrection.
1. The body will either die or be changed into a glorified body at the coming of the Lord. So we need to be good stewards of our bodies, but as we age and our bodies wear out, anchor your hope in the Lord’s provision of a new body.
2. As we grieve the loss of our loved ones in Christ, let your grief be tempered by hope that one day, you will be reunited to them again in perfect peace and love.
3. As Paul says in 1 Thess 4, comfort one another with this hope.
C. Resist the Spirit of Age to scoff and doubt.
1. Ask the Spirit to guard your heart against the spirit of the age will cast doubt on the Lord’s promise to return and gather us to Him.
2. If we doubt the Lord’s return, we will then cast off restraint and indulge the flesh, jeopardizing our eternal salvation.
D. Live as people who will give account.
1. Jesus taught that we will have to give an account at the Judgement Seat of Christ, for the deeds done in the body. When He returns, His recompense is with Him, and he will give to each what they deserve.
a. Matt 12:36; Rom 14:10-12; Rev 22:12
2. 1 Cor 3:13-15
13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.