The Rapture
1 Thessalonians ch 4 v 13 - 18 please read
It has been suggested that Paul wrote 1Thessaloinians because the church was in despair, and it is also suggested that he wrote 2nd Thess. because they were being deceived! 1 Thess. ch 4 informs us that no Saint will be going through the Tribulation.
The 'Rapture'. This is an interesting word which means to seize, to snatch. The English word rapture is not used or mentioned. But the teaching of the Rapture comes from the meaning of the word which is used in this text. Today the word rapture means expressive joy and extacy, the fullest joy ever known, joy unspeakable. Paul wants us to understand some things about this passage.
Preview of the Rapture 1Thess4.13:14** "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. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even them also which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him". Paul says ''don't want you to be ignorant brethren'' The 1st thing Paul wants to do is Dispel the Ignorance Paul uses that phrase in other places, He wants to dispel ignorance and lack of knowledge.
Describes the believers Death v13 'fallen asleep' sleep of the body in death. Jn 11:11 Lazerus 4 days dead. (fallen asleep) Stephen Acts 7:60 as stoned he fell asleep. As in physical sleep we expect to awake, so in spiritual realm when we die, we will be awakened by the Lord
Defending the Believers Hope 3rd part of verse ''lest ye sorrow as others who have no hope' Paul wrote this letter to the Thessalonians to dispel their sadness. Some had lost loved ones, they had stood by the grave, so they asked the question "what about my dad"? If Rapture comes he's already died what is going to happen to him? Paul said there was no need for them to sorrow as others who have no hope. Thess 4:13 Not that we should'nt sorrow of course, we do sorrow when loved ones die. This passage is a commentary on 1Cor:15 which explains how Christ took the sting out of death. When Christ took the sting out of death, he changed death, from death to sleep for the Christian. Jesus has taken the sting out of death. He triumphed over death on the cross. Death is no longer final, death is a reclining, a falling asleep, waiting for the day of resurrection to come
The dead in Christ are not left out of the Rapture. The dead in Christ have a prominent place in the Rapture, what a comforting truth this must have been when Paul wrote, and said the Beloved dead, are not going to be forgotton they are going to be in place no 1. Notice what he says as he gives the certain promise of the Rapture. 1Thess4:15 Paul says let me give you some truth here, not only are they included in the Rapture they are going up first.
Chronological Programme of the Rapture 4 or 5 things come in rapid fire here in this passage
(A) The Return v16 'the Lord Himself'' God is not sending Angels, He is not sending the Holy Spirit. It is Jesus who is coming back, the emphasis is upon the personal return of the Lord Jesus. Remember the words of the two Angels when they spoke to the followers of Jesus at the ascension. "This same Jesus shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go" Acts ch 1 v 9-10-11 (read)
If Jesus is to descend, as the scripture says, in same manner in which he ascended, we can expect his coming. His Coming is to be Personal, Visible and Physical. Not the Holy Spirit, Not the Angels. But the Lord Himself thats the message of the bible. Jesus is leaving heaven again, this time to catch up His bride ''the Church'' to be with Him. The detail of this passage is so complete, given all the sounds that will be heard 'Shout' 'Voice of Archangel' 'Trump of God'
There has been discussion about these sounds but as I see it as just one sound described in three different ways. Lord will come with a shout, which is such a thing as Voice of Archangel, which is such a thing as Trump of God. One sound that is a 'Shout a Voice' a 'Trumpet' I don't know what that will soundlike but it will not be misunderstood by those who belong to Jesus. It will be a sudden stupendous event just as His ascension was a sudden stupendous event. And after His Return there will be a resurrection.
B The Resurrection end v16 ''dead in Christ'' this is not a resurrection of all the dead but a resurrection of those who are in Christ. There is another resurrection coming later on that will be the 2nd resurrection...... we don't want to be a part of that one. This is the first resurrection, the resurrection of the dead in Christ. After this Resurrection there will be a Rapture.
C. The Rapture v 17 ''caught up'' the word rapture comes from that ''two word'' phrase, 'caught up'. An interesting Greek word, which has a number of meanings. These meanings all point to something thats important, to whats going to happen. The word is 'harpadzo' Sometimes this word means........
(a) 'to carry off by force' This means that the devil and powers will do all they can to keep Saints upon the earth, but Jesus will overpower him delivering us by His omnipotent force. The Lord is Almighty, able to overcome all resistance to the Rapture.
(b) ''to claim for one's self eagerly'' This second meaning informs us that Jesus will claim us as His very own.. He redeemed us by shedding His blood, and He will surely come for us.
(c) ''to snatch away speedily'' This emphasises the sudden nature of the rapture, It will be in a moment in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. 1Cor.15:52 In a split of a second of time, the Lord will call all believers to Himself to share in His glory. Tim Lahaye is absolutely right about this in his book, the first one 'Left Behind''. People will be going about life as normal, then one day a segment of the population will be missing. Drivers will be gone, believing air pilots will be gone, the bible says the Lord is going to hover over the universe and believers will be snatched up, like the pull of a magnet out of the population. It will happen in a moment, without warning, no time to left to get ready, immediately the whole church will be gone. God is going to send His son to catch us up out of here.
(d) ''to rescue from the danger of destruction'' It is very important that if a person believes in the inspiration of the scripture, he must believe that the Holy Spirit chose this special word (caught up, harpadzo) to tell us that believers will be taken out of the danger of destruction. That is we won't be in the coming tribulation, we will be caught up out of the Tribulation before it happens. So there is The Return, The Resurrection, The Rapture, then The Reunion 1Thess 4.17**
What sort of a reunion? Dead bodies are going to be reunited wirh their spirits. What happens when a Christian dies? Well who is the real person? The body? No the real person is Spirit & Soul. When Christians die they leave the body and go to be with the LOrd. The body lies in the grave. But God cares about the body so in the Rapture the dead will rise and be Reunited in a glorified body with their Soul & Spirit. Thats the first part of the reunion.
Then the resurrected believers are going to meet the living believers in the air. There will be a Meeting in the air! All of us together ushered into presence of the Lord. Such an exciting thing, there is going to be this re-union. We are going to meet those who have gone before. Re-union in the air, outside of heaven, ushered as one great group of people into presence of the Lord.
The Comforting purpose of the Rapture 1 Thess4.18** The great purpose of prophecy is that we might comfort one another. To show people the Hope, which is sure, and which we have in Jesus.
We sorrow not as those who have no Hope. We have a Hope. A Surety. Where do we get such a Hope?
From the word of God. After the Rapture we will never know meaning of separation again never- never- never.
We should be looking for the LOrd....... Living for the Lord.......... always ready
"Be ready" said Jesus
1 Thessalonians ch 4 v 13 - 18 please read
It has been suggested that Paul wrote 1Thessaloinians because the church was in despair, and it is also suggested that he wrote 2nd Thess. because they were being deceived! 1 Thess. ch 4 informs us that no Saint will be going through the Tribulation.
The 'Rapture'. This is an interesting word which means to seize, to snatch. The English word rapture is not used or mentioned. But the teaching of the Rapture comes from the meaning of the word which is used in this text. Today the word rapture means expressive joy and extacy, the fullest joy ever known, joy unspeakable. Paul wants us to understand some things about this passage.
Preview of the Rapture 1Thess4.13:14** "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. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even them also which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him". Paul says ''don't want you to be ignorant brethren'' The 1st thing Paul wants to do is Dispel the Ignorance Paul uses that phrase in other places, He wants to dispel ignorance and lack of knowledge.
Describes the believers Death v13 'fallen asleep' sleep of the body in death. Jn 11:11 Lazerus 4 days dead. (fallen asleep) Stephen Acts 7:60 as stoned he fell asleep. As in physical sleep we expect to awake, so in spiritual realm when we die, we will be awakened by the Lord
Defending the Believers Hope 3rd part of verse ''lest ye sorrow as others who have no hope' Paul wrote this letter to the Thessalonians to dispel their sadness. Some had lost loved ones, they had stood by the grave, so they asked the question "what about my dad"? If Rapture comes he's already died what is going to happen to him? Paul said there was no need for them to sorrow as others who have no hope. Thess 4:13 Not that we should'nt sorrow of course, we do sorrow when loved ones die. This passage is a commentary on 1Cor:15 which explains how Christ took the sting out of death. When Christ took the sting out of death, he changed death, from death to sleep for the Christian. Jesus has taken the sting out of death. He triumphed over death on the cross. Death is no longer final, death is a reclining, a falling asleep, waiting for the day of resurrection to come
The dead in Christ are not left out of the Rapture. The dead in Christ have a prominent place in the Rapture, what a comforting truth this must have been when Paul wrote, and said the Beloved dead, are not going to be forgotton they are going to be in place no 1. Notice what he says as he gives the certain promise of the Rapture. 1Thess4:15 Paul says let me give you some truth here, not only are they included in the Rapture they are going up first.
Chronological Programme of the Rapture 4 or 5 things come in rapid fire here in this passage
(A) The Return v16 'the Lord Himself'' God is not sending Angels, He is not sending the Holy Spirit. It is Jesus who is coming back, the emphasis is upon the personal return of the Lord Jesus. Remember the words of the two Angels when they spoke to the followers of Jesus at the ascension. "This same Jesus shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go" Acts ch 1 v 9-10-11 (read)
If Jesus is to descend, as the scripture says, in same manner in which he ascended, we can expect his coming. His Coming is to be Personal, Visible and Physical. Not the Holy Spirit, Not the Angels. But the Lord Himself thats the message of the bible. Jesus is leaving heaven again, this time to catch up His bride ''the Church'' to be with Him. The detail of this passage is so complete, given all the sounds that will be heard 'Shout' 'Voice of Archangel' 'Trump of God'
There has been discussion about these sounds but as I see it as just one sound described in three different ways. Lord will come with a shout, which is such a thing as Voice of Archangel, which is such a thing as Trump of God. One sound that is a 'Shout a Voice' a 'Trumpet' I don't know what that will soundlike but it will not be misunderstood by those who belong to Jesus. It will be a sudden stupendous event just as His ascension was a sudden stupendous event. And after His Return there will be a resurrection.
B The Resurrection end v16 ''dead in Christ'' this is not a resurrection of all the dead but a resurrection of those who are in Christ. There is another resurrection coming later on that will be the 2nd resurrection...... we don't want to be a part of that one. This is the first resurrection, the resurrection of the dead in Christ. After this Resurrection there will be a Rapture.
C. The Rapture v 17 ''caught up'' the word rapture comes from that ''two word'' phrase, 'caught up'. An interesting Greek word, which has a number of meanings. These meanings all point to something thats important, to whats going to happen. The word is 'harpadzo' Sometimes this word means........
(a) 'to carry off by force' This means that the devil and powers will do all they can to keep Saints upon the earth, but Jesus will overpower him delivering us by His omnipotent force. The Lord is Almighty, able to overcome all resistance to the Rapture.
(b) ''to claim for one's self eagerly'' This second meaning informs us that Jesus will claim us as His very own.. He redeemed us by shedding His blood, and He will surely come for us.
(c) ''to snatch away speedily'' This emphasises the sudden nature of the rapture, It will be in a moment in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. 1Cor.15:52 In a split of a second of time, the Lord will call all believers to Himself to share in His glory. Tim Lahaye is absolutely right about this in his book, the first one 'Left Behind''. People will be going about life as normal, then one day a segment of the population will be missing. Drivers will be gone, believing air pilots will be gone, the bible says the Lord is going to hover over the universe and believers will be snatched up, like the pull of a magnet out of the population. It will happen in a moment, without warning, no time to left to get ready, immediately the whole church will be gone. God is going to send His son to catch us up out of here.
(d) ''to rescue from the danger of destruction'' It is very important that if a person believes in the inspiration of the scripture, he must believe that the Holy Spirit chose this special word (caught up, harpadzo) to tell us that believers will be taken out of the danger of destruction. That is we won't be in the coming tribulation, we will be caught up out of the Tribulation before it happens. So there is The Return, The Resurrection, The Rapture, then The Reunion 1Thess 4.17**
What sort of a reunion? Dead bodies are going to be reunited wirh their spirits. What happens when a Christian dies? Well who is the real person? The body? No the real person is Spirit & Soul. When Christians die they leave the body and go to be with the LOrd. The body lies in the grave. But God cares about the body so in the Rapture the dead will rise and be Reunited in a glorified body with their Soul & Spirit. Thats the first part of the reunion.
Then the resurrected believers are going to meet the living believers in the air. There will be a Meeting in the air! All of us together ushered into presence of the Lord. Such an exciting thing, there is going to be this re-union. We are going to meet those who have gone before. Re-union in the air, outside of heaven, ushered as one great group of people into presence of the Lord.
The Comforting purpose of the Rapture 1 Thess4.18** The great purpose of prophecy is that we might comfort one another. To show people the Hope, which is sure, and which we have in Jesus.
We sorrow not as those who have no Hope. We have a Hope. A Surety. Where do we get such a Hope?
From the word of God. After the Rapture we will never know meaning of separation again never- never- never.
We should be looking for the LOrd....... Living for the Lord.......... always ready
"Be ready" said Jesus
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