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1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. [14] For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep 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 not precede those who have fallen asleep. [16] For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. [18] Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Note the words “will” and “shall” in the text. No doubt in those words. Some things about the end times are uncertain. Not this. When God says something will, you can count on it – it will happen. So here Christ will descend, the dead in Christ will rise first, and the ones still alive will be caught up. This is our blessed hope, and it could happen at any time. That’s the doctrine of imminency. Hope in Scripture is the absolute certainty and joyful anticipation of a good future. It’s not, “we hope maybe…” but “we hope and it will….” We can summarize our hope in seven ways; all grounded in Christ Jesus. We have a…
- Living hope in 1 Peter 1:3.
- Blessed hope in Titus 2:13.
- Joyful hope in 1 Thessalonians 2:9.
- Comforting hope in 1 Thessalonians 4:18.
- Glorious hope in Colossians 1:27.
- Anchoring hope in Hebrews 6:19.
- Purifying hope in 1 John 3:3.
Add them all up and in 1 Timothy 1:1 Christ Himself is our hope. We live by hope in the imminent coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Teaching about the second coming of Jesus Christ and what we can expect is exciting. God has given us lots of information. The ratio of references to the first and second coming of Christ are 1 to 8. Scripture urges us to look forward with great expectation to His coming. Here is just one of many exhortations to eagerly wait for our Lord to come.
Philippians 3:20, For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
END TIMES IN A JIFFY
Before we move into our text in 1 Thessalonians, I want you to see the rapture of the church in the context of the end time events. Here’s a short version of our view of eschatology or the end times in a jiffy. Christ is coming back for His people. It could be at any moment. That means nothing has to happen in God’s prophetic calendar before He comes.
When He comes in the air, He will first resurrect dead believers with brand new bodies. Living believers will immediately be transformed into glorious bodies as we are instantly swept off this old earth. That’s the rapture of the church. Both groups meet Christ in earth’s atmosphere to never ever be separated from Him. He’ll take us to His Father’s house where He has been spending these 20 centuries preparing a place for us. The seven-year tribulation period prophesied by Daniel and described in Revelation 6-20 will immediately follow the rapture of the church. The unfolding of God’s judgment upon the earth during the end times as seen in Revelation 6-20 will happen in the future. We are not preterists who believe all those judgments in Revelation already happened in the first century, especially in AD 70. This future time will also be a time of God regathering Israel as a nation and pouring out severe judgments on earth, called the great day of His wrath. Here’s just a taste.
Revelation 6:15-17, Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; [16] and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; [17] for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
God will save many Jews and Gentiles during these seven years of great tribulation and many believers will be martyred as they refuse to worship the Antichrist. At the end of the seven-year tribulation period in Revelation 19, we will return with Christ out of the heavens and Christ will destroy all His enemies. This is called the great day of God the Almighty – the battle of Armageddon in Revelation 16:14-16. Christ will throw the Antichrist and the false prophet into the lake of fire and Satan will be locked down in the abyss for the 1000 years. Then Christ will set up His kingdom here on earth and we, along with all God’s people, will reign with Christ for 1000 years (Revelation 20).
Revelation 20:4, Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
At the end of the thousand years all the lost people will be resurrected, their souls will be retrieved from hell and united to their bodies and they will stand before Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment. Their names are not found written in the Lamb’s book of life so they will be judged according to their works and thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Revelation 20:14-15, Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. [15] And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
After this Great White Throne Judgment comes the new heaven and earth described in Revelation 21. The universe will be cleansed of all sin and we will enter into the eternal state with no more pain, sorrow, or tears. The glory of Christ will fill the heavenly city, and we will be with our great and glorious triune God forever and ever.
That’s the jiffy version. You should be able to map out in your mind these end time events. We’re not dealing with everything this morning. As one southern boy said, “We can’t get all our coons up one tree.” But I hope this whets your appetite to read about what will happen in your future. Remember God said it will happen, so it will. A reputable book that explains these end time events is Christ’s Prophetic Plans edited by John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue.
EXPERIENCING THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH
This morning we’re going back to that great event that kicks all this off, the Rapture of the Church. Last week we talked about anticipating the Rapture. This morning we’re going to see what it will be like to experience the Rapture. Remember Paul had already taught the Thessalonians about the return of Christ, but since Christ hadn’t yet come they began to fear that their loved ones who had died would miss out. Now Paul more fully informs them. He basically says, “No problem. Your loved ones who have already died will be right there with us. In fact, they’re going to get their new bodies first.” Now let’s look at verses 16-18 and see eight features of the Rapture. Are you ready for the Rapture?
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. [18] Therefore comfort one another with these words.
THE PERSON – vs.16a, For the Lord Himself …
The Lord Himself. “Himself” is emphatic. Himself…the Lord! This is the very same God-Man who came to earth to live a perfect life and bear our sins in His body on that cross; the one who was resurrected three days later and whom the disciples watched ascend into heaven from the Mount of Olives. He promised He would come.
John 14:3, 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.
THE COMING – vs. 16b, For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven…
At an unknown time in our future, Jesus will step down from His position at the right hand of the Father and will come down to the atmosphere of this little blue and white marbled planet earth. Just think about that. Some people are fascinated by UFOs and speculate about them. But we know this fact – Jesus is right now out there waiting to descend. He knows all about people’s speculations and He’s in total control of whatever people think they are seeing. There’s no speculation on our part. Jesus said He will come and He will. He’s coming from His well-earned position of rule and authority to take His Church home to be with Him. He’s coming back in His glorified body, but not all the way to earth. He will meet us in the air. Then after seven years He’ll return to earth again according to Zechariah 14:4, “In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives…” But there’s nothing here in 1 Thessalonians about His coming all the way to earth and there’s nothing here about judging unsaved people. We who have trusted Jesus as Savior from our sins are eagerly waiting for Him to come down personally and we will meet Him in the air. Are you ready?
THE SUMMONS – vs. 16c, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God…
He comes with three triumphant victory sounds. He’ll descend with a shout or a loud cry. Let’s just think about that for a moment. This word “shout” has a military ring of authority. It describes a commander’s shout to his troops. So here comes Jesus shouting out a victory cry as He comes into earth’s atmosphere. Then there’s the voice of the archangel, probably Michael as he’s the only named archangel. And there’s a blast from God’s trumpet. The trumpet was used in the Old Testament to arouse God’s people to break camp and ready to move out. All three sounds speak of the authoritative, militant, irresistible power of this moment coming from our Lord. Will the world hear it? We don’t know, but probably not. What happens next?
THE RESURRECTION AND TRANSFORMATION – vs.16d-17, And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up…
First, these are all believers as they are identified as “in Christ.” No unbelievers are mentioned in this whole passage. Unbelievers don’t get resurrected until Revelation 20 at the Great White Throne Judgment. These are believers who died since the Day of Pentecost when the New Testament church began. The Thessalonians were greatly concerned about the believers who had already died. Now they learn that the rapture will be a glorious reunion. Can you imagine the glory of it all when it happens? The display of power in it all? What a huge host of people will be brought up from earth’s cemeteries, mausoleums, cremation urns, killing fields, the oceans, mountains, valleys, you name it. Some were beheaded, burned, shot, drowned, mutilated in the most gruesome ways for their witness for Jesus Christ, but now they are resurrected in brand new bodies. Here we’ll join our believing ancestors along with millions upon millions, perhaps billions of all God’s elect in Christ.
This old world will surrender every single believer in Christ who died and God will instantly give them new bodies. This will surely be one of the greatest displays of power ever. At this very same instant we who are alive will join them. First Corinthians 15:50-53 explains what happens.
1 Corinthians 15:50-54, Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. [51] Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will 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 imperishable, and we will be changed. [53] For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. [54] But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.”
And Paul adds this,
Philippians 3:20-21, For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; [21] who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.
Here’s where you who are alive on earth will get your brand-new body. Calvin thinks our resurrected bodies will be just like our original bodies only perfect and immortal. Glorified. This completes your salvation. When you trusted in Christ, you were first justified or declared righteous through faith in Christ. Then you were sanctified over time here on earth. And at the rapture you will be glorified.
How quickly? First Corinthians 15:52 says it will be so fast you can’t cut the moment into a smaller amount. The word “moment” is our word “atom, which means not cuttable. If that’s not enough, Paul says “in the twinkling of an eye.” How fast is that? How long does it take to blink? Paul’s point? This will all happen instantaneously.
THE RAPTURE – vs. 17a, Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them…
Some argue the rapture is nowhere found in the Bible. Yes it is. It’s right here in verse 17. It’s the Greek word harpadzo. In Latin it’s rapere. Both words mean to seize, snatch, or carry away. It is used in 2 Corinthians 12:2 when Paul is caught up to the third heaven. It’s used in Acts 8:39 when Philip is snatched away from the Ethiopian Eunuch. The word is used of rescuing from danger. In Acts 23:10 Paul was “seized” out of the middle of some dangerous fellows by Roman soldiers protecting his life.
The resurrected dead and the transformed living believers will be seized or snatched or rescued from earth, caught up or raptured, to meet the Lord! The idea well may be that Jesus removes the church from the earth just before the beginning of the seven-year tribulation period. It’s like a father snatching his little daughter out of the way of an oncoming speeding locomotive.
Christ will snatch us up instantly, faster than the speed of light. We’ll just take off. We’ll leave all this behind. If we’re sick, we’ll be instantly healed. The handicapped will instantly be made whole. The depressed will instantly be energetic and gleeful. Those in debt – well, someone else will have to pay.
Joni Eareckson, who’s a quadriplegic, joyfully anticipates this moment when she will get a new body and have no need of her wheelchair. In her book, Heaven…Your Real Home, she writes, “I’m ready to have this lowly body transformed…. I will bear the likeness of Jesus, the Man from heaven.” Then she imagines what heaven will be like. “Speaking with friends or conversing with angels…we shall be perfectly fitted for our environment.” She speaks of flinging Frisbees or flying through space, scaling walls or walking through them. Are you ready for the rapture?
THE MEETING – vs. 17b, …caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air…
Where do we meet Him? Not on earth. Not in heaven. We meet Him in the clouds, in the air, in earth’s atmosphere. Imagine having a meeting with President Trump tomorrow. How you would look forward to it, amazed that you get a personal audience with the president of the greatest nation in the world. (You could give him the gospel). But in the Rapture we’re meeting with the Highest Dignitary of the Universe, the great Redeemer, our Shepherd and King, who is going to take us back to His father’s house to show us to the Father and all He’s been preparing for us all these years. During Jesus’ ministry on earth He prayed to His Father that He looked forward to showing His glory to those given to Him. John 17:24, Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. Could it be Jesus is more excited about meeting us than we are about meeting Him? Are you ready?
THE FELLOWSHIP – vs. 17c, And we shall always be with the Lord.
Always, forever and ever, with the Lord! For 20 centuries the Church has fought the spiritual battle, has fought her sin, has been tempted by this world, and has sailed through bloody seas with trials and sufferings. Now, finally she is with Him, right there in His presence, forever and ever worshipping and loving Him and glorifying Him, amazed by Him, completely filled with the greatest joy and delight possible. “Face to face with Christ my Savior; face to face what will it be?” That’s when faith becomes sight.
THE COMFORT – vs. 17d, Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Where do you find your spiritual comfort? In God’s words, in God’s promises. The Thessalonians were upset about their loved ones who had died. Paul gives them all this information and instruction about those who have died and those who remain. His words should be a comfort to us too. We know what to expect. God didn’t give us all this information to argue about, but to comfort and encourage one another. This is your future – if you’re a Christian. Are you looking for the rapture?
There’ll be a great gathering of all the saints and a time of rejoicing and worshipping and exulting in God. “What a day that will be when our Jesus we shall see!” We’ll be casting any crowns at his feet and know beyond the shadow of a doubt we are only there by His sovereign, matchless grace. We’ll fully know we are His beloved and chosen, as Paul began this great letter to the Thessalonians, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
Are you ready for the rapture? Will you be in that great company around Jesus? Is He your Lord and Savior now? If not, today’s the day! In his great Easter hymn, Christ the Lord is Risen Today, Charles Wesley included these lines:
Soar we now where Christ has led,
Following our exalted head,
Made like Him, like Him we rise,
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies!