1 Thessalonians 5 - The Second Coming

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18: And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.
Chapter 4 comforts the Thessalonian believers about what has happened to the Christians who have died. Chapter 5 further explains coming events, especially the second coming of Christ, which is not the same as the rapture.
(1) NOW concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you.

• Now - Greek peri de:
• In Chapter 5, the topic changes from the rapture to a new topic as indicated by Paul's use of the Greek words, peri de, usually translated "now" or "but".  Every time Paul uses these two words, they always denote a change in subject matter. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, the subject matter is what happens at the Rapture. But, in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, he introduces a new subject, a different event, the Day of the Lord. By doing this, Paul indicates that the Day of the Lord and the Rapture are not the same, they are separate events.Paul tells Christians that they are not a part of that day of wrath or judgment - in verse 4, he says, "For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night." Also, in verse 9 Paul tells them why they won't experience any part of the coming Day of the Lord. He says, "For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us." The Rapture is not part of the Day of the Lord, and takes place before it starts.
• When:
  • No one knows the time when Christ will return except God the Father: Acts 1:6-7: So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.
    • Did you notice what the apostles are asking? They're not asking when the rapture of the church will be - that period is not even anticipated by them. They're not asking about their resurrection. They're asking when Israel would be free from the Roman yoke and when he (Jesus) would sit on the seat of David as king of Israel!

(2) For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.

• You know quite well:
• They were taught about future events. But, evidently, they needed more details and were perhaps confused, which is easy.
• There was no need to write to them to tell them that the Lord will come. They knew that. There was no need to tell them that the time of his coming is secret. But, they did need instruction about what will happen when he does come back. They knew about the day of the Lord and of his return, because Paul and his friends had taught them about it. But when that day would be, no one could know.
• Day of the Lord's return (the day of the Lord in the KJV):
  • Ironside: "Paul did not need to write to the Thessalonians about the day of the Lord because it has to do with “the times and the seasons” and therefore cannot begin while the church is still in the world. Let me emphasize that in 1 Thessalonians 5:2 Paul was not referring, as some have supposed, to the descent of the Lord in the air to call His church away. He was referring to the coming of the Lord in visible glory to set up His kingdom. The day of the Lord has to do with events that will take place after the rapture of the church and prior to the revelation of the Lord in judgment."
  • William Barclay summarized the Old Testament meaning of the expression the day of the Lord this way:
  • It would come suddenly and unexpected.
  • It would involve a cosmic upheaval in which the universe would be shaken to its very foundations.
  • It would be a time when God would bring judgment upon the nations.
  • David Guzik: "The idea behind the phrase the day of the Lord is that this is Gods' time. Man has his "day," and the Lord has His day. In the ultimate sense, the day of the Lord is fulfilled with Jesus judging the earth and returning in glory."
  • Hiebert: "It does not refer to a single day, but to a season when God rapidly advances His agenda to the end of the age. The day of the Lord is a familiar Old Testament expression. It denotes the day when God intervenes in history to judge His enemies, deliver His people, and establish His kingdom.'"
  • This "Day" will come upon the whole world unexpectedly. The world will know nothing of this except the sudden strange fact that hosts of Christian believers have disappeared from earth. Following the rapture of the saints to glory, the prophetic clock that has been stopped for over about 2000 years will once again start ticking and the seventieth week of Daniel 9:27 will begin. Before the first 3 1/2 years are finished, anarchy will erupt and there will be a state of world-wide upheaval. But the beast of Revelation 13:1-10 will, with Satan's  power, restore a semblance of unity and order that will be so successful that he will become the object of admiring worship. "The whole world marveled at this miracle and gave allegiance to the beast" (Revelation 13:3). It is then that men will say "Peace and safety," thinking that they have found the supreme leader who is able to bring peace. But this will actually begin the worst trouble the world has ever seen: "then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape" (verse 3). This culminates in the day when the Lord is revealed from heaven when judgment will be executed upon the world.
  • See a few examples below of the phrase "Day of the Lord" in the Old Testament:
    • Isaiah 2:12,20-22: For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has a day of reckoning. He will punish the proud and mighty and bring down everything that is exalted. ... On that day of judgment they will abandon the gold and silver idols they made for themselves to worship. They will leave their gods to the rodents and bats, while they crawl away into caverns and hide among the jagged rocks in the cliffs. They will try to escape the terror of the Lord and the glory of his majesty as he rises to shake the earth. Don’t put your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. What good are they?
    • Isaiah 13:9: For see, the day of the Lord is coming - the terrible day of his fury and fierce anger. The land will be made desolate, and all the sinners destroyed with it.
    • Jeremiah 46:10: For this is the day of the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, a day of vengeance on his enemies. The sword will devour until it is satisfied, yes, until it is drunk with your blood! The Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, will receive a sacrifice today in the north country beside the Euphrates River.
    • Ezekiel 30:2-3: “Son of man, prophesy and give this message from the Sovereign Lord: “Weep and wail for that day, for the terrible day is almost here - the day of the Lord! It is a day of clouds and gloom, a day of despair for the nations.
    • Joel 1:15, 2:2, 2:11b,31,3:1-2: The day of the Lord is near, the day when destruction comes from the Almighty. How terrible that day will be! ... It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of thick clouds and deep blackness. Suddenly, like dawn spreading across the mountains, a great and mighty army appears. Nothing like it has been seen before or will ever be seen again. ... The day of the Lord is an awesome, terrible thing. Who can possibly survive? ... The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and terrible day of the Lord arrives. ... “At the time of those events,” says the Lord, “when I restore the prosperity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather the armies of the world into the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will judge them for harming my people, my special possession, for scattering my people among the nations, and for dividing up my land.
    • Zephaniah 1:14-15: “That terrible day of the Lord is near. Swiftly it comes - a day of bitter tears, a day when even strong men will cry out. It will be a day when the Lord’s anger is poured out - a day of terrible distress and anguish, a day of ruin and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,
    • Zechariah 14:1-9: Watch, for the day of the Lord is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front of you! I will gather all the nations to fight against Jerusalem. The city will be taken, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half the population will be taken into captivity, and the rest will be left among the ruins of the city. Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west. Half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south. You will flee through this valley, for it will reach across to Azal. Yes, you will flee as you did from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all his holy ones with him. On that day the sources of light will no longer shine, yet there will be continuous day! Only the Lord knows how this could happen. There will be no normal day and night, for at evening time it will still be light. On that day life-giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half toward the Mediterranean, flowing continuously in both summer and winter. And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one Lord - his name alone will be worshiped.
• Thief in the night:
• The Lord will not come like a thief in the night to those who are ready, only to those who are in darkness and not watching. To those who are waiting and ready, He comes as their great God and Savior. The question to ask is about Christians who claim to be saved but are not expecting the rapture or His return.
• First, note that the phrase “thief in the night” describes not suddenness, but unexpectedness. The thief plans his visit for the time when he will be least expected. The Antichrist will have made a seven-year covenant with Israel and the world will enjoy three and a half years of “peace and safety.” Then, unexpectedly, he will break the covenant and defile the temple, plunging the nations into the most terrible time of trouble they have ever experienced (See Daniel 9:27; 12:1; Matthew 24:21).
• Daniel 9:27, 12:1: The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.” ... “At that time Michael, the archangel who stands guard over your nation, will arise. Then there will be a time of anguish greater than any since nations first came into existence. But at that time every one of your people whose name is written in the book will be rescued.
• Matthew 24:43-44: Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.
• Luke 12:35-40: ““Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready. “Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”
• Revelation 3:3: Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief. (to the Church in Sardis).
• Revelation 16:15: “Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.”
• Titus 2:13: while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.

(3) When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on THEM as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.

• Peaceful and secure:
  • David Guzik: This sudden coming, in a time when many say "Peace and safety!" must be distinct from the coming of Jesus described in Matthew 24:15-35. The coming of Jesus described in Matthew 24:15-35 happens at a time of great global catastrophe, when no one could possibly say "peace and safety!" Comparing passages like this shows us that there must be, in some way, two aspects to Jesus' Second Coming:
  • One aspect of His coming is at an unexpected hour, the other is positively predicted.
  • One coming is to a "business as usual" world, the other to a world in cataclysm.
  • One coming is meeting Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), the other is Him coming with the saints (Zechariah 14:5).
  • During the first 3½ years of the Tribulation, a false peace will settle over the majority of the planet (Revelation 6:1-2, 8:1, 18:7-11). The rider on the white horse of Revelation 6:2 personifies a strong peace movement having a bow with no arrows (a call for international disarmament?). Peace has long been an obvious desire for mankind, and people are willing to believe anything told them by the media and their leaders, in spite of obvious facts to the contrary. This is observed in the history of Israel, when the peace prophets were busy in the days of Jeremiah, assuring the masses that there was nothing to fear, despite the moral and spiritual decay of their society.
  • With Isis, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram and all the rest of the crazed Islamic terrorists torturing, raping, murdering; nuclear-armed North Korea making threats; Islamic Republic of Iran working toward nuclear weapons, working toward taking over the entire middle east and sponsoring terrorism; Palestinian terrorists attacking Israelis almost daily; China gaining strength and exerting its power over much of the Pacific; Putin trying to restore the Soviet Union to its former power in opposition to the USA; a President that's too timid to intervene and all the "normal" violence and upheaval in the world, can we say today, "Everything is peaceful and secure"? Can it happen in our lifetime? It will take intervention beyond human capability to get this to happen, but a man is coming who will - Anti-Christ.
  • The phrase “peace and security” was actually a Roman slogan for what the empire and its armies gave to its citizens - in exchange for their liberty. So what Paul is saying is that just when people think things are good and peaceful – the day will come upon them. In other words, it is a false security that they have. Our own government uses "peace and security" to take away many of our rights.
  • The web page of the UN states that “The United Nations came into being in 1945, following the devastation of the Second World War, with one central mission: the maintenance of international peace and security.”
  • Jesus said the same thing in Luke 17:26-30: “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all. “And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business - eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building - until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
• Disaster:
• The day of the Lord begins with the removal of God's people; then terrible, destructive judgment breaks out on the earth.
• Matthew 24:21: For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again.
• C. S. Lewis: "God is going to invade this earth in force, but what is the good of saying you are on his side then when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else, something it never entered your head to conceive, comes crashing in; something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left? For this time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for choosing. It will be the time when we discover which side we have really chosen whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last forever. We must take it or leave it."
• Revelation 19:11-16: Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.
• Suddenly:
• James Moffatt: "While the Day comes suddenly to Christians and unbelievers alike, only the latter are surprised by it. Christians are on the alert, open-eyed; they do not know when it is to come, but they are alive to any signs of its coming."
• Them:
• Notice it's on THEM, not on US!
• Labor pains:
• The travail of a woman with child takes time. The birth pangs increase both in frequency and in intensity until the child is born. This illustrates the “great tribulation” far more accurately than it does the actual return of Christ, for during the great tribulation the world’s troubles will indeed increase both in frequency and intensity “and there will be no escape.” This “disaster” to take place during “the day of the Lord,” will overtake the world of the ungodly unexpectedly, just when they are congratulating themselves as having attained “Peace and safety”. Now please think carefully. Will anyone be saying, “Peace and safety” at the close of the “great tribulation”? Will anyone rejoice in “Peace and safety” as the battle of Armageddon rages? How, then, can this passage about “the day of the Lord” refer only to the return of Christ after the tribulation? But when we see that “the day of the Lord” begins with, rather than after the tribulation, all is in order.

(4) BUT you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief.

• BUT:
  • Paul is saying, “In contrast to the unbelievers in 5:2-3, believers will not be ‘surprised’ by the day of the Lord.” The reason Paul gives is that believers are not in darkness; rather, they are “children of the light and of the day (verse 5).” Notice that Paul does not say, “You are all children IN the light and IN the day” but “OF the light” and “OF the day.” The issue is not where they are but who they are. We are “OF the day” because Christ has given us new life.
• Surprised:
• Christians should be watching so they won't be caught by surprise. How awful that we would be raptured when we're right in the middle of some awful sin!

(5) For you are all children of the light and of the day; WE don’t belong to darkness and night.

• Children of the light:
  • This is a Hebrew expression that characterizes believers as children of God, Who is light and in Whom is no darkness at all.
  • Psalm 27:1: The Lord is my light and my salvation - so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?
  • Psalm 132:17: Here I will increase the power of David; my anointed one will be a light for my people.
  • Isaiah 10:17: The Lord, the Light of Israel, will be a fire; the Holy One will be a flame. He will devour the thorns and briers with fire, burning up the enemy in a single night.
  • Isaiah 26:19: But those who die in the Lord will live; their bodies will rise again! Those who sleep in the earth will rise up and sing for joy! For your life-giving light will fall like dew on your people in the place of the dead!
  • Matthew 5:14-16: “You are the light of the world - like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
  • John 8:12: Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
  • John 12:36: Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.”
  • 1 John 1:5-7: This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
  • Colossians 1:12-13: always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,
• We:
  • Paul still believes the rapture will occur while he's still alive because Israel has not yet been set aside. If Israel had repented and accepted Jesus as Messiah, He would have returned then.
• We don't belong to darkness:
• Revelation 3:10: “Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world.

(6) So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.

• Be on your guard, not asleep:
• Matthew 24:42-44: “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.
• Romans 13:11-14: This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.
• Alert:
• This word is used when Jesus tells his disciples to “keep watch” in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:34) and when Jesus talks about the master’s servants watching for his return.
• Clearheaded "(sober" in the KJV):
• Greek nephomen, which means "without wine."
• The word clearheaded or sober means to be aware of the reality of our lives and the times we live. Many believers are drunk with worldliness and all the things the world offers. Paul instructed believers in Titus 2:12-14, “And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.”
• Notice the contrasts in verses 5-7:
• light - darkness.
• day - night.
• on guard - asleep.
• drunk - clearheaded.
• 1 Peter 1:13: So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.

(7) Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk.

• Drunk:
  • A Christian should not allow strong drink to dull his mind and hinder his witness. Instead of being drunk with wine, he should be filled with the Spirit:
  • Ephesians 5:18-19: Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.
  • The stress is on the self-control and alertness that should mark a soldier on duty.
  • 1 Corinthians 6:10: or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people - none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.

(8) BUT let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

• Clearheaded:
  • Others seek the cover of the night to perform their deeds; the Christian should do nothing which can't be done under the full blaze of day.
• Armor:
  • The switch to the imagery of armor may indicate the idea of a soldier armored and on watch, in contrast with others who are off duty and drunk or asleep.
  • Isaiah 59:17: He put on righteousness as his body armor and placed the helmet of salvation on his head. He clothed himself with a robe of vengeance and wrapped himself in a cloak of divine passion.
  • Romans 13:12: The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living.
  • 2 Corinthians 6:7; 10:4: We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. ... We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.
  • Ephesians 6:10-17: A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
• Faith and love:
  • 1 Corinthians 13:13: Three things will last forever - faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of these is love.

(9) For God chose to save US through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on US.

• Chose:
• Here, Paul tells us that God "chose" us believers to eternal life and from His anger and the coming wrath.
• Psalm 139:16: You saw me BEFORE I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
  Jeremiah 1:5: "I knew you BEFORE I formed you in your mother's womb. BEFORE you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world."
• Acts 13:48: When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were CHOSEN for eternal life became believers.
• Romans 8:29-30: FOR God KNEW his people in advance, and he CHOSE them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters. And having CHOSEN them, he CALLED them to come to him. And he gave them RIGHT STANDING with himself, and he promised them his GLORY.
• Ephesians 1:4,11: Even before he made the world, God loved us and CHOSE us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. ... Furthermore, because of Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he CHOSE us from the beginning, and all things happen just as he decided long ago.
• 1 Thessalonians 1:4: We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has CHOSEN you to be his own people.
• Not to pour out his anger on us:
  • In this verse, we have the comparison of two destinations, anger or salvation. Nothing in between - no "purgatory."
  • God specifically states that He has not appointed Christians in this dispensation to experience the wrath He pours out in the Tribulation. This means believers who will be alive when the Tribulation begins will be raptured and not go into any part of the Tribulation. The wrath of God is reserved for those who reject God and His love. The Tribulation is a judgment on the earth, not upon Christians.
  • Romans 5:9: And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.
  • Ephesians 2:3-5: All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)
  • By "anger" or "wrath", the Bible indicates an attitude of God against sin. It is not one of uncontrolled anger, but the very opposite. It is a set attitude of One Who is morally righteous in all respects, to that which is contrary to moral righteousness, a horror of, and determination to deal with, sin because of what it is, defiling and destructive.

(10) Christ died for US so that, whether WE are dead or alive when he returns, WE can live with him forever.

• Christ died for us:
  • Salvation is possible only because our Lord Jesus Christ died for us. The very fact of his mentioning the death of Christ here demonstrates that he knew of no other way by which someone could be saved. And the result of that death is that when we believe in Him we are put into a position where it does not matter whether we ‘fall asleep in Christ’ or are found still ‘awake’. In either case, at His coming, we begin to live together with Him, we begin to experience His life as the spiritual life-giver.
• Live with him forever:
  • Ironside: "As Christians we do not dwell permanently on the earth; our citizenship is in Heaven from whence we look for the Savior who is coming to snatch us away from the wrath to come. Some of us who are living now may still be alive when the Lord comes to catch up His saints. But whether we live until He returns or die before He comes, we know that we will all be caught up to “live together with him”."

(11) So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

• Encourage each other:
  • 1 Thessalonians 4:18: So encourage each other with these words.

(12) Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance.

• Honor ... leaders:
  • The Bible commands respect for Christian leaders and it also commands church leaders to live in such a way as to earn that respect - unfortunately, many do not.
  • Paul is talking here about those who were functioning as elders among them. We have the name for one of them – Jason, as we read in Acts 17:5. The use of plurals shows that there are several leaders in Thessalonica.
  • We know from Acts 14:23 that Paul selected elders to guide the churches he founded: Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

(13) Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.

• Live peacefully with each other:
  • Romans 12:16, 14:19: Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! ... So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.
  • 2 Corinthians 13:11: Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.

(14) Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.

• Lazy:
  • The Greek word ataktos literally means “out of line” and seems to always refer to disorderly or disruptive conduct. It was used to describe a soldier who is out of ranks, or someone who was disorderly. The word was commonly used by the Greeks to describe someone that didn't show up for work.
  • As we saw in 4:11-12 and will later see in 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, some were not working but were bumming off of others. And since they didn’t work, they became busybodies getting into the affairs of others and being disruptive of the community.
  • Proverbs 6:6-11: Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest - then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.
  • 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13: And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us. For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living. As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.
• Timid (fainthearted in the KJV):
  • The second instruction is to encourage the timid or fainthearted. The word in Greek means "to have just a little soul or life left in you." These are people that are at the end of their rope, struggling to stay afloat. We need to encourage, rather than forsake these people.
• Weak:
  • As he has been speaking of people's spiritual conditions, we have to assume he means the spiritually weak.

(15) See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.

• No one pays back:
  • Romans 12:17: Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.

(16) Always be joyful.

• Joyful:
  • Morris: "Paul had learned that affliction and deep joy may go together, 2 Corinthians 6:10, and could rejoice in tribulations, Romans 5:3, Acts 16:25. So he can counsel perpetual rejoicing even to a church which was suffering so greatly. They had learned the truth of His words 'your joy no man taketh from you,' John 16:22. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22."
  • Rejoicing in the Lord, praying to the Lord, and giving thanks unto the Lord aligns your perspective with His. It gets you out of "Look how bad things are," and gets you into, "My eternal inheritance is secure in heaven. And God's in control. It's going to be all right in the end."
  • Acts 16:25: Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.
  • Romans 5:3: We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.
  • 2 Corinthians 6:10: Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.
  • Philippians 4:4: Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again - rejoice!

(17) Never stop praying.

• Never stop praying:
• This does not mean pray repetitiously or continuously without a break, but rather pray persistently and regularly.
• Morris: "It is not possible for us to spend all our time with words of prayer on our lips, but it is possible for us to be all our days in the spirit of prayer, realizing our dependence on God for all that we have and are . . . Where there is such an inward state it will find outward expression in verbal prayer."
• If you're in a place where you cannot pray, even silently, you need to leave!
• Praying:
  • Proverbs 15:29: The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayers of the righteous.
  • Daniel 6:10: But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.
  • Luke 18:1: One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.
  • Luke 21:36: Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”
  • Romans 12:12: Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
  • Ephesians 6:18: Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
  • Philippians 4:6: Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
  • Colossians 4:2: Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

(18) Be thankful IN all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

• Be thankful:
  • Thanklessness is a trait of unbelievers. “This is God’s will” includes verses 16-17.
  • Give thanks not FOR everything, but IN everything. We recognize God's sovereign hand is in charge, and not blind fate or chance.
• In all circumstances:
  • God can bring good out of the event, even if the event is unpleasant. The constant attitude of prayer, mentioned in verse 17, will help the believer to maintain gratitude in the face of adversity.

(19) Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.

• NIV: Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.
• Stifle ("quench" in the KJV):
  • We stifle or quench the Spirit when we choose to sin, we stifle the Spirit when we allow other things to take over our thoughts that should not, we stifle the Spirit when we have a bad attitude, we stifle the Spirit when we are not willing to go along with God.
  • Believers are also instructed to not bring sorrow to the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), but to be controlled by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) and to walk by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16).
  • Ephesians 4:30: And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

(20) Do not scoff at prophecies,

• Prophecies:
  • "Prophecies" refers to teaching, not the ability to foretell future events.

(21) but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.

• Test everything:
  • Acts 17:11: And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.
  • 1 John 4:1: Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.

(22) Stay away from every kind of evil.

• KJV: Abstain from all APPEARANCE of evil.
• Christians are to avoid evil in all its forms - even that which even gives an appearance of evil. An example of staying away from ‘the appearance of evil’ is found in Romans 14:15-16, 21: And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good. ... It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble.
• Ephesians 5:10-12: Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.

(23) NOW may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

• Make you holy in every way:
  • To make holy or "sanctify" means to be set apart to God.
  • Ray Pritchard: "Here are five fast facts you need to know about sanctification:
    1. It is the work of God.
    2. It is a lifetime process.
    3. It is never complete in this life.
    4. God won’t stop until the job is done!
    5. God uses everything that happens to us - the good and the bad - to make us like Jesus."
  Whole spirit and soul and body:
  • Scofield Bible: "That the human soul and spirit are not identical is proved by the facts that they are divisible. Hebrews 4:12 . And that soul and spirit are sharply distinguished in the burial and resurrection of the body. It is sown a natural body (soma psuchikon = "soul-body"), it is raised a spiritual body (soma pneumatikon). 1 Corinthians 15:44 . To assert, therefore, that there is no difference between soul and spirit is to assert that there is no difference between the mortal body and the resurrection body."
  • Paul is presenting three aspects of a human being.
  • Spirit = Greek pneuma, soul = Greek psyche, body = Greek soma.
  • 1 Corinthians 15:43-44: Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.
  • Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

(24) God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.

• NASB: Above all else, God is faithful. You can trust Him. You can depend upon Him.
• God will make this happen:
• He began a good work the moment you came to Christ, he continues it day by day, and he will bring it to completion when we see Jesus Christ face to face. (Philippians 1:6)
• Philippians 1:6: And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
• Faithful:
  • Salvation is assured because it begins and ends with God.

(25) Dear brothers and sisters, pray for US.

• Pray for US:
  • Despite being a giant of prayer himself, Paul always felt the need of the prayer of others.
  • “The Prince of Preachers,” Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892), had hundreds of faithful people pray in his church’s basement boiler room before he preached. He used to say, “This is where the power falls!”

(26) Greet all the brothers and sisters with a sacred kiss.

• Sacred kiss:
  • In Paul's day, the kiss was the customary greeting, so the emphasis here is not on the word “kiss” but on the word sacred.”

(27) I command you in the name of the Lord to read this letter to all the brothers and sisters.

• I:
  • Bruce: "The sudden switch from the plural to the singular of the first person is significant; the most probable explanation is that Paul took over the pen at this point and added the adjuration and the concluding benediction with his own hand . . ."

(28) May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
NEXT STUDY: Apparently, Paul learned that the saints in Thessalonians were still somewhat confused about the rapture versus the second coming because he adds addition information in 2 Thessalonians 1: This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy. We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you. And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people
- praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him. So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.
NOTES:

• Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois.
• Disclaimer: Source material for this study has been gleaned from many different sources. If you want further study, I have attempted to acknowledge these sources at http://1thessaloniansstudy.blogspot.com/2015/08/1-thessalonians-references.html
• Index to all our studies are at http://oakview-bible-fellowship.blogspot.com/

1 Thessalonians 4 - The Rapture

The primary objective of this study is to clarify the difference between the rapture and the second coming.

Before beginning the study, I suggest viewing Chuck Missler - The Rapture on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1xoON5GLSw

There are two other videos covering the rapture that I recommend:

1. "Differences Between the Rapture and Second Coming by Dr. Thomas Ice" at
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NTWbk5yv9E
2. Chuck Missler's "Harpazo - Rapture - Second Coming" at
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCyzZ_BBpTg

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Above image from
www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/htm/NT/1%20Thessalonians/1Thessalonians.htm

Above image from
http://tribulationrisingcom.fatcow.com/matthew-24-and-the-rapture/

Above chart from http://tribulationrisingcom.fatcow.com/matthew-24-and-the-rapture/

NOTE: Chapter 4 verses 13-18 belong much better with chapter 5. Paul will conclude his teaching the rapture and the second coming in 5:11 and then resume the moral parts of instruction in 5:12. Chapter breaks are man-made.

Read 1 Corinthians 15:12-56 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 before beginning.

Ed Hindson observes: "The rapture (or "translation") of the church is often paralleled to the "raptures" of Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:12). In each case, the individual disappeared or was caught up into heaven. At His ascension, our Lord Himself was "taken up" into heaven (Acts 1:9). The biblical description of the rapture involves both the resurrection of deceased believers and the translation of living believers into the air to meet the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52). The movement for the believer at the rapture is from earth to heaven, while it is from heaven to earth at the second advent. At the rapture, the Lord comes for his saints (1 Thessalonians 4:16), while at the second coming the Lord comes with His saints (1Thessalonians 3:13). At the rapture, the Lord comes only for believers, but His return to the earth will impact all people. The rapture is a translation / resurrection event where the Lord takes believers "to the Father's house" in heaven (John 14:3), while at the second coming believers return from heaven to the earth (Matthew 24:30)." - from "The Rapture and the Return: Two Aspects of Christ's Coming" in When The Trumpet Sounds July 1995).

• Genesis 5:23-24: Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.
• 2 Kings 2:11-12: As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!” And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress.
• Matthew 24:30: And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
• John 14:2-3: There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
• Acts 1:9: After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him.
• 1 Corinthians 15:51-52: But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.
• 1 Thessalonians 3:13: May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.

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Lambert Dolpin: "When an individual dies he or she leaves time and enters eternity. Some scholars think that all believers travel through eternity immediately, "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye," to arrive at the Rapture the next instant in his or her personal experience. If that is the case, all believers arrive in heaven at the same "time." Thus, "to be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:8) We may have difficulty picturing this if we do not realize that eternity runs according to an entirely different time than the one-dimensional time frame in which we are constrained to live while in our mortal bodies." http://ldolphin.org/kingdom/ch4.html

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The Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ - Is There a Difference?
(excerpted from http://christianity.about.com/od/endtimestopicalstudy/f/secondcomingof.htm)

According to some Bible scholars, prophetic Scriptures seem to speak of two separate events - the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ.

The Rapture will occur when Jesus Christ returns for his church. This is when all true believers in Christ will be taken from the earth by God into heaven (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). The Second Coming is when Jesus Christ returns with the church to defeat the antichrist, overthrow evil and then establish His thousand year reign (Revelation 19:11-16). These two events appear to be similar but separate. Both happen during the end times and both describe a return of Christ. Yet there are key differences. The following is a comparison of the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ, highlighting the key differences noted in Scripture:

1) Meeting in the Air - Versus - Returning with Him

• In the Rapture, believers meet the Lord in the air.
  • 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.

• In the Second Coming, believers return with the Lord.
  • Revelation 19:14: The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses.

2) Before Tribulation - Versus - After Tribulation

• The Rapture will happen BEFORE the Tribulation: 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Revelation 3:10.
• The Second Coming will happen AT THE END OF the Tribulation: Revelation 6-19

3) Deliverance - Versus - Judgment

• In the Rapture, believers are taken from the earth by God as an act of deliverance: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, 1 Thessalonians 5:9.
• In the Second Coming, unbelievers are removed from the earth by God as an act of judgment: Revelation 3:10, Revelation 19:11-21.

4) Hidden - Versus - Seen by All

• The Rapture, according to Scripture, will be an instantaneous, hidden event: 1 Corinthians 15:50-54.
• The Second Coming, according to Scripture, will be seen by everyone: Revelation 1:7.

5) At Any Moment - Versus - Only After Certain Events

• The Rapture could happen at any moment: 1 Corinthians 15:50-54, Titus 2:13, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18.
• The Second Coming won't happen until certain events take place.: 2 Thessalonians 2:4, Matthew 24:15-30, Revelation 6-18.

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Donald Perkins: "The difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ" (www.according2prophecy.org)

"I believe the reason there are so many views on the Rapture is because many Bible students don't know the difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ. These are two separate and distinct comings of our Lord. At the Rapture of the Church, Christ will not touch the earth, but will be met in the air by the saints. (1 Thessalonians 4:17.) At the Second Coming, He will touch the earth at His coming. (Zechariah 14:4; Acts 1:11.) At the Rapture, He will come as a deliverer of the Church in joyous splendor. In the Second Coming, He will come back to deliver Israel physically and fight against the anti-christ and his fouls. (Revelation 19:11-21.)"

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THE RAPTURE:

The definition of the word Rapture: The word "Rapture" is not found in the English Bible. The words "will be caught up" in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 come from the Greek word "harpazo" which is rendered "raptus" in the Latin Bible. "Harpazo" is found 13 times in the Greek Bible and is variously translated "pull," "pluck," "take by force," "catch," "catch away" and "catch up." It literally means "to seize" or "snatch away" as a thief might snatch away a purse from a woman. Those who argue that the term "rapture" does not appear in the Bible are obviously unaware of the prominence of the Latin Vulgate translation in church history.

The word "harpazo" often denotes the emotion of a sudden swoop and usually that of a force which cannot be resisted" (Linguistic Key to Greek New Testament). It means, "to seize, carry off by force" (Grimm-Thayer, Lexicon). "There is often the notion of a sudden swoop, and usually that of a force which cannot be resisted. The application of such a verb to the snatching away (the "rapture') of the saints is obvious" (Morris, p. 145). Bruce says it "implies violent action, sometimes indeed to the benefit of its object, as when the Roman soldiers snatched Paul form the rioters in the Jerusalem council-chamber (Acts 23:10) or when the male child in the apocalyptic vision was caught up to God to preserve him from the great red dragon (Revelation 12:5). It is used in Acts 8:39 for the Spirit's snatching Phillip away after his interview with the Ethiopian chamberlain and (more Emmanuel to the present passage) of Paul's being caught up to the third heaven of paradise (2 Corinthians 12:2, 3)".

The picture of individuals being snatched up and away is seen in four New Testaments uses:

1. Of the act of the Spirit of the Lord snatching Phillip away:
   Acts 8:39: When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord SNATCHED Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing.
2. Of Paul being caught up to the third heaven (Paradise):
   2 Corinthians 12:2,4: I was CAUGHT UP to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows. ... that I was CAUGHT UP to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.
3. Of believers being caught up to be with the Lord:
   1 Thessalonians 4:17: Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be CAUGHT UP in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.
4. Of the "child" (Jesus) being caught up to God"
   Revelation 12:5: She gave birth to a son who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child was SNATCHED AWAY from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne.

No one knows when the Rapture will occur. However, there are a number of signs that will be prevalent as the time draws near. Among these signs will be:

• Simultaneous increases in false christs, wars, famines, pestilences and earthquakes (Matthew 24:4-7).
• Christian persecution (Matthew 24:9).
• Iniquity will be abounding (Matthew 24:10-12; cf. 2 Timothy 3:1, 1 Timothy 4:1-2).
• The gospel will be preached"throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14).
• The Nation of Israel will be back in the Land (Matthew 24:32; cf. Hosea 9:10; Joel 1:6-7).
• The world will be saying "Everything is peaceful and secure" (1 Thessalonians 5:3).
• The Bible says, "But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. ... In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door." (Matthew 24:8, 33)

The Rapture will take place prior to the Tribulation. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, 6-8 states: "Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed - the one who brings destruction. He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. ... And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming."

In Revelation 4:1, we have a picture of the Rapture at the end of the Church Age. Then, after that in Revelation 6:2, the Antichrist is seen on "a white horse standing there. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He rode out to win many battles and gain the victor." It is therefore apparent that the Antichrist will not be revealed until after all believers, in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, are removed from the Earth.

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Clarence Larkin:

"Will the Old Testament saints be raptured too?

"Only Church Age believers will be Raptured. The reason we say that is this: The Tribulation is a continuation of the Old Testament Dispensation of Law (Daniel 9:27). The Dispensation of Law ended and the Church Age began with the establishment of the New Testament Church by the Lord Jesus Christ. This New Testament Dispensation of Grace is like a "time out" between Old Testament times and Tribulation.

"God through the Prophet Daniel described the end of the Tribulation and the beginning of the last dispensation, the Millennium, in these words: "And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days." (Daniel 12:11-13; cf. Job 19:25-27)

"This passage clearly states that Daniel, an Old Testament saint, will not be resurrected until after the Tribulation.

"Church Age believers will be raptured to meet the Lord in the air, but Old Testament believers will be resurrected and see the Lord on the earth. Daniel will "stand in [his] lot at the end of the days" (Daniel 12:11-13). "[Job knew] that [his] redeemer liveth, and that He [would] stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after [his] skin worms destroy [his] body, yet in [his] flesh [he will] see God." (Job 19:25-26)"

Above from http://prophecy.landmarkbiblebaptist.net/rapture.html

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1 Thessalonians 4:13-18:

(13) And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.

• And now (Greek de . . . peri):
• Introduces a new topic. Nevertheless, this section also continues Paul's last admonition in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 that Christians behave properly before the unbelieving world in order to be a good witness.
• Died = Greek koimaomai (are asleep): Translated "them which are asleep" in the KJV. We get our English word cemetery from koimeterion.
  
• The death of those who believe in Jesus is like sleep. This sleep is not like normal sleep. They are alive with the Lord Jesus in a different world or dimension. Their spirit has gone from their bodies to be with him.
• W. E. Vine says, "The object of the metaphor is to suggest that as the sleeper does not cease to exist while his body sleeps, so the dead person continues to exist despite his absence from the region in which those who remain can communicate with him, and that, as sleep is known to be temporary, so the death of the body will be found to be. Sleep has its waking, death will have its resurrection. When the physical frame of the Christian, "this earthly tent we live in,' 2 Corinthians 5:1, is dissolved and returns to the dust, the spiritual part of his highly complex being, the seat of personality, departs to be with Christ, Philippians 1:23. And since that state in which the believer, absent from the body, is at home with the Lord, 2 Corinthians 5:6-9, is described as "very far better' (KJV) than the present state of joy in communion with God and of happy activity in His service. . . . it is not intended to convey the idea that the spirit is unconscious".
• Sleep is used of Jarius’ daughter (Matthew 9:24) whom Jesus raised from the dead and Stephen who was stoned to death (Acts 7:60; John 11:11; 1 Corinthians 7:39; 15:6, 18, 51; 2 Peter 3:4).
• My own personal belief about death is, the instant we draw our last breath, our spirit goes to be in heaven (another dimension?) with Jesus. Our body (the house we moved out of) goes to the grave. That body was made from the dust of the earth and it must return to dust. The real me is the spirit that was housed in that body. Many Christians confuse the "soul" with the "spirit". The soul is the life force - even animals have a soul (nephesh - breath - Strong's Hebrew: # 5315) - Genesis 2:19. Only when God breathed into the body of Adam did Adam become a living soul (person) - Genesis 2:7. The soul and spirit are not the same per Hebrews 4:12. Man is composed of spirit, soul and body. Jesus released his spirit. The spirit belongs to God and goes back to Him upon death. The soul is the life force and the body is the physical shell.
• What will happen to believers who have died: 
  • They probably believed that Christ would come in their lifetime. But, some of their own family and friends had died since Paul had been there preaching and instructing them. They were quite concerned for their loved ones and were afraid their loved ones had somehow missed the rapture.
  • These deceased believers were with the Lord spiritually (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:20-24), but their bodies were physically "asleep" in the earth. Paul made it very clear that the spirit of the believers went to be with the Lord. It is not the spirit that sleeps; it is the body. The spirit leaves the body at death, and the body goes to sleep and no longer functions. When Christ resurrects our bodies of decay, disease and weakness that plague us now will be stripped away. When He comes we will have Christ-like bodies (1 Corinthians 15:50-55; 1 John 3:2).
  • Psalm 116:15 (KJV): Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
  • Ecclesiastes 12:7: For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
  • Isaiah 26:19-21: But those who die in the Lord will live; their bodies will rise again! Those who sleep in the earth will rise up and sing for joy! For your life-giving light will fall like dew on your people in the place of the dead! Go home, my people, and lock your doors! Hide yourselves for a little while until the Lord’s anger has passed. Look! The Lord is coming from heaven to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will no longer hide those who have been killed. They will be brought out for all to see.
  • Matthew 27:50: Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit.
  • John 6:47: “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life.
  • John 11:11-14:  Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.” The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died. So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.
  • John 19:30: When Jesus had tasted it, he said, "It is finished!" Then he bowed his head and released his spirit.
  • Acts 7:59-60: As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.
  • 1 Corinthians 15:44-45: They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies. The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam - that is, Christ - is a life-giving Spirit.
  • 1 Corinthians 15:52-58: It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
  • 2 Corinthians 5:1: For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.
  • 2 Corinthians 5:6-9: So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him.
  • Philippians 1:21-23: For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.
  • Colossians 3:4: And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:23: Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.
  • Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
  • 1 John 3:2: Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.
• No hope:
  • The typical attitude of the ancient world to death was one of utter hopelessness. They had no consolation to offer. Milligan said, "The general hopelessness of the pagan world in the presence of death is almost too well known to require illustration."
  • Catullus, a Roman poet: "Suns may set and rise again but we, when once our brief light goes down, must sleep an endless night."
  • Aeschylus, a Greek dramatist: "Of a man once dead there is no resurrection."
  • Theocritus, a Greek poet: "Hopes are among the living, the dead are without hope."

(14) For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

• Jesus died and was raised to life again:
• Wil Pounds: "Christ is never said to be sleeping. He died and in His death He bore the wages of our sins. He died the worst death possible. Death has not been final in His case, however. He is alive. He is awake! Jesus took away the horror of death for the Christians. It is because Jesus died that we no longer need to fear death."
• The certainty of the believer’s hope is based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
• 1 Corinthians 6:14: And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.
• 1 Corinthians 15:20-23: But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.
• When Jesus returns:
• The apostle Paul has in mind the Parousia.
• Bring back with him the believers who have died:
• Their death does not mean they will not share in His coming. Paul is certain the event will take place. This verse is referring NOT to the rapture - it is referring to the SECOND COMING - because He's bringing back the believers with Him when He returns!

(15) We tell you this directly from the Lord: WE who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.

• WE:
• Since Paul didn’t know God’s timing, he lived and spoke as if it could happen in his lifetime because Israel had not yet rejected Christ.
• Romans 13:11: This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for OUR salvation is nearer now than when WE first believed.
• 1 Corinthians 15:51: But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. WE will not all die, but WE will all be transformed!
• Pastor Jimmy Evans (Gateway Church) in the video "Truth at Tipping Point" (http://gatewaypeople.com/ministries/life/events/tipping-point-a-gateway-series-with-pastor-jimmy-evans/session/2015/05/30): "In Verses 15-17, we have clearest description in the Bible of the Rapture of the Church."
• Directly from the Lord:
• Galatians 1:1: This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.

(16) For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves.

• Thessalonians does not give us all the details, but we find them more fully answered in 1 Corinthians 15. That chapter also informs us of the change that must take place as to the bodies of all saints who are alive when He comes. We must be changed into a spiritual and incorruptible condition before we are raptured.
• Commanding shout - Greek keleusma:
• Keleusma is a military word of command always with a ring of authority and note of urgency to it.
• F. F. Bruce: "Here it is the Lord Himself who shouts the quickening word, which commands a ready and obedient response. Only the voice of the Son of God can awaken the dead and change the living.
•  John 5:25-28: “And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice - the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son. And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man. Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son,
• Trumpet call of God:
• John Calvin said, "As a field marshal gathers his armies to battle by the sound of the trumpet, so Christ will summon all the dead with a voice that rings and resounds throughout the whole world."
• The trump of God will sound. This blast will sound the alarm of the Rapture. The blowing of the trumpet in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 is a trump of victory and the trumpet of Revelation 8:13 are trumpets of woe and judgment in the Tribulation.
• Matthew 24:31: And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world - from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
• 1 Corinthians 15:52: It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.
• 
  Is it possible that the rapture will occur on the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShanah) as shown on the above image from www.jesusplusnothing.com/studies/online/FeastOfTrumpets.htm?
• First:
• What Paul is now stressing is that the dead in Christ would rise FIRST. It is first Christ, and then those who are "dead in Christ" at His coming and finally those who remain alive at His coming will be snatched away together with them.
• Rise from their grave:
• John Walvoord says, "Christians will be resurrected like the resurrected body of Christ and will have a resurrection body which will never wear out, which will never be subject to death or disease or pain a body which will last for all eternity, suited for the glorious presence of the Lord".
• Spurgeon: "Though the bones be scattered to the four winds of heaven, yet, at the call of the Lord God, they shall come together again, bone to his bone . . . We doubt not that God will guard the dust of the precious sons and daughters of Zion."
• Romans 6:3-8: Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him.
• 1 Corinthians 6:14: And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.
• 2 Corinthians 4:14: We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you.

(17) Then, TOGETHER with them, WE who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then WE will be with the Lord forever.

• Together with them:
• In verse 17 observe the word "together." The Thessalonians grieved for those whom they'd lost and I so well know personally the grief from having lost someone very dear to me and whom I look forward to once again embracing. Yet, we do not grieve as those who have no hope, nor did they. Jesus is going to reunite us. We shall be caught up TOGETHER.
• WE who are still alive ... on the earth:
• The living saints will be transformed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and in that instant will be given immortal, incorruptible bodies (1 Corinthians 15:51-53). There will not be an interval between the raising of the dead believers and the change of the living saints. Those rising from the grave and those who are caught up are going to meet the Lord in the air. He will take us to heaven where we are already seated.
• 1 Corinthians 15:53: For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.
• 2 Corinthians 5:4: While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life.
• 1 John 3:2: Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.
• Caught up in the clouds:
• Caught up is harpazo in Greek and rapturo in Latin - we get our word "rapture".
• The specific usage of the verb harpazo in I Thessalonians 4:17 is harpagesometha, the future passive indicative tense - suddenly caught up.
• Clouds:
• The Greek word for clouds here is nefelh and is a direct reference to the "angelic clouds" not to meteorological clouds. This is similar to the case of the Angelic Shekinah, which led Israel throughout the Wilderness as a pillar of fire by night and a "cloud" by day.
• Meet the Lord in the air:
• The words "to meet the Lord" are used to describe a dignitary paying official visit to a city. The leading citizens of the city would go out to meet him and escort him back on the final stage of his journey. When Julius Caesar went through Italy in 49 B.C., Cicero wrote, "just imagine what meeting he is receiving from the towns, what honors are paid to him!" Also the bridal party goes out to meet the bridegroom in a Jewish wedding and escort him with a procession to the banquet hall (Matthew 25:6). Roman Christians did the same thing for Paul (Acts 28:15). Everything leads up to the great note of triumph, "Then we will be with the Lord forever."
• In the air:
• In the air, in another part of our known universe, in another universe or in another dimension entirely? Notice, nothing is said about immediately returning to the earth here.
• Then WE will be with the Lord forever:
• This does not mean that they will remain with him in the air - for their final home will be heaven.
• The Body of Christ remains in heaven forever. While Israel has an Earthly Hope, the Body of Christ has a Heavenly Hope.
• Yet, Paul also says that we are (present tense) seated with Him in heaven already: Ephesians 2:6: For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

(18) So encourage each other with these words.

• Encourage each other:
  • The encouragement here is based on the following:
  1. The dead will be resurrected and will participate in the Lord’s coming for His own.
  2. When Christ comes, the living will be reunited forever with their loved ones.
  3. They all will be with the Lord eternally (verse 17).
  4. The Christian’s hope of the resurrection brings solace in the face of death – in contrast to the hopelessness of the heathen.
  • John Walvoord: "We will love the appearing of the Lord in direct proportion as we love the Lord Himself. If we love Him, if we long to see Him who first loved us, then the truth of the Lord's coming and the fact that He could come today will be a precious truth."

NEXT STUDY: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11: Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape. But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

NOTES:

• Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois.
• Disclaimer: Source material for this study has been gleaned from many different sources. If you want further study, I have attempted to acknowledge these sources at http://1thessaloniansstudy.blogspot.com/2015/08/1-thessalonians-references.html
• Index to all our studies are at http://oakview-bible-fellowship.blogspot.com/