BIBLE STUDY MANUALS: 1 THES 4:13-18, THE RAPTURE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A) FELLOW BELIEVERS ARE BEING ADDRESSED

B) WHAT IS BEING ADDRESSED IS A CORRECTION OF THE FALSE IDEA THAT THOSE THESSALONIAN BELIEVERS WHO HAVE ALREADY DIED WOULD MISS THE VICTORIES & GLORY OF THE LORD'S RETURN FOR THEM IN THE RAPTURE

C) "THOSE WHO FALL ASLEEP" = BELIEVERS WHO HAVE DIED ARE IN VIEW

1) [Compare 1 Thes 4:15]:

2) [Compare Jn 11:11-13]:

D) BELIEVERS WHO HAVE "FALLEN ASLEEP", I.E., HAVE PHYSICALLY DIED ARE PRESENT WITH THE LORD AND ARE ASSURED OF A BODILY RESURRECTION

1) [Compare Jn 6:40]:

2) [Compare Phil 1:22-24]

I) [1 Thes 4:13 cont.]:

E) "TO GRIEVE LIKE THE REST OF MEN" = CHURCH AGE BELIEVERS SHOULD NOT GRIEVE FOR THEY HAVE THE SURE HOPE OF ESCAPING GOD'S WRATH

1) [Compare 1 Thes 1:9-10]:

F) THE WRATH OF GOD IN THE TRIBULATION, DESCRIBED AS BIRTH PANGS ELSEWHERE IN THE BIBLE, IS NOT GOING TO BE WHAT ANYONE IN THE CHURCH EXPERIENCES

1) [Compare 1 Thes 5:1-9]:

2) [Compare Mt 24:3-8]:

3) [Compare Mt 24:21-22]:

G) THE WRATH OF GOD IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD IS FUTURE - NONE OF IT HAS OCCURRED YET

1) [Compare Matthew chapter 24]:

a) [Mt 24:3]:

i) [Compare Rev 11:1-2]:

[Further details of this 490 period and the 70th week of Daniel: ]

b) [Mt 24:3-14, 21]:

i) THE BIRTH PAINS OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD HAVE NOT OCCURRED YET

c) [Mt 24:12-14]:

i) "ENDURE UNTIL THE END" IN MT 24:12-14 REFERS TO THE FUTURE - FOR NO ONE IN VIEW IN THE PASSAGE HAS YET ENDURED TO THE END OF ANY AGE

d) [Mt 24:14]:

i) THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL TO THE WHOLE WORLD IS STILL A FUTURE HAPPENING

[Compare Rev 14:6-7]:

e) [Mt 24:15-16]:

i) THE 'ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION' OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD IS FUTURE NOT PAST

Detailed Explanation: (Dan 9:27 ),

f) [Compare Mt 24:21]:

i) THE CONDITIONS OF THE WORLD LEADING TO THE END OF THE AGE DESCRIBED AS THE WORST EVER IN HISTORY ARE FUTURE NOT PAST

g) [Mt 24:29-30]:

i) THE SUN BEING DARKENED, THE MOON NOT GIVING ITS LIGHT AND HEAVENLY BODIES BEING SHAKEN & FALLING FROM THE SKY HAVE NEVER HAPPENED ALL AT ONCE - IT IS FUTURE NEVER HAVING OCCURRED IN THE PAST

h) [Mt 24:32-35]:

i) THE GENERATION LIVING IN THE TIMES OF THE TRIBULATION WILL NOT PASS AWAY UNTIL THE SECOND COMING INDICATING A FUTURE EVENT NOT A PAST ONE

[Zech 9:9]:

2) CONCLUSION: THE SEVEN YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD IS FUTURE & THE CHURCH WILL NOT EXPERIENCE IT

I) [1 Thes 4:13 cont.]:

H) "LIKE THE REST OF MEN WHO HAVE NO HOPE" = "HOPE" = "ELIPDA" = REFERS TO THE SURE HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE AND THE ACCOMPANYING RESURRECTION WITHOUT BEING SUBJECT TO THE WRATH OF GOD

1) [Compare 1 Pet 1:3-4]:

2) [Compare 1 Jn 5:13]:

3) [Compare Titus 2:11-13]:

4) [Compare 1 Thes 5:9]:

5) [Compare Rev 3:9-10]:

I) THE SURE HOPE OF THE BELIEVER INCLUDES THE FACT THAT HE WILL NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE WRATH OF THE FUTURE DAY OF THE LORD, I.E., THE TRIBULATION PERIOD

1) INTRODUCTION

2) THE BLESSED HOPE OF THE BELIEVER IS THAT HE WILL NOT BE SUBJECT TO THE WRATH OF THE FUTURE DAY OF THE LORD

a) THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DAY OF THE LORD IN GENERAL

b) THE DAY OF THE LORD IN THE FUTURE

i) INTRODUCTION

[2 Thes 2:1-2]:

ii) THE FUTURE DAY OF THE LORD: WRATH THEN BLESSING

[Joel 2:1-2]:

[Amos 5:18-20]:

[Zech 1:14-15]:

[1 Thes 5:1-11]:

[Joel 3:9-21]:

iii) THE BACKGROUND OF THE FUTURE DAY OF THE LORD

iv) THE BROAD AND NARROW SENSE OF THE DAY OF THE LORD

[Gen 1:5]:

[Compare Mt 24:29-30]:

[Compare Zep 1:14-18]:

[Compare Zech 14:1-9]:

v) EVIDENCE FOR THE NARROW SENSE OF THE DAY OF THE LORD

[Rev 16:12-16]:

[Joel 3:9-16]:

[Compare Zech 14:1-5]:

vi) THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE DAY OF THE LORD = THE NARROW DAY OF THE LORD

vii) SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NARROW VS THE BROAD DAY OF THE LORD

b) THE DAY OF THE LORD IN THE FUTURE, cont.

viii) [Compare 2 Thes 2:1-4]:

viii_1) THE DAY OF THE LORD WILL NOT OCCUR UNTIL THE 'APOSTASIA' OCCURS

viii_1_a) DERRIVATION & AVAILABLE MEANINGS OF APOSTASIA, APOSTASION

viii_1_b) BIBLICAL USAGE OF APOSTASIA, APOSTASION

[Acts 21:21]:

[Compare Mt 5:31, 19:7]:

[Compare Mk 10:4]:

viii_1_c) ANCIENT USAGE OF APOSTASIA, APOSTASION SUPPORTS THE POSSIBILITY OF THE RAPTURE

viii_1_d) CONTEXT IN 2 THES CHAPTER 2 POINTS TO THE RAPTURE

[2 Thes 2:1]:

[2 Thes 2:5]:

[1 Thess 1:10]:

[1 Thess 2:19]:

[1 Thess 3:13]:

[1 Thess 4:13 - 5:10]:

[1 Thess 5:23]:

viii_1_e) APOSTASY = DEPARTURE FROM A RELIGIOUS FAITH IS NOT IN VIEW

viii_1_f) PAUL REFERS TO HAVING TAUGHT THE APOSTASIA PREVIOUSLY - WHICH SCRIPTURE POINTS MOST POWERFULLY TO THE RAPTURE

[Compare 1Tim 4:1-4]:

[Compare 2 Timothy 3:1-6]

viii_1_g) THE APOSTASY OF MANKIND TO WORHIP THE DEVIL IS PROPHESIED IN SCRIPTURE BUT IT DOES NOT FIT THE CONTEXT OF 2 THES 2:3

[Rev 13:4-8]:

[Compare Rev 13:11-15]:

[Compare Dan 11:31; 12:11]:

[Compare Mt 24:15-16]:

viii_1_h) THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE APOSTASIA AND THEN THE MAN OF SIN REVEALED POINTS TO THE RAPTURE

ix) THE DAY OF THE LORD WILL NOT OCCUR UNTIL THE REVELATION OF THE MAN OF SIN OCCURS

[2 Thes 2:1-4]:

x) THE MAN OF SIN WILL NOT BE REVEALED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 70TH WEEK, RATHER HE WILL MAKE HIMSELF KNOWN AT ITS BEGINNING

xi) THE DAY OF THE LORD IS REFERRED TO AS FUTURE DUE TO PAUL'S COMFORTING MESSAGE TO THE THESSALONIANS

xii) SINCE MOST CHURCH AGE BELIEVERS HAVE ALREADY DIED & ARE "PRESENT WITH THE LORD" AND WERE NOT SUBJECT TO PURIFICATION REFINING, I.E., THE KIND OF WRATH AS REVEALED IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD PASSAGES, THEN TO PROPOSE THAT THE REMAINING FEW IN THE LAST DAYS WILL BE PUT THROUGH A PURIFICATION REFINING IN THE TRIBULATION WRATH OF GOD IS NOT CONSISTENT

3) OTHER PASSAGES WHICH INDICATE THAT THE CHURCH AGE BELIEVERS WILL NOT BE PRESENT IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD

a) THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST FOR BELIEVERS TAKES PLACE IN HEAVEN UNLIKE THE EVENTS OF THE SECOND COMING WHICH OCCUR ON THE EARTH

i) [Rev 19:8]:

ii) [2 Cor 5:10]:

iii) 1 Cor 3:11-15]:

b) THE "RESTRAINER OF SIN", THE HOLY SPIRIT, IS TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY NECESSITATING THE CHURCH TO GO LIKEWISE SINCE IT WAS INDWELT WITH HIM

i) 2 Thes 2:6-7]:

c) THE 24 ELDERS REPRESENTING THE CHURCH ARE IN HEAVEN BEFORE THE TRIBULATION AND SECOND COMING

d) THE WEDDING IN REV 19:7-10 OF OUR LORD & THE CHURCH OCCURS IN HEAVEN BEFORE THE TRIBULATION

i) [Rev 19:7-10]:

e) THE RAPTURE CANNOT INVOLVE TRIBULATION SAINTS FOR THAT WOULD LEAVE NO MORTALS TO LIVE IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM AS GOD PROPHESIED THERE WOULD BE:

i) Isa 65:20-25]:

f) A RAPTURE OF SURVIVING TRIBULATION BELIEVERS SERVES NO PURPOSE & DEFEATS THE PURPOSE OF GOD'S JUDGMENT ON THE EARTH

g) A RAPTURE AT THE SECOND COMING OF THE CHURCH WOULD RESULT IN THE CHURCH IMMEDIATELY COMING BACK TO EARTH SERVING NO PURPOSE EITHER

II) [1 Thes 4:14]:

A) THE BELIEVER'S BODY, SOUL & SPIRIT WILL BE REJOINED IN A PERFECT & RIGHTEOUS RESURRECTED BODY & BE BROUGHT BACK TO HEAVEN WITH OUR LORD

III) [1 Thes 4:15]:

A) THIS IS THE COMING OF OUR LORD FOR HIS CHURCH AND NOT THE SECOND COMING TO THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH TO BEGIN HIS REIGN

1) [Compare Jn 14:2-3]:

Click here for a detailed study on this passage in John chapter 14:

IV) [1 Thes 4:16-18]:

A) FOR THE LORD HIMSELF WILL COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN TO MEET HIS CHURCH IN THE AIR, (NOT ON THE EARTH AS IN THE SECOND COMING) & TO BRING HIS CHURCH BACK TO HEAVEN WITH HIM

B) THE TRUMPET CALL OF THE RAPTURE VS THE TRUMPET CALL OF THE SECOND COMING

1) [Compare 1 Cor 15:51-53]:

2) [Compare the trumpet which announces the Second Coming]:

i) [Mt 24:30-31]:

3) WHAT THE LAST TRUMPET OF 1 CORINTHIANS 15:52 CANNOT MEAN

4) THE LAST TRUMP = THE LAST TRUMP OF A PARTICULAR SERIES OF TRUMPETS

IV) [1 Thes 4:16-18 cont.]:

C) "WE WHO ARE STILL ALIVE AND ARE LEFT WILL BE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER IN THE CLOUDS TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR"

D) "SHALL BE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER IN THE CLOUDS TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR." = TO BE RESCUED BY GOD FROM THE DANGER OF THE ENTIRE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD

1) [1 Thes 1:8-10]:

2) [Compare 1 Thes 5:9-10]:

3) [Compare Rev 3:9-10]:

V) [1 Thes 4:17-18]:

A) THE COMING OF THE LORD TO CATCH UP HIS SAINTS IS IMMINENT

1) INTRODUCTION

2) THE NEW TESTAMENT SUPPORTS THE IMMINENT COMING OF CHRIST

a) [1 Cor 1:7]:

b) [1 Cor 4:5]:

c) [1 Cor 15:51-52]:

d) [1 Cor 16:22]:

e) [Compare 1 Cor 11:26]:

f) [Compare Phil 3:20]:

g) [Compare Phil 4:5]:

h) [1 Thes 1:9b-10]:

i) [Titus 2:13]:

j) [Compare Jas 5:7-9]:

k) [1 John 2:28]:

l) [Rev 3:20; 22:7, 12, 20]:

VII) CONCLUSION

A) A PRETRIBULATION RAPTURE WAS HELD TO BY AT LEAST SOME BELIEVERS DURING THE EARLY CHURCH AGE

B) SUMMARY CHART OF RAPTURE VS THE SECOND COMING

C) THE RAPTURE IS PICTURED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT