(1 Thessalonians) the Great Escape — Brian Brodersen

Revelation, Prophecy, and the Return of Christ

All right, let's turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, and we are picking up in our study here in 1 Thessalonians in the 13th verse. You know, I received a phone call yesterday while doing the Pastor's Perspective program, and the question had to do with a pastor that has been teaching for some 30 years but has never taught the book of Revelation.

And the question was, you know, what do you think about that? And I really didn't get a chance to answer the question because the program ended at that time. But, you know, thinking about that, there are many people who will refrain from or draw back from teaching on the subjects that the book of Revelation has to deal with.

And of course, the primary subject is Bible prophecy, what's going to happen in the future, and all of that sort of thing. And there are people today, and there have been throughout the history of the church who would just say, well, you know, we can't really understand any of that, and, you know, it's not really for us to try to figure that out, we'll leave that alone, and we won't touch it.

But, you know, that was not the mentality of the Apostle Paul. When Paul went to Thessalonica, and he wasn't there for all that long, some people say that he was there for only three weeks, I doubt that, it seems to me that he was there for a bit longer, but he wasn't there for that long, he might have been there for maybe a total of six months, say.

But during that time, he evidently had taught the believers about the things that pertain to the second coming of Christ. And so Paul didn't have that attitude that some people have today at all, that, well, you know, that's something that we just really are never going to know anything about, and we might as well just, you know, sort of stay away from it.

He did not have that attitude. And it's not the right attitude. We should not think in those terms at all, because the New Testament tells us much about the second coming of Christ, and the events that surround that, and, of course, those kinds of things, they were sealed or hidden in previous times.

At the time of Daniel's prophecy, it was told to Daniel that, seal the book, Daniel, these things are for a later date. But you know, the book of Revelation specifically is referred to as a book that is not sealed.

Why? Because the time is at hand. So we want to follow the example of the Apostle Paul, and we want to be aware of these things. We want to study these things. And it's something that we need to do as God's people, because we need to be aware of the situation that we're living in.

We need to be aware of the fact that Christ is going to come again, and that, of course, is going to be an impetus to, you know, really be seeking Him and serving Him while we wait for Him to return. So it's obvious that Paul spoke to the Thessalonians about those things, because he now has to write back to them and clarify to them some of the things that they had misunderstood.

And so that's what's happening as we pick up here in verse 13. So, Paul says, But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

Now, evidently, Paul had taught them about the second coming. He had taught them about the rapture of the church, and they, of course, were anticipating that this could happen any time. And that's what we anticipate as well.

But what happened is that certain people in the fellowship had died. And so the Thessalonian believers were now concerned that maybe those that had died were going to somehow miss out on all of this glory that Paul had spoken to them about regarding the coming of Christ.

And so he's writing to them to assure them that that is not the case, that those who have fallen asleep, basically, you know, he's saying to them, hey, don't worry about them. Everything's going to be fine.

They haven't missed out on anything. And that's what he goes on to tell them here. So concerning those who have fallen asleep, this is a New Testament way of referring to death, falling asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. Now, fallen asleep or sleeping in Jesus, some have looked at this and drawn the conclusion that when a person dies, they go into a state of what they call soul sleep.

They go to sleep for a period of time and then wake up at the time of the resurrection. And they think of it in terms of their soul actually going to sleep. But that's not what's being talked about. Where the soul doesn't go to sleep in that sense.

The Bible tells us in, say, 2nd Corinthians, chapter five, that to be absent from the body, which, of course, is the soul vacating the body. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. So the soul doesn't go to sleep.

The soul goes to be in the presence of the Lord. What goes to sleep? The body goes to sleep. That's what's being spoken of here. Perhaps you remember Daniel, chapter 12. There, the messenger said to Daniel, he said, many who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake.

Sleeping in the dust of the earth. He's talking about the body. The body goes to sleep. So, for this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

So you see, they were thinking that somehow now those people that had passed away, those people that had fallen asleep, that they were somehow now at a great disadvantage. Oh, no, they've fallen asleep and Jesus hasn't come back yet.

And when he comes, what's going to become of them? They were concerned about that. They were worried about that. Paul says, listen, we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, we will by no means precede those who are asleep.

In other words, he's saying they're not at any sort of a disadvantage. You don't have to worry about that. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

So Paul tells them, hey, they are going to rise first. When the archangel sounds the trumpet, the dead in Christ, those that have died in faith, their bodies are going to be raised up out of the dust of the earth.

And then he says in verse 17, we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.

The Rapture and the Resurrection Body

So Paul says, no, don't don't be concerned. Those that have fallen asleep, they're going to be resurrected and we are going to be caught up. Now, this 17th verse is where we get the term rapture. We talk about the rapture of the church.

We're talking about the catching up of the church. The Greek word that's translated caught up is the Greek word harpazo, which means to be caught up or to be snatched away. The Bible was, of course, originally written in the Greek language, but it was translated into Latin.

And in the Latin translation of the Bible, the Greek word harpazo, which we translate caught up here, was translated by the Latin word rapturo or raptus. And so that term, for whatever reason, that that's the term that stuck.

So we don't really talk about the snatching away so much. We don't really talk about the catching up. What do we talk about? We talk about the rapture. Now, some people in the church have actually said that there's no such thing as the rapture.

And they say the word's not even mentioned in the Bible. Well, it depends on what version of the Bible you're reading. If you're reading the Latin version, it is mentioned in the Bible. But even though we don't have the English word rapture in the Bible, the idea, the concept is certainly here.

We're reading about it. Paul talks about those who are alive and remaining until the Lord comes. They are going to be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Now, this isn't the only place where Paul spoke of this.

He spoke of this in his epistle to the Corinthians as well in the 15th chapter. And in the 50th verse, he said, he said, brethren, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. And then he said, behold, I show you a mystery.

We shall not all sleep. There's that term again, sleep. We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet for the trumpets shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible.

And he's talking about the same thing to the Corinthians. This this transformation that's going to occur where in the twinkling of an eye, this corruption will put an incorruption. This mortal will put on immortality and then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written.

Death is swallowed up in victory. You see the rapture of the church. Do you know what it is? It is the public declaration of Christ victory over death. It's the culmination of that public declaration that began at the resurrection of Jesus Christ himself.

So Jesus rose from the dead, demonstrating his power over death. There's an entire generation of believers who are going to go to heaven without experiencing death. That will be the ultimate demonstration of Christ triumph over death.

That's why Paul says then shall be brought to pass a scripture that is written. Death is swallowed up in victory. The rapture is the fulfillment of that scripture. An entire generation of believers that death has no effect upon.

Death does not touch them. They go to heaven in the twinkling of an eye. This mortal puts on immortality. This corruption puts on incorruption. We're changed. So be sure that the doctrine of the rapture is firmly rooted in the New Testament.

This isn't something that was invented later on down the road. You know some people even tried to say that the rapture did not come into anybody's thinking process until the 1800s. Well we just read about it from the pen of the apostle Paul right here in 1st Thessalonians 4 and 1st Corinthians 15.

So this is the promise of God that his people will one day be caught up in the clouds together with him meeting the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. And so Paul says comfort one another with these words.

Now you know the word comfort. The word really literally means it means to come alongside and to strengthen. That's the actual meaning of the word comfort. And so strengthen one another with these words.

Encourage one another with these words. And you know living in the world that we're living in. We need to take this to heart. We need to encourage one another. When somebody that we know dies as we would say or more accurately falls asleep.

Even better than that goes to be with the Lord. We need to take comfort and encouragement that this isn't the end. That we're going to be reconciled with that person or those people once again. The trumpets going to sound and they're going to be resurrected.

Their bodies are going to be reunited with their spirits that have gone to be with the Lord in his presence. And we who are alive and remain we're going to be caught up and we're going to receive that glorified body at that moment as well.

Now I've heard people speculate that perhaps when the rapture occurs. It would not necessarily be that this body would be transformed. It might be that this body would actually just be left behind and then we would step into our heavenly bodies.

But I think you have a hard time supporting that scripturally. Because Jesus of course did not leave his body behind did he? He rose in the same body that he died in. It was a different body in a sense it was a glorified body.

But it was certainly the same body because he says touch me and feel the prints of the nails in my hand. And my feet and put your hand upon the wound in my side. But Paul tells us in Philippians chapter 3 as well.

He says our citizenship is in heaven from whence we look for the Savior. Our Lord Jesus Christ who will change our lowly bodies. And fashion them like unto his glorious body. You see the bodies aren't going to be left behind.

The bodies are going to be transformed and made like unto his glorious body. Here's something that might shock you but this is a reality. You're going to be in the body you're in forever. But don't get discouraged because it's going to be a glorified version of it.

But it's going to be the body that you have. I think that's really the teaching of the New Testament. That you know again talking about those who are sleeping. He's talking not about the soul he's talking about the body.

The dead in Christ are rising. You know in Revelation what is it the 21st chapter maybe. 20th or the 21st chapter. Maybe you remember reading this and maybe you were even puzzled by it. But it talks about the dead being raised up to stand before the great white throne judgment.

And it makes reference to death in the grave give up the dead that are in it. And it says and the sea gave up the dead who are in it. Now that could only be a reference to the body. How many millions of bodies have been buried at sea over the centuries?

Sure millions upon millions. And the sea is going to give up the dead that are in it. The bodies that have been buried at sea will be risen up out of the sea. Now of course the whole idea of a resurrected body poses some huge problems for some people.

They think well you know come on. How in the world is God going to find all the bits and pieces of the people that died centuries ago or millennia ago? How in the world is he going to find all those bits and pieces to put everybody back together again?

Well you know even if we looked at it in such a primitive way as that I would have to say that that wouldn't be a problem for God. God knows everything. Including where every particle of every person that's ever lived happens to be right this moment.

He knows all of that. But that's not even necessary. If we want to bring it down to something we can you know get a grip on all of our bodies in one sense are made of the exact same thing. Remember what was Adam formed from?

He was formed from the dust of the earth. And what was the curse that was placed upon Adam? From dust you came to dust you shall return. The distinguishing factor between us is our DNA code. So God doesn't necessarily need to find every particle of you.

He can just take a bit of dust, squeeze it together in his fingers and spit some of your DNA into it and you're right back there with your body once again. But you know when we when we get into this sort of thing well you know and the back in the days of Jesus the Sadducees they were they completely rejected the idea of a resurrection.

They thought it was absurd because they had all of these kinds of hypothetical but what if this and what if that and you know a person dies and is buried and then their body decomposes and goes into the fertilizing of the plants and then a cow comes along and eats the plant and then the you know and all this and that and you know God's got to track you down through all of these different things and you know they came to Jesus you remember trying to show the absurdity of the resurrection by talking about a woman who had been married to seven different men none of them had left her any children at the resurrection whose wife is she going to be and they thought they had really stumped Jesus on this whole thing and I love what he said to him.

He said you know your problem is is this you don't know the scriptures and you don't know the power of God and you know anybody who has a hard time with the idea of the resurrection doesn't really know the power of God.

This is not a problem for God there's nothing that's hard for the Lord and so our bodies if we were to go to be with the Lord prior to the rapture our bodies of course will remain here and be planted into the earth and return to the dust of the earth.

Our spirits would go to be with the Lord presently but at his coming for his church those bodies are resurrected and glorified made like unto his glorious body. And so Paul says comfort one another with these words concerning those that had died among them he said we weep but not as those who have no hope.

Sure we weep. Sometimes in people's immature state in their Christian life they think that you know any thing like that would sort of be indicative of some kind of a lack of faith or something. Tragedy strikes.

You just handle it with a stiff upper lip. We're Christians we know that all things work together for good and we shouldn't be worried about this. And what are you crying about. You know here at your dad's funeral don't you know he's going to rise again get over it.

You know we don't approach things like that because of course there's the human element and there is the sorrow and death is a tragedy. Death is the penalty for sin. And every time somebody dies we're reminded of that that great reality that sin entered into the world and death came through sin.

And it's painful it brings anguish and grief to us. But we stop short of where the rest of the world is. Because although we weep we do not weep like those who have no hope. We know it's just a matter of time before we're all going to be joined together once again forever in the presence of the Lord and in his glorious kingdom.

And nothing will ever separate us again. Those are the things Paul says comfort one another with these words. But concerning the times and the seasons brethren you have no need that I should write to you.

The Day of the Lord and Its Unexpected Timing

So the question arises of course. Well when is this going to take place. And that question has been asked over and over again for the past 2 ,000 years and for century after century after century generations of Christians have anticipated the Lord's coming and believe that he could possibly come in their day.

And rightfully so because that's the message that Jesus left with us he left with us that reality that he could return at any time that is known theologically as the doctrine of the eminency of the return of Christ that his return is eminent meaning that it's at hand meaning that it's it can be at any given moment.

You see there's nothing that needed to occur prior to the rapture of the church. Now there are certain events that have had to be fulfilled in order for Christ to return to the earth a second time and set up his kingdom.

But we have to realize that there are two aspects to the second coming of Christ. Some people have a problem with that. They say oh yeah two second comings. You guys are really getting imaginative. But you know there were two first comings of Christ.

He came as a babe in Bethlehem he was heralded by the angels. A small group of people were aware that he had entered into the world. But his public manifestation was not until some 30 odd years later when he rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey in fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy in the ninth chapter.

And there he was hailed as the Messiah. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Two aspects to the first coming. So there are two aspects to the second coming of Christ. There's a private coming in a sense just like there was a private coming at his first appearance.

And he comes in a sense privately for his people. His people are caught up taken out of the world to be with him. But then he comes again publicly sometime later and every eye shall see him even they that pierced him and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn because of him.

So Paul goes on to say concerning the times and the seasons. Brethren you have no need that I should write to you for you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.

For when they say peace and safety then sudden destruction comes upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman and they shall not escape. So you see Paul says you have no need that I write to you about the times of the seasons because you already know that this event is going to come suddenly.

It's going to come as a surprise. It's going to take the world by surprise. Jesus stated this in Luke's gospel in the 21st chapter. He there admonished us to be alert to be on our guard. Because as he said in other places at an hour you think not the son of man is coming.

But there he said take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be overcharged with drunkenness with carousing or partying and with the cares of this life. So that that day comes upon you unexpectedly. For so it will come upon all those who dwell upon the face of the earth.

It'll come unexpectedly. It'll come suddenly. It'll come just as Paul is saying here just as a thief comes. A thief comes suddenly and unexpectedly. Six different times in the new testament Jesus speaks of his coming like a thief comes suddenly and without warning now.

That cannot possibly refer to the second coming of Jesus Christ into the world to set up God's kingdom. Because there's not going to be anything secret about that. There's not going to be anything subtle about that.

There's not going to be any big surprise in one sense when after seven years of judgment tribulation angels flying through the midst of heaven with the everlasting gospel witnesses slain in the streets of Jerusalem and rising from the dead and testifying to the reality of Christ.

And you know all the cataclysmic events and the judgments that are going to come upon the world. I'll tell you this when Jesus shows up at the end of this I don't think anybody's going to be shocked by that.

Oh what's he doing here. Oh who's that. Oh we didn't think Jesus was going to come. No everybody's going to be well aware of what's going on at that point. The point that he comes unexpectedly is at the rapture.

You see that's when he comes unannounced. That's when he suddenly comes for his people. And we don't know when that is. That's why Paul said there's no need for me to write to you about the times of the seasons because you already know that this event is going to occur unexpectedly.

It's going to occur when people least anticipate it. So and Jesus you know he said this over and over again. And what was his point. His point was always be ready. And you don't even have to worry about it.

That's the message behind the imminent return of Christ. The the greater message behind it is be ready all the time. Be ready constantly. Because you never know when it is going to occur now he goes on and he says this he says.

Believers as Children of Light

But you brethren are not in darkness so that this day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep as others do but let us watch and be sober for those who sleep sleep at night.

And those who get drunk or drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet the hope of salvation. Listen. For God did not appoint us to wrath but to obtain salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So Paul says this day is going to take the world by surprise he says. But it's not going to take you by surprise. Why. Because you're children of the day not children of night. We're living in the spirit.

So it's not going to take us by surprise in the sense that we're going to be caught off guard and miss the opportunity. As we're living in the spirit we're going to be ready for the event to to occur.

But this is what he says he says. For God has not appointed us to wrath. Now I want you to notice a couple of things. Notice back in verse 16 of chapter 4 and here's where we see an unfortunate chapter break in our new testament because it's obvious that there is no break here.

It's a continuation of the same thought. But Paul speaks of as we've already mentioned the Lord himself descending from heaven we who are alive and remain being caught up. And then in verse 2 of chapter 5 notice he says.

For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. He connects the rapture with this phrase the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord is used 17 times in the old testament and every single time it is a reference to the period that we commonly refer to as the great tribulation period.

In the old testament it is more commonly referred to as the day of the Lord. It's also referred to as the time of Jacob's trouble. The day of wrath. In the new testament this phrase the day of the Lord is used four times and then a similar term the day of Christ is used three times.

The day of the Lord refers to that period of judgment but it also includes the the coming of Christ. So it includes the coming of Christ for his church. That's a connection that Paul makes right here.

He connects this with what he's previously said. He connects verse 2 of chapter 5 with verses 16 and 17 of chapter 4. So when we read this term the day of the Lord we're talking about the rapture of the church the tribulation period and the second coming of Jesus Christ.

We're talking about those things are the three events that are included in this term the day of the Lord. So he says the day of the Lord comes as a thief. In the night they're saying peace and safety.

And suddenly they're finding themselves in a place of judgment. In Matthew chapter 24. Luke chapter 17 and 21 Jesus gives some illustrations regarding this. He talked about the days of Noah how people were eating drinking marrying giving in marriage right up until the very day that Noah entered the ark.

And what happened. The door was closed and the judgment came but business was going on as usual. People were just living their lives and thinking that life was going to go on forever. Jesus also illustrated it with the situation in Sodom and Gomorrah.

People were just living life as usual and then Lot fled the city and the judgment came now. In verse 9 this is the verse that I want to bring us to. Paul assures us of this. He assures us that we are not appointed to wrath.

Wrath is another reference to the day of the Lord the day of God's judgment. So we do not know the time of the rapture in the sense of a particular date on which it's going to occur. Nor do we know the year that it's going to happen in this is what we do know about the timing of the rapture.

We know that is it is going to happen before the wrath of God is poured out on this planet. That's what Paul assures us of. For God has not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation or deliverance is another way of translating the word salvation here God has not appointed us to judgment.

He has not appointed us to go through the great tribulation. In other words that's what he's saying but to be delivered from that through Jesus Christ our Lord. Now. Of course this is a this is a debated issue among Christians.

Rapture-Timing Views Among Christians

There are some Christians that believe that the rapture doesn't happen until after the tribulation period. They are known as post-tribulationalist. Rapture takes place after the tribulation is over. There are others who are known as mid-tribulationalist and they believe the rapture is going to occur at the three and a half year point believing that the period is seven years long based upon Daniel chapter 9 and the necessity of one final seven-year period to deal with the nation of Israel.

So they say well the Lord's going to take his church out in the middle as he begins to pour out his wrath. Then there's another group that's similar to that but slightly moreover in the the pre-tribulational camp and they're known as pre-wrath and they believe that the church is going to be taken out before the wrath of God is poured out.

They don't necessarily connect that with the beginning of a final seven-year period. And then there is the position of the pre-tribulational rapture and that is the position that we hold to. That says in essence that before the tribulation begins the church will be taken out of the world.

And I think that that's what Paul is alluding to here we who are alive and remain are going to be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. When is this going to happen. Well you have no need that I write to you because you know that this day of the Lord this judgment is going to come as a thief in the night.

So Paul is connecting the rapture with the day of the Lord that they happen either simultaneously that the rapture occurs and the day of the Lord begins or that the rapture occurs and the day of the Lord follows it very closely.

And no one can say for sure which it is. But here's the great news. The great news is that we are not appointed to wrath. There is of course tribulation in this life for us as Christians but it's not the great tribulation.

We do go through tribulation. Jesus said in the world you will have tribulation. That's a fact. And the church has gone through many difficult seasons but the great tribulation is yet to come and the church does not go through the great tribulation.

Sometimes people argue against the church being delivered from the tribulation by saying well you know look at the Christians in the past look how they suffered and look at the great tribulation that they went through.

Look at the Roman persecutions of the church or look at the communist persecutions of the church or you know any number of persecutions you want to look at. And then they say and you mean to tell me that you think you're going to escape.

But I think they fail to take into consideration that what happened under the Romans and what happened under the communist or you know whoever else is persecuted this has been tribulation at the inspiration of the devil and carried out generally by the hands of men.

But when we talk about the great tribulation we're talking about God is the force behind the great tribulation. God is the one who's bringing the judgment. And if we understand the purpose of the great tribulation then we realize there just isn't any place for the church in the great tribulation because the purpose of the great tribulation is to first of all punish the world for its evil according to Isaiah 13.