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Series: General
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Additional file: 2014-10-12 Rapture - Alan Yeater.pdf


S.R. 1 Thess. 4:13-18

Introduction

  1. Contemporary events:
    1. Left Behind, the movie, opened Oct. 3rd.
      1. Bombed at the Box Office
      2. “At a deeper level, LEFT BEHIND no longer resonates with Christians because I believe most Christians today are not praying to leave this world behind.”
      3. “Christian Millennials want to make a difference, and many of them are. Not just by reaching people with the gospel, but by actually seeking to live their faith out in the world.”  (Ben Kayser, Managing Editor, MovieGuide)
    2. Left Behind, based on a series of fictional novels by J. Jenkins & Tim LaHaye.
    3. Lots of fascination with “End Times.”  Study of Eschatology.
    4. “If I died today am I ready?”  Good question and we need to be asking.
    5. “Where are you going?”   “Are you sure?”
  2. When you hear the word “Rapture” what is your first thought?
    1. Is it about a plane crash or an unmanned car?  “In case of the rapture…”
    2. Concept of a “rapture” comes from 1 Thess. 4:13-18.
      1. Particularly note (vs. 17) where the phrase “caught up” is used.
    3. The Greek word is “harpazo”;
      1. “to snatch or catch away, pluck, pull, take (by force). (Vine);
      2. “to seize and carry off speedily; used of divine power transferring a person marvelously and swiftly from one place to another” (Thayer).
      3. Used of God’s moving Philip in (Acts 8:39).
        1. “caught Philip away”  (NKJV)
        2. “snatched Philip away”  (NNAS)
        3. “suddenly took Philip away”  (NIV)
    4. English word rapture is from the Latin “rapio”
      1. Presume that the term is used in Latin translations.
    5. Questions:
      1. Will the saint be “raptured”?
      2. Will their rapture leave vehicles unmanned?
        1. Presumably some will still be “driving” when the Lord returns
      3. Is the oft taught idea that there is a “rapture” of a few saints and the rest are “Left Behind” for a thousand years taught in the Scriptures?
      4. Let’s investigate what the Bible says about the “rapture.”
      5. All any of us “know” about the subject is what God revealed in Scripture.
      6. Fictional and fanciful books and movies are not God breathed.

Outline

  1. Is Jesus Coming a Second Time? 
    1. If yes, does that coming have two parts separated by a period of time?
    2. Jesus is coming a second time.
      1. Hebrews 9:25-28
        1. Jesus came the first time to deal with sin and pay the price as the Lamb of God that takes away sin.
        2. When He comes back it will be for the salvation of those who eagerly wait for Him.
      2. 1 Thessalonians 4:14
        1. .Jesus is coming for the saints and will be revealed with the saints at the same time.
      3. Where are the dead?
        1. God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep (1 Th. 4:14);
        2. The dead in Christ will rise first (1 Th. 4:16).
        3. Do the dead come down with Jesus or do they come up from the grave? 
          1. Isn’t it both?  (Phil. 3:20-21; Romans 8:28-29)
          2. The resurrection will be a rejoining of soul and a new body (1 Cor. 15)
          3. Both the spirit and the incorruptible body is “us.”
        4. Therefore, Jesus could be said to be coming for his saints or revealed with His saints.
    3. Terms describing this event:
      1. Coming (Gk. parousia)
      2. Appearing (Gk. epiphaneia)
      3. (Gk. apokalupsis)
      4. All three appear interchangeable in reference to Jesus coming a second time.
        1. 1 Cor. 1:7 “eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,”
        2. Titus 2:11-13 “the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,”
        3. 1 Thess. 3:13 “at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”
  2. Will Some be “Left Behind”?
    1. “One taken, another left” is taken from Matthew 24:36-41  (Read)
      1. Matthew 24:34 clearly articulates that the events described in context would occur within the generation of those asking the questions in Matthew 24:1-3.
        1. When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies (Luke 21:20-21) “flee”
      2. Is verse 36 to be understood as a transition to describe the “end of the age” or is it giving further explanation surrounding the events of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70?
    2. Let us keep on reading additional information in Scripture to learn of the events of Jesus’ “second” coming.
      1. 2 Peter 3:4-7, 10-11 “4 They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation. "5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men… 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. (destroyed) 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives.”
      2. This judgment will be as universal as the flood and even more devastating.
      3. The earth and all of its works will be burned up.
      4. There will be no earth on which to be “left behind.”
  3. Will the Wicked Stay in the Grave?
    1. The resurrection of wicked and their destiny is not mentioned in 1 Thess. 4:13-18.
      1. Does this indicate that the righteous will be raised at a different time than the wicked?
      2. Will the righteous be raised before, after or at the same time as the wicked?
      3. In this context, as in several others in the N.T., the wicked are not in view.
        1. The focus is on the righteous.
        2. The resurrection is seen as a day of victory, exoneration and exaltation for the righteous.
        3. It is a goal to be attained in and through Christ.
        4. Phil. 3:10-11, 14, 20 “…10 being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus… 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,”
      4. The Spirit’s focus through Paul in 1 Thes. 4 is what will happen to those who die in Christ.
    2. All the dead are raised at the same time:
      1. Acts 24:15 “and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.” (NIV)
      2. John 5:28- 29 “28 "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his29 and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.”
      3. John 6:3940 “39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
        1. a.Note we have been in the last days since Acts 2. (cf. 2:17)
      4. 1 Cor. 15:20-28, 52
  4. Judgment Parables and the Rapture
    1. Matthew 13:24-30 Parable of Tares among Wheat. Explanation vs. 36-40
      1. Parable of the harvest 13:36-40 “36 Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field." 37 And He said, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40 "So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.”
      2. Parable of the dragnet 13:47-50 “47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; 48 and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. 49 “So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, 50 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
    2. Charts illustrating the parables:
    3. Both the harvest parable and the dragnet parable emphasize that in the end God will be dealing with both the wicked and the righteous at the same time!
    4. When Christ returns both living and dead, righteous and wicked will be
      1. 2 Thes. 1:6-10 “6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you. 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.
      2. 2 Tim 4:1. “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:”
    5. Matthew 25: 41, 46 “41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels… 46 "And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
  5. Conclusion:  Jesus is coming
    1. We don’t know when Matthew 24:36. "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
      1. People losing houses, economic downturns and natural calamities are not signs of Jesus eminent return.
        1. These have been occurring for centuries – be careful what you sing.
        2. Luke 21:10-21 indicate events leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem in the first century (70 AD).
      2. God’s story doesn’t end in defeat: it ends in redemption. (Php 3:20-21)
    2. B.Are you ready whenever He comes?
      1. Matt. 24:48-51 “48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
      2. Matt. 25:10-13 “10 "And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut… 13 "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”
      3. Titus 2:11-13 “11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,”
    3. Are you ready for that day to come?
      1. John 8:24
      2. Romans 10:9-10
      3. Romans 6:3-4