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The Rapture of Believers 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 by Cooper Abrams |
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The Rapture of Believers 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 by Cooper Abrams |
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Hal Lindsay's first said he thought the rapture would occur in 1948+40=1988; Israel did not have land until 1967 War; so he changed his prediction to 1967+40=2007; He now predicts 2040 or 2047
The Jehovah's witness have made predictions for the years 1874, 1878, 1881, 1910, 1914, 1918, 1925, 1975, and 1984.
In January 1994 I was talking with a pastor from Texas. He was pretty excited about the comet P/Shoemaker-Levy 9 hitting Jupiter in on July 16, 1994. He explained that it was on the same day in history that Jerusalem was destroyed and coincided with several events in Jewish history and he said the Jews were very concerned. He said probably this will be the day of the rapture.
In about 1977, in January I was at a Bible conference in Mississippi and heard a well known evangelist state that in 1984 Christ would return because the planets would line all line up and that this cause great trouble on the earth and begin the time when God would judge the world and the Seven Year Tribulation or Daniel's 70th Week would begin.
Since 53 AD hundreds of dates have been given for the Rapture. They all have been wrong. The Jahovah's Witness said Jesus really did return in 1914, but it was a secret coming.
Many people believed this false prophets. I wonder why? If they say they are believer's in Jesus Christ why do they not believe what He plainly stated?
Jesus said, "But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." (Mark 13:32)
2. English word "Rapture" is taken from the Latin word, "rapre" which means to be caught up. Thus the coming of the Lord Jesus for Christians is referred to as the "rapture."
C. V14, Clearly says this is for Christians. The Gospel or Good News is stated in 1 Corinthians 15:1-3:
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
Dear Friends. This is God's very word on the matter which tells us what the Gospel is. Why then to some call themselves Christians and teach a different gospel...that Paul said in Galatians 1:6-9 was not any other, but a perversion. Folks that is His words not mine.
1. These people had believed the Gospel...that Jesus died and rose again and had been saved. Their faith was in the fact of Jesus' resurrection and His redemptive act by suffering and dying on the cross to pay the sin debt of men.
2. He also states clearly that those believers who had died were "asleep" with Christ and that when He returned He would bring them with Him.
When Christ returns for the Christians in this the Church Age, He will bring all the dead believers with Him.
2. Next: Christians who are alive at his coming will be "caught up" at the same time as those who died and they both will instantly changed and given our glorified bodies. This is called the resurrection.
3. The Corinthian believers also had questions and Paul explains this in his first letter to them. Paul said everyone will not die, but all will be changed.
"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" (1 Corinthians 15:51-55)
4. A "mystery" in the Bible is a truth that is revealed that was not previously known. It does not means something mysterous or some information that is only known to a few chosen people. It simply means this is new information God did not give earlier.
5. God says the rapture will be instantaneous "in the twinkling of an eye." The dead will be raised first and then those believes who are alive. He says that we Christians who have a mortal and corruptible body, must receive an incorruptible and immortal one.
6. Thus death that came when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, will be overcome. Death for the Christian is not to be feared and "Death is swallowed up in victory." For the believer death has no more sting, or the grave any victory over man.
B. First: They are no prophecies to be fulfilled before the Lord comes.
2. The Rapture in the New Testament is always presented in the Bible as being imminent! Since the earliest times in the first Century believers have been looking for the return of Jesus Christ and the Rapture.
3. The events of the of Matt. 24, concerning the regathering of Israel, the wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, sun darkening and the moon turning to blood. . . are all references to the beginning of the seven year Tribulation. The next prophetic event will be the rapture which will be followed by the seven year Tribulation. During that time the anti-christ will be revealed and form a world government, Israel will be attacked, and God will pour out a series of three judgments on the earth called the seal, trumpet and bowl judgments.
At the end of the seven years will come Armageddon and then the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. He will purge the earth of all the unsaved and only believers will be left on earth. These believers, both Jews and Gentiles will then become the people of Christ's 1000 year or Millennial reign on earth. God will at this time fulfill the prophecies He made to Israel and He will set up His kingdom on earth and rule a thousand years.
2. James 5:8, "You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand."
3. To Israel, God said, look for the signs and Matthew 24-25 record the signs that will usher in the Tribulation which will lead to Christ's Second coming. However to Christians God said be ready...always!
1 John. 2:28 says "And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming."
There is no call to get ready as the Bible says always be ready.
2. This judgment is solely for believers is recorded in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. This is not a judgment of condemnation but one of reward. Those who lived faithful lives for the Lord Jesus will be rewarded. Those who did not faithfully serve the Lord will receive a reward based on what their works were....some will receive no reward as verse 15 states.
3. Christian will not go through the Rapture. Revelation 3:10 Jesus to the church at Philadelphia "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." Historically, the church at Philadelphia represents Bible believing churches of today. Jesus promised them that they would not have to endure the terrible time that is coming when He pours His judgments unto the earth.
4. 1 Thess. 5:1-11 addresses the matter also and verses 9-11 specifically states "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do."
4. There are some who are teaching that believers will have to go through part of the Tribulation. It is called the Pre-Wrath Rapture. Let me emphatically state....they are wrong and their teaching in false. I have an article that explains the error of this teaching at https://bible-truth.org/Pre-Wrath.html .
B. Many will see that Christians are gone, they just simply disappeared.
2. Lost neighbors will wonder what happened to their Christian neighbors. That is why it is important for us to teach the rapture.
3. Lost relatives will miss their saved love ones.
4. The false churches, lost preachers, all the cults will continue on as they did before.
Then the Great Seven Year Tribulation will begin and will end with Christ physically returning to earth, taking all lost people off the earth as Matthew 25:41 records and then He will set up His kingdom and rule the world from Jerusalem.
2. The Christian can look towards his/her death will not fear of the uncertainty. God has told us clearly where we will go and what will happen to us. Death is simply a door way through which we enter the gates of heaven and the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Death then for God's children has no sting.
3. The question this morning is will you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ and be saved. For the saved the message of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15 is one of comfort. God wants you to be at the Rapture. He came to earth, God incarnate in man, to suffer and die for your sins and mine. He freely offers his grace to all who will believe and accept as their Savior.
4. If you have believed in Jesus Christ you should publicly declare your faith in Him and follow the Lord in baptism. If God is speaking to your heart....why not come forward right now and ask God to save you and give you eternal life?
Introduction: Chuck Smith the popular preacher and writer of Calvary Chapel, in Costa Mesa, CA predicted the Rapture in 1981. This reveals a great deal about him as a Bible expositor.
I. The Thessalonians were concerned because some of their members had died and Christ had not returned.
A. The date of the writing of 1 Thessalonians was around 54 AD. The institution of the local church was a new teaching that had not been revealed in the Old Testament. Both the Jewish and Gentile Christians did not fully understand the resurrection of believers. Paul wrote to reassure them of the position with the Lord.
II. WHEN WILL IT HAPPEN?
1. The phrase in verse 17, "shall be caught up" is the word "harpazo" (har-pad-zo) and means to seize, pluck up, take by force.
B. Paul in V13, says he did not want them to be
ignorant, about Christians who had died. They were concerned because Christ had not returned and people had died. The question was what happens to deceased believers in Jesus Christ.
D. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:8, that for a Christians to be absent from the body, meaning to die, they are instantly in the presence of Christ who is in heaven.
E. V15-17, says that those of us who are alive when this day comes, will not precede or go before those who have died.
1. First: Those that have died will be resurrected and joined with their resurrected bodies once again. Their souls have been in heaven with the Lord, and at the Rapture they return with Christ.
A. What about all those predicting it very soon. The reason that many are predicting a soon return of the Lord is because of the many prophecies concerning the return of Christ and the Daniel's 70 Week. Daniel prophesied of the alinement of the nations prior to Christ's return and a world government ruled by the anti-christ.
III. WHAT HAPPENS TO THE WORLD?
1. God is not at this moment fulfilling prophecy. Time is moving forward toward the resumption of prophetic events, but all prophetic events have been fulfilled up to the point in time when the Rapture followed by the Tribulation begins.
C. Israel was told to look for these signs, and then get ready. But Christians are told to be ready always looking for the imminent return of Jesus Christ!
1. Philippians 4:5, "Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is a Hand."
D. Believers on earth will not go through the Seven Year Tribulation. You need not be concerned for yourself about the coming world kingdom headed by the anti-christ.
1. Christians will not be here during that time. Once the Rapture occurs believers are taken to heaven and there they will be judged at what is called the BEMA judgment.
A. At the Rapture the lost will be let on earth as they were.
1. Christian wives will disappear and lost husbands will realize that their wives told them the truth. I believe a number of them will be saved.
C. God will then call 144,000 Jews, specifically 12 thousand of each of the twelve tribes of Israel, who He will save and then will preach the Gospel. I believe that the rapture will be cause them to believe. They will begin to read the New Testament and God will open their eyes and many Jews will be saved.
Conclusion:
1. 1 Thessalonians 4:18 says "Wherefore comfort one another with these words." What a wonderful promise God has made to those who put their faith and trust in Him and receive Him as their Savior.
It is always encouraging to receive email from those who find the messages and material helpful, or who have comments.
