Shall Be Caught Up Together – Part 3

November 25, 2022October 30, 2022 ~ iolaHC ~ Leave a comment

1Thessalonians 4:16-18 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

‘To meet the Lord in the air.’ – Ten purposes of the rapture: To receive saints to Himself as promised (4:17; John 14:1-3; Eph. 5:27). To resurrect the dead in Christ from among the wicked dead (4:14, 16-17; Php. 3:11; Rev. 20:4-6). To take saints to heaven to live in the New Jerusalem and receive rewards (4:17; 3:13; John 14:1-3; 2Cor. 5:10; Heb. 12:22-23; Rev. 19:1-10; 21:9-10). To change bodies of saints to immortality (4:16-17; 1Cor. 15:35-58; Php. 3:21). To present saints before God (4:17; 3:13; John 14:1-3; Jude 1:24; Rev. 19:1-10). To make saints whole in body, soul, and spirit (4:16-17; 5:23; Php. 3:21). To receive the fruit of the early and latter rain (Jas. 5:7; John 14:1-3). To cause the saints to escape the tribulation of Revelation 6:1-19:21 (4:16-17; 5:9; Luke 21:36; Rev. 4:1). To remove the hinderer of lawlessness (2Thess. 2:7; Rev. 4:1). To permit the revelation of the Antichrist (2Thess. 2:7; Rev. 4:1).

‘And so shall we ever be with the Lord.’ Saints will be with Christ in heaven during the tribulation (2Thess. 2:7; Rev. 4:1); will accompany Christ to earth at Armageddon (Zech. 14:1-5; Matt. 24:29-31; 25:31-46; Jude 1:14; Rev. 19:11-21); will live in the new Jerusalem in heaven but reign on earth with Christ during the Millennium (Rev. 20:4-10; 21:9-10; Heb. 12:22-23); will move with their residence, the New Jerusalem, to the earth to live on the New Earth forever (Rev. 21:1-27; 22:1-21).

Shall Be Caught Up Together – Part 2

November 24, 2022October 30, 2022 ~ iolaHC ~ Leave a comment

‘Then we which are alive and remain.’ See the time of the rapture (2Thess. 2:7; Rev. 4:1). The rapture and the second coming of Christ: [1] Christ and the many saints that were resurrected after His resurrection (1Cor. 15:20, 23; Matt. 27:52-53; Eph. 4:8-10). [2] “Afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming” (1Cor. 15:23, 51-54; John 14:1-3; Luke 21:34-36; 2Cor. 5:1-8; Eph. 5:27; Php. 3:11, 20-21; 1Thess. 2:19; 3:13; 4:13-17; 5:9, 23; 2Thess. 2:1, 7; Col. 3:4; Jas. 5:7-8; 1Jn. 2:28; 3:2; 1Pet. 5:4). Everyone in Christ, dead or alive, will be translated at this time. Not one person will be left on earth who is in Christ (4:16-17). [3] The 144,000 Jews will be saved in the first 3½ years of Daniel’s 70th week (Rev. 7:1-8). They will be caught up as the manchild in the middle of this week or 3½ years before the second coming (Rev. 12:5; 14:1-5; Isa. 66:7-8; Dan. 12:1). [4] The great multitude of tribulation saints who are saved after the rapture 2, above and during the whole of Daniel’s 70th week (Rev. 6:1 – 19:21). The first martyrs of this period are told to rest until the rest of them are killed (Rev. 6:9-11) when vengeance will be taken and all raptured in time for the marriage supper (Rev. 7:9-17; 15:2-4; 20:4-6). Even those killed by the beast in the last 3½ years of this week have a part in the first resurrection (Rev. 20:4-6). This proves their rapture in time for the marriage supper (Rev. 19:1-10) and in time to come back with Christ (Rev. 19:11-21; Jude 1:14; Zech. 14:5). [5] The rapture of the two witnesses, ending the first resurrection which began with the resurrection of Christ (Rev. 11:7-11).

‘Caught up’ [Greek: harpazo] to carry off; grasp hastily; snatch up; to seize and overpower; to plunder (John 10:28). From this we get our word rapture, meaning the act of transporting, as harpazo is used in Matthew 13:19; Acts 8:39; 2Corinthians 12:2, 4; 1Thessalonians 4:17 and Revelation 12:5.

‘In the clouds’ – This no doubt refers to literal clouds instead of multitudes of people.

Shall Be Caught Up Together – Part 1

November 23, 2022October 30, 2022 ~ iolaHC ~ Leave a comment

‘Shout’ – Command [Greek: keleuma] a cry of incitement; an order; command in war; the call of preparation for action. Not the same word where shout is mentioned the only other time in the New Testament (Acts 12:22). Here it is the shout of command for the dead to arise, as in the case of Lazarus (John 11:43). This will be followed by the shout of the archangel (Jude 1:9), and the trump of God, whose great and terrible blasts – like those on Sinai – grew louder and louder until the heavens and the earth shook (Ex. 20:18-19; Heb. 12:18-21, 26).

‘Trump of God’ – This is not the same as the 7th trumpet of Revelation 11:15-13:18. One occurs at the rapture of true believers before Daniel’s 70th week (4:16; 2Thess. 2:7; Rev. 4:1), and the other occurs at the rapture of the manchild in the middle of the 70th week (Rev. 11:15 – 13:18). One is the trump of God (4:16), the other the trumpet of the 7th angel (Rev. 11:15). One is to herald an event that will take place in a moment (1Cor. 15:51-58), the other is to herald many events which are days in duration (Rev. 10:7; 11:15-13:18). One is a trumpet of blessing (4:16-17), the other a trumpet of woe to men (Rev. 8:13; 11:15; 12:12). One is before the 7 seals and first 6 trumpets of Revelation 6:1-9:21, the other is after these (Rev. 11:15).

‘And the dead in Christ shall rise first.’ Ten qualifications for the rapture: To be in Christ (4:14, 16; 2Cor. 5:17-18). To be Christ’s (1Cor. 15:23; Gal. 5:24). To be blessed and holy (Rev. 20:4-6; Heb. 12:14). To be good (John 5:28-29). To be worthy (Luke 21:36). To be part of the body of Christ (1Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:20-23; 4:4-6; 5:27; Col. 1:18, 24). To be pure (1Jn. 3:2-3). To be without spot or wrinkle (Eph. 5:27). To live and walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:19-21). To walk in the light (1Jn. 1:7; Col. 2:6).