Tag: The Coming of the Lord

The Coming of the Lord – Part 3

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1Thessalonians 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

Scriptures on the Second Coming – Christ’s coming WITH the Saints: One like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages shall serve Him (Dan. 2:44-45; 7:13-14; Daniel 18; Daniel 27). Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations … His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which … shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west … the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with Thee (Zech. 14:1-5, 9, 16-21). Immediately after the tribulation … then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matt. 24:29-31). When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory. And before Him shall be gathered all nations (Matt. 25:31-46). When the Lord shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels. In flaming fire taking vengeance on them, that know not God (2Thess. 1:7-10; 2:8). The Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment upon all … that are ungodly (Jude 1:14-15). He comes with clouds, and every eye shall see Him … all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him … the armies of heaven followed Him upon white horses (Rev. 1:7).

‘Prevent’ [Greek: phthano] to come before or first. It means that the living saints will not precede or go before the dead saints, but that both will go together to meet the Lord in the air (4:16-17). Translated prevent (4:15); attain (Rom. 9:31; Php. 3:16); and come (2:16; Matt. 12:28; Luke 11:20; 2Cor. 10:14).

The Coming of the Lord – Part 2

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1Thessalonians 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

Scriptures on the Rapture – Christ’s coming FOR the Saints: Pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things … and to stand before the Son of man (Luke 21:34). In My Father’s house are many mansions … I go to prepare a place for you … I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also (John 14:1-3). We shall not all sleep (die physically), but we shall all be changed. In a moment … at the last trump … the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we (the living) shall be changed … put on immortality … then … death is swallowed up in victory (1Cor. 15:51-56). Christ loved the church [congregation of believers]… that He might present it to Himself (Eph. 5:25-27). From whence (heaven) also we look for … Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body (Php. 3:11, 20-21; 2Cor. 5:1-9). For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven … 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 (not on earth, to go back to heaven with Him; 1Thess. 4:13-18; 2:19; 3:13; 5:9, 23). We beseech you … by our gathering together unto Him … until he be taken out of the way (2Thess. 2:1, 7-8). When Christ … shall appear, then shall you also appear with Him in glory (Col. 3:4; 1Jn. 2:28; 3:2; 1Pet. 5:4). Be patient … unto the coming of the Lord… until He receives the early and latter rain (Jas. 5:7-8).

The Coming of the Lord – Part 1

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1Thessalonians 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 

‘By the word of the Lord.’ This means by revelation (Gal. 1:12).

‘Coming of the Lord.’ The coming in the air (4:17), not His second coming to the earth of Zechariah 14:1-21; Revelation 19:1-21; Matthew 24:29-31; 25:31-46 and Jude 1:14.

These two comings should not be confused. The scriptures that apply to one do not apply to the other. Not one passage refers to both events as if they were one. These two distinct comings are separated by several years, so they aren’t two stages or phases of one coming.

The rapture is the first of the two comings, not a coming to earth but in the air. It could not be the second coming because Christ does not come to the earth to live here and fulfil a mission as He did at the first coming. When Christ meets the saints in the air He takes them to heaven with Him and presents them before the Father’s throne where they remain during the time the tribulation is running its course on the earth (3:13; John 14:1-3). Christ does not remain in the air with the saints when they meet Him as in 1Thessalonians 4:13-17. The marriage supper and the judgment of saints take place in heaven, then at the second coming after the tribulation, Christ and the saints leave heaven together to come down to the earth (2Cor. 5:10; Rev. 19:1-21). The rapture is the time Christ comes for the saints to take them to heaven.

The second coming is the time He comes to the earth to live here and fulfil a mission. This is the time He comes from heaven with the saints, having raptured them at least seven years before. The second coming cannot take place until all of Revelation 1:1-19:21 is fulfilled while the rapture can take place any moment without anything being fulfilled.