Transcript

A man once borrowed a horse from a preacher. And the preacher told him, “There is a special thing about this horse that you should know. You have to say ‘Thank you Lord’ to make it go and ‘Amen’ to make it stop.”

Anxious to get where he was going, the man says, “Sure, okay” and gets on the horse. And so he says, “Thank you Lord” and, the horse starts walking.

A bit later he says, “Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord,” and the horse starts trotting. Feeling really brave, the man says, “Thank you Lord! Thank you Lord! Thank you Lord!” and the horse starts galloping ahead in a full run!

About then he looks ahead and realizes he’s heading for a huge cliff and yells “Whoa!” But the horse doesn’t slow! He yells again “Whoa,” and pulls on its reigns.

Now the cliff is coming up quick and he’s doing everything he can to make the horse stop. “Whoa, stop, hold on!” And finally he remembers “AMEN!!!” The horse stops a mere two feet from the cliff’s edge, almost throwing him over its head.

The man, panting and heart racing, wipes the sweat from his face and leans back in the saddle. Gasping for air he looks up and says with relief, “Thank you Lord.”

The blessed hope of the Rapture, and all the hope and assurance we have in Christ, makes you want to say, “Thank you Lord.” That’s what the grace of God is to do in our lives. Out of that gratitude, the Lord wants us to willingly serve and follow Him.

The Rapture is all grace. Possibly not dying, meeting Christ in the air, being reunited with our loved ones, going to heaven, forever with the Lord, being delivered from the wrath of the Tribulation. All of this is by God’s grace and kindness.

The Rapture has been attacked, denied, laughed at, ignored, explained away, and often confused with the Second Coming.

But here in 1 Thessalonians 4 it stands, solid as a stone, unchanging, one day to be fulfilled, ready to offer us hope, comfort and joy if we understand it and trust it.

2 Corinthians 1:20 says, “For all the promises of God in [Christ] are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”

The promise of God in Christ that Christ is coming for the Church the Body of Christ to catch us away from this earth directly to heaven before the tribulation is “Yes” and “Amen.” It’s going to happen. It’s not a matter of if, but when.

Colossians 3:4 says, “WHEN Christ, who is our life, shall appear, THEN shall ye also appear with Him in glory.”

At some point in the course of human history, at one of the hours on the clock, heaven will be told: NOW, NOW is the time to bring the Body home. And that glorious NOW could come today or during our lifetime or 5, 50, or 500 years from now. We just don’t know. But we are taught to look for Christ every day, as He could come at any time.

There will no previous warning. There won’t be some brilliant aura come over believers early in the morning, or a booming angelic voice announcing, “This is the day!”

Just without warning, Christ will descend from a heaven with a shout, the trump will sound, and believers from all over the world will disappear, leaving the world startled, confused, bewildered, and probably really happy that we’re gone.

1 Thessalonians 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.”

The reason Paul writes, “This we say unto you by the Word of the Lord,” is because the truth of the Rapture is based on a special, divine revelation, revealed to the Apostle Paul alone by the risen, exalted Christ from heaven.

In 1 Corinthians 15:51 Paul says regarding the Rapture, “Behold, I shew you a MYSTERY; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.”

“Mystery” doesn’t imply something mysterious or complicated. It means something once hidden that is now fully revealed. The Rapture was something once hidden, until it was fully revealed to Paul alone.

The truth of the Rapture being a new revelation, revealed first and only to Paul, teaches us that it was unrevealed before Paul, that it’s not found in the Old Testament or the four Gospels. It teaches that that no Old Testament prophecy and that no other writer of Scripture, speaks of the Rapture, or the catching away of the Church, the Body of Christ.

This means that Matthew 24 is not talking about this return of Christ. Matthew 24 is teaching of Christ’s Second Coming to Israel after the seven year Tribulation.

Only the Apostle Paul in his writings in Romans thru Philemon teaches about the Rapture. Any reference to the Lord’s coming to this world outside of Paul’s letters is a reference to His first or second coming to Israel.

There is a lot of confusion concerning the two comings of Christ in the future. But all is made clear when we rightly divide the Word and recognize that God has two programs, one for the Church, the Body of Christ with a heavenly hope, and one for the nation Israel with an earthly hope.

Coinciding with this, the Bible teaches that there are two more comings of Christ: one for the Church, the Body of Christ before the tribulation called the Rapture to take believers in the Body of Christ to heaven, and one seven years later for the nation Israel at the end of the tribulation called the Second Coming to establish His kingdom on the earth.

Being unrevealed before, this truth of the Rapture necessitated a new revelation, “by the word of the Lord.” Thus, the Lord directly revealed to Paul what would happen to the Church at the close of this age of grace.

And by the Word of the Lord, Christ revealed to Paul the following details of His coming for the Body of Christ. First, we which are alive and remain…shall not prevent [or precede] them which are asleep.”

Addressing the concern of the Thessalonians about their saved loved ones who had died, Paul informs them that not only will those who had already died not miss the Rapture, believers who have died will actually be the FIRST to be raised, the first Christ gathers to Himself. The living will not go before them or precede them.

The living have no advantage over those who have died. They go first, before the living. They are experiencing the benefits and joy of being in the presence of Christ right now, all the time. And, when the Rapture occurs, they will be taken care of first, like we who love them would want.

Notice that Paul uses the pronoun “we.” First, the “we” means that he’s speaking to the Church, the Body of Christ and that this truth of believers being caught up to heaven at the Rapture is exclusive the Body of Christ, those who believe Jesus died and rose again.

Second, the “we” shows that the Rapture has been and is always an imminent hope for the Body of Christ throughout the dispensation of grace. Paul and the Thessalonians expected it anytime in their lifetimes, and we are to expect it anytime now during our lifetimes.

It’s like the story of the farmer whose old grandfather clock went haywire and chimed sixteen times one midnight. Awake and hearing this, he jumped up and yelled to his wife, “Wake up, Nellie, it’s later than it’s ever been before.”

Looking at the trends of the last days described by Paul in 1 and 2 Timothy, it’s easy to believe how it’s later than it’s ever been before, that we could be living in the last days of this dispensation of grace, and that the Lord may be coming very soon.

The way Christ revealed the truth of the Rapture shows that He wants us, the Church, to always live with expectation and anticipation that He could come in my lifetime.

Thus, the old statement, “I’m not looking for the undertaker, I’m looking for the Uppertaker” is good and is how we should live our lives.

We are to continually be “Looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). And that continual expectation is to drive us to live for Him, for the eternal, for His glory, to live like people who every day of their lives know that we might stand before the great God and our Savior.

And we should do what one person said, “I’m looking for the Lord every day, and I’m hustling to get the chores He wants me to do done before He gets here!” That’s being Rapture ready.

It’s also important to point out that with the imminent hope of the Rapture, it is wrong, error, and false teaching to set a date for it. Anyone who does so should not be trusted and what they say and any date they set should be immediately dismissed.

Except God Himself, nobody knows when the Rapture will take place. All we know is that every single day is a possible day.

1 Thessalonians 4:16: “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.”

As the details continue, Paul says “the Lord Himself shall descend.” Heaven is above. Back in chapter 1, verse 10, we learn that the Thessalonians were waiting “for His Son from heaven.”

Colossians 3:1 also teaches us where Christ is right now: “seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.” We are to seek those things which are above, because that’s where our Savior is.

Christ is in heaven. He is exalted and glorified and on the throne, seated at the right hand of God. At the Rapture, He will lovingly and graciously descend, come down from His exalted position in heaven to the earth.

“Himself” is prominent and emphatic in the original Greek. The Lord HIMSELF is personally coming for us! We won’t just meet an agent of the Savior, not a representative or a messenger of the Lord.

We won’t just be greeted by an angel, a host of angels, or by high ranking angels. The Savior Himself will come! It will be a personal, dramatic, unmistakable coming of the Lord Himself. He cares that much for us that He wants to meet you and me in the air.

And we learn here that there will be three sounds at the Rapture: the Lord’s shout, the sound of the trumpet, and the voice of the archangel.

The “shout” by the Lord is literally “a shout of command.” It’s a military term. It speaks of a command to “Fall in.” It can also speak of a command to “Stand up.”

2 Timothy 2:3 teaches us that we are soldiers of Jesus Christ. At the Rapture, Christ comes to call His soldiers home.

With Authority as Lord and God, Christ shouts a thunderous command at the Rapture, for those dead bodies to “stand up,” and for all the Body of Christ to “fall in.”

When the Lord raised Lazarus from the dead, John 11:43 says “He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.” It’s been rightly pointed out that Christ had to specifically say, “LAZARUS, come forth, or He would have raised everybody.”

So it is when Christ returns, He will issue the “shout” of command to summon the dead from their graves, and that shout is specifically for the members of the Body of Christ.

That voice created the world, the heavens, the stars, and galaxies, and all things, and by the power of His spoken word, bodies will be raised right out of the ground, and they will be changed into a new glorious form fit for all eternity.

And the power of the shout of His command will also lift us up from this earth, catch us away and change us and give us a new body, and take us directly to heaven.

1 Corinthians 15:52: “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.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16 tells us that Christ also comes “with the voice of the archangel.” Michael is the archangel. In Scripture, he is seen as a fighter and defender and as battling Satan.

In Daniel 12:1 during the day of the Lord he stands up in defense of the children of Israel.

In Jude 1:9, we learn about Michael contending with the devil about the body of Moses.

In Revelation 12:7-9 during the Tribulation, “there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels…And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil…he was cast out into the earth…”

Now notice how verse 17 says we are meeting the Lord “in the air.” And remember that Ephesians 2:2 says Satan is “the prince of the power of the air.” The air is Satan’s sphere.

The Rapture of the Church is a triumphal gathering in open defiance of the devil right in the middle of his own stronghold.

And I love this about the Rapture. Because it’s the Lord sticking it to the devil and showing him who is really in control.

In Ephesians 6:12 we read that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [or heavenly] places.”

As Christ descends from heaven shouting His command to call the Body of Christ up to Himself, Michael’s voice is also heard.

The voice of the archangel is a call to arms, to military preparedness by Michael, summoning the angelic host as a military escort, to give safe passage for the Body, as the road to glory passes straight through enemy territory in high places on our way to heaven.

And Satan and his rulers of darkness will not be happy about it, and will fight and battle to hinder the Rapture, as they do with all of God’s plans and purposes.

There will be a strong effort made on the part of the devil and his demons who control the air to stop what could never be stopped, our catching away to heaven by our God and Savior.

The third sound that is heard is “the trump of God.” To make sure those who are asleep “wake up,” Christ gives a shout and the trump of God also sounds.

This is the ultimate wake up call. The trump is called “the last trump” in 1 Corinthians 15:52. In that verse, “last” means “last in a point of time.”

Pastor C. R. Stam wrote this, “The term ‘the last trump’ is a military expression, denoting the trumpet which is sounded at the last for the close of this dispensation.”

So the “trump of God” will sound, which signifies the close of this program and the dispensation of Grace and to call the soldiers of Christ and God’s ambassadors home.

Trumpets are all over the Bible, and they have all kinds of different meanings. They were used for celebrations, triumphs, announcements, and assembling people.

I believe this trumpet is also a trumpet of assembly, calling the Body of Christ together to the Lord in heaven, for all of us to gather and assemble together in one place forever.

Paul then says “and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” And you have to love that phrase “dead in Christ.” Because once you’re in Christ, you’re always in Christ.

Whether you’re alive or dead, you are in Christ. As Romans 14:8 says, “whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.”

Paul says in Romans 8 that neither death, nor life, nor anything else shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Death can’t do it. You live in Christ, you die in Christ, you stay in Christ, you live eternally in Christ. You can never get out of Christ once you’re IN Christ.

When you die, your soul and spirit which are “in Christ” goes to be with Christ. And your dead body goes into the grave, and that body lies there “in Christ.”

That body belongs to Him. At the Rapture, Ephesians 1:14 says He will come to redeem the purchased possession.

These bodies are His personal and eternal possession, and at the Rapture He will reclaim it from its decomposed dust, raise it back to life, and transform it into a glorious body, free forever from sickness, pain, raised indestructible, in strength and honor, to live forever and die no more. And it will be like Christ’s glorious, resurrected body.

At the Rapture, Christ brings the souls of those in heaven with Him, and at His command the bodies rise out of the graves in glory and power, and Christ will unite body and soul and spirit into one being to share His glory and abide in His presence forever.

This is good hope. This is good news. This is comfort. This gives strength.

That wife, that husband, your mother, your father, that son, daughter, that friend, that dear grandmother, grandfather, brother or sister, or cousin, who meant so much to me and in my life who is gone and with the Lord, every single day we could see them again.

They’ll not miss this great event. In God’s kindness, they’ll rise first. What will rise out of that grave is a glorified body to meet a glorified spirit to become that eternal person in the image of Christ, and you will live with them in glory forever, never to be separated again.

1 Thessalonians 4:17-18: “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.”

The word “Trinity does not appear in your Bible, but its truth is there. The phrase “millennial kingdom” is not found in your Bible, but its truth is here. The word Rapture does not appear in your Bible, but its truth is right here.

John Walvoord wrote this, “The term rapture itself is derived from the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible, where in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, the expression ‘caught up’ is translated by the Latin word ‘rapturo.’”

Rapturo is where we get our English word Rapture, and rapturo means “to carry off, to catch away by force.” Rapturo was used to translate the Greek word in our text “harpazo.”

And this Greek word means to “catch away speedily, to claim for one’s own self, to move to a new place, and to rescue from danger.”

For those who are alive at the Rapture, all these things will take place as we’re “caught up.” We’ll be caught away quickly, the Head of the Church will claim His Church for Himself, we will be moved from this world to a new place and home in heaven, and we will be rescued from the danger of the 7-year tribulation period.

For one generation who is alive at the Rapture, they will disappear from off the face of the earth and we will “fly away” to heaven to be with the Lord forever. And we will leave all our troubles, worries, fears, burdens, sorrows, heartaches, and pains behind.

And we’ll be “caught up together with them in the clouds” verse 17 says. Who is the “them”? The “them” is the “them” of verse 14, the “them…which sleep in Jesus,” the souls Christ brings from heaven whose bodies are raised first. We’ll be with “them”!

At this moment, the whole Body of Christ will be together. All the Body from the first Body member, Paul, to the last Body member will be “together” forever.

Christ is the Reconciler and in love He brings together what was separated. We were spiritually separated from God, but He has brought us together with Him by His Cross.

Physical death separates us from the ones we love, but Christ at the Rapture will bring us back together and reunite us with them, with saved spouses, parents, children and loved ones, who’ve gone on to be with Him.

Our movement at the Rapture is heavenward. We’re caught UP. The Body will be all together IN THE CLOUDS. Christ will return IN THE AIR.

At the Rapture, we will meet the Lord and we will see Him with our own eyes face to face. And it will be an everlasting meeting, “and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

Paul wrote in verse 18, “comfort one another with these WORDS.” Doctrine, the teaching, the words of God’s Word, is our source of true comfort. Knowing what’s coming does that.

And the mutual understanding, sharing and joy of these truths with “one another” in the church, is what really brings it home to our hearts and gives us comfort.

It has been nearly 2000 years since Paul wrote these inspired words. This should be an encouragement to our generation, because the coming of the Lord is that much closer, 2000 years closer.

It’s been said about the Rapture, “If you’re not absolutely sure you’re ready to fly, you need to get your ticket fast. As long as they are available, they’re free. But don’t wait. About the time you finally make up your mind, the whole thing could have happened, leaving you looking back instead of up.”