THE LORD SO COMETH
1Thess. 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 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. 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: 17 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. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
This was a powerfully spiritual church! Even their election was readily known to the Apostle Paul by their renowned faith revealing itself by their spiritual conduct! It was so evident that the apostle did not need to add his voice to its testimony. 1Thess. 1:4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. 5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. 6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: 7 So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.
And what was the revelation to their souls that spurred this godly zeal? It was the powerful doctrine, personally made known to the individuals of this assembly by the Holy Spirit concerning the resurrection and sure return of the Lord Jesus Christ! 1Th. 1:9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; 10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
The Apostle Peter writes as to the effect of the Lord’s resurrection being directly connected to the faith of the believer. He reveals that there is a special grace awaiting the believers at the return of the Lord. And he also gives assurance that the Lord’s having received glory at this resurrection was directly related to their faith! 1 Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
Then he also makes it perfectly clear that the personal faith in the return of the Lord is of strong influence to the practical godliness of every believer! 2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 2 Peter 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
This doctrine is so powerfully useful to the believing church that Satan has greatly confused this generation concerning its revelation! Scofieldism and millennialism are part of the strong delusion God has sent thru that father of the lie (John 8:44), to this generation, because we have not received the love of the truth! (2 Thes. 2:10-12).
But this church of the Thessalonians was not plagued with these errors as were others in their day! The church of Corinth had problems with it among its membership! 1 Corin. 15:12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
Also the Apostle Paul wrote of this problem to Timothy concerning the church of Ephesus. 2 Tim. 2:16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. 17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; 18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.
To look farther into this, let us first see that our above listed passage can be divided into two sections.
1.) What they did not know – 4:13-18.
2.) What they did know! – 5:1-2.
And looking carefully at what they did NOT know, we realize that any ignorance had nothing to do with whether Christ was resurrected, or if he would, or would not come again! These matters were clearly settled within their hearts by the Holy Spirit! For their matter of ignorance was actually caused by their strong belief in the resurrection and return of the Lord!
They believed so strongly concerning the return of the Lord that they believed he would come immediately in their day! But something began to happen in the natural course of time! Some of their members began to die! This warranted this portion of this first letter from the Apostle Paul! But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
They thought that those brothers and sisters dying among them would now surely miss the glory to be seen as a church body together at the second coming! But the Apostle Paul made two things clear to them! First, those still alive and remaining at the return would not have any advantage over those who had died in the Lord (v.15). Then he instructed them that those who would be alive and remaining at the Lord’s coming would only be caught up together with the resurrected dead in Christ! For those whose bodies were corrupting in the graves would put on incorruption, while those alive and remaining would at the same time, put on immortality! (Read 1 Cor. 15:53,54.) But the Lord would deal with both in complete impartiality!
And notice that when he does raise them into incorruption and immortality, so shall they ever be with the Lord! No secret “raptures!” No half loads of believers going up and others staying here seven more years! Just one general resurrection and the Lord doesn’t let us out of his presence forevermore!
And Paul always labored to show that Christ’s resurrection and that of all the believers was connected. They are but one spiritual body! Christ, the Head, and the believers, the Body! (Col. 1:18). Listen as he establishes this to the Corinthian believers.
1 Corin. 15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
And our Lord himself strongly instructs us that his life is for our life! John 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. And in Hebrews 7:25 we read that his continuous living is in direct relation to his believers! Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Evidences of our coming resurrection: The Apostle Paul in verse 16, listed above, speaks of the Lord’s shout! He informs us that this shall happen upon his return in order to raise the dead. And we already have an example of this very thing! For in John 11:43,44 we read, And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
Here the shout of Christ raised the dead! This same Jesus, the angel stated at his ascension, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. (Acts 1:11). And that same Jesus who raised dead Lazarus in order that the glory of God might be revealed, (John 11:4), shall come again with that same shout to raise all the ransomed church of God and reveal within them God’s glory forever! So this is an evidence already set forth by him!
Another evidence is that each believer already has a resurrection accomplished within them! For their regeneration is a resurrection! Salvation is not man making a decision! Salvation is not man ‘getting religion!’ Salvation, due to the condition of the sinner, is nothing short of a resurrection! For the sinner is dead in trespasses and sins; (Ephes. 2:1).
Our Lord preaches this in the fifth chapter of John. He states in John 5:21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. He says that the Father’s honor is also his, as the Father has given him the power to raise the dead, both spiritually in regeneration and physically as with Lazarus, with those raised at his death and resurrection (Matt. 27:50-54), and all the bodies of those dead in Christ at his coming!
The Lord tells us in John 5:24, 25 that he will at that time begin to raise sinners from the death of sin by their hearing his effectual voice! John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
Then he instructs us in the following verses that he will also raise the physically dead, not out of sin, but out of their graves! John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
Therefore the resurrected, born again believer already carries himself in a resurrected state! He has been raise from sin. And old things have “passed away!” Isn’t that term, here used to describe the spiritual life of the new born believer, whose old nature has been conquered by grace, also the same term we use to speak of one who has died physically? “Old brother such and such has “passed away!” And, “I’ve just been made alive in Christ. My old man has ‘passed away!’ All things have been made new!” {2 Corin. 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.}
What shall keep us watching so that day does not overtake us as a thief? A careful and prayerful reading of 1 Thessalonians 5:5-11 will cause you to understand that it is not our knowledge, nor our excited zeal that shall keep us from being caught unawares with the world. But our new nature is that which shall keep us from committing the sin of Lot’s and Noah’s day. We, who have internal, spiritual life will hear the midnight cry, “The Bridegroom cometh!, ever ringing in our souls daily. For we continue to eat his flesh for the nourishment of our spiritual man! We need him more than our daily food!
Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. 2 Timothy 1:12 …for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
Pastor Gene Breed
July 22, 2010.
