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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Sound the Alarm in the Churches, #4
According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. (I Thessalonians 4:15—NIV)
This passage, as is true of the entire New Testament, has nothing to do with going to Heaven! The subject is the COMING of the Kingdom of God to the earth.
(I seldom use all-capitals for emphasis, but one becomes frustrated when God's people cannot see what is in front of them in the text!)
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. (I Thessalonians 4:16—NIV)
This is a special, secret rapture? No, this is the Day of the Lord, the coming of Christ to raise the dead and establish His Kingdom on the earth.
After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (I Thessalonians 4:17—NIV)
Do you see any mention of Heaven? We are caught up to be with the saints of all ages. We are caught up into the air, the place from which the spiritual climate of the earth is governed, so we can descend with Him and establish the Kingdom of God on the earth. This is what the Scripture teaches throughout, Old Testament and New Testament.
Therefore encourage each other with these words. (I Thessalonians 4:18—NIV)
The encouragement is that the deceased saints will not be left out when the Lord returns. The encouragement has nothing to do with escaping Antichrist or the great tribulation. Why do we persist in these destructive fables? They are destructive because they are comforting untransformed believers with the notion that even though we are not behaving as disciples of Jesus Christ we shall all be caught up to Heaven to avoid suffering. This idea is so unscriptural, so unhistorical, that it is amazing that any devout, intelligent Christian would believe such a thing for one minute!
Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, (I Thessalonians 5:1—NIV)
Remember, the Apostle Paul did not write in chapters. He is still speaking of the coming of the Lord and the Church being caught up to meet Him in the air.
For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. (I Thessalonians 5:2—NIV)
We see that the coming, resurrection, and catching up takes place in the Day of the Lord, not at some secret time prior to Christ's return.
While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. (I Thessalonians 5:3—NIV)
It is not true that the Church will be caught up to Heaven and then Antichrist will establish his kingdom on the earth. Rather, the moment the Church is caught up to meet Christ in the air, destruction will fall on the sinners in the churches and all the rest of the wicked of the earth. This is why we are blowing the trumpet in Zion.
To be continued.