Wednesday July 10, 2013

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

As I ponder the various millennial positions within the church at large I find that the Pre-millennialists use 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 to support their view that the believers will be raptured before the great 7 year tribulation.  While the passage does talk, in a sense, about a rapture (if rapture means being taken up to Christ in the air), it does not talk about the coming tribulation that is about to be avoided. Nor does it talk about a partial or secretive coming - which the “rapture” presupposes.

 

The passage itself deters us from thinking that the coming of Christ is secretive. Notice that in verse 16 the Lord will come down from heaven with a loud command. A loud command cannot be kept secret. To argue that it’s a spiritually loud command that only the believers hear is reading far too much into the text. I doubt the word ‘loud’ is ever used in such a way in Scripture, let alone in antiquity. The voice of the archangel will be heard and the trumpet call of God will blast. Again secrecy or hearing only by believers is certainly not in view. The trumpet blast marks the ends of the age and is  sign to the entire world that Christ is about to return. Everyone, not just believers, will hear and see.

 

Added to this, if a rapture, followed by the tribulation (as dispensationalists posit) were in view, one suspects that Christ would have mentioned it. But here, He is unnervingly silent.

 

It is much more consistent with the rest of the Scriptures to see this passage as referring to the second and final coming of Christ when all believers and unbelievers will be resurrected, judged and sentenced to eternity in either one of two places.

 

Prayer:

Use the space provided to add your own prayer points.

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Pray that this Sonday’s service will be a powerful service reminding people of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray that we would all be ready and in fitting service. Pray that our outreach would be motivated by the truth of this second coming.

¥ Pray that would our men’s and women’s ministries would be encouraging and uplifting to the men and women involved. Pray again that we’d see many more come along to the meetings and that these ministries would touch hearts and lives in the community and bring many to Christ for salvation.

 

 

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. What do you believe about Jesus return? Why?

2. Would you change your view if someone presented a different biblical view?