PRESENTATION NAME

1
THE RAPTURE  Coming or Going?
1 Thessalonians 413-18 What is rapture ? Does
the Bible teach this doctrine?
2
The Rapture

• Most denominations teach the concept of the
  rapture.
• They mean a view that Christ's Second Coming will
  be in 2 phases
• Rapture part 1 will be a coming near earth and
  taking away all the faithful
• Coming part 2 when Christ comes with the
  faithful to set up a kingdom for 1,000 years.

3
The Rapture

• The idea is that there will be an antichrist
  world tyrant (the beast, 666).
• Christ will rapture away all the saints to
  spare them from this horrible event.
• Then Christ will come with the saints to
  overthrow the antichrist (Armageddon) and set
  up an earthly kingdom in Jerusalem and rule for
  1,000 years.

4
The Text

• 1 Thessalonians 416-17 16 For the Lord Himself
  will descend from heaven with a shout, with the
  voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of
  God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17
  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught
  up together with them in the clouds to meet the
  Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with
  the Lord.

5
The Text

• This is the only passage that is used to support
  the teaching of the rapture.
• Esp. the phrase in verse 17 - shall be caught up
  to meet the Lord in the air.
• They teach that all faithful saints will be
  caught up (raptured away) to escape the
  persecution of the antichrist.

6
Which direction?

• 1 Thessalonians 414 For if we believe that Jesus
  died and rose again, even so God will bring with
  Him those who sleep in Jesus
• Who will God Bring with him?
• Those who have died 13
• Those who have hope 13
• Those who have faith - 14

7
What (Who) is coming down?

• 1 Thessalonians 414 For if we believe that Jesus
  died and rose again, even so God will bring with
  Him those who sleep in Jesus
• What does God have?
• Not their body in the ground, return to dust
• Their soul Ecclesiastes 127 Then the dust will
  return to the earth as it was, And the spirit
  will return to God who gave it.

8
What about those alive?

• 1 Thessalonians 417 Then we who are alive and
  remain shall be caught up together with them in
  the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus
  we shall always be with the Lord.
• They will not precede (KJV - prevent)
• Worried about those who have died before Christ
  comes? Nothing to worry about.
• They will not miss the coming of Christ!

9
What will happen?

• Here is the sequence of events
• Lord will descend
• Lord will shout
• Voice (shout) of the archangel
• Trumpet of God will sound
• The dead will rise

10
Coming or Going?

• Are the saints coming down or going up?
• BOTH
• The spirit is coming down with Christ
• The body is raised up from the dust of the earth
• Resurrection re-uniting of the spirit and the
  body

11
Caught up v. 17

• 1 Thessalonians 417 Then we who are alive and
  remain shall be caught up together with them in
  the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus
  we shall always be with the Lord.
• This is not a rapture text
• This passage was to show that those who had
  already died would not miss the coming of Christ.

12
The Message Is

• Dead will rise not be left behind 16
• Living will catch up to them 17
• Meet the Lord in the clouds not Jerusalem
• Meet the Lord in the air not on earth
• Always remain with the Lord

13
How long is always?

• Rapture teaches that always is
• 7 years (Pre-tribulation) OR
• 3.5 years (Mid-tribulation) OR
• A few days (Post-tribulation)
• Ever, Always, Eternal, Forever
• Literal ages and ages and ages
• On and on, ever and ever, going and going
• Without end

14
Conclusion

• The Bible does not teach the rapture
• This teaching started less than 150 years ago
• The 1 Thessalonian passage was addressed to the
  church members concerned that some had died and
  would miss the 2nd Coming of Christ.

15
Conclusion

• John 528-29 28 Do not marvel at this for the
  hour is coming in which all who are in the graves
  will hear His voice 29 and come forth--those who
  have done good, to the resurrection of life, and
  those who have done evil, to the resurrection of
  condemnation.

16
Conclusion

• 1 Corinthians 1551-52 51 Behold, I tell you a
  mystery We shall not all sleep, but we shall all
  be changed-- 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of
  an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will
  sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible,
  and we shall be changed.

17
Conclusion

• There will be one resurrection
• ALL will be raised good and bad
• All will be before Christ in judgment
• Are you ready for those final events?