Late last week, I posted an article overviewing the controversy that surrounds the final return of Jesus Christ. The common theory is that Jesus will first return silently to rapture the church. The unsaved will be left-behind on earth to suffer seven years of tribulation. The antichrist will reign during this time. His reign will be characterized by global power and persecution against the church. This seven-year period will come to a climactic end with the famous battle of Armageddon, a literal battle that will take place at Megiddo between the armies of Christ and the armies of Satan. After Christ wins the battle, Satan will be bound for one thousand years while Christ reigns over His millennial kingdom here on earth. This is the common theory. It is what most people believe. But the fact is, it is NOT what the Bible teaches.
This week, I am going to post one article per day with the intent of refuting the aforementioned premillennial theology. I will simultaneously set forth what the Bible DOES teach regarding the final return of Christ.
Yesterday, we looked at Matthew 24, which is a passage of scripture that many religious people misapply and misunderstand. Today, let's consider another common prooftext of Premillennial theology: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18...
"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words. " (1 Thess. 4:13-18)
There is no question that this passage addresses the final return of Christ, but there are some misunderstandings here that we need to clear up.
Verse 16 is often used to support the rapture doctrine. Yes, this passage does talk about Jesus descending from heaven, and yes, Paul does say that the righteous will be raised up to meet the Lord in the air. I agree with both of these concepts. Jesus will descend and the righteous will be raised up to meet Jesus in the air. Amen! But this verse is NOT teaching the rapture.
The rapture is supposed to be some secretive, silent return of Christ. When I read the first Left Behind novel by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, this is how the rapture was portrayed. Millions of people suddenly disappeared worldwide while the ones who were left behind were left wondering "what happened?" But Paul does not describe the final return of Christ as secretive or silent. Notice the language of verse 16: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of a trumpet..." Paul makes a similar statement in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52: "Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall all be changed." When Jesus returns, it will not be silent and secretive. It will be very, very loud.
Someone might object by saying, "But only the righteous will be raised in the rapture." Well, Jesus, in John 5:28-29 says, "Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment." All will be raised and all will be judged.
Another objection might be raised, "But only the righteous will hear the voice of Jesus and the trumpet-call when He returns to rapture the church." Friend, where is this in the word of God? It just isn't there. When Jesus returns, every ear will hear Him and every eye will see Him (Rev. 1:7).
The rapture doctrine, which is so popular in the religious world today, has no basis in scripture. It is inappropriate to use either Matthew 24 or 1 Thessalonians 4 to teach this fallacious doctrine. Neither passage supports it.
Tune in tomorrow as we consider the book of Revelation...
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