Daily Bread 2011 - 1 Thessalonians 4
The Coming of the Lord
13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 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. 16 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. 17 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. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.
What Does This Mean?
There are not many places that describe the end of times but there is one of them. Here Paul describes the condition of those who have fallen asleep, as those who have died trusting in Christ. Paul says, “Those who have fallen asleep in him.” Apparently the Thessalonians were concerned that those who had died might miss out on the events when Jesus returned.
Since Paul did not know when Jesus would return he says “we who are still left”. Often times Paul uses the term “we” to refer to the body of believers, not necessarily just to himself and his fellow followers. This is confirmed in the next ch.5, when Paul describes Jesus’ second coming as “like a thief in the night”. The bottom line for Paul, and for us, despite all the speculations we make about the rapture and the millennium is that all believers, both those who have died in Christ and those who are living at the time, will be taken to heaven to be with the Lord forever when Jesus returns. In fact the word “rapture”, from the Latin Vulgate translation “caught up together with them in the clouds”, is only used here in the New Testament. It is not wise to build a whole end times doctrine (called eschatology) on one verse in the bible.
What Does This Mean?
As I alluded to above, we need to be careful about all the speculations and endless arguments about what is going to happen when Jesus returns. There are arguments about whether believers will have to withstand the 7 year tribulation described in the book of Revelation, or will be taken up to heaven pre-tribulation. Also there are differing arguments of whether the rapture will happen before the 1,000 year reign of Christ (pre-millennial version), or after (post-millennial, or another similar version a-millennial). In both post-millennial and a-millennial versions there is the idea that God is using Christian and the church now before he returns to bring society to a place where God is reigning. There is some evidence for this in our Lord’s Prayer, “Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven” but is not enough evidence to build a doctrine on in terms of the new heaven and new earth promised in the book of Revelation.
Many would to try and predict how modern day events are evidence that Jesus will return soon. And maybe He will. The point is none of us know and even Jesus said he didn’t know when these things would happen, only His Father knew! Of course to know would give one power and that is why there is so much speculation among scholars, modern day prophets etc…, on these issues. So what are we to do? Here is a simple answer: live your life today as if Jesus were coming back tomorrow. Some people try to time their following of Jesus. They reason, “Well I can do what I want now, but then I’ll shape up before I die and get right with God.” This is what the bible calls foolish, because he will come like a thief in the night. If the owner of the house knew when the thief would come, he would be ready. Therefore keep watch for we don’t know the day or the hour!
Jesus, you are the only one who can make us truly ready for Your return, by what you did on the cross and our faith in it. Help us to focus less on trying to control future events and our participation in them, and more on how we can live today for you to bring your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven until You return in great and promised glory. In Your name, Amen.
13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 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. 16 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. 17 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. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.
What Does This Mean?
There are not many places that describe the end of times but there is one of them. Here Paul describes the condition of those who have fallen asleep, as those who have died trusting in Christ. Paul says, “Those who have fallen asleep in him.” Apparently the Thessalonians were concerned that those who had died might miss out on the events when Jesus returned.
Since Paul did not know when Jesus would return he says “we who are still left”. Often times Paul uses the term “we” to refer to the body of believers, not necessarily just to himself and his fellow followers. This is confirmed in the next ch.5, when Paul describes Jesus’ second coming as “like a thief in the night”. The bottom line for Paul, and for us, despite all the speculations we make about the rapture and the millennium is that all believers, both those who have died in Christ and those who are living at the time, will be taken to heaven to be with the Lord forever when Jesus returns. In fact the word “rapture”, from the Latin Vulgate translation “caught up together with them in the clouds”, is only used here in the New Testament. It is not wise to build a whole end times doctrine (called eschatology) on one verse in the bible.
What Does This Mean?
As I alluded to above, we need to be careful about all the speculations and endless arguments about what is going to happen when Jesus returns. There are arguments about whether believers will have to withstand the 7 year tribulation described in the book of Revelation, or will be taken up to heaven pre-tribulation. Also there are differing arguments of whether the rapture will happen before the 1,000 year reign of Christ (pre-millennial version), or after (post-millennial, or another similar version a-millennial). In both post-millennial and a-millennial versions there is the idea that God is using Christian and the church now before he returns to bring society to a place where God is reigning. There is some evidence for this in our Lord’s Prayer, “Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven” but is not enough evidence to build a doctrine on in terms of the new heaven and new earth promised in the book of Revelation.
Many would to try and predict how modern day events are evidence that Jesus will return soon. And maybe He will. The point is none of us know and even Jesus said he didn’t know when these things would happen, only His Father knew! Of course to know would give one power and that is why there is so much speculation among scholars, modern day prophets etc…, on these issues. So what are we to do? Here is a simple answer: live your life today as if Jesus were coming back tomorrow. Some people try to time their following of Jesus. They reason, “Well I can do what I want now, but then I’ll shape up before I die and get right with God.” This is what the bible calls foolish, because he will come like a thief in the night. If the owner of the house knew when the thief would come, he would be ready. Therefore keep watch for we don’t know the day or the hour!
Jesus, you are the only one who can make us truly ready for Your return, by what you did on the cross and our faith in it. Help us to focus less on trying to control future events and our participation in them, and more on how we can live today for you to bring your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven until You return in great and promised glory. In Your name, Amen.
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