1 Thessalonians— The Rapture
4.05.23
For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
Jesus promised that He was coming again! (John 14:3) The hope of the Redeemer’s return has well been called ‘the pole star of the Christian church.’ This epistle is unique in that it contains one of the fullest descriptions of this hope to be found in the NT.
Paul wrote this letter because he was hindered from going to see them. The two primary hindrances were persecution and distance. The churches that were started on his first journey were relatively close to his home base of Antioch, but the churches started later in Asia were more difficult to visit. He thus had to depend on his letters and other men he sent in his effort to superintend these works of God.
The city of Thessalonica was a large and prosperous seaport in the Macedonian section of Greece. It was an important city in Paul’s day. Mt. Olympus, the supposed home of the gods, can be seen on the horizon.
The church in Thessalonica was founded by Paul on his second missionary journey
(Acts 17:1-10). He was only able to be there less than a month. He met with violent opposition in his work, but he succeeded in winning some Jews and a multitude of Greeks, which enabled him to establish a faithful church.
Paul then went to Berea, and then on to Athens. He sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to encourage and strengthen the church (3:1, 2, 5). Timothy joined Paul later in Corinth and gave his report. This inspired the apostle to write this epistle (3:6). Timothy’s report of a healthy church gave relief to Paul.
The theme, as noted, is the Rapture. All five chapters contain at least one reference to the Lord’s return for His own. Although the word ‘rapture’ never occurs in the Bible, the idea is there. The phrase ‘caught up’ is from a word meaning ‘to be snatched up suddenly and forcibly,’ thus to be raptured.
A verse in the first chapter (1:3) forms the outline of the book: Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father. In the first three chapters he praises and thanks them for their past work of faith. He then tells them how grateful he is for their current labor of love for God, for fellow believers, and for the lost (4:1-12)
He concludes the book but exhorting them to endure in the face of the future coming of the Lord to take away His Bride. He describes the Rapture in detail (4:13-18). And also speaks of the Day of the Lord when Jesus comes to rule and reign on this earth (5:1-11). In light of these events, the believer is to maintain behavior that pleases the Lord (5:12-28)
Christ is presented as the believer’s hope of salvation both now and at His coming. When He comes He will deliver from wrath, give rewards, resurrect the dead and rapture the living, and sanctify all those who have trusted in Him.
Are you among those who are ready for His return? It could be today!