1 Thessalonians 4:15
15 For [gar] this [touto] we say [lego] unto you [humin] by [en] the word [logos] of the
Lord, [kurios] that [hoti] we [hemeis] which [ho] are alive [zao] and remain [perileipo] unto [eis] the coming [parousia]
of the Lord [kurios]
shall [phthano] not [ou me] prevent [phthano] them which [ho] are asleep. [koimao] KJV-Interlinear
15 For
this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain
until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. NASB
Relevant verses
regarding the Rapture, have been posted to the
Notebook, and at the end of this study.
Those believers who are alive at the moment of the Rapture, will not
precede those Church Age believers who are already deceased.
Paul states here, by the
word of the Lord, which is a reference to the several revelations that he
personally received from the Lord.
There are no accounts
or references in the Old Testament, regarding the Rapture. It was a hidden doctrine, as was the entirety
of the dispensation of the Church Age.
And since the New Testament did not yet exist, there were only the
comments that Jesus Himself had made, and those which Paul had yet to write.
At the end of John, he
wrote that the things which Jesus said and did, were
not recorded in the scriptures, and if they had been recorded, it would take a vast
library of books to record them all.So
the Apostles had access to far more doctrine and information than anyone else
in history.
But Paul himself, received several revelations from Christ, long
after the Cross, and it was to these revelations, that he is referring, 1 Cor.
11:23, Gal. 1:11-12.
But even in the
information he received from Christ, Paul was not given the exact date of the
Rapture, even though he was under the impression that it was imminent. And even if it were imminent way back then,
folks were not to bet their entire livelihood on its occurring during their
lifetime.
Obviously back then, it
did not occur.It has not occurred even
yet.And by hindsight we know that we
are much closer than they were, but we still have the principle of imminence,
as well as lacking the knowledge of the exact date.
By being alive now in
this latter period in history, does not make us or give us any better rights
than those who lived centuries ago.
You often hear teens
say, Well, this is the twenty-first century, ya
know. As though this
date in history has some superior significance. Technology does not make us better than those
who did not have it.And certainly our
latter date has not improved the nature of humanity, either.
We may know, or think
we know, more about the widgets of the universe, but even that does not help
anyone in their spiritual life, unless they recognize or acknowledge Gods work
in it all.
And in fact, our
advanced knowledge of the universe and such, should
make us even more driven to our spiritual life.
But, most folks simply do not make that connection either.
God has granted the
deceased believers of this dispensation, the privilege of rising first, and accompanying
Him in His return, at the Rapture.Then we
who are alive, whom ever that generation may be, will
be resurrected.
Relevant verses:
Matt 24:36-39
36 "But of that
day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the
Father alone.
37 "For the coming
of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.
38 "For as in
those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, they were
marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
39 and they did not
understand until the flood came and took them all away; so shall the coming of
the Son of Man be. NASB
1 Thess. 4:13
13 But we do not want
you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not
grieve, as do the rest who have no hope.
NASB
1 Thess. 4:14
14 For
if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him
those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. NASB
1 Thess. 4:15
15 For
this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain
until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. NASB
1 Thess. 4:16
16 For the Lord Himself
will 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. NASB
1 Thess. 4:17
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. NASB
Matt. 24:36
36 "But of that
day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the
Father alone. NASB
Matt. 24:37
37 "For the coming
of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. NASB
Matt. 24:38
38 "For as in
those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, they were
marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, NASB
Matt. 24:39
39 and they did not
understand until the flood came and took them all away; so shall the coming of
the Son of Man be. NASB
Matt. 24:40
40 "Then there
shall be two men in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. NASB
Matt. 24:41
41 "Two women will
be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. NASB
Matt. 24:42
42 "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is
coming. NASB
Matt. 24:43
43 "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at
what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert
and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. NASB
Matt. 24:44
44 "For this
reason you be ready too; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do
not think He will. NASB
Acts 1:7
7 He said to them,
"It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by
His own authority; NASB
1 Thess. 5:1
5 Now as to the times
and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. NASB
1 Thess. 5:2
2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come
just like a thief in the night. NASB
1 Thess. 5:3
3 While they are
saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them
suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. NASB
1 Thess. 5:4
4 But
you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a
thief; NASB
2 Thess. 2:1-4
1 Now we request you,
brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering
together to Him,
2 that you may not be
quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a
message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has
come.
3 Let no one in any way
deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man
of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
4 who opposes and
exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes
his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. NASB
2 Thess. 2:5-12
5 Do you not remember
that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?
6 And you know what
restrains him now, so that in his time he may be revealed.
7 For the mystery of
lawlessness is already at work; only he who now
restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.
8 And then that lawless
one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the
breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;
9 that is, the one
whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs
and false wonders,
10
and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did
not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.
11 And for this reason
God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is
false,
12
in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took
pleasure in wickedness.
NASB
1 Cor. 15:51-53
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 imperishable, and we shall be changed.
53 For this perishable
must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. NASB
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