The word “rapture” is a word from the Latin translation of verse 17. The fact that the rapture is not mentioned specifically in the Bible should not concern us. The phrase “virgin birth” is not specifically mentioned in the Bible yet we know it to be true from other verses. The words “holy Bible” do not appear in the Bible.

The rapture is the time when all born-again believers will be snatched away to meet the Lord in the air. If man can send a man to the moon then God can certainly bring His children to the heavens. We see pictures of the rapture in the Bible. For example there is Enoch, Elijah and the Lord Jesus Himself.

The believers of Thessalonica had only been around for a few months and they wondered what would happen to all those believers who had already died? Paul speaks to them as a pastor.

1 – The majesty of His return (vs. 16)

Jesus promised to return. See John 14. Angels said that he would return. See Acts 9:11. History tells us to look back. Science tells us to look around. Philosophy tells us to look within. The Bible tells us to look up! We are not looking for some undertaker. We are looking for the “uptaker”.

• It will be a personal return. It is Himself, the Lord. It will be the Lord and not an angelic delegation who leads. The Lord will be our personal escort.
• A powerful return. Notice the three powerful sounds.

1. There is a shout. It is a command to get up! There are three shouts that Jesus gives in the Bible. The first is to command Lazarus to be resurrected from the dead. The second time is when Jesus is on the cross to say “It is finished” and some of the graves gave up their dead. The third time is in this passage and millions will rise from dead.
2. There is a voice of the archangel. See Jude 9. Michael got into a battle with Satan over the body of Moses. The archangel will come down and tell the evil spirits that the party is over.
3. There is the trump of God. The military had a trumpet which gave certain signals of what to do. You needed to know what the signal meant. This trumpet sound will mean to march away.

Are you listening for the Lord’s return? We ought to be looking for the return of Jesus Christ.

2 – The miracle of our resurrection (vs. 16)

It is the dead in Christ who shall rise first. Whether you are dead or alive you are still in Christ. What a comfort this is. Your relationship with Christ is not impaired by death. The resurrection is a fact. It is perhaps the most important doctrine in the Bible. Without this doctrine our preaching is of no value at all. See 1 Corinthians 15. Jesus is not still in a tomb. He was resurrected from the dead and because he was resurrected, we will be also! It is a brand new body. It is just like a caterpillar that becomes a butterfly. The butterfly is a totally different creature from what was before!

3 – The mystery of our rapture (vs. 17)

The apostle Paul expected the Lord’s return in his life-time. This is to always be our expectation. When the rapture happens only those who are heaven-born will be heaven-bound. A magnet attracts metal from other substances around it. The rapture will pull those bodies who are the Lord’s whether they are dead or alive.

Do you want to hold onto your life? Do you want to hold onto your money? You can’t take it with you. You are a steward of what God has given you. How did you manage it? You will be held to account.

4 – The marvel of our reunion (vs. 17)

We shall have a reunion in the air. This has been the realm of Satan and his demons. We will be having a victory celebration in front of their faces!

• A reunion with the saints. Death is a separation and this is what makes it so sad. The resurrection brings a reunion. It reverses what death has done.
• A reunion with our Saviour. You want to see your loved ones but what really makes Heaven, heaven is when we see Jesus. All other things pale into significance when we see the one who died for our sins on the cross. We shall see Him face to face. I don’t know about you, but I want to see Jesus! This time Jesus will be in exaltation and in all His majesty. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Categories: 1 Thessalonians