HE’S COMING, ARE YOU GOING?
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13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Intro: Once in a machine shop there was a fellow named George. His job was to sweep and clean out the shavings underneath the huge lathes and machines that were running. George was born again, and he loved the teaching of Scripture on prophecy. He loved to sing hymns as he worked. Many of them had to do with the coming of Christ, such as “In the Sweet By and By” and “When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder.”
Late one Friday afternoon about ten minutes to quitting time when everyone was weary, someone looked at George and said, “George, are you ready?” He said, “Uh—huh.” But he was all dirty. He was just obviously not ready. In fact, he looked like he was ready to keep on working.
The others said, “Aren’t you ready to go home?” He said, “Yeah, I’m ready.” the others said, “Look at you! Man, you’re not ready. You’ve gotta go clean up.” “No,” he said, “let me show you something.” So he unzipped his coveralls and underneath were the neatest, cleanest clothes you can imagine. He had them all ready. All he did when the whistle blew was just unzip and step out of that coverall, walk up, and punch his clock and he was gone. He said, “You see, I stay ready to keep from gettin’ ready—just like I’m ready for Jesus!”
Friend, are you ready for the return of Jesus? He’s coming again! That is the thrust of the verses we have read today. Let’s look into these verses. As we do, examine your heart to see if you are ready for His coming. You see, He is coming for a certain class of people: those who are ready to go! So, let’s examine these verses together today. As we do, I want you to think about this question: He’s Coming, Are You Going?
I. THE PARTICIPANTS INVOLVED IN THIS EVENT
I. THE PARTICIPANTS INVOLVED IN THIS EVENT
A. The Savior Will Be Involved—While He was here on the earth, the Lord Jesus said that the angels would gather the elect at the Second Coming, Matt. 13:26–27 “ But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?”
However, in the Rapture, Jesus will send no angels or other heavenly representatives. He will come take His bride Himself! The One Who died to redeem the bride on the cross is the One Who returns to rapture the bride off the world! This fits in with Jewish tradition! The bridegroom, after completing a place for himself and his bride in the father’s house, would go with his friends to get his bride and bring her home for the wedding.
His coming will be accompanied by:
1. A Shout—This refers to a military command. Jesus is calling the hosts of Heaven to assemble for military action against the domain of the enemy: the air—Eph. 6:12 “ For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Of course, this shout has another emphasis. Jesus promised that there would come a day when the dead would hear His voice—John 5:25 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.” It was this shout that was heard by Lazarus, even in death, that brought him back to life.
2. The Trumpet of God—Throughout Jewish history, the trumpet was used for many different, but important reasons.
a. To announce the feasts—Num. 10:10 “ Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God.”
b. To announce various celebrations—2 Sam. 6:15 “ So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.”
c. To announce a sacred assembly—Lev. 23:24 “ Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.”
d. To sound an alarm during a time of war—Num. 10:9 “ And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.”
e. To assemble a crowd—Num. 10:2 “ Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.” Jud 6:34
f. To make an announcement—1 Sam. 13:3 “ And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.”
2 Sam. 15:10 “ But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron.”
1 Kings 1:34 “34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon.”
39 “39 And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon.”
41 “41 And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar?”
There seems to be a two-fold purpose here:
1. To assemble the people of God—Ex. 19:16–19
2. To signal His deliverance of them—Zech. 1:16; 9:14–16
B. The Saints Will Be Involved—When the rapture takes place, it will involve all those who are saved by the grace of God, both past and present. It will not be an event for a select few super-saints. It will be a time when everyone who has trusted Jesus as their personal Savior will leave this world together! There are two statements that need to be made right here! 1.
The rapture will include ALL the saints! There is no such thing as a partial rapture. There will be many who we may not think should be allowed go. If they are saved, they will make the trip! Just for the record, none of us deserves to go! The only way anyone goes is through faith in the Lord Jesus and in His finished work at Calvary—Eph. 2:8–9; Rom. 10:9–10. 2.)
The rapture will include ONLY the saints! There will be many fine, moral and religious people who will not be taken when Jesus comes. They may be church members. They may be king and good people morally, but if they have never been saved, they will not leave this world in the rapture! One of the tragedies of that day will be that many will be left behind who thought they were ready.
Don’t think you are ready, be sure you are, Matt. 24:44 “ Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Luke 17:34–36 “34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. 35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”
II. THE POWER INVOLVED IN THIS EVENT
A. There Will Be The Power Of Resurrection—The Thessalonian believers believed in the immediate return of the Lord Jesus Christ. However, they were afraid that their fellow believers who had already died had missed out on the rapture, and on heaven as well. They seems to believe that death was the end and that only those alive when Jesus returned would go to Heaven. Paul writes this passage, v. 13–18, to let them know that there is coming a day when even the dead will rise again!
The same God Who moved in power to create with world and all that is within it, is the same One Who will raise the bodies of the dead. When you consider the millions who have died in faith over the last 2,000 years and when you think about the fact that many bodies have long since turned to dust, it boggles the mind!
However, I do not have to understand the mechanics of the event to be blessed by it! All you and I need to know is that we serve a God Who is able to exert this kind of power, Eph. 3:20 “ Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”
This should comfort our hearts as it did the hearts of those believers 2,000 years ago, v. 18. All those saints we have known and love who have preceded us into death will one day have their bodies raided from the dead! By the way, not a single one of them is in the grave today, 2 Cor. 5:8 “ We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
When He comes for their bodies, He will bring their spirits with them. They will receive a new, glorified body and will be taken up from the earth to be transported to glory!
B. There Will Be The Power Of Rapture—Paul tells us that those who are alive when the rapture comes will be “caught up”. This phrase comes from a word that refers to “a strong, irresistible and violent act”. It literally means, “To seize by force, to carry off by force, to claim for oneself eagerly.”
In the rapture, the Lord Jesus will claim His bride by force! It is interesting to note that this word conveys the idea of force. Certainly, there is within the heart of the redeemed a desire to depart and to go to Heaven. However, there are forces that would hinder our departure if they could.
Among them are the strong pulls of sin, the influence of the flesh, the world and the devil. All these would conspire to keep us here. However, when He comes, there will be no staying! He will catch away that which He has redeemed by His blood and He will take it home to glory! Praise God, no force will be able to prevent His coming for us! No force will be able to hold us here when He does come.
The bottom line is this: when He comes we go! It is at this moment in time when the saints will forever lose these fleshly bodies!
We will be changed, 1 Cor. 15:51–52
and we will be made like Jesus, 1 John 3:1–3 “1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”
1 Cor. 15:42–57 “42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I shew you a myster…”
To me, just getting a glorified body will be as good as going to Heaven! Imagine what that body will be like!
III. THE PROMISE INVOLVED IN THIS EVENT
A. There Is The Promise Of Rescue—When Jesus makes His glorious appearance, the Bible says that He will come in the “air”. This is significant! According the New Testament, the “air” is the abode of the devil and his demonic hordes, Eph. 2:2 “ Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:” EPH 6:12
In fact, this world is under the dominion of the devil, 2 Cor. 4:4 “ In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
When Jesus comes, He will come directly through enemy territory. He will call up His Bride into the realm of the enemy and He will lead her safely and triumphantly through the devil’s territory as a display of His power and victory over all the powers of evil! We could never get out of here on our own! He will take us safely through all the way to glory!
It is also worthy to note that He will take His church out of the world before He judges the world in the Tribulation, Rom. 5:9 “ Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”
Rev. 4:1 “ After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.”
We will be rescued from this earth before the wrath of God is unleashed against it!
B. There Is The Promise Of Reunion—The phrase “together with them” implies the fact that you and I will enjoy a blessed reunion with those we have seen taken in death! We all have loved ones on the other side we long to see! We will see them then!
C. There Is The Promise Of Revelation—But wait, the Bible also says this: “and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” As glorious as a reunion with our departed loved ones may be, it pales in comparison to seeing Jesus Christ, the One Who gave His life on the cross for our redemption! Imagine seeing Him for the first time!
Imagine seeing the marks in His body where He bore our sins on the cross, Rev. 5:9 “ And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;”
1 Pet. 2:24 “ Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” Imagine seeing His face, hearing His voice and being welcomed into His Heaven. What a day, glorious day, that will be!
D. There Is The Promise Of Rejoicing—verse 17 concludes with the statement, “so shall we ever be with the Lord.” This implies that you and I are going to be wherever He is forever! Whether it be in Heaven around the Father’s throne or whether it be on the earth ruling with Him for 1000 years, it will be a time of endless worship and praise.
It will be a time free from sin and filled with His glory. It will be a time when all the tears are finally wiped away from our faces, Rev. 21:4 “ And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
It will be Heaven! For to be with Jesus is to reside in THEplace of glory!
Conc: The whole thing I am trying to say today is this: He’s coming, and He’s coming for His people. Now, the question you have to answer is this: when He comes are you going? You can, but only if you are saved! He will come again and He will remove His people. When that day comes, will you go, or will you stay? It will all depend on what you do with Jesus Christ. In the end, what He does with you hinges upon what you do with Him!