I
THESSALONIANS 4 AND THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
by: Roger Campbell
"Unto the church of the Thessalonians"
(1 Thessalonians 1:1) Paul wrote, "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. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 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. 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;
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.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words" (4:13-18).
In the verses quoted above, Paul appears to be
answering some questions that the Christians were having about Jesus coming
again. The major theme of this first epistle that Paul wrote to the saints in
Thessalonica is the second coming of Jesus. His second coming is mentioned near
the end of each chapter, including in these verses: 1:10; 2:19; 3:13; 4:13-17;
5:23. Let us look at some of the valuable lessons that Paul sets forth in the
last six verses of chapter four. Consider these questions:
1. Why did Paul write about this topic (Jesus' second
coming)? It is obvious that at least some in the congregation at Thessalonica
did not have a clear understanding about what would happen to those saints who
had already died, or would be in the grave, when Jesus comes again. Paul had
certainly taught about Jesus' second coming while he was in Thessalonica, for
he later wrote to the church there, "Remember ye not, that, when I was yet
with you, I told you these things" (2 Thessalonians 2:5). In 1
Thessalonians 4:13 Paul states two reasons why he is addressing the topic of
the second coming. First, he did not want them to be ignorant about those
disciples who had died. He wanted them to know God's will about it.
This is an important truth for all of us to
appreciate. It is not good to be in ignorance of any Bible matter, for
ignorance leads to transgression. God destroyed the Israelites because their
ignorance led them to transgress (Hosea 4:6). Jesus plainly said to the Jews of
His day, "Search the scriptures" (John 5:39). Yes, the Lord desires
that we know His will, for without such knowledge we will not think and act as
He wants us to. A second reason that Paul discussed Jesus' second coming is
that he did not want the saints to sorrow (4:13). We should always be aware of
the feelings and emotions of others, and try not to cause them to sorrow. It is
not wrong to be sad because of the death of someone whom we love. Even Jesus
wept (John 11:35). But, it would be wrong to be sad if we had such sadness
because we thought that the dead in Christ have no hope.
2. Do all men have hope of eternal salvation?
What did Paul write? "That ye sorrow not, even as others which have no
hope" (4:13). There are some who do not have hope! The Holy Spirit says
that one who is out of Christ has no hope and is without God in the world
(Ephesians 2:12). But for the Christian there is hope. True, we have only
"one hope" (Ephesians 4:4), but that one is enough! Our hope is
eternal life (Titus 1:2), which we shall receive in the world to come (Mark
10:30). In Christ there is redemption (Romans 3:24) or salvation (2 Timothy
2:10), and all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3). Let us not deceive
ourselves or others: those who are out of Christ and His body are lost! By the
grace of God Jesus tasted death for every man (Hebrews 2:9), but man must come
to God and receive His grace and salvation according to the conditions that He
has set forth in His word. Only then can one share in the hope of eternal
salvation.
3. What about the dead in Christ? What will
happen to them when Jesus comes again? Will they be able to share in His glory?
Paul's answer is, "The dead in Christ shall rise first" (4:16). Jesus
said that they who have done good shall be raised "unto the resurrection
of life" (John 5:29), and that will be "at the last day" (John
6:39). Why does Paul say that the dead saints shall rise "first"? In
comparison to what or whom will they be first? In comparison to those saints
who will still be living when Jesus comes again. Paul shows that the order is
this: the dead saints will first be raised from the dead and join the Lord,
then after that the disciples who are still living when Jesus comes will be
able to join Him. What do we see in all of this? Physical death and the grave
are not the end! They are not the end of life and existence. Why not? Because
man's eternal spirit lives on after death. Yes, there is hope for those
faithful followers of Christ who have already passed from this earth. Jesus
Himself rose from the dead, and His victory over death gives us the hope of
being raised one day.
4. Will Jesus come Himself, and will that be
silently? Could Paul say it any plainer? "For the Lord himself shall
descend from heaven" (4:16). Jesus comforted His apostles with this
promise: "I will come again, and receive you unto myself" (John
14:3). Later, as the apostles watched Jesus ascend in a cloud toward heaven,
two messengers of the Lord told them, "This same Jesus, which is taken up
from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into
heaven" (Acts 1:11). But will His coming be silent? Some have the false
idea that He came secretly and without sound to His faithful followers in 1914.
How does that harmonize with what the Bible says? In the text that we are
examining Paul declared that Jesus will descend "with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God" (4:16). Now if one
shout, one voice, and one trump add up to silence, then I must confess that I
don't know what "silence" means. But did Paul not also say that
Jesus' coming would be "as a thief in the night"? He did (5:2), and
Peter wrote the same (2 Peter 3:10). However "as a thief in the
night" does not mean that His coming will be silent, but rather that
expression points out that it will be unexpected, as no one knows when He will
come.
5. What will happen to the Christians who will
still be living when Jesus comes again? The Holy Spirit says that they shall be
caught up together with the resurrected saints in the clouds, to meet the Lord
in the air (4:17).
Notice that the Bible says that they will meet
Him in the clouds, not on the earth. It is a false theory which states that
Jesus will return to the earth, will walk, live and reign as king on the earth
for one thousand years. Why is this theory false? Because it is not found in the
Bible! Jesus already established His kingdom in the first century, and the
saints to whom Paul wrote this epistle were in it. Paul told them, "That
ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and
glory" (1 Thessalonians 2:12).
So, the saints who are living when Jesus comes
will not be resurrected, because one cannot be resurrected who did not die,
right? But how could the Christians who do not die enter into heaven with a
physical, earthly body?
Paul answered that question in 1 Corinthians
15:51, saying, "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed."
He went on to explain that the corruptible body of the saints who are living at
the time of Christ's coming will be changed into a body that is incorruptible
and immortal (15:52,53). If the Lord has the plan and power to raise the dead,
then surely He can manifest His power by giving the living saints the kind of
body that will be needed for the eternal inheritance that is incorruptible and
undefiled (1 Peter 1:4).
6. Does it not sound like Paul thought that he
would still be living when Jesus comes again? Did he not say, "We which
are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord . . ." (4:15)? If in this
verse Paul was predicting that Jesus would come again before he (Paul) died,
then what is the only conclusion that we could make? That Paul made a mistake,
the consequence being that he is a false prophet! That is a serious accusation.
Who or what was the source of the message that Paul reached? Listen to Paul's
own explanation: "The gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the
revelation of Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1:11,12). How then do we explain
Paul's statement about he and others being alive when the Lord comes? First
consider something else that Paul wrote: "Knowing that he which raised up
the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with
you" (2 Corinthians 4:14). Do we see what Paul is doing? In one passage he
speaks of those who will be living when Jesus comes again, and he includes
himself in that group. But in a different verse he speaks of those who will be
raised from the dead when He comes again, and he speaks of himself as being in
that group of people also. Paul knew that the day of the Lord will come as a
thief in the night. He was not predicting whether he would be alive or dead
when it comes about. He simply used himself as an example to show the brethren
what will take place.
7. How can we comfort one another? After his
message about the second coming of Jesus and the reunion that will take place
in the clouds with Christ, Paul said, "Comfort one another with these
words" (4:18). Our God is a God of comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3), and He
wants us to comfort one another by using His word. It can calm the heart like
nothing else. May the Lord help each of us to be ready to receive what His word
says to us, not only about the second coming of Christ, but about every other
topic as well.
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