1 Thessalonians

Lesson 6 Answers: The Hope Of Heaven1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

In the previous lesson, we looked at how to live a Christian life; and we concluded that rather than following rule after rule and a list of do’s and don’ts, our guiding principle should be to "live a life pleasing to God." Let this also be a guiding principle for you, as each day you are faced with choices, dilemmas, struggles, and obstacles. Let your decisions and your lifestyle be something that pleases God. Follow this path, and you will be amazed at the burdens that will be lifted from you.

Bible

In this lesson, we will be examining a doctrine (teaching) in the Bible quite unlike anything that you may ever have considered before—the doctrine of the Rapture. The Rapture is the belief that at some undetermined point in time, all Christians, both alive and dead, will be instantly resurrected and caught up to meet Christ in the air. May God open your hearts and minds this week as we study this great doctrine—one that provides every believer with hope for tomorrow.

Once again, I have pasted below two key passages using the Living Bible translation. One is from 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4, and the other is from Revelation Chapter 19. Please read these, then consider the questions which follow.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – "Caught Up"
And now, brothers and sisters, I want you to know what will happen to the Christians who have died so you will not be full of sorrow like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus comes, God will bring back with Jesus all the Christians who have died. I can tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not rise to meet him ahead of those who are in their graves. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever. So comfort and encourage each other with these words.

Rev 19:4-16 – Marriage Supper of The Lamb
Then the twenty–four elders and the four living beings fell down and worshiped God, who was sitting on the throne. They cried out, "Amen! Hallelujah!" And from the throne came a voice that said, "Praise our God, all his servants, from the least to the greatest, all who fear him." Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a huge crowd, or the roar of mighty ocean waves, or the crash of loud thunder: "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice and honor him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. She is permitted to wear the finest white linen." (Fine linen represents the good deeds done by the people of God.) And the angel said, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb." And he added, "These are true words that come from God." Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, "No, don’t worship me. For I am a servant of God, just like you and other brothers and sisters who testify of their faith in Jesus. Worship God. For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus." Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. And the one sitting on the horse was named Faithful and True. For he judges fairly and then goes to war. His eyes were bright like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him, and only he knew what it meant. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword, and with it he struck down the nations. He ruled them with an iron rod, and he trod the winepress of the fierce wrath of almighty God. On his robe and thigh was written this title: King of kings and Lord of lords.

The term "Rapture" cannot be found in the Bible (for that matter, the word "Bible" can’t be found in it either). This doctrine gets its name from the Greek word for being "caught up." Thus, someone who is "caught up" in a piece of music for instance is said to be enraptured. Thus, the doctrine of the Rapture centers on the belief and hope that Christ will at some point call all of us up to Him before the end of this age, so that we may receive our resurrected bodies and return to live and reign with him during his millennial reign. It was originally written to comfort early Christians, who had the mistaken belief that a person who was not living when Christ returned would miss spending an eternity in heaven with Him. Paul’s words comforted them, and they provide us comfort as well, as we look forward to the day that Christ returns for us.

  1. One question that is often raised is "Will the Church go through the great tribulation period, or will the rapture occur before it begins?" Read both passages, then answer the following:
    1. Who is the "Bride" described in Revelation Chapter 19? (see also Mark 2:18-20, for example)
      1. ANSWER: Clearly the "bride" is the Church, the body of those saved through Christ.
    2. Who is the rider on the white horse?
      1. ANSWER: The rider on the white horse is also clearly Jesus, the Christ, who will lead his army against Satan and his forces.
    3. Who is also called the "Word" of God in the New Testament? (see John 1:11-14)
      1. ANSWER: The Bible tells us the "Word was God" and "...the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." This is the rider on the white horse. Jesus is also called the Word of God; he is the one and only Son of God.
    4. Do you believe we can conclude from this that the Church has to be in heaven in order to return with Christ at the end of the Tribulation Period and the beginning of his Millennial Reign?
      1. ANSWER: We can see from these and other passages in Revelation that the Church is in heaven when Christ returns. We can speculate on timing and other questions related to Christ’s return, but certainly the Church returns from heaven to live and reign with Christ during his millennial reign.
  2. What do you suppose Paul means when he writes that the dead in Christ will rise first? Aren’t they in heaven already?
    1. ANSWER: Paul is referring to the resurrection of our physical bodies at the time of Christ’s return. In other words, we are living in heaven with Jesus, having been taken there immediately after we die on this earth (Luke 16:22). Whatever our heavenly bodies look like, whatever we wear, eat, etc., is all speculation; but when Christ returns, we will put on our resurrected bodies in order that we may live and reign with Christ on this earth. Our corruptible bodies were left behind to decay and return to dust; but now when the dead in Christ are raised we will get our resurrected bodies and join Christ in the air in them.
  3. What do you suppose it means when the Bible says that Christ will be coming in "clouds of Glory?" Could those "clouds" be the Church, his Bride, i.e., all of the Christians since the beginning of the church? If so, how did they/we get there with him?
    1. ANSWER: We can see references to clouds throughout the Bible that symbolize God’s amazing presence and power. Jesus was taken up into the clouds, and we are told that he will return in the same way. (See Acts 1:9-11.) In Matthew 25:31-32, we see a reference to angels coming with Jesus when he returns. Certainly, untold numbers of angels could appear as a cloud. Finally, we know that the Church will return with Jesus; see, for example, Jude 14. All–in–all, it will be a sight like no other, coming at a time when the whole world is virtually on the edge of self–destruction. It will be an amazing sight, as Jesus parts the eastern sky and returns in all of his glory with his angels and his Bride, the Church, to set up his earthly kingdom. Similarly, we see here, as well as in our earlier references, that the Church has, at the point of Jesus’ return, been taken up into heaven prior to his return. We can also read in Revelation (Revelation Chapter 4, for example) about the 24 Elders around God’s throne. Many believe these Elders represent the Church and the saved of Israel (i.e., the twelve Apostles and the twelve tribes)—all physically present in heaven prior to Christ’s return.
  4. If all this is true, why does this give us hope; and what should we be doing today?
    1. ANSWER: No matter whether Jesus is in heaven or returned to earth, we should live a life of inner joy and peace, since we realize that our eternal destination is to be in heaven with Jesus. Further, we have been given the greatest gift of all—eternal life, and the opportunity to serve God continually. Knowing that we will have trials and tribulations on this earth, we are also assured that they pale in comparison to the joy that awaits us. Aware of all of this, we should be living a life that glorifies God, as we serve Him and those he places in our path.

With the hope of heaven, we can eagerly look forward to the return of Jesus and the establishment of his earthly throne; and we can look beyond that to our eternal home where we will live with God and His Son Jesus forever. We should carry that joy, that Good News—the Gospel, to as many as we can; so that they may experience this same joy and inner peace, knowing that heaven is their destination.

May God bless you as we continue to study His Holy Word!

In Christ,

Wes

[2019]

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