Our Blessed Hope

THE DAILY WORD
By Jim Seekamp

Friday October 31, 2008

1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 (NIV)
15. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18. Therefore encourage each other with these words.

1 Corinthians 15:51,52 (NIV)
51. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- 52. in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 tells us that Jesus will come to gather His people. The dead in Christ will rise first, then those who are alive on the earth will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. This is what is commonly known as the "rapture"!

1 Corinthians 15 tells us what will happen to every believer at the rapture:

1 Corinthians 15:51-54 (NIV)
51. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- 52. in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."

At the rapture, we will be changed!! We will receive new bodies that are "imperishable!" Death will be once and for all defeated for every believer!! What an exciting day that will be-- and IT'S COMING SOON!!!

It is important to separate the rapture from the "Day Of The Lord". When Jesus returns to the earth on the Day Of The Lord (AFTER the 7 year tribulation), He will return not just in the air, but will come down to earth and put an end to the antichrist!! He will throw satan into the abyss for 1,000 years, during which time there will be peace on the earth, with Christ reigning from Jerusalem!!

Notice that at the rapture we will meet Him IN THE AIR; the antichrist won't even have been revealed yet at that time. 2 Thessalonians 2 clears that up:

2 Thessalonians 2:1,2 (KJV)
1. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2. That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ (NIV: "Day Of The Lord") is at hand.

Here we see Paul telling the Thessalonians not to worry about the "Day Of The Lord" being "at hand". He basically proves that the Day Of The Lord could not possibly happen until AFTER the rapture:

2 Thessalonians 2:3,4 (NIV)
3. Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day (The Day Of The Lord) will not come until the rebellion (Greek: apastasia: DEPARTURE) occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

We know that the Greek word "apastasia" is correctly translated "departure" and not "rebellion" because of verses 6 through 8:

2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 (NIV)
6. And now you know what is holding him (the antichrist) back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.

The one who is "holding back" the antichrist has to be "taken out of the way" in order for the antichrist to be revealed. That would be the church! We have authority OVER satan (Ephesians 1:18-23, Ephesians 2:6), and he cannot rule on the earth until we're gone!

Then, after the great 7 year tribulation period is over, Jesus will return-- on the "Day Of The Lord"-- to overthrow the antichrist:

2 Thessalonians 2:8 (NIV)
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.

This "coming" of Jesus is the great and terrible "Day Of The Lord" spoken of so many times by the prophets; a day of horror and destruction on the earth:

Joel 1:15 (NIV)
Alas for that day! For the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.

Joel 2:1,2 (NIV)
1. Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand-- 2. a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness.

Some believe that the Day Of The Lord and the rapture are the same thing, but that could not be true, since the rapture mjust happen before the antichrist can be revealed. The antichrist comes to deceive "those who are perishing"; NOT the children of God who have received salvation:

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (NIV)
9. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10. and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12. and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

There is absolutely no scriptural explanation for a mid-trib or post-trib rapture without obvious misinterpretation of not only these verses, but others that are actually talking about the "Day Of The Lord" and not the rapture.

PRAYER
Thank You Father for sending Jesus fulfill the law and defeat satan. Thank You for Your Word that unveils Your truth to me so I can understand how to live my life on this earth. Help me understand Your ways better and put them into practice as I renew my mind with Your Word and allow Your Word to govern my life.
In Jesus Name, Amen.

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