The King is Coming
Sunday February 20th
“The King is Coming”
These texts are part of end time biblical prophecy.
This can also be referred to as the end of days, the latter days, last days, and final days.
There is a name for a specific study of this and it is called Eschatology.
There are people that specialize in a specific topic.
For me it is a vastly interesting and intriguing subject, but it is only but a part of overall scripture of which I seek wisdom and discernment on.
Today will be one of those days!
A great percentage of end of time prophetical events is in one way or another connected to the return of Jesus Christ.
The vast majority of Christian faith believes in the biblical events of the end of time prophetical truths.
However, this argument of those events though has varying viewpoints.
Our two main texts today are one such example.
My personal doctrinal position and the theological and doctrinal positions of these texts or in is this:
these texts are two distinct and separate events.
Thessalonians is the event of the rapture of Christ’s bride his church and Revelation is the event of Christ return to earth.
What we call a second coming is comprised of these two separate events.
In my opinion the rapture will be the spark to ignite the flame of the latter day time called the seven year tribulation which will conclude with the book end of part two of the second coming of the King Jesus Christ.
The timing of these, is where the prior mentioned differences occur.
I and RIC hold that the rapture does proceed the tribulation.
There are those who contend that it is going to occur at midpoint of the tribulation. This is the mid tribulation position.
Then there is the post tribulation position where in essence belief is that the events concur at the conclusion of the tribulation.
These three beliefs comprise the vast percentage of the doctrinal position of the second coming I'll bet you can see the difference of when the events actually occur.
Particularly the rapture of the church.
Last the series of events that seem the most likely to be to my discernment are:
The rapture, the seven-year tribulation, the second coming.
This then will usher in the 1000-year millennial reign described in our revelation text which I will also breakdown too.
For the moment I will at least mention the two most common theological doctrines.
I and RIC hold to the position called the premillennialism of which the second phase of the second coming ushers in the 1000-year millennial reign of Christ and the Saints.
The other is called postmillennialism which holds to the belief that the second coming after the Millennium of which Christ's teaching and preaching ushers in and we'll establish his Kingdom here on earth.
This expects that eventually the vast majority of people will become saved.
Which will gradually produce a time in history prior to Christ second coming in return work with faith, righteousness, peace and prosperity and after time Christ will return prompting the general resurrection.
Then there is A or amillennialism.
This position does not believe in a literal rapture, a seven-year tribulation, or a literal 1000-year Christ rule on earth.
They believe that the millennial Kingdom began with the church and Christ reign on earth is spiritual in nature.
Obviously means all have much more about them. But I've given you a general idea of them.
Now that we have taken at least a glance at the theological and doctrinal beliefs of the event involved that “the King is Coming!”
Let's take a deeper look into the events themselves.
Again, our doctrinal and theological positions dictate that common term of the second coming are two very distinct separate events.
Pretribulation many times refer to these events as the rapture of the real church.
The term of rapture is not found in scripture.
The associated term that is found in verse 17 (caught up.)
The English term rapture is derived from the Latin “rapio” which means to seize or snatch away.
the Greek term of which BTW the New Testament or original writings were done in this the word Harpazo. The meaning is Greek is basically the same as Latin (to seize or snatch up).
The Thessalonian Church was in despair, they had concern about those that were asleep.
This was not talking about the physical sleep it meant those believers who had died and their bodies were resting in the grave.
That's alone IANS through their grief could not look past it to look at the promise of the resurrection. Paul was trying to get them to be OK with grieving but not to let themselves do so like the pagans who had no hope of the resurrection.
They had its hope and Paul was trying to get them to focus on that and not just death and the grave.
In verse 13 Paul was not accusing them of stupidity he was tapping into their emotional senses and spiritual existence knowledge of finding hope through faith.
Sometimes, we need reminders and sometimes we need to be given a deeper explanation of things.
This is what I feel was going on here.
Paul didn't want the Thessalonians church to be sad and not knowing, he wanted them to find comfort and to understand that the deceased Christians corruptible body would one day come to life once more
Paul laid out the first point to them.
One of the aspects of their conversion and our conversion is admissions and beliefs of the aspects of Christ gospel.
Death, burial and resurrection.
If the Thessalonians believed in the supernatural events of Christ resurrection, than upon explanation there would be no reason for them to believe and understand in another supernatural event that had not yet occurred.
That God would bring with him the bodies of believers.
Paul said, “by the word of the Lord meaning by revelation from God”.
that not only was the event of the calling forth the bodies of the deceased Christians going to happen, but that every Christian that is physically alive will also be called forth to be with God too.
This is what may refer to as the blessed hope.
Paul could not just have it at that.
He needed to explain the actions that would occur to spur the resurrection.
It would be in two consecutive acts.
Jesus will descend with a shout.
The Ark-Angel presumably Michael, will accompany Christ with the trump of God.
This trump of God term is also found in the Torah when Moses made a trumpet call for the people to assemble.
I believe the same trumpet call will happen at this event. A call of assemblies for all believers deceased and living.
Once this happens every grave will be opened of every Christian and the bodies of the redeemed righteous of Saints will rise first.
Then every Christian alive at this time will follow them from this world upward raptured - caught up.
to meet Jesus and the Arc-Angel in the air in the waiting presence of Christ in the cloud and then onward to heaven to be with God forever.
This will happen in a quick succession.
Let's turn to first Corinthians 15:51
I'm going to attempt to parallel the events of the rapture from Thessalonian’s text and the Corinthians text.
Paul related, if you recall that he didn't want the church in Thessalonians to be concerned of the destiny of their deceased loved one’s bodies. They didn't understand the resurrection.
Here he tells the Corinthians “I show you a mystery”
What's a mystery? It's not knowing or not understanding something.
So, what was the mystery? This same one that the Thessalonians were not knowing or had no real knowledge about.
Concerned about the Christian loved one’s earthly bodies.
Paul tells them OK here's what I am meaning. I will explain it.
I will explain to you about what is going to happen in the future regarding this mystery.
Here is the term sleep again once again the meaning is that of physical death.
Corinthians, not every Christian is going to taste physical death, thus referring to the words in Thessalonians the dead in Christ shall rise 1st and those of us alive will be brought to heaven.
Remember I said that it will all happen so fast, a “twinkling of an eye” is 300-400 milliseconds quicker than a human can blink.