Vanished Without a Trace

Sunday November 6, 2016 Phone: 570.829.5216 Pastor David Miklas e-mail: [email protected] Message: Book of Revelation 1-5 Text: I Thessalonians 4:13- 18

Rapture - Vanished without a Trace

INTRODUCTION: One of the popular CBS TV shows is the fictional drama “Without a Trace.” It is set in New York City’s special FBI missing persons unit. Each episode is devoted to finding one missing person. Headlines about people who vanish rivet our attention and we wonder:

What could have happened to the missing person? How could they have simply been there one moment and not the next? According to the Bible, a time is coming when this very thing will happen on a massive, global scale. A day is coming when millions of people will suddenly vanish from the face of the earth without a trace in less than a millisecond. As someone explained, the evacuation will create considerable chaos and destruction:

“ Jumbo jets plummet to earth as they no longer have a pilot at the controls. Driverless buses, trains, and cars will cause unimaginable disaster. Classrooms will suddenly be without teachers…Doctors and nurses seem to abandon their patients in the middle of surgical operations, and patients will vanish from the operating tables and hospital rooms. Children will disappear from their beds. Husbands will find their wives missing or wives will find their husbands gone. People will be running through the streets looking for missing family members who were there just moments ago. Panic will grip every household, city, and country.” Today in the midst of the gloom and frustration of the present hour with war in the Middle East, the war on Terror and the un-holy atmosphere in our country, the Lord Jesus Christ made a promise on the eve of His crucifixion in John 14:1-3,

"Let not your hearts be TROUBLED: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME AGAIN, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." In this passage Jesus was speaking of His coming FOR the saints in the RAPTURE. Jesus gave us the prophecy, but it was the Apostle Paul who revealed the details of the RAPTURE in I Thessalonians 4:13-18 where we read,

“ 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.”

Now interestingly you will not find the word “rapture” in this passage. However notice in verse 17 the words "caught-up." Actually the word “rapture” is from the Latin "rapere." But in the Greek, the word here is "harpazo," that has a number of meanings. They are:

to carry off by force, and to snatch out and away from the danger of destruction. The RAPTURE will occur suddenly, believers will be snatched away by force to rescue us from the danger of the coming great tribulation period of evil. Now, before in depth study of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, we need to clear up a point that has confused some.

On the one hand, the return of Jesus for His church is imminent - meaning it could happen at any time: today, tomorrow, or the next day. On the other hand, there are many signs developing that point to His return. So how do developing signs fit with the imminent return of Christ?

Most of the misunderstanding comes from confusing two events: the RAPTURE and the SECOND COMING. When we speak about the signs that signal the return of Christ, we speak not of the RAPTURE but of the Lord’s ultimate return to the earth with His saints. When we speak of the second coming of Christ we need to understand that the personal, visible, physical return of Jesus Christ is in two stages:

The FIRST STAGE will be our Lord’s return in the AIR as he comes FOR His SAINTS, before the GREAT TRIBULATION begins. This stage is called the RAPTURE of the church.

At an unknown time, Jesus is going to appear in the sky and all Christians, from this church age of grace, both living and dead, will be transported in a blink of an eye to meet Him in the sky.

The SECOND STAGE will be our Lord’s return to the EARTH as He comes WITH His SAINTS, at the conclusion of the 7 years of GREAT TRIBULATION during the Battle of Armageddon. This stage is called the REVELATION of Jesus Christ. Now returning to our text in I Thessalonians, Paul wrote to the Thessalonian Church to clear up their confusion about the return of Christ, especially in light of the fact that some Christians in their midst had died without Jesus having returned. What about them? Paul assured them that those deceased saints would not miss out on the return of Christ. Let’s look more deeply into what Paul said, point by point – three major sections.

FIRST SECTION - THE CAREFUL REVIEW OF THE RAPTURE: Please notice again verses 13-14, “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.” Here Paul focuses upon three areas

Number 1: He DISPELLS the Believers IGNORANCE. “But I would not have you to be ignorant” Unfortunately, there are many Christians today who are ignorant about the prophetic portions of God's plan - about when and how Christ will return for His church. Even many pastors don't believe that what the Bible has to say about the future is relevant for today. As a result they live, like the

Thessalonians, in ignorance of the knowledge and assurance these doctrines provide.

Number 2: He DESCRIBES the Believer's DEATH. One of the meanings of the word “asleep” in verse 13 is “to sleep in death.” It refers to the believer's body which is put into the ground on a temporary basis, waiting to be "awakened" by Christ when He returns for His church. The same word is used in a number of New Treatment passages.

Of the death of Lazarus in John 11:11 Jesus said, “… Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.” Of the death of Stephen in Acts 7:60 we read, “And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” Of the death of David in Acts 13:36 we read, “ For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:” Of the death of Jesus Christ in I Corinthians 15:20 we read, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”

The Greek word for the burying place of the dead was “koimeterion,” from which we get our English word "cemetery." It was also used to describe a place where one would rest for the night then continue his journey the next day. This is the same picture presented by "sleep" as a metaphor for death - it is the experience of one's body being temporarily buried in anticipation of being reunited with the spirit at the Rapture. When a Christian loses a loved one who is also a Christian, there is mourning, of course, but not out of a sense of despair. For we know that the grave is only a temporary resting place for the believer's body (the believer's spirit is with the Lord) until it is raised again at the Rapture. Number 3: He DEFENDS the Believer's HOPE. Paul did not want the believers to "sorrow as others who have no hope.” Why? “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.” If Christ was raised from the dead, it is not too difficult to imagine Him raising us from the dead as well. While holding your place here, turn to I Corinthians 15:51-57 where Paul gives us another glimpse of this resurrection.

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (54) So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (55) O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (56) The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. (57) But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” SECOND SECTION - The CHRONOLOGICAL PROGRAM OF THE RAPTURE: Again we read in I Thessalonians 4:15-18,

“ 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 Page 3 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.”

From these verses, there are 5 truths you can easily recall, as they all begin with the letter "R." Number 1: There will be a RETURN, verse 16. This is a very detailed statement by Paul, even including the sounds that will be heard: “a shout, the voice of an archangel, and the sound of the "trumpet of God." I don't believe these are actually three separate sounds, but three ways of Paul describing a single sound that will be totally unique, unfamiliar to human beings. This is the final of three instances in which Christ shouted. And on each occasion a resurrection took place.

There was the shout at Bethany found in John 11:43-44, "And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth..." There was the shout at Calvary in Matthew 27:50-53, "Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. ... and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose..."

You say, "Will it be a sound the world will be able to understand?” NO! The only ones who will hear it will be believers who are turned to channel H, that's Heaven! There will be a shout, the dead shall rise from the grave, along with we who are alive. My, wouldn’t that be interesting? Many of us would be gone. I wonder if you would still be sitting here? Number 2: There will be a RESURRECTION. Verse 16 is an answer to the Thessalonians' question: the deceased saints' bodies will be resurrected from their graves. This is not a resurrection of all the human dead - that comes at the end of the Millennium when all unsaved humanity stands before God for the Great White Throne judgment. This resurrection is only for those who have died in faith prior to Christ's return. Number 3: There will be a RAPTURE. Verse 17 contains the heart of what is referred to as the Rapture: “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:” Remember the word “caught up” means “to snatch out speedily.” Paul decided this for us in I Corinthians 15:52, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” In a split second, the Lord will call all believers to Himself to share in His glory. Not one will remain behind. Number 4: There will be a REUNION. The key word in verse 17 that indicates a reunion is "together."

The first reunion is when the saints who are alive at the Rapture are reunited with those who have preceded them in death. Those who are alive will be caught up "together with the resurrected ones."

The second reunion is when all believers - living and deceased "meet the Lord in the air." From that reunion in the clouds, we all return together with the Lord to escape the coming Tribulation period on the earth.

So that is the chronology of the Rapture: return, resurrection, rapture, and reunion. The result in verse 17 is that "and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” Number 5: There will be a REASSURANCE. In a postscript, Paul returns to the theme of this chapter. He gives comfort to the believers in Thessalonica who had lost loved ones prior to Christ's return. In verse 18 we read, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” And the comfort they received from Paul's words can comfort us in the same way. When we stand around the casket of a loved one and later bury them in the earth, we are not saying good-bye forever. It is only a temporary absence. If we ourselves die before the Lord returns, we will join them in Paradise. And if we are alive when He returns, we will be reunited with them in the air when we meet Jesus face-to-face. I hope you will comfort yourself and others with these words. THIRD SECTION - The CONCLUDING PURPOSE OF THE RAPTURE: This doctrine of the return of Jesus Christ for His church should cause us to live differently in two respects, including how we look toward the future and how we live today. We Should Be Looking for the Lord. Paul warned us in three of his letters to be alert and watchful for the Lord’s return.

In Philippians 3:20-21 we read, “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: (21) Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”

In I Thessalonians 1:10 we read, “And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”

In Titus 2:11-13 we read, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, (12) Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; (13) Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” I believe that the degree to which we are actually longing for Christ’s return is a measure of our spiritual condition. Someone wrote,

“The more Christians are caught up in the enjoying the good things of this life, and the more they neglect genuine Christian fellowship and their personal relationship with Christ, the less they will long for His return. On the other hand, Christians who are experiencing suffering or persecution, and those whose daily walk with Christ is vital and deep, will have a more intense longing for His return.” Notice again from verse 12, when we keep our eyes on the heavens it is a way to keep them off the world. It is a way to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age. We Should Be Living for the Lord. It is at this point that I take exception with those who fail to find the practical relevance in prophecy. Nothing could be more relevant than “living soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age!” The apostles Peter and John felt the same way.

Regarding the day of the Lord (referring to another part of the prophetic calendar) Peter wrote in II Peter 3:10-14, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall Page 5 melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. (11) Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, (12) Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? (13) Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (14) Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” And John wrote in I John 2:28, "And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming" (1 John 2:28). Also in I John 3:2-3 he said, “…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.” Think about it. If the Rapture could occur at any moment of any day going forward, is that not motivation for making every moment one that is pleasing to Him? Would you want to be found doing something carnal, shameful, or utterly sinful at the moment when that "shout," that "voice of an archangel," that "trumpet of God" is heard? At that very moment, "in the twinkling of an eye," you will be face-to- face with Jesus Christ. I believe if the average Christian would meditate on these truths on a daily, basis, his life would be different. Not only would we not choose to willfully sin; but in those unwitting moments of failure, we would confess them immediately and be restored to fellowship with Christ, prepared once again to meet Him in the air. The most important way that prophecy changes our life is by causing us to examine whether we are in Christ or not; whether we will participate in that coming reunion in the sky. If you have not placed your faith in Jesus Christ, do not delay. There is nothing preventing Him from coming for His own today. When He appears, you do not want to be among those left behind.

Jesus coming again ought to STIMULATE our hearts, EXCITE our minds, and MOTIVATE our Lives. Amen! Even the last chapter of the Bible in Revelation 22:20 tells us "Even so come Lord Jesus." The hymn writer wrote,

Marvelous message we bring, glorious carol we sing. Wonderful words of the king, Jesus is coming again. Coming again, Coming again, Maybe MORNING, maybe NOON, maybe EVENING, and maybe SOON! O wonderful Day it will be. Jesus is Coming Again! I believe we are living closer to His coming than any generation that has ever lived. Jesus can come at any moment. Again the Hymn writer wrote:

"It may be at morn, when the day is awaking. It may be at midday, it may be at twilight. It may be perchance, that the blackness of midnight Will burst into light in the blaze of His Glory, When Jesus receives "His own."

Every day is to be filled with the excitement of His coming. We sing, "What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see, and I look upon His face, the one who saved me by His grace." Upon hearing the news of the tragic loss of his four daughters at sea, and upon Page 6 arriving at the very spot where the ship went down, H.G. Stratford sat down and wrote what to me is one of the greatest hymns of the faith. The fourth stanza reads: And Lord haste the day when thy faith shall be sight, and The clouds be rolled back as a scroll. The trump shall resound and the Lord shall decend. Even so, it is well with my soul. Today, is it well with your soul? *********************************************************************** If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “Rapture - Vanished without a Trace” right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in

Acts 16:31, “...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved...” Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: “I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation.” If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, please let me know. Please send an e-mail to [email protected] and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life. The “Weekly SERMON” was sent as a ministry of Bible Baptist Ministry, 48 Alexie Rd., Hanover Township, PA 18706. Privacy policy: your e-mail address will not be sold, or shared with any third party. Copy write permission: Because the “Weekly SERMON” will be reproduced into other formats, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: The “Weekly SERMON” in its original form, without any changes, may be copied and re-transmitted by electronic mail, and copies may be printed for individual or ministry purposes, provided that such copying, re-transmission, printing, or other use is not for profit or other commercial purpose. Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of the “Weekly SERMON” must set forth in full the heading that is given before each “Weekly SERMON.” Any other request for use, please contact Bible Baptist Ministries at [email protected] or by phone at 570.829.5216.